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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1992)
\W » *»"• • » * ■> \' P a g e 6 ...T h e P o rtla n d O b s e rv e r...M a y 13, 1992 . » * m «0^ «r * • -•*•»*’•**-<» O^**"*1 Portland Observer ENTERTAINMENT Glenn Jones Emerges On Atlantic Records By All Means r' : - . ‘ • '• ‘ ¿J '« » '• W J ' '• -. ' ¿ < V<.?<?.t:. -' . ' z . . y ••» \ - e.- • «> • / _ Real singing. Real music. Real lyr ics about real-life situations. It is no su rp rise then that the scin tillatin g Motown debut album from By all Means is entitled I t’s Real. Since real, honest music is indeed timeless, By All Means deliver a bril liant package that recalls an era when authentic, from-the-heart soul was the name o f the game - while remaining totally in tune, current and contemporary. From ultra-soulful tracks like “The Feeling I Get" to a super update of the Motown Classic “A in ’t Nothin' Like The Real Thing" to the slow bum in’jam "Tonight" through the jazzy, groove laden "Say You’ UNever Leave Me," the group’s latest album is a testament to their innovative artistry and their sensi tive musicality. Put another way, It’s Real contains cutting-edge songs like “Love Lies" that is emotionally raw, and a warm sensual vocal on “I Wanna Be Loved" delivered by the group’s only female. “T here’s a natural maturing that takes place over time and this album reflects our experience in life,” says Jim m y. “The subject matter is definitely deeper that what we wrote about before: I’d say our emotional vocabulary has expanded. Produced by lead singer Jimmy Varner and production partner Stan Sheppard (the team that also master minded hits for Motown labelmates Gerald Alston and The Temptations), It's Real is the album that promises to take this talented trio to a whole new level o f recognition and response. “This is the first album where I really got to do my music the way ! wanted to, and / know that is going to make a big difference. From now on, people are going to know exactly who Glenn Jones is, and what to expect fro m him. The trio originally got together around 1987: New Jersey-native Jimmy Varner met vocalist Lynn Roderick when the two were both touring with Bill Withers. Chicago-born producer Stan Sheppard was impressed with their re spective talents and asked if they would be interested in being “part o f a group that would give you basic, good old- fashionedR&B,’’recalls Stan. Sheppard introduced the two to his brother Billy, who had been writing songs for CBS, and with that, By All Means was bom. The first album, recorded in 1988 yielded the hit singles, "I Surrender To Your Love" and “I ’m The One Who LovesYou." In the U.K. the LP was well- received and critically acclaimed as one o f the best r&b albums to come from a new group in several years. In 1989, Beyond a Dream, the second album, brought them a vast audience and two top ten r&b hits - an updated version of Marvin G aye’s "Let’s Gel It On and a second single, "Do YouRemember." By All Means also toured domestically, as well as in Europe and Japan during 1990. Musician-ship that is in-sync, on time and in-the-pocket. Carefully cre ated, layered harmonies. So-so-so-soul- ful lead vocals. This time around, By All Means sings songs that deal with every day ups and downs of love in the Nine ties. Honesty, sincerity, music performed with feeling. There ain’t nothin’ like the real thing. By All Means. On Motown Records. It’s Real. Accept no substi tutes. Chart topping vocalistG lennJones has been thrilling audiences since child- hood, when he was a soloist with his church choir in Jacksonville, Florida. W ith "Here I Go Again," his first a l bum for Atlantic Records, Glenn has created his most powerful album to date — moving his music, and the state o f R&B in general, in a refreshing new direction. “My family has always been deeply rooted in the church,” Glenn notes, “and at the age o f four, I started asking my mother to convince the church pas tor to let me sing. They heard me, and from that moment on, I was always singing.” At eight, Jones joined Bivens Spe cial, a gospel family from his hom e town, and he began to tour extensively. He started playing guitar, writing, and arranging, and at 14, he put together The M odulations, a gospel group with whom he recorded two albums. “ After being out on the road at such a young age, I got a chance to appreci ate the good tim es," says Glenn. “ 1 paid a lot o f dues. I ’ve been on tour and not eaten for a week, sleeping in the van, and not knowing how ever we were going to get the m oney to get back home.” G lenn w as b ro u g h t to Savoy Records at the age o f 16 by gospel legend the Reverend James Cleveland. Taking to the national gospel circuit, Jones refined his outstandi ng pipes while sharing the stage with some of the genre’s greats, including the Reverend C leveland, Shirley Caesar, and the Mighty Clouds o f Joy. As his gospel reputation grew , Glenn began to receive offers to work in the contemporary R&B field. After sing ing with Norman Connors on the ses sions for “M elancholy Fire," a top-ten R&B hit, as well as with Jean Cam e, Jones decided to try his hand at a secular career. At 19, he cut his first non-gospel mini-LP, 1982’s “Everybody Loves A Winner." The first single, “I Am Some- ;Z <- <;>< , • V.3 Z ' < '- ' .l't. » ■>- - •V¿ •-•">•'■:• 3 -- ♦> 'Ä. '.. .» ’5r ‘ . ’ . , -.A* * , * * ■ ■ i , i-" , .1 f v i ÍÍ ' ’ bra.ding and weaving W igs and Beauty Supplies We will meet or beat anyone’s prices. Sa't:. arid Promotional items oxduded. M rs. C ’s W igs a n d B e au ty S u p p ly 707 N.E. Fremont Portland, Oregon 97212 (503) 281-6525 Open: 11:30 - 6:00 Tues thru Saturday U rban T alent In S e a rc h Of M ovie E x tra s MUSIC MILLENNIUM 32ND & E BURNSIDE 2 3 1 -8 3 2 6 7 f ...If I t’s Ja zz, I t’s O n K M H D ! 