The Scoop LA

Clippers Announce Del Negro Will Not Return As Head Coach

Bernard Samms — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:57:28 +0000

Vinny Del Negro-Photo-Getty Images.

Los Angeles, May 21, 2013- The Los Angeles Clippers announced today they will not offer a new contract to head coach Vinny Del Negro. A search for a new coach will begin immediately.

“We would like to thank Vinny for everything he did during his three years with the organization,” Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Gary Sacks said. “Vinny helped this team win a Pacific Division title and we greatly appreciate all that he and his staff helped us accomplish. This was a difficult decision, but we feel this is the best decision for our franchise moving forward.”

Del Negro compiled a 128-102 (.557) record with the Clippers in three seasons, guiding them to the Playoffs in 2012 and 2013. The Clippers finished the 2012-13 season with a franchise-high 56 wins and the fourth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs before falling 4-2 to the Memphis Grizzlies in the First Round. In five seasons as a head coach with the Chicago Bulls and Clippers, Del Negro owns a 210-184 (.533) career record.

Zeola Gaye talks about her play “My Brother Marvin”

Kim Webster — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:57:18 +0000

Zeola Gaye.

The man behind the music

By Kim Webster

April 1, 1984 was a sad day remembered around the world. It was the day that Marvin P. Gaye died. We didn’t want to believe the radio and television broadcasts, this could not be true. Music fans mourned his passing with the passion of losing a family member. In reality Zeola Gaye, Marvin’s younger sister lost a brother. “He and I were the closest of the siblings,” she said. Her book “My Brother Marvin” and excerpts from her Mother and Father’s personal diaries and memoirs are the basis for the stage play. Older sister Jeanne found the diaries and memoirs which provided insight into their parent’s relationship, childhood and things they had not told their children. “I want people to know that what they see from this play, they can take it to the bank and know that they got the truth.” She describes the play as a “dramatic piece not a musical.” Marvin’s music is not featured in the play, but there is a concert featuring the characters of Tina Turner (played by Lia Grant who also plays Tammi Terrell), Gladys Knight, and Teddy Pendergrass. “I’m telling the story about my brother, Marvin, the man behind the music. I’m telling things that nobody would ever know. Things that went on in my household that led up to that awful day and why.” She decided to do the play because of “a lot of things that are coming out that will not be accurate like the movie Sexual Healing. My play is strictly to share the truth with the people and Marvin’s fans.”

Prominent playwright Angela Barrow Dunlap assisted Zeola in what she describes as a “fast paced, exciting” play. “It’s entertaining and it’s sad. The bottom line is there was a tragedy. That’s what I’m hoping to prevent, if I can, with anyone else.” The play focuses on three important aspects of Marvin’s life as described by Zeola, “I have three Marvins in the play, I have Marvin who started in the church (played by Javier), the Marvin that started at Motown (played by Tony Grant), and Sexual Healing Marvin (played by Keith Washington). Clifton Powell plays my father and the most wonderful, talented Lynn Whitfield plays my mother. The cast is really excellent and I believe when people see the play they’ll leave with something.” She wants the audience to understand how alcoholism and drugs can destroy a family. “My family was dysfunctional and there was a lot of addiction going on; alcoholism and drugs even down to myself. I’ve been clean for 11 years. I want people to recognize what went on in my household. Maybe they can reach out and help someone that they love and care about and what happened in my family won’t happen in their family. I feel Marvin’s blessings on me; I know I have God’s blessings. I know I would not have been able to come this far without His blessings.”

“My Brother Marvin” opens at Pantages Theater 6233 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood CA 90028 on May 23rd – 25^th 2013 and May 26^th 20013 at the Terrace Theatre 300 East Ocean Blvd Long Beach CA 90802. “Doing this play is very therapeutic for me. I found some closure and I hope that anyone who sees the play will also find closure,” said Zeola Gaye.

Women of War-The Documentary

Bernard Samms — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:43:41 +0000

Shari Belafonte(L) and Kat Hawks of the American Ballet of Los Angeles. Photo by Madi Murphy-Sinclair.

Los Angeles- Shari Belafonte, actress, photographer and spokesperson for the Lili Claire Foundation, served as host at a reception in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, May 15. The event kicked off the launch of a documentary called “Women of War.” The documentary sheds light on the alarmingly high statistics of sexual assault in the U.S. military. Proceeds of the benefit went to The Military Rape Crisis Center. Sheyna Gee, Melissa Mishele, Alice Wallace, Mariah Wilson and Kimbra Westervelt were amongst those that performed their live and original songs. Kat Hawks, of the American Ballet of Los Angeles was one of several luminaries that attended the event.

