Langfield
Entertainment
88
Bloor Street E., Suite 2908, Toronto, ON
M4W 3G9
(416)
677-5883
langfieldent@rogers.com
www.langfieldentertainment.com
NEWSLETTER
Updated: November 9, 2006
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Get those calendar's out and
put two things on it - the opening party for Carl Cassell's new place - Harlem on November 20th and
the upcoming AroniAwards on December 10th. But first is your opportunity to
nominate those people that you feel give back to our community without
recognition. Details on both events are below. |
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::HOT EVENTS::
Carl Cassell Opens ‘Harlem’ in Toronto – Monday, November 20
(Nov. 1, 2006) Carl Cassell and Carl Allen (also of Irie
Food Joint) invite you to join them to the grand opening of ‘Harlem’ on Monday, November 20th!
The official opening is Saturday, November 25th so YOU get
the opportunity to have the sneak peek on November 20th of Carl
Cassell's second restaurant and music venue! Harlem is Carl’s new
landmark restaurant-bar and benchmark of Northern cool which is located at 67 Richmond St E., the corner of Richmond
and Church Streets. Doors open for the launch at 7:00 pm.
“I’m focusing on the renaissance going on in Toronto,” says Cassell. “It’s
fully on. There’s a kind of pleasure in inventing, creating something new and
changing the energy of a building.” Situated in the hub of city movement,
the grand opening of Harlem will add polish to an area already carving out new
urban development. But no development is ever complete without the social and
cultural contributions of the colourful class. You’ll find it all passing
though Harlem.
“I now have a space to house my vanguards, literally and figuratively,” says
Cassell. The second floor hosts a fully wired space which will feature
the magnificent spin compositions of Toronto's finest DJ and co-owner Carl Allen. Immersed in
sound, you’ll discover delectable food for thought and good taste, all steeped
within Harlem's break-through artistic backdrop. “We’ll have the best of
Toronto’s DJs,” says Allen. “Expect a combination of live music and the DJ, and
the focus will be on a lot of local talent.”
Want to check out the latest hot spot in Toronto to hang out? Come and
check out the grand opening of Harlem on Monday, November 20th!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2006
GRAND OPENING OF ‘HARLEM’*
67 Richmond Street E. (at Church St.)
Doors open at 7:00 pm
*Note:
official opening on Saturday, November 25 at 8:00 pm
Call for Nominations for Unsung Heros
Join Aroni Awards Foundation, the Harmony Movement,
and Canada’s premier entertainers for an inspirational evening to empower our
youth.
nominate :: participate ::
celebrate
Inviting all professionals to nominate candidates for the AroniMAGE Awards and the AroniEducation grant.
Help us honour the unsung heroes of our community who continue to work in their
respective fields, with a dedication to social harmony. Nominations ends Nov. 13th.
www.aroniawards.com
If one word could be used to describe what the Aroni awards means
to our community – it would be “Inspirational".
The award will strive to inspire people – especially the young to reach for the
stars, hence their greatest potential. Aron was a forward thinker
and a free spirit who always saw the glass as being half full, and never failed
to see the potential in people – even when they didn’t see it in themselves.
The award will honour individuals who exemplify through their work what Aron Y. Haile epitomized during his
short life.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10
I N S P I R E 2006
ARONIAWARDS GALA
Atlantis Pavilions
955 Lakeshore Blvd.
4:00 pm-11:00 pm
$62-$88
www.aroniawards.com
::sony/bmg scoop::
Kirk Franklin is Back!
Source: Sony/BMG Music
The legions of fans that have been eagerly awaiting the first and ultimate Kirk
Franklin collection are already lining
up…
For over 15 years, the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winner Kirk Franklin has
penned some of the most dynamic and riveting worship songs that have become
gospel classics. With career scans of over ten million units, Kirk
Franklin’s masterful gifts have served to shape and mainstream American urban
worship like none other. Kirk’s previous
release, 2005’s HERO, is already rapidly approaching
platinum status in the US . It has spawned such huge, crossover hits as
“Looking For You” and “Imagine Me” that are still leviathans at gospel and
urban radio, more than a year since Hero’s release!
Just in time for the holiday season, Kirk Franklin is back with a collection of
his classic worship hits, ‘Songs For The Storm,
Volume 1.’ As if having all of
Kirk’s best on one disc isn’t enough, the release will also feature two
brand-new, previously unreleased tracks! When you walk through the
storms of life, hold your head up high and keep Kirk Franklin’s words and music
close to your heart.
Kirk Franklin’s ‘Songs For The Storm, Volume 1’ is in stores Nov. 7th
@ Wal-Mart!
::JUST MY OPINION::
The Ho Hum News?
OK. So I try to watch the news every evening but ... well, have you ever
found yourself clicking to another channel, simply because of the doom and
gloom factor? Or even the boredom factor? Sometimes the delivery of
the news makes me turn the channel - it just doesn't captivate me.
I never realized how much this influenced my attention span in watching the
news, that is, until I watched The Hour with host, George
Stroumboulopoulos. Hello. My name
is Dawn and I'm an Houraholic!
I just love this funny, intelligent, hip and captivating coverage of the
news. George doles out a sometimes irreverant opinion during the news
which is usually pretty funny and most of the time, bang on accurate!
Apparently, the ratings were dropping for newcasts and CBC answered
with The Hour. George aka Strombo also conducts interviews while a small
studio audience watches. I've seen musical guests, political guests,
sports guests - all extremely poignant interviews. Strombo asks the tough
questions without making the guest uncomfortable. He is well prepared,
well-informed (especially on music and world politics but can hang on any
topic) and quips the occasional 'are you kidding me?' behind a story. Not
once have I turned the channel from his show. It's on CBC at 11:00 pm -
that's right - when all the other newscasts are ... Definitely check it out -
it's worth the watch. Kudos Strombo - keep it comin'!
And that's just my opinion.
::top stories::
George Takes The Backstreet To The Top
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Ashante Infantry
(Nov. 5, 2006) The email from George's record label publicist sums up the
Toronto resident's current cachet: "The girls are going nuts!"
The 20-year-old pop/R&B singer's single "Talk
to Me" has been in radio's Top 20 for more
than a month, but since the video hit No. 1 on MuchMusic's Countdown on
Oct. 27, there's been ensuing curiosity about the single-named artist with the
captivating tune and smouldering looks. And it's telling that the Star
had to track him all the way to Copenhagen — where he was attending the MTV
European Music Awards last week — to get the goods. Though the rising
star's debut album Believe doesn't drop 'til Tuesday, he walked the red
carpet at the event and partied with celebs. "It was surreal,"
said George the morning after in a phone interview from his hotel room. "I
was hanging out with Diddy at the same club and I walked by Nelly Furtado — I
just love her!" His national promotional tour kicks off in Vancouver
tomorrow. By Wednesday he'll be performing in Toronto at MuchMusic HQ, where
the station's music committee immediately added "Talk to Me" to heavy
rotation — airing 15 to 30 times weekly — when they received it about two
months ago, said senior music programmer Craig Halket. "For an
independent production, it was a world-class video," he explained of the
clip, YouTubed at tinyurl.com/y78ujf. "They far exceeded their budget.
Also, the song was really strong and he's a cute sort of guy with obvious
appeal." The same team sent the video — which features the distinctive
half-Japanese George variously playing piano, caressing a love interest,
shirtless and executing intricate hip-hop dance moves — to the top spot last
month. After just a week, The Killers replaced the newcomer at No. 1, but
he says he's just getting started. Born George Nozuka in New York, he was
raised with six siblings mostly in Toronto by their mother, a Juilliard-trained
dancer and sister of actress Kyra Sedgwick. While his two older sisters had
little interest in the arts, George and his four younger brothers immersed
themselves in dance, drama and music. At 12, he and two brothers formed a group
called Brothers Love and stuck it out for four years, but "We didn't know
how the industry worked and we weren't getting anywhere."
He attended a boy-band audition in Pickering and was one of three singers
chosen for a group called One Avenue. They had a video that played YTV —
"a couple of people saw it" — but indolence and infighting wrecked
the act within a year, George said. The frustrated youth, who excelled at
piano, harmonica and guitar at Etobicoke School of the Arts, went to One
Avenue's founder C.J. Huyer (of defunct pop trio 3Deep) with his complement of
35 original songs. "I told him that I was really serious about having a
singing career and he agreed to work with me." Huyer took him to
L.A. to meet his long-time friend and Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough. Soon,
George was signed as the first act of the pals' newly formed HC Entertainment
management team/record label and working on an album while staying at Dorough's
Hollywood Hills mansion. "While we were developing the album I spent
time listening to the classics — Elvis, Stevie Wonder — and studying the new
sounds — Usher, Alicia Keys. "There are songs on there that are just
fun if you're young and you're going out on a Saturday night; but it was also
important for me to create meaningful songs that connect with people ... I want
to inspire people with my music and let them know that they are not
alone." The erstwhile fame (major and minor) of George's managers
has eased his access — including the invite to the MTV Awards. He's spent a lot
of time hobnobbing in California and was out of town when MuchMusic began
airing the video in September. "I came back and realized that people
were starting to recognize me. It was really subtle at first, but since (the
video) hit No. 1, I've been getting more requests for autographs, pictures and
hugs." The polite George demurs about all the attention he's now
receiving from the opposite sex. "It's really sweet, but I don't let
it get to my head. I know it's about the song and the video, and their
perception of me. I'm an entertainer, but when I'm not doing that, (I keep) to
myself. I don't go out much. "But it's nice that people in Toronto
respect what I do. I want to make Canada proud because this is my home. It's
not like since I have a song out I have to move from Toronto, or be seen in a
cool car. I still take the subway."
Elton Salutes His 'Extended Family'
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Vit Wagner, Pop Music Critic
(Nov. 5, 2006) Elton John couldn't have made a more concerted bid for honorary
Canadian citizenship if he had opened his show at the Air Canada Centre by
belting out our national anthem. As the 59-year-old, London-based pop
icon reminded the audience, he and Toronto partner David Furnish were among the
first to take advantage of last year's legal recognition in Britain of same-sex
civil unions. That meant that John felt obligated to take time out from
his performance to acknowledge attending members of his "extended
family," a long list that ran to aunts, uncles and various other assorted
relatives. By extension, that Canadian family also included the rest of
the audience at hand, a crowd that managed to fill every conceivable nook and
cranny of the ACC, including all the seats behind the stage. John even
dedicated "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" to Ron Sexsmith,
acknowledging the Toronto singer/songwriter as one of his favourite Canadian
artists. "It's so good to be here," the songwriter said.
"It feels like coming home. I'm half-Canadian now, as you know. And I'm
very happy about that." John rewarded his pseudo-compatriots with a
stellar performance, opening thunderously with the symphonic coupling of
"Funeral for a Friend" and "Love Lies Bleeding."
Backed by a five-piece band that including familiar stalwarts Davey Johnstone
on guitar and Nigel Olsson on drums, the singer/pianist continued in that
crowd-pleasing vein by adding "Bennie and the Jets,"
"Philadelphia Freedom," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and
"Tiny Dancer," all within the first half- dozen numbers of the
night. Most of the program was executed in similar fan-friendly fashion,
an extended "Rocket Man," followed by "Daniel," "Levon,"
"Crocodile Rock" and the rest of the veteran performer's long
catalogue of hits.
The hit parade was briefly interrupted by a mini-set from John's current disc, The
Captain & the Kid, a sequel to 1975's Captain Fantastic and the
Brown Dirt Cowboy, both autobiographical albums written with long-time
collaborator Bernie Taupin. "It's one of the best records we've ever
made," he said, adding, "not that you'd know anything about that
because we've had a few problems with the record company." During a
show last week, John blasted his record label, Universal, presumably for not
promoting the disc effectively, even begging to be released from his
contract. But, he said last night, "it's all sorted out
now." Instead, he directed his frustration at another target,
introducing "Believe" as a protest song. "It's a song
about bigotry, hatred and intolerance," he said. "And just coming
from the United States of America, I can tell you there's a lot of that going
on there." Clearly, John felt more at one with the world on this
side of the border, although he did express concern that the legalization of
gay marriage in Canada might be reversed by the current federal
government. "It would be such a shame because Canada is such a
needed voice of tolerance in the world," he said.
Running with Scissors is a Good Thing
Source: Kirk Cooper, Savannah Pictures
“Running With Scissors”
offers a sharp and a delightful
time well spent at the movies. Never have I laughed as much as I did at any
other film so far this year. As I exited the theatre I began to call a few
more friends to set up dates for us to watch this film together. Those
friends that I did not get a chance to call will hopefully forgive me
while they read this review.
Directed by Ryan Murphy who has written and directed several
successful episodes of the US cable show Nip/Tuck. In addition to
directing this film, Murphy also co-wrote the screenplay from the original memoirs
of Augusten Burroughs, one of the main characters in the film.
The film follows young Augusten played by Joseph
Cross
and reveals his sometimes shocking experiences from
this best selling memoir. Including that fact that he is the son
of an alcoholic father Alex Baldwin and an unstable mother (Annette Bening),
who handed him off to his mother's therapist, Dr. Finch (Brian Cox), where he spends
his adolescent years as a member of Finch's bizarre extended family. A family
that consists of Hope (Gwyneth Paltrow), the loyal sanctimonious daughter who can hear the thoughts of her
cat, Nathalie, the frustrated yet scared daughter who refuses to step into
reality and their brother Bookman (Joseph
Fiennes) who suffers from voices in his head and co-dependency
issues.
Beyond the laughter, there are some really serious issues within this film such
as child neglect, child abuse and drug abuse to name a few. These elements
make the film an enlightening dramedy (drama/comedy). However, the writers
delivered a clever balance in giving the audience enough of each subject matter
to reflect on without the slightest thought of being preachy.
There are great performances all around. I can certainly see Golden Globe and
Oscar nominations for Annette Bening and supporting actress nominations
for Jill Clayburgh, who played Dr. Finch’s wife. However, Annette will have some
fierce competition from Meryl
Streep "The Devil Wears
Prada" for best actress (comedy) at the Globes.
But don’t count Annette out just yet – she is an actress who over the past few
years has selected fewer scripts and more challenging roles and has become a
better actress in the process. In fact, she has made it known that she likes a
challenge. From Bugsy to American Beauty to Being Julia, she has played some
complicated and memorable women.
One such memorable scene in 'Running With Scissors" has Deirdre
Burroughs (Annette Bening) about to be carted off to a mental
hospital for examinations. As a result of being crammed with prescription drugs
she imagines now in her place of serenity, slowly falling from above her head.
As the snow gets heavier, Deirdre begins to spin with her arms straight out in
the air as the 70’s track “Blinded By The Light” is played. Her actions and the
accompanying music help to set the tone for the great irony
that transpires once the door is kicked in and she is carted off. Not only
does the film has great moments like this but it also has great songs to match
its mood and pace. “Running With Scissors” reminds us that a great
film needs a great soundtrack.
Finally, what makes this film so precious is the fact that viewers will
feel a little better knowing that the worse side of themselves does not come
close to the characters in “Running With Scissors”. But don’t take my word for
it, go out and see this film and decide for yourself, I am sure that you
will be thankful for your sanity once this joyous romp is over.
T.O. Doctor Wins Giller
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star - Susan Walker And Judy Stoffman, Entertainment
Reporters
(Nov. 8, 2006) Vincent Lam, a Toronto East General doctor who wrote a
collection of short stories called Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures,
won the Scotiabank Giller Prize last night. Presenter Margaret Atwood said Lam had helped
fight the SARS outbreak in Toronto in 2003 and she said "medicine is a
narrative art, just like fiction. Both have their fingers on life and
death." She also called his book "subtle in emotion and
occasionally gruesome in humour." Lam, 32, told the crowd he was
"astounded and in many ways overcome" by winning the $40,000 literary
prize and he hadn't dared to prepare any remarks in advance "on
principle." "I count myself a very fortunate person, but I have
begun to realize that luck is not what it seems. It is either divine blessing
or the kindness of people. Many who have been kind to me are in this room."
He continued, "My parents came to this country when multiculturalism was
just beginning to be acknowledged. As their son and as the second generation, I
am proud to be here." He added that he was pleased to be on same
stage as the evening's host Justin Trudeau, whose prime minister father,
Pierre, had done so much for multiculturalism. The Giller winner also
thanked Atwood, whom he had met aboard a ship on an Arctic nature cruise. Lam,
the ship's doctor, showed her some of his short stories and she was
sufficiently impressed to help him find a publisher.
Lam was born in London, Ont., and raised in Ottawa, with roots in Vietnam's
ethnic Chinese community. Lam's linked stories, published by Doubleday
Canada (the only major house in last night's field of five books), open a door
into the world of successful, assimilated young Chinese-Canadian professionals,
written with the authority of an insider. The 12 tales in Lam's book
follow these characters' path from medical school at the University of Toronto
to the city's crowded hospitals where, as physicians, they face a variety of
difficult patients. His book was a break from the tradition of an older
generation of Chinese-Canadian writers — Wayson Choy, Judy Fong Bates, Paul
Yee, Fred Wah and others — whose fiction has painted a harsher reality of
displacement, departure, exclusion and backbreaking menial jobs. Lam said
last night he had wanted to become a writer before pursuing a medical career,
but he under-estimated how long it would take to become a doctor, delaying his
publishing debut. This year's Giller race was rated a tossup among five
authors with relatively low profiles. The others included Pascale
Quiviger, a Montrealer who lives in Italy and England — she is married to a
Labour MP — was shortlisted for The Perfect Circle, about the obsessive
love of a Quebec woman for an Italian man, translated by Sheila
Fischmann. Gaetan Soucy was on the list for The Immaculate Conception,
translated from French by Lazer Lederhendler.
Carol Windley, who lives in Nanaimo, B.C., was up for her story collection Home
Schooling, and Montrealer Rawi Hage for De Niro's Game, set in his
native Beirut in the early 1980s during the civil war. Each finalist
received $2,500. The jury of ex-Giller winner Alice Munro, former
Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and novelist Michael Winter did not make
their final decision until yesterday and, as usual, not even Jack Rabinovitch
knew who they had chosen. The awards gala at the Four Seasons Hotel was
attended by 477 invited guests, most of them friends of philanthropist
Rabinovitch. Among the nibblers on steak and frites were Margaret
Trudeau; opera singer Measha Brueggergosman; Liberal leadership hopeful Bob
Rae; Moses Znaimer; British Labour MP Alan Simpson, whose wife, Quiviger, was a
finalist; journalist Stevie Cameron; and actors Eric Peterson, Janet Wright,
Wendy Crewson and Albert Schultz.
::MUSIC NEWS::
In The Thicke Of It One More Time
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Meredith
Goldstein, The Boston Globe
(Nov. 5, 2006) Four years ago, Robin
Thicke was a hippie-haired pop
producer trying to jump-start his own singing career. He had survived
boot camp in the radio world, penning tracks for artists such as Christina
Aguilera and Mya. He had recorded an album — A Beautiful World — with a
rock, funk, R&B, and pop mix that boasted a radio-friendly single,
"When I Get You Alone." The Los Angeles-born son of the TV
actor and Wayne Gretzky pal from Canada, Alan Thicke, he even had a good stage
name — truncating his moniker to the one-word "Thicke.'' Thicke was
about to be the next big thing. But then he wasn't. "I'm not R&B
enough for R&B radio. I'm not hip hop enough for hip hop. I'm not rock
enough for rock radio. Therein lies the wonderful struggle," says Thicke,
now touring with John Legend. Radio-friendly or not, "When I Get You
Alone" never found a home on the airwaves. There was the matter of another
young man with a similar sound, an ex-boy-band crooner named Justin Timberlake
who had just released his own first album, Justified. He became a
mega-star. Thicke fell off the map. "The funny thing is, I'd been
hearing stuff like that since I was 16," Thicke says of the 2002 buzz that
he was on the verge of fame. Now, the build-up and letdown may be
happening again. Now 29, Thicke released The Evolution of Robin Thicke
last month with a moderate amount of fanfare. Making the disc, he
added stars from the world of rap and R&B, such as Lil' Wayne and Faith
Evans. He was picked up by the Star Trak label run by the Neptunes, the
production duo responsible for much of what's driving hit radio, from Gwen
Stefani to Snoop Dogg. Thicke's website touts a quote from the Neptunes'
Pharrell Williams: "Robin Thicke is going to change music.''
The first single from Evolution — "Wanna Love U Girl" —
features vocals by Williams, whose cameos, like producer Timbaland's, have
become a good-luck charm for pop tracks. But the Thicke song, which was
released shortly before the album, has yet to find regular rotation on U.S.
radio stations. "Radio doesn't love me," Thicke says of the
airtime that is vital to becoming pop-star huge. Rob Walker, who runs Star
Trak with Williams, says it may take time. "Robin has created
amazing music," Walker says, via email. "And we think his music has
great impact ... Everyone will catch up ... It will happen.'' Boston
college radio's Alden Fertig says what may be stalling Thicke's arrival is that
he's been given the narrow and unrecognized label of "soul."
He's plugging away. This past week, when the John Legend tour reached
Baltimore, Thicke made an appearance (singing and signing) at a local record
store. The week before, he was booked on The Late Late Show with Craig
Ferguson. "When I was 7 years old, I didn't say, `I want to have
average success commercially,'" Thicke says. "My favourite artists
were Michael Jackson and Prince. Of course, I want to be beloved and to have
panties thrown at me. But I guess if you get 1,000 panties thrown at you by
fans and you love what you're doing and making people feel good ... it may not
be 10,000 panties, but it's a start.''
Talib Kweli Drums Up U.S. Tour
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 2, 2006) *Following his summertime jaunt
with Mos Def and
The Roots, rapper Talib Kweli is preparing to hit the road again to promote his new album “Ear
Drum,” the first release from his label Blacksmith Music (under Warner Bros).
Once the Brooklyn MC wraps his current tour of the Far East, he’ll launch the
U.S. leg Nov. 11 in Lancaster, PA. The artist will hit 15 cities before
wrapping late December in Philadelphia. Due in stores Nov. 7, “Ear Drum”
has a title that was chosen for a specific reason by Kweli. "The
image of the ear and of the drum are powerful enough by themselves, but when
you put them together, it's an instrument that's in your body that helps you
hear. They're also two very simple, yet powerful words. I wanted to focus on
finding a sound that makes you move, and that's where the word 'Ear Drum'
popped in my head." In other Kweli news, Warner Bros. Records/Blacksmith
has launched a virtual community for the rapper in the 3D social network,
Second Life, in which users, known as 'residents,' build and own their content
online.
Created by Linden Lab in San Francisco, Second Life (www.secondlife.com)
is a parallel universe existing in cyberspace. In this digital world, users
create and dress up characters, build homes, form neighbourhoods and live out
alternative versions of their lives in the 3D, computer-generated environment.
Anyone who logs in and creates a basic (free) membership in Second Life will be
able to interact with the Brooklyn-bred rapper via his “avatar,” or virtual
world persona. Created by Kweli himself, users can visit his Brooklyn
brownstone, which will feature online amenities such as a pool table, bar area,
chill-out room, and rooftop stage where his live concerts from around the
country will be streamed. Second Life users will also have exclusive
access to new video content, which can be viewed from every floor in the
brownstone, as well as material from "Ear Drum," To visit the
Talib Kweli brownstone in Second Life visit http://tinyurl.com/yxg8ng.
