page 4— The Portland Observer
lulv 31, 1991
THE NATION,THEIR JOURNEY!
By Tony Washington
Visiting Earth: The Nation of
Funktasia, four uniquely black enter
tainers who really desire and under
stand the need to revive the need of
Funk.Their music mission is to expose
themselves to earth and beyond. Their
music is similar to Boosty Collins, The
Ohio Players and P-Funk.
It was a real treat to talk to them via
phone on Monday July 29,1991.
Their attire is designed by Shawn
Jones and Larry Andersen (LAR Fash
ions) of Los Angeles, California. Ex
pressing the funk is here to stay; some
times I wonder why it takes so long for
groups such as this to surface.
Bambi enjoys hiking and camping
in her spare time while Coool-Aid is
presenting his Coool-Aid express card
wherever possible. They are great people
as well as a force to be dealt with.
Watch out Earth!
The Nation has been together for
three years, residing in Oakland, Cali
fornia. They are currently on a two-
week tour of the mid-west, east and
southern states. They appreciate all the
fan support and want all sisters and
brothers to stay under the groove they
will be beaming down to your area.
Make this a reality; Portland needs more
entertainment such as this. It’s good
motivation for our community and
projects a more positive profile for us
as a group. We need to address this if we
want Top Flight E ntertainm ent in
our area.
In regard to reading our national or
local interviews, your comments and
questions are welcome.
I would like to give a special thanks
to Wanda Crowdy of Morgan Orchild
and Rhodes; you’re great! Their new
album is entitled “ In Search Of The
Last Trump Of Funk.” Check it out.
PEACE.
The Safety Council reports that
a 12-ounce wine cooler contains a
greater percent of pure alcohol by
volume than does a 12-ounce can
of beer, four-ounce glass of wine
or one-ounce shot of whiskey.
You can protect yourself by be
ing on the lookout for impaired driv
ers. Safety experts at SMC recom
mend the following safety tips when
you see another driver who appears
to be impaired:
• Maintain a safe driving dis
tance if the driver is ahead of you;
don’t try to pass.
• Turn right at the next intersec
tion if the driver is behind you; let
the driver pass and then return to
your route.
• Move to the shoulder and stop
if the driver is approaching your
vehicle; avoid a head-on collision by
sounding your horn or flashingyour
lights.
1991 Mt. Hood Festival o f Jazz
poster being unveiled.
w r
Al Jarreau, one of many
performers to be at this year's
festival.
This illustrated biography of
hoop star Michael Jordan tells kids
how he gets the job done—on and
off the court.
HOUSTON. TX — Reebok International Ltd. recently
“puxnped up" the fundraising efforts of the NAACP with
a corporate contribution of $50,000 which was pre
sented during the organization’s 82nd annual conven
tion in Houston. Pictured here during the check pres
entation are 1. to r. : Jean Mahoney Culbreath, corpo
rate consultant to the Reebok Foundation: Texas Gov
ernor Anne Richards: NAACP executive director Ben
jamin Hooks and Nasser Ega-Musa, Reebok’s Director,
of Community Affairs and Human Rights Projects.
ARRI
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▼ Silk shirts - $25°°
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T
he influence of young musi
cians, many of them black, on
the resurgence of straight
ahead, bebop-tinged jazz, has
I put a new spin an this creative
art form.
Although youth has always been an
integral part of jazz-M iles Davis was
still a teenager when he left St. Louis for
New York in the 40’s to play with the
likes of Charlie “ Bird” Parker and
o th ers- the elder statesman of jazz have
pretty much ruled the roost.
Stalwarts such as Dizzy Gillespie,
Clark Terry, ( the late ) Stan Getz,
Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Sonny
Rollins, Dave Brubcck and many other
pioneers are the meat and potatoes or
red beans and rice o f the mainstream
jazz events around the world.
Enter Wynton Marsalis a decade
ago. Marsalis has almost singlchandedly
turned the clock back on jazz with his
devotion to the roots of music. He learned
his lessons well, at least of one of them
in the front line of the college of jazz
knowledge, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messen
gers.
Not yet 30, Marsalis is now an elder
in his own right.
He has bought many other young
players into the jazz spotlight, in his
own bands and as inspiration to a group
of younger musicians called the Jazz
Futures, which heralds the talents of
young musicians ranging from teenage
to early 20s.
Situated right in the middle of this
so-called youthful renaissance is the
Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz, which cele
brates its 10th anniversary this year on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August
2, 3, and 4 at Mt. Hood Community
College.
A 21-year-old due on the Sunday
concert schedule is trumpet whiz Roy
Hargrove, who’s getting the same sort
of mass applause Marsalis got a decade
ago. Hargrove’s quintet includes four
other youngsters, including alto saxist
Antonio Hart, who getting raves eve
rywhere he plays.
This year’s festival celebrates a
decade of presenting jazz in Gresham,
which originally wanted something to
put this small city east of Portland on
the map, so to speak.
The Mt.Hood Festival of Jazz is
always held on the first week of Aug.,
a tradition that began at Festival No. 1
when producers researched which
weekend in summer had the least chance
of inclement weather. It’s never rained
on Mt. Hood jazz.
Ticket information is available by
phoning the Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz
office, 666-3810. The Gresham Area
Chamber of Commerce can also give
out-of-town travelers a list of motels in
the area.
INVITES YOU TO INDULGE
O re g o n
V II S p e c ia l
O ly m p ic s
AUGUST 9,10,11
WATERFRONT PARK
M U S IC
M IL L E N N IU M
23RD & NW JOHNSON
2 4 8 -0 1 6 3
32N D & E BURNSIDE
2 3 1 -8 9 2 6
plus
C LASSIC AL M IL L E N N IU M
next to EAST SIDE LOCATION.
P ,ey i
31 NW First
ATASTE OF PORTLAND
223-9919
WEDNESDAY JULY 31
Rabbit Choir
♦
THURSDAY AUGUST 1
Killing Field
♦
FRIDAY AUGUST 2
Dub Squad
♦
SATURDAY AUGUST 3
Dub Squad
♦
SUNDAY AUGUST 4
Ritmo Tropical
♦
MONDAY AUGUST 5
Jimmy Haskett Band
♦
For more information call Curt 286-ROSE
TUESDAY AUGUST 6
Rural Earl
A
y
« . A«
♦ « Li i t * . J I f <« A- ' ■
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