The December 2013 issue of Black Grooves, sponsored by the Archives of African American Music and Culture<http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eaaamc/>, has now been posted at www.blackgrooves.org<http://www.blackgrooves.org>.



This month we're featuring an overview of holiday CDs, including new releases by Mary J. Blige, Tamar Braxton, Marvin Sapp, Nnenna Freelon, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. and soundtracks from The Best Man Holiday and Black Nativity, plus an assortment of reissues/compilations including Christmas in the Congo, Funky Christmas, Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party, Blues Blues Christmas Vol. 3, and Gladys Knight & the Pips The Classic Christmas Album.



If you're looking for holiday gifts, we have an overview of several box sets: Herbie Hancock's Complete Columbia Album Collection, Miles Davis's The Original Mono Recordings, Bobby Womack's Everthing's Gonna Be Alright, American Singles 1967-76, the compilation I Heard the Angels Singing: Electrifying Black Gospel from Nashboro Label, and the 800 track Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Vol. 1 (1917-1932). We're also featuring two calendars for blues fans, and three books: Soul Unsung: Reflections on the Band in Black Popular Music by Kevin Le Gendre, Mr. B: The Music & Life of Billy Eckstine by Cary Ginell, and Love, Peace and Soul: Behind the Scenes of America's Favorite Dance Show (i.e., Soul Train) by Ericka Blount Danois.



Also featured in this issue is Venissa Santi's Billie Holiday tribute album Big Stuff: Afro Cuban Holiday, the Nigerian Afro-funk compilation Who Is William Onyeabor?, the Blind Boys of Alabama's I'll Find a Way, and the new Jimi Hendrix documentary Hear My Train a Comin'.  Last but not least is our list of notable releases for November, not yet featured in Black Grooves.



Brenda Nelson-Strauss
Editor, Black Grooves
Archives of African American Music & Culture
Indiana University
http://www.indiana.edu/~aaamc/
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