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Carlton Street, Suite 1032, Toronto, ON
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LE
NEWSLETTER
April 12, 2007
Welcome to spring!? Along with that soon-to-be sense of renewal, I have a special event for you led by a good and trusted friend of
mine - if you've ever been curious about a career, image or personal makeover,
then Look Good Feel Wonderful is for
you. Details below.
Catch some exciting events coming up - the almost sold out Sophisticate with its private invitation
party. Then there's MadTV's Aries Spears headlining a comedy night - so laugh all the way to purchase
tickets!
Tons of Canadian news in every category so check out each one below or just
CLICK AS FOLLOWS:
::HOT EVENTS::
Look Good, Feel Wonderful – Saturday,
April 28, 2007
Spring is a season of rejuvenation. It's a time when many of
us clear out the clutter in our physical spaces and prepare for the
joyful feeling that the warm weather and sunshine brings. So what
better time is there than now to tidy up your life and eliminate the
mental and emotional clutter that is keeping you from living up to your
highest potential? If you have dreams of doing more with your life, but always
seem to get deterred and if you want to freshen up your wardrobe
and get in style without going in debt, then this is your season of
change! Register today for Look Good, Feel
Wonderful, a personal development and fashion consulting seminar
sponsored by The Stepping Stone Image Consulting. Come discover what's
really holding you back and why aligning your attire with your aspirations
is an important step toward personal and professional success. If your home is
worthy of renewal, then why aren't you?
Since sharing blesses the giver and the receiver, please join us on April
28th and bring everyone who you know wants to feel, be and do
their best.
"One of the greatest feelings in life is the conviction
that you have lived the life you wanted to live - with the rough and the
smooth, the good and the bad - but yours, shaped by your own choices, and not
someone else's"
- Michael Ignatieff, author, politician
SATURDAY, APRIL 28
LOOK GOOD, FEEL WONDERFUL
Verity Centre For Better Living
28 Milford Ave. (closest major intersections are Keele & Lawrence)
12:00 NOON
$20 in advance; $30 day of
Refreshments will be served
To register call (416) 534-1069
Tickets are also available at: A Different Booklist - 746 Bathurst
Ave (south of Bloor in Toronto) and Knowledge Bookstore - 177 Queen
Street W. (east of McLaughlin in Brampton)
Sophisticate “The Private Party” - Saturday, April 14, 2007
Created on the premise that bigger is not always
better and that intimacy and the personal touch are key, each SOPHISTICATE “private party” caters
to150 personally invited guests who enjoy a musical vibe that covers a broad
spectrum of R&B, neo-soul, and old school ranging from Chaka Khan and
Quincy Jones to Beyonce and Ne-Yo. Our DJs are famous for playing the
unexpected at any given moment….as long as it keeps the crowd moving.
The definition of a SOPHISTICATE
Entrance is by private invitation and VIP
guest list only. Contact info@consepshun.com to get on the
$10 VIP guest list. This event will be limited to 150 guests only.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2007
Andy C and Consepshun Enterprises present
SOPHISTICATE the private party –
Anniversary Edition
Tangerine Bar & Lounge
647 King Street West (King & Bathurst)
Style Code: chic, stylish, sophisticated
Hosted by: Andy C with special guest host Robert Jean of French Fellows
Musical Vibe: DJ Darrel Alize with MC Toney Williams
www.consepshun.com
Aries Spears Headlines Toronto
Comedian Aries Spears brings his unique comedic talents for the first time in Toronto to the Panasonic Theatre
on Saturday, April 14. This Chicago native is best known for his 8 seasons on
Fox’s hit show Mad TV where he portrayed characters from Bill Cosby, James
Brown, rapper Jay-Z, DMX to Al Pacino. Aries has also appeared on Def
Comedy Jam and most recently on Comedy Central. Aries is joined on stage by
comedians Jean Paul, MTV Canada’s Gilson Lubin, Flow 93.5 human jump off TRIXX
and direct from England by way of Hamilton the always hilarious, and outrageous
Jason Rouse.
Music for the event will be provided by Matisse and DJ Staring From
Scratch. The after party for this one will be all the way live.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14
Ajahmae And SFS Entertainment Presents
ARIES SPEARS
Panasonic Theatre
651 Yonge Street (former home of Blue Man Group)
Doors open 7:30 pm; Show starts 8:00 pm
Tickets: $35 advance – www.ticketmaster.ca
::OPPORTUNITY::
Grammy Foundation® Grant Program Makes Awards
Source: Christina Cassidy, The
GRAMMY Foundation, christina.cassidy@grammy.com,
310.392.3777
(Apr. 5, 07) SANTA MONICA, Calif. - The GRAMMY Foundation® Grant Program has
announced that $650,000 in grants will be awarded to 18
recipients across the United States and in Canada. The funds will provide support for archiving and
preservation programs and research efforts that investigate the impact of music
on human development. Funds will be given to help facilitate an extraordinary
range of research, archiving and preservation projects on a range of subjects,
including: isolating the formation of a sophisticated understanding of music
during the first year of life; assessing spared musical memories in patients
with Alzheimer disease; documenting the musical subculture of Irish American
musicians; and preserving and disseminating audio from the Civil Rights
Movement. "The Grant Program is a pillar of the GRAMMY Foundation's
work," said Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy® and the
GRAMMY Foundation. "This year's grant recipients represent collections and
archives that are critically important to our cultural heritage and our future,
and research projects that investigate the vital intersection of music and
science."
The GRAMMY Foundation's Grants Program is generously funded by The Recording
Academy. Now in its 20th year, the GRAMMY Foundation Grant Program has awarded
$4.6 million to more than 200 noteworthy projects. The Grant Program provides
funding annually to organizations and individuals to support efforts that
advance the archiving and preservation of the music and recorded sound heritage
of the Americas for future generations, as well as research projects related to
the impact of music on the human condition. Recipients are determined based on
criteria such as merit, uniqueness of project and the ability to accomplish
intended goals. The deadline each year for submitting grant applications is Oct.
1. Applications for the 2008 cycle will be available at www.grammyfoundation/grants
after May 1, 2007. The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate
the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded
music to American culture - from the artistic and technical legends of the past
to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of future generations of music
professionals. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and
activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the
general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with The
Recording Academy to bring national attention to important issues such as the
value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our
rich cultural heritage. For more information, please visit www.grammyfoundation.com.
Established in 1957, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences,
Inc., also known as The Recording Academy, is an organization of musicians,
producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving
the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally
known for the GRAMMY® Awards, The Recording Academy is responsible for
groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy,
education and human services programs - including the creation of the national
public education campaign What's The Download® (WhatsTheDownload.com®). For
more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.
::TOP STORIES::
Fest Will Reel You In
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Susan Walker, Entertainment Reporter
(April 10, 2007) Despite a name that gives no clue to its
contents, the ReelWorld film festival has steadily grown in both size and importance. Under the
subtitle, "Our Stories. Our Talent. Our Films," the seventh annual
festival boasts 100 screenings in five days. From Wednesday through Sunday,
shorts, documentaries, features and kids movies screen in the Rainbow Cinemas.
Sprinkled throughout the schedule are panel discussions, parties and an awards
ceremony. Founder and executive director Tonya
Lee Williams calls it a "film event dedicated to
creating opportunities for Canadian artists." But not only works by Canadians
of diverse backgrounds are included in the fest. Films and videos are coming in
from the U.S. and the U.K., South Africa, Hong Kong, Mexico, India, France,
Japan and Austria. A Winter Tale, the opening-night film at the
Scotiabank Theatre, is as rooted in Toronto as any film could be. Directed by
Frances-Anne Solomon, A Winter Tale is an all-too-common story about a
drug-related fatal shooting. A 9-year-old boy is killed, leaving the Caribbean
community in Parkdale in crisis. A social worker, Gene (Peter Williams), gets
the men in the neighbourhood to form a discussion group. At times riveting and
at times a little slack, it offers heartfelt performances.
Wondrous Oblivion is not new, but this wonderfully upbeat film starring
Delroy Lindo never got a commercial release in Canada. The movie is set in a
London working-class neighbourhood in the early 1960s. The Wisemans' son,
David, is a cricket fanatic considered too unathletic to be on the school team.
