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Page 6 The Portland Observer June 27, 1990
^5S9fe ffl E ntertainment
U-Krew: A Rapid Rise to the Top
Generations Stars Robert Torti and
Mina Kolb Visit Portland
By Tony Washington
. to r :
hakim , j . mack , holgh - kolgh , p . kookie , larry
" dlb "
bell
By Tony Washington
Portland’s own U-Krew is fastly
experiencing "growing pains" as a re­
sult of its huge success of recent. Cur­
rently enjoying a successful 50 city
road lour (scheduled to end in Seattle
on Thursday, June 28th) the group
headlines the show at the Starry Night
Theatre in Portland on Saturday, June
30.
The group played before sold out
audiences in Huntington, West Virginia
and Jackson, Mississippi.The highlight
of the tour was St. Louis, MO, where
the show was forced to move to a larger
facility due to ticket demand.
U-Krew also played before SRO
audiences in Boston, appearing with
M.C. Hammer and New Kids on the
Block. Music critics hailed their act in
San Diego (again with M.C. Hammer)
as "outstanding."
U-Krew are products of Jefferson,
Benson, and Grant High Schools.
Robert Cray Headlines Slam & Jam
’90
by Mina Kolb.
Generations was created and pro­
duced by Sally Sussman. The show
Robert Torti portrays Kyle Mas­
began airing on
ters in search of D.P.
channel eight
Cooper, and feels this
(NBC) on March
Gencrations’currcnt ranking
soap is unique in its
27,1989. Its cur­
cast.
If one really
among soaps is in s tiff com­
rent
ranking
got the opportunity
petition and is still climbing.
among soaps is in
to meet Mr. Toni ;uid
stiff competition
Mrs. Kolb, they
and is still climbing. Star of Genera­
would be very pleased about honesty
tions, Robert Torli, has been an actor
and openness about themselves. Mr.
for 14 years. He enjoys musicals, and
Torti also appeared in Jesus Christ Super-
star.
has a great interest in fishing and soft­
ball. Married, with a newborn baby
Watch Generations on KGW 8 at
boy, he is a very nice person to be
1:00 Monday through Friday and ab-
associated with. Polite, sincere, a real
serve a good soap. It's a great program
person to talk to, he was accompanied
and different type of soap.
Behind-the-Scenes
By Lisa Collins
Robert Cray
The three-time Grammy award winning Robert Cray Band will healine the
onstage entertainment for "Seafirst Bank Blazer Slam ’N Jam ’90". Event activities
include an All-Star Jam featuring Portland's best musicians, a game between the
summer roster of the Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz and a 3-point shoot out
competition including Drazen Petrovic.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Parren J. Mitchell, above, former Maryland Congressman and Founder and Chair­
man of the Minority Business enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund
(MBELDEF) congratulates Pepsi-Cola officials who accepted, on behalf of their
company, the Fund’s Corporate Leadership Award for 1990. The executives are,
from left, Dr. H. Naylor Fitzhugh, retired Vice President and currently a
consultant and Betty Darrell, National manager of Supplier Development, Pepsi­
Cola Company. Presented during the Fund’s 10th Anniversary Dinnerat the J. W.
Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C., the annual award is given to the majority
company “ demonstrating outstanding leadership’’ in business development
programs for minorities.
Seduction-Supergirl group of the 90"s?
At least that’s how they’d like you to
see it. And if the success of their dubut
LP(with sales nearing 700,00 and two
smash singles including “ My One &
Only” ) is any indication, a great many
people are starting to get the picture.
The trio was born when a producer/
writer team got the idea of creating an
ethnically diverse female group,-one
white, one, black, and one mixed. (There
was an attempt made to find an Asian,
but it didn’t work out. “ We couldn’t
find one that looked good and could
sing” , says Michelle Visage). With three
hit singles under their belt, the New
York-based trio of April Harris, Sinoa
Loren, and Michelle Visage, is now
working to build an image, focusing
more on the music and their ethnically-
di verselook. * ‘When I listen to the other
girl groups albums” , Harris says, “ it’s
all pop, all rap or all R&B, and we
wanted our album to be different. So
our music is diversified with rap, pop,
and R&B.” Fact is while Michelle’s
forte is rap, April’s is R&B, and Sinoa’s
is more jazz-oriented, all three have a
little pop input. Ironically, once hired,
they had just six weeks in which to pull
the album together. Says Visage, “ it
was a matter of whatever song we
completed the best or whatever song fit
a particular vocal style.” Said Loren:
we definitely want to grow on the next
album and show a little more.” (Loren
replaced Idalis Leon who decided to go
solo). Whether or not Seduction can
become or remain the top girl group of
the 90’s appears to rest on the laurels of
their competition. By most accounts,
that competition is the San Francisco-
based four girl team calling themselves
En Vogue, who recently capped the
number one spot on the R&B chart with
their debut single “ Hold On” . Like
Seduction, they too, arc a concept group,-
the brainchild of award-winning pro­
ducers Denzel Foster and Thomas
McElroy. The four, made up of Cindy
Herron, Maxine Jones, Terry Ellis, and
Dawn Robinson, came together at audi­
tions being held by the Foster-McElroy
team, then looking to put together a hot
female group. Their album, “ Bom to
Sing” , has sold over 500,000 units, and
more than proves that they might have
just what it takes.
