Photo courtesy of Made In Memphis Entertainment
(July 22, 2020) David Porter knows the history of the city of Memphis. He knows the role that city played in the history of music. He also knows the role that city played in the history of civil rights because he was a part of both. Porter, who along with Isaac Hayes helped craft the Memphis sound at Stax Records, also knows a good singer when he hears one. And Porter knew he had something special when he heard Brandon Lewis.
Lewis is a Memphis native who crossed paths with Porter after joining Memphis Music Town, a program started by the legendary songwriter, producer and vocalist. MMT is a program that provides information to aspiring talent about songwriting, recording, and production.
(July 22, 2020) David Porter knows the history of the city of Memphis. He knows the role that city played in the history of music. He also knows the role that city played in the history of civil rights because he was a part of both. Porter, who along with Isaac Hayes helped craft the Memphis sound at Stax Records, also knows a good singer when he hears one. And Porter knew he had something special when he heard Brandon Lewis.
Lewis is a Memphis native who crossed paths with Porter after joining Memphis Music Town, a program started by the legendary songwriter, producer and vocalist. MMT is a program that provides information to aspiring talent about songwriting, recording, and production.
Lewis honed his craft and was inspired to be around a group of like-minded serious musicians. He actually recorded some of his original material during his time at MMT, and some of that work reached Porter, who was impressed. That led to Porter offering Lewis an opportunity to join the label Made In Memphis Entertainment, and that resulted in Lewis recording the song “Black Man.”
“Black Man” is a song that is quintessentially Memphis. It fuses the blues, gospel and country that comprises so much the city’s soundtrack. The tune also connects the past and the present through a video that reminds viewers of how far we have come and how far we still have to go.
The video features Lewis, a member of the Black Lives Matter generation, singing at I Am A Man Plaza. Clayborn Temple, the church that served as a rallying point for the striking sanitation workers in 1968, falls within the footprint of I Am A Man Plaza.
There is a lot of history packed in this modern release. Check out “Black Man” here.
By Howard Dukes
Brandon Lewis - "Black Man"