Page IB g-r - " -* 1 1st*._ ? Phyllis Hyman Releases First Lp In Four Years By Loretta Richardson Post Staff Writer ' Once Phyllis Hyman proceeds .to belt out a song, even the chirp-, ing birds stop to listen. It's been that way , since the sultry singer's career started with a top i 40s'group, The New Direction, that the country and theCa rib getting her own group going, Ms. Hyman was affiliated with All the People. Then she formed the Phyllis Hyman Fac tor. While dementing her career in the upper westside of New York City around 1075, Ms. Hyman caught the attention of Norman Connors who immediately signed her as the featured vocal ist on his "You Are My Starship" album. Hearing her voice on wax obvi ously whet Ms. Hyman's appetite to pursue recording ventures. 'Within two years, Ms. Hyman rslsased her debut album which included the classic "Laving 'You-Losing You* and "I Don’t Want To Lose You." „ I The albums that Ms. Hyman has recorded since that time, "Somewhere in My Lifetime," "Yon Know How To Lev# Ms," j "Can't We Fall In Love Again" and "Goddess of Love" testify to • 1 the increasing vocal maturation of an exceptionally talented per former . By 'Al the album production ■lowed. As a matter of fact it was in 'AS that her last album, before thl* year's was rseordsd. Phyllis . jfi ,, ••■xsjJ t-. ' took a new direction. Broadway and the Duke Ellington musical, “Sophisticated Ladies" became the focus of Ms. Hyman's profes sional energies. So outstanding was Ms. Hyman's performance, she won a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a mu sical and a Theatre World Award for Most Promising New Talent. After a four year hiatus from recording, Ms. Hyman, now ap pearing on the road with the "Jazz Explosion* tour with jazz greats Jean Carne SUnley Tur rentine and Ramsey Lewis has released her most reeent record ing endeavor, “Living All Alone*. Still diversifying, Ms. Hyman has scheduled her first speaking engagements. "I'm about to em bark on my first two lectures, one on the music business, being a black woman who heads her own company and the other on the im portance of a new sickle cell fa cility in Pittsburgh. “Despite her success, Phylljs Hyman still fsals the need to achieve, to grew. She isn't satis fied." "Never satisfied," she said. "I am plaaaed. I am happy. 1 feel confident about the fature. And I'm never satisfied, no. Never going to be satiefied until I get my fair share. As long as they take talentless people you see every day-you know what I'm talking about— and make those people stare, I'm never going to be satis fied." W; , Ebony JoAnn mm May Ann, Louis Arnudrong'g mother and Kenyatta as deal celebrating the life and times of the Jazz great, Louis Armstrong the young"Satchmo" share a tender moment in this scene from the mu Ebony Jo-Ann Portrays * Louis‘Armstrong’s Mother, Wife By Loretta Richardson Post Staff Writer On the upper level of Ovens Au ditorium voices can be heard dis cussing script changes in the up coming musical, "SATCHMO: An American Musical Legend." In another part of the auditorium the young lad portraying Louis Armstrong as a child rehearse a scene where Armstrong gets a chance to show off his trumpet playing. The meeting upstairs finally breaks. Descending from the stairs is Ebony Jo-Ann, the ac tress who plays not only, Louis Armstrong's mother, but his wife as well. The dual roles Ebony Jo-Ann. plays almost went to another ac tress. According to her, when she found out about the musical there wasn't the slightest possibility that she could audition for the part. "I just happened to run into Maurice Hinee, the choreograph er of the show and he was telling me about it At that time, though, the musical was hiring nonunion actors and actresses and I am a member of the Actor's Union," commented Ms. Jo-Ann. Not giving the musical a sec ond thought Ebony went on to au dition for and land a part in a play called, "Waking Women," written by Cassandra Medley. "The play was wonderful. It was the most challenging piece I've been in. The play centered around a woman named Ms. Edie who ofTers condolences to a neighbor. She has a 30 minute monologue and I loved every minute of it." But that wasn't tha and of "Satchmo". Nor was that tha and of Ebony Jo-Ann. Tha musical began using union actors and ac tresses and .the production stag* director, Jerry Cleveland Pressed to the producer end direc tor that they see Ebony. From tha beginning the dual roles of MayAnn, Louis Arm strong’s mother and Lucille, his wile, ware to be a packaged deal. Having had to embody these two powerful figures, Ebony has only had to draw upon her own expsri enss. "For MayAnn who is a sassy and articulate person, I've drawn from my family environ ment I go with what 1 know. Lu High spirited dance scenes like the one pictured Hines. above were expertly choreographed by Maurice "SATCHMOt Amarlea'i Moateal Ufnd*. Jmm»m Bowen ee Jo* "King” Oliver In ciua, who la moru boiataroua 'makaa ma raach back to my up* bringing in Connecticut.” -Far Ebony, portraying black woman and •specially black BaafclnKaiMMPi^aaB