FILM
NEWS
The Haiti International Film Festival is the premiere platform that showcases quality films in Hollywood, California. We are a niche film festival that specializes in portraying the humanity of Haitian culture through the creation of amazing films from the Haitian Diaspora such as short films, documentaries, and feature films. We are the HBO for Haitian films displaying the humanity of Haitian culture. The Haiti International Film Festival (HIFF) was established in 2015 and is a non-profit corporation with a 501(c)(3) status. The mission is to showcase positive images of Haitian culture through film and art. The goal of the HIFF is to inform diverse audiences about the rich culture of the Haitian diaspora through innovative cinema. Through outreach and collaboration with emerging, and established filmmakers, we not only teach and conduct workshops. We also hold a yearly film festival that builds a stronger ecosystem for Haitian filmmakers through partnerships with non-profit organizations and educational institutions to make a bigger impact in Hollywood and Haiti.
Claude Staten, JR
Nadhege Ptah
Greg “ Gee Mack” Dalton is one of the most sought after Guitarists of his generation. Gee Mack has been fortunate to turn his love of music into a career which has spanned more than 25 years, and he continues to share his talents with some of the most recognizable artists in the music world. Gee Mack has toured and recorded with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Mary J Blige, Jay Z, 2Pac, Jamie Foxx, Brandy, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, The Temptations, Charlie Wilson, Ronald Isley, Tyrese Gibson, Brenda Russell, Lalah Hathaway, Angie Stone, Anthony Hamilton, Raphael Saadiq, Gerald Levert, Will Downing and many others. Gee Mack has appeared as guitarist, songwriter or producer on well over a dozen Certified Gold and Platinum albums. A musician's musician, Gee Mack’s professional portfolio puts him front and center in many of the pivotal moments of modern music and entertainment history. Follow Gee Mack @iamgmack on istagram
INDIE INCOGNITO Claude Staten, Jr
Samantha Girard @pumpkinspice108
CLAUDE STATEN, JR Mr Perseverance By Tony Smith
When I seek my cover features for Indie Incognito Magazine, I look for a full package story. Am I going to get to write a story that will be a great read, intoxicating, enlightening, entertaining, and maybe even a little controversial. Well, I got all of that and more with the one and only Claude Staten, Jr. This young brother embodies all of the elements that Indie Incognito stands for. An independent spirit. A take charge, get it done at all costs mentality and the persistence of a zen master. I first met Claude Staten, Jr via a few messages on face book. My media partner made me aware of a young man who seemed to have a lot on the ball. Claude ended up giving me a call and in the midst of our first conversation, I could sense what I was told about him. He told me about his tough upbringing in Brooklyn. How he was lost in a world of uncertainty and turmoil with no direction. Claude spoke with complete transparency and I was touched by his complete lack of reluctance, feeling we were immediately bonding. I was listening to a young man who had been through the ringer. Who understood his future was in his own hands. We talked about the relationships he has built over the past few years as his career has blossomed. Claude has learned how to see, feel and sense the insincere nature of many who approach him. This young man is savvy beyond his years, understands his value and never settles for less. Claude hit me with this nugget. “ Tony, I'm an intellectual Jacker. I jack people for their intelligence. I put my floppy disk and the hard drive in and take in all the information I can. What I can use and apply I apply it, or whatever else I never throw it away”. Never lacking confidence, Claude Staten, Jr is poised for greatness and will tell you so at every opportunity.
The
Q&A Tell our readers about the early years growing up in NY I grew up in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn to a single mother. She was of Chinese and Portuguese descent. My grandfather instilled a lot of seeds of greatness in me. He is not my biological grandfather but he is the only one I know and love. He gave me his last name and he is just an amazing man. I would spend my summers with him at his home in New Bern, NC, from the ages of 4 to 11. My grandfather instilled seeds of greatness in me that have allowed me to be the man I am today. This great man suffered prostrate cancer and the fatal effect on him came very fast. What I know Tony, is that God made sure that my grandfather left me with the skills, courage and commitment to excel and do good works. Needless to say, my grandfather is the greatest man I have ever known. Spending your summers in the country and then coming back to NY, how were you able to handle the differences of the two environments? Seven, eight or nine, I could see and understand the differences and I just naturally adapted. Tony I have been adapting my entire life. I began to notice how the people back in NY would ask “ How do you know this and that?” Where does that insight come from? Well, I think it could have been genetics or the realization that I was listening to my elders all along and I have always been an expressive person. Tell us how did you begin your boxing career? A Muslim brother in the neighborhood would see me hanging around, asking tons of questions and reading books. I would always throw punches in the air and shadow boxing. This man told me to take my ass to the gym and stay off of the streets. I listened to this man, walked into Gleason’s gym.
