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T he P ortland O bserver • S eptember 2 0, 1995
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ENTERTAINMENT
Award - Winning Jefferson I ligh School Dancers
Jazz Tap Th e ir Wag Through Essence Of Ellington
Several current members and some re
cent d istin g u ish e d g rad u ates from the
Jefferson Performing Arts High School are
playing a large role in the upcoming Essence
o f Ellington, a music, dance and video salute
to ja z z great Duke Ellington premiering at
7:30 PM on Saturday, September 23,1095 at
the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. These
outstanding “Elling-teens” have been busy
Studying rare film clips ofthe dance sequenc
es in record and concert promotions, movie
sequences like the famous “Cabin in the Sky”
and D uke's first movie made in the 1930s
“Symphony in Black,” to correctly imitate
the steps o f featured dancers like the ' Lindy-
hop Dancers” in a film called “Cottontail.”
These up and coming “ Rug-cutters” in
clude Jefferson High School senior Yogi
Hall who recently returned to Portland after
winning a scholarship to attend the presti
gious Alvin Ailey Dance Company W ork
shop this past August. Two other performers
in Essence o f Ellington also attended the
Alvin Ailey school: Rose Festival Court prin
cess and honors graduate Kahleelah Rahsaan
from Northeast Portland, and Kamaria Kyle,
who has also preformed with the Northwest
African American Ballet Theatre. Kahleelah
and Kamaria received scholarships to attend
the University o f Oregon this fafl where they
will be studying and dancing.
Other Alvin Ailey Scholarship recipients
include Yoji Hall, a senior at Jefferson Per
forming Arts High School. In addition to study
ing art, he is equally adept at the martial arts
and acting classes. Bunky Hodlan is a member
of the Northwest African Ballet Theatre and
served this summer as a counselor for the
Young Musicians and Artists Summer Work
shop in Salem. Taj Hill is a senior at Jefferson
High School and a third year Jefferson Dancer
and second year member o f the Northwest
African American Ballet.
Two other dancers performing in Es
sence o f Ellington are recent graduates from
Join In
Celebrating
Jefferson high School. Ron Smith began danc
ing in the Dalles, and continued his training
as a Jefferson Dancer. While still a student at
Jefferson, he received the highly coveted
scholarship for Arts Recognition and Talent
Search After a stint dancing and teaching in
Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, he
is now a co-owner and principal instructor at
the Oregon Dance Academy. Jimi Renfro has
recently returned from a four year stint in
Italy where he choreographed, danced and
acted in Italian productions, opera compa
nies and television. Mr. Renfro is currently
on the dance faculty at Jefferson High School.
J o in ns a t th e » E sse n c e o f E llin g to n » o n S a tu r d a y , S e p te m b e r 2 3
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 7:30 pm
An Evening of Rare Film Clips, the Jefferson Dancers, and two All-Star Jazz Bands
Narrated by Mercer Ellington
Tickets: Ticketmaster (224-4400) or PCPA Box Office
General $20/Student $10
(M e n tio n " P o r t la n d O b s e r v e r " a n d r e c e iv e # 5 o ff g e n e r a l t ic k e t p r ie s ! )
E V I.O .A
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288-0033
T h e tr a p lla m l
LA LU N A & S M A LL A XE P R E S E N T
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AHMI VERS ARY
The colorful dance sequences will be per
formed by the Jefferson Dancers, Teny Brock,
and Gracey Tune. Essence o f Ellington is a
fundraiser for student scholarships for the
Black Studies Department at Portland State
University and for youth jazz music scholar
ships from the Jazz Society o f Oregon.
Photo oourtesy o f On Broadway. I to r Shirley Nanette, zUrbar DePnest, Mel Brown, Dennis Sponger, Toni Webb center Steve Jonea
E-THOUGHT
JjJartlanh
(©bserucr’s
Essence o f Ellington is a music, dance
and film tributetojazz legend Duke Ellignton,
as narrated by his son. Mercer Ellington. The
West Coast premiere of a collection of rare
film clips and performance outtakes of the
Duke in concert, this event will feature top
jazz performers like Ron Steen and his friends.
