"Most people say they play and
sing. We play, sing, write and
produce. The four of us together
can do everything from A-Z.
We're one big unit There are no
big I's and little u's."
As four, they are AZr 1
They are Martin Kember, Jeff
Gill (no relation to Johnny),
Shawn "Shon-Shon" Harris, and
Andre "L.A. Ore" Bolton.
AZ-l is an impressive debut
filled with soothing ballads, mid
tempo grooves and funky up
tempo dance tracks. Magnums
"Missing You," "When I'm With
You" and "Let My Love Inside"
are prime examples of AZ-l's
sincere song writing, rare
musicaity and amazing vocal
range and harmony.
"Trust In Me," and "Why You
Want To Play Me Out, " show the
lighter.Funkier side of AZ-l that
is just as sincere and authentic as
the ballads. The gorgeously re­
interpreted cover of Dclsarge's "I
Like It" brings a classic back to
life wit AZ-l'S own stunning
vocal arrangement and re-vital­
ized instrumentation.
AZr 1 they are harmony, but to �
understand the whole, you must
know the parts.
As one, he is Martin Kember,
vocalist and ex-Soul Train dan­
cer. Born in London, England,
his family moved to the' United
States when his opera singing ,
mother had a "gig" at Carnegie
Hall.
When the family arrived in
America, they liked it so much,
they decided to stay. They chose
Simi Valley, California, as home.
Martin and his sisters used to
do "impersonations of famous
acts" on paddle steamers and in
night clubs. As his sisters got
older, they lost interest in music.
Martin started listening to R&B.
His deep soulful vocals may
surprise you, but he says of his
, vocal ability and style, "I just
turned out that way.' I accept who
I am, I have to be true to myself. "
Martin's natural affinity for R&B
styling comes simply from the
fact that "It's what I've always
loved and felt."
As One; he is JetT Gill, self­
proclaimed, "addict of music and
electronic gizmos," and mobile
OJ. and Assistant Program Direc­
toron California's Urbancontem­
porary station KJLH.
Another culture shock victim,
Jeff's family moved from an all­
Black "lA Inner city" to an all­
white suburb in California called
Thousand Oaks. He, too, was a
oddball, but because he is Black.
. 'As a fifteen year old mobile
OJ, he played local parties, school
dances and house parties,
specializing in R&B. One year
out of high school he got a rare
opportunity to fill in. when an
emergency opening came up at
the radio station. He filled the
post sa well that he eventually
became a full time staff person.
As one, he is hawn" ShOD­
Shoo" H rris, "resident rapper,"
vocalist and e -freelance PJ.
"Every little Black kid in America
grew up wanting to be an enter-
AZ-1 MEMBERS - (I-r) L.A. Dre, Shan-Shan, Martin Kember and Jeff GUI.
tainer," he says. So did he.
He started out in Brooklyn, and
attended automotive school. One
•
day, he was approached by a guy
who tried to stick him up for his
jacket.
. Shawn told the authorities and
his attacker was sent to juvenile
hall. (He was too young for jail.)
When he was taken away, he
swore he would kill Sean if he
ever saw him again.
Shawn 'Is mother immediately
packed him up and moved him to
Simi Valley, California to be with
his father. "She wanted me away
from the inner city. " "It was really
hard in Simi Valley," he says.
Music was, and still is, his only
escape. "Music takes me some­
place that nothing else can take
me." .
Andre Bolton grew up in Com­
pton. As an asthmatic child, he
had to find an al ternative to sports.
He decided to be in a band with
some kids in the neighborhood.
When he asked his mother to
buy him an instrument, she said
no because she had already
. bought so many for his' older
brothers that they never touched.
She told him, "There's a clarinet
in the closet that you can play."
. He taught himself to play and
when his mother saw that he was
serious about playing, bought him
a bass guitar for Christmas. "In
8th grade my band and I were
playing B.B. King," he says.
Playing in bands throughout
high school, Andre went on to
play guitar for the Compton Col­
lege marching band.
and doing remixes tor their artist
Michell' e. 'He went on to co­
write, produce and perform on
tracks by NW A, Above The Law,
Tarrie B. and D.O.C.
How did he end up in an R&B
group with a hard-to-the-core rap
background? "R&B is more
musical. I'm more of a musical
person ..... "
to join forces.
pens when four hearts that love
music more than anything, find
each other in a mixed-up world
where the color of their skin and
the location of their homes w
supposed to keep them apart and
COUldn't.
� 1 is a gift of smooth, 'sexy
ballads and sincerely written love
songs, intercut with a lammin'
up tempo number or two. It is a
blend of four musical nd per-:
sonal perspectives that once
joined, come together beautifully.
xz-i
Listen.
L.A. DRE MET them in a
studio session once, when some­
one recommended he work with
them on a track. He did, but they
lose touch. A year later, when
looking for an apartment for Jeff,
there was L.A. Ore moving into
that same building.
Coincidence? Fate?
Meant to be ...
AZ-l is a combination of
voices, influences, styles and ex­
periences. I t is a unified force of
voice, soul and emotion. The
album AZ-l is proof of what hap-
As one, he is Andre LA. Dre
Bolton, ex-soundman and
musician for NWA and burgeon­
ing producer.
WITH ALL THIS musical
experience behind him, L.A Ore
hooked up with friends Bazy-E
and. Dr. Ore and started mixing
How did they all get together
AZ-l? Shawn and Martin met on
the quad of their high school in
Simi Valley when Shawn heard
Martin playing a mixed tape of
R&Bmusic.
He asked where he got that tape
and Martin told him he had made
it. Shawn didn't believe him and
made him prove his mixing
abilities after school in his house.
The two started DJ'ing together.
Across town, Jeff was the rival
OJ, doing all the parties that
Shawn and Martin didn't' do.
Eventually, they ended up work­
ing a party together and decided
Harlem .to Hollywood
By LISA COLLINS
a.hlnd- The-Sc.".
Evans, a lO-speed bike donated by Eddie Murphy,
autographed photo of Blair Underwood with lA
'Law script, a Malcolm X cap autographed by
Denzel Washington, dinner with Laker's owner
Jerry Buss, and two tickets to the March premiere
of Robert Townsend's upcoming film, "Meteor .
Man", four hours of horseback riding with Glynn
Turman and his wife on their ranch, lunch with
John Singleton at Columbia Studios, and Iu .ch
with Dawn Lewis, also on hand. The highest bids
went to Malcolm X artwork.
Glynn Turman, Ted Lange, Sheryl Lee Ralph,
Vanessa Bell Calloway, Dick Anthony Williams
were among the coordinators and autioneers at the
LA-based California African-American
Museum's "Harlem To Hollywood" exhibit and
auction, which began a monthlong exhibiton
December 5.
Auction items included acting lessons from Art
. ,