Shari Belafonte.

Recognizing the problem is the first step towards finding solutions.

The statistics on sexual assault in the military is at an all-time high. One-third of women in the military said they were sexually harassed, a number 500% higher than their male counterparts, according to the latest Pentagon survey. The data was compiled by the Defense Manpower Data Center from a survey of 24,000 service members.

In 2010, nearly 2700 sexual assaults were reported by people in uniform. But the looming question remains, how many were not reported? From a recent investigation, 80% of sexual assaults in the military are NOT reported so how many women in our military are being sexually harassed, assaulted and traumatized and more importantly, why is the military not doing more to protect them?

Since the beginning of the war in Iraq sexual assaults in the military jumped nearly 40% by 2005 and another 24% on top of that in 2006.

About the Documentary:

“Women of War” (WOW) is a sometime tender, sometimes brutal look at the pride and pain that America’s female fighting force encounters when they choose to charge front and center in some of America’s most horrific battles. It also examines how PTSD manifests itself differently in women and questions why little is being done to reduce the accelerating rates of homelessness, substance abuse, divorce and suicide among America’s bravest women.

Produced by the filmmakers of the award winning 2009 documentary “Who Will Stand” “Women of War” will examine what strides have been made since their “Who Will Stand” first brought these relatively unknown issues to the American public.

If you’d like to attend the reception, contact: Norma Dalke at 310-993-8583

or e-mail debhayterpr@aol.com.

Documentary Launch

Wednesday, May 22

12:30 Red Carpet

1:00 Wine & Cheese Reception

2:00 PM Film Screening

Beverly Hills, CA

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Buddy Sampson — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:27:57 +0000

Cover photo-Phylicia Rashad. Inside Photo- Dawnn Lewis(L), James Pickens, Jr. and Angela Bassett(R) were among the many celebrities that attended the premiere. All photos by Kim Webster.

By Kim Webster

LOS ANGELES CA – It’s 1911, Pittsburgh PA, and the setting is a kitchen filled with the aroma of a hearty breakfast. Bertha (Lillias White) and Seth (Keith David) run a rooming house filled with a range of tenants; some locals and some who have migrated from the south. Herald Loomis (John Douglas Thompson) and his daughter Zonia (Skye Barrett) have traveled from the south in search of Zonia’s mother Martha (Erica Tazel). Not the most friendly of tenants, but Herald is a caring and protective father to his daughter despite his personal burdens. During their stay, Zonia makes friends with nearby neighbor Reuben (Nathaniel James Potvin). Bynum (Glynn Turman) is comical at times but he also possesses a spiritual and somewhat mystical knowledge of life. Molly Cunningham (Vivian Nixon) is the fancy dressing, care-free lady in the house much to the contrast of Mattie Campbell (January Lavoy) who’s in search of true love. Jeremy Furlow (Gabriel Brown) is young, works hard, and befriends Mattie. Frequent visitor Rutherford Selig (Raynor Scheine) buys craft goods from Seth and is known as a finder of people. This unique mix of personalities unwinds into an interesting story.

Garrett Morris(L) formerly of Saturday Night Live and Starletta DuPois. Photo by Kim Webster.

The origin of the title of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” comes from the recording by legendary blues artist W. C. Handy. It is said that women would sing the lyrics “They tell me Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Got my man and gone…he come with forty links of chain” in reference to plantation owner Joe Turner illegally enslaving their sons, fathers, and husbands in the early 1900’s. Directed by Phylicia Rashad, this production takes the audience into the lives and emotions of a people venturing from a post slavery south, and those in the north experiencing urban life while in search of their destiny.

“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” is now playing thru June 9, 2013, at the Mark Taper Forum at the Music Center, 135 N Grand Ave Los Angeles, CA 90012. This is one you don’t want to miss!

Phylicia Rashad. She is the Director of the dynamic production. Photo by Kim Webster.

The Extraordinary Life of Alberto Spadolini

Buddy Sampson — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:57:00 +0000

Josephine Baker-Photo courtesy of Marco Travaglini, Spadolini's nephew.

