Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Black List Volume 3 Premieres Feb 8th on HBO


THE BLACK LIST: VOLUME THREE,
PRESENTING NEW DRAMATIC PORTRAITS OF ICONIC
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, DEBUTS FEB. 8, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO;
SUBJECTS INCLUDE LEE DANIELS, WHOOPI GOLDBERG,
BEVERLY JOHNSON AND JOHN LEGEND

They’re artists, academics, activists, authors and more. Following the first two acclaimed editions of “The Black List,” the all-new documentary THE BLACK LIST: VOLUME THREE features African-American notables sharing candid stories and revealing insights into the struggles, triumphs and joys of black life in the U.S. when it debuts MONDAY, FEB. 8 (8:30-9:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. The film is a unique collaboration between distinguished portrait photographer and filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, who directs, and award-winning journalist Elvis Mitchell, who interviews a host of influential people.
Other HBO playdates: Feb. 13 (1:30 p.m.), 17 (11:30 p.m.), 19 (5:00 p.m.), 21 (9:00 a.m.), 23 (2:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m.) and 26 (11:00 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Feb. 11 (12:30 p.m.) and 17 (8:00 p.m.)
Like its previous installments, THE BLACK LIST: VOLUME THREE profiles some of today’s most interesting African-Americans. From the childhood inspirations that shaped their ambitions, to the evolving American landscape they helped define, to the importance of preserving a unique cultural identity for future generations, these prominent individuals offer a fascinating look into the zeitgeist of black America, redefining the traditional pejorative notion of a blacklist.
Among those featured in THE BLACK LIST: VOLUME THREE are: director-producer Lee Daniels (“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”), Oscar® winner and TV host Whoopi Goldberg, actor Hill Harper, model Beverly Johnson, BET CEO Debra L. Lee, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter John Legend, United Negro College Fund president Dr. Michael Lomax and actress LaTanya Richardson.
As in the previous two editions, Mitchell does not appear on screen, which allows the subjects’ own voices to remain the focus. Introduced via simple IDs, the interviewees speak directly into the camera, sharing insights into what it was like growing up black in America, how their backgrounds shaped their philosophies, and what they feel about a society where new opportunities abound, but discrimination still exists.
In May 2006, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell first conceptualized what would become “The Black List Project,” discussing the idea of collaborating on a book on black culture, which eventually led to the first “Black List” documentary on HBO. They wanted “The Black List Project” to be not just an enumeration of obstacles overcome, but also a unique source of insights that would emphasize the elegance and determination of its subjects. The title “The Black List” was conceived by Mitchell as an antidote to the persistent taint that western culture has applied to the word “black.”
In 2008, “The Black List: Volume One” was selected for the Sundance Film Festival and won the NAACP Documentary Award. Variety called the film “an impeccably mounted survey of voices from across the spectrum of African-American accomplishment…a rich and revealing work of portraiture.”
The first two installments of “The Black List” featured such notables as: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Majora Carter, Sean Combs, Angela Davis, Suzanne de Passe, Laurence Fishburne, Thelma Golden, Lou Gossett Jr., Barbara Harris, T.D. Jakes, Bill T. Jones, Vernon Jordan, Marc Morial, Toni Morrison, Suzan-Lori Parks, Richard Parsons, Deval Patrick, Tyler Perry, Charley Pride, Susan Rice, Valerie Montgomery Rice, Patrick Robinson, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Rza, Al Sharpton, Lorna Simpson, Slash, Melvin Van Peebles, Kara Walker, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Serena Williams and Zane.
All three films are part of “The Black List Project,” a multimedia initiative conceived by Greenfield-Sanders and Mitchell, which also includes a museum exhibition of photographic portraits, a book of those photographs and monologues, and an educational initiative with the United Negro College Fund.
HBO Documentary Films and Freemind Ventures & Perfect Day Films present THE BLACK LIST: VOLUME THREE, a film by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders & Elvis Mitchell; directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders; interviews by Elvis Mitchell; producers, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Elvis Mitchell and Michael Slap Sloane; executive producers, Tommy Walker, Payne Brown, Scott Richman and Christopher McKee; associate producers, Lukas Hauser; editor, Benjamin Gray; music by Neal Evans; directors of photography, Joe Victorine and Graham Willoughby.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Gina Roche and Her Quartet at After Dark

After Dark is the kind of grown and sexy experience I always wanted so I created it.

