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Plunky's "Love Makes Us Better" Video Is Cosmic Jazz-Funk
In his "Love Makes Us Better" video Plunky imagines John Coltrane or Pharaoh Sanders getting funky and spiritual and political in today's Youtube musical landscape.
Watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fun0F7BJvCs
"Love makes us better" is a declarative statement of belief in the power of universal love. The new song written by acclaimed saxophonist J. Plunky Branch, expresses his personal belief in love as a positive force in human nature.
It turns out the man with the horn is also a man with a vision, as Plunky directed and produced this short-form video masterwork that explores the intersection of musical romanticism and political and social idealism. The message in the video is simple: love makes us better people and a better nation.
The mood and tonality of the song's instrumental track is definitely rooted in the cosmic jazz of the 1960s and 70s. During that era, Plunky worked with Ornette Coleman, Sam Rivers, Pharaoh Sanders, Rashid Ali, Lonnie Liston Smith, Ndikho Xaba and others while leading his group, Juju. Plunky produced two albums on the innovative jazz label Strata-East Records and two albums on Black Fire Records before establishing his own N.A.M.E. Brand Records label. Over the years Plunky & Oneness (of Juju) developed an Afro-jazz funk sound by combining soulful, polyrhythmic and improvisational styles.
On "Love Makes Us Better," Plunky evokes the sentiments of past cosmic jazz saxophone masters, as his soprano soars over the rhythm section guided by Dr. Weldon Hill's grand piano motif. Hip-hop producer J. Fire Branch's beats and funky drums propel the track into today's future tense. Plunky's raw lead vocals are smoothed by angelic background singers (Charlayne Green and Kala Page) as he delivers his simple but poignant lyrics:
Love is supernatural and satisfactual/Magnificent, excellent and heaven sent
Personal love. Universal love. It's all about love
Love makes things better/Better and better
Love makes us better/Better and better
Plunky is a persistently innovative and versatile artist whose 25 albums and 450 original songs span multiple genres including, African, jazz, funk, R&B, hip-hop and reggae. He has toured extensively with his group, Plunky & Oneness (of Juju), performing in concert and at festivals with some of the biggest names in Black music, including George Clinton, Earth Wind & Fire, Patti LaBelle, LL Cool J, Lonnie Liston Smith, and so many more. Plunky recently received a 50 For 50 Award as an outstanding artist of the last 50 years from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. His songs have been on national and international charts, licensed for television, sampled, re-recorded and re-issued on numerous international compilations.
"Love Makes Us Better" will be the title song of the upcoming full-length album due out later this summer, but the song is available now as one of the tracks on "Only You," Plunky's four-song maxi-single CD which this week entered the Smoothjazz.com Top 50 Indie Chart. The "Only You" maxi single is available on itunes, amazon and all the usual online streaming services; and it can be ordered at https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/plunkyoneness8
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