.jpg){kind=link}
Shakira Steals Spotlight At Latin Grammy Awards
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Associated Press
(Nov. 3, 2006) NEW YORK — Shakira dominated the Latin Grammy
awards as she won a leading four trophies,
including album of the year for Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 and song and record
of the year honours for La Tortura, her smouldering duet with Alejandro
Sanz, on Thursday night. Though Shakira, who also won best female pop vocal
album, stole the spotlight at the event — gyrating her way through a rendition
of “La Tortura” with her chest heaving and hips swaying — she also took the
time to shine a light on one of the most heated issues in the United States,
that of immigrants working in the country illegally. She threw her support to
those trying to become citizens as they work without documentation. “I hope
soon they will receive they recognition they deserve from the government,” said
the Colombian superstar. Other multiple winners included the reggaeton group
Calle 13 and Argentine rocker Gustavo Cerati, who both won two awards each.
Cerati won best rock song for Crimen and best rock vocal album for Ahi
vamos. Salsa legend Gilberto Santa Rosa took home his first Grammy every:
best salsa album for Asi es nuestra Navidad, recorded with Gran Combo de
Puerto Rico.
"I had the record as the most nominated without winning, so I'm super
surprised," said Santa Rosa, during a show laced with salsa by Willie
Colon, la Fania All-Stars, Andy Montanez and Tito Nieves. Calle 13 picked up
awards for best music album and best short music video Grammy for its reggaeton
song Atrevete te, te! Its members were ecstatic as they won, bouncing
onstage to pick up the video award. “I'm honestly wetting myself,” Calle 13
rapper and lyricist Residente. “I'm very nervous. I want an arroz con
habichuelas when I get to my house,” he said in reference to a Puerto Rican
rice and bean specialty. Other winners included Mexican singer/accordion player
Julieta Venegas, who was nominated for four awards. She won best alternative
album for Limon y sal in the pre-televised awards ceremony. Under the
Mexican regional award categories, Joan Sebastian took away the best banda
album award for Mas alla del sol. The self-titled disc by Cafe de los
Maestros won best tango album. The recording's Argentine producer, Gustavo
Santaolalla, already won an Oscar this year for best original score on the
movie Brokeback Mountain and recently composed music for the film Babel.
This year, New York's Madison Square Garden played host to the Latin Grammys,
now in its sixth year. In the past, the show has alternated between Miami and
Los Angeles. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg took to the stage to a Latin
beat, escorted by several female dancers dressed in red. “Welcome to my house,”
Bloomberg said in Spanish. The evening included performances from Ricky Martin,
Andrea Bocelli, and a tribute to reggaeton and salsa. Thursday's show was
broadcast by Univision television for the second straight year. Ratings lagged
in 2004 when the Latin Grammy Awards were broadcast in English by CBS. But the
show attracted more than five million watchers in 2005 — its first year in
Spanish — up from about 3.2 million in 2004, the ratings agency Nielsen Media
Research said. Musicians from Puerto Rico earned 33 Latin Grammy nominations,
including all the nominations for best urban music album and best salsa album.
Legend Plays The Old
Pro In New York
Excerpt from www.billboard.com - Clover
Hope, N.Y.
(Nov. 2, 2006) Having hit up so many nightclubs and intimate venues in his
roughly yearlong career run, John Legend milked every swoon and
cheer Monday night (Oct. 30) at New York's Nokia Theatre. At show's end, he
advised his diverse legion about the "rules of encore" -- he'd retire
to his dressing room but if he could hear the crowd loud enough from there,
he'd have to come back out. Those were the rules. Sure enough, when the
Ohio-bred crooner/pianist vanished after performing his touching ballad
"Ordinary People" and feigning goodbyes, the mob roared and stomped
its feet, chanting "We want more." A placating Legend reappeared to
perform the key-twinkling "Stay With You" and finally "So
High," from his 2005 Grammy-winning debut "Get Lifted." The
Kanye West protégé thanked his band and New York for jumpstarting his career.
And it was clear Legend was a new artist no more. The scene -- and the
excitement -- was noticeably different from over a year ago when a then rookie
Legend first graced the stage. This time, he was more assured and hammed-up,
less nervous and unadulterated. You could tell he planned this one out (for
"Slow Dance," he predictably selected a female member from the crowd
to groove with). Now he also had a catalogue of classics to sift through, not
to mention a loyal following that grasped every lyric and vocal shift (one guy
knew the adlibs by heart and the security guard was bopping). It was hard to
tell that Legend's sophomore disc "Once Again" had barely spent a
week on the shelves.
Backed by a highly talented band, the singer kicked off his set with the
gospel-esque "Heaven Only Knows" (from "Once Again") before
launching into the equally upbeat "Let's Get Lifted," "Number
One" ("Get Lifted") and his latest organ-infused single
"Save Room." Throughout the night, he alternated between tracks from
"Get Lifted" and "Once Again," switching to the other disc
at the most precise moments. When the mood needed uplifting, he decided on
"I Can Change" and "P.D.A. (We Don't Care)," and when
things needed to be laidback, he offered the slow burners "Show Me"
and "Again" (both from album two). Much of "Once
Again" finds Legend spinning nostalgic soul grooves into contemporary
tales of love triangles and romantic trysts -- all of which boasted lovely
background additions and lush instrumentation. For those who had not already
bought the new disc, Legend performed all but two album cuts (one an interlude
and the other, a back-from-war cut called "Coming Home"). He insisted
that the new album scales back the adulterous spirit of "Get Lifted."
And accordingly, he presented a short narrative, prefacing "Each Day Gets
Better" with a chat about the fickleness of love, followed by a fusion of
"Again" and "Another Again" and "Maxine," a song
about spotting his girl with another man. Opening for Legend was the
rather out-of-place rapper Consequence (another Kanye signee) and the soulful
Robin Thicke, who started off on the right foot -- seated at a piano in a
genuine state. But things got iffy when the blue-eyed singer strutted and
stomped about the stage, triggering comparisons to Justin Timberlake, from the
moves down to the suit-plus-sneakers get-up. Still, Thicke upped the energy and
his whispery falsetto could not be denied as he belted out smooth joints like
"I Need You" and "Lost Without You," from his recent
sophomore set "The Evolution Of Robin Thicke" (Star Trak/Interscope).
Despite Thicke having been in the game longer, Legend was notably more
focused. At one point, he crudely mentioned that "Once Again" was
expected to sell about 225,000 copies in its first week, insisting that
everyone tell their friends and that he would not be satisfied until it hit 5
million sales. Perhaps the old Legend would have been happy with just the love
-- but it seems Kanye has taught him well.
Paul
Porter: Hip Hop's Hang Low Image
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com - Paul Porter
(November 2, 2006) *Hip hop the musical art form of
self-expression is
dead. Long gone are the lyricists, replaced with the lyrically challenged,
pumping materialism, hate, sex and stupidity daily to millions.
Perception is everything and America's corporate minds once again have found a
way to control hip hop and who and what you hear and see. Control the media and
you will control the messenger. History has proven time and time again
the 'what you see is what you get' philosophy. Hip hop images are now carefully
managed, produced and marketed. Television, news, film, radio and video dictate
similar themes; perception is everything. A recent football brawl between
the University of Miami and Florida International received a blitz of national
media attention. Miami and FIU rosters both have predominantly black student
athletes. The consistent images of black on black violence aired hundreds of
times on television. On the same day, Dartmouth and Holy Cross had a similar
football brawl but it never made national news? Of course, both teams are predominantly
white at superior learning institutions. Is it skin color, winning percentage
that made one story larger than the other? Or is it the gate keepers of
corporately owned media picking and choosing what you see? Music has
always played a key role in shaping minds and attitudes. Black America's
obsession with song started unifying minds during slavery. Slave owners could
see the musical talent of their herds of black sheep and featured a select few
to entertain with song and dance. Not much has changed in the way of music or
media in America since then. The record industry is the new 'master,' now the
vehicle being that of hip hop awarding recording deals to one hit wonder teens,
touting them shamelessly like Motown featured Michael Jackson. Geffen Records
signed a fifteen year-old rapper named Jibbs from St. Louis. Jibbs first single
"Chain Hang Low" was a huge success receiving major airplay from pop
radio, MTV and BET. Jibbs ringtone also reached platinum status (over one
million) but his first week sales on his CD were only 46,000. Is this another
example of radio not getting it right? A fifteen year old spitting lyrics on
huge chains? Is that real hip hop or simply controlling its content?
Media radio, television and film still answer ultimately to white owners.
Although the land of the free boasts the "American dream," which is
merely a carefully controlled mix of government and wealth controlled media.
Hollywood has shaped the minds of a nation. Ask any American Indian how
westerners have portrayed this nation's original inhabitants. How does the
government and our education system still celebrate Columbus Day as if America
was a uninhabited land? Commercialized hip hop is today's vehicle
portraying young African Americans as a modern day minstrel show. The constant
barrage of materialism is too much for young minds to process while adults
profit. Many of today's hip hop stars vilified MC Hammer as a commercial sell
out, although Hammer shared his wealth by employing over one hundred African Americans.
Hip hop since that time has quickly turned into a Madison Avenue endorsement
soundtrack, selling cars, clothes, alcohol and bling. Corporate America is
playing hip hop like a new board game, a living "black monopoly"
carefully censored and corrupted. Controlling hip hop's voice
creates wealth and defuses the original source of lyrical power, strength,
struggle and unity. Although slavery has long been outlawed, corporate imaging
continues as Americas power structure. Attaining freedom took centuries and
garnering wealth and equality for black America is not a story you will ever
see on BET. When Bob Johnson launched BET in 1980 it was never embraced by
corporate advertisers. As BET continued to build with "the more you watch
the less you'll learn" programming it was ultimately bought by Viacom, the
parent company of MTV and VH1. Since then BET has proudly targeted teens with
an abundance of negative images. Hip hop is a multi billion dollar
industry without one owner of African descent. Yes, of course hip hop's
mainstream decapitating culture pays relative wealth to a select few Stepin
Fetchit type characters. But if you're waiting for Russell Simmons, Puffy or
Jay-Z to speak up on hip hop's abrupt change, don't hold your breath. In
today's culture, money in the hands of a select few silences the empowerment of
the masses. Hip hop is the ghetto's new Amerikkkan dream replacing sports with
a laundry list of young one hit wonders. In American history not one
musical genre has delivered more materialism, sex, violence and misogyny than
hip hop. And the most powerful aspect in this analysis is those who profit are
disproportionately white, who continue daily breaking federal law. Pay for
play(payola) is against the law and now widely proven. CBS Radio the nations
third largest radio broadcaster recently settled a New York state payola probe
for two million dollars.
Hip hop's largest names are never mentioned in Hewlett Packard television adds.
You will never read about Sumner Redstone, Jimmy Iovine, Edgar Bronfman or
Lowry Mays when it comes to hip hop. Don't label me a racist because the list
of black names that remain shut in the industry are also inexcusable.
Corporate America has paid top dollar to buy the public airwaves and the voices
that lead the sheep. In urban radio, local programming quickly turned to
national syndication. No other format in music radio has higher a percentage of
syndication than black targeted formats. By not only limiting the ownership
ratio by limiting the voices, issues like payola or degenerative hip hop will
never be discussed. Unfortunately, Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey, Michael Baisden
and Al Sharpton broadcast daily on conglomerates that profit hip hop. Free
speech is not an option if you continue to work in corporate America. American
voices are often controlled like radio play lists. If you ever listen to
the radio or watched a music video, you have been lied to for years. The
illegal practice of payola has created music's largest stars. Corporately
controlled venom that effectively killed hip hop. I am sure you have questioned
the constant barrage of limited themes and lyrics. Hip hop has been stuck for
close to a decade with hand picked stars and images. Record companies have been
telling radio and video outlets for years what and when to play a song or
video. It has been relatively easy to brainwash black America. Twenty
years after "The Cosby Show" reached number one on network
television, Viacom's VH1 has Flavor Flav as the number one series for African
Americans. Cosby's outrage on black America fell on mainly deaf ears already
manipulated and controlled after decades of negative processing. The pay
for play system is quite effective targeting youth like Ronald McDonald hooked
children on fast food. The same sorry songs from coast to coast over and over
again, but once again black America continues to roll over without a fight. You
will never hear a payola story on the radio or see it on TV because the
corporate gate keepers own that too. In 2004, New York Attorney General
Eliot Spitzer launched a state wide payola probe. The investigation has finally
connected the dots. Records and radio have been breaking federal law for
decades and Spitzer has all the proof. After the four major record distribution
companies settled for millions on October 19Th, Spitzer's office announced a
settlement with CBS Radio. The FCC have failed to pursue prosecution on a
national level stuck in a political quagmire.
www.IndustryEars.com
www.PaulPorter.voice123.com
www.zoominfo.com/PaulPorter
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The
Game’s New Album 'Doctor’s Advocate' Drops On November 14
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
(November 2, 2006) *Jimmy
‘Henchmen’ Rosemond, the Haitian born
manager for multi-platinum selling rapper The
Game, is expecting big things when the Game’s
sophomore album Doctor’s Advocate (Geffen Records) is released on November
14. ‘We are looking to sell at least a million copies in the first week.
The last time we did over 600,000 just on the controversy that was brewing
between him and 50 Cent. Now that the Game has established himself as a
bonafide star, and the anticipation that has been built up over the past year,
we are looking forward to big things from this album,’ Rosemond said in a
recent interview while on a one week vacation here in Jamaica at the Round Hill
hotel. Rosemond, who got his start in the music business in the 1990’s
where he promoted parties as well as industry related events including the
popular How Can I Be Down hip hop/R&B summit, has managed a list of top
acts over the years. Among his credentials are the R&B duo Groove
Theory, Salt N Pepa, Mario Winans, Sharissa, and R&B singer Tank. The Game's
2005 debut album The Documentary which spewed the hit singles Hate It or Love
It, This Is How We Do, Dreams and Put You on the Game, sold over five million
copies worldwide. The street single for Doctor's Advocate, It's Okay (One
Blood) featuring veteran Jamaican reggae singer Junior Reid, exploded at US
radio stations in August and quickly generated a firestorm of interest. The
song cracked Billboard's Hot 100 chart, as well as its Rap, Hip-Hop and R&B
Singles charts, The video for It's Okay (One Blood), which follows The Game on
a stroll through the grittier streets of Los Angeles, is receiving heavy
airplay on MTV and BET.
The first official single for Doctor's Advocate is Let's Ride (Strip Club). The
song debuted two weeks ago on Billboard’s R&B Hip Hop Singles & Tracks
chart. It was produced by hit-making producer Scott Storch. Henchmen
explained how Junior Reid got involved with the Its Okay (One Blood)
single. "At first we used a sample from One Blood with Junior’s
voice. But later on we decided to bring him into the recording studio to voice
the song all over and that’s how it happened. He calls me every day to say how
thankful he is and how much the song has been re-opening doors for him even
with show promoters." Doctor’s Advocate will feature collaborations
with Kanye West and Mary J Blige among others. ‘The last time around I
had to shock 'em. I had to let everyone know that I was the new force bringing
back the West Coast, and that no one could ignore me. This time I had one thing
in mind, which is greatness. I think the world will feel my hunger,’ the Game
commented. Since the release of his debut album Documentary, the
Game has been busy with several projects. He has released various mix tapes,
worked alongside Lorenz Tate, Meagan Goode and Tyrese Gibson in the Rogue
Pictures film, Waist Deep; and released his Hurricane sneaker line, made by 310
Motoring. He began rapping in 2001 and has never looked back. His barbed and
bold freestyles caught the ear of top-notch hip-hop producer Dr Dre, who signed
him to the Aftermath label in 2003 and assumed the executive producer chair for
his debut. Born Jayceon Taylor, The Game hails from the infamous Compton
in California.
"My son Harlem is the inspiration for everything I do," said the Game.
"He was born at a time when things were hard for me. I came into this rap
game to secure my family's future financially. Making music was second."
He said he got his moniker from his grandmother. "I was a real active kid
and I was smart and played a lot of sports. My grandmother said I should be
game for anything, so that's where the name came from," the rapper
explained. With his much publicized falling out with one time G-Unit member 50
Cent still fresh, The Game offered no comment about the situation. Asked if
there was anything that he would change about his career and his life, he said,
"I don't have regrets. I don't live with regrets", adding that he
wouldn't change a thing.
The
Honens Piano Competition Crowns A New 'Complete Artist'
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Alexandra Gill
(Nov. 6, 2006) VANCOUVER — The Honens International
Piano
Competition -- the classical world's
closest equivalent to Canadian Idol -- would like to present Minsoo Sohn, the
first-place laureate of this year's prestigious triennial edition and star in
the making. The 30-year-old South Korean captured the top prize on Friday night
at Calgary's Jack Singer Concert Hall. The two-evening round of final concerto
performances concluded the unique 16-day piano competition, which seeks to
discover and develop a new generation of "complete artist," as
musically accomplished and versatile as they are elegantly comported and
stylishly groomed. It's all extremely fortunate for Sohn, who could probably
use a new tuxedo (or at least some good dry cleaning) after his physically
exhausting rendition of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor on Thursday
night with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Yannick
Nezet-Seguin. When Sohn took his bow -- completely spent, drenched with sweat and
hanging onto the edge of the New York Steinway for support -- an electrified
audience leapt to its feet with rapturous applause for his deeply passionate
and intellectually mature interpretation of the oft-misunderstood barn-burner.
"His concerto was among the strongest events of the entire
competition," said jury chairman William Aide. "He also had the
highest score, which indicates that his consistency throughout the five
components was the most reliable." And consistency -- throughout the
rigorously mathematical jury scoring system -- is what it takes become one of
the top three laureates, who are granted not just cash prizes but an even more
lucrative three-season artist and career development program that includes
international performance engagements, an eight-week residency at the Banff
Centre, promotion, publicity, artist management and the production of a
recording. "We're not looking for the kind of sensational virtuoso that
galvanizes an audience so they're so overwhelmed by the rush that nerve endings
are practically sliced off," says Aide, the former head of the keyboard
division at the University of Toronto's faculty of music. "We're looking
for someone with comprehensive versatility -- someone who has unbelievable
technical prowess in the service of the score and can convey a commanding
personal response to the score.
"The thrilling thing is to hear a familiar score in a way which is not
grotesquely eccentric, but is renewed. At that point, we just close our scores
and listen." The concerto performance, while glamorous, is but one part of
the arduous competition, which requires the contestants to prove that they have
what it takes to sell themselves in the overcrowded field of concert pianists
and build a sustainable career. "I've been around the competition world
enough to know that winning is not the only way to be a true artist," Sohn
explained, the day before his finals concerto performance. Too often, as many
of the competitors noted, contest winners simply disappear without ever being
heard from again. For the quarter-finals, which began on Oct. 16, the 21
pianists were required to perform two concerts: a solo recital, which included
a newly commissioned work by Canadian Heather Schmidt (with improvisation); and
a chamber music recital with violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon and cellist Roman
Borys of Canada's celebrated Gryphon Trio. Although chamber music is a common
requirement in other piano competitions, it's not usually included so early.
The Honens structure thus helps weed out the prima donnas who might not think
collaboration is worthy. In the semifinals, the 12 remaining pianists performed
a 65-minute recital during which they collaborated in ten minutes of lieder
with Canadian tenor Colin Balzer. Honens is the only piano competition of its
calibre -- among the top ten in the world -- that requires vocal accompaniment.
"It's an eccentric event," says Serhiy Salov. The fifth-place
laureate, originally from the Ukraine and now living in Montreal, was
delightfully baffled when he learned that the competitors were also expected to
perform encores. "The whole atmosphere is more of a recital. That makes it
much less nerve-wracking for the contestants. It's what other competitions
should strive for." Eccentric, perhaps. But the encores and lack of
bloodsport help demonstrate what sort of personalities the musicians have
onstage and how they might contribute to the overall audience experience.
And according to Honens artistic director Stephen McHolm, a co-operative
personality, willingness to hustle and stage presence are all absolutely
necessary to make it these days. "When you walk out onstage, you can't be
shuffling your feet, you can't be looking at the ground, and you can't be
wearing ill-fitting clothes," says McHolm, 35, who succeeded Andrew
Raeburn as director in 2004. The competition launched in 1991 with a $5-million
start-up donation from Calgary philanthropist and music enthusiast Esther
Honens. "I'm not saying we're sexing up classical music, but when you see
a young person who is stylish and confident and has it together going out
onstage, the audience feels the magic in the air. "Musicianship is still
the most important thing. But if they're going to get ahead, they need the
balls to sell themselves." So when Sohn accepted his prize on Friday
night, the journey had really just begun. After a well-deserved weekend of
rest, he, along with the second- and third-place laureates -- Hinrich Alpers of
Germany and Hong Xu of China, respectively -- are now on their way to a
complete makeover. Their first week of career development includes a
consultation with a stylist, shopping for performance clothes, a photo shoot
with a fashion photographer and a visit to the Banff Centre, where they will be
encouraged to start thinking about how to expand their repertoire and develop a
niche. There is also a full day of pampering at the spa. "A spa?"
Sohn said on Friday night, still stunned by his victory and seemingly offended
by such frivolity. "Is that mandatory?" Probably not. A moment later,
he smiled. And like a complete artist, who is nimble, versatile and open to
growth, quickly added: "There was a mineral springs that I saw in Lake
Louise. It looked very tempting."
At
65, He's A Complete Unknown
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Robert Everett-Green
(Nov. 6, 2006) Bob Dylan seems to be everywhere this year, showing up
in books, documentaries, DVDs, radio shows and even on Broadway, where Twyla
Tharp's new dancing musical has been praised almost as thinly as George Bush's
performance in Iraq. The man at the centre of this multimedia storm arrived at
London's John Labatt Centre on Friday, for one more show in the never-ending
tour he began nearly 20 years ago. Dylan today is a walking advertisement for
the power of persistence. He was widely seen as a shadow of his past self in
the early nineties, but he played on, and in 1997 began a three-album
resurgence that happily coincided with the rise of a stock-taking mentality
among the generation that first made a fuss over him four decades ago. And yet
he can claim never to have needed a comeback, because he was always on a stage
somewhere, growling through the highlights and the dusty corners of his huge
songbook. He has survived in part because he's the master of his solitude,
which can't be broken down by any amount of criticism, or even by the kind of
adulation shown by the capacity crowd at the Labatt Centre. Now as ever, Dylan
gives what he chooses, not what others expect. Fifty years of putting on shows
(he's now 65) have not made him a showman. When an old favourite such as Like
a Rolling Stone appeared during Friday's concert, it was altered almost
beyond recognition. He abandoned even the most distinctive features of the old
melody (“how does it feeeeel?”) and delivered the song in the mannered,
rhetorical mode he favours for everything right now: a partly sung, partly
spoken stream of rushed syllables, sudden upward swoops, and guttural falls.
