Prince, Womack, and the Essence of Essence
This Week's Soundtrack looks ahead to the July 4 weekend and the Essence Music Festival, and back to the late Bobby Womack.
[Updated] I was sad to learn that soul legend Bobby Womack passed away Friday. I interviewed him for almost an hour before he played Jazz Fest this year. That story is online here, and in it he denies that he was living with Alzheimer's Disease, and contended that a reporter who didn't get a joke started that rumor.
1. "Daylight" - Bobby Womack
2. "Girls & Boys" - Prince: Prince will headline the Essence Festival Friday night.
3. "Givin' Em What They Love" - Janelle Monae: Featuring Prince. She'll perform on the main stage at Essence Friday night as well.
4. "The Other Side" - The Roots: The Roots will play Essence Saturday night, and Questlove do a DJ set later that night at Tipitina's.
5. "Dayglo Reflection" - Bobby Womack: With Lana Del Rey from his 2012 album, The Bravest Man in the Universe.
6. "N.Y. State of Mind" - Nas: From Illmatic. He'll headline Thursday's EssenceNow show.
7. "Pretzelbodylogic" - Prince and 3rdEyeGirl: A recent track from Prince and his new band.
8. "Window Seat" - Erykah Badu: Erykah Badu will play Essence Sunday.
9. "Sound Proof Room" - Elle Varner: Varner will play an Essence Superlounge Sunday.
10. "Private Joy" - Prince
11. "Get a Life" - Original Pinettes Brass Band: The Pinettes will play an Essence Superlounge Sunday.
12. "Arkansas State Prison" - Bobby Womack
13. "No Love" - August Alsina: The New Orleans singer has signed a deal with Def Jam, and he'll play an Essence Superlounge Sunday.
14. "FALLINLOVE2NITE" - Prince: More relatively new music, this with Zooey Deschanel.
15. "Shot" - Alice Smith: Smith plays an Essence Superlounge Friday.
16. "Kiss and Make Up" - Mary J. Blige: From the soundtrack to Think Like a Man Too. She'll headline the Essence main stage Saturday night.
17. "Stylo" - Gorillaz: The guest spot that introduced Bobby Womack to a new generation.
18. "Wrong Forever" - Raheem DeVaughn: DeVaughn plays an Essence Superlounge Sunday.
19. "Across 110th Street" - Bobby Womack
20. "Uptown" - Prince
21. "That Good Good" - Ledisi: The New Orleans-born, Oakland-raised vocalist plays the Essence main stage Saturday.
22. "Coffee Pot" - Big Sam's Funky Nation: From Big Sam's 2014 release, Evolution. He'll play an Essence Superlounge Saturday night.
23. "Black Radio" - Robert Glasper feat. yasiin bey: Glasper will play a Superlounge Sunday.
24. "Brand New Orleans" - Prince: The one flaw in Prince's game has been his ability to navigate the independent music distribution world, and this Hurricane Katrina benefit track is an example. I did a paper on Hurricane Katrina songs for the EMP Conference and wrote about them for The Village Voice and didn't know this single existed until I was working on this playlist.
25. "I'm in Love" - Bobby Womack
26. "Why Do You Lie?" - Liv Warfield: Warfield will play a Superlounge Saturday.
27. "When Doves Cry" - Prince
28. "Come on Over" - Sevyn Streeter: Streeter will play a Superlounge Sunday.
29. "Stage Fright" - Chic: One of Chic's architects, Nile Rodgers, will perform on the Essence main stage Friday night.
30. "That's the Way I Feel About 'Cha" - Bobby Womack
31. "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" - The Commodores: Lionel Richie will close Essence's main stage Sunday.
31. "Strange Relationship" - Prince
32. "Lay Your Lovin' on Me" - Bobby Womack
July 4, 4:48 p.m.
The Essence Music Festival name was corrected to Essence Festival.
