( rJ I L n T A IN r J1 E N T
BRIEFS
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B Outdon .
Sc:am Eazy-E (1bumb' of the
<XJdrOYaSial lIP gIOq) N.W A)
debmiDcdmtbbe�by
frit.nd..tumed.rl b � ami
baa thrown his bat onto the
ftl�scmc.
�'s pacnI1y JO\DIina up
fimIns ftr a film � wrote am
pia m starin. He � 61m, a
bloody JeYC¥ talc act in Sodh
Qaml u. AnF WIll make
�N' 1he Hood' look like an
aBeaacmd spedaL
Of ooUne, fellow N.WA
�Dr.DIe, YdJamlRm
wouIdbe fadured.
Famou Jack on
Ibbllng
lmamMidid me famcdb'
bIeIking amtIor Idling recads.
1m 1aat the�$3 mil
Jioo.Janctlacboowill gheJimmy
Jam ard 1ary Lcwk b �
am CXJWd1e �rfbst VuginaJbum.
1m 8\Dl. JqXXtcd b be tb=
times the pwbllligb paid t> a
pochm'.
It the �aJb\InJadakmhM
done with tbe award-winning
JIOdudIwchn � bqpIII\WIkln
ApiL
Virgtn Jqa t> abfp � ftlOOId
by Clvistnw.. Labya.Jacboo 1m
bem sigPcd b a CD-)ar �
gig at Pam' finled MQinR09-
Eddl Propo ?
Eddie Murphy's days • a
�maybecxm
ingbanm
AI.mtdq t>. an iIxhBtry 1radc
magazine, "TM Hollywood
� Muqily IIB.ml the
mother of his two-year-old
da�r, Brla, ., many him.
In fact, ID)dd Nb>1c MitttJl
is � a 7-arat dimmrxt q
MranwbDe, a court dcddcd J.t
)ear 1bat Muqily's "Caning To
Amtrica" WM based em an idea
sdxniued by Inm:»m Art Blx:h
wald.
Now,B\d!waJd'sabDC)'S-
scekq $18 miDion in �
Ca tlng b gin
for Jack on rl.
��mIm«dra
em � Jacbm FIYe is fimJly F'-
1ing ctf� pm. 1k bIr-liu
ABC mfni..a bqpIII will the
� of Ka� mJ Joe
Jadamml�wi1b "17re VICIrJr)'
TCI'-"
PIodlx*G In Api1.
A mdoowidc 1IbJt aadl II
behW <XDhIdcd fbr)Odla t> play
the Jackson S. Send your
�":"�
Dream", 11901 Santa tmnica
BMl, &Ji1e SS2, Los CA
�.
_ coeplled by K. Bub
_ Sptcil' CODtrlbaton: UN
Colliu (Bdlad-no-ScoDo IDd
RadloScope. •• T1lo Col ... D
, Glorge Pettus
. .
Vernell
"The great thing about jaxz," says
Vernell Brown Jr., "is that
everybody bas the opportunity to put
their own personality in the music.
Improvisation and spontaneity. are
the main distinguishing charac
teriltics; funk and r&b are just
grooves.
"Bven when I'm playing funk, I
might play TbelonioUi Monk or Bud
Powellllc over the rhythm."
Stay Tuned is the second album
by the ccompliahcd and versatile
young pianisl His May 1990 debut,
A Total Eclipse, placed on the
nation's jaxz charts, and was also
nominated for an NAACP Image
Award.
The material on Stay Tuned il an
imaginative variety of tyles ranging
from "pure" jazz to funk, an even
dozen original tuDes that cover ter
ritory from dreaming to dancing and
back with equal enthusiasm and
fluency. "Everything here is
centered," � explains. "I'm also
more focused on thJa one."
Brown notes that the new album
is more liatener-friendly, retlectcd
by hJa remarkable range of material
featured in this collection.
Stay Tuned mara Brown'l debut
a producer, collaborating with his
drummer and longtime friend, Land
Richards.
-rillS ALBU II definitely
me," Brown empbalizCI. "I'm
powina a oompoaer, and I have
more to lay. The album. wu
recorded live in the ItudiO, ing my
own bud plUllOmc special gucs1l.
The mUlic is very aggresalve and hal
a real spiritual element."
"My coustic p1aoo II tbe i .. tN
ment," he continuel, ·with
electronics uaCd for texture. There
are lyrics on the new album, IOme
thing that a pater majority of the
publiC can lilten to."