Inspires a film and stage production called Spadolini & The White Stone of Mecca

LOS ANGELES, CA. May 15, 2013 – Marco Travaglini of Atelier Spadolini and Eddy & Kat Hawks of American Ballet of Los Angeles announce an American and Italian co-production on the action-adventure film and stage production of Spadolini & The White Stone of Mecca. Alberto Spadolini was a great dancer within the Parisian music-hall scene in the 1930s. He was Marlene Dietrich’s favorite male dancer and would become such a hot item that even Josephine Baker handpicked him to be her partner on stage. Eventually they would become lovers and have a stormy relationship for many years. Spadolini would also become known as an actor, choreographer, painter, decorator, restorer, singer and writer. Some dance historians even believe that he, like Josephine Baker, was a spy working for the French Foreign Legion during World War II.

In 1978, Marco Travaglini, Spadolini’s nephew, discovers a box of posters, newspaper articles, musical sheets and other documents about the legendary life of Spadolini. During his lifetime, Spadolini becomes the Principal Dancer at the Opera of Monte Carlo, is acclaimed the new Nijinsky, performs with Serge Lifar, makes Picasso jealous of him, runs away with Jean Renoir’s wife, embodies the “God of War” in the operetta “Die Lustige Witwe” in front of Adolf Hitler, acts with Jean Marais and Jean Gabin, adapts the dialogues for the film, “The Tales of Hoffmann” that receives an award at the Cannes Film Festival, becomes a sculptor, illustrator, journalist, and becomes one of the most eclectic characters in the Twentieth Century. In 2005, Travaglini receives a medal from President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi of the Italian Republic for organizing an exhibition about Spadolini in Riccione, Italy. On November 23, 2012, Marco Travaglini sent Eddy & Kat Hawks, Directors of American Ballet of Los Angeles, an article he has written about Spadolini called “Spies With Licence to Dance” with a caption that reads, “Heirs of Mata Hari, generous like Mistinguett, dauntless as Josephine Baker. From the forgetful folds of time, a legendary figure emerges. It is Alberto Spadolini, painter, dancer…secret agent.”

Tatiana Riabouchinska. Photo courtesy of Marco Travaglini.

Spadolini & The White Stone of Mecca is scheduled to go into film production in 2014 in France, Italy, Switzerland and the United States and expected to release in 2015.

The logline is “Alberto Spadolini, an Italian spy working for the French Foreign Legion, and Diana Reeves, a British MI6 agent, are sent to stop Adolf Hitler from getting his hands on the White Stone of Mecca.”

For more information about Spadolini & The White Stone of Mecca, or to schedule an interview with Eddy Hawks, please call Kat Hawks at (310) 696-1928 or email Kat at americanballetoflosangeles@gmail.com.

AMERICAN BALLET OF LOS ANGELES, ABLA

Synergy & Collaboration Through Dance

americanballetoflosangeles@gmail.com

americanballetoflosangeles.com

Visit their Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Ballet-of-Los-Angeles/135339223153640

The New Jump Blues Band Rocks Beverly Hills

Buddy Sampson — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:18:41 +0000

The New Jump Blues Band, featuring Antonio Fargas.

On a chilly Sunday in Beverly Hills, The New Jump Blues Band, featuring Antonio Fargas, provided the heat for the day, in the Beverly Hills installment of the Playboy Jazz series. Combining swing, Latin influences and Calypso, the ensemble demonstrated a high degree of versatility to great effect.

They had three excellent singers, dominated by lead singer Adrian, who is destined for stardom. Adrian and the female singer, whose name we don’t have at press time, were nothing short of excellent. Their showmanship and dancing thrilled the audience. After the first 4 songs, Fargas took the mike with a Chuck Berryish lyrical style. “This has been like the cream of the crop, the cherry on top of a 53 year career,” said Fargas after the performance, when asked about his band. “I found my place in the bus of music with The New Jump Blues Band. I have nothing more to prove. I’m working with people that want to work with me and I’m trying to ‘reach one teach one’ and make my show strong so young people can understand what we are doing.”

Their style was sprinkled with jump blues and look for big things from this exciting group.

For more information on The New Jump Blues Band, visit their Facebook page, Facebook.com/thenewjumpblues.

Special thanks to Nina Gordon Public Relations.

George Lopez to Host 35th Anniversary Playboy Jazz Festival

Buddy Sampson — Fri, 10 May 2013 02:52:22 +0000

George Lopez. Photo by Robert Sebree.

