"Southern Poetology"

Marie Grady, affectionately known in the entertainment world as LyriQ, was born, September 7, 1971, in a small town called Heerlen in the southern region of the Netherlands, but now calls South Carolina home.

LyriQ is an author, songwriter/vocalist, and spoken word performer. With about nearly 10 years of performing experience under her belt, LyriQ is still a babe in the industry, yet she strives daily to reinvent herself and to take her craft to the next level.

To LyriQ’s acclaim are two self-published books of poetry entitled, “My Piece Be With You” and “Eye of Thee…Behold Her.” She also completed her first romance novel entitled “Tomorrow Promises…” A skilled vocalist and songwriter, LyriQ has fashioned a number musical/poetic favorites to include collaborations with such artists as the phenomenal Eryk Moore, Bro Poet of Da Wonda Twinz Dub TP Productions, B.L.I.S.S. of 1224 Entertainment, Nxt Lvl and the infamous Daryl Hayott of Konfuscious Klan. These and more heartfelt creations were compiled to create LyriQ’s soon to be released first album entitled “Sole to Soul”.

Currently, LyriQ travels with a group of poets called New Danger, whose primary purpose is to provide inspiration to our youth through spoken word performances at the Department of Juvenile Justice group homes, schools and colleges, as well as a number of community developed events. A member of the Black Poetry Café, the Black Author’s Network, and co-host of the Lyrical Disciples internet radio show, LyriQ is definitely out there doing her thing in the poetic realm.

A connoisseur of eclectic verbal stylings, LyriQ remains humbled by the concept of being a vessel through which vibes of existence flow. Her mission in life…to make a positive difference in the world we lovingly refer to as home.

To visit LyriQ's website CLICK HERE

To Listen to an interview I had with LyriQ CLICK HERE

Keith Pender better known as Quiet Storm of Spoken Word, was born in the city of Wilmington, NC on February 3, 1969. He grew up in a household with both parents and a sister named Keisha. He called her "Shortcake". She was his best friend, but, God saw fit to call her Home at the age of 9.

Keith's early years were a bit awkward, but, all of that changed one day as I listened to some Gospel Records that his mom owned. Gospel sparked his love for music as he listened to the words of the songs, really paying attention to them for the first time. It changed his life from that moment onward. He soon began taking piano lessons at the age of 10, and that lasted for 8 years. Quiet Storm sang in the Chorus during his Junior and Senior High School years. During those same years he began to write, but, that ended for a period when Shortcake died. Keith's desire to write was gone, but he kept on playing the piano and singing. Just like most in that day and age he'd been through many highs and lows. During one of his lowest points about nine years ago, he began to write again and has been doing so every since.

For Quiet Storm, spoken word came along within the last couple of years. He started doing what he does today as a form of expression and therapy. He continues spreading positive and heartfelt messages, because, he feels he's a Messenger. He feels that he speaks for those that may not be able to articulate certain feelings themselves, to the point of getting people to really understand or hear them completely.

Keith says; "I Am QuietStorm Of SpokenWord. I Have Much To Say To the World!"

To visit Quiet Storm's website CLICK HERE
To listen to the interview I had with Quiet Storm CLICK HERE

"Vibin' with a Lady"

Warren Robert Cheeseboro, better known as Khan Jamal, was born July 23, 1946 in Jacksonville, Florida. Born into a musical family, his mother played jazz piano, Jamal was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In his late teens, he took up the vibraphone, studying music both at college and privately.

Soon, he was playing professionally, and through the late 60s and into the 70s he worked mainly in the Philadelphia area. Among the musicians with whom he worked, sometimes under their leadership, were Frank Lowe, Grachan Moncur III, Archie Shepp, Byard Lancaster, Sam Rivers, Trudy Pitts, Sun Ra and Jerome Cooper.

With other Sun Ra alumni, he played in Cosmic Forces and, in collaboration with Lancaster he formed the group known as Sounds Of Liberation. The latter unit included at one time or another guitarist Monnette Sudler, drummers and percussionists Alvin Sharpless, Dwight James, Omar Hill and Rashied Salim, bass player Billy Mills.

Jamal continued with his studies, and one of his tutors was vibraphonist Bill Lewis, with whom he recorded an album of vibraphone-marimba duets. Also in the 70s, he was music director of the Philadelphia Jazz Foundation and played in Sunny Murray's band, Untouchable Factor.

During the following decade, Jamal, who plays both vibraphone and marimba, was with Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society, Billy Bang, Joe Bonner and others, notably Johnny Mbizo Dyani, who appeared on three of Jamal's mid-80s albums for SteepleChase Records.

Absent from the recording scene for some time, especially as leader, at the end of the 90s and early in the 00s, he made a striking return with the well-received Balafon Dance. Illness dogged Jamal for a while and a 2002 medical support fundraiser saw the appearance of several colleagues and friends, including the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen.

A gifted, dynamic and restlessly inventive player, Jamal's chosen location, Philadelphia, has tended to keep him from the more widespread attention he deserves. When he does venture farther afield, and through his recordings, he ably demonstrates to the wider audience that his is an exceptional talent.



“Each and every poem I write, I consider a gift from God. A turn of a phrase. Emotions that surface. An experience distilled into verse. Each offering is a present from the Creator. All Praises. Thank you for choosing me as the vessel.” (Lady Dove’s Artist’s Statement)

"Lady Dove" aka Pheralyn Dove, is a poet, performer, wordsmith, infotainist and culturalist whose work has been showcased nationwide and internationally as a spoken-word artist, actor, author, essayist, playwright, creative writer and technical writer. She has appeared on stages in her native Philadelphia, New York City, Paris, France and Rome, Italy. Dove has been a press agent, an entertainment editor for the Philadelphia Tribune and feature writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

She portrays 17 characters in her poignant one-woman show, “Little Girl Blue,” which combines music, spoken word, monologues and video. Many of the poems in “Little Girl Blue” are excerpted from her book, Color in Motion (Axis Press), which has a foreword by drumming legend Max Roach. A graduate of Hampton University, Dove studied poetry and creative writing under Professor Sonia Sanchez at Temple University’s Pan African Studies Community Education Program (PASCEP). Currently Dove teaches “Practical Writing” in the very same Temple University PASCEP program. Dove was named an Honored Author two consecutive years at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Annual Borrowers’ Ball, performed at the Jazz a la Villette Festival in Paris, France with the Sounds of Liberation and was a featured poet at New York City’s renowned “Vision Festival.”

Lady Dove lives in a perpetual state of gratitude. On a daily basis, she gives thanks to the Almighty for all the resplendent provisions. All praises, indeed.

To visit Lady Dove's website CLICK HERE