From there is was director to Kingsway gym, a very popular gym in Manhattan. I was just a natural at the sport and was winning the NY City Golden Gloves and representing my city in the Golden Glove Nationals. All within 12 months. How did you handle that quick change in your life? It was a struggle. I was 18 years old trying to start at the bottom and work my way up. Actually I call it rock bottom and what many do not understand is how amazing a journey that can be. It’s amazing to me because it is hard. It’s a great foundation to build on because it is necessary. Despite my surroundings and negative influences, I still had a spark in me to do the right thing. I realized how easy it was to rob, steal and sell drugs. What I grew to understand that it takes a strong man to do the right thing. It takes courage and commitment. A coward cuts corners. I have done a lot of bad things in my life but I am not a coward. So, that’s how boxing became my Distraction From What parallels did you find between managing your boxing career and then managing your businesses and brand? That’s a great question. Well with regards to disclosing the companies I own, it’s strictly on a need to know basis. As far as the parallels, I’d say I always want to reflect quality over quantity. I did not have a ton of amateur fights but my skills allowed me to blossom anyway. With my business ventures, I have moved in the same lane. Representing the best and delivering the best. Quality over quantity for real. I am committed to owning my boxing career and my business enterprises, simultaneously.
Why have you never signed with a big boxing promoter? OWNERSHIP. That is why I never signed with De La Hoya, Mayweather or any of the other promotional companies that wanted me to sign contracts with them. As humbly as I can say this,with my intelligence I cannot allow myself to be under anyone’s confines. I love my liberty and freedom. Claude, tell me about your philanthropy and community work, Where does that drive come from? It cam from the fact that I can directly relate to poverty. I have been a brand ambassador for certain companies that feed the critically ill and homeless.I know those pains and shame that can come with it. I empathize and have immersed myself into those causes and projects that foster giving and caring. What’s in store for the Cladie Boy Brand? Well I have recently began a rigorous training campaign. I am going back into the ring undefeated and hope to have 3 more fights this year. The objective is to get that elusive title shot. So 2022 you’ll be looking for that title shot? Probably 2023 but late 2022 is possible. It does get more difficult with maintaining full focus on boxing because of the success of my business ventures. However, as long as have the desire and passion to wake up in the morning and train to perfect my craft, I will do so, What would be your number one piece of advice for my readers? I would say what we do in life, echos in eternity. Be mindful of what we say, do and embody because God is watching.
Claude with our publisher, Tony Smith in Los Angeles. Photo by Thomas Howard
Photo by Bikes N Bacon
For merchandise visit website! Claude "Claudie Boy" Staten Jr Undefeated Professional Boxer Snapchat - @Claudie_Boy Twitter - @Claudie_Boywww.claudieboy.com
“It’s In My Heart To Give Back” Claude talks about what it means to give and pay it forward. Claude knows the pains and perils of hunger and being without. Having personally gone through those times, he can empathize in a profound and compassionate way to those experiencing it now. "No matter how many mistakes they've made or how many wrong things they've done, everyone deserves to eat a meal." A seminal moment came when Claude was living in Los Angeles in 2012. That time there, seeing the despair up close and personal, Claude "Knockout Hunger Day" there, feeding hundreds of homeless people in L.A.'s Skid Row neighborhood. "That day in L.A. really motivated me, it really drove me," Staten Jr. said. "I want to help these people." He and his friends dispensed sandwiches, bottles of water and shoes. “ No matter how many mistakes they have made, everybody deserves a good meal”. Claude is poised to expand his "Knockout Hunger" program to other cities. No matter how many mistakes they have made, everybody deserves a good meal”. Claude is poised to expand his "Knockout Hunger" program to other cities.
“THERE IS A JOYFUL FEELING TO GIVE”
CLAUDIE BOY! Claude Staten Jr. has come a long way in boxing in a short time. He had only a handful of amateur fights before his pro debut last March (a four-round unanimous decision over Mike Hill at Barclays Center).His path to his professional career was one that went against the grain. Most fighters have a ton of amateur fights and he didn’t. "It seems to just come naturally to him," said his Atlanta-based trainer, Kennie Johnson. "He's still learning a lot, but there's so much that he knows without the experience. ... It's pretty rare to see." Claude was blessed to have the right people cross his path at the right time. When he was told “ son I am tired of seeing you around here”, after being seen throwing punches in the air, and that was followed up with “take your ass to the gym.” His first stop was the famous Gleason’s Gym. His potential mentor was in the process of solidifying his career, so that stop didn’t work out. However, he was told to go down to Kings Way boxing gym. It was there that Claude met his true boxing mentor. The first person he met was Mr Lonnie Davis. Claude calls Mr Davis his boxing dad. He immersed himself into the craft and twelve months later Claude was winning the New York City Golden Gloves and getting tons of media coverage. He then represented New York State at the Golden Glove Nationals. Claude Staten, Jr is not lacking in confidence. He had an understanding of knowing the environment he needed to be in for his first professional fight, so he rejected the offer from Floyd Mayweather’s camp and walked himself right into Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Productions’ camp. Claude went on to win his debut fight at the Barclays Center. Claude is now training for his next fight in the fall of 202. Of course he is confident he will continue his winning ways.