Celebrating its 35th Anniversary, the Playboy Jazz Festival has become an internationally acclaimed event, featuring a veritable who’s who of the jazz world. Considered one of the premier jazz festivals on the West Coast, virtually every jazz icon has performed at the Festival from legendary giants like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie to today’s hottest stars and contemporary artists such as Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Esperanza Spalding, Jamie Cullum, Trombone Shorty and countless others.

Now commemorating 35 years of extraordinary performances, captivating music and magical moments, Playboy will again present a stellar lineup of talent for the 35th Anniversary Jazz Festival, Saturday and Sunday, June 15th and 16th, at the renowned Hollywood Bowl.

Featuring a diverse mix of illustrious jazz greats, next generation leaders and Festival favorites, the two-day concert will spotlight the entire genre of jazz with an assortment of world premieres, rare collaborations and highly anticipated artist debuts. Headliners include George Duke with special guest Jeffrey Osborne, Naturally 7 with special guest Herbie Hancock, Sheila E. and Bob James/David Sanborn featuring Steve Gadd and James Genus.

New to this year’s Festival is the multi-talented entertainer George Lopez, who will make his own debut as the new master of ceremonies, taking over for this year from the legendary Bill Cosby, who relinquished the role last summer after more than 30 years. A Grammy-nominated comedian, Lopez is best known to audiences as the star of TV’s groundbreaking hit sitcom, George Lopez, which ran for six seasons on ABC. Lopez also hosted his own late-night talk show, Lopez Tonight, on TBS for two seasons and was named one of the Top 10 Favorite Television Personalities by the noted Harris Poll. He has made more than 200 TV, comedy, talk show and hosting appearances, including co-hosting the Emmy’s and twice hosting the Latin Grammy Awards, making him a natural choice for the role of Festival host.

Returning to the Playboy stage, two-time Grammy-winning pianist and keyboardist George Duke will appear as a special guest with renowned R&B/pop singer Jeffrey Osborne, who is making his Festival debut. The pair reunited on Osborne’s latest release, A Time for Love, a collection of songs expressing Osborne’s longtime appreciation for jazz standards. The illustrious Duke (who has served as musical director and producer for numerous prominent artists including Dianne Reeves, Anita Baker, Gladys Knight and more) also produced Osborne’s breakthrough solo album Stay With Me Tonight and his hit singles “We’re Going All the Way” and “You Should Be Mine” among others.

Back by popular demand, Naturally 7, who made their triumphant Festival debut in 2010, is returning to the show for a world premiere performance with the iconic Herbie Hancock as a special guest. One of the most distinctively unique groups in music today, Naturally 7 has pioneered a dynamic a cappella style they call “vocal play,” where each member of the group uses only their voice to recreate awe-inspiring sounds of different musical instruments. The group’s now famous Paris subway performance of “Feel It (In The Air Tonight)” has garnered over five million hits on YouTube. Hancock, known for transcending the limitations and genres of music, will complement the group’s inventive style with his own modern compositions that have earned him one Oscar and 14 Grammy Awards. Hancock has been an integral part of every jazz movement since the 1960’s. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, he was one of the pioneers of the avant garde sound. His innovative recordings during the 70’s, combining electric jazz with funk rock sounds, continue to influence today’s music.

Turning up the heat, the Emmy and Grammy-nominated singer/percussionist Sheila E. is returning for the second time as the leader of her own group in a rare back-to-back appearance. Her electrifying performance last year rocked the house, winning her a standing ovation that stopped the show. Sheila has previously performed at the Festival with her legendary father, percussionist Pete Escovedo and their renowned family band, with whom she still tours. A star in her own right, she has served as the musical director for such superstars as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Prince. Known for her mega-hit “The Glamorous Life,” she performed with Prince on Purple Rain and also toured with Ringo Starr and his All-Star band among many others. Last year, she performed at the Oscars alongside Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer.

Reuniting since their Grammy Award-winning dual recording Double Vision in the mid-80’s, keyboardist Bob James and saxophonist David Sanborn will share the Playboy stage together for the first time as part of their summer tour. The pair will be joined by legendary drummer Steve Gadd and acclaimed bassist James Genus. Renowned beyond the jazz world, the Grammy-winning James is known for both his distinguished solo career and as a founding member of the popular contemporary jazz supergroup FourPlay. A six-time Grammy winner, Sanborn has released 24 albums and toured with everyone from Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Al Jarreau, to Elton John, The Rolling Stones and a host of others. One of the most sought-after session and touring musicians in the world, Gadd has played with such top artists as Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin and Chick Corea just to name a few. Currently a member of television’s popular Saturday Night Live band, James Genus is considered one of the most versatile, in-demand bassists on the scene today. Well-known for his talents on both acoustic and electric bass, Genus has played with such noted artists as Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis and others.

