7B
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTH-he Charlotte Post
Thursday November 20, 1997
Jam and Lewis still going strong as pals
By Jeff Beanen
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
EDINA, Minn. — Producers
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
don’t want to be hot. 'They just
want to simmer.
“We see too many hot people
come and go,” Lewis said. “You
I just want to stay lukewarm,
keep the simmer going. You
don’t want to overcook it.”
I For 15 years. Jam and Lewis
have kept the simmer going _
writing and producing hits for
such stars as Janet Jackson
and Michael Jackson, Boyz II
Men, Mary J. Blige, Herb
Alpert, New Edition and
Johnny Gill.
( Along the way they have
picked up a Grammy Award in
1987 for Producers of the Year,
an Oscar nomination for
“Again” from the 1993 movie
; “Poetic Justice” starring Janet
I Jackson, and a trophy case of
songwriting awards,
j Jam’s and Lewis’ hit-making
powers could be put to the test,
I though, with Janet Jackson’s
1 latest album, “The Velvet
Rope.” The fourth collaboration
between Jackson and Jam and
Lewis debuted at No. 1 on
Billboard magazine’s album
chart but dropped out of the
Top 10 within a month.
The album’s first single, “Got
Til It’s Gone,” featuring a rap
by Q-'Tip and a sample of folk
singer Joni Mitchell’s “Big
Yellow Taxi,” was embraced by
black radio stations but stalled
on the Hot 100 radio airplay
chart.
From her breakthrough 1986
album “Control” through 1989’s
“Rhythm Nation” and 1993’s
“janet.” to “The Velvet Rope,”
Jackson has continually
evolved. Jam says. All were
Jam and Lewis productions;
the first three combined to sell
more than 17 million copies in
the United States.
“It’s her _ now. And she’s not
the person she was four years
ago,” Jam said of Jackson’s lat
est album.
Jackson, 31, told Newsweek
magazine that she battled
depression the past two years
and that it took her six months
to record “The Velvet Rope”
about twice as long as previous
records.
There weren’t a lot of songs
that she could just walk in and
sing,” Jam said. “A lot of times
she’d just say, “You know what,
I don’t want to work today,”’ he
says.
On the upbeat “Together
Again,” Jackson sings of even-
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Terry Lewis, Janet Jackson and James K. Harris iii
THE
EXCELSIOR
921 Beatties Ford Rd. 334-5709 Tues.-Sat. 5pm, Sun. 6pm
Weekly Features:
Monday Night Football !!!
Tues. 6pm “Fish Night” $5, Disco following 9pi]n
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tually being reunited in heaven
with friends who have died of
AIDS. She confronts an abu
sive lover in “What About” and
sings about bondage in “Rope
Bum.”
When Jam and Lewis first
began working with Jackson,
she had released a couple of
albums and was known more
as a TV star (“Good Times,”
“Diff’rent Strokes,” “Fame”)
and as Michael Jackson’s kid
sister.
“We got a lot of credit as kind
of the Svengalis,” Jam says of
the “Control” album. Since
then, he said, Jackson has
become a true collaborator.
Besides Janet Jackson, Jam
and Lewis also have worked
with Jon Secada, Patti LaBelle,
Rod Stewart, Vanessa Williams
and Luther Vandross this year.
Before the year is out they may
work with Brandy, star of TV’s
“Moesha.”
In separate interviews at
their Flyte 'lyme Studios in
suburban Minneapolis, the two
are dressed casually _ Jam in
stocking feet and a black straw
hat, Lewis in a sweatsuit.
Usually they sport fedoras and
sunglasses for photo shoots.
Friends for 25 years. Jam and
Lewis often refer to their part
nership as a marriage. The two
met in 1972 at the University
of Minnesota in an Upward
Bound program for promising
students from urban schools.
Jam (real name: James
Harris III), 38, says Lewis, who
turns 41 on Nov. 24, reminded
him of “a cool older brother.
almost.”
A bass player, Lewis invited
Jam to join his band. Since the
band already had a dmmmer,
Lewis persuaded Jam to take
up keyboards like his father,
jazz pianist “Cornbread”
Harris.
Their band, Flyte 'lyme,
evolved into The Time, a lYince
project of the early 1980s. Jam
and Lewis were producing on
the side when a freak snow
storm stranded them in Atlanta
and they missed a ’Time con
cert.
Prince kicked them out of the
band, so Jam and Lewis started
producing full-time.
Jam is loquacious (“Senator
Jam” Lewis calls him), Lewis
laconic. Jam admiringly calls
his partner “a ridiculous lyri
cist” with a flair for editing.
“If I come up with an idea
that’s not good, Terry’d be the
first one to say, ‘Ah, that ain’t
happening,’ or vice versa,” Jam
said.
Their partnership is based on
a handshake and an agreement
to split everything 50-50. But
their relationship goes beyond
business. Both partners are fix
tures at Minnesota
’Hmberwolves games (an NBA
team they once considered buy
ing), and Lewis is godfather to
Jam’s 1-year-old son, lyier
James (Janet Jackson is god
mother).
Next year their new label,
Fljfte Tyme Records, debuts
with an album by Angel, an
Atlanta singer.
Dolby Digital enhances sound
Continued from 6B
directionality.
•four output channels; left,
center, right and surround.
•automatic input balance
control, (most units).
•test noise sequence and
level adjustments to balance all
four channels.
•center channel mode con
trol, normal, phantom, and
optional wide modes.