The Gap Band was scheduled to
play the lotus Card Room, Sunday
Evening, weather permitting. Well,
the weather didn't iexactly permit it.
but what’s a little rain, a little thun
der, ia little lightening, to a Portlander,
right? The show went on ¡anyway,
and The Gap Band played to an im
pressive crowd. They Iliad 'em lined
up down the block, waiting for the
chance to be a ipart o f history, part o f
a Gap Band Audience.
A disco dance, featuring seven
ties music, opened for the imain event,
so , when the time came, the crow
was warmed up, if ia a little wet. I he
clock struck 10:00, and the drummer
icounted 1,2,3,4, and it was on. The
opening number, main ly a i Rap thang,
was on hit Then, all o f a sudden,
there was a face iin the crowd, a face
with a familiar Gap toothed smile,
the iface o f Charlie ?, the lead singer,
Clarence Clemons - Peacemaker
C l i 99
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J) lZcom
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G-MO
BALLIN' 4 LIFE
Donation: $4.00
For More Info. Call 335-8789
T he B ig Man returns with “ Peacemaker” his latest solo
effort and a brand new direction for the F.-Street Band
sax player. On this record he weaves mood o f
peace, love and tolerance through sax,
A fric a n pe rcussion, be lls and
synthesizers.
CLARENCE CLEMONS
PEACEMAKER
oturing "B o llin o n d 'It's An Everyday Thing To Roll'
When you
take a ride with
G-Mo you roll through
life in West Covina, Cali
fornia. As the Southern California
rap scene begins to emerge, G-Mo is
likely to be leading the pack.
De-Sh-Ref, 1-5-1, Arjay, and Dimond
Place: Brooks Building (next to House of Sound)
Address: 3620 N. Williams Ave.
Date: Friday September 22, 1995
Time: Doors Open at 8:00pm
appeared to be Black Muslim body
guards, and the ¡constant references
to the upcoming m en's march on
Washington, ithat will be lead by
Louis Farrakann, made me wonder
who the ¡event was actually benefit
ing.
In any case, this concert, one o f
a number o f big name italent con
certs put on y early by the lotus card
room, was lenjoyed by all who were
privileged to make an appearance. It
i was, in the words o f a Gap band song
“Outstanding” .
I don’t know about y a’II, but I
personally believe that we ieould use
a few more acts like The Gap Band in
Portland. What iabout you? Write
the Portland Observer, and let us
know how lyou feel, and keep read
ing for news o f up coming events.
REMEMBER. YOU HEARD IT
HERE FIRST!!
N E W M U S IC
A T A G R E A VT
T L O W P R IC E !
La s selle
H ip -H op Rap
Show & Dance
featuring
shaking hands as he walked Ito the
front. He mounted the stage, and it
was on all over ¡again. They had
come to drop a bomb on Portland,
and that’s ¡exactly what they did,
moving with ease thru a songlist that
isounded like “ The Gap Band’s
Greatest Hits; songs like “Early tin
I he Morning, You Dropped a Bomb
On Me, Candy, and lOutstanding”,
were dropped on the usually sedate
Portland icrowd, as the thundering
rhythm section whipped the crowd
into ia musical frenzy. That would
have been enough, but NO— . They
¡followed up with a repatuore o f Sly
Stones Greatest hits. ¡Portlands on
Andy Stokes, was in the mix, lending
a local ¡flavor to the scene, but there
was no doubt o f it being a Gap ¡Band
Affair.
Altho the concert was a benefit
for M.D.A., the presence iof what
G - M O B A L L IN
East Portland
32nd &. Burnside
231-8926
©
MUSIC MILl€NNIUM
cn
CQ44
99
( ..iiip.n,
4)0
J) IX Com
Dise
Cassette
Offer good thru 10-24-95
NW Portland
23rd & NW Johnson
248-0163
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