When Dennis (Lindo) and his Jamaican family move in next door, the residents of
the street go ballistic. But the Wisemans befriend their new neighbours and
Dennis, once a famous cricketer, coaches David until he becomes a star player. Retour
à Gorée follows Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour from Gorée, a monument to
the trans-Atlantic slave trade, to America. His project is to trace the musical
threads that bind the New World to Africa. Accompanied by blind pianist Moncef
Genoud, he meets with gospel singers in the South and a brilliant drummer in
New Orleans. Another doc, FESPACO: Telling Our Story is more a
missed opportunity than a window on Burkina Faso's nearly 30-year-old film
festival. American director Kevin Arkadie follows some African-American
filmmakers to the 2005 Festival Panafricain du Cinéma et de la Télévision de
Ouagadougou (FESPACO). Arkadie concentrates on the Americans and their
wonderment that they've found a place that will screen their independent films.
ReelWorld's focus on Jamaica makes an ideal opportunity for the screening of A
Hard Road To Travel, a portrait of Jamaican director Perry Henzell, who got
an enthusiastic reception when he came to the Toronto Film Fest last September.
Sadly, he died early this year, but his voice can be heard narrating this
documentary. Canadian Arun Bharali directed the Bollywood-style comedy Bolly
Double, in which bespectacled video clerk Kativa gets the chance of a
lifetime. She gets to stand in as haughty Bollywood star Kohinoor, after the
actor is kidnapped at the Toronto airport.
Proud FM To Target Gay And Lesbian Listeners
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Jeff Gray
(Apr. 9, 07) A new frequency on Toronto's crowded FM radio
dial is poised to make history, its backers say, by becoming the country's --
and perhaps the world's -- first mainstream commercial radio station aimed at
gays and lesbians. Proud FM is set to launch officially one week from today at 103.9 FM. Its
website promises "an eclectic mix of sounds from current hits to anthems
from the 70s, 80s and 90s" as well as a "splash of classical and
dance music" and "unique and inclusive" talk programs. "I
really think that we are pioneers here," said John Kenyon, the station's
retail-sales supervisor, in an interview yesterday. He said Proud FM,
headquartered at Wellesley and Church Streets in the heart of Toronto's gay
village, hopes to attract as many as 455,000 local listeners a week with its
low power 50-watt signal, which will cover most of the city and extend as far
north as Highway 7. Listeners from across Canada are expected to tune in
online, he added.
Mr. Kenyon predicts major advertisers will seek out his station as a way to get
the attention of the affluent gay and lesbian market without having to
advertise in edgier publications. "IKEA, for example, doesn't want an ad
in a local publication next to a racy bathhouse ad," he said, adding that
CRTC rules mean his station will have broad appeal. In fact, the station --
already broadcasting a loop of music and promotional clips -- has been the
subject of a feud with the organization behind Xtra, an influential newspaper
aimed at gays and lesbians that doesn't shy away from advertising and content
some observers might consider racy. Before the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission gave the go-ahead last year, one of the station's
original backers, the non-profit Pink Triangle Press, which publishes Xtra,
dropped out. Ken Popert, president and executive director of Pink Triangle
Press, said the station's co-owner, the Evanov Radio Group, wouldn't promise
not to convert Proud FM to a conventional radio station once the licence was
approved. Mr. Popert also complained that the new station wouldn't pledge to
using Xtra for its news content. "They didn't deliver on any of the things
they had promised us. Not a single one, in fact," he said yesterday.
"Our No. 1 requirement was that they undertake to ensure that this would
be a gay and lesbian radio station for the indefinite future."
Mr. Kenyon said the station is committed to programming for gays, lesbians,
bisexuals and the transgendered and that its owners have been fighting to get
the concept on air for a decade. "Why would anyone work 10 years to get a
licence to do this, just to flip it? " Mr. Kenyon asked. Gay-rights
organization Egale Canada and other local groups and politicians supported the
station's bid. The CRTC says it expects the station's spoken-word content
"will consistently incorporate material of direct and particular relevance
to the gay and lesbian community, and reflect its perspective and its
particular needs and interests." Proud FM's morning show will be hosted by
Ken Kostick and Mary Jo Eustace, reuniting the pair that hosted the popular What's
For Dinner, a TV cooking show on the Life Network in the 1990s. The
station is to officially launch at 10:39 a.m. on April 16. Awarding the
right to broadcast at 103.9 FM was also controversial because the CRTC did not
issue a call for competing applications. The new frequency is close
enough to the existing Z103.5 FM, a pop station owned by the Evanov Group and
based in nearby Orangeville, Ont., that the firm would be able to veto any
proposal for it under CRTC rules. Radio giants CHUM Ltd. and Rogers
Broadcasting Ltd., which own six Toronto stations between them, opposed the
application, arguing that the lack of restrictions on the new station's music
programming would render it too free to compete with existing stations on Toronto's
dial. Evanov Radio Group also owns or controls stations in Ottawa and Halifax,
as well as multicultural 530 AM in Brampton.
Brit Singer A Soul Survivor
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Ashante Infantry, Entertainment Reporter
(April 10, 2007) James Morrison can pinpoint the life-altering
moment that led to his being named Best Male Singer at February's Brit Awards.
"As soon as I got fired from my job it was like a kick up the ass to say
go for what you want," says the 22-year-old entertainer, whose recent Mod
Club show marked his first visit to Canada. With a gravely, beseeching voice
and top-selling debut album, Undiscovered, songwriter-guitarist Morrison
is the latest in a wave of U.K. singers – Joss Stone, Corinne Bailey Rae, Amy
Winehouse – credited with reviving vintage soul. Morrison is a self-taught
musician who started off singing along with his parents' Pink Floyd and Stevie
Wonder records. "My mom used to tell me how good I was, but I
ignored it because moms always tell you shit like that," he recalls in an
interview in a Toronto hotel lobby.
He honed his skills busking and performing at family parties until a 2003 move
north from Cornwall to the more urban Derby, his girlfriend's hometown. "I
left all my friends, the beach, the beautiful weather, thinking maybe I would
be able to get more gigs." But nothing came of the few open-mic sessions he
attended; and a year later, he was still washing vans at a rental car
agency. "Then I got fired, which was a blessing really. The first
couple days after, I sat home writing songs. I wrote (my girlfriend) a song
called "You're All I Need" and she was like `F--k the song! Get out
there and get a job!'" Walking though town thinking "I'm going back
home to Cornwall; I'd rather be miserable by the sea," Morrison bumped
into a musician he'd met previously. This acquaintance turned out to be a
talent scout who offered to record his demo. And that disc wound up in the
right hands. "Within two weeks of me getting fired I sat in Sony and they
offered me a development deal." But Morrison wasn't easily wooed. He
survived on a carpet-fitting gig and his girlfriend's largesse while
fine-tuning songs and weighing other offers before signing with Polydor UK. Undiscovered
debuted at No. 1 last summer and has sold more than a million copies. And
his first North American shows are drawing capacity club crowds.
"I can't work out whether Americans are over-enthusiastic or English
people are under-enthusiastic, but there's definitely a difference," says
the chummy, Chris Martin look-alike who will tour with John Mayer later this
year. "It's like they're ready to watch a rock concert in America
and sometimes I feel quite intimidated by it, like my songs are too sensitive
to fulfill that rock niche." His husky sound – courtesy of a near-fatal
bout of whooping cough in infancy – and aggressive delivery recall Rod Stewart
and the artist formerly known as Terence Trent D'Arby, but ill-advised critics
have been ranking him with Al Green and Otis Redding. Though his
peripatetic poverty-stricken childhood imbued him with a similar repository of
emotional angst, Morrison rightly rejects comparisons to those retro icons,
along with the offensive blue-eyed soul label. "Soul is being able to tell
people what you feel with honesty. You don't have to be singing gospel, or be
able to riff up and down the scale; Van Morrison can't do that, but he's so soulful.
"It's all about passion. It's not about being black or white." His
album is comprised of live, upbeat instrumentation and dark lyrics.
"I wanted to get past all the happy shit that you hear on the radio; it's
all about going out to a club or `Look how much bling I've got' or `Look how
well I'm doing.' "I felt like I've got a lot of sad in me and a lot of
other people have, too. I didn't want to make a sad album, but I wanted to make
people feel emotion." And his current state of mind? "I'm
happy, but it's so (hectic) that I haven't had time to let this all sink
in.”Maybe I'll be more happy when I get a break for like a year where I can
just go out and party and have a good time, and travel and see places
properly. "I'm looking forward to making the next record. I feel
I've been stuck in this world for ages and I want to come up with something new
again."
