NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of name new Tiny Desk concert events. Collectively, these artists symbolize the previous, current and way forward for Black music. This month of rigorously curated exhibits is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in methods we have by no means seen earlier than, and of the Tiny Desk’s distinctive means of showcasing that expertise.
I used to be working late when Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds first arrived on the workplace to rehearse for his Tiny Desk live performance. Inside moments, it was clear it might be an distinctive efficiency. The subsequent day, my colleagues waited patiently to see the legendary singer, songwriter and producer. As a result of in terms of issues of the guts, Babyface has turned our angst, our triumphs, our devastation, into timeless love songs which have scored the romances of multiple era.
Joined by top-tier expertise — Tank, Chanté Moore and Avery Wilson — Babyface got here out swinging. From the songs that put him on the map, to these he wrote or produced for different icons, across the room hit after hit was met with swoons, sighs and never a couple of tears. (Okay, possibly that was simply me.)
Babyface is a titan of the music business: with quite a few high 10 hits, 12 Grammys (50 nominations) and a jaw-dropping roster of collaborations. In 2022, he assembled a stellar ensemble of ladies for one in all my favourite albums of the yr, Women Night time Out. To observe this grasp of pen and sound behind the Tiny Desk was actually epic and nothing wanting a dream come true.
SET LIST
- “Two Events”
- “Whip Enchantment”
- “Superwoman”
- “Take A Bow”
- “Not Gon’ Cry”
- “Can We Discuss”
- “Change the World”
- “Thnks fr th Mmrs”
- “I will Make Love To You”
- “Finish Of The Street”
- “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)”
MUSICIANS
- Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds: vocals, keys, guitar
- Erskine Hawkins III: keys, music director
- Antoine Porter: guitar
- Walt Barnes Jr.: bass
- Reggie Regg: drums
- Tank: vocals
- Chanté Moore: vocals
- Avery Wilson: vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Bobby Carter
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
- Inventive Director: Bob Boilen
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Body, Maia Stern, Sofia Seidel
- Audio Assistant: Hannah Gluvna
- Manufacturing Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Tiny Desk Crew: Suraya Mohamed, Hazel Cills
- Photographer: Catie Boring
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
- Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
