A stage name that became real. John L Nelson was a Jazz musician hailing from Louisiana who put down roots in Minneapolis. Raising a family kept him busy as he held down a day job, yet all the while he was composing music and teaching his children the importance of melody. Later he would start a second family, and his son Prince would take the world by storm. John L Nelson's compositions were never recorded - until now. His eldest daughter Sharon assembled a band at Paisley Park - coincidentally with John's nephew Louis Hayes behind the kit and leading the band. They set down tracks for the purpose of history and to honor the man who gave us Prince. The melodies are sublime, with intricate balance and a sense of old and new fused in a seemingly effortless fashion. Drop in and listen to the beautiful music of John L. Nelson as we prepare for worldwide release on Friday March 2.
Music and Connection
As we hustle into 2018, another year filled with quality recordings from a dazzling array of artists fully embracing independence and intent on bringing beauty (and change) to the world, we pause to reflect on the phenomena of the Ropeadope model. Six years ago we set on a mission to create the music industry that we would want to live in - a model of distributed collaboration that helps artists claim full creative control and build strong independent businesses, all linked to the extent of their choosing and working towards a new economy that is sustainable. The road has been challenging, as large companies control both the media presentation of music and the distribution, but we have been able to survive and thrive by connecting artists with each other and with fans.
As we forge ahead we will continue to share revenue fairly with artists and work even harder to build connection and trust, and we need you - the listeners - to keep the flame burning by supporting our work. Whatever your preferred format is - CD, Vinyl, download, or stream - we thank you for digging our music in the past and urge you to help our network grow by sharing the music with your friends and the world. All the links are here, drop in and enjoy the music.
Featured artist | Escaper
The Great Escaper is back - Will Hanza and his retrofuture space rock/spy funk band of renegades are tearing it up again with their second studio album. Edge Detection was recorded at The Bunker in Brooklyn, with each band member performing simultaneously in isolation. The process captured the live interaction with all of the studio benefits. Bandleader and guitarist Will Hanza explains, “The term ‘jam’ can be a loaded one, but the idea of having some concrete ideas, while still allowing the music to be open to take advantage of the moment is really important to us.” This is a fan pleasing, room shaking experiment in music exploration, laying a solid launch pad for Hanza's soaring interstellar guitar. Drop in on Friday for a taste.
Release Date: February 23
New Music | Andrew FInn Magill
Steeped in Irish music from the beginning, Andrew Finn Magill has balanced on the line between fiddler and violinist, with his first two records garnering critical and popular acclaim. What next? Move to Brazil of course! Fall in love with Forro, Samba, and Bossa Nova; play with the best and earn your chops all over again. Finn has done just that and brings us Canta Violino - a deep dive into music discovery across culture and genre. The beauty of this music is that we get to experience the new-ness and excitement of Finn's journey as we listen. Canta Violino hits on April 6, 2018
“It’s nice to see fresh, young musicians carrying on the traditions of Brazilian music. Finn Magill displays a love and authenticity that can fool you into thinking he is from Brazil. His style is playful and light, yet soulful and passionate. Congratulations!”