Some pro logic decoders also
offer an additional decoding
mode, Dolby 3 stereo, which
provide left, center and right
front chaimels only. This mode
is used when full surround is
not required or impossible,
(open room). But a wide stereo
sound field without a hole in
fee middle is desirable. A 'TV
set, for example, could be sup
plied with detachable speakers
for a wide stereo spread with
an integrated center speaker to
improve dialogue positioning
as with any pro logic system.
The Dolby 3 stereo mode can be
useful if you are unable to
install surround speakers right
away. And with a full surround
system if may prove preferable
for such programs sources as
synthesized "stereo" 'TV broad
casts or music recording with
vocals solos.
Surround Sound, Past,
Present, and Future
Not long ago, cinema sound,
television audio and music play
back formats were distinctly
different products of industries
often working in isolation. The
growing popularity of surround
sound in the homes however,
has brought these industries
and their sound formats close
together. This article traces
surround sound to the first
stereo phonic movie formats of
the ‘1950s, and described how
in recent years there has been
technological cross-fertilization
among the entertainment
media.
Today, multi-channel digital
technology is poised to promote
faster, even closer industry
cooperation, leading to a more
consistent approach to home
sound reproduction. It has the
potential to ease the burden on
both consumer and producer,
while providing unparalleled
fidelity not just the tonality of
live sound, but also it's spatial-
ity.
Origin of Surround Sound
Although film stereo lost
favor in the ‘60s and early ‘70s
due to the high cost of magnet
ic formats, sound mixers con
tinued to experiment with the
effect channel formats such as
six- track 70 mm magnetic,
which provided consistent sig
nal to noise ratios on all chan
nels, so mixers could use the
effect channel to envelop the
audience in continuous low-
level ambient sounds. The
hereof channel came to convey
greater sonic realism overall
not just the occasionally dra
matic effect.
This expanded, more natural
practice came to be known as
surround sound, and the effect
channel as the surround chan
nel. The extra speakers al fee
rear, and now along the side of
the theater wall to create a
more diffused sound field came
to be known within the indus
try as The Surround. We also
call surround sound "home the
ater."
The basic components in
putting together a surround
sound system consist of the fol
lowing:
•a surround receiver . This is
a five-channel receiver. This is
also called a radio or a tuner by
some.
• a stereo VCR.
•one center channel, two rear
and two front or main speak
ers.
•a subwoofer, which is a box
with one large driver (speaker)
enclosed with an amplifier.
This speaker gives you that
very, very low thunderous bass
sound that can rattle your win
dows.
The receiver can be used for
regular stereo listening
through two speakers. Or you
can listen to your favorite
music in the surround mode
with all five speakers with the
sub providing deep bass.
While in this mode, the center
channel provides all dialogue
or main voices, the front speak
ers all background instrumen
tals and backup vocals and the
rear speakers all the high fre
quency background noises.
These units can start at $500
and go up to as much as you
can afford to pay. Just keep in
mind, you get what you pay for.
Rob Miller is a sales consul
tant with Audio-Video Systems
on Independence Boulevard in
Charlotte.
Calendar
Of Events
Greenville Unity: The Coca-Cola Community Connection staff recently caught (L-R) Meredith
Thomas, Alanna Fulford, Marquis Hudson, Laquisha Jones and Reginald Williams at the Greenville
Community Center enjoying the beautiful weather and refreshing Coca-Cola products.
“African-American Cultural Expo”
The first annual African-American Cultural Expo is coming to the Charlotte Convention
Center on Saturday, November 22nd and Sunday, November 23rd. Highlighting this 2>day
showcase of African American Art, history and businesses are speeches by comedian and
activist Dick Gregory and empowerment specialist Dr. Claud Anderson. For additional
information please call 1-800-974-2223.
“ 100 Black Carolina Football Classic ”
The 100 Black Men Of Greater Charlotte’s third annual Carolina Football Classic
“The Battle At The Border” Featuring the SC State Bulldogs and the Aggies
of NC A&T State University, will be held on Saturday, November 22nd at Ericson Stadium.
Home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Please call 704-519-0540 for more details.
“Las Amigas, Inc.”
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Chapter of Las Amigas, Inc. presents its 22nd Annual Harv est
Ball at the lovely Oasis Shrine Temple 604 Daniel Burnham Drive, Charlotte, North
Carolina. The events takes place on November 22,1997 from 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 am.
For additional information please call 549-4777
“ The WIZ ”
The Afro-American Children’s Theater, Inc. presents The WIZ.... a musical adapted from
the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. There will be nine performance dates from Saturday, Nov
15th thru Nov 23rd at the Nations Bank Theater at Spirit Square. For more details call
372-7410.
“Great American Smokeout”
This November 20th, 1997 marks the 21st anniversary of the Great American Smokeout.
The Great American Smokeout is an annual event when Americans try to quit smoking for
a day. There will be various locations throughout the city where volunteers will have
survival kits and information on how to stop smoking.
“Here’s How You Can Be Connected”
Submit., in writing, on your organization's letterhead, the title of your event, data location, contact person and telephone num
ber for your activity to:
Community Connection
5001 Chesapeake Dr. Charlotte, NC 28216 Attn.; Jeff Lowery. Phone 393-4365. Fax 393-4265
If you are interested in the Coca-Cola Community Music Van appearing at your non profit event call; 393-4365. Fax 393-4265
Customer Appreciation: Henny Penny Discount Beverage located at 2651 West Blvd. Recently held
a customer appreciation day for all their loyal supporters. The Coca-Cola Community Connection
team was on hand providing a basketball shoot-out for prizes, refreshments and the latest music via
the Community Connection Music Van