September 18,1991...The Portland Observer...Page 5 Suave* Before Homey the Clown... Before Blaine & Antoine To There was The Listening to Suave’s new album, To The Maxx gives no clue to the kind of courage and dedication that was needed to complete the two-year proj ect. The music is as lough as ever, the vocal performances strong and assured. From the single “ Rocked Your “ Bools” to the infectious “ Dog Me Out” and the plaintive “ Let Me In Your World,’ ’ Suave jams. “ I worked with a truly wonderful group of guys: Michael Angelo Saulsberry, Eric Kirkland, Phillip Johnson and Irving Washington III are four very talented writers, producers and artists in their own right,” says Suave of his associates, all of whom are signed to his production company, Suave’s First Production, and will soon produce their own Capitol album as the group Portrait. “ Andre Wilson, the son of The Gap Band’s Ronnie Wilson co-produced the album with me,” Suave says proudly. “ These guys just wouldn’t let me give up. They kept pushing me onward to finish this album, and with out them, I don’t know if I could have completed it.” Young, cool and sharp, Suave burst onto the music scene in 1988 with his tantalizing and hypnotic hip-hop ver sion of The Temptations classic “ My Girl,” hitting the Top 20 and #3 slot on the R&B chart. The follow-up single, “ Shake Your Body.” was another strong black music side and Suave’s engag ing debut album , I ’m Your Playmate,earned him a slew of fans. Soon he was on the road performing with top R&B artists like Roger Trout- men, Troop and Guy. Suave was ready to follow that initial success with another great al bum, and once back from his 1988 tour, the stylish 22-year-old singer/ songwriter/producer began work on his second Capitol album. “ I wanted to get on with my music, and was able to, thanks to tremendous support from my friends.” Bom in Reno, Nevada, Suave grew up in South Central Los Angeles, eas The cast of “In Living Color” would like to apologize for all the rules they broke, the people they shocked and the trouble they caused this past season ily one of the city’s toughest neighbor hoods. “ But my grandmother, Genora Simmons, made sure that I grew up in a positive atmospher,’’notes Suave. “ She instilled in me the kind of values that have helped me make it through every thing.” At a young age, Suave discovered such great vocalists as Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Teddy Pendergrass and The Gap Band’s Charlie Wilson, one o f his all-time heroes. Fulfilling Suave’s lifelong dream, Wilson joins Suave on the To The Maxx duet, “ Zero.” After spending two years in the military, Suave returned to Los Ange les and began working on some musical ideas. “ I chose “ My Girl” because it was my uncle’s favorite. I never forgot when he taught me to drive. The Temp tations’ version of that song was on a tape we were listening to, so I wanted to do the tune as a tribue.” When Capitol executives heard Suave’s bold and innovative reading of the Motown chestnut, they signed the multi-talented artist to a long-term contract. Suave co-produced his suc cessful debut album, at the same time setting up his own production and pub lishing companies to provide an avenue for other talented young writers, pro ducers and artists. O f his immediate success in 1987, Suave notes, “ It was non-stop. No sooner had the record hit the charts than I was out on the road performing within just a few months. To say it was hectic would be a real understatement! ’ Suddenly, Suave’s future plans were threaten when, in 1988, he was diag nosed with lung cancer. But rather than cause Suave to hang it up, the illness prompted him to put into practice an optimistic philosophy of perseverance. “ It took the belief of everybody who was involved in making To The Maxx. The whole concept of the title song is that i’m going to go all the way. I’m going to take my life to the maxx. I’m I’m not about to give up.” Other songs of special significance include “ Girl, You Got Me Goin’” which he says is “ my favorite track on the album because it’s so funky. It’s about a guy who’s literally going out of his mind over this girl,” The track” Special Lady, Special Friend,” says Suave, “ is dedicated to someone who has really stuck by me through thick and thin. “ Suave’s duet with the legendary Charlie Willson, “ Zero,” is another song holding great meaning. “ I was feeling down about myself, but Charlie put it to me straight when he said ‘When you let your dream die, you die.’ The song says ‘I’m not your zero, i’m your hero,’ and having a per son of his musical stature singing with me was just incredible.” With the support of Capitol ex ecutives like Chairman Joe Smith, Hale Milgrim and R&B hitmakers such as Marlon Jackson, Chuckii Booker and Troop, Suave says he’s been encour aged “ to fight and pull through. With To The Maxx i’m telling people, espe cially young people, ‘Hey, I’ve seen all sides of life, I know about peer pres sure, and I know what it takes to sur vive.” The funky grooves and tender bal lads of Suave’s To The Maxx is a mu sical testament to the strength of an in credibly courageous and talented young man who is committed to spreading an important message. “ Through this al bum, I want to give people hope,” he says. “ I want to show folks that faith works and that they too can create something to live for.” Oregon Ballet Theatre Announces Nutcracker Auditions 1. 2. 3. 4. But they’d be lying M axx 5. Goto Boys "We Can’t Be Stopped” Jodecl "Jodeci” Boyzin The Hood "Boyzin The Hood” Naughty By Nature "Naughty By Nature Yours Truly "Yours Truly’ 6. O neStopRecordsPresents... "Mix Tape” 7. Queen Latifah "Nature Of A Sista” 8. Karen White “Ritual Of Love” 9. Suave’ "To The Maxx" 10. Spice I "Let It Be Known" "SURE TO HAVE MOVIEGOERS ROLLING IN THE AISLES WITH LAUGHTER!" Oregon Ballet Theatre is seeking boys ages 5-13, to audition for non dancing roles in the company’s 1991 production of NUTCRACKER. Auditions are scheduled for Satur day, September 21, from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. in OBT’s studios, located in the Masonic Temple at 1120 SW Tenth Avenue in Portland. Selected boys will appear in the ACT I party scene with members of the professional company and are required to be available for all rehearsals and the entire run of the ballet, which is slated for 16 performances. December 13-24, at Portland Civic Auditorium. Evening performances are scheduled on Decern - ber 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 1 9 ,2 0 ,2 1 ,2 2 , and 23. Matinees are on December 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, and 24. Rehearsals are scheduled on Saturdays, beginning in October and running through Decem ber. For further information, call (503) 227-0977. -Jet Magazine • A comedy about makin' it ! * M U 5 IC M IL L E N N IU M 23RD & NW JOHNSON 2 4 8 -0 1 6 3 The bad boys of comedy are back! 32NO & E BURNSIDE 2 3 1 -8 9 2 6 YOU'VE WONDERED ALL plus CLASSICAL MILLENNIUM n u t to CAST SIDE LOCATION. W e need you. P h Samirtl Gildirçn ¡¡wuni I D»iö Y Picker/ WW Production I ktX’!S » fittoel Stimiti TIYIIIW Terrene« 'I t tarn la Imndtll BlanchtBaktr lathwitlWika’ttofl dofuCampbell " ^ttototaicick "¿ittansWiw Justm AcWnw nf f l — “ ïDawlYWier ’ W w l SchultzB Ü ir ñ iS K ^ SM Hill ì w i n a i M ilt I l i t t t M M « » litri ini »» ionjUlWiEB S T A R TS F R ID AY M AT IN F f S D A ILY TIGARD CINEMAS i|o o » v WAYANS' KPDX WEEkEND ? « ag»73 x mil JANTZEN BEACH 2«8-g984 X L d«w» ooeow n«ni B2NO AVE CINEMAS GRESHAM CINEMAS 2M-S97» V American Heart Association Oregon Affiliate, Inc. A D V E R T IS E P » K ffiD (jw V E R