“Fight for your rights, and dance your socks off,” proclaims Ashli St. Armant, who has been performing – mostly under the stage name Jazzy Ash – for more than two decades. The singer-songwriter and arts educator has always been an avid student of Black American music, flipping through iconic catalogs of doo-wop, rock ‘n’ roll, and Motown, and she calls on that history of resistance and joy with her latest single “Honey,” the final primer to her forthcoming record, Good Foot, out this Friday.
Good Foot busts a groove right from the start, instilling the performer’s intention of offering happiness in a current state of unease. “No matter the age of the listener, I want them to be reminded that it’s not only okay to experience joy during these difficult times, it’s necessary,” she says. “I hope they crank this album up loud and just let loose.”
The album’s six songs are resolutely hopeful, but this year has most certainly weighed on her heart. A queer black woman and mother to two young sons, Jazzy Ash comes from a long line of civil rights activists. “In the beginning, I felt a lot of pressure to ‘get out there’ and march in the streets, but I also wanted to hunker down and protect our nest,” she says. “Then I realized that, in a lot of ways, I’ve been doing activism work for many years. We perform shows about Black music history for student audiences all the time, and in those shows, we always talk about racism, slavery, and civil rights.”
Music doesn’t just serve as a protest though – it can also be a balm. “It’s incredible to think about all the wonderful music that has come out of the darkest days in Black American history. The 1960s… was full of civil unrest, racism, and social uncertainty. At that same time, Black musicians were developing doo-wop, rock-and-roll and that classic Motown sound,” she points out. “I came to realize that this was the coping mechanism. This was self-care.”
That’s certainly true of “Honey,” premiering today. The doo-wop ditty intoxicates with its starlit production, classic structure, and the tender vocal dance between Jazzy Ash and real-life partner and LGBTQ+ activist Pam Rocker, with whom she co-wrote the song.