(The |Jv»rthutò (Oheeruer
- ^ h e release of Heavy D’s sev
enth album. Heavy marks his
J
V
13th year of making hits and
serving as a standard bearer in the rap
game. Heavy is a milestone. A nd this is
not on one of hip-hop’s most successful
vet refreshingly down to earth artists.
“T h at’s a real accomplishment, espe­
cially in hip-hop. I am always making
records like I’ve got something to prove.
1 love making music, producing, I love
performing."
It has always been impossible to
categorize Heavy D. He pioneered the
luxury-loving style we’ve come to asso­
ciate with the phrase Big Willie. In the
late eighties, he gave us classic, fun,
party records. W ith Teddy Riley, he is
credited with m arrying R&B and hip-
hop at a tim e when the two genres were
separate and unequal. His chart-top­
ping songs convinced radio program ­
m ers and music lovers that rap and
radio were indeed two words that could
be uttered in the same sentence. H e’s
experim ented with so many different
rhym e flows that he is rarely associated
with any particular style.
As you might expect 13 years deep.
Heavy D has grown as a performer and
that growth is reflected on several tracks.
O ne of those tracks is “Dancing In The
Middle O f The Night.” A moody alt-rock
meets trip-hip4iop dream poem, “Danc­
ing In The Middle O f The Night’ is
guitar-fueled and lyrically adventurous.
T his m aturity is also reflected in
Heavy D ’s other passion: acting. Over
the past few years, Heavy has appeared
on several T V shows and in 199b, made
his New York Off-Broadway debut in
the acclaimed one-act play “Riff Raff,”
which was written and directed by
Lawrence Fishbum e. For his leading
role opposite Fishbum e, Heavy earned
a nom ination for a prestigious Drama
Desk Award (the equivalent to a Tony
Award for Off-Broadway). Since then,
Heavy has expanded both his range
and his avenues of expression. Not
willing to merely play thugs or stereo­
typical “rapper” parts, Heavy appears
in the Eddie M urphy/M artin Lawrence
film. Life and the forthcoming dram a
The Cider House Rules, starring Delroy
Lindo and Michael Caine. “I just love
July 14, 1999
Focus
a c tin g ," H eav y sm iles
broadly. “It’s something I’ve
always w anted to do and
something I work really hard
at. I love being able to bring
some new aspect of my talent
to a different audience.”
Although he’s branching
out, Heavy D has not aban­
doned his first passion. He
remains one of hip-hop's most
adm ired, respected and com­
m itte d p e rfo rm e rs. A sk
Heavy D how he feels at this
juncture of his career and
he’s up front. “1 am still build­
ing my history, but I’m just
where I’d like to be right now.”
W hich, is of course right
in front of the mike; deliver­
ing his patented, yet never
predictable brand of hip-hop.
Heavy rem inds critics and
fans of Heavy D’s position in
th e gam e
he helped
to create.
Cathedral Parli Jazz Festival
X\
J9'h
A N N U A L ;/ / K \
/C athedral Parr'
The changing of the seasons are distinct So one weekend is going to be incredible. That is, if
is the last summer of this millennium. The you can stand the heat. It’s a good thing the
producers of the Cathedral Park Jazz festival setting for the 19* Cathedral Parkjazz Festival
and the 10* annual Blue Heron Music festival is
have planned a most memorable summer festi­
on the cool banks of the
val that will be the hottest mu­
Willamette River. The grassy
sic event of the summer. One
amphitheatre of Cathedral
sultry night of blues and two
Park underneath the magnifi­
full days of sizzling jazz onjuly
cent arches of the S t John
16,h, l ? h& Iff”.
Bridge will help to provide
The Cathedral Park Jazz
some relief from the heat that
Festival C om m ittee brings
this event promises to produce.
daughteroflegendaryjazz great
T he styles and sound will
Dizzy Gillespie to Cathedral
drench the crowds. The festi­
Park concert.J eanie Bryson will
val offers a delightful variety
perform with local Jazz digni­
of food and beverage ven­
taries a classy Jazz style remi­
dors. Although no alcohol is
niscent of Peggy Lee, Sarah
Jeanie Bryson
allowed in the park there will
Vaughn and Dinah Washing-
ton. This lady is a seasoned professional who has be a beer garden. T he Melody Ballroom will be
performed at Jazz Festivals all over the world as
well as on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This
act will close three days of music at 6:00 on
Sundayjuly Iff*1.
Headlining on Saturday is the great Russian
pianist Andrei Kitaev. He will perform with
international Jazz stars Eddie Gomez and Eliot
Zeigmund, both of whom currently live and
work on the East Coast. This will be the first
reunion of the trio since they made the popular
CD “Live at Varton Jazz’. They recreate the
sound of the Bill Evans Trio of the late Bill Evans
brings his masterful piano craft to this classic
form of Jazz. They take the stage at 600 on
Saturday July 17*.
The Combination of two FREE events into
offering the cold draft from Full Sail Brewing,
T he Eola Hills Winery will be offering some of
their finest as well. There will be vendors and
information booths to enhance the commu­
nity festival atmosphere. An event for blues
and jazz lovers of all ages, the Cathedral Park
Jazz Festival is a celebration for us all. Bring
your picnic baskets, blankets, and be ready to
have one fantastic weekend in the park.
“A true community event, it’s a great oppor­
tunity to sit outside and listen to some of the ,
greatest jazz music on the planet. - “Mr. Beeler, t
Executive Director Cathedral Parkjazz Festival.
Visit as at our website: http://www-çpjazz.com n
For more information contact Joe Beeler o r)r
Gary Boehm at 503/286-1312.
Page 7
THE HOTTEST MUSIC EVENT
OF THE SUMMER
OÉI
■REST IV A ®
J Q I h ANNUAL
Friday night, July 16
6:30 pm le Bon Reunion
Corlton Jockson,Terry Robb.
Billy Kennedy and Dove Captein
8 :3 0 pm Rue de Blues
Marilyn Keller and Don latarski
Ì S f t ' l S (a n o n 's (a s tir I a n »0»d
’
4 :0 0 pm
6 6 :0
:0 0 0 pm
pm
K
E
S c a s a r W t,h e ll Ir la
w ith G eorge W H ttneii in o
H O ¡¡m
Andrei KRaev
KRaev
Andrei
Ir o ïn '
Jj '. Â . h , ,
i Eddie
d i , G C om
a n e ez e t & E l l lio
» l t Zeigm
Ze.gm und
uad
.'.’.“ " ' « ¡ « i
J e a n ie B ry s o n
'- I
r a . v a ; t
v- -
4
«