entertainment
B-52s, MotorCity Casino Sound Board, Sept. 23. Tick- ets available at Ticketmaster locations. Call Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000 or the casino at 866.782.9622.
MICHAEL BOLTON, Motor- City Casino Sound Board, Nov. 5. Tickets available Tick- etmaster locations. Call Tick- etmaster at 1.800.745.3000 or the casino at 866.782.9622.
DETROIT JAZZ FEST, Friday- Monday, Sept. 3-6, Detroit riverfront, featuring Branford Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Ter- ence Blanchard, the Manhat- tan Transfer, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Allen Toussaint, Kirk Whalum, Take 6, Ledisi, Freddy Cole, the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet, Yellow- jackets and many others. For more information, visit detroit-
jazzfest.com.
DRAKE, Fox Theatre, Oct. 19. Tickets sold at Fox box office and Ticketmaster locations.
“DREAMGIRLS,” Fox Theatre, Dec. 21-26. Tickets at Fox box office and Ticket- master.
EMINEM AND JAY-Z, Com- erica Park, Thursday-Friday, Sept. 2-3. For m information, visit Olympiaentertainment. com.
FLORIDA’S Mardi Gras Party, Clutch Cargo’s in Pontiac, Friday, Aug. 20. For informa- tion, visit
clutchcargos.com.
LADY GAGA, DTE Energy Theatre, Sept. 4. For tickets and additional information, visit
palacenet.com or call 248.377.0100. Also available via Ticketmaster.
LL COOL J, Caesars Wind- sor, Oct. 2. Tickets available at Ticketmasterand at
www.cae-
sarswindsor.com. To charge by phone call 1-888-345-5885.
LUDACRIS, Sept. 10, Mo- torCity Casino Sound Board, Tickets available Ticketmaster locations. Call Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000 or the casino at 866.782.9622.
MINT CONDITION, Alexander O’Neal, Caesars Windsor, Sept. 18. Tickets available at Ticketmaster locations and at
www.caesarswindsor.com. To charge by phone call 1-888- 345-5885.
Reflections From page D-1
toral Council said so. It had something to do with residen- cy requirements. The election is on Nov. 28.
In addition to questioning
his credentials for such an endeavor, many people also wonder why Jean would want to be president anyway.
He explained: “It’s a gut
feeling. There is a way to re- start this country and rebuild it from scratch. But if you want to build infrastructure and generate real change, you have to be involved in the political process.”
George Clinton and Sly
Stone are making an album together, which they expect to be released before the end of the year.
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…
that the Effie White character in the original “Dreamgirls” stage production was sup- posed to die at the end of the first act. But star Jennifer Holliday put up such a fight that act two was revised, giving Effie many more scenes and a new showcase song (“I Am Changing”).
MEMORIES: “My Favor-
ite Thing” (Hari Paris and Calvin Brooks), “Are You That Somebody?” (Aaliyah), “Turning Point” (Tyrone Davis), “Can I Get a Witness?” (Marvin Gaye), “Louie Louie” (the Kingsmen), “Meeting in the Ladies Room” (Klymaxx), “You Brought the Sunshine” (the Clark Sisters), “Jack and Jill” (Raydio), “Boogie Fever” (the Sylvers), “Put It In a Magazine” (Sonny Charles).
BLESSINGS to Debra
Maria Bledsoe (thanks for your input!), Charles Thomas (yours too!), Barrett Strong, Denise Crittendon, Gary Smith, Doug Ware, Joel McNair, Georgette Jones, Rosa Robinson and Henry Tyler.
WORDS OF THE WEEK,
from Marianne Williamson: “You can focus on what’s wrong in your life or you can focus on what’s right.”
Let the music play! (Steve Holsey can be
reached at
Svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.)
WRITTEN BY
SCREEN GEMS PRESENTS A RAINFOREST FILMS PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH GRAND HUSTLE FILMS TIP “T.I.” HARRIS
“TAKERS” MATT DILLON PAUL WALKER IDRIS ELBA JAY HERNANDEZ MICHAEL EALY WITH CHRIS BROWN AND HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
PRODUCERS
PETER ALLEN & GABRIEL CASSEUS AND JOHN LUESSENHOP & AVERY DUFF JOHN LUESSENHOP
WILL PACKER TIP “T.I.” HARRIS AND JASON GETER DIRECTEDBY
2 COL (3.75") X 8" = 16"
EXECUTIVEGLENN S. GAINOR GABRIEL CASSEUS CHRIS BROWN MORRIS CHESTNUT PRODUCEDBY
MUSIC BY
PAUL HASLINGER Lee Bailey, EURWEB.COM Jazz Fest Lady Gaga
POINTER SISTERS, Motor- City Casino Sound Board, Oct. 8. Tickets available Ticket- master locations. Call Ticket- master at 1.800.745.3000 or the casino at 866.782.9622.
