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Anyone can host, and make passive income, or rent nearby with a neighbor By David Alfred Bywaters ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 04/19/19 Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis 04/19/19 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: Release Date: Friday, April 19, 2019 ACROSS 1 Bonkers 5 Raucous animal sound 9 Sambuca flavoring 14 Not up 15 Ire 16 Trio in the logo of a national motorists’ group 17 Flatfish family founders? 19 Acquires 20 Shirt with a slogan 21 “Metamorphoses” poet 22 Mindless way to learn 23 When doubled, a German spa town 25 Barbershop levy? 26 Broadway restaurant founder 28 Energizes 30 Upscale 32 Go bad 33 Pairs 37 NFL pass, complete or not 38 Rabbit monopolizing the entrance to the warren? 41 Fez or fedora 42 Pedi concerns 44 Day in Durango 45 N, in a TV content warning 47 Directions 50 Laconic 51 Part in a Humpty Dumpty biopic? 54 Come to 56 Turf grippers 57 Die, e.g. 58 Pet’s attention- getter, perhaps 61 Great deal of, slangily 62 Mutant tree trunk with extraordinary powers? 64 Concerning 65 God with a quiver 66 Carrot (always) or stick (sometimes) 67 On edge 68 Used to be 69 Tavern array DOWN 1 Final 2 Vowel-rich woodwind 3 Have a party, say 4 One was written on an urn 5 Valorous 6 Five stars, e.g. 7 Like fine Scotch 8 Fist-pumper’s cry 9 Sock pattern 10 Minimally distant 11 Jerk 12 One-night-a-year flier 13 County not far from London 18 Fashionable 22 With 52-Down, paper since 1872 24 Sunday paper barrage 25 Friend of Tigger 26 “Go away!” 27 Choir voice 29 Mountain nymph 31 Mountain melodies 34 Draining effect 35 Equine eats 36 Eyelid problem 39 Triangle side, say 40 Site of unwanted suburban vegetation 43 Low cloud 46 Trafficking org. 48 Go around 49 Daze 51 Dazzling effect 52 See 22-Down 53 Mount 55 More than a little plump 57 Medical research objective 59 Natural soother 60 Dampens 62 Put in stitches 63 Product of Bali FOR RENT SERVICES SERVICES HELP WANTED Anderson .Paak’s soul side is back. It never actually left, but it did go on an extended vacation. After the release of his acclaimed album Malibu and a collaborative album with Knxwledge in 2016, .Paak took some time away from recording and went on tour as the opening act for Bruno Mars. Last fall, he dropped his highly- anticipated album Oxnard, which, in an interview with Consequence of Sound, he claimed he “dreamed of making in high school, when I was listening to (Jay- Z’s) The Blueprint, The Game’s The Documentary and (Kanye West’s) The College Dropout.” With the star- studded Oxnard, the crooning, smiling .Paak was gone, replaced by a slick- talking, rapping .Paak, and the album suffered greatly for it. .Paak’s voice and delivery are his bread and butter, and by reshaping his sound to rap, his best attributes were lost. With the release of Ventura, however, the Anderson .Paak we all know and love has returned with a slightly altered version of signature sound. Where Oxnard was braggadocious and highly manufactured, Ventura is nurturing and organic. Every song on the album is there because it is the song that fits most naturally and not because it’s the one that will get the most streams. Ventura stands in such stark contrast to Oxnard that it’s almost surprising the same man created both of them. Ventura starts off with a strong one-two punch consisting of “Come Home” featuring the elusive André 3000 and “Make It Better” featuring none other than the great Smokey Robinson. If that doesn’t capture your attention, nothing will. Both songs are absolutely sensational. “Come Home” is .Paak’s take on soul à la Motown. It’s warm, it’s inviting and it sounds beautiful — not to mention André 3000’s hard-hitting, loved-up verse. “Make It Better” keeps the ball rolling, highlighted by boom-bap drums, funk inflected guitar and bass and a sparkling string section. This combination lays the groundwork for .Paak to work his magic as he sweetly pleads with his partner to work out their issues. Smokey Robinson, though used sparsely, makes his status as a legend clear as he assists .Paak on the final chorus. Unlike on Oxnard, Anderson .Paak utilizes his features sparingly on Ventura, and it pays off. The features don’t take over each song. Rather, they act complimentary