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Page 6...The Portland Observer ...November 25, 1992
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Portland Observer
ENTERTAINMENT
F R E D D I E / A C K S 0 N
she was like a piece of translucent
glass touched by light, given a
momentary radiance...
Time For Love, Freddie Jackson’s
fifth Capitol album , marks a pivotal
point in w hat is already one o f pop/
R& D ’s most brilliant carreers. Joined
by a varied, stellar team o f writers and
producers - -including such hitmakers
as Barry’ J. Eas.m ond, pop/rocker R ich
ard Marx and the legendary Arif M ardin
- J a c k s o n h as c r a f te d w h a t is
undoubtedly his m ost expansive work
to date.
Selections such as the album ’s sul
try first single, “ 1 Could Use A Little
Love (Right N ow )” - accom panied by a
steamy video shot in Miami -0 the yearn
ing “W ill You Be T here” and the ro
mantic title track (Jacksojnh’s presonal
favorite) unwittingly weave a concept
album o f sorts. A stserling statem ent of
love and relationships is personified by
jackson’s poerful renditioin of the Billy
Paul/Gam ble & H uff classic, “ Me And
Mrs. Jones.”
As with all olf hisalbum s,. the heart
o f Time For Love is the sensuously
soulful voice o f Jacksojn. Here he turns
in the kind o f refined, yet passionate,
perform ance that has fueled exciting
tours and recordings.resulting in four
gold and multi-platinum albums. Even
Jackson, one o f pop/R & B ’s most con
sistent exponents, is impressed. “ 1 thnik
I’m singing beter, and the songs are
great,” he says. “I can honestly say that
this is my best album yet.
This project is a stretch for the artist
on several fronts. It allowed Jackson to
try something new, such as the funky
hip-hop o f :Can I Touch Y ou.” Th calbum also gave Jackson the opportunity to
work with producers as diverse as labelmate Richard Marx - for the recording of
“I D on’t W ant To Live My Life W ithout You,” a moving duet with singer D ’Atra
Hicks - and Arif Mardin - -best known for his work with thundrous voices like
Aretha Franklin an dChaka Khan - for the big pop ballad “All I’ll Ever A sk”
featuring saxophonist Najce. “And is from the old school of porduction,” says
Jackson. “A very meticulous workser. I loved the experience."
And what an experience it’s been. Jackson has been rocking the national charts
since April 1985, when Capitol released his signature single, “Rock Me Tonight,”
his first #1 urban hit. Jackson’s debut album. Rock Tonight, cut a new record,
staying at the top of th eblack music charts for 22 consecutive weeks. Indeed, only
Freddie can claim the honor of having more urban # 1 hits than any other male artist
in the ’80s. His subsequent #1 albums include December 1986’s Just Like The First
Time, Freddie’s second #1 smash; July 1988’s D on’t Let Love slip Away; and Do
Me Again, released in October o f 1990, which produced sexy, solid-state R&B
smashes such as “Love Me Down” (a # l hiton R & R ’s Urban Contemporary chart),
“ Do Me A gain” (and encore perform ance at #1) and “ Main Course” (a moulh-
watering #2 hit).
As a live performance artist, Freddie
is a marvel. INdeed, Jackson - who has
turned up the heat for a summer lour
cvey year snee 1987 - is one o f the few
performers whose command of songs
onstgage allows him to draw audineces
wihtout the benefit of a hit record. In
1989, he astounded audiences with an
eight-show run at Broadway’s Fontaine
Theater.
Freddie has come a long, long way
since the days he used to hang out at the
lamed Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New
York - where he was born and raised -
watching various R&B and gospel per
formers do their thing. “ 1 used to sit
there and simply learn,: he says, recall
ing those days. “I’d watch how they’d
work a stage, how to have presence with
an audience. To be there was like being
in school.
If that was the case, the New Y ork’s
local club and recording scene would
become Freddie’s classroom. During
the day h e’d work his 9-to-5 gig as a
word ¡processor, and by night he’d sing
back-up by night he’d sing back-up for
sessions by Evelyn “Champagne” King,
M tum e, A n g e la B ofill an d L illo
Thomas...while moonlighting with lo
cal bands like Mystic Merlin and LIE. “ I
did what most aspiring singers did: made
tapes, mailed them to the labels and
hoped for the best. After a whole lot of
nothing kept happening. I pretty much
gave up on music for a year.”
