The Pulse of Entertainment: Pulitzer Prize Nominated Lauren Coyle Rosen Debuts with ‘Purify Flame' Alternative Pop Album

by Dr. Eunice Moseley

 (May 2, 2025) - "It was if the music was working through me," said Pulitzer Prize nominee Lauren Coyle Rosen about her debut album "Purify Flame". "I just opened up...was in an altered state like I was co-creating. I'm a poet, I wrote the words without understanding what it was talking about. I'd say words and then heard this melody."

Lauren, a resident of Washington, DC and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comes with a background as an instructor in cultural anthology at Princeton and Harvard, so when she was moved to record music, as all do nowadays, she started working with musicians online (remotely).

"After (writing) 20 - 25 songs I started working with musicians remotely all over the world," Rosen said as we talked about her creation process for "Purify Flame". "The title? It's a provocative title...I realized true transformation comes with going within the fire."

The "Purified Flame" Alternative/Pop project offers 12 songs and will be available on most major digital platforms May 12, 2025. Her Pulitzer Prize nomination was garnered for her book "Hannibal Lokumbe" (Columbia University Press) on the career and life of Jazz legend Hannibal Lokumbe, which he co-authored. The book was also nominated for a National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

"I was in Washington, DC when I heard (about the Pulitzer Prize nomination)," Lauren said when I asked. "I was preparing for another book ‘Law in Light' (on the U.S. and Ghana relationship) and I was emailed from Columbia University Press that I was nominated for this book. It was released in November, and I heard in late summer!"

"Hannibal is this amazing composer, a Jazz legend. He left it to spend time with his kids and started composing symphonies. He followed his spiritual connection," Lauren pointed out. "He gets his assignments from his creator."

Lauren Coyle Rosen said Hannibal's big move from being a musician on the Jazz circuit to living his dream of composing symphonies motivated her to do the same.

"It help me give my soul permission to do what ‘my' spirit wanted me to do," she affirmed. "I was a professor of cultural anthropology at the time I met him through my husband. The book came out of that. Teaching has its own culture...I was able to break from that and embrace this."

As a professor Lauren was awarded the David A Gardner Magic Innovation Grant from the Humanities Council. After speaking with her she will make such milestones in the music industry. www.LaurenCoyleRosen.com

The ceremony was held at Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, California. His music partner Latin/Jazz/Pop vocalist Elisa Gomez Taylor was recently honored for her career at the Roscoe Jazz Lounge six months earlier for her achievements in the Jazz genre. Chillie Willie Groove is a long-time member of Lisa Gomez Taylor's band.

"It's nice to be recognized by peers," he said sincerely when asked about how he felt about such an honor.

Aside from Elisa, who is on tour with The Platters, Chillie plays percussion for lots of other artists and musicians.

"I have worked with a 15-18-piece Jazz Big Band....a 5-16-piece band...I do Latin, Jazz, Swing," Chillie added, emphasizing that he does it all. "I just did a show in Arizona. Two shows with George Benson. That was the highlight of my career. Though I have played with Freda Payne and Poncho."

Though a fluent guitarist, drummer, bass player, keyboardist and saxophonist, it is his percussionist skills that had the attention of the industry, particularly "America's Got Talent" who invited him to attend their San Diego November, 2019 auditions for a chance at winning one million in cash.

"We made it to the second round in the auditions. We were amongst the top 25% of the people...all the people," he stressed and then added that unfortunately they could not return because he went on tour.

"I'm performing this Sunday in Northridge...a Golf Club...with world class musicians," Chillie told me when I asked what's on his calendar. "I released a book...it talks about my music, my family, my children, my experiences, influences, Latin food and my journey with my culture."

Chillie Willie Groove is also the president of his own record label/production company called It's a Groove Than Productions. He is a member of the American Society for Composures and a graduate of Shanandoah Conservatory of Music. Groove-man has performed as opening act for Tower of Power, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Poncho Sanchez, and Phyllis Hyman - to name a few. He even takes his skills into the classroom as a lecturer on music for students in kindergarten and all the way up to college ages.

It all started for him as a member of the U. S. Army Band straight out of high school. He said the whole experience was like living in the movie "Fame." I can relate, my time as a student in high school at the Lake Clifton School of the Arts had that same environment. Every class, even math and science, were built around music.

You can catch a performance of the JazzZone Lifetime Living Legend Awardee in New Haven Connecticut at Jazzy's Cabaret on Saturday July 11, 2025 at 8pm for the Smooth & Latin Jazz Funk Show. www.Reverbnation.com/chilliewilliegroove

SYNDICATED COLUMN: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Business Management/Public Relations Strategist and Consultant at Freelance Associates and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: "Uplifting Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is into its 26th year. Next events are coming to Baltimore via Zoom Saturday April 19, 2025, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and Los Angeles via Zoom Saturday, November 8, 2025. The ULMII event is a free entertainment conference offering a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and National Talent Competition (vocal, songwriting, dance and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services. Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com RSVP for Zoom Access at EventBrite.com or email info@thepulseofentertainment.com.