His current road band (the same group of veterans with whom he made his recent
disc, Modern Times) made no attempt to recreate the sound of the
recorded versions of Dylan's older tunes. Their job, on the contrary, was to
complete the ongoing public experiment of seeing what would happen to the old
songs in the sound-world of Dylan today. For the past decade, the Dylan sound
has been big, crafty, and impossible to categorize, seeming both expansively
new and ruggedly old. On Friday, the band (guitarists Denny Freeman and Stu
Kimball, steel guitarist / violinist Donnie Herron, drummer George Receli and
bassist Tony Garnier) seemed to have unlimited mobility through the ocean of
styles that Dylan fishes in. Almost everything they did could be related to
some kind of past music, but never exclusively. The new song Thunder on the
Mountain, for instance, had the swagger and blare of rockabilly, but the
romping boogie beat seemed almost like something out of New York's iconic Savoy
Ballroom. As Garnier spun his upright bass, I half expected to see someone in
the dancing crowd try the lindy hop. That's what keeps Dylan sounding fresh,
apart from the arresting puzzlements of his lyrics. Unlike a straightforward
retro artist, he exploits all his inherited traditions simultaneously.
Sometimes a gap appeared between the sense of the old song and its new
costuming. Maggie's Farm opened the show with a rolling, triumphal sound
that had nothing much in common with the embattled tone of the lyrics, which
are about resisting a harsh work boss on a non-unionized farm.
The literally new seemed to interest Dylan very little. He played nothing from
his new album, Modern Times, until the 110-minute set was halfway done,
and in the end did only as many songs from that disc as from Bringing It All
Back Home (1965). He performed the whole show from behind a keyboard,
facing a front corner of the stage. He never touched a guitar, kept his long
black coat buttoned all night, and had his band in a formal-looking wardrobe of
brown suits and black hats. The acoustics of the relatively cozy Labatt Centre
were as good as any stadium's could be, but still one has to wonder what the
appeal of these venues is for Dylan, apart from the size of the box office. His
lyrics can run on for many verses without the rallying anchor of a
chorus. If you couldn't remember all 132 lines of It's Alright Ma (I'm
Only Bleeding), there was no way you could catch them in that resonant
space, with his rapid, garbled, short-breathed way of delivering them. You were
left to contemplate the heavy groove laid down by the band, the narrow
variation of sounds and gestures in Dylan's voice, or the paradoxical concept
of a singing poet who arranges almost nightly for the concealment of his verse.
He's still a mystery, in short, though he performed that mystery in a way that
was never dull. This show didn't really spread wings and fly until the encores,
however, when a back banner unfurled and the band seemed to loosen its collars
a bit. Was that for our benefit, or were they simply responding to the
approaching end of their labours? For Dylan and his cohorts, professionalism
means never having to say what you're doing or why, only doing it. Bob Dylan
plays the Air Canada Centre in Toronto tomorrow, and Montreal's Bell Centre on
Wednesday.
Big
Bub -- Involved in a ‘Tug of War’
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
November 7, 2006) *There
are some folks born with the creative gene. It’s
as if the cosmos connected them to the wellspring of music and it flows through
them like an endless stream. There is no doubt that Big Bub is endowed with an
infinite river of talent whether via writing, arranging, producing, or singing.
Formerly with the Gents, Big Bub was discovered by Motown’s Andre Harrell, who
signed him to the music giant. Presently promoting his new CD “Tug of
War,” Bub talked about Side “A” and “B.” “The R&B side is entitled “Living
in the Flesh,” the gospel side is called “Died of the Flesh.” My CD mirrors the
spiritual tug of war with the secular world and the gospel world that is going
on within me right now” explained Big Bub. Raised by an evangelist mother who
could also sing, Big Bub started singing in Church at 5. His father and
brother were also musically inclined. At age 17, in 1988, he began
performing with the group Today. Today had 2, #1 hits, which sold nearly
2 million records. “I started my career 5 months after I graduated
high school. I was already playing Madison Square Garden at 17. I was
overwhelmed. Everything was a blur because the success came so fast for
us. We actually changed the whole music era in the late1980s. We
did the first Keith Sweat album, Al B. Sure‘s album and then I wrote “My Prerogative”
for Bobbie Brown and “Gotta Believe” for Mary J. Blige and the list goes
on. It was amazing!” remarked the prolific songwriter/arranger and
composer. Big Bub went solo recording with Sylvia Roane for East West Records
and also appearing in a Dr. Dre film entitled “Who’s the Man.” At 24, Big
Bub became Vice President of Motown for 4 years. “I was with Motown as an
artist initially, left them, and then returned as VP. I started writing
for Mary J. Blige, Blackstreet, Boy George, The Jacksons, Horace Brown, Johnny
Gil, et al. Almost everyone I wrote for had a hit. I even wrote for
Tom Jones. That white man has soul! It’s been a long road,
occasionally a hard road but a fun road for sure” commented Bub.
Big Bub has a unique way of writing lyrics. He simply shows up at the
recording studio and writes the music while recording. “The words just
come to me. I occasionally have writers block but 75 to 80% of the time lyrics
and melodies just pop into my head. I hear the melody in my head, have
the producer play it and it’s a go” stated Big Bub concerning his
creativity. “I love and have a passion for music. In fact, I am
planning on touring with my CD TUG OF WAR soon” claimed the singer. “I
took a rest for a time. Folks haven’t seen me for awhile so they want to me to
perform. I’m a performer too although I have been writing a lot.
People say I have been cheating them of my vocal skills since I had been
writing for various artists and sitting behind a corporate desk. I have
been told its time for my own album” said BB who responded with TUG OF WAR. Big
Bub created more than 56 records as the VP of A&R at Motown and traveled
often. “I was away from my family a lot. I am married with
children. I try to be with them as much as possible but my job often
takes me away. I met my wife at Chaz & Wilson in Virginia
Beach. I just saw her and she was nice and quiet and so we became
friends. In fact, we were friends for a year before we became
romantic. Folks said find a girl who could sing but I said whatever God
had in store for me would be the woman I marry, even if she worked at Winkie
Dinkie Dogs,” laughed Big Bub. “I lived in Greenwich, Ct for years but
now I live in South Carolina with my wife and kids. “I am still writing for
different artists. I write for the artists on my music label, Drake
Web. Now that I have artists on my label, I have to give them some of
that hotness, too. I have an artist named Valerie Wit who is an R&B
artist and another singer Philip Bryant who is gospel. Another of my
gospel artists, Izzy, is doing well on Billboard. He is presently No.
22. I am also looking for a country group and a Rock group. I want
to keep my label diverse and universal,” says Big Bub who writes music for
every musical genre and even the occasional jingle. “I can hear music in my
head. When you are creative like that, you are in a zone. I sometimes
take the music to bed with me. I will be in bed and my wife will ask
‘Boy, what record are you doing?’ I’m practically creating music in my
sleep” laughed the inexhaustible talent. “Sometimes, my fans
get overly enthusiastic. I remember once at Great Adventure in New
Jersey, people ran up to me and nearly stampeded me. It got kind of
scary. Sometimes, folks look up to artists as if they are Gods and I
don’t play that. It got crazy and I decided it was time to take a
respite. I was about to sign a major million dollar contract but I walked
away from it. People couldn’t understand that. I heard God so ever clear.
I felt him in my heart for real. He was in my ear, heart, and mind.
He was ever present and it just blew me away. So, I took time off and
spent some time with God. My new CD is the result. I think folks will
love the blend of R&B and gospel. It works!” See www.myspace.com/bigbubtoday
Midday Culture Draws
Big Crowds - Offerings A Blend Of Music, Dance
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - John Terauds, Classical Music Critic
(Nov. 3, 2006) There's a new lunchtime sensation in town, with a line-up
at the door and standing-room only. The soul-nourishing menu is entirely
calorie-free, and you'll return to your afternoon routine feeling rested and
refreshed. Best of all, it's free. Unlike many things that sound
too good to be true, these daytime events at the Four
Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the real deal. There is music (of all
sorts), dance and lectures connected to the work of the Canadian Opera Company
and the National Ballet of Canada. Yesterday's crowd was at capacity,
filling the steps, walkways and upper-level chairs of the amphitheatre. They
heard a selection of art songs performed by the opera company's resident young
talents. A COC spokesperson said that organizers on Tuesday had to turn
away about 100 people. This is unprecedented for a daytime concert series, and
a sign that the new opera house is making its presence heard as well as
seen. For many yesterday, it was the first opportunity to hear three male
additions to the Ensemble Studio. For all, it was a showcase of excellent
homegrown artistry. The standout pieces were three Elizabethan poems set
to music by 75-year-old Toronto composer Derek Holman. He wrote this song
cycle, A Lasting Spring, two years ago as a memorial to Nicholas
Goldschmidt, who spent five decades tirelessly promoting music in Canada.
Holman dedicated the composition to Nicholas's widow Sheila, who was also
present yesterday.
COC rehearsal coach Liz Upchurch accompanied tenor Lawrence J. Wiliford, who
excellently replaced Michael Colvin as Guglielmo on the opening night of the
current production of Così fan tutte. The execution of Holman's
frankly sensual music was fascinating. Upchurch dug into the piano part with
panache, while Wiliford's light, controlled singing floated over top.
With Upchurch still at the keyboard, soprano Virginia Hatfield sang Benjamin
Britten's On This Island cycle, with words from the pen of W.H. Auden,
written in 1937. The audience was then introduced to bass-baritone Andrew
Stewart, and baritones Justin Welsh and Jon-Paul Décosse, who tackled Ralph
Vaughan Williams's nine gorgeous Songs of Travel, with Kathryn Tremills
on piano. Having three very different (and uneven) singers tackle one
man's life story was not a great idea, as it destroyed the songs' emotional
arc. Given the intensity of both the training and experience that members
of the Ensemble Studio get, it will be interesting how these three artists
develop.
Hidden Beach
Recordings Inks Deal With Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD)
Source: Universal Music Group/ Diaspora
Santa Monica, CA - Hidden Beach Recordings (HBR) and Universal Music Group
Distribution (UMGD), a division of
Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, have entered into a
distribution agreement, it was jointly announced by Hidden Beach Founder/CEO
Steve McKeever, and Jim Urie, President, Universal Music Group Distribution
(UMGD). The deal provides for UMGD to distribute the independent record
label's product throughout North America and covers all HBR's subsidiaries such
as the Hidden Beach Celebrations Series, Hidden Beach International, and Still
Waters, the label's inspirational imprint. "We are very
happy to partner with a company whose strength and reach is matched by its
vision and innovative spirit," stated McKeever. "Jim and his
team's understanding and appreciation of this special business mirrors our own,
and Universal provides the ideal setting for us to unveil 'Chapter Two' of the
Hidden Beach experience." "I've wanted to work with Steve and
his team for some time," commented Urie. "Over the past few years,
Hidden Beach has experienced great success, thanks in part to Steve's unique
vision and his dynamic roster of artists. He's a true entrepreneur, and Hidden
Beach is exactly the kind of music company we want to partner with at
UMGD."
Based in Santa Monica, CA, Hidden Beach Recordings publicly bowed onto the
entertainment scene in 2000 with the introduction of multi-platinum, Grammy
Award-winning vocal sensation Jill Scott. The label went on to release
projects from such standout artists as award-winning songwriter/vocalist Brenda
Russell, Kindred the Family Soul, the trend setting Unwrapped series (Volumes.
1-4), saxman Mike Phillips, songtress Lina, gospel legend/Grammy-winner BeBe
Winans, Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker, and trombone maestro
Jeff Bradshaw, among others. The first offering under the new partnership
was the October 17 release of TribalJazz, the multi-cultural jazz group led by
John Densmore, the legendary drummer and co-founder of the seminal rock band
The Doors; slated next is the hotly anticipated Hidden Beach Recordings Box Set
of Unwrapped Vols. 1-4, scheduled for a November 21 street date. These
releases will be followed in 2007 with the debut of new Hidden Beach artists
including vocalist/musician Keite Young, singer Leigh Jones, singer/guitarist
Peter Black, and the Still Waters releases of inspirational song stylist
Onitsha, and talented vocalist Sunny Hawkins. The New Year
will also bring a new studio album from Grammy-winner Jill Scott, as well as a
specialty compilation release of joint efforts between Scott and an eclectic
array of hip hop, soul, instrumental, jazz, pop and gospel artists. The
disc of wide-ranging collaborations shines a spotlight on the singer’s
incredible diversity as she has teamed over the years with the likes of Sergio
Mendes and Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, Chris Botti, George Benson, Al
Jarreau and Kirk Franklin, Lupe Fiasco, Common, The Roots and Will Smith.
Also returning in 2007 will be such Hidden Beach favourites such as Kindred,
Mike Phillips and Jeff Bradshaw.
In the span of just a few short years, HBR has amassed a loyal and growing fan
base, and has garnered numerous awards and accolades for both its artistic
achievements as well as its cutting edge marketing exploits. The label's
groundbreaking college intern program has been hailed as a model for the
industry. Universal Music Group Distribution handles
the distribution and sales for such labels as Universal Motown Records Group,
Island Def Jam Music Group, Roadrunner, Interscope Geffen A&M Records,
Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Universal South, Lost Highway, Mercury Nashville,
Verve Music Group, Universal Classics, Universal Music Latino, Universal Music
Enterprises, Hip-O, UTV, Univision Music Group, DreamWorks, Disa, ABKCO,
Hollywood, Lideres Entertainment, Lyric Street, RMM, Thump, Ark 21, Rounder,
Fonovisa, Varese Sarabande, Walt Disney, VI Music and Viva Discos. UMVD also
handles the distribution and sales for Vivendi Visual Entertainment, the
company's home entertainment division, and Fontana, its independent
distribution arm.
About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is the world's largest music company with wholly owned
record operations or licensees in 75 countries. Its businesses also
include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry's largest global
music publishing operations. Universal Music Group consists of record labels
Decca Record Company, Deutsche Grammophon, DreamWorks Records, Interscope
Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, MCA
Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor, Universal
Music Latino, Universal Motown Records Group, and Verve Music Group as well as
a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company
subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most
extensive catalogue of music in the industry, which is marketed through two
district divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal
Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group includes
eLabs, the new media and technologies division, and Universal Music
Mobile. Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and
communications company.
About Hidden Beach
Founded by music veteran Steve McKeever, Hidden Beach Recordings is an
independent record label based in Santa Monica, CA. Along with
introducing music sensation Jill Scott and saxophonist Mike Phillips, Hidden
Beach is also home to trombonist Jeff Bradshaw, husband and wife-led group
Kindred the Family Soul, songstress Lina, singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter
Black, and vocalist/musician Keite Young, among many others. Visit www.hiddenbeach.com
for more information on Hidden Beach Recordings.
Live Nation Completes
Acquisition Of House Of Blues
Source: Universal Music Group
November 6, 2006 — LOS ANGELES, CA — Live Nation (NYSE: LYV), the
world’s leading live entertainment company, announced today that it has
completed its previously announced acquisition of House
of Blues. With this acquisition,
Live Nation now owns, operates and/or has booking rights for more than 170
venues, including the addition of ten “House of Blues”-branded small-sized
music venues in the major markets of Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego, Las
Vegas, New Orleans, Chicago, Cleveland, Orlando, Myrtle Beach and Atlantic
City; The Commodore Ballroom, a small-sized music venue in Vancouver; and eight
amphitheatres in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta,
Cleveland and Toronto. “The House of Blues brand is one of the most highly
recognizable names in live music and we are excited about the strong foothold
House of Blues provides us in the small-sized music venue segment of the
market,” said Live Nation President and Chief Executive Officer Michael
Rapino. “This acquisition also extends our music venue portfolio
into Canada and amphitheatre presence into key markets in the western United
States, complementing our already strong East coast venues.”
The total purchase price for the deal, including reimbursement for development capital
expenditures and working capital adjustments, was approximately $354
million. Live Nation financed the acquisition with a combination of cash
on hand, borrowings under its revolving credit facility and a new term loan as
provided for under its existing credit agreement. Live Nation will release its
third quarter 2006 financial results after market hours on Tuesday, November 7,
2006, and will host a teleconference to discuss its third quarter 2006
financial results and its acquisition of House of Blues that same day at 5:00
p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To access the teleconference, please dial
888-802-8579 (U.S.) or 973-633-6740 (International) ten minutes prior to the
start time and reference passcode 8007195. The teleconference will also
be available via live webcast on the company’s website located at www.livenation.com
under “About Us.” A replay of the teleconference will be available
through Tuesday, November 14, 2006, and can be accessed by dialling
877-519-4471 (U.S.) or 973-341-3080 (International), passcode 8007195.
The webcast will also be archived on the company’s website for 30 days.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world’s leading live entertainment company, annually
connecting more than 67 million fans with their favourite performers at over
36,000 events. We are the largest producer of live concerts in the world,
the second-largest venue management company and have a rapidly growing online
presence. Live Nation creates superior experiences for artists and fans,
regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars, including The Rolling
Stones, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate and/or have
booking rights for more than 170 venues, including the House of Blues-branded
music venues and prestigious locations such as San Francisco’s Fillmore
Auditorium, Jones Beach in New York and London’s Apollo Theatre and Wembley
Arena. Live Nation’s websites collectively are the second most popular
entertainment event websites in the United States , according to
Nielsen//NetRatings. Headquartered in Los Angeles , California , Live
Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange , trading under the symbol
“LYV.” For more information regarding concerts near you, Live Nation and
its businesses, please visit our website at www.livenation.com.
MUSIC TIDBITS
Mary J. Blige Gathers Greatest Hits
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 3, 2006) *Geffen Records has collected a
number of classic
hits from Mary J. Blige for a new retrospective, "Reflections: The Journey," due
Dec. 12. The track list has yet to be announced, but Billboard reports the set
will be preceded by a new song “We Ride,” which is scheduled to arrive at U.S.
radio outlets this week. Another new MJB song, "Never Gonna Break My
Faith," features Aretha Franklin and appears on the soundtrack to the
upcoming film “Bobby,” due in theatres Nov. 23. It is unclear if the Bryan
Adams-penned track will also appear on "Reflections: The Journey."
Blige will promote the album in yet-to-be announced holiday performances,
Billboard reports.
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Vanessa Bell Armstrong Releases New CD
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 3, 2006) Seven time Grammy nominee Vanessa Bell
Armstrong will release her highly anticipated album
Walking Miracle, on EMI Gospel February 20, 2007. The epic songstress returns
front and center stage with her an awe-inspiring, ultramodern full length
CD. Time bears no stance on the voice of a true gospel historian, “When I
started out, I was a contemporary vocalist however the late Thomas Whitfield
mixed it up with a traditional feel and since then I never went far from that,”
Armstrong explained, when discussing the range of traditional and contemporary
blends on the new LP. “I love the contemporary and I love the
traditional … to me the time-honoured sounds of gospel music is our medicine …
it gives us hope … it encourages, but the contemporary-up tempo stuff is what
lifts us up. Supporters don’t have to wait until next year to own a sample of
the singer’s latest offering. The commercial single So Good To Me is available
in stores November 21, 2006. To promote the new LP, the multi-talented singer/actress
will appear in the Gospel on Broadway on November 19th. Gotham Hall
located at 1256 Broadway at 36th in New York City will showcase this three show
event. Show times are 2pm, 5pm and 8pm— each appearance will consist of a
performance from Armstrong featuring hand picked selections from Walking
Miracle and a free southern cuisine buffet. Advanced tickets are highly
recommended. For ticket information visit www.gospelonbroadway.com or
call (212) 763-8333.
Clark Sisters Reunion Lands EMI Gospel Agreement
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(October 30, 2006) The Clark
sisters have signed an exclusive contract
under the EMI Gospel imprint. Earlier this year the highly acclaimed
sister act recorded their reunion project in a live concert in Houston,
TX. Jacky, Karen, Twinkie and Dorinda are poised to release the not
yet titled album on March 20, 2007, their first group effort in over 10
years. The eagerly anticipated album is being produced by Donald
Lawrence. EMI executives are excited about their union with the
legendary group, all of whom have experienced individual musical success.
"Event releases don't come everyday,” says EMI Gospel Vice
President/General Manager, Larry Blackwell. “The Clark Sisters Reunion-Live
release in every way defines one. EMI Gospel is honoured to continue being a
part of the Clark Family legacy by releasing this must have CD to the legions
of fans.”
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Urban Developments
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Tamara Conniff and Ray Waddell
(Nov. 3, 2006) Keith Urban's handsome face is becoming a lot more
familiar -- generally a good thing with an album on the horizon. His new
"Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing" is due Nov. 7 on Capitol
Nashville. Co-produced by Urban and Dann Huff, it's his fourth solo studio
album. During the past three years, Urban has experienced a meteoric
career rise. He went from his first theatre-headlining tour in 2004 to
successfully headlining arenas in 2005, and most industry observers believe he
is on the verge of joining the country touring elite with his planned 2007 tour
in support of the new album. Meanwhile, the first single, "Once in a
Lifetime," just made history by becoming the highest-debuting single in
the 62-year history of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Some
attention, however, focuses on his personal life. He wed actress Nicole Kidman
in June, suddenly becoming a household name to legions of tabloid readers who
may have never heard of him or his country music hits. Then his name landed on
countless celebrity news rags just a couple of weeks before his album dropped
-- sadly not to discuss his career trajectory or new, blissful marriage, but
because he checked himself into rehab for alcohol addiction. Urban cancelled
his promo tour, including a performance at the Country Music Association Awards
on Nov. 6. Friends close to Urban say his choice is one of strength, that
he cares so much about his new wife, new album, fans and 2007 world tour that
he wants to be well. It would be much easier to not get sober. Urban has fought
drug and alcohol addiction for many years. Though the greatest high for a
musician, Urban says, is a live performance that "clicks" -- when the
band hits a groove that is transcendent. "It's [the high] that you look
for in all the synthetic stuff, but you can't find it. It won't stop you from
looking." Urban, who was already poised for massive crossover
success after his last album, is now immeasurably more famous than he was 12
months ago. It has industry insiders wondering just how big this record might
blow up.
Genesis Reuniting With Phil Collins For Tour
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
(Nov. 3, 2006) Mega-selling pop trio Genesis is reuniting with Phil
Collins for its first tour with him since the
summer of 1992. An official announcement will be made Monday (Nov. 7) in
London. Genesis hasn't toured since 1998, during which Ray Wilson replaced
Collins on lead vocals alongside principal members Tony Banks and Mike
Rutherford. Former frontman Peter Gabriel will not be participating in
the reunion with the group he exited in 1975. "Tony, Mike and Phil are
rehearsing now," he said in a recent video message on his Web
site. "I'm not involved in this round or this year. I haven't
ruled out the possibility of doing something in the future, but right now I'm
going to focus on my own work." Also apparently not involved is
guitarist Steve Hackett, who played with the band in the Gabriel era but left
in 1977. Collins hasn't toured since 2004, an outing billed as his First
Farewell tour. Of late, he's been busy writing the music for Disney's
"Tarzan the Musical" on Broadway; his contribution to the animated
film's 1999 soundtrack, "You'll Be in My Heart," won the Oscar for
song of the year. And while he now seems ready to tour with Genesis
again, Collins sang quite a different tune in a 1996 interview with Billboard,
when he declared, "How interested am I in old Genesis material? Not very
interested, to be honest." "If I'm to be completely candid,
I've never been our biggest fan," he continued. "I have no reverence
for the older material, apart from the fun we had making it. I never really
felt like we quite got it right on record, especially in the olden days. I can
see Genesis fans sticking pins in my effigy as I say this, but you know, I have
to be honest -- there's no point in being anything else in life. I'm very proud
of some of it, and I could take or leave some other stuff."