Described as “The undisputed Queen of African music” by the London Daily Telegraph, Grammy-winning vocalist Angelique Kidjo is returning to the Festival with special guest renowned world music artist and trumpeter, Hugh Masekela. Known for her dynamic, uplifting music, Kidjo’s appeal cuts across genres as well as generations. Her breathtaking voice and exuberant spirit can be heard on her latest release, Spirit Rising (her first live album), which features special guests Josh Groban, Dianne Reeves and Branford Marsalis among others. Kidjo has also collaborated with such other renowned artists as Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys and more. Masekela is best known for his Grammy-nominated hit “Grazing in the Grass,” which sold over four million copies and made him an international star. An innovator in the world music and jazz scene, he played an integral role in Paul Simon’s classic album Graceland, one of the first pop records to introduce African music to the broader public. He now continues to tour internationally as a performer, composer, producer and activist. Over four decades since his first Grammy nod, Masekela was nominated again this year for his release Jabulani.

A Festival favorite who never fails to ignite the crowd, conguero Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band are returning with special guest James Carter for a heated performance of Olé Coltrane, a Latin interpretation of the music of the legendary John Coltrane. The Grammy-winning Sanchez, known for his incendiary style and mastery of Afro-Cuban rhythms, and multi-instrumentalist Carter, whose influences include everything from funk and fusion to rock and acoustic jazz, are the perfect pair to express the spiritual passion and earthy sensuality found in Coltrane’s Spanish-influenced Olé sessions. The result is a kaleidoscopic swirl of music that illuminates Coltrane’s work in a whole new light.

Joining Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band for their return to the Playboy stage, is legendary guitarist Lee Ritenour, who also produced the ensemble’s popular album, Act Your Age, featuring Patti Austin, Chick Corea and Dave Grusin. A three-time Emmy Award-winner also nominated for 11 Grammy’s, Goodwin and his 18 piece group have taken the big-band tradition into the new millennium with an original, contemporary sound featuring Goodwin’s witty, intricate, hard-swinging compositions. The Grammy-winning Ritenour has recorded over 40 albums, and charted over 30 hits during the course of his 50 year career. A pioneer in the contemporary jazz and funk genres, he has graced the albums of such diverse artists as Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, B.B. King, George Benson and many others.

Making his highly-anticipated Festival debut, multi-talented vocalist and songwriter Gregory Porter continues to rack up a steady stream of accolades and awards since exploding onto the international music scene with his acclaimed 2010 debut, Water. Declared “the brilliant new voice of jazz” by The Huffington Post, his recent Grammy-nominated 2012 follow-up, Be Good, features a groove-driven collection of everything from quiet ballads to up-tempo burners. With a voice that can caress or comfort, and a powerhouse band, “Gregory Porter has most of what you want in a male jazz singer, and maybe a thing or two you didn’t know you wanted,” says The New York Times. His fans agree.

Returning for a second time is The Robert Glasper Experiment. A versatile keyboardist, Glasper has long kept one foot planted firmly in jazz and the other in hip hop and R&B. He has worked extensively with rapper Q-Tip, served as the music director for Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and toured with multi-platinum R&B singer Maxwell. His most recent CD, Black Radio, won the 2013 Grammy for Best R&B album. The CD stakes out new territory transcending any notion of genre, drawing from jazz, hip-hop, R&B and rock, while his two previous CD’s for Blue Note won acclaim in the jazz world. His new Experiment band is plugged in and eclectic, distilling countless influences from multiple musical worlds into a singular voice.

The youngest musician ever to be voted onto the DownBeat critics’ poll, 21-year-old Grace Kelly will make her Festival debut with her mentor, Phil Woods, who will also appear with her as a special guest. One of the youngest artists to ever play the Festival, the Asian-American saxophonist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader is clearly poised to become one of the next generation’s jazz leaders. Already, she has performed over 500 concerts throughout the world and released eight full-length albums, one a year since she was 12 years old. In addition to Woods, she has worked with such renowned artists as Dave Brubeck, Jamie Cullum, Esperanza Spalding, Dianne Reeves, Toots Thielemans and numerous others. An NEA Jazzmaster, the list of musicians saxophone player Phil Woods has performed with reads like a Who’s Who of jazz: Benny Goodman, Clark Terry, Michel Legrand, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Barnet just to name a few. Revered for his body of work, Woods was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame in 1994.