Collie Buddz: New Reggae Artist Is Diversifying Dancehall
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
April 11, 2007) *What are
the characteristics of a dancehall
superstar? Born in New Orleans? Raised in Bermuda? Bald? White? Musically
immersed in the music with influences of hip-hop and soca? No matter what
you may have thought, those are exactly the attributes of who MTV is calling
“the next big reggae star.” He goes by the name Collie
Buddz and he is all of the above, and then some. Hardly the picture of a
Rastafarian, Collie explained to EUR’s Lee Bailey that while he may not have
the common look of a dancehall maestro, he definitely has the heart of
one. “I just fell in love with the music,” he said. “I just
basically grew up with old reggae music. I was just constantly around the
music, buying CDs and session tapes. As far as I can remember, I was listening
to reggae. I guess it all ties in with how I sound today.” That sound has been
described as “fat, fragrant sack of rugged roots reggae” and an “on drop
crooner” of reggae. And that sound has been a source of amazement for dancehall
fans. “A lot of people are shocked when they first see me. They first
hear the tune and think it’s some big Rasta man from Jamaica and they see this
little white boy,” Collie said. “It definitely puts people off, at first.”
Fortunately, the surprise has been all good so far. The dancehall lyricists
said that he’s yet to run into any haters unhappy about his, er ... lack of
melanin. His acceptance may be in part by the fact that Collie makes no attempt
to be something he’s not – in addition to his popular music. His sound is his
own and so is his image. He even explained that he doesn’t sport dreads, a
Rastafarian tell-tell, out of respect for what dread locks represent. “Dreads,
to me, represent being very spiritual and deep into the Rasta religion. I’ve
never got into that so I don’t want to portray myself as someone I’m not. So
I’m just sticking with the bald head,” he said. One thing that does fit the
bill is the singer’s admiration for herb. His stage name, Collie Buddz, was
derived from his real name Collin, but developed after his introduction to
marijuana as a teen. And furthermore, his first US single, “Come Around” could
clearly be considered an ode to herb. “It’s about the drought that we get
in Bermuda of herb around winter time,” Collie explained. “It’s hard to find
some good herb and when you find it, it’s real expensive. And if you pay for
it, you’re lucky if you get something good. So, the tune is about finally when
the package comes and you get some high grade, you’re happy about it.” While he
admits there may be some resistance to the song, like any islander, Collie
shrugged off any disapproval, saying: “There’s going to be a couple of people
that are not want to promote it, but I’m not that concerned about it. It’s a
part of my culture.”
Collie’s culture is a dual citizenship of the US and Bermuda, though he
generally calls Bermuda his home, and has a strong connection to Jamaica.
“It’s just like any other Caribbean island,” he said of Bermuda. “Just like in
Jamaica, dancehall and hip hop rule everything. It might not be the thing that
tourists see all the time, but definitely reggae is the main music here.” And
even in describing his style, Collie referred to the Jamaican terms for a
singing DJ. “They have a saying in Jamaica that a DJ isn’t a guy who
plays records, he’s actually a guy that sings dancehall lyrics or fast-paced
lyrics. And then they have singers. But you can have a DJ that sings also and
they call him a sing-jay. That’s how I describe my music; a dancehall singer
putting melody to it. It’s rapping, but with melody.” The self-titled debut
disc from this melodic rapper hits stores this June, but you can already check
out his sound online at www.colliebuddz.com or his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/colliebuddz.
::MUSIC NEWS::
Familiar Faces Honoured (Again) At Jazz
Awards
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
J.D. Considine, The Canadian Press
(Apr. 11, 07) Nothing sums up last night's National Jazz
Awards more succinctly than the title of its
Album of the Year: One More Time. It was, after all, the second year in
a row pianist Oliver Jones has gone home with that award. Nor was he the
evening's only repeat winner — far from it. Among those honoured for the second
— or third, or fourth, or sixth — straight year were multi-instrumentalist Don
Thompson (who was named both Musician and Instrumentalist of the Year), drummer
Terry Clarke, guitarist Reg Schwager, clarinettist Phil Nimmons, bassist
Roberto Occhipinti (although he won as a producer, not a bassist), journalist
Geoff Chapman, the Toronto Jazz Festival, and record label Justin Time. In all,
15 of the 27 awards went to the same people who won them last year. Granted,
they weren't all exact repeats. British Columbia native Diana Krall, who last
year won the International Musician of the Year trophy, earned a duplicate
Tuesday night at Toronto's Palais Royale Ballroom. But she couldn't repeat her
triumph as Vocalist of the Year, because that category had been split into Male
and Female divisions. So instead, she took one half, and Michael Bublé the
other. And while Heather Bambrick wasn't named Jazz Broadcaster of the Year
last year, she was the year before.
Mike Murley, who wins so consistently that they may want to add “Best
Saxophonist Who Isn't Mike Murley” as a category, was as usual tops on his
instrument. In addition, he shared the Acoustic Group of the Year award with
pianist David Braid (who was also named the SOCAN Composer of the Year).
Hilario Duran, who won again in the Latin Jazz category, also triumphed in the
Best Big Band category, shouldering aside previous perennial Rob McConnell.
McConnell got the short shrift as well in the trombone category, where Russ
Little — whose virtuoso performance on the albums Snapshot and Footwork
could not be denied — prevailed. Of course, not all the new winners were new.
Phil Nimmons, who put “the Canadian sound” on the map in the fifties, won
Arranger of the Year, while Guido Basso, who has been on the scene since the 1940s,
pushed past previous winner Kevin Turcotte to be named Trumpet Player of the
Year. Among the other fresh faces was the prodigiously gifted pianist Robi
Botos, who won Keyboardist of the Year; occasional Jim Cuddy accompanist Anne
Lindsay, named Violinist of the Year; bassist George Koller, who has recorded
with everyone from Loreena McKennitt to Jazz Awards co-host David
Clayton-Thomas; and trumpeter Nick Ali's Electryc Trio. This was the sixth year
for the National Jazz Awards. They were founded by publisher, producer and
broadcaster Bill King, who Tuesday night was handed the Paul Hoeffler award for
photography, and the voting was open to anyone who went to the group's website.
Complete list of winners
The winners of the 2007 National Jazz Awards:
Jazz Broadcaster of the Year: Heather Bambrick
Drummer of the Year: Terry Clarke
Keyboardist of the Year: Robi Botos
Jazz Festival of the Year: Toronto
Bassist of the Year: George Koller
Trumpet Player of the Year: Guido Basso
Jazz Journalist of the Year: Geoff Chapman/Toronto Star
Guitarist of the Year: Reg Schwager
Saxophonist of the Year: Mike Murley
Violinist of the Year: Anne Lindsay
Musician of the Year: Don Thompson
Clarinettist of the Year: Phil Nimmons
Arranger of the Year: Phil Nimmons
Instrumentalist of the Year: Don Thompson
Jazz Label of the Year: Justin Time Records
SOCAN Composer of the Year: David Braid
Jazz Album of the Year: Oliver Jones, One More Time
Acoustic Group of the Year: Murley/Braid Quartet
Jazz Producer of the Year: Roberto Occhipinti
Trombonist of the Year: Russ Little
Female Vocalist of the Year: Diana Krall
Big Band of the Year: Hilario Duran Latin Jazz Band
International Musician of the Year: Diana Krall
Electric Group of the Year: Nick Ali's Electryc Trio
Latin Jazz Artist of the Year: Hilario Duran
Paul Hoeffler Photographer: Bill King
Male Vocalist of the Year: Michael Bublé
Faves, First-Timers Share In Jazz Awards
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Ashante Infantry,
Jazz Reporter
(April 11, 2007) Perennial favourites and first-timers shared the glory and the
spotlight at the sixth annual National
Jazz Awards last night.
Legendary clarinettist Phil Nimmons added Arranger of the Year, as well as top
honours for his instrument, to past wins. Another recurring recipient and
dean of the jazz scene, Don Thompson, was named Best Instrumentalist and
Musician. And while vets such as vibist Peter Appleyard and the Oliver Jones's
piano lead trio delivered rousing performances during the three-hour gala at
Palais Royale, a couple of rookies held their own. Winnipeg singer Sophie
Berkal-Sarbit, 16, was aptly accompanied by trumpeter Jon Challoner, 19, on a
scintillating rendition of "The Gypsy in My Soul." "I wish
we'd had a chance to play more," said Humber College student Challoner,
also the recipient of the $2,000 Galaxie Rising Star Award. Noted trumpeter
Guido Basso was impressed by the youth's eight-bar solo. "He
displays a tremendous amount of harmonic maturity for his age," said the
musician who, to delight of the overflow audience, came out to accept his own
prize for Trumpeter playing "Milestones."