Nadhege Ptah is a dynamic actor, writer, producer, dancer and director of film, stage, and theater, she personifies a renaissance woman. The first thing I did in our zoom call was play to her, her SHEro's Journey poem. She listened intently, embracing each word as if she was listening to another spoken word artist. Then came the smile. One of sincere appreciation for the piece she was listening to. From there our time was less of an interview and more of easing flowing conversation. What was obvious while speaking to Nadhege was her creative spirit. While talking about her projects, her eyes sparkled. She spoke to me with her hands, her tones, her smiles and looks of determination and purpose. As she described the encounter that became the creative genesis for her short film Doto Titi, she literally became, once again, enraged at the woman who thought her dog was more important than another human being.
She turned that encounter into a fabulous short film. In a previous interview with Huffington Post, Nadhege shared this about working on Doto TiTi. "When the script of DoDo TiTi was completed, as a writer, we are attached to every word and the shape of the story. However, when you trust the idea that was birthed inside of you and bring other visionaries to tell the story, it was surprising what I had to detach from to allow it to be told from another angle without losing the root of it. So, in film making, I learned the story will be told three different ways. It begins with the script, then production, and finally in the post. You will receive the result of your story that was molded twice and the third phase is post. I learned to detach to what is necessary and preserve what is pertinent."
Q& A TS Nadhege, tell me about your upbringing. From Jamaica to New Jersey to New York' NP Well Tony, let me start from the beginning. I was the ticket for my parents to stay in America. I was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey.Because of a recurring fever and was bounced from one hospital to another, someone suggested to my mom, Kings County Hospital. Now because I wouldn’t stay at a hospital without my mom, my parents moved close to the hospital for my sake. That’s how I ended up in Brooklyn. So I am a transplant for Haiti. My father went to school in Europe and my mom here in the states. They were your typical immigrants who fell for the American Dream. You know, the one that promised milk and honey. It was the rude awakening that befalls so many who come to this country for a better life. TS How old were you when you realized that you knew what you were thinking and feeling about how life is in this country? NP I think I was in middle school when I knew that awareness. With my parents being from Haiti, they like many other immigrant parents, try to raise their children in their culture. Now being in Brooklyn, a lot of us are from the Caribbean, it felt like living in a Little Caribbean. TS During those middle school years, what were you exposed to that may have run contrary to what your parents believed in and wanted for you? NP Well Tony, that is when Hip Hop came into play for me. I mean, instead of playing and listening to my parents music, I am listening to Hip Hop and New Edition. I began to fully express my artistic side and show that I wanted to be an artist. Needless to say, it caused conflict. What my parents saw fit for me was being a doctor or nurse or engineer. That is what they came to America for and what they believed was success. Naturally they wanted that for me as well. But the artistic side of me prevailed and I grew and began to blossom artistically. TS. What was your first artistic love and venture? NP. My first artistic discipline was dance. I believe I emerged from my mothers womb, dancing in the delivery room. I have always had that natural talent so I began to study dance in high school and dance with a couple of ensembles.
But at that time is was a lot of fun and being adventurous. By the time I went to college it was time to get serious. Deep inside my heart, dance was it for me. By the time I went to college I was already a member of a dance ensemble but I didn’t major in dance, I majored in psychology in order to please my mother. When I went to graduate school after getting my psychology degree with an eye on being a psychologist, I realized I was at a cross roads. I said to myself, wait a minute, I have attended college for four years and have a psychology degree, I am bout to go to grad school where I though I wanted to be a forensic scientist because I saw silence Of The Lambs and thought that would be really cool. I didn’t realize I was attracted to the acting all along. TS When did you realize acting was going to be your path? NP I was taking my classes for my maters in psychology and I took a class where we had to go play one of psychological disorders. We had to guess what that disorder was, you know, get into the practice. So it was my time to go. I don’t recall what the disorder was I was playing as a patient. Now, the feedback was usually people guessing what the disorder is, identifying the symptoms, etc. However, the feedback for me was, I needed an Oscar for my performance. That ended up being my best class ever in graduate school. I had a talk with God and asked Him to just let me get through one more semester I had left to complete my masters, and I promise you I will enroll in an acting class. So I graduated and went straight to acting school, not dance, even though I had a love for musical theater as well. I kept it quiet from my parents, played some off Broadway, you know, doing my thing. After two years when I felt firm in my decision, I invited my mom and said, yes this is what I am, I.m an actress!
