Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / June 15, 2006, edition 1 / Page 23
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
http://www.thecharlottepost.com Charlotte ^ost THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2006 D Section PHOTO/RHONDAVOCALS.COM Atlanta-based singer Rhonda Thomas will bring her style of soul jazz to the Jazz Cafe this evening. Thomas has sang back-up for soul legend Issac Hayes. No doubting Thomas Jazz stylist makes her own mark with ‘Breathe New Life ’ By Chens F. Hodges chiens.hodgej®Thechar/ofteposf.co/n When Rhonda Thomas comes to the Jazz Cafe on Ar^ey TDwn Boidevard, she’s brir^ing her unique style jazz/fimk bach to Charlotte. Thomas, an Atlanta-based singer, has a new album, “Breathe New Life,” and she’s ready to introduce everyone to her style. “I’ve been singii^ since I was seven,” she said. That experience paid, off when Thomas won first place at the Apollo Theatre in the late 1980s. She was 15 at the time. When she went to school at Hampton University in. Virginia^ th^^ was no question as to what her major would be. “I was a jazz vocalist major for a year,” she said. Wanting to strike out on her own, Thomas left Virginia and headed to the soul Mecca of Atlanta. ■ “I got hooked up in the jazz scene here and some musicians that work with Isaac Hayes contacted me and wanted me to sit^ back up,” she said. Hayes was so impressed with her music that he called her “a breath of fi-esh air.” “She has the quality, vocal timbre and vibrato of Deniece Williams when she goes high Ihere are a lot of vocal sounds in this young woman,” he said on her web site. Though she may get lumped into the - neo-soul category, she said her music is more of “soul jazz.” “For me, jazz is the pulse of most music,” she said. “Growing up in my house, I was privy to a lot of different styles of music.” She said she calls her music soul jazz because those are her favorite styles of music. But if she had her way, the music wouldn’t be labeled at aU. “I like to define my own music,” she said. “I’m not opposed to people equat ing my music to neo-soul.” She just doesn't call it that. ‘Because Tm not signed to a major label, I can get away with it more readily” Thomas said. like many of the artists who have come finm the Atlanta undergroimd soul scene, Thomas can sing. She’s performed with artists like India. Arie and Donnie as well as the jazz group Incognito. She’s been highli^ted in JazzTimes magazine as well. Use of racial slur conjures endearment and disdain By Chens F. Hodges cheris hodgestihechorlotlepost.corr) On Memorial Day weekend, CNN aired a segment on the N-word - nigger fof those who don’t know. Tbny Harris and Michael Eric Dyson talked over the phone about the word, which is as controversial as it is commonplace. I can’t write this piece and say that I’ve never uttered the word. But I can say I don’t like it. 'That’s one of the reasons that I don’t listen to much rap BOOK REVIEW music. On the flip side, I love “'The Boondocks.” If you’ve sem the animated series on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, you know that the word is used a lot. Dyson said it’s a term of “endearment.” He told Harris “It is a term of love and acceptance and embrace. But let’s not-let’s not be dishonest. It also can be used as a term of directing venom and disdain.” And that’s the rub. How can the N-word ever be seen as a loving term? On the occasions when I said it or thought it, there was no love behind it. And I never walk up to my fiiends and say what’s up my N-word. 'That’s just not cool. But you can’t deny that it’s a part ©f black culture. And it confuses white people. Young suburban white men pur chase hip-hop records. They may be able to quote 50 Cent while rolling in their Jeeps with their buds, but what happens when they drop the N-bomb in a crowd of black men who are listening to the same music and saying the same word? Beat down. Dyson told Harris that “black people determined, almost from the beginning of use of that term, to take it and take the poison out of it by circulating among our selves, simiLar to but not, you know, as when gay people take a term of derision, queer, and use it among themselves or other groups.” 'That statement made my head spin. And it’s also mak ing a trial in New York very interesting. A white man is accused of beating a black man while shouting the n-word. His defenders are saying that because the N-word is a term of endearment, there is no hate crime. Jill Merritt and Kovan Mowers, founders of the web site AbolishtheNword.com have no love for the slur. “It’s not a term of endear ment. It is racial, a derogato ry racial epithet. It always Please see THE N WORD/2D ‘Crazy’ like a Foxx: Novel breaks new literarary ground By Cheris F. Hodges cheris.hodgesSIhecharfoHeposf.com What do you do when your fiance leaves you without a goodbye? If you’re Alexis Pearson, you cut your hair, take martial arts classes, break a man’s arm and strike out on your own. Welcome to Nina Foxx’s new novel, “Just Short of Crazy.” 