Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / June 13, 1996, edition 1 / Page 17
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Charlotte THURSDAY, June 13, 1996 1BIARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Black Radio Exclusive conference Maxwell pleases crowd with 70s soul By Winfred B. Cross THE CHARLOTTE POST M axwell is standing on stage with Link Hayes shades from “The Mod Squad,’ Jackie Jackson afro and one of Rollo’s suits from “Sanford and Son.” You know the kind - silver sharkskin polvester. The man s a true child of the ‘70s. His fans are glad of it. You see. Maxwell is a singer, a true sing^ that learned his craft from some great /Os singers - Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, even Pnnce or symbol or whatever he’s calling himself today. Those influences can be heard on his first CD, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, out on Columbia Records. He was in town last week at the Adam’s Mark Hotel as part of the Black Radio Exclusive con vention. Scheduled for only 45 min utes, Maxwell seemed to groove much longer. His show was a mixture of soul and funk. He’s an expert musician, but he chose to let his tremen dously tight band do all the work. He handled, no, com manded the microphone. It was the link between his glori ous voice and the audience. And it was a wonderful link. I was skeptical about Maxwell live. Falsetto singing can be an iffy thing. A slight cold or any other minor problem can cause havoc. There was no such problem. Maxwell’s honeyed tenor glid ed effortless between Earth and Heaven, generally resting comfortably between the two. His voice was simply stunning on “Whenever, Wherever, Whatever” a ballad that smol ders with passion. He was even better on “'Til The Cops Come Knocking,” the sensual radio cut that’s bringing him a world of attention. But when it was time to get funky. Maxwell didn’t disap point, either. He got heads bobbing on “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” an infectious song that swept through the room like a brush fire. By the time he got to “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder),” hands were raised and hips were moving - a sure sign you’ve got the crowd in the palm of your hand. The sound system was not the best - something Maxwell noted several times during his set. His background vocalists kept drifting in and out, no fault of their on. It wasn’t enough to spoil his savvy stage presence. Maxwell worked those polyester threads into the ground, leaving the audi ence wanting more. Black Radio Exclusive is an industry magazine which charts urban, rap and gospel singles. The publisher, Sidney Miller, influenced the industry to follow such music more closely. The convention ran Thursday through Sunday. Seminars and showcases, including meet and greets for the Braxtons (Toni’s sisters) and Ladae, a Motown vocal group, were held. Luther Campbell’s “Peep Show” rolled into town Saturday night at at the Grady Cole Center, while Monica, Immature and Men of Vizion performed at The Arena. ,M.y . * ' ' ' f- Maxwell PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS I over. over Reaching Your Highest Potential Darryl Bego By Jeri Young THE CHARLOTTE POST C harlottean and Davidson College graduate Darryl Bego is throwing his hat into the crowded ring of self help guides. In his first work, “Reaching Your Highest Potential,” Bego puts a unique spin on self-help guides. Grounded securely in Christian doctrine, “Reaching Your Highest Potential” covers ground that many self-help guides do not. “I read more than 30 self help guides,” said Bego. “All of them were written by people who knew what they wanted, none told you how to get purpose.” Bego asserts that purpose begins with a cle^r relationship with God. He advocates meditation and prayer as tools for developing this relationship. Bego’s guide for success is simply figure out what you like to do, where your talents lie. This is an incredibly simple hypothesis, yet it is one of the most difficult to adhere to. Many of us have doubts about our talents and purpose. Bego is the first to admit this. His book grew out of his own quest for purpose. That is perhaps the beauty of “Reaching Your Highest Potential.” It is evident that the book grew out of another’s search for identity. It is simple, very direct and does not claim to be a panacea. Bego simply restates what is already known in a format that is guaranteed to get the reader thinking, about self and relation ships, both spiritual and personal. Each chapter comes complete with questionaires and quizzes aimed at finding your hidden talents and career goals. Bego also encourages the reader to find a role model, someone they admire both personally and professionally. Doing so, accord ing to Bego, will help the reader find the most satisfying career. I usually don’t really get into self-help books, but Bego really See SHAW Page 2B By Winfred B. Cross Luke still nasty as he wants to be Luke Uncle Luke Ice Cube, Darren Rudnick, Frankie Cutlass, Rick Smith, Rod XL, Sean Press, Rick f Jody, Todd Terry and Douff E. ^ Fresh, producers Luther Campbell Music Inc. X here are some good things that can be said about this travesty of a recording that Luke Campbell offers as art. “Never Forget From Whence You Came” offers insight on Campbell’s feel ings about censorship, betrayal by the group H- Town and sell-outs. He is St human after all. There’s also some very fine dance beats being dispensed. But the bad stuff outweighs the little good. This is pure foulness. Campbell’s mouth and mind are foul, foul, foul. And he doesn’t care. He mocks the fact that he has a detrimental effect on children in “The Interview.” He down grades women throughout, he’s particularly troubling on “A-hole Naked,” “Freaky Bi- ches” and “Work It Baby.” The most exasperating part of this CD is that Luke has no problem with getting bunches of women to chant along with his sexist lyrics. What kind of sense does that make? And don’t be fooled by the single “Scarred” featured in the movie “Eddie.” The radio version is nothing like the sex dripping yersion on this CD. Fortunately, you won’t be hearing any of these versions on the radio, but that will not stop bunches of kids from walking into a record store and picking up this vileness. I know, I know - you don’t have to buy this or even listen. All I ask is why someone wants to make a piece of trash like this. I guess it’s to be expected from someone who’s bold enough to have oral sex on stage during a show. Get him outtahere! Various Artists Place of Hope produced Dy Sibusiso Victor Masondo «lt>l£8»Arn«i THI WOUTN k r M t « A Black/Note Warner Bros. ☆ ☆☆ LUKE j^outh Africa’s phenomenal transformation into a democ racy has inspired yet another tribute album. The latest, Place of Hope, is a smattering of superstars and industry greats singing songs of inspiration and hope. Only two of the songs are original: “Now It’s Your 'Turn,” sung sweetly by Gail Hamilton with backing vocals by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Bela Fleck’s “New South Africa.” The rest are as famil iar as your daily trip home. That’s not a bad thing because some very good songs were chosen. “That’s the Way of the World” is sweetly done by Gerald Albright and Take 6 members Mark and Joel Kibble. Claude McKnight, also of Take 6 fame, does an ethere al version of Mr. Mister’s “Broken Wings,” which incor porates Maya Angelou’s mov ing poem “Still I Rise.” Take 6 bass Alvin Chea narrates. Sting’s often-used “Fragile” is handled well by Nana Coyote Motijoane. Producer Sibusiso Victor Masondo had the good sense to PLACE OF HOPE use Jonathan Butler’s “Heal Our Land.” George Duke co produced the song and as usual, decided to use a gaggle of singers: James Ingram, Howard Hewett, Lori Perry, Jeffrey Osborne, A1 Jarreau, Dianne Reeves, Chante Moore and Phil Perry. And as usual, the effort works. Black/Note Nothin’ But The Swing Mark Anthony Shellry and Wilne Jones III, producers Impulse Records ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ eXazz purists are always complaining about the pletho ra of pop-jazz artists that dom inate the airwaves. Where are the real jazz artists? Five of them are in Black/Note, a hot quintet on Impulse Records. 'These guys have the ability to swing, to find the groove and sit there, pulling the lis tener in with each note. Once the first note of Freddy Hubbard’s “The Core” hits, you’re hooked. It gets better. “Mahonisms” See SOUNDS page 2B
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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June 13, 1996, edition 1
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