Back In The Saddle: Actress Beverly
Todd whose heartwrenching story of
loss we followed last year (as her 18-
year old son, Malik was murdered), is
busier than ever these days. Aside form
teaming with Dionne Warwick to pro­
duce an upcoming HBO movie-” The
Don Jackson Story” , based on the
exploits of the California-based activist
who challenged the police department
in their practice of racial discrimina­
tion and brutality, she produced an hour­
long syndicated special with pal Whoopi
Goldberg,entitled “ A Laugh, A Tear” .
But most recently, she landed a co-
starring role in a pilot for ABC, called
“ The Boys” . And yes, you guessed it,
the show centers in on the talent of
Motown singing stars-” The Boys” , and
will feature some big production num­
bers. In it, Todd will play the aunt of the
Boys, who come to live with she and
her husband (played by Ron O ’Neal of
Superfly fame). The pilot, directed by
Debbie Allen, is expected to become a
midseason replacement....Speaking of
Allen, she and husband Norm have
joined the list of the . .c enterprising
celebrities with the opening of a Sunset
strip restaurant and nitery. Among those
guests on hand for the star-studded
opening were Denzel Washington and
Spike Lce...ShortTakes: Little Richard
was awarded a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame...Diana Ross, Lionel
Richie, Paula Abdul, Quincy Jones,
Stevie Wonder and a host of other stars
were on hand for a star-studded celeb­
rity reception upon Nelson Mandela’s
arrival in Los Angeles...In Minneapo­
lis, members of the Time and media
converged for a listening party of their
upcoming album in Minneapolis. The
album marks the first time the group
(including Morris Day and dynamic
producing duo-Jimmy Jam & Terry
Lewis) has recorded together since
disbanding a few years back...Ncxt week:
Find out what’s next for Marla Gibbs.
oooooooooooooooo
0*0JQ0 o*oôô o"oo000000 00 00Ô000000000
TALL JAZZ TRIO
JOINS
PARCHMAN
FARM SUMMER
WEEKEND
LINEUP
The Tall Jazz Trio blend of music be­
gins weekend duty in July at the
Parchman Farm, adding cool jazz to
the warm summer environment.
Opening with the weekend of July 6-7,
Tall Jazz brings in the expressive
keyboard and vibes talents of Mike
Horsfall, the bass work of Dan Presley
and the percussion rhythms of Kurt
Deutscher, three guys who indeed
walk tall in a jazz groove.
Each member of Tall Jazz is inches
over the 6-foot mark, causing a fan at
one of the trio’s first gigs 18 months
ago to remark, “ Boy, you guys sure
are tall,” hence the new name.
That’s the only change in the July cal­
endar at the Farm, as Monday-Thurs­
day nights remain the same, each
offering its own style of jazz.
Tuesdays offer the intimate, yet swing­
ing sounds of Charlie Crosman’s guitar
coupled with Dave Captein’s strong
and mellow bass playing and Le Jazz
Hot, the duet of guitarist Turtle
Vandemarr and bassist Tom Miller,
continues to enchant Wednesday lis­
teners with a varied offerings of ’30s
swing and jazz.
The Darin Clendenin Trio has estab­
lished itself on Thursday nights at the
Farm as jazz listeners keep discover­
ing the many talent of pianist Clen­
denin.
Monday is still flagship night when it
comes to one of the important facets
of a jazz club: The jam session. The
Gordon Lee Trio bolsters the many
players who pop in to play at the quite
popular Monday Night Jam Session.
The Parchman Farm offers live music
six nights a week (no cover) and
recorded jazz from a wide selection
of compact discs (CD) during all other
open hours. The club, at 1204 SE
Clay, one block south of Hawthorne
Boulevard, boasts a full-service res­
taurant and bar.
ANGELA DAVIS:
STILL ON THE
FRONT LINE
Today wearing dreadlocks in place of
the proud Afro natural hairstyle that
was her trademark during the 1960 s,
activist Angela Davis is “ Still On the
Front Line,’ ’ as she changes with the
times, reports the July EBONY.
The symbol of defiance, protests, Black
power and radicalism throughout the
1960s and 70s, Ms. Davis, 46, a self-
proclaimed “ soldier for freedom”
once wanted by the FBI for advocat­
ing the overthrow the U.S. govern­
ment, is no less committed to the
struggle for human rights, though she
now labors as a writer, professor and
lecturer living in California. “ It is up
to the younger generation to develop
new ways of protesting, derived out
of their experiences,” Ms. Davis says.
“ Many young (rap and pop music)
artists arc already on track,” she adds.
Twice a candidate for the vice presi­
dency under the U.S. Communist Party
banner, once imprisoned and once
married, Angela Davis, the fiery orator
of the 1960s black nationalist move­
ment still works to awaken the spirit
of activism in others.
31 N W FIRST
2 2 3 -9 9 1 9
June/Julv
Wed. 27th
Striving To Be The
Best She Can Be
Rabbit Choir
Thur. 28th
J.C. Rico
Fri. 29th
Crazy 8's
Sat. 30th
Shock
Sun. 1st
Wilson Four
Band
Mon. 2nd
■ ». i b K M _________
By Nathaniel J. Baker, Jr.
i
Angela R. Greer is an aspiring young
Executive, Actress, Model, Wife and
Mother, Greer explains that juggling
five complicated careers is a tough job,
but she’s confident in herself, and so
arc we. “ How about you?"
Mothertones
Tues. 3rd
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• *
W Clevelands
<3 good food, good music,
f ; ;
good people
C a t c h th e
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