With the rei of Thi.J Is Your
Night, oond CAalbum, Min-
neapolls-ba ed Giorge Pettu
demo tra that '1 oomlort-
able exp Ing hi If a roman-
tic ball deer be 1 yin into a
funlcy'n'hip groove. With produc
tion or from the li of D YO
'Pic' Conley (of the hit group Sur
facc), Angela Winb h nd the
legendary Ronald ley of the ley
Brothers, Ion ide newer na
like Wilton Rabb and Eric Daniell,
Larry Hatcher & Keith Andes and
Mikki Bleu, Giorge' latest project is
an exciting mix of contemporary
groove nd traditional soul inging
at i be t.
"This i an album for those ho
appreciate good music," Giorge
says, with justifiable pride. "I don't
go for gimmic : this reeord l all
about real singing and everything I
do, I can do live." Whether he'
giving hi distinctive interpretation
to the dreamy "1 Wish" (originally
recorded by the Isley Brothers three
years ago), the first single from the
LP, or sizzling with the new jack
flavored "You Can Depend On Me, "
Giorge is clearly at home with a
whole range of musical styl •
"I w in the tudio with some
great people," eommen Giorge. "I
worked with Angela and Ronald on
three songs and just meeting them
was a great pleasure. Then, 'Pic'
Conley came up with the funky
groove-oriented material like 'R U
Inquisitive' and tDon't Put Me Off
'Til Tomo"ow'. I also got a chance
to co-wrne and oo-produc:e 0 lOng
myself: 'Where Your Love Lia' is
b ed on personal experience."
To his latest album Giorge brings
a wealth of experience, much of it
gained as a live performer. The
talented singer w invited by super
star Whitney Houston to be the open
ing act on a European tour that took
him to 41 citie in the United
Kin dom, S tzerland, Germany,
Holland, Italy, and sweden.
"It flnt time I'd ever
formed in front of audie of be-
n 20,000 and 40,000 people. I
a little scared hen I pee 0
from behind the curtain but 0 I hit
the tage I ne." ouurp
ly, European audie (known for
t�ir ccrning ppreciation 0 t
r b) immedi tely embraced
Giorge' potent brand of musical
magic.
THE OUNDATION for Ill.'
entry into the world of oontemporary
music wa ere ted when Giorge
began inging in church in
Southampton, Long Island. Ab
sorbed in go pel music, Giorge
taught himself to play piano. While
tbe r&b/pop tyle of uch major ar
tists as Marvin Oaye and Stevie
Wonder drew Giorge'l attention
during his teelll, gospel w ItIll blI
first love and, • a aull, Oiorp
with vario local gospel groupl.
Bmbarking on a m cal career,
Giorge spent time developing hiI
songwriting skills with the New
York office of Chappell Muaic and
later with New Jersey-b eel HelL
Records. During his ltint .with the
Indie label, Oiorge worked with the
late Van McCoy (of "The HU6tle"
fame) and the recording group The
SoftTon . '
Th e experiences ltood Giorge
in good stead when, in 1981, he
moved to MinneapoUa, a city then In
the procell of rapidly puttiq i If
on the nation' musical map. Per
forming on local television shows
and releuing a Ingle, "WortiIIOtt
MyStrategy, "Giorge soon became a
local favorite; it wu a result of a
live show at the well-mown "FIrat
Avenue" club (renowned the p�ace
where Prince worked during hfa
piano UDder the private tutelage of
Terry Trotter, woo often playa with
Larry Carlton, and Charlie
Shoemaker. "Terry mainly taupt
me lOme Bach invcndoDl. Cbarlie
knows a lot about impro�tion and
the style of bebop." He also took
special classes at California State
Univel1ity, Los Aogclea.
For his sopOOmore year, yemeU
tranlferred to Hamilton Hlah
School� where be came 10 tbe atten
tion of A&M RecoJdl' ChaIrman,
Jerry MOIl, while playlngpiaoowith
French bom player Richard Todd at
a Recording Amdemy "Jazz in the
Schoola" program.
Before bIa A&M oonnact w.
ligned, Vernell attended 'one
aemeater at tile Berklcec Scbobl or
-Muaic in Bolton. Along the way,
he'l won a lAonan\ Feather plaao
scholarship, a Bertlee scbolmhlp, a
Yamaba Music Corporation award,
and a Belt IDItrumentalilt dtation in
Down Beat mapzlne'l 12th annual
ltudent m ic awardI.