Atlantic City has enjoyed it so much that now we're talking it on the road.

But at any rate.

From the very first After Dark of 2010. Here's Gina Roche and her quartet performing the Michael Jackson classic Can't Help It.

ENJOY!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

India. Arie Back In The Grammy Race


Two time Grammy winner and multiple Grammy nominee, India.Arie added 3 more Grammy nominations to her resume last night, giving her an incredible career-total of 20 nominations. Honored this year for songs from her critically acclaimed album Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics (Soulbird Music/Universal Republic), the singer collected nods for Best R&B Album, her fourth overall nomination in that category, making her one of the only artists to receive a Best R&B nomination for every album released in her career. India.Arie was also cited for Best R& B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for her duet with Musiq Soulchild, “Chocolate High,” and for her duet on “Pearls”, with Dobet Gnahore which snagged her a Best Urban/Alternative Performance nomination. Both songs are featured on Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics.

The Grammy nominations cap another superb year for the legendary singer/songwriter, who received across-the-board acclaim for her fourth studio album from critics and fans, completed a sold-out tour as special guest with singer John Legend, honored with the DC Branch NAACP Centennial Award, was featured as one of the Centric Network’s “Leading Women”, and even met the Dalai Lama.

Testimony Vol. 2, Love & Politics debuted at the top of the music charts, hitting # 1 on the Billboard Top R&B Chart and locking down the #3 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Chart upon its release. The New York Times called her, “one of the most determinedly virtuous songwriters in R&B or pop, India.Arie strives to make faith, goodness and positive thinking seductive,” while USA Today praised the effort as songs resounding “with keen insight and warm passion, giving Testimony a ring of truth."

“Chocolate High,” featuring Musiq Soulchild, was the #1 most added song at Urban AC in 2009, and rose to the top tier of the tastemaking format during a year that saw India.Arie make her way around the country for several other events, including a performance with Adele on the highly-rated VH1 Divas TV special in September, and fulfilling a lifelong dream of meeting the Dalai Lama this past fall. The singer even twittered about the once-in-a-lifetime meet-n-greet with the renowned humanitarian, which included the duo touring the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN, where India.Arie performed two songs for the revered spiritual leader at a special show staged for the Museum.

With nearly eight million albums sold, India.Arie who emerged onto the music scene in 2001 with her double-platinum debut album Acoustic Soul, establishing herself both as artist and humanitarian of substance. Refusing throughout her career to succumb to female stereotypes that have plagued other female artists, she has worked steadily throughout her career to champion causes close to her heart. As a UN Ambassador for UNICEF, she has traveled to Africa numerous times to address the AIDS crisis, and is featured in the documentary Tracking the Monster: Ashley Judd & India.Arie confront Aids In Africa. Her songs have appeared in such films as Sex and the City, The Secret Life of Bees, A Soldier’s Story, Radio, A Shark’s Tale and Diary of a Mad Black Woman, to name a few.

Among her Grammy wins and nominations, India.Arie has won a host of awards including 4 NAACP Awards, as well as being recognized and honored by BET, Billboard Magazine, MTV, VH1 and Essence Magazine, among others. India.Arie was also a featured guest in an evening of celebration with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House in honor of musician Stevie Wonder’s receipt of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The televised event “In Performance at the White House - Celebrating the Music of Stevie Wonder: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize” aired earlier this year on PBS. A one hour documentary on India.Arie was filmed this year and began airing this month on the Centric Network , BET Network's (a division of Viacom Inc.) new 24-hour entertainment channel as part of their “Leading Women” series. .

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will be held at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 31st, 2010, and will air live on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 pm.


