Episode 128. Vahn Black is a Detroit-born vocalist, songwriter, producer and memory worker. She has crafted a sound-world of her own that marries her love of history, jazz vocalists, Black folk traditions and hip-hop producers.
As a teenager, Black attended Detroit School of Arts High School where she studied classical and jazz music as a Vocal major. In 2014, Black placed runner-up in the Detroit Jazz Festival's Youth Jazz Vocal Competition. She later enrolled in Spelman College's music program, focusing on classical vocal performance and modern composition, becoming the first student of the program to perform a senior recital of original non-classical compositions.
In 2023, Black was selected to perform at NPR's Tiny Desk on the Road Tour stop in Atlanta and has also performed as an opening act for MAJOR., Anthony Hamilton, Chrisette Michele, Elle Varner, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.
Black’s latest work, "Walk in the Rain," is the second of a trilogy that centers the story of Blues singer Gladys Bentley as told in the 1952 article "I Am a Woman Again". Displaying Black's passion for archival research and amplifying the voices of Black music elders, this project bridges the gaps of Bentley's small archive to create a more complete, imaginative story of her life. This explores Bentley's life-long desire to belong and be loved, the elements of life that brought her joy and the fluid nature of her gender expression and sexuality.
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