IN aDd 1989, Vemell ... a
fIDaUIt in tile TbDloaIouI Moat Ia-'
temadoaal JIZZ PIIDO CompeddOD,
a ooD t tIIIt belped IaUDell the lIbI
. of MarcUI Robel1l and Joey Do-
PraDCeICO.
. .PoUowiD& the relelle of A TDtIIl
Bcllpte, VemeU u featured on
te on proaIlIDI, played
aenhwln'. ·RbaplOdy in Blue"
wldl . t Symphony Or
cbcltla, IDd spent niDe days tourtna
Europe 001010 ICOUidc piano-be'l
eDdorlodbyY�
BnblDCed by several Loa An
-bIIod mUlidaDI and aeulon
� bad ODs,., n-d
caadl1lof tben � ad Darryl
drua;w aDd roedI; lit
Smelt TIbbIIDCl �tariat Gtepry
Cook.
,. VemeU,' "LiDd played
I' .
RETURNlNGfromhil
higbly I Itlnt opening for
Whitney In Europe, Gio bepn
the of WOltin& on '1'Id.J I.
YOflT Ni in 1989. "Tbc album too
a 0 yean to "Oiorae
. COIIUDen "but I believe in that old
phDoeophy: Rome w n't built in a
day. ADd all· FOd thfnp come
to thole wbo waltl"
The walt been worthwhile, ..
music fans will agree: Giorge is truly
meamerlzlni on tile hypnotic "Sotrte
body I UMl To KIIow, " bile hiI
reading of the laleya' Seventiel hit
"Groove With You"iI brimming with
oulful uaUty. Giorae weave.
his way in and out of tile upbeat "So
IrruUtible, '! w "WIIeN'1'IteLove
LIa, " recorded at tbe famed Pailley
Park fadlid in Mlnneapolll, II
clearly ODe of tbe album'utaDdou .
"Tbat'l aD emodoDlllOng �or thole
in love, " Oi DOtea.
Oio Pettul glwa blI all on 11aJs
I, YDIU' Ni;rI, a cltzzJing IOOwCIIC
for a man with a whole lotta soul.
The lyrics on "Everybody Needs
A Friend," "Stay Tuned" .and
"�er YouAre" are by Will Jen
nings, whose previous credi1l in
clude such hI1I as "Up Where We
Belong," "SOnteWMre in 1M Night"
and "1'11 Never Love Thi8 Way
Again." The two met when Vemell
was playing the prestigious London
jazz room, Ronnie Scott's.
BOm on August 13, 1971 and
raised in I..aI Angeles, Vemcll be
came intel'Cltcd in muaic at a young
age. He took one piano lcuon at the
age of four, he says, but wan't
drawn to tho inatrument. Still, a
piano was in the house, and be taughl
himself to play by ear. He oon
centra1edinltea4on drums: " .... little
funk, and a little rock with a baud of
my friends," and'took up violin at 9.
By age 13, he w already flllt cbair
in his junior high Ichool ordatra.
The Brown family'l music 001-
lcction oolllilted of "everything in
cluding jazz - there were. even
country inFrs like John Denver,
Charley- PrIde aDd the Oak Ridge
Boya, plus a lot of�&b, Motown �
pop."
"THE MUSIC WAS playing all
tbe time, but I never really focused
on il The only thing I dug wu funk;
the Gap Band and other tuff that you
collld daDce 10. I've lOt to hear
funkybeal· .
HIa bUerelt in piaDo WII U'OUIed
by a Iubldtute band dMI •
"There a break in c an he
ltarted playing a boogie-woqgie riff
on the piano. I ted how be played
it, and then used it • an audldon
piece for the LoI County
Hlp SdIooI for tbe.Ala - tIIIt ad
a� I'd up,
readlna tbo . t IDUIlc ad leandD&
the piece in fragme ."
He bepn ItudylDa jazz and clII
Ileal muaic., ooncentratiDa on the
ro
r
c
I
for Gladys Knlpt, Patti A tin,
Jamea IDpm, Bobby Lyle aDd AI
Janeau. Darryl Jed with
DavId PelltoD, . HeDde ...
aDd 0dI Day cl tbe KDI • I bIve
kDown Bnat lince blp Icbool, aDd
Gregory my mUllcai dlJector In
I a band teod yeaD 110, a brother aDd