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Robin Williams: Weapons Of Self Destruction on HBO. Sunday December 6th


ROBIN WILLIAMS: WEAPONS OF SELF DESTRUCTION,
THE SUPERSTAR’S FIRST HBO COMEDY EVENT IN SEVEN YEARS,
DEBUTS DEC. 6, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

Longtime HBO favorite Robin Williams, who first appeared on the network more than three decades ago, returns to HBO this month for a unique stand-up event from Washington, D.C., marking his first solo special on the network in seven years. Taped at DAR Constitution Hall in November and debuting SUNDAY, DEC. 6 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), the exclusive comedy event ROBIN WILLIAMS: WEAPONS OF SELF DESTRUCTION features the Oscar®-winner at one of the stops on his current sold-out national tour.
Other HBO playdates: Dec. 6 (12:20 a.m.), 9 (10:00 p.m., 3:10 a.m.), 15 (10:30 p.m.), 17 (3:05 a.m.), 19 (10:15 p.m.), 21 (11:35 p.m.), 23 (11:45 p.m.) and 29 (2:20 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Dec. 11 (8:00 p.m.), 22 (10:00 p.m.) and 24 (12:10 a.m.), and Jan. 1 (9:00 p.m.), 9 (3:00 a.m.) and 13 (11:15 p.m.)
In this performance, Williams covered such topics global warming, sex and politics, the state of health care in the country (suggesting a cash for clunkers program for elderly relatives, among other things), drugs – recreational and otherwise – and more personal topics, including his recent heart surgery.
Although he rocketed to fame in 1978 on the sitcom “Mork and Mindy,” Robin Williams was already familiar to HBO subscribers from his appearance on the 1977 “Young Comedians” special. He went on to star in four solo specials on the network: “On Location: Robin Williams” (1978), “An Evening with Robin Williams” (1983), “Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met” (1986) and “Robin Williams: Live on Broadway” (2002), which received five Emmy® nominations, in addition to performing on a variety of other HBO specials and series. Along with Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg, Williams was one of the hosts of all nine “Comic Relief” all-star charity benefit specials on HBO.
With four Golden Globe® awards, as well as the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award, four Grammys®, an Oscar® win for “Good Will Hunting” and three additional Oscar® nominations, Williams is one of the most successful and beloved figures in entertainment history. His other film credits include “The Fisher King,” “Dead Poets Society,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Awakenings,” “The Birdcage,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Insomnia,” “Happy Feet,” “Aladdin,” “Hook,” “Jumanji” and the “Night at the Museum” films. His recent credits include the dark comedy “World’s Greatest Dad” and the current Disney comedy “Old Dogs,” opposite John Travolta.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Motown's 50 Anniversary Half Time Show on Thanksgiving