to .Paak, and the results are wonderful. As the album moves forward, more and more funk sounds are introduced. Lead single “King James” features an expressive bass line that harkens back to Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White. The song itself is an ode to Lebron James and his willingness to spark change despite his high profile. The song “Jet Black” is exactly what new age funk is supposed to sound like; it stays true to the spirit of funk while using modern production techniques. It’s familiar, but at the same time, it’s still fresh. This can be said for the entire album. It’s comforting and warm, but it’s unlike anything else out at this time. Ventura bridges the past with the future in a way that everyone can enjoy. “What Can We Do?” provides the album with a smooth, easy-going closer. Anderson .Paak brings his A-game as he goes line for line with a previously unreleased verse from the late Nate Dogg. The two men float all over the track’s prominent twangy guitar sample. .Paak perfectly incorporated Nate Dogg’s verse. It feels like the two were in the studio together when this song was recorded. In a way, it feels like a passing of the torch. Anderson .Paak occupies a lane similar to the one Nate Dogg did before his untimely death: Both men are singers that carry themselves like rappers, so it acts as a perfect close to an album that leans so heavily on its influences. Ventura does exactly what it is supposed to do. It shows that Anderson .Paak is more than capable of making cohesive, enjoyable albums that bridge the gap between old-school soul and new- school R&B. Ventura stands as .Paak’s tribute to the sounds that have influenced him so much. It is a wholly enjoyable album in which Anderson .Paak displays his full range of talents. .Paak has a return to form ALBUM REVIEW JIM WILSON Daily Arts Writer Ventura Anderson .Paak Aftermath Entertainment Don’t see “The Aftermath.” Where do I start? The screenplay is uninspired and predictable. The plot is dull and straightforward, borrowing heavily from the litany of other WWII films. The film tracks the developing romance between Stefan Lubert (Alexander Skarsgård, “Straw Dogs”) and Ms. Morgan (Kiera Knightley, “Atonement”), after Colonel Lewis Morgan (Jason Clarke, “Zero Dark Thirty”) and his wife requisition Lubert’s house in Hamburg after the Allied Victory. What appears to be a half-hearted attempt to infuse the film with meaning through an aversion to Naziism is unsuccessful, leaving “The Aftermath” weak and soulless. Much of the drama in the film seems exploitative against the post-war backdrop. Out of pity, Lewis allows Stefan and his daughter Freda (Flora Thiemann, “Tigermilch”) to stay in the house but asks that they relocate themselves to the cold attic. Lewis is always out, conducting his military work on the streets of Hamburg — streets populated by now- homeless Germans searching for loved ones in the rubble and ashes. Ms. Morgan, lonely and missing her son who died during the Blitz, ends up having sex with Herr Lubert on the dining-room table after her dinner party guests bid goodnight. This rendezvous flourishes into an affair after the Colonel is called away to the “Russian Zone” to deal with an unnamed Nazi who offers nothing in terms of plot development, aside perhaps from an attempt at showing the Colonel’s merciful nature. While he’s away, Rachel and Stefan don very stylish outfits and go stroll in the woods to Lubert’s well-furnished cabin. Here, they have more sex. During one of these trysts, the viewer is treated to an unexpected and very full-frame shot of Alexander Skarsgård kissing Kiera Knightley’s nipples. Rachel and Stefan plan to run away to the Alps once Lewis returns from his trip. They make it all the way to the train platform before Rachel gets cold feet and runs back to her husband, now that he has proved to her that he actually does miss his dead son. This overused “running away but turning back at the last second” business plays as predictably as you might imagine. The acting is terrible, though the lackadaisical screenplay might have something to do with that. In particular, Jason Clarke gives a passionless performance. Skarsgård manages to inject fervor here and there, but he leans into stereotypical German stoicism at the expense