Kanye, Kweli Join Nick Cannon's 'Stages'
Excerpt from www.billboard.com -
Clover Hope, N.Y.
(Nov. 2, 2006) Nick Cannon has set Dec. 5 as the release date for his sophomore
effort, "Stages," which, as previously reported, will be the first project under the
actor/rapper's Motown imprint, Can I Ball. The disc boasts collaborations with
Talib Kweli, Anthony Hamilton and Slim of 112, among others, and features
production by Kanye West. Cannon wrote and produced every other track.
The new set is preceded by the singles "Dime Piece," featuring
Cannon's artist Izzy Battle, and "It's Your Birthday." "Stages"
will be the follow up to Cannon's self-titled 2003 debut, which has sold
200,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Keith Wins Country Song Of The Year
Excerpt from The Toronto Star -
Associated Press
(Nov. 6, 2006) NASHVILLE — Toby
Keith's hit "As Good As I Once Was"
has won country song of the year, and Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard
was honoured as an icon during the BMI Music Awards. Keith also shared
BMI's songwriter of the year prize with Vicky McGehee and Ed Hill as the
performing rights organization Broadcast Music Inc. handed out the awards
Saturday. Each had writing credits on three of the performing rights
organization's top 50 most-performed songs of the past year. Keith's
three songs on the list were "As Good As I Once Was," ``Big Blue
Note" and "Honkytonk U." The singer called the BMI event
"my favourite awards show." "Here, you don't even have to
get nominated. I was a songwriter first, before I was an artist, and I'll be a
songwriter forever," he said. Keith now has three BMI songwriter of
the year awards. The centrepiece of the evening was the presentation of
BMI's Icon award to Haggard. Martina McBride, John Anderson and Hank Williams
Jr. performed in honour of the singer-songwriter who is regarded as one of the
most important artists in the history of country music. Past Icon winners
include Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Dolly Parton, James Brown, Carlos Santana,
Isaac Hayes and Ray Davies. "He's been my favourite singer for many
years, but he's that great as a songwriter, too," said country singer and
songwriter Bill Anderson. "He writes with such feeling, such depth and such
simplicity, and he gets more out of a sad song than anybody."
Haggard, 69, was raised in Bakersfield, Calif., and is credited with helping
define country music's "Bakersfield sound." He broke onto the charts
in 1963 with "Sing a Sad Song" and went on to write and record dozens
of hits, including "Workin' Man Blues," ``Okie from Muskogee"
and "Mama Tried." Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville published
15 songs in BMI's top 50, and was named publisher of the year. Along with
ASCAP and SESAC, BMI is an organization that collects royalties for songwriters
and publishers.
Sax Man Steve Cole's New CD Set For Nov 21 Release
Source: Rick Scott, Great Scott
P.R.oductions, www.greatscottpr.com
(November 6, 2006) "You're gonna feel something
whether you like it or
not," says saxman Steve Cole about his forthcoming True album. Focusing on performance,
improvisation and really playing from the heart & soul, and fuelled by the
metropolitan sounds and influences of his hometown of Chicago, the album is a
mix of R&B, contemporary jazz, pop and dance music. Through his
four previous albums, Cole has established himself as a core artist in contemporary
jazz. His consistency as a songwriter and producer also merits respect as
he's scored four #1 radio hits and ten Top 5 singles since his 1998
debut. True promises to add to Cole's impressive stats. He
set the bar high on each engaging track, delivering unadulterated artistry and
organic musicianship. Cole couldn't help being influenced by the
music that emerged from his hometown where he still calls home. On the
album, he tips his hat to such pioneers as jazz-funk legend Quincy Jones, soul
icon Curtis Mayfield and clubby house music. But playing and improvising
were also primary inspirations for Cole on True. He focused on giving a
unique performance on each song. Cole believes that the true measure of
the artist is how the musician improvises off the melody. Many records
stifle that creativity so Cole sought to produce the record as "live"
as possible, fostering the setting for expansive soloing. A talented cast of
musicians helped Cole bring True to life, including Jeff Golub, Steve Rodby, David
Mann, Ricky Peterson, Lenny Castro and Khari Parker. The album title
refers to a return to innocence, a return to the roots, a return to the music
that inspired Cole to explore his passion for jazz-funk made popular by artists
such as Grover Washington, Jr., David Sanborn, Spyro Gyra and George
Benson. It was an era of well-crafted songs, live production and
expressive music that emerged from the core of the artists' being. That's
the recipe Cole used to create True. After studying modern classical
music for saxophone at Northwestern University, Cole earned an MBA at the
University of Chicago. Debuting with Stay Awhile, he scored three radio
hits out of the box that helped him garner the 2000 Oasis Smooth Jazz Prism
Award as Best New Artist. Subsequent albums include Between Us, NY LA,
and Spin.
Dionne Warwick & Producer Son Damon Eliott Hook Up
Source: Echo Hattix, echohattix@echoingsoundz.com, Adee G. Drory, Adeeglazer@echoingsoundz.com
(November 6, 2006) Los Angeles -- Super producer
Damon Elliott has
been working on his number one fan's album. His mother, Dionne Warwick, is set to release her
45th anniversary celebration album, entitled "My Friends &
Me." This album promises to be a dynamic fusion of Warwick's
legendary, sultry R&B vocals on the same track with some of today's and
yesterday's Hip Hop, Country, Pop and R&B artists. It will feature duets
with Mya, Cyndi Lauper, Da Brat, Debra Cox, Reba McEntire, Kelis, Gladys
Knight, Angie Stone, Chante' Moore, Olivia Newton-John and more. "I'm
thrilled to be back in the studio and this time with my son. With 45 years in
the music industry I've had an amazing career. I've had the pleasure of working
with some of the world's greatest musical minds in the business," says
Warwick. "Just being able to commemorate this phase in my life and work
with artist I personally enjoy is truly a blessing." The "My Friends
& Me" album is scheduled to be released Tuesday, November 7, 2006.
Warwick, most recognized for her 60's, 70's and 80's recordings. The Grammy
award winning artist has had nearly 60 charted hits with songs like "Don't
Make Me Over," "Do you know the way to San Jose?," Anyone Who
Had A Heart," "Walk On By," "That's What Friends Are
For" and many, many more. In May 2006, Warwick made an appearance on
the season finale of American Idol, singing a medley of her hits before an
audience of 36 million with her longtime collaborator Burt Bacharach
accompanying her on the piano. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and
is involved with numerous charitable causes. A savvy entrepreneur as well,
Warwick even has her own skincare line called Enyo. Her youngest son, Damon
Elliott, has made quite a name for himself in the music industry, producing
over 68 million records for various multi-platinum artists such as Beyonce,
Jessica Simpson, Destiny's Child, Gwen Stefani, Mya, Pink, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
and Macy Gray, just to name a few. In addition to the highly anticipated
Warwick release, Elliott is currently in the studio producing a global heartwarming
hit entitled "Family Comes First," set to release on Tyler Perry's
"Daddy's Little Girls," soundtrack. Our goal is to blossom the
challenges of life into a rainbow of music and we're the perfect family unit to
do so," comforts Elliott.
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Michael Jackson Plans Comeback
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star - Reuters News Agency
(Nov. 8, 2006) LONDON — Reclusive superstar Michael
Jackson plans
a dramatic comeback later this month with a performance of his classic song
"Thriller", the organizers of a music awards ceremony said on
Wednesday. The 48-year-old superstar has been a virtual recluse since his
acquittal of child molestation charges in June 2005, dividing much of his time
between Bahrain and Ireland. Last month the World Music Awards announced
that Jackson would appear in London to accept a Diamond Award that goes to
artists who sell more than 100 million records worldwide, and this week they
confirmed Jackson's intention to perform. "Yes, it's his first
performance in a long time," said a spokeswoman at Outside Organisation,
one of the public relations companies publicising the event. "It's something
of a comeback if you like." The choice of song coincides with the
25th anniversary of Jackson's "Thriller" album, one of the biggest
selling records of all time. Jackson has said he planned to move to
Europe in a bid to resurrect his musical career, and in April a record label
said he intended to make a new album to be released in 2007. As well as
Jackson's eagerly awaited return, U.S. actress Lindsay Lohan will host the
awards show on Nov. 15, and Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli will
perform on the night. The World Music Awards are based on artists' sales
as opposed to votes from the public or a panel of judges.
::CD RELEASES::
November
6, 2006
AZ, The Format,
Bob Marley, 48 Titres Originaux, The Intense Mus
Bob Marley, Riding High in Trench Town, DBK Works
Bob Marley, The Great Bob Marley [Rajon], Rajon
Bounty Killer,
Nah No Mercy: The Warlord Scrolls, VP / Universal
Bushwick Bill,
Little Big Man [Chopped & Screwed], Asylum
Cadillac Don & J-Money,
Look at Me [Chopped & Screwed], Asylum
Cali Agents, Fire and Ice,
Control Machete,
Eat... Breath... and... Sleep, Universal Latino
Damon of La Epidemia,
Latinas, Thump
Dennis Brown,
Live at Montreux [Bonus Tracks], Store for Music Ltd
Do or Die, Headz or Tailz [Chopped & Screwed], Rap-A-Lot
E.S.G., Come Away with Me, Soul Jazz
Eminem, You Don't Know, Aftermath
Gnarls Barkley,
St. Elsewhere [Deluxe Edition], Downtown
Gnarls Barkley,
Who Cares, Warner
Iomos Marad, Go Head, All
Natural Inc
Jim Jones, Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product Of My Environment) [Best Buy
Exclusive], Koch
Katt "Money Mike" Williams,
The Pimp Chronicles, Pt. 1, CodeBlack
KB the Kidnappa,
Spitting Venom,
Killa Klump, Killa Thughs, Vol. 1, Rex Recordings Inc
Kinto Sol, Los Hijos Del Maiz, Univision
Kuky, Kuky, Machete
Music
Lil' Romeo, Greatest Hits, Koch
Lil Uno, Once In A Decade, Toltec
Lloyd Banks, Help, Interscope
Mal Hablado, Shake That Ass, Thump
Messy Marv, Explosive Mode, Vol. 3: Mob Gets Explosive, Sumo
Mickey Avalon,
Mickey Avalon, Myspace
Mr. Criminal,
What the Streets Created, Pt. 2, Thump
No Luck Club,
Prosperity, Igloo Cartel Recordings
OutKast, Idlewild Blue (Don't Chu Worry Bout Me), Pt. 1, BMG/Laface
OutKast, Idlewild Blue (Don't Chu Worry Bout Me), Pt. 2, BMG/Ariola
Planet Asia, Don't Get It Fucked Up, SMC Recordings
Raylene, Lookout Weekend, Thump
RZA, Afro Samurai, Koch
Science Fiction,
Bmore: Guttermusic, BBS
Science Fiction,
Dubsteb, BBS
Science Fiction,
Grime, BBS
Sofla Kingz, La Sofla Nostra, R.N.L.G. LLC
Spellbyndaz, Adversity, R.N.L.G. LLC
Talib Kweli, Ear Drum, Reprise
/ Wea
Tech N9ne, Everready, Strange Music
The Primeridian,
Hang On [Single],
The Wylde Bunch,
Wylde Bunch, Surfdog Ada
Thes One, Lifestyle Marketing, Wax Orchard
Various Artists,
2007 Ano de Exitos Reggaeton, Universal Latino
Various Artists,
Bachaton Relouded [CD/DVD], Nu
Various Artists,
Behind the West Coast, Thump
Various Artists,
Black Uhuru & Other Reggae Rebels, Immortal
Various Artists,
Body & Soul: Blue Lights in the Basement, Time Life
Various Artists,
Latin Hip Hop Revolucion Mixtape, Thump
Various Artists,
Only Hits [Rhino], Rhino/Atlantic/Warner Bros.
Various Artists,
Roots Boricua: Antologia de Reggae, Machete Music
Various Artists,
Sen Dog Presents Fat Joints, Vol. 1, Latin Thug
Weeto, Call Me Big Weets, Thump
Woodie, Northern Expozure Vol. 7, R.N.L.G. LLC
Young Jeezy, I Luv It, Def
Jam
Z-Ro, Still Living [Chopped & Screwed], Rap-A-Lot
Z-Ro, Still Living, Rap-A-Lot
November 13, 2006
2Pac, Untouchable, Interscope
Akon, Konvicted, Universal
Akon, Smack That, Universal/Island
Anti_MC, It's Free But It's Not Cheap, Mush
B-Boyz, The Real Life: B-Boyz from the Hood, Urban Ikon
Beenie Man, Hmm Hmm, Virgin
Bobby Valentino, Special Occasion, Def Jam
Boogie Down Productions,
Criminal Minded [Instrumental], Traffic Ent.
Brian McKnight,
10, Warner
Bros.
Brooke Valentine,
Pimped Out, Virgin
Busta Rhymes,
Crown, BCD
Music Group
Dan the Automator,
2K7 Instrumentals, DeCon Inc
David Banner,
The Hustler's Guide to the Game, BCD Music Group
Daz Dillinger,
Weekend, Virgin
Diddy, Tell Me/Diddy Rock, Bad Boy
Dimyn, Imagine That, Warlock
DJ Green Lantern,
Tean Invasion: Best of DJ Green Lantern, Invasion GRP Canada
Earl Bostic, Earl Bostic Story, Proper
Eldridge Holmes,
Deep Southern Soul, Aim
Fat Joe, Me, Myself and I, Virgin
Gregory Isaacs,
Live in San Francisco, 2B1
J. Sands, Place to Be, B.U.K.A.
Junk Science,
Pep Rocks, Embedded
Karaoke, Karaoke: Love Songs, Vol. 1, Audio Stream Karaoke
Lil' Flip, Connected, Thump
Lil' O, My Struggle My Hustle: The Lost Tapes, Bar None Ent
Lil Uno, Tha Boogieman, Toltec
Marques Houston,
Veteran, Universal
Michael Jackson,
Visionary: The Video Singles [Box Set], Sony
Miss Issa, Hurt No More,
Moan, The Debut,
Molemen, Killing Fields, Molemen
Moufs of Da Souf,
We R the Streets,
Ms. Jody, What You Gonna Do When the Rent Is Due, Ecko
Ms. Kra-Z, Brown Is Beautiful,
Pocos Pero Locos,
The Callbox, Silent Giant
R.P. Cola, Act Like U Know, Paid in Full
Sheree Brown,
Zhakanaka: The Word, Brown Baby Ent.
Smigg Dirtee,
The Resume, Black Armor
Solange, Solo Star [2006], Music World Entertainment
Stink Mitt, Red Album, Cochon
Surreal & The Sound Providers,
True Indeed, Abb
Tamia, Between Friends, Image
Team Deck, I Need to Know, Vol. 1, BCD Music Group
Termanology and DC,
Hood Politics, Vol. 4: Show and Prove, Brick
The Game, Doctor's Advocate, Geffen
The Notorious B.I.G.,
Ready to Die [CD/DVD], Bad Boy
Tony Tuff, Say Something, Groove Attack
Various Artists,
Chicano Rap Bangers, Vol. 2, Thump
Various Artists,
Chicano Rap Smooth Jams, Southland
Various Artists,
Chosen Few: El Documental, Vol. 2 [DVD], EMI International
Various Artists,
Everybody Loves Bob Marley, Neos Productions
Various Artists,
Ghetto Whiskey: Rhythm Album #86, Greensleeves
Various Artists,
Peg Hip Hop Rewind, Vol. 1, Phoenix
Various Artists,
Reggae Masters, Vol. 2, Immergent
Various Artists,
Riddim Driven: Consuming Fire, Voiceprint
Various Artists,
Riddim Driven: Gully Slime, VIP
Various Artists,
Riddim Driven: Sidewalk University, VIP
Various Artists,
Riddim Driven: Two Bad Riddims, Vol. 3, VIP
Willie Feaster,
On the Dirt Road: Rare and Unreleased NY Funk and Soul
1969-1979, Funky DeLicacie
Yellowman, Live in San Francisco, 2B1
Ying Yang Twins,
II Live Crew, TVT
Young Jeezy, Tha Streets Iz Watchin, BCD Music Group
Yung Joc, Yung Joc: The Jocumentary,
Yusef, An Other Cup, Universal/Polydort
::FILM NEWS::
Screen Legends: John Candy
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - — Bruce Yaccato
NAME: John Candy
FAME: Actor
BIRTH: Oct. 31, 1950 in Toronto
DEATH: March 4, 1994 in Mexico
(Nov. 3, 2006) John Candy was always an audience favourite on stage at
the Old Firehall at Second City. His memorable characters like, Johnny LeRue
and Stan Shmenge propelled SCTV to cult status. Cameo appearances,
in Stripes and Splash introduced Hollywood to Candy's special
star quality. He went on to star in popular comedies like Uncle Buck and
Spaceballs. Perhaps his best work came as the accident-prone but
ultimately endearing salesman in Planes, Trains&Automobiles, with
Steve Martin. His acting ability was noticed in Oliver Stone's JFK,
in Only the Lonely as the pathetic momma's boy, and as the unlikely
coach in Cool Runnings. In 1994, he was shooting Wagons East,
when he suffered a heart attack and died at age 43. A legend whose life
and career were just entering their prime. John Candy, from Toronto.
Babel: War Of Words
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Geoff Pevere
Babel
(out of
4)
Starring Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi, Gael García
Bernal, Nathan Gamble, Elle Fanning, Kôji Yakusho, Said Tarchani, Boubker Ait
El Caid. Written by Guillermo Arriaga and Alejandro González Iñárritu. Directed
by Alejandro González Iñárritu. 143 minutes. At the Cumberland. 14A
(Nov. 3, 2006) In Babel, Mexican director Alejandro González
Iñárritu's most recent exercise in
fractured, multi-plot exposition — the previous two were Amores Perros and
21 Grams — a chaotic world is bound by a thin but sticky web of despair
and guilt. (This may be the only movie I've seen since Crash —
which Babel resembles perhaps too much for its own good — in
which every single member of the ensemble cast is at some point required to
break down into wracking sobs.) That's until a bullet is fired through a
tour bus in Morocco. At that point, the ties that bind tighten like the
makeshift stitches applied to the victim's wound, and with similarly messy
results. Babel takes its name from the passage in the Book of
Genesis that describes what happened to the unfortunate folk who decided to
build a tower to heaven. The Old Testament God flew into one of His customary
Old Testament rages, and punished the upstart mortals by dividing them into
separate languages and cultures. "For this," He said, "You will
have to watch subtitled movies, pay currency exchange rates and buy expensive travel
guides." Thus, one might say — and Babel certainly does — lay the
seeds of all the world's woes. At once an ambitious reflection on the
theme of the tower's consequences and a kind of unconscious re-enactment of the
same hubris, Iñárritu's movie tries to be both all encompassing and cleverly
elliptical at the same time. That's like building a tower to heaven with some
of the bricks left out. What you end up with is a seriously teetery
tower. This is what it's built from: In Morocco, two peasant kids (Said
Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid) accidentally fire the rifle recently
purchased by their father at a tour bus passing through the mountains where the
boys tend their goats. (They're testing it for distance, but naturally wind up
being accused by the U.S. government of terrorism.) On the bus, two privileged
but bickering married Californians (Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt) are thrown
into Grade-A American Express hell when one of them catches the bullet. In San
Diego, the illegal immigrant nanny (Adriana Barraza) of the couple's kids (Elle
Fanning and Nathan Gamble) is told she cannot leave the children because of the
shooting, requiring her to take them with her into Mexico to attend her son's
wedding. (Their driver, the nanny's nephew, is a likeable but reckless loser
played by Gael García Bernal. He will wreak some dramatically pivotal
international havoc at the border.) In Tokyo meanwhile, the teenage
deaf-mute daughter (Rinko Kikuchi) of a recent widower (Koji Yakusho) uses her
surging sexuality as a means of overcoming both her handicap and the
estrangement she's felt from her father since her mother's suicide.
And how does this thread connect to the others? As we subsequently learn,
the girl's father is an amateur hunter who once sold a rifle in — you guessed
it — Morocco. Working again with the novelist Guillermo Arriaga, Iñárritu
proves adept at spinning several narrative plates simultaneously — indeed, so
adept that the mere skill of the display can distract you from the occasionally
contrived nature of the show. While he again demonstrates an unquestionable
talent for creating visceral atmospherics and generating impressive
performances — and not just from sure-fire Oscar-bait like Pitt and Blanchett,
but more impressively from relative unknowns and newcomers like Adriana
Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi, Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid — Iñárritu is far
less confident when it comes to finding organic means of holding all his
various ducks in a row. Babel is supposed to be a cry of humanist
anguish that echoes — in four languages — around the world. So why does it feel
as much like an elaborate game of middlebrow post-millennial Clue? And,
considering the theme of global despair occasioned by ill communication, is it
not curious the movie challenges you less with its content than its
connect-the-dots form? That's not to say Babel doesn't contain
passages of lingering forcefulness. Pitt's flustering rage at both his Moroccan
village benefactors and his fellow tourists is both ugly and understandable,
and the scenes in which Barraza and the children are lost in the desert near
the border are effectively terrifying. The Mexican wedding sequence — viewed
through the eyes of the American kids — has a woozy surrealism to it, and the
entire section involving Kikuchi is so expertly rendered you may find yourself
wishing the rest of the movie would just go away. Take note of the moment the
girl, whacked on whisky and ecstasy, enters a dance club and feels the
pulsating noise around her. But Babel ultimately leaves you less
impressed by the big picture than the details that make it up, and therefore
unconvinced by its argument that love is the only language that transcends all
the otherwise atomizing chatter that keeps us apart. That's a difficult message
to buy from a movie that can't even rise above its own differences.
A Canuck Bond Possible: Producer
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Peter Howell, Movie Critic
(Nov. 7, 2006) NEW YORK—How about a Canadian
James Bond, eh? It
could happen one day, says 007 movie producer Barbara
Broccoli, because Canucks have the
right Commonwealth stuff. For that very reason, it would be almost
unthinkable to have an American playing the iconic spy. "I think a
Canadian could work," Broccoli said yesterday, at a press junket for Casino
Royale, the 21st official James Bond film that opens Nov. 17. Britain's Daniel
Craig is the new Agent 007. "I'm pretty dubious about (casting) an
American, because it's just a different sensibility ... there's a sort of
Commonwealth sensibility, which I think is a sort of a requirement."
In fact, Broccoli and co-producer Michael G. Wilson (who is also her
stepbrother) travelled to Canada on top-secret missions in the late 1980s to
talk to Canadian acting talent when they were reviving the Bond franchise when
it seemed it might have run its course. She didn't name names of Canadian
actors she considered for Bond and other roles. They ultimately chose
Britain's Pierce Brosnan to play Bond, maintaining the informal British Bond
tradition, which began with Sean Connery in Dr. No in 1962.
