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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1995)
U i l •a M arch 22, 1995 • T he P ortland O bserver P age B2 j/?Z> ç (Ebe $Iorthxith ©bserucr ENTERTAINMENT Linda I lornbuchle With No Delay How do you spell Poet He walked out onto the Apollo stage in New York City, Leaned his body on history, poured his tongue into a whirlwind o f words and col or. He said Remember. And w e did. And he grew large, suddenly, like a fire in the wind, and his words burst into flames, igniting us all with sanc tified nods o f Amen. Brother. Yeah. Brother-man. Tell it like tis. Word. When did this young man called D-Knowledge learn to sail his mas culine words on our sequestered memories until our heads jerked back in recognition? How did he pull us from our unremembered youth, our past ago activism in the midst o f these historical times? How do you spell Poet in these pseudo- poetical times? You spell him D-Knowledge, a name given to him by his pears at the University ofC alifom ia in Ber keley, where he began to read two books a week, moving his arms, hands and eyes on a mission ot knowledge as he came out o f his incubation, cracking his shell and our skulls in the process. D-Knowl- edge. Liberating name. You spell him PH D. Candi date Man in sociology at the U ni versity o f California at Los Ange les, where he reads and interprets and analyzes the origins and history o f human society . Yeah. Cuz is all that. You spell him African-Ameri can Poet Man on a mission, more interested in challenging and teach ing us all with his commentary and humor than hitting skins. You call him Poet. In The Tradition. Do you remember the first time you were home? At peace with your self? Yes. Something like a first love. Holier than even that. D- Knowledge was home as he sur rounded him self with poets, musi cians, and artists from Leimert Park, as he read writers like June Jordan, Amiri Baraka and Gil Scott-Heron. He knew he was finally home as he began the practiced step o f poetry, with its inevitable rhythm and beat. D Knowledge Tackling Artetha is a ballsy move for a self-professed soul diva, but tor her first selection on soul diva Meets The B lues M o n ste rs L in d a Hombuckle delivers a full-bodied and funky version ’‘Baby 1 love Y ou. Backed by her band No D elay-prose who have toured or recorded with Anita Baker, Martha Reeves, Terry Evans. Paul deLay, The Coasters and many others-H om buckle proves a phenomenal vocalist who could hold her own against Franklin or Natalie Cole, whom Hornbuckle strongly resembles when singing in her jazzy upper register. Hers is a soulful, smoky, gospel- drenched voice confidently navigat ing unusual arrangements o f such over-covered covers as "H ound Dog," "1 C an't Stand The Rain," and, even, "Amazing Grace." The band is tight and snappy, sounding a lot like James Brown’s funky 1970s ensem bles. And he followed that ancestral beat home to where words became wom en and men, where flesh walked up right. Finally. And his poetry' asked no favors. Took no prisoners. And Hamilton Cloud, in 1993. at the NAACP Image Awards Pro gram. saw and heard all that and more. He began talking and negotiat ing with the young wordsmith who had electrified the audience that night. Hamilton Cloud and Ramon Hervey began the workofbringingthis unique poet to a larger audience. Within months, D-Knowledge had a guest appearance in John Sin gleton’s next film. Higher Learning. He wrote a poem for the movie; Next he appeared in Mario Van Peegles’ film. The Panthers; Then a shot on Arsenio H all's show that showed the country the power o f this young poet's words; And finally, he signed with Qwest Records. Quincy Jones' label, to do an album. All That And A Bag O f W ords was released in February, 1995. From the impulse of teacher, he has become the name and namer o f his poems. And a mighty sound is heard in the land. He cajoles the young to be drug free, gun free, macho free, baby free, nigger free. He has asked us to conquer any fears that hold us bad;. He asks us to continue to learn and study and read and resist. Resist anything that keeps us from being human. From the impulse o f the lover, he implores us to love ourselves, our big and thin lips, our wide and narrow noses, our Black and fair skins, our nappy, curly and straight hair. He tells us to stay deep and focused on ourselves so we can begin the beginning work o f loving ourselves and our people and then we will be capable o f loving others. His words will put meat on your bones. Money is all that! It's a shame, though, to hear a voice this world class and a band this polished work such gimmicky ar rangements as the version o f “ I C an' t Stand The Rain," which opens with irritating high-pitched tones intend ed. one assumes, to evoke raindrops, or the ultra-funk version o f “Hound Dog," which sometimes sounds like Prince’s “ Kiss.” All the arrangements are ex tremely well-performed. but folks this talent should forego oldies in favor o f creating some classics o f their own, because they are certainly ca pable o f doing so. With shining orig inals, Hornbuckle and N o Delay could break out o f Portland, Oregon, Linda Hornbuckle into adult contemporary radio-land. Portland will no doubt be sorry to see them go, however, having award ed Hornbuckle Portland Music Asso ciation's coveted Crystal Award tor Artist o f the year in 1992. She and her guitarist. Peter Dammann. also took best female vocalist and best guitarist, respectively, at the Casscade Blues Association Muddy Awards in 1992 before heading into the studio to record soul Diva. Live. Linda Hornbuckle must really be something, if her awards and the opening segment o f "don't Let Temptation Turn you Around," which was recorded live at the 1993 Portland W aterfront Blues Festival, are any indication. This is a lady w ho’s electric in front o f an audi ence. She radiated joyous soul, tell ing the cheering audience, “ It's time tobringyou into my w orld..doingthe gospel thang, that’s my world." Yet, on the second half o f the song, re corded in the studio, she was a bit restrained. This is one performer who should seriously consider making her next recording a live one. Soul Diva closes with a power ful “Amazing Grace" supported by Louis Pain’s dramatic piano comping before the entire band kicks in. I his was the one song on the CD that benefitted from an unusual arrange ment. It was a fittingly restrained take on a song that is too often raved through the roof. S oma S anchez M o n q u i P re s e n ts I f all that you know o f this artist is the A-side, then y o u ’ve got something coming to you. For the past five years, he has released a score o f hit singles, several with B-sides never included on any album. Couple those with six amazing remixes o f his classic tracks and a pair o f sensational new songs, and you have Bootlegs & B-Sides, this artist's latest album history with his Z 9 9 . release The predator by debuting at #/ on both Billboard's top 200 and R&B album charts and turning Platinum in just four days, hut he is also a regular on the big screen with a number o f movies, soundtracks and even screenplays under his belt. Please welcome a true performer and a front man in the world o f Rap, Priority Recording Artist.. plus guests TBA... When: Wednesday. April 5th* 9 pm. Doors open at 8 pm W here: La Luna *215 SE Ninth (at Pine) *Portland, OR * 97214 Tickets: $18.50 in Advance * On sale Friday. March IOth at 9:00 m WEDNESDAY APRII May 2-7, 1995 • 8:00 p.m .r Intermediate Theatre Portland Center for the Performing Arts Ail seats reserved #12.50, $ 10 and #6. ' Available at the P( PA Box Office, a n d at'Tilt (re d M eyer EASTIXX ou tle ts I .„, M * ’ *. » l [IXX „„ |,„1,. u v r and convenience lees Marl and phone orders sublet! to .klditmn.il handlm« i luifies LALUNA 9 :0 0 PM . $ 1 8 .5 0 A D VA N C E ■ A ll ADVANCE TICKETS AT A U Gl JOE'S/TICKETMASTER LOCATIONS. HONQUI SUBJECT TO SERVICE CHARGE. CHARGE BY PHONE 2 2 4 -4 4 0 0 . PRESENTS AGES
