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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2011)
arts & entertainment movie Review: ‘Thunder Soul’ Reverential bio-pic pays tribute to legendary high school bandleader Conrad Johnson A a funky brand of fter graduating music dubbed from Wiley m ovIE Thunder Soul. But College (of perhaps more “The Great Debaters” R EvIEw important than fame) back in the forging young- Thirties, Conrad by Kam sters into a com- “Prof” Johnson (1915- Williams petitive, top-flight 2008) briefly band capable of embarked on a prom- winning national ising career as a jazz championships musician, joining big band orchestras led by the likes of Count was the fact that Prof simultane- Basie and Erskine Hawkins. However, he ously served as a father figure to decided to come off the road in 1940, right so many who were being raised without a male role model. after meeting the love of his life, Birdie. Although he retired in 1978, The couple soon married and decided to settle down in his native Texas, where for Conrad Johnson had made such a the next 37 years, Prof would teach music at lasting impression on his Kashmere High in Houston. There, he Kashmere kids that numerous formed a stage band to compete in tourna- band alumni decided to pay tribute to him 30 years ments against other later by reuniting to do a schools, and as conduc- show when they learned tor taught his students Excellent (4 stars) their hero was in failing how to achieve a profes- Rated PG for smoking health. That Herculean sional quality sound on and mild epithets effort is the subject of their instruments. Running time: 83 min- “Thunder Soul,” a rever- By the late Sixties, utes ential bio-pic directed by Kashmere had devel- Distributor: Roadside Mark Landsman. oped an enviable reputa- Produced by fellow tion as a world-class Attractions Texan Jamie Foxx, the powerhouse, courtesy of picture features file footage of the group performing in the Seventies when they were mostly sporting big afros and wearing bell bottom pants and platform shoes. That retro reminder is deftly juxtaposed against the same individuals now middle-aged, yet some- how still summoning up the funkified fire of old as they “practice, practice, practice” just to please their former mentor in one glorious, toe- tapping last hurrah. Mixed in with those prepa- rations are a host of heartfelt reminiscences about how much Prof meant to each of them. And if you aren’t moved by those teary-eyed testimoni- als, then the floodgates will certainly open on reunion night when their 92 year-old mentor is wheeled up the aisle from a hospital bed to attend the magnificent concert in his honor. They don’t make ‘em like Prof anymore! Bourbon at the Border When may and Charlie joined hundreds of other Americans on a journey to mississippi in the summer of 1964 for a massive v o t e r registration drive, they had no idea their lives were about to change f o r e v e r . P a s s i n A r t P r e s e n t s “Bourbon at the Border,” b Pearl Cleage, Oct.13 – Nov. 5, at Ethos /IFCC, 5340 N. Interstate Ave., Portland. Directed by ken Dembo, the cast includes: Rozlyn Reynolds and Rick Jones (above).,S. Renee mitchell and Jerry Foster. G On ene lin ral e d Ad isc mi ou ssi nt on ava $2 ila 0 ble September 28, 2011 The Portland Skanner page 5