Brosnan played Bond for four successive films, beginning with GoldenEye
in 1995 and ending with Die Another Day in 2002. Broccoli and Wilson
decided to cast a new actor in the lead role after they untangled the
complicated movie rights to Casino Royale, which is based on the
original 1953 Ian Fleming novel that launched the Bond legend. Casino
Royale originally appeared in the 1950s as a TV stage play, before the
movie franchise was started by Broccoli's father Albert "Cubby"
Broccoli, along with Canadian-born Harry Saltzman. And a Yank, Barry Nelson,
played the first Bond.
"When they did Casino Royale for CBS they had an American and they
called him Jimmy Bond. And they didn't seem to really pull it off,"
Broccoli said. But even though Canadians might be considered the next
time there's a Bond posting, neither Broccoli nor new hire Craig are in any
rush to change faces again. They both said yesterday they are delighted
with how Casino Royale turned out, and the film has been well received
by the press here. "I'm really incredibly gratified in the reaction
to Daniel, because I think he's a spectacular actor," Broccoli said.
"And I think he's so happy that people are accepting him."
There is still some major Canadian involvement in Casino Royale, which
presents the origin of Agent 007 in a much darker and grittier context than
previously seen. One of the three screenwriters is London, Ont.-born Paul
Haggis, who also co-wrote and directed Crash, last year's Oscar winner
for Best Picture. Haggis volunteered for the Bond writing assignment
because he's a fan, Broccoli said. "We had a great script to begin
with, and he just made it better."
EUR Interview: Jean-Claude Lamarre -- The
Color Of The Cross Interview
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
(November 8, 2006) *Actor-turned-writer/director Jean-Claude LaMarre made his screen debut in Spike Lee's Malcolm X, and then appeared
in Dead Presidents and Basquiat and on TV shows like Law and Order and New York
Undercover before deciding to try his hand on the other side of the
camera. His initial two efforts, Higher Ed and Go for Broke, were both
comedies featuring Fugee refugee Pras. His third was a Western with Lil' Kim,
Macy Gray, LisaRaye and Bobby Brown. Jean-Claude took the title role of his
next endeavour, Sugar Valentine, a love story co-starring Ingrid Sonray.
In 2005, he returned to the Western genre with Brothers in Arms, and later last
year, he again occupied the lead role in Pastor Jones, a relationship drama
about a minister who falls for a parishioner in a bad marriage. In his
latest opus, the controversial Color of the Cross, LaMarre portrays Jesus
during the last days of his life. Here, he talks about his decision to make the
first picture portraying Christ as black.
Kam Williams: Tell me a little bit about your background.
Jean-Claude LaMarre: I was born in Brooklyn, New York, but I
was raised in Haiti from the age of one, till I was nine. Then I landed in
Brooklyn, and was there until about six years ago.
KW: One of my outlets is a Haitian publication, so I'm sure they'd be
interested in any memories of the island you'd like to share.
JCL: Oh, I was brought up by my grandmother's sister, an amazing woman who
really taught me a lot about self-esteem, and how to look at myself in relation
to the world. So, she really shaped the basis of how I look at the world now.
So, she had a lot to do with this movie in terms of my even approaching this
subject.
KW: Where in Haiti did you live?
JCL: It's called Leogane.
KW: Did you expect to be stirring up so much controversy with Color of the
Cross?
JCL: Nope, I didn't. I knew it was going to be an issue of discussion, but I
didn't know it was going to be as controversial as it is.
KW: Has anyone complained about it possibly being anti-Semitic, after all it
seems to be saying that not only did Jews kill Christ, but they were racist,
too, because they refused to accept him as the Messiah because of the color
of his skin?
JCL: No, it's definitely not anti-Semitic in any way. In fact two of the people
who worked on putting it together were Jewish. My producing partners, Lila Aviv
and Kenneth Halsband, are both devout and faithful Jews. We really, really took
time to highlight the fact that within the Sanhedrin there were varying Jewish
interests at work. Unlike Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ that pretty
much presented the Jews as one unified anti-Jesus voice, our film really sort
of presents the case for various viewpoints. The Sanhedrin, as you know, was
composed of the Pharisees, the Zealots, and a string of other Jewish interests.
So, there were Jews there, within the Sanhedrin, who were sympathetic to Jesus'
cause, there were Jews who were angry, and there were Jews who remained silent
on the issue. Because we didn't want the same kind of backlash that Mel Gibson
experienced, we really took time on this film to show all this.
To reach full interview by Kam Williams, go HERE.
FILM TIDBITS
Hughes Bros. Are ‘Kung Fu’ Fighting
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 3, 2006) *Twin directors Allen and Albert Hughes,
who last
stepped behind a camera for the 2002 Johnny Depp drama "From Hell,"
have signed on to helm a film adaptation of the classic television series “Kung
Fu” for Warner Bros.-based Legendary Pictures. According to Variety, the
brothers have been trying to land this project for the past two years, and were
among several directors who were vying for the property. Warner Bros.
production president Jeff Robinov, who ultimately gave them the job, was the
twins’ agent before becoming a studio executive. The producers have already
reached out to the Shaolin Temple outside Beijing, where non-violent monks
train in martial arts and were the inspiration for the series protagonist,
Caine. The studio hopes to release the film in 2008, which will wrap nicely
into promotion at the Beijing Olympics. Production is slated to begin next
year. During their break from the big screen, the Hughes brothers have been
busy directing commercials with the likes of Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter for
such brands as Pepsi, Coke, Reebok, Heineken, Adidas, Nike and Sprite. They
also directed videos for such bands as Korn. The siblings burst onto the
scene in 1993 as directors of “Menace II Society.”
Pickford's Studio Put On Cruise Control
Excerpt from The Toronto Star -
Associated Press
(Nov. 3, 2006) LOS ANGELES—Tom Cruise and producing partner
Paula Wagner have been put in charge
of United Artists, a film studio formed nearly 90 years ago by Hollywood actors
Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. Wagner will serve as chief executive
of the studio, which is owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. Cruise will appear in
UA films, but not exclusively, MGM announced yesterday. The development
is rated a major comeback for Cruise and Wagner, after they were unceremoniously
dumped in August from their 14-year producing deal at Paramount Studios amid
accusations Cruise's public antics had hurt the box office of Mission:
Impossible III. MGM said Cruise and Wagner have taken an ownership
interest in UA, but did not specify financial terms. Cruise and Wagner
will have full control of the production slate, which is expected to be four
films a year, it said. United Artists has been virtually mothballed for
several years, although the studio's logo will appear on the latest James Bond
film, Casino Royale, due out in two weeks. Most recently, UA had
been used to acquire or produce low-budget independent films. But the
studio is now free to make $100 million (U.S.) action films starring Cruise, as
well as lower budget fare, MGM said. "It really depends on what they
as the creative executives want to produce," MGM boss Rick Sands said.
"It's a real studio that we are reinventing.'' Sands said financing
for the films would come via deals with private equity funds, which have become
a more influential Hollywood player in recent years. Cruise's last
appearance in a UA film was in Rain Man in 1988, which won four Academy
Awards, including Best Picture. Sands said he does not have any concerns
about Cruise's future public behaviour having any negative impact on his new
role atop the studio. United Artists was founded in 1919 by Chaplin,
Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and director D.W. Griffith and operated as an
artist-centred studio for decades, churning out such hits as Some Like It
Hot and a string of early James Bond films.
Actress Adrienne Shelly Found Dead
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Colleen Long, Associated Press
(Nov. 3, 2006) NEW YORK — Adrienne Shelly, an actress best known for
her roles in the Hal Hartley films Trust and The Unbelievable Truth,
was found dead in her office by her husband, her agent said Thursday. Shelly
was found about 6 p.m. Wednesday. Police said Thursday night that they are
awaiting autopsy results before deciding whether to investigate the case as
foul play. An autopsy was performed Thursday, but the medical examiner's office
did not have a cause of death. Shelly, who was 40, appeared as Jerry in the
2005 film Factotum with Matt Dillon. She starred as Audry Hugo in the
1989 film The Unbelievable Truth and as Maria Coughlin in the 1990 film Trust.
She worked steadily during her career in film, theatre and television but later
turned to writing and directing, making her directorial debut with Sudden
Manhattan in 1996. Shelly was married to Andy Ostroy and had a 3-year-old
named Sophie, according to her agent of about a decade, Rachel Sheedy. Ostroy
is not in the movie business. Born Adrienne Levine in Queens and raised on Long
Island, Shelly lived in lower Manhattan with her family and had been focusing
more lately on writing, directing and caring for her daughter, Sheedy
said. Shelly recently wrote and directed a film called Waitress,
which starred Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion. “She was so psyched about the
film,” Sheedy said. “She gathered an amazing cast, and she was really happy and
excited to hear back from Sundance about it.”
Construction Worker Charged In Death Of Adrienne Shelly
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Associated Press
(Nov. 7, 2006) NEW YORK — A construction worker has been arrested and charged
with murder in the death of an actress who was found hanging from a shower rod
in the bathroom of her apartment. Police charged Diego Pillco with
second-degree murder in the Manhattan slaying of Adrienne
Shelly, Detective Kevin Czartoryski said. Pillco,
19, was picked up early Monday and was questioned for several hours until “he
made statements,” said Czartoryski, who would not say what the statements were.
Pillco, from Ecuador but living in New York, was expected to be arraigned
Tuesday on the second-degree murder charge, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan
district attorney's office said. Shelly, who appeared in the movie Factotum
last year, and was best known for starring in Hal Hartley's independent films, Trust
and The Unbelievable Truth, was renovating the inside of the Manhattan
apartment she used as her residence and office. Pillco, one of the workers, was
one of the last people seen going into her apartment, police said. Shelly,
whose birth name was Adrienne Levine, was found Wednesday at about 6 p.m.
hanging from a shower rod over the bathtub in her apartment. Police were
hesitant to label the case a suicide, observing that no note was found and
sneaker prints that did not match Shelly's shoes were recovered from the
bathtub. A spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, Ellen Borakove, said
late Monday that her agency had not determined the cause of Shelly's death,
whether by strangulation or other means, or whether it was a homicide. Shelly,
who was born in New York and grew up on suburban Long Island, N.Y., was raising
a three-year-old daughter, Sophie, with her husband, Andy Ostroy. Shelly, 40,
was best known for her roles in the Hal Hartley films The Unbelievable Truth,
in which she played Audry Hugo in 1989, and Trust, in which she starred
as Maria Coughlin in 1990. She also appeared as Jerry in Factotum with
Matt Dillon. She worked steadily during her career in film, theatre and
television but later turned to writing and directing, making her directorial
debut with Sudden Manhattan in 1996. She recently wrote and directed the
film Waitress, starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion.
50 Cent, Deniro To Star In Katrina Thriller
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 3, 2006) *Rapper 50 Cent and acting legend Robert
DeNiro will star as cops investigating a murder
in the film “New Orleans,” a police thriller set against the backdrop of Hurricane
Katrina. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the indie film (previously titled
“Microwave Park”) follows a cop (DeNiro) who thinks his partner was killed by
the storm, only to discover that he was shot to death. His new partner, (50
Cent) helps him to investigate the murder, and the two soon uncover a world of
police corruption. The project was originally set in Los Angeles but changed to
New Orleans after the Katrina disaster. Production is tentatively scheduled to
begin in the city in February. Tim Hunter is directing for Millennium Films. De
Niro directs and stars in his next film, "The Good Shepherd," a spy
thriller co-starring Angelina Jolie and due for release in December. 50 Cent
starred last year in the autobiographical feature "Get Rich Or Die
Tryin'."
Boris And Nicole Welcome Second Child
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 3, 2006) *The Kodjoes have a new addition to the family.
Nicole Parker and her husband Boris Kodjoe have announced that they are the
proud parents of a second child. The actors, who met while co-starring on the
Showtime series “Soul Food,” welcomed son Nicolas Neruda Kodjoe at 11:13 a.m.
Tuesday in Atlanta, reports People magazine. Parker, 36, and Kodjoe, 33,
already have a 1-year-old daughter, Sophie. They were married in Gundelfingen,
Kodjoe's hometown in Germany's Black Forest, in May 2005. Kodjoe has
completed production on the upcoming film “If You Lived Here, You’d Be Home
Now,” about a group of people living in temporary housing in Los Angeles. He’s
also credited with a role in the upcoming films “Clarksdale” and “The Trunk.”
As previously reported, “The Trunk” stars Djimon Hounsou as a talented pianist
who looks to leave the ghetto behind, though his friends conspire to hold him
back.
::TV NEWS::
Lilly
Silliness Rules At Geminis
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Alexandra Gill, Canadian Press
(Nov. 6, 2006) What do you get when an arch parody of high culture
sweeps a Canadian television awards show obsessed with American pop culture?
Gemini Night In Vancouver — or perhaps the premise for a satirical new series,
should the creators of Slings & Arrows ever choose to take arms
against this outrageous fortune of unintended comedy. Slings & Arrows
was, of course, the big winner at Saturday night's Gemini
Awards, when the fourth and final ceremony was
broadcast from the River Rock Casino Theatre in Richmond, B.C. This was the
first time in 21 years that the awards were televised from outside Toronto. The
prize-hauling series, a witty send-up of Canadian theatre that has taken many a
pointed jab at broader cultural issues, captured three top awards: best
dramatic series, and best actress (for Martha Burns) and actor (for Mark
McKinney) in a leading dramatic role. The show had already won three awards at
the earlier Gemini ceremonies held last month in Toronto, (best writing,
direction and supporting actress), for six wins out of seven nominations. It
was an excellent showing for the small but clever comedy, which was originally
developed — then dropped — by CBC, and is now airing its third and final season
on The Movie Network and Movie Central. So how did Evangeline Lilly end up
stealing the spotlight? “The whole night has been a celebration of the U.S. and
our copycat programs,” actor Nicholas Campbell, one of the evening's
presenters, grumbled during the post-broadcast reception.
He had a valid point, quietly echoed by many others. The evening had kicked off
earlier that afternoon with a red carpet ET Canada pre-gala, broadcast
on Global Television. Sure, Luba Goy, Brent Butt, Klea Scott and all the
nominated stars in attendance were given the full star treatment. But it was
Lilly, the star of the ABC hit series Lost, who elicited the biggest
commotion. The fact that Shaun Majumder accidentally stepped on her dress
during the red-carpet telecast and tore a small rip in the seam was all anyone
could talk about. That and Lukas Rossi. The recent winner of the CBS hit
reality series Rock Star: Supernova snarled out to Richmond, decked in
tattoos, chains and leather, to perform the televised musical interlude. Lilly,
in all her resplendent sultriness, was there to present the Viewer's Choice
Award for Lifestyle Host. Yes, Lilly and Rossi are both born-and-bred
Canadians. But wasn't the evening, at least ostensibly, a celebration of
excellence in Canadian television? When it was pointed out for the umpteenth
time that Canada's Next Top Model of 2006, Andrea Muizelaar, was presenting the
trophies, one couldn't help but think of a Slings & Arrows episode
from Season 1. In that episode, a member of the beleaguered Shakespeare
festival's board of directors launches a campaign to remake it into a
Shakespeare theme park where American tourists watch Mamma Mia on the
main stage. If you listened to Maria Topalovich, president of the Academy of
Canadian Cinema and Television, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the gala
show's move out West was a gamble of similar proportions. People from the local
film and television production industry, mind you, couldn't understand what all
the fuss was about. “We've got tons of television production in Vancouver,”
said actor John Cassini, of the nominated shows Robson Arms and Intelligence.
“Why shouldn't it be held here?” And let's not forget that 82 of the Academy's
97 awards had already been handed out at events in Toronto.
If anyone worried about the Academy's western division not being sophisticated
enough to pull off the live production, the red-carpet mishap certainly proved
them wrong. Within minutes of Lilly's dress being torn, she was ushered over to
a tailor whom the show's fashion stylist, Vladimir Markovich (director of BC
Fashion Week), had had the foresight to bring along. To its credit, Global
produced a slick show that ended right on time and ran a lot more smoothly than
what the CBC used to manage. The pre-taped clips of the viewers' choice awards
nominees poking fun at their off-screen alter egos were amusing. But some in
the crowd wondered why they had to bump the category for best actor and actress
in a drama or mini-series out of the televised broadcast. Oh, and when did
George Stroumboulopoulos become a lifestyle host? Isn't The Hour a part
of CBC News? As the night wore on, the jokes about Vancouver's nude beach and
rainy weather got a little tired. But at least most of the Lotusland jokes came
in the non-televised hour, when most of the token Vancouver presenters were
also trotted out. The perceived regional disparities were no laughing matter
for a number of Vancouver talent agents, who were fuming when they heard that
the Academy had allegedly paid for the flights of several Toronto-based
nominees. “They don't do that for our actors when they have to go to Toronto
for the awards,” said one. But the rumour was false. It was Air Canada that had
pitched in, offering the Toronto nominees a 15 per cent discount. The Academy,
as it turns out, only paid for select Canadian talent coming in from Los
Angeles.
The winners:
--Best dramatic miniseries: Human Trafficking
Sorkin Plays Kiss 'N' Tell With Chenoweth
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Richard Ouzounian
(Nov. 4, 2006) While many showbiz pundits are offering their suggestions
about how Aaron Sorkin could best fix his troubled NBC series, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,
everybody seems to be missing the most obvious solution: Just ask Kristin Chenoweth. It's been one of
the worst-kept secrets in Hollywood that the pivotal, tortured involvement on
the show between Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson)
is based on the real-life relationship Sorkin and Chenoweth shared several
years ago. "Well, what am I to say?" sighs Chenoweth sweetly
when asked to comment on the situation. "That's tricky stuff. Some of it
is literally verbatim me, and some of it is not me at all." At this
moment, she's miles away from the Sunset Strip in every sense of the
word. She's currently rehearsing for The Apple Tree, the
Roundabout Theatre production of a musical set to go into previews at New
York's Studio 54 on Nov.28. It's one of this year's most hotly awaited shows,
thanks to the Tony Award-winning presence of Chenoweth. But as she sits
on a dilapidated couch outside a West Side rehearsal hall — wearing oversized
glasses and Dutch boy cap — she looks more like the little girl from Broken
Arrow, Okla., she began as, than the toast of both coasts that she finds
herself today. "It's hard," she says simply about the whole Studio
60 situation. "It's hard on a very private level. I once told Aaron,
`Unless you accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour, then get the hell
out,' and he laughed for two minutes. Then I see it on the show in a different
way, which I'm not really sure about. "Yes, I went on The 700
Club to promote an album of Christian songs I had recorded and yes, Aaron
and I argued about that, but it doesn't mean I want to watch that disagreement
flung up on the screen for all America to see."
She twists at a random piece of her trademark blonde hair. "I'm trying to
be supportive of the show, but it's hard. I'm not going to lie. I used to sit
at home at night and do imitations of (CNN host) Nancy Grace and the next thing
I know, they wind up on the air." Her mouth twists into a
mischievous grin. "We're still extremely close and Aaron called me up on
the phone a few weeks ago to ask me what I thought about Mel Gibson. I said,
`I'm not going to tell you what I think, because it's going to end up on the
show.'" She gets serious again. "I know some people are looking
for failure for him, but I want that show to stay on the air. I think Sorkin is
— and it's not just because I love him — I think he's a genius." A
lot of people use the same word to describe Chenoweth, who has had one of the
most eclectic careers in modern show-business. She was born in 1968 and
grew up in the part of America known as "the buckle on the Bible
belt." She was a sorority girl who performed at Opryland USA. She was also
first runner-up in the 1991 Miss Oklahoma pageant and won a scholarship from
the Metropolitan Opera's national auditions. She threw it all away to go
into musical theatre, where she quickly rose to the top, snagging a Tony Award
for her delicious performance in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The
smash hit Wicked came next, with Chenoweth charming everyone as ditzy
blonde witch Glinda. The West Coast beckoned and she left to do a flop
sitcom called — what else? — Kristin, as well as supporting roles in
films like Bewitched, The Pink Panther and the current comedy Running
with Scissors. She also spent two seasons on The West Wing as
media guru Annabeth Schott, but even though Sorkin created the series, that
isn't where she met him.
"He offered me The West Wing many years ago," she recalls,
"but I couldn't do it because of Wicked. Then, when I finally got cast
in the series, he sent me flowers with a note saying, `Just my luck, I'm not on
the show any more, but you are.' "Then he called me up to ask me
out, but I thought he was just being nice, so I didn't return the call. He
called me back. We went out and that was it. I adore him." It's
strange how Sorkin put a certain amount of Chenoweth into the character of
Harriet Hayes, but he's left out some of the more fascinating parts, as
well. Get Chenoweth talking about her religious beliefs these days and
you'll find a complicated, committed woman, struggling to reconcile herself
with what she sees around her. "It's getting to the point where I
don't even want to call myself Christian, because the connotations of that word
today are hate, non-acceptance, judgment — everything I believe Christianity isn't
supposed to be about. "When you think about it, Jesus was a poor
liberal Jew. If he were alive today, he'd be working with people who have AIDS.
I wonder how he would have felt about the people who call themselves
`Christians' today." She takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes.
"The Christian right has come out against me because I believe in gay
rights. And a lot of people in show-business mock me for being Christian. I
just have to feel the way that I feel. "You know, it's funny. I have
parents who are right-wing Republican Christians and yet they somehow raised me
to love everybody, not to judge everybody. When did that all change in
America?" It's a very good question. The kind of question that would
make Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip a lot more interesting.
Michaels Is Seriously Canadian
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Canadian
Press
(Nov. 5, 2006) OTTAWA -- Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels
has applauded Canada's participation in the Afghan mission, saying he's glad
his native country is "back in the world." But the Toronto-born
Michaels, one of six Canadians honoured this past week with a Governor
General's Performing Arts Award for lifetime achievement, had some sharp
criticism for the previous Liberal government's reaction to the Sept. 11
attacks. He said that while he lives in Manhattan, he still tries to keep
up to date with what's happening in Canada and has a strong "emotional
connection." "It's obviously unfortunate we're in Afghanistan,
but I think it's important we're there," Michaels said of the military
mission. ``I don't know enough about it to know what the correct judgments are,
but it feels like Canada's back in the world." Regarding the Sept.
11 attacks, Michaels said he was surprised by the reaction of the Canadian
government, notably the fact then-prime minister Jean Chrétien didn't visit New
York until weeks after the event. "I thought (British) Prime
Minister Blair got on a plane and was sort of there the next day,"
Michaels said. "I thought, when your neighbour's house burns down, it
doesn't matter much how you feel about the neighbour, you just offer to
help. "I think the Canadian government was too circumspect and not
there. I was surprised at that, because it wasn't the Canada I grew up in."
Michaels is best known as creator and executive producer of Saturday Night
Live, making dozens of comedians — including some notable Canadians — into
household names.
Who can forget Mike Myers as lovable cable-nerd Wayne? Or Dan Aykroyd as
beer-swilling Beldar of the Conehead clan? Before his breakthrough with SNL,
which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, Michaels was building a resumé
with such comedy greats as Dick Cavett, Woody Allen, as well as Rowan and
Martin's Laugh In. But his first days were in Toronto, at the CBC,
where he worked both in radio and television. His TV comedy the Hart and
Lorne Terrific Hour with Hart Pomerantz ran for three seasons, before he
went after bigger game in New York and Los Angeles. Michaels says that
his years at the CBC were crucial to his later success, particularly at SNL.