TS Sounds like your confidence was very high at that point. NP Oh, yes indeed. I had read all the self help books, from Deepak Chopra to Iyanla Vanzant, getting my spirit right and the whole nine. One of the Chopra books pointed out to keep it to yourself until you are secure in yourself. You really don’t tell anybody yet because folks can actually try and convince you that you are wrong with what you are doing. I went deep within to find that confidence and be secure in my decision. It took off from there doing theater. Then once I got married and became a mom, I had a eight year pregnant pause of just focusing on life. TS Did you ever migrate out to Los Angeles? NP Actually I did move to Los Angeles. LA Live was being built at that time. I was supposed to say there indefinitely but Tony, it was such a different environment. Being so business driven and actually, soulless and at that point I said, I am out of here and Hollywood will have to find me. It boiled down to the underbelly of California did not align with my spirit. TS Now I want to ask you about your first film, as a producer, Doto Titi. What was the inspiration for that project? NP I was a teaching parties consultant for an nd organization in New York. It’s out in 72 and Broadway, Upper West Side. Now, you know who lives in the Upper West side of New York City. Well, I live in Harlem which at the time was not gentrified yet, and we didn’t have the fresh food markets. Now being a vegetarian, I had to have my fresh veggies, so I had to go to the upper west side. I was coming out of this market and there was this tight isle for the entrance and exit. Well, there was this entitlement individual coming down the isle with this dog. I could clearly see we were going to crash so I took a couple of steps to the side so we both would have room to get by. Tony, I see the dog coming and it run into me because she is not going to move over even a little bit.
Well, that just triggered something in me and I snapped. Man, I felt my ancestors, all the way back to the plantation It just stirred that thing in me. This chick said to me “ Well Excuse Me” and the tone was ….ohhhh Tony Tony (lol) I don’t know how far I went back into history but everything came out of me and I Went Off ! Well, soon after, I was doing some research for a Danny Glover documentary about Hurricane Katrina. I twas telling a friend about the grocery store incident and she said, that it would be a great short film. I said, Oh, that is something to think about. Then when Katrina happened and I am watching the news as the coverage is about the great works of rescuing animals. Now that’s a good thing but the follow up piece was showing black folks on the roofs. The story came back and I realized it’s not leaving me. So, having been pregnant with this story for a few years, I decided to write it in 2005. Then I decided to do a film and I did. That was the premise that inspired me to write Doto Titi. It was in the spirit in which we live. TS Staying in the spirit of your film work, tell about Paris Blues In Harlem. Was there any connection or synergy with your previous film Doto Titi? NP I was going to all of the local businesses for funding Titi. So I stopped at the club, Paris Blues and I asked the owner if he remembered me from a coaching performance at his club a while back. He said, Oh yes, but I knew he didn’t. So I said, hey I am doing this film, Doto Titi. His funny line was saying Oh yeah, you are Ms Hollywood. So I eventually went back to let him know how the film was doing but I got curious. I asked him about his club and about him. I soon realized that this man was sitting on a landmark in history. From the outside it looked a bit like a little shack but inside it had so much character that clicks. To hear his story of moving from Alabama to Harlem. That he knew Rosa Parks. Of course I put a lot of that history in the dialog with the characters. Tony he was casually talking about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery walk and I am sitting there awe struck. I realized Mr Hargaves had a story worth telling and I was going to tell it.
