Local jazz favorite Joe Robinson is 'Movin On'
Winston-Salem native shines on second outing
BY S.I. LYNCH
THE CHRONICLE ?
It would be a novel idea to be a gifted
and talented musician and have, all the
recording deals coming in requesting your
wares. For a jazz artist, that's an even
greater feat to accomplish. Unfortunately,
the one true form of music that is ours
(America's) is so underappreciated. So once
reality sets in and you feel compelled to be
expressive on a larger scale, what do you
do? You produce, package and market your
own material on your own label. The results:
1 did it my way.
When you speak to Joe Robinson you
get the impression that here is a man who
loves music. Maybe it's the vocal intonation
that leads one to visualize Robinson wearing
a smile as he speaks of Miles Davis and Lee -
Morgan as some of his influences. Or maybe
it's the increase in pitch as he speaks of
"Movin On" and the fans who were the
impetus for his creating this follow-up to his
first album, "Better Late Than Never."
"The title 'Movin On' was a tune that
kept going around in my head," Robinson
said. "As we were in the midst of develop
ing the album the tragedy on Sept. I I
occurred. It was then that we knew the title
of the albumrsJiould be Movin Oh.' It was
what we as "a country were trying to do.
There was (a) reason that the title stayed
around. It also means a lot, as the co-writers
are my wife and daughter. It was a family
affair, because all of us had the opportunity
to put in a line or two. It was also what I was
trying to do with my music."
For as long as Robinson can remember.
music has been an integral part of his life.
Although 58 years young, he has committed
most of his life to the trumpet, which he
plays with extreme ease, as evidenced by the
new album. Robinson feels he is playing
better than ever. This album includes his
interpretations of such classics as "My
Funny Valentine," "Master Blaster" and
"Greensleeves," which is also known as
jazz's version of "What Child Is This."
He spoke of the difficulty of playing and
staying with Ihe trumpet. At a jime when
many of his (Aintemporapetr have/stopped
playing, he still is and Ifcels blessed to be
doing what he loves. Robinson described the
trumpet as a jealous Woman. He said, "If
you lay off too long, it will not be there
when you return. Your mouth goes, then the
fingers and then you find it hard to get it all
back together. That's why it is perceived as
one of the most difficult instruments to stick
with."
Robinson and his band may be familiar
to many in Winston-Salem. They were a
mainstay at a local downtown club for near
ly 10 years. "'Movin On' is for the number
of loyal fans who have supported our group
at the various venues over the years,"
Robinson said. "1 am known to do covers,
and on this project I ventured out and did
more of my own stuff. So many of the peo
ple that wmjW-qltend my shows were used to
hearing me do covers, but I had some origi
nal material that I wanted to get out there.
On this project it all came together. The
musicians were friends and colleagues that I
worked with over the years. In the studio,
We produced this album, like they used to
do. We were all in there at the same time.
This helped us to vibe off of one another."
One of my personal favorites besides the
covers on this album is "Love Dot Com,"
which came about when Robinson's mother
in-law asked what all the fuss was about dot
com this and dot com that. She probably
never knew that there would be song about
that simple question. The result is a cool and
driven tune that bridges the musical gap.
"Runnin' Woman" is the most blues-influ
enced track on the CD and sounds like
something you'd hear B.B. King do. I must
mention Robioson not only blows a mean
horn, but his vocal capabilities are quite
ifljpressive too.
v^Theme for Alfreda" was written in ded
ication to his wife, Alfreda. "Movin On" is
actually enjoyable from beginning to end.
Despite the lack of a major label or really
big-name musicians, the album has garnered
a great deal of radio airplay around the area.
I don't profess to be a jazz or blues afi
cionado, but t surely did find myself
embracing this CD. It would be a marvelous
thing to have all those who love pure,
uncluttered, tastily produced and musically
nourishing tunes to go out and support one
of the city's most talented native sons. This
is wdfth a real listen even without all the
hoopla! .
On Jan. 15 Robinson will have the CD
release party for "Movin On" at Thea's
House of Blues & Jazz, 521 N. Liberty
Street. The doors will open at 7 p.m. You
can get an up-close-and-personal listen to
this Winston-Salem native and the band who
recorded "Movin On " with him doing their
thing.
Photo courtesy of Joe Robinson
Joe Robinson is excited about the release of his new CD.
"fifovin' On" contains lots of original material.
EAC
from page AI
minorities. Many members of
the East Area Council com
plained that they were not told
that the chamber was consider
ing replacing the group.
The McCarters are not mem
bers of the chamber and have
not been for more than a decade.
Miriam McCarter said she can
celed her membership after the
chamber held an awards ban
quet at a country club that she
says refused her entry. She said
that black businesspeople who
never showed interest in the
chamber are excited about the
possibility of the new, group.
"Some people did not want
to be a part of the chamber
because they knew that all we
were getting were crumbs from
the chamber's table," she said.
Anderson is planning a
meeting of her own next week
during which she'll try to con
vince members of the former
EAC that there is a place at the
chamber's table for them and for
their
- ideas ana
concerns.
"My
sense is
that there
has been
a lot of
miscom
munica
tion on
^my part
Belton-Brown and
maybe
on their part as well," Anderson
said.
Members of the former EAC
sent an open letter to Anderson
late last month in which they
laid out their frustrations about
the way the council was disman
tled. Some of the people that
signed the letter also have made
public their intentions not to
renew their chamber member
ships as a form of protest.
Anderson said she has officially
received notices from four black
chamber members that they will
not renew their memberships.
She said she has been con
tacting all letter signers to invite
them to meet with her to come
up with a "compromise."
"I would like to keep all of
(black chamber members)," she
said. "I would like to find a way
that we can satisfy the East Area
Council and reach out more
broadly to other minority busi
nesses."