He explains that he learned the ropes of everything, from editing to setting up
camera shots and figuring out how to get the best reaction from a comedy
sketch. "When I came to SNL, the idea that we were going to
do the whole thing in six days, the exact same process that I had just been
doing for three months, I just found it exhilarating and more exciting, and you
got to the audience faster. "I think that's the most important thing
in comedy — getting it to the audience." Most people would require a
constant intravenous drip of Red Bull to maintain the kind of hectic schedule
Michaels has. His ridiculously long list of credits also includes executive
producer on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, and the new comedy 30 Rock
with Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. He's a producer of movies, too. The
next one up is called Hot Rod, which has been shot in Vancouver and is
to be released in June. It's the story of a young man (played by SNL's
Andy Samberg) trying to follow in the footsteps of a father who he believes
used to assist stuntman Evel Knievel.
As Michaels arrived for an interview in Ottawa last week, he was being updated
via cellphone on the latest U.S. headlines about 30 Rock. New episodes
were to be delivered to him here for viewing. Michaels was feted, along with
the other recipients of this year's 15th annual Governor General's Performing
Arts Awards, last night at a gala event at the National Arts Centre. Two other
Canadians who worked with Michaels at one point or another at SNL — Late
Show with David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer and composer Howard
Shore — were to present him with the award. When asked what the proudest
moments of his career are, Michaels says he was happy with movies Mean Girls
and Wayne's World, and also with older flicks such as Three
Amigos and Tommy Boy. Others receiving the Governor General's
Awards were musician Robbie Robertson, television broadcaster Jacques
Languirand, actor-director Albert Millaire, dancer Joysanne Sidimus and
television producer Mark Starowicz.
Football Drama Not Just For Sports Fans
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Joel
Rubinoff, Torstar News Service
(Nov. 7, 2006) Before passing critical judgement on Friday Night Lights
(8 tonight on NBC) — a small town football drama that feels both authentic
and born of another time — I have a confession to make: I hate sports. In
high school football I would run for passes with a half-hearted sense of
obligation that prompted snickers — and the occasional locker room wedgie —
only to wander off course and become entangled in mounds of overgrown
shrubbery. A for effort. D for execution and here I am today — in front
of a big screen TV critiquing an earnest American drama about the majesty of
high school football. Ah, sweet irony. Naturally, I viewed this as a
chance for revenge on the muscle-bound behemoths who mocked my ineptitude and
boasted of their own physical prowess as I skulked in the corner with my
propeller beanie trying to crack the space-time continuum (little did I suspect
Star Trek had nothing to do with real life). So it surprises me to
write that Friday Night Lights — based on the 2004 movie of the same
name — is not only one of the best sports dramas in recent memory, it boasts an
appeal that runs beyond sports to the heart of Americana itself.
"This is not just a game," the used car dealer sponsoring the team
lectures its beleaguered coach. "This is about tradition, about this town,
the spirit of keeping this town alive — it's football. It's all we've
got!" Corny, sure, like something out of a Ronald Reagan movie from
the '40s — score one for the gipper and all that. But there's a
refreshing lack of kitsch, and satire, to this heartfelt paean to small-town
life that makes it feel inexplicably real, even as teenaged players pray before
each game and take direction with a humble "Yes sir" or "No
ma'am" that feels oddly yet charmingly archaic. This is Texas — land
of big hair and book clubs, marching bands and beer blasts — where an entire
town will shut down on game day to watch their hopes and ambitions play out on
a high school football field. With the elegiac glow of a Bruce
Springsteen song and the sepia-toned simplicity of a Norman Rockwell painting,
the series showcases that tiny kernel of the American dream that — against all
odds — has survived the cynicism and corruption of modern life and emboldens
the people it touches.
It's a show that treats characters who could easily be ridiculed with dignity
and respect, and trumpets the value of hard work, commitment and making one's
life count for something. In a weird way, Lights is part of a
seasonal trend in shows — including Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The
Nine — that appear to be about one thing (TV politics, hostage stand-off),
but are really about another (the relationships behind them). It's partly
the layered, minimalist performances and documentary-like tone, which give the
show a low-key, accessible edge, but mostly it's the way football acts as a
springboard into the lives of the people who feed off it. Take the coach
(supremely likable Kyle Chandler), a solid do-gooder who can't walk down the
street without some well-meaning gork telling him how to do his job. And the
novice quarterback — tremulous replacement for the critically injured star
player — trying to turn himself into the man no one, except maybe the coach,
thinks he can become. And the refreshing depiction of a healthy marriage
— between the coach and his wife — you probably won't find anywhere else on
network TV. There are touching moments here — moments that feel earned,
not contrived — tinged with telling insights and a sly humour that
acknowledges, without poking fun, the high stakes involved in this
sports-fuelled quest for the holy grail. "It ain't that
serious," the coach tells a mentor advising constant vigilance. "It's
only football." Only football? The older man looks bewildered, then,
cracking a smile, repeats it like a yogic mantra. "Only football," he
coos ironically. "Only football." As the two insiders enjoy
their private joke, the town gathers for the latest showdown, jacked up on
prayer, prepared to meet its maker one more time.
Berry, Denzel, Oprah Among People’s Choice Noms
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 8, 2006) *The names of Halle
Berry, Denzel Washington,
Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah and Oprah Winfrey were announced Tuesday as
nominees for the 33rd annual People's Choice
Awards, to be held Jan. 9 and broadcast live on
CBS from the Shrine Auditorium. Berry, who starred this year in “X-Men: The
Last Stand,” was nominated for favourite female movie star along with Jennifer
Aniston and Sandra Bullock. She also grabbed a nomination for favourite female
action star Washington received a favourite male movie star nod for his turn in
“Inside Man,” facing Johnny Depp and Tom Hanks in the category. Samuel L.
Jackson was nominated for favourite male action star against Depp and Jet
Li. Queen Latifah faces Ellen Degeneres and Julia Louis Dreyfus for
favourite funny female star, and Winfrey goes against Degeneres and Jay Leno
for favourite talk show host. In the music categories, the Black Eyed Peas were
nominated for best group, while Shakira’s Wyclef-produced “Hips Don’t Lie” and
Nelly Furtado’s Timberland-produced “Promiscuous” go head to head in the pop
song category. The R&B song category includes "Ain't No Other
Man," Christina Aguilera; "Sexyback," Justin Timberlake
and "Shake It Off," Mariah Carey. The Hip-Hop song category
features "Grillz," Nelly; "Ridin'," Chamillionaire and
"Shake That," Akon feat. Eminem. A second round of nominees for
categories that includes favourite movie, new TV comedy and remake of a song
will be announced later.
The full list of first round nominees are:
Female movie star: Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock.
Male movie star: Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington.
Leading lady: Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Scarlett Johansson.
Leading man: Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn.
Female action star: Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Uma Thurman.
Male action star: Johnny Depp, Samuel L. Jackson, Jet Li.
On-screen match up: Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn in "The Break-Up";
Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Departed";
Johnny Depp and Keira Knightly in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's
Chest."
Female singer: Faith Hill, Shakira, Carrie Underwood.
Male singer: Trace Adkins, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith.
Group: Black Eyed Peas, Nickelback, Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Pop song: "Hips Don't Lie," Shakira; "Promiscuous," Nelly
Furtado; "Stupid Girls," Pink.
Rock song: "Call Me When You're Sober," Evanescence; "Dani
California," Red Hot Chili Peppers; "Who Says You Can't Go
Home," Bon Jovi.
R&B song: "Ain't No Other Man," Christina Aguilera;
"Sexyback," Justin Timberlake; "Shake It Off," Mariah
Carey.
Hip-Hop song: "Grillz," Nelly; "Ridin'," Chamillionaire;
"Shake That," Eminem.
Country song: "Before He Cheats," Carrie Underwood; "What Hurts
the Most," Rascal Flatts; "When the Stars Go Blue," Tim McGraw.
TV comedy: "The King of Queens," "My Name Is Earl,"
"Two and a Half Men."
Animated TV comedy: "Family Guy," "King of the Hill,"
"The Simpsons."
TV drama: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Grey's
Anatomy," "House."
Competition/Reality show: "American Idol," "Deal or No
Deal," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
Talk-show host: Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey.
Female TV star: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eva Longoria, Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Male TV star: Patrick Dempsey, Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland.
Funny female star: Ellen DeGeneres, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Queen Latifah.
Funny male star: Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Robin Williams.
Rogers OMNI.1 Airs for Hip-Hop Summit Action Network’s First
International Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment
Source: OMNI.1
TORONTO (November 8th, 2006) – In response to the
overwhelming
success of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
(HSAN)/Chrysler Financial First International Hip-Hop Summit on Financial
Empowerment, recently convened at Ryerson
University, Rogers OMNI.1 is pleased to present a one-hour special presentation
of the event, Sunday, November 12th
at 9PM ET. Now in its second successful
year, the HSAN’s program of Hip-Hop Summits on Financial Empowerment – dubbed
the “Get Your Money Right” International Tour – is a grassroots effort to help
engage 18-35 year olds in discussions about the importance of personal
finance. A selection of hip-hop stars and financial experts (supplied by
title sponsor and partner Chrysler Financial Canada) annually join forces to
conduct an influential series of sessions covering such topics as banking
basics, home ownership, vehicle financing and more. "Our first
Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment in Canada was big! We are pleased
to have chosen Toronto as host city for the final 2006 'Get Your Money Right'
Tour date – and Rogers OMNI Television as exclusive host broadcaster,”
emphasized Russell Simmons, Co-Chairman of HSAN. “This established media
partnership will help to further our Canadian experience; hip-hop is growing
strong here and OMNI presents us with a great opportunity to share our insights
with a new audience.” “As exclusive broadcaster in Ontario for the
Toronto Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment we appreciate that people at
HSAN recognized us as the ideal platform from which to spread their message of
fiscal responsibility,” says Malcolm Dunlop, Vice President of Programming and
Marketing for Rogers Media Television. “The number of Canadians entering
this genre is increasing and thanks to support from HSAN we are able to present
them with vital tools of financial literacy.” In addition to Rogers OMNI
Television, partners for the Toronto Hip-Hop Summit included FLOW 93.5 and
Black Entertainment Television (BET) International. The “Get Your Money
Right” workbook, given to all summit participants, is downloadable in English
and Spanish @ www.hsan.org site.
About Rogers OMNI Television
Rogers OMNI Television is a free over-the-air system consisting of four
regional broadcasters covering nine markets: in British Columbia (Victoria,
Vancouver, and Fraser Valley); Manitoba (Winnipeg), and Ontario
(Ottawa-Gatineau, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton and the Greater Toronto
Area). All Rogers OMNI Television stations are owned and operated by Rogers
Communications in the Rogers Media division, and have the collective mandate to
reflect Canada’s diversity through the airing of inclusive and accessible
programming. In addition to specializing in Canadian multicultural,
multilingual and multi-faith programming, OMNI TV also carries well-known
American and International series and films.
About the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
Founded in 2001, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network is dedicated to
harnessing the cultural relevance of hip-hop music to serve as a catalyst for
education advocacy and other societal concerns fundamental to the empowerment
of youth throughout the United States. HSAN is a non-profit, non-partisan
worldwide coalition of hip-hop artists, entertainment industry leaders,
education advocates, civil rights proponents and youth leaders united in the
belief that hip-hop is a powerful and influential agent for social change which
must be responsibly and proactively utilized to fight the war on poverty and
injustice. Additional information on HSAN can be found at www.hsan.org.
Jericho Bleakness Has Sunny Side
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star - Rob Salem
(Nov. 8, 2006) There are mushroom clouds on the horizon, civilization as we
know it is coming to an end ... and Ashley
Scott could not be happier. Every day, the
lanky blond actress is forced to face the grim reality of a world devastated by
nuclear holocaust: the world of Jericho, the cataclysmic CBS serial drama (also seen here on A-Channel,
Wednesdays at 8 p.m.) about a small Kansas farm community that has somehow been
spared — why and to what end, we still don't know. For that matter,
neither does Scott. And she's happy about that, too. "I met with the
writers about a month ago, and we kind of all went in and talked about
character development, and where they thought we were going to be.... They've
been real cool about involving us in the development of the show and asking our
opinions, which is really nice ... "But I told them, `I'd like to
know (a plot turn) just kind of as you write it ... when the script comes. I
don't want to know the big picture. I'm not really good at secrets and it keeps
it fun for me, because every time I get a script, I'm just like jazzed to read
it. I can't wait to see what's gonna happen." You would think that
spending every day in a state of constant uncertainty, under the shadow of
nuclear annihilation, would wear on a girl. But hey, it's a living. And
Ashley Scott has seen enough of the other side of the business to know when
she's got a good thing going. A former model from South Carolina, the
29-year-old's first regular series gig was on James Cameron's Vancouver-shot Dark
Angel, which she joined in 2002, just in time for it to go off the
air. From there, she went straight into Birds of Prey, clad head
to toe in form-fitting leather, her flowing locks clipped and dyed, kicking
arch-criminal ass in a near-future New Gotham City as the mutant progeny of
Batman and Catwoman.
The ambitious superheroine series lasted only half a season. That one
hurt. "It was such a great experience for me," she enthuses, thrilled
to hear that it still lives in reruns here on the Showcase Action digital
channel (Saturdays at 11 a.m.). "I busted my booty on that show. I
had a ball, though. I loved it. "The problem was, the writers were
such die-hard Batman fans, and they wanted to keep it dark and sexy and
interesting, and the network wanted it to be so, you know, campy, so they're,
like, `No, this is not what we signed up for ...'" Then again, not
signing up — or not being signed — can also be a good thing. A few years later,
Scott dodged a career bullet when she was replaced post-pilot in the thankless
role of the neighbour/love interest on the Friends spinoff Joey.
"Thank the Lord," Scott laughs. "If I wasn't already going
to church then, I would certainly be going now. That would have been like ...
well, my attention span is so short anyway, I would have wanted to kill
myself." Not signing, she reveals, was also key to her current happy
status on Jericho. "During pilot season," she recalls, "I
was going to go in for this other show that was, you know, a lawyer show, just
your typical kind of `blah' ... I was getting desperate. "But I
ended up actually turning it down. The day that I read Jericho, I called
CBS (about the lawyer show) and said ... `I don't want to do this. I want to go
read for this other show.' "So it ended up just working out
beautifully."
Indeed, while not a runaway hit, Jericho has already built a strong and
growing following. "People are watching!" Scott exclaims; this
is, after all, a new experience for her. "I'm so happy. The first episode,
when it aired, my mother called everyone she has ever known any time, and made
them swear to watch it. But we got decent ratings that night, and then the next
time and the next time, then they picked us up ... it's just been a great
ride." The work itself is "an absolute blast," she says.
"The writing is wonderful and the cast ... Skeet (Ulrich), Pamela Reed,
Gerald McRaney, they are such pros and they're so much fun.... I really want
this to keep going. I want it to last for years. I want to see (my character)
have kids." When she read for the role, Scott admits she was worried
that her character, Emily Sullivan, was a little too "girl next
door." In other words, too much like herself. "For some reason,
I always play these ass-kicking hardcore girls, while in my real life, I'm like
in the garden, cooking ... really boring. "But now they're starting
to kind of flex that a little bit. You'll start seeing in the next few episodes
some really exciting things that Emily gets to go out and do. "I
really am so blessed. And to top it off — the cherry on top — I live, like, 10
minutes away from where we shoot. And in L.A., that's like the best gift of
all."
TV TIDBITS
Kirk Franklin Inks TV Deal
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 2, 2006) *Gospel artist Kirk Franklin is joining forces with
producer-writer Bobby Smith Jr. and producer-casting director Robi Reed to
launch Fo Yo Soul Film & Television, a production banner specializing in inspirational
projects. According to Daily Variety, Smith and Reed will serve as
co-presidents, while Franklin will produce and potentially star in feature
films developed by the company. As for television product, the company is
developing a Franklin concert special and a daytime talk show that the singer
will host. "Since film and television are two of the most powerful
mediums, it is my passion to use them to reach people for a greater
purpose," Franklin said, according to Variety. Smith and Reed will
continue to oversee their respective companies, Imatra Prods. and Robi Reed
Entertainment.
‘Bernie Mac’ Creator Wilmore Returns To Fox
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 7, 2006) *Television exec Larry Wilmore, creator of Fox’s
“The Bernie Mac Show,” is returning to the network with a new as-yet-untitled
project set in the world of the U.S. government. According to the Hollywood
Reporter, the series will chronicle the political and social workings of a
government agency. Fox has already ordered a script of the pilot, the tone of
which is being compared to the 1970s classic sitcom "All In the
Family." "It's such a relevant and timely show," said Robin
Schwartz, president of Fox-based producer Regency TV, which produced “Bernie
Mac” as well as “Malcolm in the Middle.” Despite winning a writing Emmy
for “Bernie Mac,” Wilmore was fired from the show in 2003 after clashing with
Fox executives over the program’s creative direction.
::THEATRE NEWS::
Kevin Richardson - From Boy To Leading Man
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Richard Ouzounian
(Nov. 6, 2006) From the Backstreet to the front lines: in his
first interview
since announcing his departure from the famous group last June, former
Backstreet Boys member Kevin Richardson told the Star he'll head to Toronto as lead in the hit
musical Chicago when it starts performances
here at the Princess of Wales Theatre on Nov. 21. But first, he'll appear
in the gala celebration on Nov. 14 marking the 10th anniversary of the show on
Broadway, sharing the spotlight with the likes of Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking,
Melanie Griffiths, Ashlee Simpson and Brooke Shields. "It's an
honour just to be onstage with those people," said Richardson over the
phone from his home just outside of Lexington, Ky. "I look at that line-up
and say, `Kevin, what did you ever do to wind up rubbing elbows with stars like
that?'" His modesty is charming, especially when delivered in his
low-key, hickory-smoked drawl, but it ignores the fact that for 13 years he was
a member of a band whose six albums sold more than 75 million copies. On
June 23, he announced he was leaving the group, "in order to move on with
the next chapter of my life." He only issued a brief statement then
kept quiet during the subsequent keening from his devoted followers. So
why did he do it? There's a long pause at the end of the line, so long in
fact, it almost seems the phone has gone dead. Then he answers. "I
was at a point in my life when I wanted to examine some of the other things that
go into making up Kevin Richardson. You see, I'm not like a lot of other people
in show business. I'm not what you'd call a multi-tasker. When I commit myself
to something, I commit 100 per cent and that's what I did when I was a
Backstreet Boy.
"But there were other aspects of my life, other dreams and desires that I
was neglecting." It's not hard to get him to expound on what they
are. He's set up his own production company to help nurture young talent; his
work for various environmental causes is well known and — on a more personal
note — he and his wife of six years, Kristin Willits-Richardson, "want to
start a family." And right now, he's stepping back into the
patent-leather shoes of the slickest of all shyster lawyers, Billy Flynn, in Chicago.
It's a part he's played before (on Broadway in 2002 and in London the following
year), but he feels he's only scratched the surface. "Billy knows
how to play the game," he says, discussing the character as though he were
a slightly disreputable friend. "He's been through it long enough and he
knows how to manipulate the system." The way he does it is to
"give them the old razzle dazzle," but Richardson worries about
playing that card too often. "I think we can get too much flash in
our lives," he laments. "You find it everywhere nowadays; it's not
just in show business, it's on Wall Street, it's in Washington. It can
overshadow talent." Richardson sounds as though he's speaking from
experience and, in a way, he is. He was born on Oct. 3, 1971 in Kentucky
and grew up on a farm near the small town of Irvine. In fact, he literally
lived in a log cabin until he left home at the age of 18. When asked what
he remembers most about his childhood, he speaks without any hesitation.
"Music. It was there for me from the start. It seems like I was singing
all my life. My mother loved gospel, and my dad liked to listen to George Jones
and Merle Haggard. The first time I ever really performed was a church musical
when I was 5 years old. I was so scared, I wound up crying and running off the
stage."
But that was the last time that would happen. When Richardson hit high school,
he encountered a teacher he still refers to almost reverentially as "Miss
Kathy Butler," who steered him into the drama program. "I got
bit by the theatre bug," he chuckles, "and I had a blast." In a
prophetic bit of casting, his first role was Conrad Birdie, the rock 'n' roll
heartthrob inspired by Elvis Presley who drives all the girls mad in Bye Bye
Birdie. "I didn't know that would really happen to me one
day," insists Richardson. "I didn't think that it could. But I do
know that if it ever happened, I was sure going to enjoy it." After
high school, he headed off to Orlando, Fla., "to pursue my dreams" and
wound up working at Disney World, playing "Aladdin, Prince Eric and a
Ninja Turtle, if you can believe it." Even then, he was feeding his
theatre habit, performing at night in a dinner theatre as the young romantic
lead in Barefoot in the Park. All of that changed, however, the
day he auditioned for a new boy band that was being formed, which proved to be
the Backstreet Boys. But it wasn't the money, the fame or the hysterical fans
that Richardson now recalls with fondness. "The funnest part for me
was the climb, the struggle, the beginning. You're experiencing things for the
very first time. It's you against the world. When you finally make it, it's
kinda strange, but it's not as exciting as you thought it was going to
be." When all was said and done, Richardson had shared 13 years of
ups and downs with The Backstreet Boys and one wonders if the rest of the group
resent his departure. "No way. They totally understand where I'm
coming from," maintains Richardson. "There's no bad blood. It's all
good. They're my little brothers and we have a lot of love for each
other."
Chicago runs Nov. 21-Dec. 3 at the Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St.
W. Tickets at http://www.mirvish.com or 416-872-1212.
Second City `Crasher' Leaving On High Note
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Rori
Caffrey, Toronto Star
(Nov. 4, 2006) Naomi Snieckus is a funny lady. Funny both ways. She's
"funny ha ha," as you would expect of anyone who stars in Second
City's live comedy. Catherine O'Hara, John Candy, Mike Myers — the alumni list
says it all. And in its current revue, Bird
Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Snieckus does her part
to keep the laugh factory's legacy alive. Whether playing it straight (as
an uptight mother posing, unconvincingly, as her son in an MSN chat) or going
over the top (sobbing hysterically about the state of the world during a first
date front-seat tryst), she's confident in her execution. Laughter just follows
her. The show has scored great reviews and Snieckus says she loves being part
of it all. She also says she's moving on. Tomorrow night's show will be
her last performance. This is where the other kind of funny kicks in —
Snieckus is "funny odd." Here she is, in one of the most reputable
comedy troupes, doing a show that she calls one of the best jobs she can
imagine having. Why bow out? Snieckus ponders the question while looking
fondly around the green room of Second City's new Mercer St. theatre.
"This is a hard place to leave," she says. "I love my job here,
but, well, you can't have an 86-year-old woman on stage doing comedy, which is
exactly what I'd become." So after four years and five revues, the
funny woman is forcing herself out on a high note. There are lots of other
projects she wants to give her attention to: she has filmed two TV pilots, one
with Colin Mochrie (Whose Line is it Anyway?) and the other with Spencer
Rice of Kenny Vs. Spenny notoriety ("lots of fingers being crossed
for that one"). She's also written a two-hander play with Second City
colleague Matt Baram, is shooting the Punched Up mockumentary series for
the Comedy Network and has an upcoming gig with the improv talk-show folks,
Monkey Toast. Funny and busy.