This man not only owned the club, but also the residential. All was at a value of over 20 million. He gave to the community. Overcame the drug epidemic and then gentrification. He was an activist and didn’t even realize it. But the club was iconic. Filled with tourists who loved the live bands and world class musicians. This film is about a legacy and paying homage to one who gave of himself. I am not finished with it though Tony. I am shopping it to television as a series because there is so much legacy to be shared. So, stay tuned. TS Since I know it is in your blood, how often do you just dance because you can? NP Oh it’s so funny that you asked about that. I was saying to myself I need to get back into dance just for fun. Yeah, so I’ve been working on my flexibility. You know, back into doing my slits. You know Tony, before these bones get too old. TS So you’ve still got it right? NP Oh yeah yeah. You can not take the dance out of me. Even when I am doing an audition for a roll I get asked “ Do You Dance?” They say they can tell because of my stance or just how I move. So yeah, dance inspires and boosts everything that I do because I am kinesthetically and rhythmically inclined so with writing it’s like I am dancing with the words. When I am directing, I am dancing on how to get the story to move, so that it flows. TS Do you have any time to do mentoring? NP Yes, one of my company’s mantras is building and manifesting artistic truth. Helping people who never rally fulfilled their dream as a actor or writer. That component is there to manifest that person;s artistic truth. I am here to inspire, motivate and educate. You know in this industry we have the gate keeper. The ones making it difficult to break through. Well I consider myself the Gate Opener. Age, complexion, gender should not be barriers. We are diverse for a reason. The complexity lends itself to creativity not to be stymied. This was such a pleasurable interview with Nadhege Ptah. You can follow her at nadhegeptah.com. MAAT Films, Instagram @nadhegeptah and facebook.
MUSIC Speaking TRUTH
Ms Paulette Jackson shares her journey to multi media success. The trails and tribulations. The slights and fights. Her perseverance and her rise to acclaim. By Tony Smith
She is know in the industry as Ms Music. Paulette Jackson has firmly cemented her place among the smooth jazz and R&B. She is Founder/CEO of SCORP Radio Network and as versatile and talented as they come. Under the SCORP umbrella, Paulette has complied an impressive list of productions from Ms Music Voice to The Classic Soul Cafe to the Jazz Zone and then Center Stage. With a smooth, soothing and calming voice, Paulette Jackson always makes the conversations easy. Knowing her industry and what her fans desire, she delivers the goods with her interviews, along with her voice over work. Knowing what she is talking about as well as who you are talking to, allows Paulette to get the best from the best. Her writing journey really began before she was a teenager, writing song lyrics and poetry. Becoming a published author didn’t happen until her late forties to be exact! I never thought I'd be writing books and to get them published, what a blessing it has been. Which goes to show you, that no matter where you are in your life, dreams can become realities and unexpected blessings do happen. Paulette was recently selected to receive the 2nd Annual Aretha Franklin Lifetime Achievement Award (Mary Wilson of the world famous Supremes was the first to receive this honor in 2019) at the 2020 National Rhythm & Blues Induction Ceremony (10th year anniversary) in Detroit, MI later this year (2020 - 21) Enjoy this great Q&A with an amazing woman, Paulette C Jackson.
Q& What made you let the Soul Cafe show go ? Well, it was a 2 hour syndicated show that took a lot of my time editing, emailing all of the stations and it just got to be too much. The show was well received all over the world including Italy and Paris and the UK, so I was very proud of that. I wanted to leave on a high, so I asked myself what is it that I can let go right now and be ok with it, but still continue on that same path. So, I let the Soul Café show go. It was easier to do a one hour verses a 2 hour show. Also, a lot of the same stations picked up the Jazz Zone Show. All realms of jazz are dear to my heart and I wanted to provide a real platform for independent jazz artists. That was one of the major reasons for creating the Jazz Zone Show. How did you come up the concept for The Jazz Zone Show? Actually, The Jazz Zone Show was a part of my original show, The Classic Soul Music Cafe. I had incorporated jazz to the second half of my show later on. I just decided to let the Soul Cafe go, I took the soul part out of it and make it a one hour jazz show.
Who have been your favorite interview subjects ? I’d have to say one of my dear friends who is also an independent artist, Frank McComb, Dee Lucas and Ashley Smith, all independent artists and all are phenomenal.
Being a Cleveland native and committed to your community, when have you found time to do any mentoring? You know, to be honest, a lot of the people that have reached out to me have been from outside of Ohio. Plus it has not just been the youth. It’s been people a little younger and or older than myself. Whether it’s radio or a published author, I’ve had people seek my advice on both of those entities. I am just happy that I am in the position to, and that they feel I am worthy of, give them advice and I am very honored by that. What would be the number one thing the y would need to pay attention to going into your industries?