The last president of the
EAC believes the goals of the
EAC and the goals of the new
Minority Business Council
could have been consolidated
without replacing one group
with the other.
"What happened with the
East Area Council could have
been avoided with a name
change and a restating of the
mission statement," said Mose
Belton-Brown. "One group did
not have to be disassembled to
form another group to do what
the first group was doing all
along."
Belton-Brown was one of
the first EAC members to cry
foul over the move to replace
the council, but she is sticking
with the chamber and has even
decided to serve on the planning
board for the Minority Business
Council.
"I believe in the chamber
and what it has to offer," Belton
Brown said.
She added that she also
wants to stick around so that she
can tout some of the goals that
EAC members strived toward.
Belton-Brown said she has
been calling her colleagues to
urge them to stay in the chamber
and fight for improvements
from the inside, although she
freely admits that black cham
ber members are "dropping out
like flies."
The brainstorming meeting
for the proposed independent
black business group Will be
held Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the
East Winston Heritage Center
(the East Winston Branch
Library). The meeting will be
held from 7-9 p.m. For more
information about the meeting,
call the McCarters at 724-0334. *
Shelters
from page A1
"Warm weather makes it hard to
get the public consciousness (to
focus on homelessness); jt
increases when weather gets bad.
but it is something that is a socie
tal problem we address every
day."
Samaritan works closely with
other area shelters to find
overnight lodging in the event of
overflow problems to at Jeast
place people on couches some
where if need be. Kurosky said
that financial donations coupled
with her dedicated staff and band
of volunteers make it possible for
Samaritan to operate and provide
?for the homeless.
"We don't know what to
expect as winter proceeds. The
number of people coming
through the shelter will get high
er and that is why all of the shel
ters will work together to meet
the needs of these people,"
Kurosky said.
Bethesda Center Ministries,
like Samaritan Ministries, oper
ates year-round regardless of
inclement weather. Charles Ford,
shelter director, said that once the
weather changes and walking
becomes limited for people who
are home(gss. the shelter quickly
becomes full.
Bethesda Center, which is
used more as a lodging facility
and day shelter, is also located on
Patterson Avenue and is the only
one of its kind in Forsyth Coun
ty. Ford said that he and his staff
prepare for weather and every
thing that comes along with any
kind of bad weather. The building
is always open, so they are
"always prepared." Ford said.
Although there is not a great deal
to be done to prepare for the cold.
Ford says that donations of blan
kets. adult clothing, outerwear
and personal hygiene products
are always helpful and needed at
the center.
"(Bethesda Center) is open 24
hours, and we really rely on some
kind of break during the day to at
least tidy up and get ready for
more people to stay oyemight,"
Ford said.
Lighthouse Ministries, on
Eighth Street, is another men's
shelter that is open 24 hours a day
all year long. Shelter Director
Philip Hale said the shelter's only
plan for the weather is to simply
"roll with the flow." Hale says
there really is no way to plan
ahead for times like these, so he
and his staff learn to expect more
men to seek lodging.
Hale said that once the weath
er turned cold the shelter was
operating at capacity. Even
though the number of men utiliz
ing the shelter is down from last
year, the number of "over
nighters" increased slightly with
the snow, Hale said.
If you would like to make a
donation of money or items to the
above shelters, call Samaritan
Ministries at 748-1962, Bethesda
Center Ministries at 722-9951
and Lighthouse Ministries at
723-7884. ^
Diggs
from page AI
legal hurdles. It might take a
change in current state law
for the local school system to
form the partnership with the
arts-based charter school
board.
Don Martin, superintend
ent of Winston
Salem/Forsyth County
Schools, said he belieVes tha^,
won't be a problem if the par
ent groups support the pro
posal. The wheels have
already begap to turn in that
direction. Martin has put out
feelers in the N.C. Attorney
General's Office to find out if
the plan would be legal. If it
isn't, Martin said, he believes
lawmakers would support a
change in the law to allow the
merger to take place.
"If we can get that (sup
port) and feel it's positive,
then-get the teachers' vote. I
don't see a problem," he said.
Hal Johnson, chairman of
the arts-based charter board,
said he wants to meet with
his parents and supporters to
find out where they stand on
the issue.
"We have an ABES family
meeting set for next Mon
day." he said. "They will
have a chance to express
themselves and get the
answers they want. The peo
ple on the board want to
know that we have the sup
port of the parents!"
Qne of the key elements
in the whole issue is the
amount of support that would
come to the arts-based char
ter school if it merges with
the local school system. The
proposal would provide the
physical plunt, which would
significantly cut down on the
school's operating expenses.
It would also bring with it the
resources of the local school
system. The charter school
board would retain autonomy
relative to the school's edu
cational program, however.
That would create a win-win
situation, according to John
son. *
- "For us. it's all about cur
riculum and the opportunity
to do it and do it right." he
said.."Going it alone in this
environment, and with the
economy the way it is, is a
real difficult road."
Diggs is set to become a
countywi'de arts magnet
school regardless of the vote
and proposal for the merger.
The local school system has
received a $1 million federal
grant that is designed to pro
mote diversity in schools that
are predominantly populated
by one race. Martin and offi
cials from the local school
system approached the arts
based school .beard with the
merger proposal because they
believed it would attract
more white students.
Jim Sanders, a member of
the arts-based charter board,
raised a concern. "Is the
funding relative to the char
rer?" he asked. "Will the
commitment be the same if
we don't do . the charter
route?"
Parents expressed concern
about the proposal because
they felt left out in the early
stages.
The school board has tried
to convince Diggs parents
that the arts-based charter
school would benefit their
children and community.
"This has been a leap of
faith from the beginning,"
Martin said. "But we have
stfmewhat of a mentality of
you build it and they will >
come."
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