Igniting audiences wherever they play, The Pedrito Martinez Group featuring Ariacne Trujillo is also making their Festival debut. Indeed, the future is on fire for the Cuban-born Martinez, whose roots are firmly planted in the Afro-Cuban Rumba tradition and the bata rhythms and vocal chants of the music of Yoruba and Santeria. A founding member of the noted Afro-Cuban Band Yerba Buena, Martinez has been featured on over 100 albums and has toured and played with such renowned artists as Sting, Paul Simon, Cassandra Wilson, Joe Lovano and more.

Also making her long-awaited debut is India.Arie, known and cherished by fellow fans and musicians as a poet, songwriter, musician, singer, producer, advocate and friend. Since the release of her first album, Acoustic Soul, in 2001, she has won four Grammy Awards, received 21 Grammy nominations, four NAACP Image Awards, and received numerous awards and accolades from Vogue, Essence, Billboard, MTV, VH1, BET and more. Her last studio release, Testimony Vol. 2: Love and Politics, sold over eight million albums, hitting #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart, and #3 on the Billboard Top 200. Recently, she performed for President Obama at The Apollo Theatre and was praised by The New York Times as “one of the most determinedly virtuous songwriters in R&B or pop. India.Arie strives to make faith, goodness and positive thinking seductive.” She continues to seduce audiences everywhere with her music.

Still touring non-stop since their Grammy-nominated 2010 debut, Backatown, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue are bringing the party back to the Playboy stage for their second appearance. Continuing to refine and expand the signature sound that Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews dubbed “Supafunkrock,” the group stirs together old-school jazz, funk and soul, laced with hard-rock powerchords and hip-hop beats, pushing the envelope further musically and creatively. Their latest album, For True, is evidence of the band’s explosive growth that continues to win raves from critics and fans alike. Hailed by many as New Orleans’ brightest new star, Trombone Shorty performed at the White House celebration of Black History Month, which aired on PBS in February 2012. Later that year, he also received the President’s medal from Tulane University in recognition of his community service.

Widely considered one of jazz’s great orchestras, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra is returning to the Festival for a world premiere performance celebrating Quincy Jones’ 80th birthday, featuring special guests Patti Austin and Hubert Laws. Unique from most jazz ensembles because its core consists of three bonafide leaders, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra has been an integral part of the jazz scene since 1986, when Grammy-nominated bassist John Clayton, saxophonist/flutist Jeff Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton began their big-band venture. The goddaughter of Quincy Jones, Grammy-winner Patti Austin is the ultimate jazz/R&B crossover artist. One of the world’s most popular and versatile vocalists, Austin has 19 solo albums to her credit and capped her star-studded career in 2008 with a Grammy for her critically-acclaimed Avant Gershwin album. Later this year, her new CD, The Excellence of Ellington, will be released as a vocal tribute to “The Duke.” Rounding out the celebration is internationally-renowned flutist Hubert Laws, known as one of the few classical artists who has mastered the genres of jazz, pop and rhythm-and-blues. Recognized as an NEA Jazzmaster, he has 26 solo recordings to his credit and was chosen the #1 flutist by the DownBeat readers poll ten years in a row.

One of the most prominent, influential figures in 20th century blues and roots music, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal is making his Festival debut with his Real Thing Tuba Band. Though his career began more than four decades ago, he has broadened his scope over the years to include music representing every corner of the world. His most recent album, marking his 40th anniversary as a recording artist, Maestro, features performances by Ben Harper, Ziggy Marley, Angelique Kidjo and Los Lobos.

Bringing the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South Africa to the Festival stage for the first time, Ladysmith Black Mambazo continues to celebrate over half a century of joyous and uplifting music. Influenced by the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music, the group was founded in the early 1960’s by leader Joseph Shabalala. Renowned for their groundbreaking performance on Paul Simon’s now classic Graceland album, the famed a capella group has created a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide audience.

