America Otis Houston JR SKU: PPM063LP Barcode: 0795853950830 19.00 £19.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Post Present Medium Released Date: 6th March 2020 Buying Format: 1LP Out of stock Back Order Add to your Wishlist Description Product Info Otis Houston Jr. can frequently be found making art, performance, poetry and social commentary at his long-held spot in New York City at the entrance to the FDR drive at 122 Street. Over the years, he has come to occupy and claim this marginalized stretch of the FDR as gallery, studio and public forum. Since 1997, following a period of incarceration and his mother’s death, Houston Jr. has set up shop weekly at this self-anointed soapbox under the Triborough Bridge, where he stages impromptu performances and displays an arrangement of signage, drawings and foundobject assemblages that critique racism, poverty and addiction and also celebrate health, education, happiness and freedom. As he says, “We not in the same boat, but we all in the water.” The works of Houston Jr., who calls himself ‘Black Cherokee’, are made primarily with discarded objects that he collects from the street and the dumpster at his job and creates in his East Harlem apartment of 30 years, or in the basement of the office building where he works in Midtown Manhattan. Houston Jr. recorded the songs for ‘America’ in three locations around Harlem and the Bronx in 2006, the year the album was originally selfreleased on CD. Makeshift studios that no longer exist provide a telling context for his autobiographical storytelling. Pre-recorded beats made by studio owners were picked based on which suited his cadence-laden poetry best and often times on ‘America’ the songs repeat, with different lyrics, transforming themselves. Houston Jr., a raconteur and quick-witted wordsmith, has so much to say that when there is a groove, he doesn’t want to let it go but rather float around and experiment. Influenced by Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and the like, his strong voice and natural ability to use slogans give this album a cunning stance. Juxtaposed by the highly visible time stamp of mid-aughts DIY R&B production, ‘America’ sounds sometimes like worlds colliding, smooth improvisations, quick turnarounds and soul bearing truths. ‘America’ opens with a song not written by Houston Jr. – the only song on the record penned by someone else. In ‘Soul Brother 27’, he explains “…It was given to me 30 years ago, 1975 by my cellmate… but has been such a part of me I wanted everyone to hear it”. He goes on to read this poem that sets the tone for his story laid out in 14 tracks. Songs about Incarceration for drug charges, his short stint as a boxer, getting shot, being in the hospital and his positive approach to life and desire for change in his community. In the song ‘The Children’ he spells it out: “We need to raise up a new generation. We need to use video, rap music, pop sounds and any and everything all around. We need to sing it, play it, sew it, picture it, draw it, wave it, and shout it everywhere.” This touching and unsuspecting underground classic finally gets the release it deserves. Artist Otis Houston JR Genre Soul / Funk Label Post Present Medium Buying Options 1LP Format 1LP Condition New Country UK Track Listings Soul Brother The Children Me One More River To Cross Who’s The Fool This Real Man Black Cherokee My Books I Read The Thang Sugar Ray Get Out Of My Way Thanking The Lord I Like Where I Stay AMERICA My Name And My Word Red-Yellow-Black-White Share this On Facebook On Twitter Via Email More from Soul / Funk View Product Quick View Donny Hathaway Extension Of Man Soul / Funk | Rhino | 180g, 1LP Released 8th September 2014 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Donny Hathaway Extension Of Man £16.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Rhino SKU: 8122795954 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 8th September 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Bill Withers Just As I Am Soul / Funk | 4 Men With Beards | 180g, 1LP Released 10th August 2016 £27.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Bill Withers Just As I Am £27.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: 4 Men With Beards SKU: 4M816LP Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 10th August 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Alexander O'Neal Alexander O’Neal Soul / Funk | Tabu | 1LP, Includes Download Code Released 2nd September 2013 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Alexander O'Neal Alexander O’Neal £20.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Tabu SKU: TABULP001 Formats: 1LP, Includes Download Code Released Date: 2nd September 2013 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (SuperVinyl) Soul / Funk | Mobile Fidelity | 180g, 1LP Released 3rd May 2024 £67.00 Pre Order View Pre/Back Orders Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (SuperVinyl) £67.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Mobile Fidelity SKU: LMF527SV Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 3rd May 2024 Read More Pre Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Lee Moses Time and Place Soul / Funk | Light In The Attic | 180g, 1LP Released 19th August 2016 £26.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Lee Moses Time and Place £26.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Light In The Attic SKU: FDR630LP Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 19th August 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Archie Bell And The Drells Tighten Up Soul / Funk | Music On Vinyl | 180g, 1LP Released 20th November 2015 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Archie Bell And The Drells Tighten Up £20.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Music On Vinyl SKU: MOVLP1556 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 20th November 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Booker T & The MGs In The Christmas Spirit Soul / Funk | Sundazed | 180g, 1LP Released 14th December 2010 £28.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Booker T & The MGs In The Christmas Spirit £28.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Sundazed SKU: SUNDAZEDLP5053 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 14th December 2010 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Kurt Elling SuperBlue: Guilty Pleasures (featuring Nate Smith) Soul / Funk | Edition Records | 1LP Released 6th October 2023 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Kurt Elling SuperBlue: Guilty Pleasures (featuring Nate Smith) £18.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Edition Records SKU: EDNLP1223 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 6th October 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Isley Brothers Givin’ It Back Soul / Funk | Music On Vinyl | 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released 26th January 2015 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Isley Brothers Givin’ It Back £20.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: Music On Vinyl SKU: MOVLP840 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 26th January 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Various Artists The Sound of Philadelphia Volume 1 Soul / Funk | We Are Vinyl | 180g, 2LP Released 5th April 2019 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Various Artists The Sound of Philadelphia Volume 1 £20.00 Genre: Soul / Funk Label: We Are Vinyl SKU: 19075913041 Formats: 180g, 2LP Released Date: 5th April 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders See more in Soul / Funk Start again
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