To learn the business. To know who you are and what you want to say. Don’t try to compete with or be anyone else. To find your comfort zone and learn to thrive there. Set your won stage. I think God places us in our own zones. Recognize that, embrace that and thrive. Be willing to put in the work. Always research and listen. As we are talking about this, one artist came to my mind that I admire, respect and is such a giving person and that is Walter Beasley. He mentors and leads with a passion for people to learn the business and position yourself where you will enjoy and respect it that much more. OK, Ms Jackson, give us some information on your novels. What exciting news do you have for us on that front? Oh wow, yes I am so excited about my publishing works. My latest novel is My Testimony. It is literally all about what the title says. I really did not think I would write novel number three but thinking about my life, good, bad and indifferent, I realized that this book would be therapy for me. I was very careful about what I said and how I said it. It was all about being true to myself and real to my readers. It was definitely therapy for me to write all of that down because some of it was quite painful but my prayer is that it will be a help to someone else who can relate to the message. I hope for all of my books to be sources of enlightenment and inspiration. However this latest one was very personal. I went so deep on this one. Recounting the days when I didn’t think I would make it, the tears and screams and emotional warfare. I peeled back all of the layers and even absorbed the hard truths from friends and family members. Going through those times, those tests and be able to stand here as a proud and resilient woman, I do so pride. Lastly, I have to add the pandemic era to it. Because of it’s profound effect it had on me and how it had us all moving at a different speed…you know, we all had to slow down, if played a big part in the final touches to the novel. I am now proud to say it is now available on Barnes and Noble, Amazon and soon to be on 40,000 book outlets around the world.
MS JACKSON
How did you make the choice of Halo Publishing as your publisher? It’s funny because my first book, The Music In Me, was published by another publisher and I wasn’t quite happy with the professionalism and communication levels, which are both very important to me. So I began my search for book number 2, and number 3 if there was going to be one. At that time, a local Cleveland news anchor who is also an author and I saw the publisher she went through. So, I did my research on a couple of others before I went with this publisher. Once I talked to them and got their pitch, I realized that they had everything that I needed. They have been phenomenal with me and I am very happy. Actually Tony, they re released my first book The Music In Me as a second edition. It was a much better cover and interior look and I am so happy with them. To be honest with you, during the heart of the pandemic I was such a peaceful and creative space that I wrote books 4 and 5. I wasn’t planned but just organically happened and I’ll have 2 more novels published between the rest of 2021 and the first of 2022. Because of it’s profound effect it had on me and how it had us all moving at a different speed…you know, we all had to slow down, if played a big part in the final touches to the novel. I am now proud to say it is now available on Barnes and Noble, Amazon and soon to be on 40,000 book outlets around the world.
A
Paulette Jackson, this has been such an awesome pleasure to have you share a little of your world with me and our readers. I will now give you a few words for you give 1 word answers in response: T) CONFIDENCE P) SELF AWARENESS T) HUMILITY P) PURE HEART T) LAUGHTER P) GOOD FOR THE SOUL T) MISSION P) NEVER IMPOSSIBLE T) LOVE P) NECESSARY
Ladies and gentleman, that is what we call a Drop The Mic ending. What an awesome interview and we truly thak you Paulette for sharing your time and story with us. Where can folks find all things Paulette Jackson? I am all over social media. I am Paulette Jackson on Facebook, on Twitter @Ms MusicsVoice, InstaGram @MS.MusicsVoice. All of my shows, Jazz Zone and Soul Cafe are on Mixcloud and Soundcloud. www.authorpaulettecjackson.com for my books. Paulette Jackson Founder/CEO
Ms. Music’s Voice Voiceover Artist
Radio Personality
The Publisher’s Showcase
Fabiano Ramici Owner: MORA ESTATES WINERY. Cover feature, Winter 2021 issue Indie Incognito Magazine
Claude Staten Jr.
I was introduced to Mariano Saulino by a mutual friend, actress Elizabeth Fletcher. She understood what Indie Incognito Magazine is all about and saw him as a perfect fit for a profile. I knew, immediately, that she was right. We talked shop about the business of music, the highs and lows along with the joy in completing a project he has thrown his heart into. Mariano is a forward thinker. Though film soundtrack compositions has been and is his forte, he is not averse to exploring collaborations with artists in hip hop and or contemporary jazz
Award-winning composer Mariano Saulino has scored music for over forty projects, including for features, documentaries, shorts and television series. He has composed music for NETFLIX, Amazon Prime Video, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, History Channel, FOX and LIONSGATE. Mariano has won dozens of awards as a composer, including for Best Score at Los Angeles Film Awards Los Angeles Shorts, Hollywood Music in Media Awards,Los Angeles Cine Fest, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival. At present he divides his time between Argentina and Los Angeles. below is a young Mariano in June 2012
At present, Mariano is mainly focused on writing scores for independent film-makers, a market in which he is developing his own compositional voice with international projection. We talked about how he is open to venturing into new genres, like smooth and contemporary jazz compositions. Even collaborating with outside of the box thinking artists in the hip hop genre. That part of our conversation was the fun part. I could sense his creative juices beginning to flow. Mariano realizes that with his creative gifts, he should never limit his possibilities.
