Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Oct. 5, 1989, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
tHljailotte ^ost Thursday, October 5, 1989 ENTERTAINMENT BEHIND THE SCENES with Lisa Collins Melba Moore Is back doing what she loves best as she headlines a play titled "Simply Heavenly" at the Shubert Theater In Philadelphia. Industry insiders are still talking about the open letter Melba wrote In an insider trade "Sister 2 Sister". Dubbed Melba’s declaration of Independence, Melba tells of how she took back control of her own career from an organization In which her husband was at the helm. "I was the Invisible woman. You would think," Melba wrote, "I didn't have sense enough to take off my rhinestones for a business meeting. So I said 1 know you think 1 don't have the brains of a dead dog, but you're wrong." If you'd like to read the letter In full, or want more InfoiTnatlon on Sister 2 Sis ter, write P. O. Box 41148, DC 20018, or call (202) 635-3879. New Film For Controversial Filmmaker: Spike Lee began work on his next feature, "A l>ove Supreme" recently In New York. The 111m, which centers on the life of Lee's father, features Denzel Washington in the title role .... Lee, Incidentally, gets nothing but praise from veteran actress Ruby Dee. Said Dee, "my role mod el Is Spike Lee. 1 like what he’s doing. He's shown me something that I hope Is possible In my own lifetime. To believe In some thing so much that you Just pick up and do It somehow". Dee, along with her husband Os.sle Davis, was featured In Lee's latest film, "Do The Right Thing". Ironically enough, some of the scenes with Davis are reminiscent of their real-life first meeting some 44 years ago when they were cast In a play together, and she didn't like him at all. Recalled Dee, "1 remember 1 was understu dying the lead and the guy that was understudying him — we'd sit out In the theater and just talk about him. It something, cause he was skinny and gangly and his arms looked like they hung down from the sleeves about 12 Inches". But as fate would have It, three years later, they were married. Top Names Turn Out For "A Dry, White Season": The Los Angeles premiere of "A Dry White Season, attracted some of Hol- Ijrwood's biggest names including Lou Gossett, Robert Gullliame, t^oopl Goldberg, Danny Glover, Debbie Allen, Jasmine Guy, and Morgan Fairchild. Among those cast members present were Su san Sarandon, Zakes Mokae and Donald Sutherland, who com mented on the question of why It Is that blacks must share the spotlight with white actors In order to gain Hollywood accep tance. Said Sutherland, "I don't think you need to show black people films about repression. You need to show it to white peo ple. It's just normal. . . natural that If they see It through the eyes of a white man It becomes more personal to them. No matter what I was real glad for the job, so If that's the truth I profited from It, and thank you very much". It All Comes Out In The Wash: SuddenlyRobin Givens Isn't looking so much the bad girl what with the recent revelations about the out-of-rlng boxing exploits of former hubby, "Iron Mike". Tyson, who called his former confidante and friend Jose Torres, a liar and betrayer, as he denied Incidents and state ments made by Torres In his tell-all book, "Fire & Fear", must have been more than surprised when Torres released audio tapes of Tyson documenting allegations that Tyson beat women and loved to Inflict pain. Short Takes: Phyllis Strlckney, star of the new ABC series "New Attitudes" got a standing ovation for the comedy routine she perfonned at the recent meeting of the Black Caucus. Strlckney says she took up comedy a few years ago to pay the bills between acting stints . . . And Lou Gossett is one of many top name cele-britles (Including Christopher Reeves) who is touring with a musical revue entitled "Heart Strings", the show was designed to promote AIDS awareness and Is part of an effort to raise $4 million for AIDS agencies. Next week: Roger Mos ley talks about his upcoming film project. * tr:® \ 'I V % Chuck Davis Dancers To Perform At Art Museum After dealing with the after- math of Hurricane Hugo for two weeks, a free family trip to Africa may be just the mental tonic needed for the house-bound or the yard-work weary. With a little Imagination and the help of co-sponsors Inter national House, the Afro- American Cultural Center and the Mint Museum of Art, the mu seum lawn at 2730 Randolph Road will be converted on Octo ber 8 to the plains of Africa complete with the continent’s sights, sounds and smells. The Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble will perform at 2 and 4 p.m. (for the uninitiated. It's nearly Impossi ble not to join In the exuberant performance of this engaging dance troupe). At 3 p.m., story teller Brendalyn Jones of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library will enact African stories. "Inside and Outside the African Mask, a music and slide presen tation. will be narrated at 3:30 p.m. In the 'Van Elvery Forum by Rob Williams, master Instructor Of fine arts at Charlotte Country Day School. 'Vendors from Ca ribbean Eatables and Casa blanca restaurants will sell au thentic African and Afro- Caribbean foods. There will be continuous hands-on activities such as mask-making, printmaking, scavenger hunts for African symbols and animals, and tours of the exhibition "African Art from the Rita and John Grun- wald Collection." All activities and admission to the museum are free. To supplement on-sIte parking, a free shuttle bus will run continuously from 1-6 p.m. between the Afro-American Cul tural Center and the Mint Mu seum. The program is made possible In part by the Arts and Science Council of Charlotte and the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council. "African Art from the Rita and John Grunwald Collection" fea tures 70 objects from the major sculpture producing regions of Africa. The exhibition, organized by the Indiana University Art Museum, will be on display until November 12. The Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble is supported by the Z. Smith Re ynolds Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the North Carolina Arts Council and the Southern Arts Federation. The Yellow Jackets are from left to right: Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip, Marc