The Tradition started in 1970 when the Brooklyn-born producer, composer, and musician Jackson began writing songs with another prodigy, 20-year-old Lincoln University classmate and poet Gil Scott- Heron.
Jackson remembers his first encounter with Gil, "He had this way with words and I thought to myself, 'People have to hear this stuff.' What I had to offer was the music and I figured if we can take his words and make this tribal knowledge rhythmic and musical, we can draw people to hear it."
Their partnership produced some of the most fiercely poignant, politically charged, and significantly soulful albums of the seventies. Pieces of a Man, Free Will, Winter in America, First Minute of a New Day, From South Africa to South Carolina, Bridges, Secrets and 1980 are coveted by collectors and conscious-minded music fans alike. Tracks like The Bottle, Johannesburg, It's Your World, Angel Dust, Willing, and 95 South (All the Places We've Been), while highly relevant back-in-the-day, have taken on heightened new relevance today by serving as an inspirational and musical Rosetta stone for the neo-soul movement.
Having produced ten top-selling albums with Gil, Brian decided to continue evolving his musical talents in the eighties by collaborating with Kool and the Gang, Phyllis Hyman, George Benson, Gwen Guthrie, and Roy Ayers. In 1988, Brian co-produced Will Downing's self-titled and UK gold-selling debut album.
Brian welcomed the turning of a century with his long overdue first solo album, gotta play. "No one could have told me when I was recording my first album, Pieces of a Man (with Gil Scott-Heron), that it would be the 21st century before I recorded a solo album. But this collection of music represents my offerings of new friendship, fresh perspective, and a new life."
With his rekindled spirit to continue the Tradition and reach a new generation, Jackson, for his next album, is collaborating with new voices and translating their lyrical visions into powerful neo-soul musical statements. For his next new-day-making-change album, Jackson is soulfully aligning with Ladybug Mecca (Digable Planets), Radio Free Brooklyn's Pete Miser, poet/songwriter Masauko of South Africa's Blk Sonshine as well as with other lyrically brilliant new artists worldwide.
Asked about his motives, Brian reflects, "This music isn't mine and the minute I start trying to own it, it's all over. It's my responsibility to pass on what I've learned. That's living the Tradition".
Offering
Brian Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We have music to offer you
Spirits may come into view
We have spirits to offer you
Seasons my change
And feelings may change
Seasons may change
And feelings may change
But music remains and it fills you
We have something to offer you
We have new love to offer you
And music to offer you
And spirits to offer you
And new love and music to offer you
We have
something to offer you, this song tells us. But what exactly is being offered? The repetition of the phrase "we have" suggests that the singer is trying to convince someone that they have something desirable to offer. The specific items mentioned are music, spirits, and new love. While the first two are more abstract, the mention of "new love" implies that the singer is trying to win someone over romantically. The repeated lines "seasons may change and feelings may change" acknowledge the uncertainty and impermanence of emotions, but insist that music remains constant and can "fill you."
In many ways, this song can be interpreted as a love letter to music itself. The repetition of "we have music to offer you" and the idea that it remains constant even as seasons and feelings change shows a deep reverence for its power. This reverence extends to the concept of spirits as well - perhaps not in a literal sense, but in the way that music can create an emotional or spiritual experience for the listener.
Overall, "Offering" is a song about the power of music to offer comfort, joy, and even romantic love. Its simple yet insistent structure suggests a deep belief in the importance of those things, even as the world around us changes.
Line by Line Meaning
We have something to offer you
We possess something valuable to share with you
We have music to offer you
Our music is also part of what we're offering to you
Spirits may come into view
You may sense a spiritual presence here
We have spirits to offer you
We have a unique atmosphere or vibe to present to you
Seasons my change
Time passes and things can shift with it
And feelings may change
Emotions and moods can also fluctuate
But music remains
Music endures through these changes
Seasons may change
Time can bring new seasons and stages
And feelings may change
Emotions can shift with these seasons
But music remains and it fills you
Through it all, the music can still affect and uplift you
We have something to offer you
Our offer still stands
We have new love to offer you
We also have new experiences and feelings to share with you
And music to offer you
As mentioned earlier, our music is still part of what's on the table
And spirits to offer you
We can still create an atmosphere and mood for you
And new love and music to offer you
We still have more to give in terms of new experiences and sounds
Contributed by Isaac F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
FoxNewsChannelSux
"Seasons may change, and feelings may change, but music remains" tears
King Tremaine
Subtle greatness.
Vinyl Uploads
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - “Offering”
[Vocals/Written By: Gil Scott-Heron]
[Producer/Piano: Brian Jackson]
[Vocals: Victor Brown]
[Bass: Danny Bowens]
[Bells: Eddie Knowles]
[Congas: Barnett Williams]
[Flute: Bilal Sunni-Ali]
[Maracas: Charlie Saunders]
[Traps: Bob Adams]
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
We have something to offer you
We have music to offer you
Spirits may come into view
‘Cause we have spirits to offer you
[Verse 2: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
Seasons my change and feelings may change
But music remains
Seasons may change and feelings may change
But music remains and it heals you
[Verse 3: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
We have something to offer you
We have new love to offer you
And music to offer you
And spirits to offer you
And new love and music to offer you
We have
Jai Courvoisier
Gil's afro/beard combo is epic.
TheRealTommyRock
we have, something to offer you....