He was one of several seasoned players receiving awards for the first time. The
others were: George Koller (Bassist), Robi Botos (Keyboardist), Russ Little
(Trombonist) and Anne Lindsay (Violinist). But the selections made online by
2,600 jazz fans across the country mostly reflected the tried and true.
For the second year in a row, Diana Krall was elected International Musician.
She also took the title of Best Female Vocalist. Hilario Durán capped off
his recent Juno – Contemporary Jazz Album (From the Heart) — by winning
Latin Jazz Artist for the second year and Big Band. And Oliver Jones racked up
back-to-back Album of the Year wins with One More Time. Other winners
included: Terry Clarke (Drummer), Michael Bublé (Male Vocalist), Mike
Murley/David Braid Quartet (Acoustic Group), Reg Schwager (Guitarist), Roberto
Occhipinti (Producer), Nick Ali's Electryc Trio (Electric Group) and Justin
Time (Jazz Label). Media awards went to Star columnist Geoff Chapman,
JAZZFM91's Heather Bambrick and photographer Bill King.
Visit nationaljazzawards.com for a full list of winners. Next up as the city's
jazz scene springs into high season: celebrating its consecutive wins as the
nation's finest, the Toronto Jazz Festival announces its line-up on April 24.
Morissette's Humps Web-Spoof A Hit
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com
- Canadian Press
(April 06, 2007) Toronto — A cutting parody
of the Black
Eyed Peas' party song My Humps has Alanis Morissette fans howling online. A spoof music video on sites
including Morissette's website and MySpace page has the Ottawa native crooning
a slowed-down torch version of the chart-topper and gyrating in a variety of
hootchie outfits including short-shorts, a tube top and a tight satin jacket.
The ridiculous clip is attracting cheers from fans across the blogosphere,
where pop-culture junkies are delighting in the Ironic singer's
no-holds-barred critique of the titillating track and singer Fergie's
suggestive dance moves. "The My Humps video is ultra-comic
GOLD!" one fan, identified as 31-year-old Julian from Decatur, Ga., writes
on Morissette's MySpace page.
"Your video is freakin' hilarious!! Maybe u could do Alanis-licious
too!!" adds Kelly, a 30-year-old woman from Texas. A spokesman for
Morissette said the singer was not commenting on why she recorded the song and
shot a video, but reports have suggested it was an April Fool's joke for fans.
With call-and-response lyrics including the hypnotic refrain, "My humps,
my humps, my humps, my lovely lady lumps," the Black Eyed Peas hit has
drawn its fair share of detractors since its release in late 2005. Slate.com
derided the track in a December 2005 posting as "horrifically bad,"
going on to describe it as "a stunning assemblage of awful ideas." The
All Music Guide called it "one of the most embarrassing rap performances
of the new millennium." Still, its catchy melody and suggestive video won
it heavy radio and television play last year, and in February My Humps won
a Grammy for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal.
But it's clear the song still rankles. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 1.5
million people had watched Morissette's goofy cover on Youtube.com. "HAHA!
I like Alanis all over again," dannosaurus says on Youtube.com, identified
on his profile as 33-year-old Dan from the United States. "This is just
perfect. Really shows how stupid those lyrics actually are."
Nelly's A Maneater
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Ben
Rayner, Pop Music Critic
(April 05, 2007) Forgive a hopelessly white man for
borrowing from the hip-hop vernacular, but this Nelly Furtado thing has hit a whole `nutha level. The giggly ingénue
slightly awestruck at her own sudden stardom who first tirelessly made the
rounds of the planet on the back of "I'm Like a Bird" and her hit
debut, Whoa, Nelly!, six years ago was supplanted at the Air Canada
Centre last night by a confident, if not quite yet cocky, diva-in-training
perfectly at home on an arena stage. Indeed, there were signs during the
performance that 10 million copies in worldwide record sales for last year's Loose
album and the attendant international stardom have already put the customary Vegas
pop-star tilt on Furtado's live show. A mini-troupe of four dancers
offered interpretive moves to most of the set list, for instance, while the
band put a slicked-up new spin on older numbers like "Turn Off the
Lights" and "Powerless" and Nelly disappeared a couple of times
to change outfits – from a black, spangly Diana Ross mini-dress (perfect for
"Do It") during the early going to a long evening gown for the
ballads "Show Time," "All Good Things (Come to an End)" and
her Internet-beloved, semi-acoustic cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy"
to a tight, white pantsuit thing for the end of the night.
Through it all, though, and with a minimum of words (and not one boast that I
heard about her five-award sweep of the Junos in Saskatoon last weekend) to the
crowd, Furtado held onto the essential, everygal charm that makes her
infinitely much more watchable than your Beyoncés and Christina Aguileras.
Probably because she doesn't yet seem all that at home marking choreographed
steps with her dancers while singing. If the mid-set detour into ballad
territory dragged on a bit too long to feel natural (leave that crap to
Christina), Furtado proved her recent, Timbaland-abetted rebirth as a
genre-crossing pop/R&B hitmaker anything but forced as she traded spry verses
with Toronto rapper Saukrates on "Promiscuous," reworked "I'm
Like a Bird" over Timbo's bassline to Justin Timberlake's
"SexyBack" and easily wiped any of the evening's shortcomings from
memory by strapping on a guitar to intro a stormy kick at "Maneater"
to close the night. Honestly, that song's so freakin' awesome I haven't
thought of anything else since hearing it 400 times over Juno weekend. And now
I won't for another week.
Sophie Berkal-Sarbit, 16 - She's Ready
For A National Audience
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Ashante
Infantry, Jazz Reporter
(April 05, 2007) Tracking jazz artists across the globe for
interviews is par for the course; but when the Star learned that Sophie Berkal-Sarbit was in Spain, we thought we'd missed the
boat on the 16-year-old Winnipeg singer. "No, not performing," she
said when we finally got her on the phone in Barcelona. "Sightseeing,
shopping, going to tourist attractions." Turns out the 11th grader was on
a 10-day high school field trip, her first time in Europe, with stops in London
and Paris. Based on her debut disc The Gypsy in My Soul, which hits
stores Tuesday, it won't be long before she's cashing in per diems. Backed by
an A-list cast, including bassist Dave Young, guitarist Jake Langley, trumpeter
Kevin Turcotte and producer Bill King, Berkal-Sarbit acquits herself
impressively on chestnuts such as "The Man I Love," "Skylark"
and "Someone to Watch Over Me."
Toronto audiences got a taste last summer when she appeared on the Divas bill
at the Toronto and Beaches International Jazz Festivals. Another chance to look
and listen comes with Berkal-Sarbit performances at Tuesday's National Jazz
Awards and her CD release party at Live@Courthouse the following night. The
young songstress, who started off singing with her grandfather (a respected
cantor who recorded his first CD at age 87), is also an award-winning dancer
whose first turn centre stage was playing Annie in a Grade 4 production.
According to her bio, musicality came early: "Apparently in utero, I would
kick and stop in synch with whatever music (my parents) were listening
to." And Berkal-Sarbit was only too happy to interrupt her overseas
adventure to chat about her forthcoming album and upcoming gigs.
Q What was it like being in the studio with that
stellar group of much older musicians?
A It was very intimidating at the beginning. I'd barely been singing jazz for
two years and here I was recording with people like Dave Young ... they made me
feel comfortable. A lot of those musicians play on the Divas shows, so I was
familiar with them. Bill (King) got them all together; I didn't really have any
involvement in the musician part.
Q When you eventually have your own band you'll be the boss.
A I know. I definitely have to learn assertiveness training. Bill's been doing
that for me now and I've been watching him carefully.
Q How did you decide on the songs?
A Bill sent me a bunch of CDs and I went through all of them and found the ones
that inspired me. A lot of people ask, `How can you sing a song about love and
all that kind of stuff and be able to portray it with feeling and emotion?' I
say actors can do it, so why can't I? You just have to find a personal
connection, even if it's not the same thing the song is talking about; it
doesn't have to be, `Okay, I got dumped and drink and smoke now.'
Q What was your introduction to jazz?
A My dad is a huge jazz buff, but as a kid I didn't pay much attention to it. I
used to sing musical theatre. About three years ago, I was participating in the
International Music Festival. I did a lot of Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder
songs in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, but when we got to New York, my dad
suggested I sing a jazz song. So I did "Angel Eyes" and "The Man
I Love." I realized that music was way more challenging and fun – more of
a storyline, more dynamics – and I wanted to continue learning about it. I
listened to all the old Ella and Sarah and Carmen first, because I wanted to
get the basis. And then I moved on to more modern artists, like Molly Johnson.
