’ X. T he P ortland O bserver » M ay 31, 1995 - r/zZ> JJortktitb (Dbseruer ENTERTAINMENT D o w n -H o m e S o u lfu l “ B lu ” Take a real ‘old school’ vocal approach, place it within a content porary musical setting, add a healthy dose of basic, down-home soulful­ ness and what have you got? Try Out Of The Blu, the musically refreshing Motown Records debut by Los An­ geles native Blu. “From start to fin­ ish, this record represents who I am, vocally, musically, creatively,” says the genial singer, who co-wrote five of the ten cuts on the album. “I don’t have a particular favorite track be­ cause I listen to the album as an entire package.” From the smooth groove of “My O f Lady,” the hypnotic first single to the insistence of the upbeat jam, “Lip Service,” Blu sings with the kind of out-and-out passion that is the hallmark of early vocal influ­ ences like Jeffrey Osborne, Philippe Wynne (of The Spinners), Teddy Pendergrass and Sam Cooke. You can hear Blu’s heartfelt approach on tunes like “Clap Your Hands,” an obvious nod to Seventies sweet soul; “Pillow Talk,” a sensual standout, and the quiet storm-flavored “Can We Vibe?” And, when it comes to the kind of intensity that up tempo tunes require, Blu delivers; check the aptly-named “Groove,” or funky “Easy Come, Easy Go.” For his all-important introduc­ tion to the music world, Blu worked with Dwayne Wiggins (of Tony Toni Tone), the album’s executive pro­ ducer, who also contributed his writ­ ing skills to seven cuts and played instruments on all but two tracks. “Dwayne was a constant source of creativity,” says Blu. “He was defi­ nitely a role model for me in doing this album. He made it possible for me to see that it is possible to make it in this business and still keep your feet on the ground.” That Byron Mitchell a/k/a Blu would make the kind of album that reflects his love for real music is no surprise when considering his back­ ground. His father, Jewell Mitchell was vocal partners with the legend­ ary Scatman Carruthers and music was aconstant in the Mitchell house- Byron Mitchel a. k.a. “Blu hold for as far back as Blu can re­ member. “As a child I was exposed to the blues of people like B.B. King, Albert King, Johnnie Taylor, and Bobby Blue Bland. In fact,oneof the reasons I got my nickname Blu was because I always sang the blues as a child.” By the time he was nine, Blu was taking vocal lessons and study­ ing opera and classical music; five years later, at age 14, he was per­ 28 M IL E S FROM forming a twenty-song set of R&B, blues, and gospel at a local Los Angeles church event. “I sang solos in church from a very young age as well as performing indifferent school plays,” recalls Blu. “You could say I developed the idea of wanting to be an entertainer early on in life.” The talented young singer’s skills propelled him into the spot­ light as a member of various L A choirs: he participated in all-city, SALEM all-state and nationwide contests for the Unified School District and by the time he was 17, Blu had emerged as a city and state vocal champion. Word-of-mouth led to then-Motown A&R elective Kerry Gordy (son of owner and founder Berry) signing Blu to a development deal with the label and he began working with producer Michael Stokes. With the sale of Motown in 1989 Blu’s initial deal with the company was halted and he decided to join a local vocal group Trevous as lead singer. The group won several rounds of the popular "Big Break” TV show in 1990 and 1991 and worked on a all- star session with industry heavy­ weights James Ingram, Phil Perry, Carl Carlton, and Leon Haywtxxl for a single made especially to raise funds for L.A.’s homeless. Although the group generated interest from differ­ ent labels, the trio eventually split and Blu resumed his search for a solo deal in 1993. Through manager Greg Cham, Blu was introduced to Dwayne Wiggins who had begun expanding on his success as a member of Tony Toni Tone to create production op­ portunities with new and develop­ ing artists. Enter Blu, who just hap­ pened to fi, the bill: "Dwayne was looking for someone who could de­ liver his mukic the way he wanted so I flew to Oakland and did a live’ audition for him.” It didn’t take long for Wiggins to recognize Blu’s obvious vocal artistry and he suggested the singer sing on the track he’d done for “My O f Lady.” Once he played the cut to Motown A&R chief, Steve McKeever, Blu found himself back with the label who had originally shown interest in him five years earlier. In addition to the tracks pro­ duced by Wiggins, Out Of The Blu includes work from Travon Potts (who had been a fellow member of Trevous) renowned remixer Dave Hard Drive’ Pensado; Atlanta-based producer C-1; and Terry-T, from Wiggins' Grass Roots Entertainment production company. 23rd & NW Johnson 248-0163 It all started last year with a question: W hatever happened to the good old street fairs, where neighbors gathered for a day to soak up su n sh in e, h ear good music and sam ple great foods? So, in June of 1994, the concept was brought to fruition with the First Annual Sum m er solstice Street Fair and D ance, which drew over 3,000 people to N orth­ west P o rtlan d ’s Couch Park and ra ise d $ 3 ,0 0 0 fo r th e In n e r W estside C om m unity D evelop­ ment C orporation which helps lo cate d ecen t and a ffo rd a b le housing and econom ic o p p o rtu ­ nities for N orthw est P ortland residents. It’s happening again on June 17, from 11 a.m. to 8 p m., the Second Annual Summer Solstice Street Fair and Dance will again fill Couch Park (N W. 19th & Glisan) and N.W. Hoyt Street with arts and crafts booths, informational booths from a variety of non-profit organi­ zations, food carts, family perfor­ mances, a microbrew and wine tent, and live music from som e of Portland’s top performers. Featured performances include the sweet, sul­ try sounds of the Holly Rae Band; the unique bluegrass of the Pagan Jug Band; Cal Scott’s cool jazz; down IN and d irty blues with N orm an Sylvester; the funky feel of Rubber­ neck; and to top it all off, the African rhythms of Obo Addy. The Fam ily Stage is sp o n ­ sored by the Northwest C hildrens T heater & School and will fea­ ture Dr. Suess S tories, scenes from W innie the Pooh and The Jungle Book; perform ances by Kids C om pany N.W ., A rabian D aze, and B rain w a v es. A lso sch eduled are appearances by Henry Huggins, Ramona Quimby and R ibsy; face painting, puppet m aking and balloons, pony rides, “Old W orld F olktales” as told by sto ry teller Kelly Hansen, OM SI D em o n stratio n s, and C heshire the C low n. B ring the whole fam ­ ily for a day o f fun. Destined to become one of Portland’s most unique events the Summer solstice Street Fair and Dance will showcase what makes Portland's Northwest neighborhood Such a special place. The mission of the Summer Solstice Organizing Committee is to strengthen North­ west Portland’s cultural and ethnic diversity, and to promote activism and community spirit. If you have questions or are interested in helping please call Aaron Corman at 230-1871. C O N C E R T JOHNNY “GUITAR” WATS O N JUNE 10 ★ 8:00 Roseland Theater Special Guest Motown Recording Artist & Vybe pm Blu Tickets at all Fred Meyer Faslixx and House oí Sound Records I ’r r x iiifr it by I t n l o r q e U a H r E n l r r l a i n m n i l BEAT AT