(November 5, 2009 - New York, NY) The most quintessential of American holidays, Thanksgiving, is the setting for a special celebration of a quintessentially American musical treasure: the classic songs of Motown. NFL fans will be dancing in their seats at home and at Ford Field in Detroit during the 2009 United Way Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show: A Motown 50th Anniversary Tribute. The Motown tribute will take place during halftime of the first game of the NFL's Thanksgiving tripleheader when the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, November 26 at 12:30 PM ET on FOX.In Motown's original hometown, this special halftime event features six of the brightest talents from the current roster of Universal Motown Records, performing classics from Motown's all-American songbook.Bringing the unforgettable songs of Motown back to the Motor City are Melanie Fiona, Kem, Shontelle, Forever The Sickest Kids, Vita Chambers, and Hal Linton. The dynamic and driving tribute spans more than a decade of Motown classics - every one of the songs among the most recognizable and culture-defining songs in pop music history. Following the performance, fans can visit NFL.COM/THANKSGIVING to find out how to download a copy of the halftime medley, as well as music from each of the artists. Proceeds will benefit United Way.In addition, singer-songwriter Jadyn Maria will kick off the game in Detroit with the National Anthem. She is also a member of the Universal Motown family, and was the first artist signed to Grammy-winner Ne-Yo's Compound Entertainment roster.MELANIE FIONA brings together vintage grooves on her exuberant and original SRC/Universal Motown debut album THE BRIDGE, available now at digital retail and on CD November 10th. Universal Motown singer-songwriter KEM performed a special live show in Detroit's Cass Park in support of the city's homeless in August 2009. KEM is a leading light of this decade's progressive neo-soul movement with two gold albums and two No. 1 singles. International Top 10 hit singer-songwriter SHONTELLE's SRP/SRC/Universal Motown album SHONTELLIGENCE contains the international hits "T-Shirt," "Stuck With Each Other" (featuring Akon), and "Roll." The innovative alternative rock/electronic six-man band FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS' Universal Motown album debut, UNDERDOG ALMA MATER, is now available in a deluxe edition now; the group will release an innovative series of three EPs of new material starting with FRIDAY on November 17th, 2009. The halftime show also features two impressive young Universal Motown newcomers: VITA CHAMBERS, who honors Motown's classic era with her own edgy mix of rock, pop, and soul, and HAL LINTON, a talented singer who updates the great vocal tradition of Motown's Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder for the new century. Both are completing debut albums for SRP/Universal Motown for 2010 release.All of the halftime tribute's songs are culled from the golden era of Motown, the company founded by Berry Gordy in 1959 that revolutionized contemporary music with its brilliant, influential, and unique fusion of pop, blues, R&B, rock, and gospel elements.The celebration of Motown's 50th anniversary continues around the globe with events, special programming, exhibits, etc. An irresistible force of social and cultural change, Berry Gordy's legendary Motown made its mark not just on the music industry but society at large, with a sound that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century. No other record company in history has exerted such an enormous influence on both the style and substance of popular music and culture with artists such as Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. That influence is still being felt today, from pop to hip-hop, as Motown celebrates the 50th anniversary of the company's founding. Today, Motown is part of the Universal Music Group, with its classic recorded music catalog managed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe).Continuing an innovation introduced in 2006, the NFL will serve up three nationally-televised games on Thanksgiving Day. The early game (FOX, 12:30 PM ET) will be an NFC North meeting of the Green Bay Packers at the Detroit Lions. This is the 19th time the Lions have hosted the Packers on Thanksgiving, including 13 consecutive games from 1951- 1963. The second game (CBS, 4:15 PM ET) features the Oakland Raiders visiting the Dallas Cowboys in the Raiders' first Thanksgiving game since 1970.The Thanksgiving primetime game will air at 8:20 PM ET on the NFL Network with the defending NFC East champion New York Giants visiting the Denver Broncos, marking the first Thanksgiving contest in Denver since 1963. The late afternoon game in Dallas between the Oakland Raiders and Cowboys on CBS (4:15 p.m. ET) will also feature special National Anthem and halftime show performances by national artists who will be announced shortly.Now in its 36th year, the United Way/NFL partnership is the longest running charitable collaboration of its kind and connects NFL PLAY 60 with United Way's goal of 1.9 million more healthy young people by 2018.This is the 11th year that United Way has worked with the NFL on the Thanksgiving Halftime Show to inspire NFL fans across the country to get involved in their communities.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009


AFTER DARK LIVE December 8th
Raymond Tyler columnist/host/producer
6701 Black Horse Pike, Suite a-4, PMB 981
Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234
609-816-5589

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11-24-2009

96.1 WTTH’S Breakfast Club presents
AFTER DARK Live from The Tropicana Casino Hotel’s Planet Rose
December 8th AT 7PM
Admission $10

Join 96.1 FM WTTH The Touch radio personality and AC Weekly columnist Raymond Tyler and his special guest Taimak from The Last Dragon for AFTER DARK. Live from one of the most exciting casino hotels in Atlantic City, The Tropicana. AFTER DARK is an evening event, for the successful, the sexy and the creative. The Planet Rose Lounge is the seductively select setting for the start of this series of networking, power players and live performance events.
The list of confirmed guests includes Last Dragon Star- Taimak, Lee Ann Patterson from HBO Films’ Youth Knows No Pain and from the new 50 Cent movie “Before I Self Destruct”, Los Jones. Other guests include book publishers, authors, film makers, owners of businesses that book performers, Grammy nominated music producers, and more.
96.1 WTTH FM airs the Breakfast Club on Sunday Mornings from 7am to 8am. Raymond Tyler producer/host writes The City Beat Column for the AC Weekly (acweekly.com) and also several has contributed to several national magazines including The Source, Essence and Vibe. Since coming to the touch The Breakfast Club has featured interviews with Rodney Jerkins, Smokey Robinson, Tom Smothers, MC Lyte, DMC (Run DMC) and Otis Williams (The Temptations.)
People attending are also asked to bring new toys, coats, hygiene items and or warm weather clothing to benefit the AC Rescue Mission and The Covenant House.
Tyler has hand picked a line up of performers that include spoken word artists, rock, soul and acoustic musicians, comics and more. AFTER DARK brings back cool back and still offers a brand new BRAND NEW FUNK. We hope to see you there covering our event just call to RSVP under press.
More info as it becomes available can be found at www.thenationalimpact.blogspot.com