Q Which female jazz vocalist would you like to emulate?
A I think Diana Krall has an amazing career. She's made it to a point where a
lot of people know who she is, yet she has complete privacy. That would be
amazing. I do want to be a singer, but I have fallbacks.
Q Like what?
A I want to be a chef. I love cooking and baking. I also want to go to law
school, but I don't know.
Q What does the word diva mean to you?
A I know that I'm not one. A diva is someone fussy, someone requesting water at
a certain temperature. I don't need a lot of prepping. I go up there and I
sing. It's pretty simple.
Q What do your friends say about you singing jazz?
A Some of them are really supportive, but I get crap from lots of them too. I
don't think some of them get it in terms of the commitment and how much it
means to me. It's something that I've chosen and the people that support it are
my true friends.
Q Do you listen to other music?
A I listen to the pop station once in awhile. I know all those people, I'm not
completely out of it.
Keite Young Sings Of Sin And Salvation
Source: Paula Witt, Shore Fire Media, pwitt@shorefire.com], Carrie Tolles, ctolles@shorefire.com]
(April 5, 2007) Keite
(pronounced Keet) Young, ordained
minister and R&B crooner, sings of sin and salvation on his stellar debut
'The Rise and Fall of Keite Young' (Hidden Beach Recordings, June 12).
The uncanny duality is personified by the very title of the album as Young
resounds with the sacred and the profane, the sanctified and irreverent.
Whether it is the sin of sexual desires on the sultry track "The Way You
Love Me" or the salvation of the faithful anthem "Pray" - the
album is a testament to life's yin and yang touching on a kaleidoscope of human
emotion. Ordained as a minister at 15 years old, Keite Young joins a long
tradition of great soul artists such as Al Green, Johnnie Harrison Taylor and
Teddy Pendergrass who have sung of their passions for both the spiritual and
the flesh. Like Young, Teddy Pendergrass became an ordained minister at
an early age and later went on to record sultry love songs like "Turn Off
The Lights" and "Love TKO." Celebrated soulster Johnnie Harrison
Taylor was also a preacher before he recorded the steamy hits "Disco
Lady" and "Who's Making Love," while Al Green joined the
ministry in the midst of his popularity in the mid-70s and continues to record
and perform secular music today.
On Young's 'The Rise and Fall,' the diddy about unfulfilled passion, "If
We Were Alone," is juxtaposed with the spiritually uplifting song
"E.N.S. (Everybody Needs Somebody)," which Keite explains
"speaks to the acknowledgment that God is the ultimate answer to all
questions." Like the legendary crooners who came before him, Young does
not shy away from singing about humanly passion but his album also shows a
passion for something greater. Keite Young is the newest addition to the Hidden
Beach Recordings roster, home to groundbreaking artists like GRAMMY® award
winning singer Jill Scott, saxophonist Mike Phillips, soul duo Kindred the
Family Soul and the "Unwrapped" music series. On Young's debut album
'The Rise and Fall of Keite Young,' the singer, songwriter, producer and
multi-instrumentalist channels the musical passion and adventure of Al Green,
Muddy Waters, Sly Stone and the Beatles to artfully create his own singular,
dynamic space.
Listen to "ENS (Everybody Needs Somebody)":
HERE
Listen to "If We Were Alone":
HERE
For MORE on Keite Young, check out his MySpace page: www.myspace.com/keiteyoung
Rob Lutes - Another Unfamiliar Face In
The Crowd
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Greg
Quill, Entertainment Columnist
(April 05, 2007) In the overcrowded Canadian roots music
marketplace a humble artist willing to let his or her music do the talking is a
rare breed. Montreal-based singer-songwriter Rob Lutes
is apparently in no great hurry to get to the head of the line, though with
three well-reviewed CDs and some major international songwriting awards to his
credit, you'd think he'd be a major player on the festival circuit, or at least
a familiar name on the roots music trail. Yet despite having been
selected to perform at such major events as the Toronto International
Bluesfest, the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Philadelphia Folk
Festival, Lutes arrives back in Toronto for a show at Clinton's Tavern tomorrow
night a virtual unknown in the town where he first started honing his musical
chops around 1989. "I'm trying not to chase the magic moment,"
he said in a recent phone interview from his Montreal home. "If it comes,
I'll take it ... I'll know it's the real thing." The one-time tree-planter
has reasons for taking his time. One is his 14-year-old daughter, the
gift of a failed relationship. He moved to Montreal in the first place to be
close to her, and is reluctant to roam too far. The other is his day gig
writing and packaging promotional material for the National Film Board.
"It pays well, it keeps me grounded, and writing every day is good
exercise." A gifted and insightful lyricist with a melancholy bent, Lutes
has also developed a soulful, gravelled singing style that has drawn
comparisons to John Hiatt, Van Morrison and Fred Eaglesmith. And though his
songwriting heroes are American roots veterans Kris Kristofferson and Chris
Smither – "Chris is a cut above ... he writes about the real challenges of
living in a very subtle way" – and contemporaries Dave Alvin and Buddy
Miller, Lutes has unintentionally crossed over to blues territory in this
country, largely because of the abundance of acoustic blues venues in Montreal.
"I've never thought of myself as a blues singer," Lutes said.
"But once I started playing those places, I slowly gained a lot of respect
for blues artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Blake. The blues kind of
crept into my songs. "In a sense, all the songs I like have something in
common with the blues – three chords and narratives that convey some kind of
catharsis." Here to launch his third CD, Ride the Shadows, Lutes is
scrutinizing tentative offers to perform in France, Germany and the U.S., where
the album has already garnered great reviews and his award-winning song
"Cold Canadian Road" is getting substantial airplay. Several of his
songs have been recorded by Montreal artists, including Dawn Tylor Watson, Bob
Walsh and Nanette Workman. "These things just fall into my lap,"
Lutes added. "I don't have a manager or an agent. Someone will come along
sooner or later. I'm not in a big hurry."
Carl Thomas: Better Days Ahead
By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
(Apr. 6, 07) Seven
years ago when singer/songwriter Carl Thomas
released his sparkling debut project
'Emotional,' it beckoned a new generation of soul. Without any gimmicks,
his smooth and charming vocal gift drew comparisons to the forefathers Sam
Cooke, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye,
and opened up the gateway for hip-hop soul's new breed of crooners. While the
masterfully produced opus signalled new life for Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Bad Boy
Entertainment empire, Thomas never really rose from the shadow of the
media-garnering music mogul's largesse. Armed with a new record deal --
via former Motown Records chief Jheryl Busby's new Umbrella
Recordings imprint -- the platinum-selling Chicago native plans to release his
new album, titled 'So Much Better,' this summer. The project's lead track, '2
Pieces' has already generated buzz at Urban AC radio.
New-school R&B hit-maker Mike City (who produced 'I Wish')
is helming 'So Much Better,' which will feature other in-demand knob-turners Jimmy
Jam &Terry Lewis with Big Jim Wright, Brian Michael Cox,
and up and coming producing team, Pitch Black. According to a
spokesperson, guest collaborations will include Brandy, Dave Hollister,
and Lalah Hathaway. "In addition to being collaborators,
Carl and I are long- time friends. We decided that while he was in between
deals we would do an album together which would be released on my Unsung
Entertainment label. Thanks to Carl and Mr. Busby, who gave us the one-off
deal, on his Umbrella Recordings imprint, I am able to launch my label with a
major star," stated City, who is credited with introducing the careers of Anthony
Hamilton and Sunshine Anderson. Umbrella Recordings'
first release was five-decade-spanning diva Patti Labelle's first gospel album,
'The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle, which has been in the
Top 5 on Billboard's "Top Gospel Albums" chart for 14 weeks and held
the number one spot for 10 weeks. "To have Carl Thomas as our second
release is truly a blessing." Busby said. "He is the ultimate male
soul singer of the day and we are very pleased that he decided to help his
friend and do a one off deal with us. I am certain that this record will help
to further cultivate his career and solidify his growth for his next
deal."
Meeting Of The Jazz-Fuelled Minds
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Ashante
Infantry, Jazz Reporter
(April 09, 2007) It seems like a slick marketing ploy, but the
back-to-back releases of two different albums from the same recording session
were actually borne of the integrity of two like-minded jazz musicians.