“RETURN of the Legends,” featuring Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick and Whodini, Chene Park, Sunday, Sept. 5. Tickets avail- able at Ticketmaster sites. For
LL Cool J
more information, visit Che-
neparkdetroit.com.
“TYLER PERRY’S Madea’s Big Happy Family,” Joe Louis Arena, Nov. 20. Visit Olympi-
aentertainment.com for more information.
FRANKIE VALLI & the Four Seasons, Fox Theatre, Oct. 22. Tickets sold at Fox box office and Ticketmaster loca- tions.
KEM, chapter 3
With two Gold albums to his credit, Detroit’s own KEM is now a bona fide star. The artist, whose intriguing life story would make a good made-for-television movie, has given fans what they have been waiting for — a new album. The title of the release is “Intimacy, Album III” and it is expected to easily surpass its prede- cessors.
From page D-1
SUNDAY, SEPT. 5: DSO Civic Jazz Orchestra, Carhartt Amphitheatre, 12:15-1 p.m.
WSU Big Band with special guest Terence Blanchard, Carhartt Amphithe- atre, 4-5 p.m. Freddy Cole Quartet, Absopure Waterfront, 4:45-6 p.m. Ledisi, Chase Main Stage, 7:45-9:15 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPT. 6: Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band, Carhartt Amphitheatre, 12-12:45 p.m. Branford Marsalis, Carhartt Amphitheatre, 3:15-4:45 p.m.
The Manhattan Transfer, the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra and special guest Gerald Wilson, Carhartt Amphitheatre, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet, Mack Avenue Pyramid, 1-2 p.m. Allen Toussaint, Chase Main Stage, 5-6:30 p.m.
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE MOTOR CITY ENTERTAINMENT Calendar Terence Blanchard Ledisi
September 1-7, 2010 Page D-3 JAZZ IN REVIEW: George Duke, ‘Déjà Vu’
By David G. Watkins Keyboardist-composer George Duke re-
cently made a return trip to his previously re- corded funk, Latin and straight-ahead projects with his latest release entitled “Déjà Vu” on the BPM/Heads Up International label, a division of Concord Music Group.
Duke revisits the
synthesizer sound that characterized some of his most memorable recordings from the golden age of funk and soul.
“The whole idea
behind ‘DéJà Vu’ was to take a look back at some of the stuff I used to do that was a little more musically challenging,” said Duke. “In some way or another, whatever happened before always comes around again. It may be a little different, but it will resurface. That’s kind of what this album is, a resurfacing of some ideas I had back in the ’70s when I recorded albums with a lot of synthesizers.”
I really enjoyed this project from the stand-
point that Duke has strayed away from the more commercial, watered-down version of “smooth jazz.” He has essentially gone back to his “bread and butter” straight-ahead style of composing that best defines his ability not only as a prolific keyboardist, but also as a master
arranger and conductor. Not many of today’s artists can success-
fully blend the styles of artists such as flutist Hubert Laws, saxophonist Bob Sheppard and the aggressive drumming style of Ron Bruner, Jr. and produce a quality product, relevant by the standards of the early ’70s.
The set opens with the Brazilian flavored
“A Melody” which has a very interesting Moog synthesizer solo, taking you back to the days of his earlier recording such as “Aurora” and “Reach For It.”
Duke even blew the dust off the old clavi-
nets and Wurlitzer organs for tracks such as “You Touch My Brain” and “What Goes Around Comes Around,” cowritten by saxophonist Ev- erett Harp.
My favorite and a play on the Forrest Gump
catchphrase “Stupid is as stupid does” is a col- lage of instrumental solos and riff exchanges draped over a carefully defined composition.
In the final analysis, “Déjà Vu” is a piece of
work that comes together very much into the present, but also conjures up a persistent feel- ing of something great that came before.
“I’ve always considered myself a multi-sty-
listic artist,” said Duke. “I try to take people on a musical journey, whether it’s on an album or in a show.”
David G. Watkins can be reached at oxy-
genphotos@yahoo.com.
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES WED 9/1 DETROIT MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
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