23RO & NW JOHNSON 2 4 8 -0 1 6 3 ,.ri: > S h a d e s ' y iiu ' -;î«-v Color EXPRESSIONS o f * c th n ic A r t tu orks G a lle ry CONTEMPORANEOUS ’; i r S - S 3« M a y 9-June 3 Daniel Buswcll • Jerry Q u e n to n 2® ' 3 1 6 N .E . T h o m p so n • .1 t -,.< P ortland, O H 9 7 2 1 2 • (503)266-3779 • Caller.; H o u rs - 22-6 M o n . - Sal. The Urban Talent Association is looking for approximately 50 people between the ages o f 21 and 35 o f various ethnic backgrounds to play extras in the m ovie Danger Sign, currently filming in the Portland area. They will be por traying patrons in a nightclub scene. The proceeds from this project are to benefit Urban Talent, a talent agency with particular focus on people of color which iscom m ittcd to using its profit to sponsor performing arts training for children in the inner city. Danger Sign is a suspense thriller starring Marlec Mallin and Martin Sheen, and is di rected by Robert Greenwald. Previous acting experience is not required. In return for their participation, actors will receive m embership in the Urban T al ent Association which will entitle them to reduced rates on U.T.A. sponsored classes, workshops, and on headshot and fashion photography. At this time, Urban Talent is also seeking experienced actors and models o f all ages and ethnic backgrounds for commercial and film work, and print and runway modeling. Persons inter ested in more information should call 287-8065. " • 3 ■ . '• ■* :7« » -•» » r '*55 ’ 3» S» r ...A ll Ja zz, A ll the T im e. g ? . f V» 'T ¡1 ■ ~ : ' -4 W holesale to the Public 35% to 50% oft 100% Human Hair 16" from $15.95 M a in s tre a m , B e B o p , b lu es, F u sio n , N ew A ge. »v.<i ‘ m , - '(Í ; 3 i AA T , ...7 D ay s a W eek, 365 D ay s a Year. >4 family’s strong ties to the church, and I was concerned with how they would feel,” Glenn recalls. “When 1 did make the transition, I still tried to make my music uplifting and inspiring. I was very lyric conscious, and I still am .” G lenn’s first full-length album, 1983’s “Finesse," stayed on the charts for lOmonths, yielding several hitsinglcs -including “Show M e," which reached #3 on the national R&B charts. Between "Finesse" and his next album, 1986’s "Take It From M e," Jones starred with Jennifer Holliday in the off-Broadway show, Sing, Mahalia, Sing. After touring with the show for eight months, Jones recorded a duet with Dionne W arwick, a song written and produced by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. Titled "F inder O f Lost L oves,” from the television series o f the sam e name, it w as an AC radio smash, providing further evidence of G lenn’s m ulti-form at potential. Jones’s string o f hits continued with "Giving M yselfT o Y o u " from the "Take It From M e” album . A year later, he enjoyed his biggest record to date with "W e've O nly Just Begun." Culled from the 1987 "Glenn Jones" "Ail For You," which yielded the top- ten R&B hit, "Stay." Before he began work on his next album , Jo n e s fe lt it w as tim e fo r a lab el c h a n g e , and he se t his sig h ts on A tlan tic. “ I ’m very ex cited ab o u t c o m in g to A tla n tic ,” Jo n e s e x c la im s. “ A tla n tic ’s S y lv ia R hone (now C h a irm a n /C E O o f A tla n tic ’s A tc o /E a stW e st d iv isio n ) and I have been talk in g for a lo n g tim e. I h av e a lot o f faith in h e r, and sh e be- lie v e s in m e." In d e e d , "H ere I G o A g a in ,” G le n n ’s A tla n tic d e b u t, m ore than fu lfills the e x p e c ta tio n s o f his fa n s, both in and o u t o f the m u sic in d u s try. G lenn w ro te o r co -w ro te 10 of the album ’s 11 killer tunes, working in conjunction with the talented songwriter/ producers he chose for the project. The album kicks off with the funky ballad, "I've Been Searchin (Nobody Like You)," co-written by Glenn and produccr/composer Bernard Belle. Ber nard, brother of R&B star Regina Belle, numbers among his credits such artists as G uy, the W inans, Boy G eorge, and M ichael Jackson, who grabbed two of Bernard’s tunes for his latest album , "D angerous.” One o f the most pow erful and m oving tracks on the album is the ballad “In You,” which has m ulti-for mat appeal w ritten all over it. “On this one, I am saying that I had given up ori L ove,” Glenn relates. “Suddenly you cam e, and everything that I dream ed about and everything that I had wanted, I found in you.” “ I w ant people to walk away from listening to ‘Here I Go A gain' feeling positive and uplifted,” states Jones. “I just hope they find it to be something refreshing, something that’s on time, and something new that they need.” Public No T h e F u ll S p e c tru m o f Ja zz... --■ r i ' body," featured excerpts from speeches by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, with Glenn donating a pcrcentagcof the song’s royalties to Jackson’s Operation Push. “ Mainly, the thing that made me a little hesitant to sing R&B was my KMHD FM89.1 •-«■. -••••>< '• 3 /•? •■ • •« ■ k J album , it clim bed to the #2 spot on the R & B singlescharts.confirm ingG lenn’s reputation as a proven hit-maker. His winning streak continued with 1990’s <.... I ' rt I) a s • » • • > 5. ♦ » • ■V* McMurphy's Appliance Center UJasher fit Dryer s1 9 9 - Refrioerators From $ 1 2 9 - Ranges From $1 2 9 - O p en M on.-Fri. 9 :0 0 am to 5 :0 0 pm Saturday 1 0 :0 0 am to 2 :0 0 pm Sunday Closed