"We didn't tell the label we were going to do it," explained
guitarist Pat Metheny of the 2005 studio date with pianist Brad Mehldau and Mehldau's rhythm section, which yielded Metheny Mehldau and Quartet, released last September and March,
respectively. Though they'd never shared a bandstand before, the highly
rated Nonesuch Record label mates wound up with two dozen enterprising tracks
which they took to company president Bob Hurwitz. "We went to Bob and said
`We just recorded 2 1/2 hours worth of music, what should we do?' And he
kind of lived with it for a month or so, and then said `I think it's too much
to put it out all at once.'" It was Hurwitz's idea to make the first
record duets and the second mostly quartets, releasing them a few months apart
and ahead of hitting the road.
The albums have garnered stellar reviews and brisk sales. The pair, along with
bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard from Melhdau's trio, are
drawing capacity crowds on the tour that lands at the Hummingbird Centre
tonight. "What's pretty unusual about this project is that Brad and
I had never played together," said the loquacious Missouri-born Metheny in
a phone interview from his home state. "We didn't even know each other
that well when we went into the studio. We were both excited about it and both
had written a lot of music in preparation for the recording, and walked in
there with 24 tunes between the two of us and walked out with 24 completed
tracks that were pretty much what the tunes were supposed to be." Those
nuggets include stirring ballads, such as "Find Me in Your Dreams,"
dedicated to Metheny's wife of 12 years. "That was the first tune
that I ever felt was worthy of her," said the 17-time Grammy winner.
Despite the self-taught veteran fusionist's 30-year association with
keyboardist Lyle Mays in the Pat Metheny Group, there were "no stumbling
blocks" to collaborating with the 16-years-younger, classically trained
Mehldau, a noted improviser with a penchant for Radiohead covers.
"There's a lot of implied harmony in what Brad does that anybody playing
with him would have to be ready for, but that suits my style well, because I'm
kind of like that." Adds Metheny, "There are some difficulties about
guitar and piano playing together without bass and drums, because both
instruments are then demanded to do a certain kind of connection to the other
harmonic instrument where there's potential for disaster; there's a lot of
notes flying around. But problems failed to materialize. "Within the
first 30 seconds of playing together we kind of psyched out a way of responding
to each other that avoided a lot of the pitfalls." And touring together is
fostering their rapport, said Metheny. "We've been out on the road now for
about three weeks and already we're playing stuff that's not on the records....
It's one of the best tours I've ever been a part of." The 52-year-old
father of two young children still performs up to 240 shows annually.
"It's thrilling to me that thousands of people come and know the
music and have followed my little piece of the world over these years," he
said. Metheny is a magnet for guitar enthusiasts who'll be craning to identify
the four or five guitars he'll utilize tonight. "I have about 50
(including more than a dozen designed by Toronto luthier Linda Manzer), but
it's not like I collect them. "Every one that I have I use for
something. And the ones I'm not using I tend to give away or sell. For me, a
guitar is a translation device for ideas. I'm not really a guitar freak."
Jon B Bringing The Love Back To R&B
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
April 10, 2007) *With more
than a decade on the grind, one
would think Jon B could easily rest on his multi-platinum
hits, chillin' somewhere back in a mid-1990s rhythm and blues time warp. But
this is Jon B. He's still a youngster at the age of 32 but the singer,
musician, songwriter and producer not only belongs to that tight group of
crooners of the ivory persuasion who purposely chose the R&B and soul path,
he has worked with a litany of artists up and down the register since his early
20s from Toni Braxton and Tupac Shakur to Faith Evans and Michael Jackson,
bringing those extra somethins' to a track. This time, Jon B is set to
usher in spring with the release of "Back to Love," a collection of
songs inspired by new love and upcoming additions. His second work under his
new label home, Arsenal Records, an independent label distributed through
Universal Records, Jon says the CD is his attempt to guide the world back to a
time long neglected.
"These are trying times in relationships, be it marriage or
monogamy. The levels are real low now," Jon said during a recent interview
in his hotel room hours before he was to perform at a Washington D.C club.
"Right now, people know love should be the message but they're kind of
playing with it, beating around the bush with it. The main inspiration behind
the album is I want to bring love back to the table. We have to get back to
that." With the CD nearly done, Jon feels no pressure to turn in nothing
less than perfection but he's eager to get his music out there to fill what he
considers a void in R&B music. "It's a hard thing for me because
I'm not satisfied yet," he said at the time of the interview on completing
the CD. "I love it but I'm very much my worst critic, more than everyone.
We have about three or four songs to record before I can really say I want to
turn it in."
For full article by
Dr. Rani Whitfield: 'Tha Hip-Hop Doc'
Interview with Kam Williams
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
– by Kam Williams
(April 10, 2007) *While the naysayers felt Hip-Hop
would
only be around long enough to quench a temporary thirst for kids in the South
Bronx, it's gone on to become an all-encompassing cultural trendsetter.
Rap's main component, music, has done much to create an undivided nation
regardless of color, religion, background or profession. And Rani G. Whitfield M.D., a board certified family physician, is a
pioneering participant in that regard. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr.
Whitfield earned his undergraduate degree while attending Southern University.
From there, he moved on to complete a sports medicine fellowship at Ohio State
University and ultimately finished up his family practice in Dayton. Upon
moving back home, he became active in the community, mostly offering his
services to local schools. As the team doctor at all-black Baton Rouge High, he
built a solid rapport with the students. Currently in the midst of developing
the Hip Hop Healthy Coalition, he plans to merge his three favourite pastimes:
music, medicine and sports for the good of the community. Dr. Whitfield calls
his most crowning achievement his sixteen month old daughter, Raina.
"That's it," he says. "When it's all said and done. my goal in
life is to never neglect her and always make sure I take care and do for
her."
Kam Williams:
You're known as "Tha Hip-Hop Doc." How'd you get such a colourful
nickname?
Rani Whitfield: The name was given to me by the kids at the
local high school I work with here in Baton Rouge. While riding in my car to
sporting events, I would play alternatives to their sometimes "hard on the
ears" music, and they began to really enjoy my music. It became a
challenge as I would play old school hip-hop that was clean, but creative like
Run DMC's "King of Rock" or the Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's
Delight". Sometimes they enjoyed it, sometimes they didn't, but it would
bring about discussion, dialogue, and a rapport.
KW: How were you able to develop that rapport with the Hip-Hop Generation?
RW: By being accessible to my students and having a true and sincere love of
hip-hop music. Young people only respond when they feel that you are sincere
and actually care about them. To be easily accessible to young people makes a
big difference. Even when I lecture at places away from my hometown, I think
the young people can tell that I want to be there and I give my all to them.
KW: Does that lead to criticism from your colleagues, the way that Professor
Cornel West took some heat, and eventually left Harvard for Princeton after
making a rap CD?
RW: It has to a certain degree, but I can't let that stop me. You can always
find something wrong with an approach to reaching young people. To be totally
honest, I could care less if it was classical music, country music, house
music, etcera. As long as it grasps the attention of these young people and
educates them, I'm all for it.
KW: Have you ever been to Princeton, which is where I live?
RW: I have not, but I would love to. Send a brother a ticket. [Laughs]
KW: Why do you care about the kids, when so many people easily dismiss
youngsters who embrace the gangsta' rap lifestyle, and its seeming celebration
of materialism, violence, misogyny and womanizing.
The Rock Writer Myth
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Liz Worth, Special To The Star
(April 10, 2007) There's a running joke among music writers that if they were
to change careers, they'd go through withdrawal of the sex, drugs, and rock 'n'
roll variety. But the sarcasm that reverberates off each word in that
sentiment is about as subtle as a Jimi Hendrix riff. The reality is,
there isn't much room in music
journalism to reminisce about partying 'til you
puke. The rock-'n'-roll-all-night-and-party-all-day cliché is a fantasy. As
much as it's been romanticized, writing requires a lot less drinking and a lot
more thinking. I've worked as a freelance music writer for the past
several years, and the myths about the wild world of music journalism have been
busted for me. When MTV's reality show I'm From Rolling Stone slipped
under the radar, buried in late-night programming, it didn't come as much of a
surprise to me. The show followed six 20-somethings who had landed "the
internship of a lifetime," a summer spent writing for the iconic Rolling
Stone magazine. The premise was to see the dreams of these young writers
being realized, or rescinded, while competing for a year-long
contributing-editor position.