Honoring the late Dave Brubeck, The Brubeck Brothers Quartet—making their first appearance on the Festival stage—is a dynamic ensemble driven by the musical vision of the legendary piano great’s sons Daniel Brubeck (drums) and Chris Brubeck (bass and trombone), who are joined by guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb. A Playboy Festival favorite, Dave Brubeck’s association with Playboy dates back to his performance at the very first Playboy Jazz Festival in Chicago in 1959. With Chris Brubeck’s compositions as a vehicle, the quartet (also known as BBQ) has played with many acclaimed chamber groups and musicians, including the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Russian National Symphony Orchestra. The esteemed quartet has performed at concert series, colleges, and jazz festivals across North America and Europe including the Newport, Detroit, Ravinia, Las Vegas, Sedona, Spokane & Monterey Jazz Festivals. Their appearance will make a fitting tribute to an artist who gave festival goers so many memorable moments.

Making his Festival debut, versatile and iconoclastic pianist Eric Lewis (ELEW) will present an innovative world premiere collaboration with the noted JazzAntiqua Dance Ensemble, Pat Taylor, Artistic Director. Considered a musical revolutionary, ELEW has made a substantial impression on the music world with his unique melding of ragtime rock and pop, that he calls Rockjazz. A Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition winner, he has performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and toured with Josh Groban. The JazzAntiqua Dance Ensemble, founded by artistic director and choreographer Pat Taylor in 1993, celebrates the jazz tradition as a vital thread in African American heritage and a defining element of the American experience. The ensemble’s work pays homage to Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and Miles Davis and has appeared with such musicians and composers as Marcus Shelby, Dwight Trible and Munyungo Jackson.

Opening Saturday’s show at 3:00 p.m. is the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jason Goldman. The LAUSD Beyond the Bell Jazz Band under the direction of Tony White and J.B. Dyas will open the show on Sunday at3:00 p.m.

Darlene Chan, president of FestivalWest Inc., is the producer for the Playboy Jazz Festivals for the 35th consecutive year. Hugh Hefner is executive producer and Richard Rosenzweig is president emeritus of the Playboy Jazz Festivals.

Single day tickets will be available through Ticketmaster starting February 28th at 6 p.m. PST. Patrons can purchase tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com, over the phone by calling (213) 365-3500 or (714) 740-7878, at any Ticketmaster outlet or by downloading a ticket order form available at www.playboyjazzfestival.com. There is also a link to the Ticketmaster website on the Playboy Jazz Festival website. Tickets may also be purchased at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office beginning in early May, exact date to be announced.

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Inspirational Coaching and Advice

Kim Somers Egelsee — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:02:19 +0000

Kim Somers Egelsee. Her book, "Getting Your Life to a Ten +" is available at www.kimlifecoach.com

By Kim Somers Egelsee

Here are your Spring tips, tools and advice for a better life!
Connecting Is Key.

You are who you hang out with.

Hang around negative and broke people you’ll start complaining more and see things as less than.
Hang out with inspiring, people that are go getters and work on themselves you’ll receive tips and ways of life to move forward like they do; continuously learning on making yourself the best you can be.
Which do you choose for your life?

Kim’s Top three success secrets:

1.Make sure you are always learning and growing from every book, experience, person and event.
2. Work on flowing w life; where you take action but aren’t super attached to outcome.
3. Stay connected to your heart purpose essence and passion . For example,

If it’s to make people happy ask yourself continuously:
Who am I ?
What am I doing?
Are people giving me positive feedback?
Am I doing what I love and what is meaningful to me?
If it is to create and design homes ask yourself continuously:
Am I doing the best work I can do?
Am I creatively inspired?
Am I doing what I love?

Have a wonderful Spring!

Scoop LA readers buy my book, Getting Your Life to a Ten + and receive my cd free at www.kimlifecoach .com

Pacific Boychoir Presents Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil (Vespers), Op. 37

Buddy Sampson — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:31:29 +0000

Cover and Inside Photo-Pacific Boychoir.

Premiere Performance in Los Angeles

Features 75-Voice Boys and Men Choir

Grammy-award winning Pacific Boychoir of Oakland, California, presents Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil (Vespers), Op. 37 on Friday, May 10, 2013, 8 pm at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. Performed every three years in Oakland and San Francisco, this marks the first time in the Pacific Boychoir’s history that this piece is being performed in Los Angeles, in its entirety, with an all-male choir including boy sopranos and boy altos in outstanding acoustics. The masterpiece was first premiered by a boy’s choir in Moscow in 1915. In 2007, the Pacific Boychoir became the first choir in America to reproduce the original performing forces. Along with Daniel Babcock as tenor soloist, Los Angeles’ finest choral tenors and basses augment the choir.