of originality. Knightley too, adds little of herself to the role; the romantic arc between Rachel and Stefan could easily be plopped into another setting without changing a thing. The Nazi drama is mere ornament. I found myself looking at my watch after only an hour. I feel that it isn’t often that I see a truly bad film. Some things just don’t speak to me (like the recent “Mandy,” starring Nicolas Cage) but I appreciate the aesthetic or literary value. This one, though … yikes. I’ll give director James Kent (“Testament of Youth.”) one compliment: The filming locations are gorgeous. The German forest and chic cabin, the beautiful wood-paneled great room with a Mies van der Rohe chair and Steinway piano, the river views from the balcony – all gorgeous. Honestly, stitch the b-roll together and you’d have a lovely short film. And a thank you to casting director Arwa Salmanova; Alexander Skarsgård and Kiera Knightley are at the very least nice to look at. “The Aftermath” is a flop. If you’re into cheesy romance and WWII period pieces, be my guest. If you’re after a thoughtful and original work of art, this is not the film you’re looking for. ‘The Aftermath’ is a total and utter mess of a movie FILM REVIEW ROSS ORGIEFSKY Daily Arts Writer The Aftermath Michigan Theater Fox Searchlight Pictures Sunday afternoon at the Michigan Theater, the Monterey Jazz Festival concluded its month long U.S. and Canada tour. The Monterey Jazz Festival has been around for over 50 years, putting together diverse and international millennial talent who are blazing trails for the future of top level jazz music. Having originally come to this concert to see millennial jazz prodigy Cecile McLorin Salvant, I was excited when I gazed at the merchandise table and saw multiple artists’ albums for sale. Salvant, winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition as well as three Grammy awards for “Best Jazz Vocal Album,” held down the majority of vocals. She started by looking out into the house. “Take a moment to appreciate who’s around you,” said Salvant. Her voice held incredible vibrancy and control, as she expertly flipped from a classic swing number to an acapella folk song. Intermittently, Salvant would leave the stage, and the charming drummer-singer, Jamison Ross, would take over vocals. It was clear that the ensemble adored their art form. They all were in conversation, joking with each other and the audience the entire time. They weren’t afraid to address the audience directly as they explained their backgrounds and why they chose to perform the songs that spoke to them as artists. The ensemble’s ability to storytell was incredibly impactful. They were able to communicate such depth of emotion through their intermingling sounds that the audience gave a standing ovation mid-show. There were a multitude of times that I found my steely self blubbering like a baby during arrangements. They weren’t a typical, male dominated jazz band either — a woman in front of me exclaimed “They’re all women!” once they filled onstage. Melissa Aldana, tenor saxophone player, was the first female instrumentalist and first ever South American to win the Thelonious Monk Competition. Aldana played her original composition “El Castillo” from her time spent at Lincoln Center in New York City. Immediately following was five time Grammy nominated piano player Christian Sands. Sands played an arrangement of Puccini’s “Tosca” along with the help of bass, played by Tokyo born Yasushi Nakamura, and Ross on drums. The arrangement left everyone in the audience on their feet. The show concluded with Canadian born trumpet player and singer songwriter Bria Skonberg heading a rendition of Valaida Snow’s “High Hat.” Snow was a Black female instrumentalist most known for trumpet and vocals in the ’30s. People were nearly jumping out of their seats while singing and dancing to the ending of a perfectly thrilling performance. Monterey Jazz Fest looks toward the genre’s future COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW NATALIE KASTNER For The Daily They were able to communicate such depth of emotion through their intermingling sounds that the audience gave a standing ovation mid-show. 6 — Friday, April 19, 2019 Arts The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com