I could have told them that a reality show about aspiring music journalists was
doomed from the start. Because, the true reality is – based on my
experiences with wannabe rock stars, washed-up reunion heroes and cocky
up-and-comers – writing about music doesn't come with as much behind-the-scenes
dirt or debauchery as people expect. My earliest memory of a rock star
close encounter was in Grade 5, when a classmate's older sister went backstage
after a Guns N' Roses concert. We stood in the schoolyard, awed, as the story
was relayed. But the tale ended with big sis coming home in tears. The band's
ego, machismo, and attitude was a sobering reality to a naïve and devoted
teenage fan. I've never gone into an interview not expecting to run into
an ego. The most attitude I've received was not from a stadium star, but from
Murray Lightburn of Montreal's The Dears. I was writing a piece was for a
Toronto freebie mag, The Spill. It was one of my first assignments.
Lightburn was supposed to call me at 1 p.m.; it was after 1:30 p.m. by the time
my phone rang. Only a few questions in, he wavered and said, "You know
what? I gotta go." There was a "click" and that was it. There
was one band, however, that caught me off guard in a way I never could have
anticipated. In 2005, I was working on a story about then-newly reunited
English post-punk group, Gang of Four for New York's Sentimentalist Magazine.
I arrived for the interview at the Phoenix Concert Theatre only to find the
band still hadn't shown up. The cell number I had for their road manager wasn't
working. The club's promoter had heard no word, either. Three hours later, Gang
of Four came tramping up the pockmarked red carpet. I didn't even
recognize them. Sure, they had broken up in the '80s, so it's not as if I was
expecting them to look the same. But it wasn't their physical appearance that
made me mistake them for Phoenix employees – it was what they were carrying:
shopping bags. These English post-punks established themselves as a highly
political act with strong anti-commercial, anti-capitalist leanings. I spent
the rest of the day trying to forget they'd shown up three hours late because
they'd been shopping at the Gap. Snagging an in-person interview at all is a
bit of a coup. Journalists and musicians come together more often through bad
cellphone connections. Those one-on-ones have made for some interesting
moments. Last summer, for example, I let an aging punk rocker raid my parent's
fridge. I was interviewing Chris Haight of The Viletones for a book about
the local punk scene. After a Sunday afternoon on the patio of the Horseshoe
Tavern, talking about Toronto's musical notoriety, he wanted to eat.
"Getting something to eat" turned into crashing a party where
venomous green drinks called Corpse Revivers, which I readily sampled, were
served. An expected one-hour interview had turned into a day-long event, and it
wasn't over. Haight reminded me there was still the question of food. The
closest option was a scuffed-up looking noodle place. Unimpressed, Haight
waited for a better suggestion. My parents always have food and always cook on
Sunday nights. I didn't think Haight would go for it, so I mentioned it
expecting the day would end there. I was so wrong. Twenty minutes later, Haight
was flipping through my mom's record collection while I raided the fridge. I'm
not sure what my mom thought of it all; she headed for the basement and didn't
come back up until all was quiet on the main floor.
But interviews like that aren't anywhere near typical. There may well be
another side, a world to rival the mythology of late Rolling Stone music
writer and critic Lester Bangs. But I haven't found it. I've crawled out of bed
for 6 a.m. interviews and spent many a weekend finishing stories due Monday
morning. And both remind me that the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll are reserved
for those playing the music – not the people writing about it.
Liz Worth is a 25-year-old Toronto-based music writer.
Time for Il Divo To Freshen Act
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- John Terauds, Entertainment Reporter
(April 10, 2007) The four boys in black have been around the
world several times, scooping up fans in their pop-operatic net like trawlers
off the Atlantic shore. In slightly more than two years, pop impresario Simon
Cowell's adult answer to the once-ubiquitous boy band has gone from notable
novelty to album-chart phenomenon, to a mainstay in the hearts of
adult-contemporary listeners. Il
Divo returned to Toronto for their second Air
Canada Centre concert in less than 12 months last night, belting out Spanish,
Italian, French and English-languages odes to love and romance to a capacity
crowd that covered the full spectrum of ages and backgrounds. The four men –
Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, French pop crooner Sébastien Izambard, American
tenor David Miller and Swiss tenor Urs Bühler – are each handsome, talented
specimens of well-groomed maleness in their early to mid-30s. It's no surprise
that the swoon factor is high. By the end of their 100-minute performance, the
five-level stage, which also contained a pop band and the Il Divo Orchestra,
was thronged by women tossing bouquets, offering gifts, pushing their programs
forth for autographs or, in one instance, thrusting their whole being towards
her favourite masculine magnet.
The rapturous cheers and applause after three encores showed that all is well
in Il Divo fan land. But the concert was far from perfect. For the critical
ear, the Il Divo act is getting a bit stale. The quartet has three full-length albums
out now. Each follows the same musical formula: solo opening vocals are passed
from one singer to the next, followed by a full-throated quartet chorus with
full orchestra. In song. After song. After song. Also, visual charms
notwithstanding, these boys don't interact with the audience much. They saunter
about the stage or sit on tall stools, sometimes looking almost bored when they
are not belting into their mics. One can't help but compare them to the younger
Josh Groban, who also recently sang in the same venue. Not only do his voice
and stage presence continue to grow, he has a genuine rapport with his
audience, even when they number in the thousands in a big venue. Last night's
show had some problems with lighting and the big-screen projections. But, as go
the words their final encore last night ("Somewhere," the bonus track
on their latest album, Siempre), "There's a time for us." That
would be now, for Il Divo and their fans.
MUSIC TIDBITS
KRS-One: Look Who's Back
By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
(Apr. 5, 2007) Though
he's been making the bulk of his
bread lecturing the higher learning masses, hip-hop veteran KRS-One plans to release a new recording project this spring.
On May 22, Koch Records will release a brand new album from the rap
philosopher, titled 'Hip Hop Lives.' Executive produced by hip-hop pioneer Marley
Marl, the new project pairs two of the genre's most venerable
talents. In the mid 1980's, KRS-One and Marley Marl were embroiled in one
of hip-hop's fiercest lyrical battles, following the release of MC Shan's
'Queensbridge' and the answer-record "The Bridge is Over."
For the title track, KRS-One (largely recognized as "The Greatest Live MC
of All Time") focuses on hip-hop's mortality and reminds listeners of the
ways in which Hip Hop renews itself annually. Another track, 'Kill A Rapper,'
touches on the murders of popular rappers and begs the question of why Rap
murders go unresolved by the police. Through his organization, Temple of
Hip-Hop, KRS-One regularly speaks on university campuses across the globe.
Marley Marl currently host a late night radio show on New York City's Power
105.
Common Rhymes With Kanye, Lily Allen On
'Forever'
Excerpt www.billboard.com - Mariel
Concepcion, N.Y.
(Apr. 9, 2007) On the heels of 2005's "Be," which debuted at
a career-best No. 2 on The Billboard 200, Common
has set a July 10 release date for his next Geffen album, "Finding
Forever." The set features production from Kanye West, will.i.am, the late
J Dilla and Devo Springsteen. "I want to leave a mark on this
earth," the Chicago rapper tells Billboard.com. "By making music and
saying what I have to say in my music is one of the ways I will exist
forever." On the flirty "So Far Too Go" featuring a rare
guest turn from D'Angelo, Common rhymes, "We make good music, and baby you
are the vocals." The Nina Simone-sampling "Misunderstood" is a
song Common describes as a "story of people talking to God." "He
stood on the corner like the rest of them, but didn't know the corner ain't
have the best for him," he raps. Another standout track is the Lily
Allen-assisted "Driving Me Wild," which Common describes as a song
about obsessions. "Driving herself crazy like the astronaut lady," he
chants, "Love is not a mystery, it's everything." The artist
has yet to announce tour plans, but has one-off shows scheduled Saturday (April
14) at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and June 20 with Joss Stone and
Ryan Shaw at New York's Central Park SummerStage.
Madonna, Chilis Headline Climate
Concerts
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Associated Press
(April 10, 2007) LONDON – Live
Earth concerts will be held
July 7 in cities around the world, including London, aimed at raising climate
change awareness. Madonna, the Beastie Boys and Black Eyed Peas will headline
the concert at Wembley stadium in London. They will be joined by the Red Hot
Chili Peppers, Keane, Foo Fighters and others. Headliners for the U.S. concert
at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., include Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews
Band, Kanye West, Rihanna, John Mayer, Smashing Pumpkins and Fall Out Boy, it
was announced Tuesday. Other shows will take place in Shanghai, China;
Johannesburg, South Africa; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo; and Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. Organizers have also promised an event in Antarctica. The concerts mark
the start of a new campaign called Save Our Selves, The Campaign for a Climate
in Crisis. "This monster line-up will ensure Live Earth meets our goal of
bringing together people from around the world to combat the climate
crisis," Live Earth Founder and Executive Producer Kevin Wall said in a
statement Tuesday. "Musicians who have answered our call span multiple
genres and generations." The concerts will be broadcast in the U.S. by
General Electric Co.'s NBC network and on more than 120 networks around the
world, and streamed live online at www.liveearth.msn.com.