"You just start spinning some plates and try to keep them all in
motion," she says laughing. Steve Del Balso, Bird Flu's stage
manager, has worked with Snieckus in both touring and mainstage shows over the
years. He was even present the day she auditioned for the company ... under
unusual terms. "She actually crashed the audition," he says.
(Snieckus confirms this. She had travelled here from Vancouver, her home at the
time, expecting an audition call. When it never came, she says she "sucked
it up" and arrived uninvited.) "She was brilliant,"
recalls Del Balso. "A brilliant actress, and she might have even belted
out a song.... She was a ball of energy up on stage. "The producer
at the time knew Naomi would be returning to Vancouver, so she chased her down
the stairs and offered her the job." He says Snieckus has a charm,
onstage and off, that can't be denied. "Naomi is the one who walks
up onstage, smiles and audiences instantly love her." Tomorrow, for
Snieckus's final night in Bird Flu, the usual post-show improv segment
will be replaced by a memorial of sorts. Second City alumni she's shared the
stage with will return to perform in her favourite sketches in a send-off
salute. "My last night will be a celebration of all the people
who've helped me along the way, from the wait staff to the
administration," she says. "Hopefully it will be a little bit
of hoopla."
Mississauga Actress Stuck On Hairspray
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Richard Ouzounian
(Nov. 7, 2006) Anyone who doubts the holding power of Hairspray should
talk to Tara Macri.
For nearly three years, the hit musical has had a grip on the 26-year-old
Mississauga-born actress. It's taken her from Toronto to Broadway, with a lot
of fascinating stops along the way. Since Oct. 24, Macri has played the
part of super-brat Amber von Tussel on the Great White Way and is having the
time of her life. "On my first night, I thought `Oh God, I'm so
nervous,' so I decided to just go out there and have fun. You know what? I
did!" She's played the show at the Princess of Wales Theatre and
other venues during her nine months with the American touring company, but
there's something physically different about performing in New York.
"You think everything is going to be bigger, but the stage is actually
smaller and the audience are all packed in so closely together. It creates a
real sense of excitement," she says with surprise. If you looked closely,
you'd see that same sense of excitement has followed Macri during her brief but
eventful career. Even though as a child she recalls always
"performing whenever I could," her aspirations didn't really form
until she entered the Etobicoke School of the Arts. At age 17, before she
even graduated, she walked into an open call for the Stratford Festival
production of West Side Story and emerged cast in three
productions. She was also the understudy for Maria and, when Ma-Anne
Dionisio developed vocal trouble that summer, Macri found herself playing the
role dozens of times to enthusiastic response. She never looked back.
Macri started to work all over the country as a younger singer and actress of
distinction.
And then came Hairspray. She went in assuming she would try out for the
cheerfully preppy Penny and for "seven or eight auditions over two
months," that's what happened. But one day near the end, director
Jack O'Brien "looked at me kind of funny, and told me to come in the next
day and audition for Amber." Macri has been keeping herself busy
apart from Hairspray in recent years, working on an album of songs under
the guidance of Amy Sky. She's finding it a release to write these days
because, "I broke up with my boyfriend who I've been with a long time.
I've got something to write about. Hopefully it won't be a totally bitter
Alanis Morissette kind of thing ... but pretty close." And now she's
also part of the Big Apple. "I love the energy here in New York," she
shouts, eyes shining, "I'd like to stay here and work forever."
Then suddenly she looks about 17 again as she says, "but Toronto is my
home and I already miss all my family and friends." One part
ambitious woman, one part dependent child. Just stick them together with a
little hairspray and you've got Tara Macri.
THEATRE TIDBITS
The Hoff To Appear In The Producers
Source: Associated Press
(Nov. 2, 2006) NEW YORK — From the surf and sand of Baywatch to the
flamboyant Roger DeBris. David Hasselhoff will appear in the Las Vegas production of The Producers, portraying the
outrageous director who wears a dress that makes him look like the Chrysler
Building and gets to tap dance as a show-biz-loving Adolf Hitler. The
Producers begins performances Jan. 31 at Paris Las Vegas. Brad Oscar will
play the opportunistic Max Bialystock in the production. No word yet on who
will be nebbish accountant Leo Bloom in this stage version of Mel Brooks' 1968
movie about a pair of con artists who over-finance a Broadway musical in the
hopes of producing a flop. The Broadway production has been playing at the St.
James Theatre since April 2001. "I am honoured to be a part of
anything Mel Brooks is involved with," said Hasselhoff, who has appeared
on Broadway in Jekyll & Hyde. "He has always been my favourite
man of comedy." Said Brooks in return: Hasselhoff "has an
incredible comedic timing, terrific musical theatre experience and a stage
presence that I think will be a perfect marriage with the role. And, by the
way, he has great legs for that dress." Besides appearing as Lt.
Mitch Buchannon in the popular TV series about lifeguards protecting the
beaches of Southern California, Hasselhoff has starred in such TV shows as The
Young and the Restless and Knight Rider.
::DANCE NEWS::
Last Dance For Moving Pictures
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Susan
Walker, Dance Writer
(Nov. 3, 2006) The 15th Moving Pictures Festival
of Dance on Film
and Video, at the Gladstone Hotel through tomorrow, will be the last.
The annual screening of dance films and videos has been a fixture of the dance
season since 1992. Artistic director and co-founder Kathleen
Smith says the time has come to "step off the treadmill and make
way for new approaches to the presentation of dance on film and
video." Funding was not so much an issue as the changing format of
dance on the screen. In the early years of Moving Pictures, dance film was a
growing art form and feature films suitable for cinema screening were being
made by important artists. Since then, the trend is more toward documentaries,
shorts and videos created for TV. The festival goes out on a high note
with a selection of films that will have a life beyond their premiere
screenings in the Gladstone's salon. Thierry de Mey, director of choice for
European choreographers such as Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Wim Vandekeybus
has collaborated with William Forsythe in the making of One Flat Thing,
Reproduced (today, 9 p.m.)
Forsythe's Frankfurt-based company took over the Bockenheimer Depot, a
19th-century industrial space, to re-stage a work from 2000 and adapt the dance
for film. Two cameras picked up the intricate interplay of stasis and movement
as 14 dancers in colourful workout costumes created ever-changing variations on
20 beige-topped tables arranged in a grid. Phoenix Dance (today, 9 p.m.)
presents the beauty of a one-legged dancer mastering a pas de deux in
his new body. After he lost his right hip and leg to cancer, Homer Avila, who
has danced with Twyla Tharp, Bill T. Jones, Mark Morris and Momix, went back to
the studio. Filmmaker Karina Epperlein follows him through exercises,
training and work with choreographer Alonzo King, as he creates a dance for
Avila and Andrea Flores. Tim Southam's heart-rending Perreault Dancer (today,
7 p.m.) is a documentary about the life and works of Montreal choreographer
Jean-Pierre Perreault, who died in 2002. In so fully chronicling the man and
his unique body of work, Southam does the dance world a great service, because
Perreault's Foundation and the dance centre it occupied came to a close shortly
after his death. A short, from choreographer/dancer Barbara Pallomina and
photographer John Lauener, called Gleaning (tomorrow, 9 p.m.), an
artfully arranged study in rhythm, was inspired by the flight of crows at
dusk. The festival winds up tomorrow with a screening of The Best of
Moving Pictures, selections from 15 years of hits.
::OTHER NEWS::
Toronto Artists' Night To Shine
Excerpt from The Toronto Star
(Nov. 6, 2006) OTTAWA—Officially the black-tie occasion at
the NationalArts
Centre on Saturday night was known as the Governor
General's Performing Arts Awards Gala — but if
you do the math you might conclude it should be called the Toronto Arts
Awards. Of the seven artists being honoured at one of the year's most
glamorous cultural events, five were either Toronto residents or
ex-Torontonians who went on to achieve global superstar status working in the
U.S. An emotional high point of the evening was the award to veteran CBC
information producer Mark Starowicz, a onetime student radical at McGill who
spearheaded CBC's radio revolution in the 1970s with Radio Free Friday, As
It Happens and Sunday Morning — and then went on in the 1980s to
invent The Journal, the greatest current-affairs program in Canadian TV
history. Peter Mansbridge, appearing onstage with an intense appreciation
that set the crowd abuzz, said it was Starowicz's mammoth project Canada: A
People's History that proved to be the jewel in his crown.
"There's a persistent idea that Canadians aren't interested in their own
stories," Starowicz said. "I've made a living proving that isn't
true." "Mark Starowicz taught us to think big and be
bold," Mansbridge added. "The irony is that it took a Polish
immigrant to tell the story of Canada." The gala was the final event
of a three-day marathon during which the recipients were presented in Parliament,
visited the Mint and were feted at Rideau Hall by Governor General Michaëlle
Jean. Jean set the tone when she said: "Let us pay tribute to
artists who keep us from reducing societies to mere facts and figures ... a
society that does not encourage its artists to thrive is doomed to boredom and
ultimately ruin." The National Arts Centre — whose CEO Peter
Herrndorf helped invent this glittery love-in for the arts 15 years ago — gave
its award for outstanding artist of the year to Richard Bradshaw, the 62-year-old
British-born general director of the Canadian Opera Company. Bradshaw's
miraculous double achievement in 2005 was to open the opera house some said
Toronto would never build, and then triumphantly stage Wagner's monumental Ring
cycle. In his salute to the maestro, opera singer Russell Braun
explained that since moving here in 1988, Bradshaw had been "lit on
fire" by the potential he saw in his adopted city. Braun joined five other
COC singers for an aria from Così fan tutte.
The Cinderella of the evening was former dancer and arts activist Joysanne
Sidimus, whose story was much less familiar to the audience than those of her
big-name fellow honourees. It began almost half a century ago when she became a
noted ballerina with Balanchine's New York City Ballet and the National Ballet
of Canada. "Everything you are is revealed in that moment when the
curtain goes up," Sidimus recalled. But the true mission of her life
began in the early 1970s when Sidimus retired from dancing — and was so depressed
she could not get out of bed for months. And she knew of 15 dancers who
committed suicide. Since then she has devoted much of her life to helping
dancers and other artists make the transition from their peak performing years
into a rewarding life after they leave the stage. In 1985, Sidimus
founded the Dancer Transition Resource Centre, a unique organization that has
helped thousands of dancers make that big leap. She was also the driving
force behind the Al and Malka Green Artists' Health Centre at Toronto Western
Hospital. According to Karen Kain, who along with Veronica Tennant paid
tribute to Sidimus at the gala, "You understood the personal needs that
dancers have." The ultimate celebrity's celebrity was Lorne
Michaels, the kid from Forest Hill Collegiate and the UofT's annual UC Follies
show who wound up at NBC in New York creating the most enduring comedy machine
in TV history, Saturday Night Live.
Along the way he promoted the careers of many Canadians, including Dan Aykroyd,
Mike Myers, Martin Short, composer Howard Shore and band leader Paul Shaffer,
who delivered a salute to Michaels at the NAC gala. "This week has
been a revealing experience," said Michaels, who brought his two sons, 14
and 12, to Ottawa for the event. "It gathered momentum as we all got to
know each other." The final recipient of the gala was Robbie
Robertson, who split his childhood between Toronto and the Six Nations Reserve
before going on to huge success with The Band, writing and singing "Up on
Cripple Creek" and "The Weight." Buffy Sainte-Marie,
another great singer-composer, appeared onstage with the perfect comments on
his career. When she first saw him playing guitar for Ronnie Hawkins in the
1960s, "I didn't know he was aboriginal, but I knew he was
hot." The great thing about Robertson, she added, was that he was
homegrown and self-taught. "It never sounded like work and it never
sounded like school," she added. "Robbie Robertson's music was the
real deal." In an interview, Roberston told the Star:
"This whole occasion has been much more fun that I ever imagined. It
gathered momentum as the week went on. I've been involved with a lot of awards
events, and I'd have to say this is the most elegant one I've ever
encountered." The show — with hosts Rick Mercer and Dominique Michel
— will be telecast Jan. 4 on CBC.
More Than Ever, Celebrities Of All
Stripes Are Becoming Environmentally Active
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Bruce
Demara, Entertainment Reporter
(Nov. 4, 2006) Should we look to the stars to save our planet? There
have
always been big-name celebrities and public figures to ally themselves with
worthy causes — from Vietnam War opponent Jane Fonda to Live Aid organizer Bob
Geldof to the late land mine activist Princess Diana — but never as many as
there are today. The latest wave of celebrity do-gooders are turning
their attention to the environment. Leonardo DiCaprio is sounding the alarm on
global warming. So are Keanu Reeves and Alanis Morissette, who jointly narrate
a Canadian documentary on the issue called The Great Warming, opening
this weekend across the United States. Chinese basketball great Yao Ming
is decrying the toll shark fin soup is having on the fearsome fishes' global
populations. Bono's One campaign is fighting global poverty and its economic
and environmental consequences and seeking high-profile support from film stars
George Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. Former U.S. vice president Al
Gore, a celebrity in his own right, has built a second career as a crusader for
global-warming awareness. This week he was appointed international consultant
on climate change in the U.K. Actors including Martin Short and Ed Begley
Jr. have joined Go Zero, a program that measures the amount of carbon they
produce as a result of their lifestyles and then plants the required number of
trees to absorb the emissions. With more evidence every day that global
warming is leading the planet into a desperate future and other indicators of
degradation, environmental issues have become the cause du jour of the renowned
and famous. But is celebrity support always good for the cause? For some,
it can't come a moment too soon. "I think at this stage, anything is
a good thing. Especially on the climate change issue, anybody who stands up and
says something is a good thing. Time is running out and if celebrities who have
the magic honey are prepared to speak out, I'm all in favour of it," says
Peter Timmerman, an associate professor with York University's environmental
studies program. Ingrid Stefanovic, director of the University of
Toronto's Centre for the Environment, has seen the effect of having marquee
names at the centre's annual Natural City conferences in recent years, among
them Robert Kennedy Jr., son of the late senator and a respected
environmentalist; naturalist and chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall; and former UN
envoy Stephen Lewis. As a result, Stefanovic says, those conferences have
drawn much larger crowds of academics and concerned citizens and mobilized
action that would otherwise not have happened. A scholarship fund in Goodall's
name is just one example. "What I've been trying to do is identify
people who through their renowned status obviously bring attention to
environmental issues not simply because of who they are but also because of
what they have to say and the way they ... say it. They're excellent
communicators," Stefanovic says. But she is wary of "a
celebrity for the sake of having a celebrity" mentality that may cloud the
bigger issue.
"Often agencies are approaching me to say, `Would you like to use this
person or use that person?' It isn't enough that they're ... a celebrity, they
have to be able to communicate something important or of value,"
Stefanovic says. "It's important to be careful. A lot of people are
scaremongers today. You can find celebrities who can worry everybody about the
fact that the sky is falling but that doesn't lead us very far." She
admits, however, that there is plenty of reason to fear for the
environment. But star power also brings the risk of giving ammunition to
cynical pundits and others who can criticize the lavish lifestyles of the rich
and famous. Several bloggers, for instance, note the hypocrisy of
"preachy" celebrities who use gas-guzzling Hummers or private jets.
It can also turn off the public who may perceive celebrities' interest as a
passing fancy. "You simply do not want to take these environmental
challenges and turn them into fashions that come and go. ... Global climate
change is not a fad," Stefanovic says. Candida Paltiel, director of
Toronto's Planet In Focus film festival, which ends tomorrow, is less timid,
noting celebrities are an excellent medium to publicize important issues.
"For too long, environmentalism and environmental issues have been set to
the margins and the environment affects everyone. It's not a marginal issue,
it's a mainstream issue," Paltiel says. "Celebrities know they
are very privileged members of society and ... they understand that they can
play a very powerful role in influencing people." Paltiel compares
two recent celebrity events that captivated millions worldwide: Madonna's
controversial decision to adopt a Malawian orphan and DiCaprio's public stance
on global warming. "We know that it's questionable what Madonna did
in Malawi, perhaps, but is Leonardo DiCaprio harming anyone by bringing to the
fore the ... issue of global warming? I don't think so," she added.
But Paltiel noted that celebrities aren't scientists and can run a risk of
losing their credibility by appearing so. "If you want to get
scientific information, then you go to the experts and the scientists that
understand the science behind climate change ... or the effects of
deforestation," Paltiel says.
Using a celebrity as the mouthpiece for a serious cause can have the unintended
result of making that cause seem superficial. "That's why you don't depend
on them for the expertise," she adds. Derek Leebosh, a senior
associate at Environics Research Group, a national polling firm, worries that
too much celebrity support may end up trivializing an important issue.
"You can almost invite a backlash where people will say, `What the hell
does Barbra Streisand know about global warming?' This is more a problem in the
U.S. than in Canada," says Leebosh, noting U.S. political figures have
been hurt by too many Hollywood endorsements. Environmental causes are
being embraced more and more by young people who tend to idolize celebrities,
Leebosh says. But that invites another possible risk. "I think very
few people would want to admit their views were influenced by celebrities. It's
the same thing with advertising; nobody wants to admit they've been influenced
by advertising but billions of dollars get spent on advertising just the
same," Leebosh says. Perry Zimel of Oscars, Abrams, Zimel and
Associates — an international agency that manages entertainers' careers — says
he strongly support clients who want to get involved in environmental and other
causes. "It's about time talent start using their celebrity for
selling more than shampoos and cell phones. I just wish more people were doing
it," Zimel says. "You got some talent who are actually using the
power that they have to promote anything from hybrid cars to solar panels to
what Bono's doing in Africa; it's unbelievable," Zimel says. Actor
Wendy Crewson, one of Zimel's clients, is a national spokesperson for ALS and
has recently become involved in the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Another client,
Leslie Hope, actually gave up work to make a documentary on the plight of
orphans in Cambodia, he says. Both Christian Slater and Keifer Sutherland have
lent their voices to environmental causes. "I take my hat off to
Angelina Jolie. I wish that we, in our country, had bigger stars so they could
actually do more because the Wendy Crewsons are few and far between," he
added. Timmerman points to the activism that singer Sandra Harmer has
done to preserve the Niagara Escarpment — including her recent song,
"Escarpment Blues" — as a great example of effective local
environmental activism. But he is concerned that some celebrities may
have a hidden agenda of self-promotion. "The thing that's most
important is that if celebrities are going to get involved, that it isn't just
one more celebrity finding a good cause to buff their name and image on,"
Timmerman says. "Some celebrities are worth emulating and some are
not." If a Hollywood star is known for, say, a drunk-driving record,
then installing solar panels or driving a hybrid car would only go so far
toward improving his public image. "Just because somebody has a
Prius, (do) they somehow become noble?" asks Timmerman.
Kate Moss Named U.K. Model Of The Year
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Associated Press
(Nov. 2, 2006) LONDON — Kate Moss was named Britain's Model of
the Year on Thursday, despite cocaine allegations that lost her millions
of dollars in modeling contracts. Moss, 32, won out over two other
finalists — Erin O'Connor and Alek Wek — at the British Fashion Awards.
"Kate Moss is a fashion icon and without doubt one of the most prolific
models in the industry," the awards panel said in naming her the winner.
"She has now been modeling for over 15 years and remains at the top of her
game.'' The British Fashion Council refused to comment on the potential
controversy of Moss's nomination. Moss lost contracts with H&M,
Chanel, Gloria Vanderbilt and Burberry after the Daily Mirror newspaper
published photos last year of her allegedly using cocaine at a music studio
where her boyfriend, Pete Doherty, was recording. After the pictures were
published, Moss publicly apologized and went to a drug rehabilitation clinic in
Arizona. Prosecutors decided in June there was insufficient evidence to charge
her. Since then, she has made a comeback, appearing frequently in fashion
magazines and winning back contracts. Still, some say giving an award to
someone whose career has been marked by drug allegations sets a bad
example. "To me it's baffling," said Colombian Vice President
Francisco Santos, speaking in Britain this week during an anti-drug
campaign. "Model of the Year" is an industry accolade for the
British model who has contributed the most to the international fashion scene
over the last year. Leading press, buyers and industry figures choose the
winner from a shortlist compiled by British Vogue editor Alexandra
Shulman and a committee.
"She's the kind of survivor we all want to be," said Jeremy Baker, a
fashion expert at London Metropolitan University, of Moss. ``The paradox is
that since this time last year the scandal made her a lot better off.''
Since the cocaine allegations, Moss has won more than a dozen contracts with
names including Bulgari, Christian Dior and Rimmel cosmetics. She has also
signed deals with cellphone brand Virgin Mobile and French luxury label
Longchamp. Topshop also recruited her to create a new clothing and accessories
line, which will be launched next spring. George Ruston, director of Hope
U.K., a drug education charity, said the companies paying Moss and the council
nominating her contribute to glorifying drug use. "They're making
decisions to reward the behaviour," Ruston said. "I really don't
think people should be making personal gain out of stuff that is causing lots
of problems in the world. I think the responsibility partly lies with the
people who are funding, using Kate Moss' notoriety for their own economic purposes.''
Herb Jordan: Author Compiles Motown's
Love Lyrics
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
November 7, 2006) The love
songs of Motown Records have long
been the catalyst of millions of romantic nights. The mellow melodies and harmonies
won the hearts of many, but award-winning composer and producer Herb Jordan
believes falling in love to Motown was more than being entranced by the
rhythms. Jordan has compiled the lyrics of some of the best-know Motown
love songs for the book “Motown In Love: Lyrics from
the Golden Era,” which he believes played a part in
making Motown music so romantic. Now fans of the legendary label can get
more in-depth with the famous lines and lyrics of Motown hits such as “I’ll Be
There,” “My Girl,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Stop! In the Name of
Love,” “Please Mr. Postman,” and “I Heard It Through the
Grapevine.” “I really thought it was important for people to take a
look at the words as poetry… and maybe to slow it down a little bit, because Motown
music is so propulsive and energetic,” Jordan said about why he decided to do
the project. “I thought it made sense to separate out the lyrics, just for a
moment, so people could appreciate the poetry.” The project is a fine relief
and a reminder that there are more elements to music than a great bass line.
And because there probably isn’t much debate that the lyrics of yesteryear are
more eloquent than those on the airwaves today, “Motown In Love” is a welcome
reference.
“I don’t think there is any question that the songs are more romantic in a
traditional sense than what hip-hop is doing today. I think people tend to view
black culture, and in particular black men, as being hard, if not heartless.