Russo and William Kennedy Smooth Jazz Yellow Jackets Perforin At UNCC SPECIAL TO THE POST With their Jazz Fusion Album for Politics in 1989, the Yellow- jackets have now one In two cat egories (their album Shades won for R&B Instrumental Perfor mance In 1986). Their new ground breaking release. The Spin Is a different twist of the Yellowjackets tale, and could pocket them a third Grammy for Jazz Instrumental Performance by a Group. True, "the Jackets" have been moving towards a more spontaneous "pteying" style since 1987's Four Comers, but The Spin shows a more seri ous commitment than ever to jazz, without losing any of their strong melodic vision. The group will perform at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday at McKnight Hall on the Universi ty of North Carolina at Char lotte's campus. "On The Spin we've gone to our traditional jazz Inspirations, while still striving for the most melodic music we can make," said bassist Jimmy Haslip. "more acoustic and traditional than any other Yellowjackets album. Keith Jarrett’s trio Is still playing the bop kind of thing, but treating It In a mod ern perspective. That's all we’re trying to do, play Jazz with mod ern harmony and technology. As a band we're trying to stretch out and give people that don't know or understand jazz a chance, while growing and chal lenging ourselves." The concept of The Spin was in place when the group began writ ing for the album last year. "We wanted to have lots of space In the music, and a real warm sounding album," said key boardist/ composer Russell Fer rante. "Beautiful melodies, as much as we’re capable of writ ing, and acoustic Instruments." Some of the warmest sounding records the Jackets could think of were done on the EMC Jazz la bel, specifically the work of en gineer Jan Erik Kongshaug. Kongshaug was excited about the chance to work with the group, and he Invited them to come record at his Rainbow Studios in Oslo, Norway. The band accept ed, and after several months of writing and rehearsing on the west coast (of California), they left for Oslo. "Oslo was unique," said drum mer Will Kennedy. "We went there and focused In on the pro ject. The arrival was exciting, getting there and walking into the studio, realizing, 'What's life without a little risk?' We went for it, and we're happy we did." "We allotted three weeks to do the whole thing," Haslip said. "So there wasn't a lot of time to mess around. It was putting the blinders on and jumping Into It. We were there Isolated making this record. . . .It was harder than I anticipated because of that Isolation, and at the same time it forced us Into coming up with something a little differ ent, which we were trying to do." Young American jazzers out on a limb, but confident -of their new material, written with just such a setting In mind. "I always try to play what the situation calls for," said saxman Marc Russo. "So being In Norway, a million miles from home, It was like, 'okay, we’re making a jazz record, just approach It a little more relaxed and see what come out.' There was more room to play on this album." Besides going for a more spa cious, airy sound, the band wanted this record to be much more of a live performance. The resulting tracks capture each member at his best. "With four guys, every person has to really open up," Ferrante said. "In the early days we would do a track and then leave space to overdub. Now we approach It like, 'Let's make the four of us sound like a band. Let's tiy to get It so we don't need another element In the song to make It sound com plete.' That Inspires everyone to open up and try all the dyiiamlcs and colors we need just In the four of us." Tickets for the concert are $15.50 for students, $17.50 for general advance and $18.50 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the Cone Center, Camelot Records, on Independence and South Boulevard, all Shazada Records and New World Records. Brown Show To Have Music, Play By Winfred Cross Post Entertainment Editor ■While the real James Brown is serving a jail term In a South Carolina's prison, Charlotte's own version of the same will be giving a tribute In his honor. James Brown Henderson, or Westslde James Brown as he Is known by his friends, will headline the event along with the Great CoCo Mini Band at 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at Northwest Middle School's audi torium. Part of the proceeds from the show will be donated to the Up town Day Shelter for the home less. Brown said he's also doing the show to help support his friend. "I met him back In 1965 when he was real hot. I was offered a job to work with him sometime but I never did," Henderson said. It didn't feel comfortable at the time." Henderson, who says he's 44, said he was not pleased with what's happened to Brown, but said some of Its his own fault. "He let go. You can't let go out here. You gotta keep driving to be 'Soul Brother No. 1,' he said. 'You've got to live that, think that, believe that." Henderson's tribute to Brown will feature him doing some of Brown's hit songs as well as tunes by Sam Cooke. The show will open with a short play called "Help." "It's about a singer who went bad. But somebody talks to him and sets him straight and he's able to sing ageiln," Henderson said. The show will also feature Ma rietta Westbrook and the Soul Revue. A fashion show featuring original creations by Lateefah will also be a part of the tribute. Lateefah designs were fea tured In the "Mist Behavin Show," a national fashion show sponsored by Canadian Mist, when It toured Charlotte. Henderson said this tribute Is just part of things he's Involved with. He has acted In the CBS TV minlserles "Chiefs" and the un released "Black Rainbow." He plans to join the Screen Actors Guild In January to Insure more movie roles. "He let go. You can't let go out there." Westslde James Brown He's also writing some gospel songs for a group and plans to do some recording himself. "Who knows," he said as he laughed, " we may have a Mo- town-llke company In Char lotte," Tickets are $ 10 In advance and $12 at the door .They can be purchased at Talley Town con venience store on LaSalle Street. Photo CALVIN FERGUSON
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 5, 1989, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75