Enter songw riter/m usician Paul
Laurence, w ho’d gigged with Freddie in various bands. It was Laurence who not
only encouraged Freddie to get back performing, but brought renown singer/actress
Melba Moore to hear Freddie sing at a local New York club. Melba was so
impressed that she introduced Jackson to Hush Productions, her management
company, which signed the young singer. Shortly after that, Freddie signed with
Capitol Records, which released Jackson’s Rock Me Tonight. The rest is history.
Time For Love finds Freddie at the top of his craft. An artist of international
prominence, he, along with a handful of other artist, set the standard for today’s
R&B vocalists, even so, Jackson has set his sites on other activities. He recently
formed his own production company - F.A.J Productions - and has signed several
acts that he’ll develop and produce. In the meantime, he’s excited about Time For
Love.
.
“ I can actually listen to this album and enjoy it as some one not involved with
it,” he says. “They say you live and learn, and that applies to making music as well.
I’ve matured as a vocalist, and it shows on this album. I’m proud o f it, and this time
I’;m ready to go all the way.”
Arc you ready for Freddie? Then simply make Tim e For Love.
n
4
Benson High School senior and
PS broadcast major Sam Thompson
tthc two-hour program. Co-produc-
Tania Thompson and John Pitman,
JL
used by teachers in both the Portland
Public Schools and many other school
districts in the tri-county area, including
Beaverton and Tigard. Created by FM
host Tania Thom pson, again in coopera
tion with Music Curriculum Develop
ment Specialist Glenn Ludtkc, the pro
gram is designed to bring classical m u
sic into the classroom and enhance stu
dents’ enjoyment and appreciation of it.
It began November 4th
Join us forclassical music the whole
family can enjoy-K id Rhythm Clas-
sics-Saturday mornings from 7-9 a.m.,
only on KBPS FM.
freely, so why not give kids a chance to
hear it in its original form ?” asks co
producer Tania Thompson. “W e’d like
to give kids a broad exposure to the
world o f classical music so they can
delight in it as much as we do,” she adds.
KBPS FM will also be offering a
unique broadcast for use by teachers in
the classroom as it expands its services
to children from the AM station to the
FM. Each W ednesday morning from
10:30-11:00 a m., FM 89.9 will play
music for teachers to use in conjunction
with their lesson plans from the text,
“ Music and You.” This program can be
fl
L *
November 7 - December 5
Portland
For tickets call 274-6588
tickets priced from $8.00 - $28.00
"tickets also available through all FASTIXX outlets and at 224-TIXX.
Oregon^hakespearejistreal
In the Intermediate Theatre of the
Portland Center for the Performing Arts
1111 S.W. Broadway
P.O.Box 9008
Portland, OR 97207
sponsored in part by a generous gift from
Freddie Jackson Pre-
Concert Receptionist
Held at Rip City Restaurant
L ast Friday p ro d u cers Sandra
W adsworth and Dorian Boyland hosted
a pre-concert reception for those pa
trons who pre-purchased tickets for the
up and coming Freddie Jackson concert
to be held at the Arlene Schnitzer Hall,
on December 22nd. The all star event
featuring special guests, Najee, Melisa
M organ, and comedian Macio. All will
be part o f this live performance.
The reception was held at the Rip
City Restaurant on Sandy BI vd. Several
O R I (..ON D A N C E C O N S O R T PRESENTS PULSE Nr IM P U L S E V I
H A R M O N IA
A Holiday Showcase of Dance, Theater and Storytelling
with a Global Perspective
/radi, mg
A M O R ESPA ÑA
S U S A N B A N YA S
R UB Y B UR NS
FD EDMO
D IA N A H 1 N A T S U
of Fucinami Kai
MARS O S L U N D
S T. C L A IR IN C O M P A N Y
RAY T FR R 1LL
D e c e m b e r 4 -1 3
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center. 5340 N. Interstate
Tickets $10, $8, $5. Call 823-2000 for information and reservations
Funden In part by the Oregon Art* ( ommiMton
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hundred showed up to collect their tee
shirts, C D ’s, cassettes, posters and back
stage passes. There were lots o f refresh
ments, dancing. In addition it was game
time for the Trail Blazers and anyone
who wished could watch the gam e on
televison. Boyland noted this was just
our way of giving something back.
A good time was had by all and they
arc looking forward to show lime. There
arc still good tickets available. You may
call 224-TIXX for further information.
