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Black Diamond Soul acoustic series to showcase up and coming Philly talent.

Black Buttafly kicks it off Friday.

Black Buttafly will perform Friday, May 19, at Radio Kismet in West Philly to kick off the Black Diamond Soul music series.
Black Buttafly will perform Friday, May 19, at Radio Kismet in West Philly to kick off the Black Diamond Soul music series.Read moreCourtesy of the Artist
    by Dan DeLuca
    Updated 
    Published 

Black Diamond Soul, a series of acoustic soul performances showcasing Philadelphia artists, will kick off Friday in West Philly and runs for four consecutive weeks.

The shows at Radio Kismet podcast studios at 34th and Sansom Sts. — the site of the old Penn Book Center, which closed in 2020 — begin with Black Buttafly. The artist, also known as Kayla Childs, is a 2023 Black Music City grant winner for her project that pays tribute to Philly jazz organ greats Shirley Scott and Trudy Pitts.

Black Diamond Soul is presented by Radio Kismet along with Max Ochester’s record store, Brewerytown Beats. Ochester has been instrumental in efforts to save the Sigma Sound Studios building and cofounded the Philadelphia Sound Preservation Project with Theo Aronson.

The concept of Black Diamond Soul is “a slimmed down Black Lily,” says Ochester, referring to the legendary open mic nights in the 1990s and early 2000s at the Five Spot in Old City that nurtured the careers of Jill Scott, Bilal, John Legend, Jazzyfatnastees, and many more.

“I want to highlight the Philly soul scene in an intimate setting,” Ochester said. “Because I personally think it’s time Philly is known for its soul music again.”

The series will continue May 26 with soul-pop songwriter Tuck Ryan, who released his six-song Fade Away EP in March. That’s followed on June 2 by McKie & Res, featuring producer-drummer Steve McKie and Philly vocalist Res, who put out the underheard classic How I Do in 2001, released Black Girls Rock! in 2009 and who’s most recent album, Reset, came out in 2017.

Black Diamond Soul comes to a close on June 9 with a real treat: Ron & the Hip Tones, featuring Ron Aiken, the Philly soul vocalist who sang with United Image and Power of Attorney in the 1970s, and whose long overdue comeback is underway with “Do What I Wanna Do” and “Baby Are You Ready,” two new songs out last month on Ochester’s Brewerytown label.

There are no definitive plans for the series to continue beyond these four shows, “but if this is a success I will certainly continue doing them and showcasing up and coming talent,” Ochester said.

Black Buttafly at Black Diamond Soul at Radio Kismet, 130 S. 34th St. from 7-11 p.m. on May 19. Drinks included. RadioKismet.com