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THURSDAY, AMRCH 8, 2007
SEaiON D
Can’t get read
on encyclopedia
Various Artists
Encyclopedia Of
Soul, Vol. 1
Various producers
Unlimited Media
Carrying a title of "Encyclopedia of Soul”
would be a tall order for any CD, but one
that doesn’t use the original recordings is
doomed to fail.
So is the sad story of volume one of this
encyclopedia. The lineup isn’t bad. Any
CD with Aretha, The Four Tops, The
Supremes, Kooi & The Gang and Nina
Simone has got some history for sure.
But you better make sure the group line
up is the one cherished by fans and not
the flavor of the month. Diana Ross is not
singing on- “My World Is Empty Without
You.” I don’t know who it is, but it ain’t
Miss Ross.
Actually, the only original versions of
these songs are those by Barry White and
Aretha, ‘let The. Music Play” and “You’re
The First, The Last, My Everything” are
true to form and sound as good as ever.
".Think” and "Don't Play That Song" are
truly part of American music history,
along with anything Aretha’s ever done.
Sam & Dave, The Commodores. Martha
Reeves and the Three Degrees also have
songs that were either recorded live or
remade with different group members.
There are also some very odd group and
song choices. I like the Doobie Brothers,
yet "Long Train Running” isn’t what I’d call
soul. It’s soulful rock, and it also isn’t the
original version. Gloria Gaynor is a soul
singer no doubt, but she was in the disco
genre. Again, these are not the original
versions of her songs. Kool & The Gang's
“Jungle Boogie” or "Hollywood Swinging”
would have been perfect. A live version of
the pop classic “Cherish” is not.
Ratings
Classic;
Excel lent: ;
Good
Fair
Why?
No stars A mess
GirlMends’
grow on you
Girlfriends
Complete
Rrst Season
Tracee Ross, Golden Brooks,
Jill AAarie Jones and Persia White
Paramount Home Video
I moaned after watching the first episode
of ‘‘Girlfriends’’ back in 2000. Is this the best
representation of black women we can get
in the new millennia?
Actually, it turned out to be pretty good.
Seven seasons and a new network later, the
show is still surviving.
Still, it's fun to go back and see how much
these characters have grown or changed.
Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross) is still waiting for the
right man but it isn’t as big a focus as it was
the first season. Her life's ambition seemed
to be married with a house fuU of kids. Well,
until she thinks she’s pregnant and all the
stuff about a family getting in the way of a
career comes into play. Maya (Golden
Brooks) was Joein's haughty secretary and
friend who didn’t seem to fit in with the
girls. Her relationship with Toni (Jones), or
lack thereof, was certainly a source of
laughter.
Then there’s Lynn (Persia White) who real
ly can't be defined. It doesn’t matter that
she has no purpose, job, or structured life,
or, well, 1 could go on. She fits.
The first season was dicey. It looked as if
it was only going to be about man-chasing,
but on occasion something of substance
appears. The most poignant was Toni’s
decision not to date a dark-skinned man
fearing it would lead to marriage and pro
ducing a child.
Live ‘Wire’ buzzes with
urban grit - like it or not
By Cheris F. Hodges
cheris.hocfges@)hecharioffepostcom
HBO’s gritty drama "The Wire” may be a fan favorite, but
according to two actors, the mayor of Baltimore isn’t a fan.
But his wife is.
“The mayor of Baltimore right now hates us," said Andre Royo,
who plays Bubbles, a drug addict on the show. "But his wife loves
us and when they see us, his wife is like ‘ooh. The Wire’ and he’s
like get your (behind) over here."
Now in its fourth season, “The Wire" is one of the most watched
shows on HBO.
Corey Parker-Robinson, who plays Detective Leander Sydnor,
said the show offers a look at the top and bottom of Baltimore and
provides a lesson to viewers.
The show received two NAACP Image Award nominations this
year.
“It's not just a TV show about entertainment," said Royo.
“There’s a little education and
social factor. (People) appreci
ate the truth. One thing that
people say about the show all
the time is that it’s very real
and we get it. It speaks to us
and that's-very rare on televi
sion.”
Robinson said "The Wire"
shows that you reap what you
sow.
“It shows all those negative
things and if you're so into
doing negative, you're going to
reap those negative aspects,”
he said.
Royo added that just as it
takes a village to raise a child,
it takes that same village to
destroy the neighborhood.
"Everything plays a part in the
Royo
destruction or the beauty of it and I think ‘The Wire' really makes
sure it crosses those lines ■
shows how each piece plays ai
part.”
The success of “The Wire” t
came as a surprise to Royo I
and Robinson, who said they!
initially thought the show was ^
one of the worst on TV.
“HBO has always been known ^
for having different types of *
shows and every network has a
cop show,” Royo said. “This must^
be really different.”
