•W B lack H istory M
February 04. 2004
.W
s p e c ia l
cocer a r/e’
o n th
Focus
Nat King Cole
Inspired Generations
WicK steps
ape ^alKin<
Bandleader got start at age 4
in father’s church
Diverse folklore meets new styles
in an original, raw performance
Teela Labrum as Liza Fox. Painting by Gwenn Seemel.
“Trickster Tells This Tale,” is
a devised piece for live perfor
mance conceived and directed
by Jamie Lynne Powell-Herbold.
The result of a six-week work
shop in experimental storytelling
with a young ensemble of actors,
this bold production begins with
a gathering of tricksters doing
what they do best: tell stories.
Each actor takes the role of a
trickster from diverse mytholo
gies and oral traditions from
around the world.
In all mythologies, this arche
type comes alive when tricksters
make contact with humanity, pro
voking profound transformation
and upsetting the world order.
They are insatiable, irreverent,
unrepentant; they sum up the
profane.
Local painter and actorGwenn
Seemel has painted the perform
ers as their trickster archetypes.
Her work is on display before and
after the perform ance and at
www.gwennseemel.com.
Material in this production is
sometimes bawdy and the play is
rated PG -13.
“Trickster Tells This Tale" is
showing at the Back Door The
ater, 4319 S.E. Hawthorne at 8
p.m. Thursdays through Satur
days and 4 p.m. Sundays through
Feb. 21. A “feed the actors” ben
efit show is Friday, Feb. 6. Tickets
are $ 10 and Sunday matinees are
two for the price o f one. For res
ervations, call 503-232-5375.
Nat King Cole was one o f America's greatest musicians o f all-time.
R hythm and B lues is re tu rn
ing to C hinook W inds C asino
and C onvention C enter in L in
coln City Saturday, Feb. 21 with
three talented acts perform ing:
C urtis S elgado, G arry M eziere
Band and Soul V accination. All
th r e e a re new to C h in o o k
W inds.
C urtis S elgado has sung the
blues and played the harm onica
w ith som e o f the best in clu d
ing, M uddy W a te rs, B onnie
Raitt, The Robert Cray Band and
A lb e rt C o llin s. H is g e n u in e
Blues great
Curtis Selgado
jo in s Soul
Vaccination with
its funk and soul
hits o f the 60s,
70s and 80s
during a Feb. 21
performance in
Newport.
Service to social
causes cited in
civil rights tribute
11.
The racially mixed music group
includes drummer Carter Beauford,
bassist Stefan Lessard, vocalist-
guitarist Dave Matthews, saxo
Pianist, singer and bandleader Nat "King” Cole may have
made his name as a singer, but his work as a pianist is most
musically significant.
Taking the intricacies of Earl "Fatha” Hines' right-hand lines
and coupling them with the more spare, left-hand ones devel
oped by Count Basie, Cole’s impact on subsequent genera
tions o f pianists is far-reaching.
Cole was bom in Montgomery, Ala., on March 17,1917. By
the age of 4, his family had moved to Chicago, where he started
playing organ and singing in his father’s church.
Along with his jazz musician brothers Fred, Eddie and Isaac,
Cole made his recording debut on Decca (1936) for the group
Eddie Cole’s Solid Swingers. Cole left Chicago that same year,
and eventually settled in Los Angeles. He formed his trio with
guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince, a group that
would become known as the Nat Cole Trio.
The trio format was to influence Art Tatum. Oscar Peterson
and Ahmad Jamal, among others. Cole maintained the group
until 1951, recording for Decca, and later for Capitol.
Arguably, C ole's most important recordings were from the
early ‘40s. Among them is a 1942 date with Lester Young and
Red Callendar, and a later date with Young and Buddy Rich for
Verve.
In 1943, the Cole Trio had a hit with “Straighten Up And Fly
Right,” setting offhis career as a singer. From 1944 through '46,
Cole toured and recorded as part of Norman Granz’ s Jazz At The
Philharmonic. After his No. 1 hit “Mona Lisa” in 1950, Cole soon
earned his own radio and television show. He died in Santa
Monica, Calif., on Feb. 15,1965.
In 1997, Cole was elected by the Readers into the Down Beat
Hall of Fame.
CASINO BRINGS BLUES TO THE HOUSE
NAACP Honors Dave Matthews Band
(AP) -T h e Dave Matthews Band
will receive the special Chairman’s
Award at the upcoming NAACP
Image Awards for its devotion to
social and environmental causes
and its “dignified representation of
people of color,” the civil rights
group has announced.
With the award:,, the civil rights
group honors people and compa
nies that support positive change
for people of color in arts and enter
tainment. The honor will be be
stowed at the March 6 awards cer
emony in Los Angeles. Fox will
broadcast the program on March
Page B3
blues vocal styling once caught
the attention o f the great John
B elushi. And since im itation is
the sincerest form o f flattery,
B elushi incorporated som e o f
S e lg a d o ’s act into his infam ous
ch aracter, Jake B lues.
D oors open at 6:30 p.m . w ith
the music running from 7 p.m. to
12:30 a m. T ickets are $15 for
this ev en t w hich is open to
guests 21 and over. For m ore
inform ation, or to obtain tic k
ets, call 1-888-624-6228 orTick-i
ets W est, 1-800-922-8499.
I
Proud to
share the journey...
The NAACP will honor the Dave Matthews Band during its Image
Awards in March.
phonist Leroi Moore and violinist generosity, they have made a dif
Boyd Tinsley.
ference in the lives of many,” Bond
NAACP Board Chairman Julian said. “To see and hear them is to
Bond, who chose the group for the recognize great talent; to learn of
special award, praised band mem their good deeds is to recognize
bers for their distinguished service they are good souls.”
to social causes and dignified rep
Previous NAACP Chairman’s
resentation of people of color.
Award recipients include actor
“Dave Matthews Band demon Danny Glover, cartoonist Aaron
strated what commitment means in McGruder and singer-actress Janet
an artist. With their music and their Jackson.
E E I M o d e lin g
Ride with us and
bring a friend for FREE*
In te
Presents
Portland Lingerie Fashion Show 2004
Saturday, February 7th, 2004, 8pm
at
Just take this ad to the Portland or Vancouver, WA,
Amtrak stations by February 29, 2004, and you
, RAM ADA
can exchange it for a F re e C o m p a n io n F a re
C o u p o n good on the California Zephyr.
Portland Airport
6221 NE 82nd Ave.
Coast Starlight,” Empire Builder,” Southwest Chief,”
Sunset Limited" or Texas Eagle u routes.
Tickets: $20.00
Tickets available through Fastixx: 1.8OO.325.SEAT or online at: www.Fastixx.com
■ ^ ■ A M T R A K
For more information please call 503.223.5236
• W h paid adult iludí ’Bflulai lar», sanior or diaabtad discouru far» Fr»a Companion Coupon »add 1er co a cf lra»«M until June 15. 2004
ma» appi» Sun coupon hx dolails Amtrak is a r.-gistrirwl s e r w » m arti o( the N a tiiiu il Ra,doari Pasar,ngor Corporation
O hm » rnstrir.lions