“The last time we were in Los Angeles was in 2006 where we performed with Dmitri Hvorostovsky in an all-Russian language program at a sold-out Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The Vespers, also in Russian, will be our first full-length concert here and we look forward to engaging Los Angeles choral audiences,” exclaimed Pacific Boychoir Artistic Director Kevin Fox, who has been eager to bring this piece to Los Angeles.

The All-Night Vigil is an a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff; his Op. 37 was written and premiered in 1915. It consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian OrthodoxAll-night vigil ceremony. It has been praised as Rachmaninoff’s finest achievement and “the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church.”

Tickets range from $18 – $28 and may be purchased online at PacificBoychoirAcademy.org or at the venue box office on the night of the concert, if tickets remain. For more information call 510-652-4722. The First Congregational Church of Los Angeles is located at 540 South Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles 90020.

Pacific Boychoir Academy (PBA) was founded in 1998 with six boys and today comprises over 170 boys and young men age 4-18 in seven choirs. The PBA has become known for its rich sound, musicianship, phrasing, and talented soloists. The New York Times said the PBA goes “beyond the reach of most youth choirs” and the Los Angeles Times described the PBA quality of sound and musicianship as “astonishing.”

With the addition of a day school in 2004, the PBA has become the only choir school on America’s West Coast. The choir school integrates a full academic curriculum with daily musical instruction for boys in grades 4-8. The choir school students learn sight reading, music theory and repertoire, as well as Math, English, History, Science, Art, PE, and Languages. The choir school has one of the lowest student:teacher ratios for independent schools in the Bay Area, and is a member of the East Bay Independent Schools Association (EBISA).

The PBA has appeared frequently with the San Francisco Symphony (SFS), performing under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas, Kurt Masur, Robert Spano, David Robertson, James Conlon, Charles Dutoit, Herbert Blomstedt, and Vance George, performing works by Britten, Orff, Wagner, Mahler, Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Berlioz. Along with the San Francisco Girls Chorus, the PBA recorded Mahler’s Third Symphony with the SFS, awarded the Grammy for Best Classical Album in February 2004. In January 2010, the SFS recording of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, featuring the SF Symphony Chorus, the San Francisco Girls Chorus, and the PBA, was awarded Grammys for Best Choral Performance and Best Classical Album.

The PBA has also sung with the Oakland-East Bay Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, the UC Davis Orchestra, the American Bach Soloists, the San Francisco Opera, Trinity Lyric Opera, the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, the National Symphony Orchestra of Brasil, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club, the Harvard Men’s Glee Club, the Vienna Boys Choir, the Drakensberg Boys Choir, the Boni Pueri Czech Boys Choir, Denmark’s Herning Boys Choir, the choirs of UC Berkeley and UC Davis, the American Boychoir, and the Santa Clara Chorale.

Fela!

Kim Webster — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:55:06 +0000

Cover Photo-Adesola Osakalum. Inside Photo-Michelle Williams. Both photos by Kim Webster.

By Kim Webster

AHMANSON THEATRE, Los Angeles CA - The walls vibrated, the floors rumbled and the audience was ignited with the musical rhythms described as “Afrobeat.” These rhythms and lyrics were created by musician, composer, songwriter, and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who delivered lyrical messages opposing the oppressive dictatorship in Nigeria. Actor Adesola Osakalumi brings forth the musical genius and emotional essence of Fela Kuti on stage. He also interacts with the audience, making them feel like they are at the club “Shrine” in Africa. When Fela ventures to America he becomes aware of the “Black Power” movement and meets political activist Sandra Isadore who is vividly played by Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child. Later he returns to his native Africa more determined to protest the evils of military dictatorship in his country. When he died in August 1997 millions attended his funeral and honored his memory with another Africa “Shrine” replacing the original club “Shrine” that was destroyed during a military raid.

Adesola Osakalum. Photo by Kim Webster.

Fela! is a musical and lyrical journey depicting the life of an extraordinary musician and political activist. Fantastic musicians, graceful captivating dancers, and beautifully designed costumes enhance the stage. The play was conceived by director/choreographer Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis (who contributed additional musical lyrics), and Stephen Hendel; produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, and Stephen and Ruth Hendel with additional music added by Aaron Johnson and Jordan McLean.

Sandra Isadore (L) who lives in Los Angeles and Yeni Kuti (Fela’s daughter) enjoy a moment at the premiere. Photo by Kim Webster.

Spotted at the premiere were (L-R) Mari Morrow, Garcelle Beauvais, Omarosa and Shanice Wilson. Photo by Kim Webster.