He said since it was cable, “The J
Wire" was going to shov\^
everything about policy
life on the street.,
But Royo said inj
the first season,^
it didn’t showj
anything.
W
thought this J
show ain't/
going
last,
don’t have I
any sex, I
we’re not I
blowing!
people’s!
b r a i n s|
out,” Royol
said. "This!
is going to 1
be real bor-^
ing.”
Please see THE/2D
CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY
Terrence Wilson will play with the Charlotte Symphony March 16-17.
Music always close to
classical pianist’s soul
By Cheris F. Hodges
cheris.hoages&heciiariottepost.com
T errence Wilson has always
been surrounded by music.
When the concert pianist
was 5 years old, he played Stevie
Wonder songs by ear.
His interest in classical music was
sparked at age 8 when he discov
ered by chance a New York classi
cal radio station. Whenever he had
a piano available to him, he seized
the opportunity to perform, aston
ishing his teachers and family with
the ease with which he could play
pieces he heard on the radio or on
recordings.
And a piano was always around
because Wilson’s grandfather was a
pastor who had a piano at his
Please see WILSONi^D
Llqyd growing into
recent R&B success
By Brandi Woodson
THE CHA(?LOnF POST
Vibe Hoops -N- Hip Hop Tour made its first stop at
Johnson C. Smith University with basketball demonstra
tions and live performances by hip-hop artists.
Featured R&B artist Lloyd sang from his debut album
“Street Love” due to be released March 13. Students
screamed his name as he picked an audience member to
be part of his act.
Lloyd spent time at Eastland Mall, Power 98 and 96.1
the Beat, where he chatted with fans and promoted his
upcoming album and hit song "You” featuring Lil Wayne.
Fans also had the opportunity to meet Lloyd face to face
at Manifest Disc and Tapes on South Boulevard.
Lloyd. Polite Jr. was born in New Orleans. His father
died when Lloyd was 2. He moved to Atlanta, where his
career began to take off. "I had my first record deal when
I was 10 years old and put out my first album when I was
12 years old with his group N-Toon," Lloyd said. “1 then
went on to sign my first solo deal with Magic Johnson’s
music group.”
Lloyd’s success only increased as he released another
album “Southside” with The Inc. Records. Now 21, Lloyd
owns his own label, Young-Goldie Music.
With his beginnings in the church, Lloyd has always
understood the power of music and the command it has
on his life. He has been involved in giving back by help
ing others.
"My friends at home look to me as a hope," said Lloyd.
"So I hope to eventually go back and bring them along
for the ride, but it starts with me and it starts with “Street
Love.”
Traveling and performing brought difficulties in
school but Lloyd found ways to continue his education
through completion. "At one point in time it was hard
and 1 did home-school for a while,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd says he has no regrets and hopes to one day
attend college. “I love what I do,” he said. “College is to
help find what it is you want to do and perfect it, but I
found what 1 want to do and have been perfectmg.it
since I was a kid so I’m glad that I do what I do.”
As a young artist, Lloyd has the adoration of fans,
especially females. With hundreds of hits daily on his
MySpace page, he says he loves the attention. “The only
bad side is having to watch what I do, and not be able to
Please see LLOYD/3D
Shhh - New Edition tour quietly rolls into town
By Cheris F. Hodges
cheris.TTOdges®Thec/iortotteposf.cx>m
The last stop on the New Edition world tour is in Charlotte.
But the fellas. Ronnie, Johnny, Ricky, Mike and Ralph (possibly
Bobby Brown) aren’t talking.
Talk about disappointing.
New Edition was hot about 20 years ago, Sure they sell out con
certs, but they don't have an album coming out-or do they?
Their fans won't know because their people say they ain’t talk
ing.
Keith Sweat is on the ticket with NE. He’s not talking either. Are
you kidding me? In the early i990s, Sweat was the man. Flis beg
ging was heard on every station. But lately his music has been
forgettable. Yet he's not doing interviews? Please!
- What’s on the horizon for Sweat? Who knows, because he’s not
talking.
I’m as big of a fan of these acts as anyone, but guys-Prince you
ain’t.
The show is sure to be lovely. New Edition put on a great show
at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in 2005. They're three acts
rolled into one group. But they’re not musical geniuses. Sure they
have fans that will show up holding their “Candy Girl” album (yes
album) from 1983, but that doesn’t mean they don't have to talk
and let people know what's going on.
The New Edition World Tour rolls into Charlotte on March 16 at
New Edition at a more talkative time in Columbia last year
Cricket Arena at 8 p.m.
Tickets range from $49.50 to $39.50 and can be purchased at
the Cricket Arena box office, Ticketmaster at (704) 522-6500 or
online at www.ticketmaster.com.
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