One of the things that you appreciate about Motown is the romance in the
lyrics. They wrote elegantly about love and they described male/female
relationships in such elevated terms that it really ranks as some as the
greatest music and some of the most profound love songs ever,” Jordan said. The
book, which is already available in stores and online, is a collection of songs
made popular in the ‘60s thanks to singer-songwriters including Stevie Wonder,
Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye and the super-collabos of
Holland-Dozier-Holland, Ashford and Simpson, and Strong and Whitfield. As such,
these lyricists do get a piece of the pie along with Jordan who wrote the
poignant essays about the music, the label and the time. In addition, the book
includes rarely seen photographs of the artists and songwriters. Jordan, who
has a musical and legal background, said he was compelled to do the project,
clearly not for the money – but because it was important for generations that
have enjoyed the music of Motown to really understand it and the legends behind
the music. “I think this is music that people need to hear and has maintained
its popularity over generations. But perhaps it’s a time to get away from the
concept that it was just the feel-good music of the 1960s and consider how
important this music is and the reason that it’s lasted all this time is that
there’s real substance to it. These kids out of the ghetto of Detroit were
masters of the craft. I think sometimes people overlook how much genius went
into the creation of this music,” he said. “We tend to hear the music first and
the lyrics second. I think anyone who buys this book will have a different
experience with this music than they ever had before. Most of the writers were
young black men and I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people how
brilliant these lyrics are.” Jordan continued that he feels the songwriters
were very forthcoming in showing their vulnerability and sharing their personal
experiences regarding very universal issues, and that that’s what endeared the
songs to all who listened to them. “There’s a message here that transcends
neighbourhood, community, race and it speaks to something that ties all of us
together, and that’s love,” he said. “Motown In Love: Lyrics from the Golden
Era” is available in stores now and a companion CD is expected to be released
in February 2007, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
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OTHER TIDBITS
Denzel Gives Props To Mentors In New Book
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 6, 2006) *In his new book, “A Hand to Guide
Me,” Denzel
Washington celebrates the often ignored
role of mentors in the lives of high achievers. The actor gathers essays from
more than 70 famous entertainers, sports figures, businessmen and political
leaders who share stories of their own childhood mentors. "It's a
celebration of the people behind the people — those who don't get the
recognition who influence the Bill Clintons or the Jimmy Carters or the George
Steinbrenners of the world," Washington told the Associated Press. Among
those featured in the book are Whoopi Goldberg, Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Michael Vick and both former presidents Clinton and Carter. In Washington's own
story, he writes of a counsellor who mentored him at the Boys Club in his
hometown of Mount Vernon, N.Y., a high school English teacher who had students
read the New York Times every morning. He also found a mentor in a barber at a
shop where he earned money sweeping. Washington said he hopes the book will
inspire adults to "find themselves in it and reach out" to a child
who may need a similar guiding hand. "We all have the potential to help
out and inspire young people and to make an impression upon them,"
Washington said. The Oscar winner says he will receive no money from the book.
Sixty percent of the proceeds will help fund the Atlanta-based Boys and Girls
Clubs of America, with a quarter of that going to his childhood club in Mount
Vernon.
::SPORTS NEWS::
Raptors Blast Bucks
For First Win
Source: Canadian Press
(Nov. 3, 2006) TORONTO (CP) - Chris Bosh had
game highs of 26 points
and 15 rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors to a resounding 109-92 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in their
home-opener Friday at the Air Canada Centre. T.J. Ford
finished with 13 points and a game-high 11 assists in his first game against
his former team. Fred
Jones added 15 points for Toronto (1-1), while Morris Peterson
pitched in with 14 and Jose Calderon
finished with 14. Andrew Bogut led
the Bucks (1-1) with 18 points, while former Raptor Charlie Villanueva,
who was also battling his former team for the first time, had 17 points and 11
rebounds. The game was a promising beginning for a team that opened last
season a dreadful 1-15 en route to a 27-55 finish, missing the playoffs for the
fourth straight year. Toronto led by four points heading into the final
quarter, then poured it on the fourth, taking a 19-point lead with 4:46 left in
the game on a long jump shot by Anthony Parker
that brought the sell-out crowd of 19,800 to its feet.
The happy fans at the ACC stood and cheered the team on through the final few
minutes as the Raptors continued to expand on their lead, going ahead by 23 on
a pair of free throws by Ford with just over three minutes to play. Raptors
coach Sam Mitchell
fielded the rest of his bench for the final couple of minutes and Toronto
cruised to victory. The game was big for Bosh, who missed half of the
pre-season with plantar fasciitis, and had been angry at himself after
finishing with just 14 points and five boards in the Raptors' loss Wednesday
night at New Jersey. He obviously wasn't about to go home unhappy again,
scoring from all over the floor, including several resounding dunks. He shot
12-for-16 on the night. Villanueva, who was traded to the Bucks in the
off-season for Ford and received a warm cheer during team introductions, also
had a solid game, shooting 8-for-15 from the floor before leaving the game with
a calf injury midway through the fourth quarter. Bosh and the Raptors
were looking to make up for a dismal shooting performance in their 102-92 loss
at New Jersey in their season-opener, when they made just 39 per cent of their
shots. Friday, they finished at 53.4 per cent. They also out rebounded the
Bucks 44-38, and beat them in second-chance points 17-8. The game
featured a glitzy intro, with plenty of pyrotechnics, a drum group and a
flaming Raptor claw at centre-court. Canadian recording artist Keshia Chante performed the national
anthems, and Bosh addressed the crowd before tip-off, saying, ''We look forward
to a great year. Thank you.'' The Raptors came out with
plenty of energy Friday, a pair of dunks by Bosh and a three-pointer by
Peterson helping Toronto to a nine-point lead less than four minutes into the
game. The Raptors shot 50 per cent in the quarter, and led 27-21 heading into
the second.
Toronto stretched its lead to 12 early in the second, but Villanueva poured it
on with 10 points and six rebounds in the frame. A three-pointer by Redd gave
the Bucks a three-point lead late in the half, and Jones responded with a three
with 2.9 seconds on the clock, and the game was tied 50-50 at halftime.
Bosh scored 10 points in the points in the third as the Raptors went ahead 71-62
with 4:51 left in the quarter. But an eight-point scoring stretch by Bogut
allowed the Bucks to pull within two. The Raptors led 79-75 with a
quarter to play.
NOTES: Friday's game was the first of four straight at home. The Raptors host
San Antonio on Sunday, then Philadelphia and Atlanta before heading out on a
gruelling five-game Western road swing. .. Actor Samuel
L. Jackson had a seat on the baseline. ..
The Raptors are 6-6 in home openers.
Jackie Parker - 'Football lost a hero today'
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Canadian
Press
(Nov. 8, 2006) EDMONTON—He became one of the greatest CFL players
of all-time, but Jackie Parker didn't impress his teammates much when he first walked into the
dressing room. "The kid from Mississippi with the big ears and the
big feet," Alberta Lt.-Gov. Norman Kwong recalled yesterday after Parker's
death at age 74 from throat cancer. In 1954, Kwong was a star running
back with the feared Edmonton Eskimos. "(Parker) wasn't very imposing
when we first met — really skinny legs. But he could really run and do
everything else. He made an impression on us the very first time he took the
field. It was a big surprise when we saw him perform." Those skinny
legs — Parker was later to earn the nickname Ole Spaghetti Legs — took their
owner to a legendary career. "Football has lost a hero today in
Jackie Parker," said B.C. Lions president and CEO Bob Ackles. Parker
died in an Edmonton hospital after ailing for some time. Funeral arrangements
were not immediately available. He seemed destined for greatness,
although it was baseball he excelled in back home in Knoxville, Tenn. He went
to Mississippi State on a baseball scholarship, but soon turned to
football. After he joined the CFL in 1954, he spent the next 13 years
starring as a quarterback, halfback and defensive back — running, passing,
kicking and tackling on both sides of the ball. He stayed with the
Eskimos until 1962. He then played with the Toronto Argonauts from 1963 to 1965
before moving to the B.C. Lions in 1966 for three years. He played on three
Grey Cup winners with Edmonton, was named the CFL's top player three times and
was an all-star for eight straight years.
He passed for 16,476 yards and scored 88 touchdowns, kicked 103 converts, 40
field goals and 19 singles for 750 points. "The city has lost a
great citizen," said Hugh Campbell, who retired as Eskimos general
manager, president and CEO at the end of this year's regular season.
"The Eskimo family mourns the loss of Jack and our thoughts are with
Jack's immediate family." CFL commissioner Tom Wright said Parker
ranked among the best of the CFL's greats. "He passed and ran with
style, and in many ways was the prototypical versatile quarterback who is the
hallmark of our league." Despite his impressive stats, Parker may be
remembered most for one play — a fumble recovery in the 1954 Grey Cup when he
scooped up the ball that Montreal's Chuck Hunsinger had dropped and rambled
close to 90 yards for a touchdown to tie the game and set up the winning
convert. Always a cool customer, Parker was also known as the Mississippi
Gambler for his sleight of hand with the football on rollouts. And he may
also have been the player who was responsible for the long-standing Labour Day
rivalry between the Eskimos and the Calgary Stampeders. On that holiday
in 1960, Parker ran for a touchdown to tie the game with just 25 seconds left
and then kicked his own convert to give his Eskimos a 29-28 victory over the
Stampeders.
Parker kicked a last-play field goal the following year to again give Edmonton
the win. A tradition was born, a rivalry bred, and for many Albertans, Labour
Day came to mean just one thing — football. Parker may not have been the
most technically perfect player. He once joked about how the circles on the
tips of the CFL ball only drew attention to his wobbly spirals. "He
didn't throw the prettiest pass, he didn't kick the finest field goals,"
said Kwong, who remembers a game against Calgary when Parker bounced a three-pointer
off the crossbar and through the uprights. "But he always got the
job done somehow. He always did it with drama." The Saskatoon StarPhoenix
newspaper ran a poll in 2000 to pick the top 50 players in CFL history.
Parker came in first.
Gavadza Thrilled To Get Late-Season Argos Call
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Canadian
Press
(Nov. 8, 2006) OAKVILLE, Ont. — The second time was indeed the charm
for Jason Gavadza
and the Toronto Argonauts. Prior to the start of the season, the Argos
made an inquiry to Gavadza about joining the CFL club. But after being released
in the off-season by the B.C. Lions, the six-foot-three, 249-pound tight
end-fullback opted against continuing his pro football career, instead deciding
to concentrate full-time on a budding real estate career as well as building a
new life with his wife, Bernadette. That's hardly a surprise considering
that between 2000 and 2005, Gavadza had bounced between 11 teams in three
different leagues in three different countries. But this week, with Canadian
fullback Jeff Johnson on crutches with a heel injury, the Argos came calling to
Gavadza, only this time the 30-year-old Toronto native was only too quick to
accept. "I started my business up and married my wife (in February
2005) and we wanted to start looking forward to a family," Gavadza said.
"You can't play football forever so I just made a tough decision.
"Now, things are going well and I get a call. Talk about
excitement." Especially considering Gavadza is just one win away
from returning to the Grey Cup. He appeared in the 2004 final with the B.C.
Lions, who ironically lost 27-19 to the Argos in Ottawa. This year's game will
be held Nov. 19 in Winnipeg. "The little kid in me is screaming out
in my throat about it," he said. "My in-laws are from Saskatchewan,
they're just three hours from Winnipeg and they're excited. "My
father-in-law has three daughters and I'm his son. He thought it was April
Fool's Day and I said, 'No, I hope you've got a day free because you might be
seeing me but watch me Sunday.' " Johnson was hurt in Toronto's
thrilling 31-27 East Division semifinal win over Winnipeg last weekend and
isn't expected to play in the conference final Sunday against the Montreal
Alouettes (CBC, 1 p.m. ET).
But Gavadza, who played collegiately as a tight end at Kent State, has fond
memories about the last time he joined a team one game into the playoffs. In
2000, he signed with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens after the opening round of the
NFL post-season and the club went on to capture the Super Bowl.
"It's deja vu from 2000 with Baltimore when they called me at the same
time of the year," Gavadza said. "My wife is excited and happy for
me. "She had tears in her eyes (when Argos called) and I didn't. I
was, 'Where are my cleats? Let me call my trainer because I need a three-day
workout and a three-week workout. Let's get going here.' " The Argos
signed Gavadza and offensive lineman John Feugill on Tuesday because of
injuries to Johnson and tackle Jerome Davis (ribs). Ironically, Feugill was
Toronto's starting right tackle in 2003-04 before being supplanted by
Davis. Head coach Mike (Pinball) Clemons said Toronto was fortunate to
land a player like Gavadza this late in the season, however he has modest
expectations for the newest Argo. Gavadza would back up Ricky Williams at
fullback and play some tight end or receiver offensively while also taking part
on special teams. "We want him to just contribute what he can, to
play within himself," Clemons said. "We didn't bring him in to transform
our team. "We feel we've gotten a great player and person to augment
what is already a very good football team. We're going to ask him to do a few
things offensively and on special teams. If those things go well, he'll get
more opportunities." And that's fine with Gavadza. "What
they want me to do, tight end and fullback plays, I'm ready," he said.
"That's what I've been doing for 15 years of my life. I can't
wait." Gavadza was a sixth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh
Steelers in 2000 before being released during training camp. After bouncing
around the NFL, Gavadza was assigned to the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe by
the St. Louis Rams in 2002. He missed the 2003 season with a serious shoulder
injury but attended the Montreal Alouettes training camp in '04 before being
released. He later joined the B.C. Lions as a free agent and went to the Grey
Cup with the club. Gavadza spent last year with B.C. as a backup fullback and
special-teams player. "The word 'potential' was always there and the
old adage that you want a coach that likes you and gives you that
opportunity," Gavadza said of his life as a pro football nomad.
"Every decision was different and you don't know the path given to you but
you stay positive, you keep playing and good things happen." Gavadza
sees no trouble juggling his real estate career with his new day job.
"Athlete by day, agent by night," he said.
Bishop Makes His Case
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Rick Matsumoto, Sports Reporter
(Nov. 7, 2006) When the Argonauts traded for quarterback Damon
Allen just before the start of the 2003 CFL
season, they knew they were getting a remarkably resilient athlete who had
outfoxed Father Time. Still, he was 39 years old. They knew the day would
come when a younger player would have to take his place behind the centre.
Each year the Argos have brought in a number of potential candidates
hoping to find Allen's eventual successor. Perhaps he has finally
arrived. Michael Bishop, now in his fifth season as an Argo, stepped in on Sunday and in
one minute and 45 seconds threw a pair of touchdown passes to lift the Argos
past the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and into this week's East Division final against
the Montreal Alouettes. While that brief moment of heroics doesn't a
starting quarterback make, Bishop, according to head coach Mike Clemons, has
indicated he's grown to the next level as a quarterback. He noted Bishop
has become a more balanced player, although "still extremely
excitable." "But that's partly what we like about him. We don't
want him to lose that zeal, that passion, that enthusiasm. But his whole approach
to preparation, his knowledge of the game and all of those things have gone to
another level. The growth in him is evident." Bishop said yesterday
his confidence has never wavered even though he's been a backup for the past
four years. "Given the right opportunity and the right amount of time to
play, I think there are some great things I can accomplish," he said.
"But until I have that full opportunity, nobody will ever know."
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Bishop said he isn't frustrated at not becoming a
starting quarterback. "I play football for a living. So as long as I can
wake up each morning and keep throwing and running, everything else will take
care of itself. I know what kind of player I am." Bishop feels he's
done his part and the rest is up to the Argos and how long the 43-year-old
Allen keeps playing. "If he wants to play two or three more years,
that's up to Damon," he said. "All I can do is be ready. Football is
just part of my life; it's not my whole life. So regardless of how they're
playing me or if I don't get the opportunity, that's something I can't worry
about. There are other things bigger than football." In 2003, Bishop
joined Marcus Brady as the backups behind Allen. In 2004, Brady was dealt to
the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Bishop and Scott Krause filled the No. 2 and 3
roles as the Argos won the Grey Cup and Allen was selected as the game's
outstanding player. Last year, with Bishop toiling in the Arena Football
League and Krause retiring, the Argos brought in former NFLer Scott Covington
as well as unknown Charlie Peterson. Covington didn't get past training camp.
Bishop returned and he and Peterson took up the backup positions as Allen
enjoyed perhaps the finest season of his 21 years in the CFL. He was named the
league's outstanding player for the first time even though the Argos' hopes of
consecutive Grey Cup game appearances were cut short by the Alouettes in the
East final. Bishop was back in the AFL this spring with Chicago and
earned a championship ring, and his return to Toronto was uncertain.
So the Argos went out and acquired Spergon Wynn from Winnipeg and signed former
Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch, who had bounced around a number of NFL
teams. In early August, after Wynn struggled when Allen was sidelined
with a broken finger and Crouch showed he wasn't ready to become a starter,
Bishop was summoned again. Used primarily in third-down, short-yardage plays,
he finally got a chance to perform in a key situation on Sunday. With the Argos
trailing 27-17, Bishop replaced Allen and threw a pair of TD passes to put the
Boatmen in the Eastern final. Allen will again be the starter against the
Alouettes — Clemons made that clear. "I don't think there's any question
about that," he said. "He's our leader. He's our guy." While
Allen declined to talk to the media yesterday, he said after Sunday's game he
had no reason to be upset at being taken out of the game. "From Day
1 we've said it takes all the quarterbacks to win a championship," he
said. "Sometimes they have to come in, spark the team and make a few
plays. It wasn't that I was playing badly. Sometimes heroes have to come off
the bench."
SPORTS TIDBITS
Olympic Medal Winner Igali Attacked
Excerpt from The Toronto Star -
Thestar.Com Staff, Canadian Press
(Nov. 8, 2006) [Note from Dawn - To send
your get well wishes to Daniel, please email him at dynamiteigali@hotmail.com].
Nigerian-born Canadian Olympic gold medalist Daniel Igali was attacked and robbed at
his home in Nigeria, African newspapers have reported. Igali was attacked
last weekend by armed bandits in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, four days after he
arrived in Nigeria from Canada. In a telephone interview with the Daily
Sunsport of Lagos, Igali said he no longer felt safe in Bayelsa
State. "I was stabbed at the back of my neck and beaten up with the
butts of their guns," the athlete told reporters. "They
collected everything from me - phones, laptops and cash." The Daily
Champion, a Lagos-based newspaper, reported the stolen property was valued
at 1.5 million naira ($13,625 Canadian). Igali said he had reported the
incident to police and officers confirmed they were investigating. Igali
won his gold medal in wrestling at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Tiger Woods To Design Golf Courses
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 8, 2006) *Tiger Woods has expanded his
presence in the sport
of golf with the launch of Tiger Woods Design, a company that aims to construct
golf courses around the globe. "My goal is to provide a unique collection
of amazing courses all over the world that represent what I love about
golf," said Woods, who will be chairman of the company. Woods follows in
the footsteps of other golfers-turned-architects such as Jack Nicklaus, Ernie
Els and Phil Mickelson, and has thought about opening such a business for the
past several years. No announcement has been made regarding the location of his
first golf course, but the player said his courses would appeal to every skill
level, drawing on his experience of playing in more than 20 countries on every
continent. "I've had the luxury of playing golf around the world, and I've
spent a lot of time evaluating how to play all kinds of courses," Woods
said, according to the Associated Press. "I'd like to share my experience
and the lessons I've learned and hopefully create some amazing, fun courses.”
"There are golfers everywhere that may never get a chance to play a links
course in Scotland, a tree-lined course in America or the sand belts of
Australia," he added. "Hopefully, I can bring some of those elements
into their backyards."
::FITNESS NEWS::
Timesaving Fitness Tips
By Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE, eDiets Chief Fitness Pro
Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find
the way.
--Abraham Lincoln
(Nov. 5, 2006) A lot of people think they need to work out two
hours a
day in order to get lean and healthy. We put so much pressure on ourselves that
failure is inevitable. I have always contended that a workout should fit
into your lifestyle and that the number of days and time spent working out,
should be realistic. Consistency and shorter duration workouts is the key to
this game. That being said, I've constructed some helpful tips to make
your workouts shorter but just as effective as one longer bout. Your goal is to
create a minimal fitness plan for success. All you need is a few days per week
and sessions lasting approximately 30 minutes. Short duration workouts
are not only time effective, but also produce a positive hormonal state. Many
studies conclude that long workouts produce a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol
is a stress hormone that strips muscle and places high levels of stress on the
body, thereby creating an unhealthy state.
Here are some tips to get you started:
Perform circuit training: Circuit training is simply performing one
exercise for each muscle group without rest. For example, one would do a chest
exercise for 12 reps, followed by back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, legs,
calves and abs. Rest for 60 seconds and repeat for two to three more cycles or
until you reach the 20-30 minute time limit. It’s a great way to burn fat and
limit workout time.
Design a split routine: You don't necessarily need to work every major
muscle group in each workout. One day, work only your upper body for 20 minutes
and then finish with 10 minutes of cardio. The next workout, do lower body and
finish with 10 to 15 minutes of cardio.
Perform weights and cardio on separate days: One day focus only on
cardio for 20 to 30 minutes, the next day weight train for 20 to 30 minutes. A
few days later, Yoga or Pilates for 30 minutes. It’s an excellent way to
balance your routine and stay invigorated.
Split your videotape workout: Lots of people love to exercise using
videotapes and dance aerobic tapes. Who says you have you do it all in one
session? Split the tape into two days (assuming it’s an hour tape) and slightly
increase your intensity level each day. You’ll still get great results.
Weight/cardio mix: One good short duration workout method is to perform
one weight training exercise followed by 3 minutes of cardio. Then, back to a
weight training movement, then 3 minutes of a new cardio exercise. Keep
repeating without rest until you achieve your 20 to 30 minute goal.
Walk briskly at lunchtime 3 days per week for 30 minutes. Don’t get caught up
in the fact that it’s not enough. We’re looking for consistency -- which will
ultimately help you to lose some fat and get fit.
No time for a 30-minute walk in one session? Split your workout into two
separate times during the day. Walk in the morning for 15 minutes before work
and then again at lunch or right after work. Studies show that it’s just as
effective one 30-minute session.
::MOTIVATION::
Motivational Note - The First Step to Finally Changing Your Life
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com - by J. M.
Gracia, www.motivation123.com
If you knew how to get and stay motivated to change your life and achieve your
goals, nothing could stop you from what you wanted. You would learn what you
didn't know, overcome all that stood in your way, and do whatever it took to
succeed. As simple as that sounds, it really is the key to success in all its
forms. When people improve their health, it is because they were motivated to
act on their health goals, just as those who find the jobs they love were
driven to act on their career goals. The same is true for goals of personal
improvement, goals to improve your finances or education, and goals to find and
develop your relationships. There are no secrets, no complex formulas to
success. It's simply a matter of getting and staying motivated to do what it
takes to succeed.
What Do You Think About This?
Consider the issue for yourself. If you could tap into an overpowering drive to
take action, could you find a way to create the life you've always wanted to
live? If you knew how to trigger the motivation to take massive action each and
every day, could you find a way to come closer and closer to the things you
wanted most? If you were entirely free of fear, ready and willing to stop
wishing and instead do something about what you wanted, could you find a way to
achieve your dreams? We both know the answer: Of course you could. With a drive
like that pushing you forward, nothing could stop you. But this fact doesn't
help to answer the most important question of all: How do you trigger that kind
of motivation in the first place?
The Motivation Myth
To begin answering this question, we first need to clear up a common myth about
motivation. While most see it as a mysterious feeling, coming and going without
notice or reason, the motivation to act is actually a sensation that can be
personally turned on and off at will. When you know how to do it, you can
actually trigger the drive to take action with a simple snap of the fingers. In
just seconds, you can be overcome with the need to act on what you want. So how
exactly is it done? At this point you might be thinking that motivation may be
critical to your success, but what if you don't have the confidence to move
forward with your goals? If this is an issue you've battled with over the
years, you may want to take a few moments to learn about our featured guide to
motivation. The entire process of gaining an unstoppable confidence is covered
in detail.