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THE CHARLOTTE POST
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___Thursday, May 31, 1984 - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Page IB
Kool Jazz Festival Star
" ——
Dynamic Creator
By Karen Parker
Post Staff Writer
When you hear about a
producer who helped enter
tainers like Lou Rawls and
Roberta Flack record their
first albums, you know that
has to be a dynamic
creator.
It’s someone who’s en
veloped in an aura of
musical grandeur. It’s Les
McCann.
“McCann the Man,”
someone described that
album as a haunting free
form expression. After all,
McCann has an ever
changing style. You’ll be
able to grasp it all at the
Kool Jazz Festival.
McCann will be on stage
Friday, June 22, the first
night of the three-day fes
tival in Hampton Coliseum
(Hampton, VA).
McCann’s introduction to
professional entertaining is
humorous, yet it illustrates
a sense of determination.
The story goes: McCann
left Lexington, KY., at age
17. He departed promising
when he returned he would
“be somebody.”
McCann joined the Navy,
with a strong desire to
perform with the Navy
School of Music. However,
incapable of reading sheet
music, he was turned
down. One day McCann
heard Errol Garner
playing “Lullaby of Bird
CFCC Chamber Choir
Stages Broadway Revue
Belle Banks has an
answer for Johnny Carson
if be ever asks her choral
group the famous question,
“How far is it off Broad
way?”
It’s so far off Broadway
they call their musical
revue ”580 Miles Off
Broadway.”
in Hodson Hall on the
Davidson College campus,
to be exact.
Belle is part of the North
Mecklenburg Community
Chorus, a chamber choir
voice class of Central Pied
DeWah Wins
Derrick DeWalt, son of
Ms. Barbara Dewalt, 2817
Bancroft St., Charlotte, re
ceived the Martin Luther
King Award at Lawrence
University’s Honors Con
vocation.
The King Award is
given to a senior who best
mirrors the excellence for
which Dr. King is remem
kn-rnfl
Derea.
DeWalt will graduate
from Lawrence June 10
with a major in history.
Dewalt graduated from
Independence High School
in 1178.
mont Community College’s
North Area Learning
Center.
The 48 people in the choir
will sing and dance to the
nostalgic Sounds of Broad
way music through the
years at a concert this
Friday and Saturday night.
embers of the choir
range in age from 20 to 75.
Director is J.D. Morrison,
who teaches at West Meck
lenburg High School and is
Choir director at Steele
Creek Presbyterian
Church.
“This is the largest choir
we have,” said Gene
Byrant, head of CPCC’s
Music Department. “They
do some pretty sophisti
cated music and the show
is choreographed. It’s been
delightful to watch the
group grow.”
When the Chorus pre
sented its first concert year
before last, it was a sell
out. And this year’s show
promises to be standing
room only also.
Admission is $3 for the 8
p.m. concerts. For
additional information or
for reservations, call Mrs.
- W.A, Hough st 87V8W5. ,
land.” He was so entranced
he broke formation, took an
about face and went over to
hear that beautiful dis
traction.
“I got in a whole lot of
trouble,” McCann recalled.
But, through an officer he
was provided with a place
to practice his new love:
piano. Later, McCann
entered the All Navy Tal
ent Show. He won, and
subsequently appeared on
the ‘‘Ed Sullivan Show.”
McCann, also known as
The Father of Fusion, was
the first musician to teach
at Harvard in the Learning
From Performers pro
gram. He’s had many
acclaimed European tours.
ne weni 10 Ainca wim me
& Tina Tuner, Wilson
Pickett, Santana, Roberta
Flack and many others.
The film “Soul to Soul” was
made from that tour.
McCann was the narrator.
But you won’t want
anyone narrating
McCann’s Hampton act.
You’ll want to witness
McCann on the keyboard,
on the horn, and certainly
vocally. “My music is in
spired by my faith in
people-people changing
for the better,” McCann
commented. If you want to
ba a part of the inspiration
which McCann described,
meet him at the Kool Jazz
Festival next month.
Now take a look at the
artist list. The lineup is
Friday, June 22, 7:30 p.m.:
Gladys Knight & the Pips,
B.B. King, Les McCann
and Stanley Turrentine
with Shirley Scott. Satur
day, June 23, 7:30 p.m.: A1
Jarreau, David Sanborn
and Patti Austin with the
Tom Scott Band; Sunday,
June 24, 3 p.m.: Patti
La Belle, Pointer Sisters,
Bob James, and Pieces of a
Dream.
Tickets are $15 and $14
per night. All seats are
reserved. For more infor
mation, write or telephone
the Hampton Coliseum,
P.O. Box 7309, Hampton,
VA. 23666; (804) 838-4203. .
Les McCann
.To perform at Kool Jazz Festival
Druid Hills Club To Sponsor Fashion Show
The Druid Hills Garden
Club met recently at the
home of Eva Wiley.
Plans were discussed for
the upcoming fashion
show. Persons interested in
modeling were encouraged
to notify Mrs. Ellis. It was
decided that music for the
fashion show will be pro
vided by children.
Another topic for discus
sion was the idea of a Youth
Garden Club. Each mem
ber was asked to contact
enough children for this
project. Minnie Connor will
organize the youth.
Also at the meeting,
Edna Gaston was voted
third vice president and
project chairperson. Sadie
English presented new
ideas for the club to con
sider.
Members, Minnie Connor
, and Roberta Lyles shared
with the group the ideas
they learned at a recent
flower arranging work
shop. Important facts were
given on container sizes,
frogs, wire colors and
flowers for producing
beautiful arrangements.
In attendance at the
meeting were: Inez Ellis.
Sadie English. Sophease
Blackmon, Edna Gaston,
Minnie Connor,, Roberta
Lyles, Della Simmons,
Hattie McCree, Lois Love
and Hazeline Lane
“Solid Gold Hits'’ To Air
“Solid Gold Hits,” a
half-hour rock music strip,
featuring the industry’s top
artists in performances as
well as the newest music
videos, premieres June 4 at
12 midnight on WSOC-TV,
Channel 9.
Grant Goodeve, best
known for his starring
role on the long-running
"Eight Is Enough” and his
recurring role on ABC’s hit
series, "Dynasty,” is the
host.
In the tradition of the
hour-long “Solid Gold”
series, which airs each
Sunday at 7 p,m. on
Channel 9, "Solid Gold
Hits” will premiere with
such major recording ar
tists as Rick Springfield,
Duran Duran, Culture
Club, Frank Stallone,
Huey Lewis and the News,
and Missing Persons
The “Solid Gold Hits"
dancers will demonstrate
their versatility in jazz,