“ I becam e popular wihtout realizing I was becom ing
popular. It kind o f snuch up on m e.”
Following the Freddie Jackson tour, Najee further
expanded his audience by going on the roald with jazz
artists Hiroshima anbd Michael Franks. “I could have
played jazz standards, but I knew that I wanted to have
a certain amount of success and recognition, “ he says.
“That
“ My description of Najee is a consumate profexionist
whenever we work together these are the words that
m oist come to mind...consumate profexionist. I believe
it is very evident in his music.”
-Freddie Jackson
required dong things a certain way. It was really
calculated on my part to go R&B or what we now call
jazz contem porary.” R&B and jazz arc what makes me
who I am today.” N ajee’s next two albums, Day By Day
(1988) and Tokyo Blue (1990), were as popular as his
first. Now comes Just An Illusion, N ajee’s star-studded
fourth release. “On this album I have the best of both
w orlds,” Najee says. “ I had the opportunity to work with
some very special vocalists. I get to display my talents
on a full range of instruments. It’s my most diverse
album yet.”
Najee says. “ :He was one ol those flexible players who
could play jazz and classical. I grew up on those CT1
records - Grover W ashingrton Jr., Stanley Turrentine,
Freddie Hubbard...
Najee was b om in M anhattan and raised in Queens.
A sa teenager, he played with veteran R&B acts like Ben
E. King and The Main INgredient. After a world tour
supporting Miss Black A m éricain 1976, Najee attended
the New England Conservatory o f Music in Boston,
where he lived for nearly four years. During that time,
he stud icd jazz and played in big bands led by two of his
esteemed ¡professors, George Russell and Jaki byuard.
Najee returned to New YUork and his R&B roots in
1982. A brief engagement with the Fatback Band led to
an offer to join Chaka KFan’s post-Rufus group in 1983
and 1984. After that tou-, one of Khan’s back-up
singers, M e’Iisa Morgan hired the band for a six-month
run at a New York club. T hat’s when Hush Productions’
Charles Huggcns heard Najee. “ He asked me to bring
him some material.” Najee rcct Ils. “I did and the rest is
history!”
N ajcc’s Theme w rs released in 1986. That year,
Najee toured with Freddie Jackson. “I was able to get a
large part of my audience from that tour,” he explains.
FM 89.9 Launches Two New Classical
Music Programs Especially For Children
both music hosts for KBPS FM, have
created the program in cooperation with
Portland Public Schools Music C ur
riculum SpecialistG lennL udtkc.E ach
episode explores a musical theme such
as the representation of art or the sea
sons in music: a composer and his/her
works; music from cartoons; interest
ing instruments; and a variety o f other
subjects. They also feature interviews
with local and visiting musicians.
“Classical music is really at the
heart of so much that young people
hear, and they don’t even realize it.
C artoons use classical music quite
by Tennessee Williams
/
In a crowded field of instrumentalist, Najee is truly
outstanding. Each o f the multi-talented reed aman and
flutist’s three albums has gone Gold - a rare feat for a
jazz with Just An Ilusión, his fourth release on EMI.
Fucst vocals by Jeffery Osborne, Freddie Jackson
and Will Downing, in additon to productio help foprm
Marcus.
N ajee’s got a unique sensual and soulful style all
of his own.”
-Johnny Gill
Miller, George Duke and Arif Mardin give the 13-
track album an all-star feel. Bit it’s N ajee’s sensitive
playing and melodic songwriting that are the heart of
this project.
“ It;s not easy keeping your identiy as an instru
mentalist,” Najee explains. “It’s difficult to do things
that will set you apart, where you have yhour own little
niche. Two things set this album a p a rt the collabora
tions with so many terrific vocalists and myu own
ability hto play a varity o f instruments.”
N ajee’s first instrument was clarinet. He switched
to tenor saxophone in high school and gradually learned
to play the other saxes - alto and soprano - as well as
flute. “ Hubert Laws was my biffest influence on flute,”
Since Saturday, November 14th,
lilies have an alternative to TV ear
ns, a classical music program de-
ned to spark an enjoym ent and ap-
¡ciation o f classical m usic. Kid
ythm Classics isa friendly, fun intro-
;tion to the classics and their corn
e r s that is specially geared to kids
id great for parents, too). It airs from
10 to 9:00 a.m. on Saturday mom-
The Glass Menagerie
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