Committed to Our Cause Until Freedom founders and leaders have a proven track record of two decades of collective work in criminal justice reform, gun violence prevention, immigrant rights and cultural engagement. Our expertise lies in the areas of strategic campaign development, social media communications, mobilization, building grassroots support, media advocacy and policy reform. If you are able to give significant hours for volunteer work please email organizing@untilfreedom.com. Our volunteer leaders will be in touch with more details.
TS MONK quintessential Monk on Monk Revisited By Robert Walker
The year is 1968 and America seems to be coming unhinged with social, political, and economic challenges that were exacerbated by the VietNam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, followed by the election of Richard M. Nixon. It was the year of the Democratic National Convention where thousands of students, antiwar activists, and other demonstrators, including groups like the Yippies, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Black Panthers were met with a violent police response called out by Mayor Richard Daley, and broadcast into American homes on TV that simply seemed like anarchy, much in the way the siege on the United States Capitol appeared to most of us watching from home on January 6th, 2021 - 53 years later. And who can ever forget the iconic photo of the show of support from the two Olympians, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who stood on those podiums after receiving their medals, arms stretched out with their hands clenched in a fist donning a black leather glove as the national anthem played out to the world. To this day that photo of the two Olympians remains one of the most powerful images captured in sports history. On October 27th, 1968 renowned jazz pianist Thelonious Monk and his quartet came to Palo Alto California to perform a concert at the town’s high school.
The concert was booked by a young student promoter, Danny Scher, who felt that a concert featuring a legendary musician such as Thelonious Monk, could possibly - at least for a time - help to build some unity by the two communities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto right & quot;across the racks from one another. East Palo Alto was composed of mostly African American citizens whose town was adrift in economic despair from the super highway that was built in the mid to late ‘50s, tearing down businesses creating greater economic strife with no jobs and an uncertain future. The evening of the concert brought black and white students and jazz lovers of all ages together at the high school auditorium for what many have described musically as some of "the fiercest, most spirited versions of Monk’s core repertoire to a cheering diverse audience. Now, 53 years later Theolonious Mon’s son, T.S. Monk, has had this live performance remastered and released for the first time after the recording was discovered sitting on a shelf. I followed-up with T.S. about when and how he discovered the recordings and why he believes this record is quintessential Thelonious Monk. He didn’t find out about its existence until about 2005 or so. However, it’s significant because given it’s timing, location and level of performance it is clear the band was in top shape and Monk was at his best. RW) T.S., tell us about Oct. 27th, 1968, the day your father and his quartet came to East Palo Alto to perform a concert at the high school. What is your recollection of why this concert turned out to be significant now 53 years later? TS) Unfortunately, I had just finished high school, and was completely unaware of this concert. I didn’t find out about its existence until about 2005 or so. However, it’s significant because given it’s timing, location and level of performance it's clear the band was in top shape and Monk was at his best. RW) It was suggested in another article I read that for Thelonious, because of lack of income on the home front and any support from his record label, and some personal health issues, that Palo Alto show was more about getting the $500 payment than any political activism desires, and yet, the music played by the quartet may be some of the best ever captured from him live. What do you say to this and how did you come into possession of the recording to remaster it?
TS) Thelonious was working in Berkeley at the time, and given he was at his height in popularity having been on the cover of Time mag, despite conjecture, I doubt that money was really a primary motivator. Thelonious had a quartet and $500 does not go very far among 4 people. I was made aware of the concert's existence when contacted by Danny Sheer first in the late 90’s but paid no attention until the story was brought to my attention maybe a decade later. RW) 53 years have passed since 1968 and back then the War, Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Rights, and a country dealing with very real race and cultural divides seem to be what African Americans and women are dealing with these acts of terror. What do you think the difference is today than in 1968, and for hundreds of years before 1968?. TS) Frankly I see no difference. Sadly the issues confronting Black America have not changed significantly. The city of Palo Alto was racially divided then, as America is today. Perhaps today, it’s even more divided in many ways. To believe Monk was unaware or unaffected by the racial turmoil of the times is to think he was simply a servant playing the piano, and not a genius. I’m sure he was conscious of the racial atmosphere surrounding Palo Alto and the whole country. RW) Who did you work with on getting this Palo Alto recording remastered and how has it been received so far with Thelonious Monk fans? TS) I worked with Grandmixer DXT, father of the scratching technique made so popular in the 1990’s. He happens to be a brilliant recording engineer, who also worked with me on the Monk & Coltrane at Carnegie Hall live concert released on Blue Note several years ago. Palo Alto has received a five star rating by both critics and the public since its release this past July, and most recently won “Jazz recording of the Year”, in Japan. RW) For you, what is the beauty of ‘Monk: Palo Alto’ ? TS) It’s simply a live recording by one of the greatest bands in the history of Jazz, led by the”Father of Modern Jazz”.