Promoters hope the concerts will reach an audience of two billion people.
Proceeds will create a foundation to combat climate change led by The Alliance
for Climate Protection, which is chaired by former Vice President Al Gore.
Common Prepares For ‘Forever’
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
April 11, 2007) *His last
album, 2005’s “Be,” was the most
successful of his career, having entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 2. Two
years later, Chicago rapper Common returns with the July 10th release of
“Finding Forever,” a collection he hopes will raise his game even higher.
"I want to leave a mark on this earth," Common tells Billboard.com of
the set, which includes production from Kanye West, will.i.am, the late J Dilla
and Devo Springsteen. "By making music and saying what I have to say in my
music is one of the ways I will exist forever." West produced the first
single, "The People," which Common describes as a "declaration
type of song." Another of West's productions is a song called "Black
Maybe." D’Angelo makes a rare appearance on the flirty "So Far
To Go," which includes Common’s line: "We make good music, and baby
you are the vocals." The Nina Simone-sampling
"Misunderstood" is a song Common describes as a "story of people
talking to God." "He stood on the corner like the rest of them, but
didn't know the corner ain't have the best for him," he raps.
British pop star Lily Allen jumps in on "Driving Me Wild," which
Common describes as a song about obsessions. "Driving herself crazy like
the astronaut lady," he raps, "Love is not a mystery, it's
everything."
::FILM NEWS::
Halle's Comet Of Confessions
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Stephen Cole
(Apr. 10, 2007) Halle Berry is good at leaking secrets,
making her a reliable celebrity, if not always a contented actress. Working a
press junket in Toronto in March to promote her new movie, the lurid erotic
thriller The Perfect
Stranger, the actress
grabbed the cover of The Toronto Sun by revealing why she first exposed her
breasts on screen. According to Berry, her infamous Girls Gone Wild
moment in the 1999 film Swordfish represented a personal and
professional breakthrough. "I needed to face this thing called nudity that
I was afraid of," she confessed, opening up to reporter Bruce Kirkland.
"To do it in a big, gratuitous way: 'Let's see the tits and move on!'
" Only then, Berry argued, could she manage her Oscar-winning performance
in the sexually charged Monster's Ball. Even as the actress made
front-page headlines in Toronto, Halle's publicity comet splashed down in
supermarket magazines everywhere. In the pages of Parade, Berry admitted
attempting suicide after her 1997 divorce to baseball player David Justice.
("I was sitting in my car, and I knew the gas was coming when I had an
image of my mother finding me . . .") In Style readers learned that the
40-year-old indulged in a peculiar form of self-torture: hanging on to jeans
she wore at 15. ("I try them on once a year, and if I can still fit into
them, then all is good in the world.") In Esquire, meanwhile, she
announced that she was giving up talking to blabby reporters. Berry wanted her
self-image back. But not, presumably, until after she was through championing The
Perfect Stranger, the story of a sexy reporter (Berry) who investigates a
sexy ad-agency tycoon (Bruce Willis) about his involvement in a sex murder.
Ironically, the film is about keeping secrets.
You ask the actress: How far would you go to keep a secret? "All the
way," Berry laughs, tossing her beautiful bronze head back. In his prime,
Justice could not have batted one further out of the park with so short a
swing. Next question: Did Berry find it difficult completing The Perfect
Stranger's sex scenes, especially the restaurant sequence where she plays
footsies and handsies with co-star Willis? Was she at all intimidated making
out with a perfect stranger who just happened to be a big film star? "Oh,
Bruce isn't a stranger," Berry mentions with the wave of a hand.
"He's my neighbour. He has the beach house next to me in Malibu. When I
committed to Perfect Stranger, I thought [the part of Harrison Hill] was
perfect for him, so I walked over to his house with the script, knocked on the
door, and said, 'I know everybody in the business hates it when someone does
this, but here's a script I want you to read.' " What did he say? "He
said, 'Cool.' "
Every time Berry opens her mouth, it seems, a choice quote tumbles free. Is it
possible the actress's media savvy comes from her high-school journalism days
in a suburb of Cleveland? You see, prior to moving into her Malibu beach house,
long before Catwoman and her Oscar win, even before the actress was
crowned Miss Teen America in 1986, Berry was editor of the Bedford Falls High
School student newspaper. At the time, she wanted to become a reporter.
"Oh my God, Bedford Falls, football, basketball were the big things,"
Berry remembers, her ever-present smile widening. You told judges in the Miss
Teen Ohio contest that you wanted to be a television journalist. How far did
your journalism career go? "Not far," Berry says with a sigh.
"When I went to [Cleveland's Cuyahoga Community College], there was this
journalism class I took. First day, I remember, we had to go out and do three
things, but I couldn't do the third." Which was? "I had to talk to
someone. Do an interview." Why didn't you? "Don't know. I was too shy
or something." Perhaps here we're coming to the essential secret of Halle
Berry. How difficult was it for the teenage daughter of a white single mother
-- a Liverpool-born psychiatric nurse at that -- and a black father who left
when she was 4 to grow up in Ronald Reagan's America? Especially in a locale
that embodies not only America's cherished small-town values, but also its
paralyzing fears: Bedford Falls is, of course, where Jimmy Stewart and Donna
Reed went to high school (and almost encountered ruin) in the film It's a
Wonderful Life.
Going to Bedford Falls High, Berry grew up ambitious enough to dream of winning
Miss World (she finished sixth), yet frightened to talk to strangers.
Eventually, she became a public contradiction: a shy actress. "I can't
watch myself onscreen, my face the size of a Buick, every imperfection
magnified," she says. Mind you, in the next breath, Berry freely admits to
barging in on Bruce Willis. The surest proof that Berry's childhood wars are
never far from the surface: The actress's pet project is a proposed TV sitcom
based on Angela Nissel's memoir, Mixed: My Life in Black and White.
"It's a comedy because you have to laugh at how adults in America, my
generation -- and it was way worse before us -- dealt with mixed race,"
Berry says. "The kids are so much better about race today. They're
colour-blind compared to their parents." While she develops Mixed for
TV, Berry continues working on films. Her next shoot, Tulia, is a crime
drama that reunites her with Monster's Ball co-star Billy Bob Thornton.
For now, she also continues giving interviews, spilling secrets to a group she
now views with suspicion, despite her early ambition to be a reporter. If you
don't like seeing yourself on screen, how do you feel reading about yourself in
magazines and newspapers? I ask Berry, prompting a final memorable quote:
"Oh, I just want to barf," she says.
Bob
Clark Our Homegrown Movie Icon
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com
-
(April 06, 2007) A little bit of Canada died
along with Bob
Clark. The writer/director of Porky's
and A Christmas Story, movies that loom on the Canuck cultural landscape
despite U.S. settings, died in a car crash Wednesday on California's Pacific
Coast Highway. He was 67. His son Ariel Hanrath-Clark, 22, also died in
the crash, caused by a head-on collision with an SUV, whose driver has been
charged with impaired driving and manslaughter. Always "Bob" and
never "Robert," Clark was one of Canada's most successful moviemakers,
although he wasn't Canadian by birth. Born in New Orleans and reared in
Florida, he came to Toronto in the early 1970s. He made a splash with Black
Christmas in 1974, the horror film often credited as the first of the
slasher genre. He moved upscale in 1979 with the Sherlock Holmes thriller Murder
By Decree, which starred Christopher Plummer and which won Clark the
director's prize at the Genie Awards. A year later he made Tribute, the
screen adaptation of a Broadway play about ambition and family values that won
Jack Lemmon the Genie for best actor.
But it was with the teen sex romp Porky's in 1982 that Clark really
carved his initials into the maple tree. By that time he had joined with a
production team that included Don Carmody and Harold Greenberg, two names that
in later years would figure prominently in the Canadian movie industry. Set in
1954, and based in part on his own youthful hijinks, Porky's combined
teen sex with a comic tale of revenge that made an astonishing $150 million
(U.S.) at the North America box office. The take in Canadian dollars was $11.2
million, enough to give Porky's the implausible title of most successful
Canuck movie ever in Canada, until last year's Bon Cop, Bad Cop passed
it with $11.3 million in domestic receipts. "I remember when I first
read Bob's screenplay for Porky's," Carmody said from Montreal
yesterday. "I said, `Holy Christ, we can't make this thing!' Then I went
back and
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