'This book is one funny ride into the life of a truly imique literary charac ter. Alexis is a lawyer whose life changes when Walter walks away fi'om their impending nuptials. Alexis still has to help her cousin with her wed ding plans and everyone in • her family thinks that she and Walter should get back together. But ^e’s found a “Remedy” for her broken heart in club owner Remedy Brown. But he has'his own baggage in the form of a crazy ex-wife and a small son. Foxx’s storytelling style sucks you in firom the first page. You find yourself cheer ing for Alexis and her trans formation. But you also worry that something is going to go down between her and Reme dy’s ex. Ayzah Brown is a very ^et- ’ to character, but she has a heart. As the story goes on, you begin to see the depth of the characters and each tugs at your heartstrings. 'Ihe action progresses quickly and there are many unejqjected twists and turns that make you want to zip throu^ the novel at top speed. What I like about Foxks style is that the characters aren’t over the top and it feels as if you’re looking into your next door neighbor’s back door. Her book also takes you away. You can feel the 'Ifexas heat as you read and the love scenes are hot, even when you’re reading about Ayzah’s beau cheating. Hopefully Foxx will return to Ayzah’s stoiy, sdnce she’s the character in the book that changed and grew the most. Alexis’ relationship with Remedy takes many twists and turns and when her ex returns, you wonder if she’s going to take him back to make her overbearing aunt happy 'This is one book that needs to head to the beach or the pool with you this sum mer. Author breaks mold to create new breed of Christian fiction By Cheris F. Hodges cOere.hodges®(hechar;ofJeposf.com When Victoria Christopher Murray wrote her first novel, she created a new genre. Now she’s back witii “A Sin and A Shame,” continuing to revolutionize what is consid ered Christian fiction. Murray said when she wrote ‘"Ifemptation” she was n’t writing a Christian fiction novel. At the time, Denise Stinson was her Hteraiy agent and ictoria Christopl Murra' A Sin and A Shame she couldn't seU the novel to a publisher. So, Murray said, Stinson started her own com pany, Walk Worthy Press. “Chri sti an publi shers thought my book was too mainstream and mainstream publishers thought it was to religious,” Murray said. But what her books are and have become are bestsdlers. 'Thou^ there is a spiritual basis in her books, Mmray said that she tries to show dif ferent perspectives in her nov els. Take her latest, for instance, the main diaracter Jasmine Larson is a very unfikable character, but she’s trying to dhar^. In “Ifempta- tion” Jasmine seduced her best fiiend’s husband. Now she’s trying to be a better Christian. “Jasmine prays the sinner’s prayer but she stops there,” Murray said. Because Jas mine cmtinues to bed a mar ried man and when she meets the man she wants to marry, shell stop at nothir^ to get him. “I tried to write her as a flawed individual who car ried a spirit of lust with her,” Murray said. Whether readers love or hate Jasmine is up to them, she said. “What I love about talking to readers is that you bring who you are to the reading ejqierience,” Murray said. Her best fidend and best selling author Kimberly Lawson Roby, didn’t Hke Jas- Please see SEQUEL /2D Winfred Cross ‘West Wing’ flies in 6th season West Wing Cofnpleie Siklh Season Dulle Hill. Marlin Sheen. Jimmy Smits. Alan Alda, Allison Janney, Slockard Channing, Richard Schijfand Bradley Whilford Warner Home Video The first four seasons of “The West Wing” were unri valed by anything on televi sion. Brilliant writii^ and acting established this series position in dramatic televi sion history Alas, the creators left in a huff over stuff at NBC, send ing season five into a cre ative dive. 'The diow went firom tremendous to just OK. But by midseason six, “The West foirnd its stride again. It wasn't the old show but was morphir^ into some thing as good. Establidied characters were thrown into different roles. The turmoil in the White House contin ued but shifted to other areas and the race to elect a new president was on 'The presidential thing was the arch for the entire sea son. Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits returned as rivals for the presidency. Alda as Republican Arnold Vinick and Smits as Democrat Matthew Santos gave this show the boost it needed. 'The other stuff was cool, too. The office began speak ing in that breakneck pace that made this show so watchable. Josh, C.J., 'Ibby and even president Bartlett (Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff and the magnificent Martin Sheen respectively) were back to their loveably annoy- ir^ selves. 'The writii^ was also back up to speed. 'The DVD has a special Easter Egg (hidden stuff) that features a conversation with the late John Spencer, who was wonderful as Leo. Janney also gets a feature chronicling her rise fi-om press secretary to Chief of Staff- 'Twenty-two episodes are spread about six discs done in Dolby Digital sound. _D D. Ratings aassic; -fi -{XiZ -vS -f? tz Good Fair Why? o®o
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 15, 2006, edition 1
23
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75