“I never thought I would see this at Newport,” singer-songwriter Lizzie No announced before launching into a scorching version of her own “Deep Well Song.” “I play a lot of folk festivals, and normally it’s like one or two Black people. Maybe that’s an accident, but more likely it’s because we’re extremely dangerous when we’re all together.” The Black Opry Revue was a joyful corrective as well as a varied display of the collective’s disparate stylings and songwriting prowess, from the fingerpicking of Buffalo Nichols to the acoustic blues of Chris Pierce to the sensitive storytelling of Leon Timbo to the beautiful balladry of Julia Cannon to the Nashville radio fodder of the Kentucky Gentlemen to the uplifting testimony of Autumn Nicholas, before culminating in a two-song delivery from festival returnee Joy Oladokun. As Lizzie No put it herself: “The Black Opry is coming for everything.”
NASHVILLE’S AUTUMN NICHOLAS REVEALS NEW TRACK ‘WHO WE ARE’
It’s a strange thing when a musician can capture an entire room with nothing more than herself and a guitar. All the subtle clinking of glasses and silverware ceased the moment she started playing. I can confidently say that everyone in the room that night got the impression that she was singing directly to them and them only. That’s connection. Unadulterated, effortless connection.
The Black Opry: a joyful, supportive celebration of Black artists
Black musicians have always been integral to country, folk, blues and Americana music – in many cases, it was Black musicians who were doing it first. But the music industry has a long history of not supporting them, and in some cases, excluding them completely or promoting white artists who have a history of racism. That's part of the reason The Black Opry was founded by Nashville's Holly G. The collective of Black artists first began as a website, and is a joyful, supportive space where Black artists can be heard and celebrated.
When these artists tour, they're called the Black Opry Revue – and I was joined by five members of the Black Opry Revue in the World Cafe studio. In this session, you'll hear songs from all five of them: Autumn Nicholas, Sug Daniels, Tylar Bryant, Jett Holden and Roberta Lea.
Listen in the audio player above and watch all five performances via NPR Live Sessions.
Autumn Nicholas Unveils Her ‘Shades Of Beige’ EP
Her new EP, ‘Shades Of Beige’, which PopWrapped are delighted to premiere, is a testament to that ability and talent, as not only does it showcase her impressive vocal range, but lyrically highlights the many differences between us as a society, reflecting on and sharing them through a more positive lens or outlook than perhaps we do ourselves.
Billboard Review: Autumn Nicholas "Shades of Beige
North Carolina based artist Autumn Nicholas is here to tackle the issues that are important to her head-on. In Shades of Beige, the singer's new EP, Nicholas uses her stellar pop/R&B sound to address issues like labels ("Light"), social inequality ("Side By Side") and much more, all while showing off her incredible vocals and her natural acumen for songwriting.
