Mic Check: Detroit artist Saxappeal honing his craft through prolific music experiences
Saxophonist, educator, producer and multi-instrumentalist LaDarrel Johnson — also known as Saxappeal — has taken his love for music and...
Chris Campbell is a broadcast personality/nationally-renowned tastemaker and host of the multi-genre electronic music program The Progressive Underground. He is also a correspondent for NPR (National Public Radio) curating global underground music for national segments such as "Heavy Rotation" and "Songs We Love." Campbell is the host of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s “Paradise Jazz Series,” “Concerts at the Cube,” and is co-host of the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre’s “Jazzy Wednesdays Summer Concert Series.”
He has also hosted events including the Detroit International Jazz Festival, Charivari Detroit Electronic Music Fest and has curated/hosted Detroit Performs LIVE on WTVS-Channel 56 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), along with hosting/moderating a variety of concerts, industry showcases, artist album releases, panel discussions, movie screenings, and press unveilings.
Campbell is also an author and music journalist who has written for national and international publications such as Smooth Jazz News, Upscale, and Examiner. He is a published author as his books “The Essential Neo-Soul” and “Essential Neo-Soul 2.0” spotlight the modern-day progressive soul music movement and are the only publications of their kind to cover the history of the modern/alternative soul community.
‘The Progressive Underground’ pays tribute to new wave music
This week on The Progressive Underground, host Chris Campbell explores the history of new wave, the music genre that emerged...
Mic Check: Detroit native Kenny Garrett brings lifetime of music experiences to the DSO stage
For nearly four decades, Grammy-winning saxophonist Kenny Garrett has built a career that has seen him become recognized as one...
Emerging artist Candace Nicole takes her sound to the next level with new album
Detroit-based composer, pianist and bandleader Candace Nicole has become a presence on the local music scene with a rhythmic blending...
Mic Check: Chronicling the musical travels of singer Beth Griffith-Manley
Songstress Beth Griffith-Manley has enjoyed enough music experiences to fill a lifetime. A Detroit native and daughter of the late...
Progressive Underground: Kris Johnson’s return to the DSO is a full circle moment
Award-winning trumpeter, educator and bandleader Kris Johnson has enjoyed a musical journey that has taken him around the world sharing...
Mic Check: Neo soul icon Erykah Badu celebrates career spanning over 25 years
It’s been nearly three decades since Erykah Badu came along and changed the sound of soul music with her 1997...
Progressive Underground: ‘Where It Rains in Color’ reimagines beauty standards through Afro-futurism
Afro-futurism has been an emerging sub-genre within both music and literature — and it’s been rewriting the rules of engagement...
Mic Check: A WDET exclusive interview with Robert Glasper
Producer, multi-instrumentalist and Grammy Award-winning artist Robert Glasper has been at the vanguard of contemporary music for many years, and...
Five timeless tracks from Filipino-American songstress Tracy Cruz
Singer-songwriter Tracy Cruz was born in Quezon City on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Later relocating to San...
From Sly and the Family Stone to P-Funk, get to know funk music icon Dawn Silva in five songs
Born and raised in Sacramento, California, Dawn Silva gravitated to music early on as she sang in a high school...
Detroit songbird Kathy Kosins’ versatility spans multiple decades and genres
Born in Highland Park, Michigan, Kathy Kosins worked in her family's clothing store as a child. Her father, Harry Kosins,...