RW) Where can people purchase this record? And where can people follow you and this wonderful legacy of Thelonious Monk on social media? TS) Everywhere. iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, The Universal Music website, record stores etc. Everywhere!!! Thank you T.S. for bringing this recording of your father to light. It certainly adds to the legacy of one the world’s greatest music icons.
Photo by jeffrey degroot
Photo by Thomas Howard
Descendants of slaves who escaped across the southern border observe Texas’s emancipation holiday with their own unique traditions
The marker at the turnoff for Nacimiento. Photograph by Wes Ferguson
“SOUND OFF”
With Jo-Lynn Herbert
There is an elegance and sensitivity to her music that embraces your spirit. Carol embodies a true sense of musicianship without having to hit you over the head with it. Instead, she hits you in your heart and soul. Carol Albert is a fixture on the major airwaves and on the hugely popular Watercolors platform. Her latest two projects have garnered wonderful commercial and critical acclaim and she is now poised to to stake her claim on the major stages around the world. By Tony Smith…part 2 of her article coming in the July issue of Indie Incognito Magazine. Stay tuned for more from the amazing Carol Albert. You can find all things Carol Albert at https://www.carolalbertmusic.com/ And her music on the following links
RISING ABOVE Activist Marie Lemelle Rises Above A Sundown Town By Ken Jones
Entrepreneur and Visionary Marie Y. Lemelle is no stranger to adversity or systemic racism. The eldest daughter of Clayton and Theresa Lemelle of Louisiana who grew up in the Jim Crow era was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley suburb, West Covina. Her early life experiences in a predominately white city and school system could have been a difficult period during her formative years. Fortunately, the wisdom she learned from her parents, teachers, college, and international travel prepared her for the veiled discrimination that would eventually reveal itself. She is the CEO and founder of Platinum Star Public Relations, Inc., a certified MWBE, SBE and DBE, and Platinum Star Media Group, Inc., an entertainment company. “Transform Goals to Greatness,” is her mantra. Marie puts her daily philosophy into practice through her transformational branding and marketing skills to empower her clients to achieve great heights. She is a champion for empowering women and vulnerable communities with vital resources and knowledge. In support of diversity initiatives and to help clients navigate cultural differences across all industries, Marie earned her certification in Cultural Diversity and Inclusive from the City of West Hollywood. In her professional role as a public relations expert, Marie was afforded the opportunity to be surrounded and befriended by people from global destinations and all walks of life. After years of living in some of the nation’s most interesting places, when it came to home ownership, it was a no-brainer to find a home in Southern California. She chose Glendale, a suburb in Los Angeles County.. Being a resourceful woman and as a journalist for publications such as the Los Angeles Wave and The Compton Herald, she avidly conducted her research. Or so, she thought! “Glendale, a growing, progressive city, checked off many of my boxes to call this town, home,” said Marie. “My Realtor was a white woman who seemed resolute to steer me away from Glendale and redirect me to Burbank and surrounding cities. I remember suggesting we look at a premier high-rise condominium in the heart of Glendale and to my surprise the Realtor became reluctant and showed me units that did not deliver on my desired view of the Los Angeles skyline.” The building was a showstopper so Marie decided to open escrow. However, the Realtor further insulted Marie by questioning the validity of her ability to afford a home in Glendale.
After some thought to get what she really wanted in a home, Marie’s resourcefulness kicked in and she made inquiries about who was a powerhouse realtor in Glendale.She was introduced to an Armenian realtor who was extremely accommodating and showed her a well-appointed unit that was exactly her style. Marie made an offer and forged a longtime friendship with the realtor. To the first realtor’s chagrin, Marie showed her a $50,000 check and then cancelled the escrow. Glendale became Marie’s new home.“Many of my family and friends were concerned about my choice because of city’s racism especially in the 1960s,” said Marie. While she was aware of the demographics in Glendale with less than 2 percent Black; Marie was also accustomed all her life to being in an environment that lacked diversity. What she didn’t know is Glendale was known as “Sundown Town.” Glendale’s white citizens turned to violence and harassment in making sure Black people would not remain in their cities after sundown. It was well known that Glendale wanted to ensure that its white communities remained white. Serving her community has always been a driving force for Marie. In spite of Glendale’s racist history, it did not stop Marie from becoming the second Black commissioner as a member of the City of Glendale Commission on the Status of Women in 2008. Her former state appointment as a board member for the California State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has given her great pride in participating in the government system. “My experience serving on the Glendale’s Commission on the Status of Women was bittersweet,” said Marie. “While I participated in many of the community activities including the city’s YWCA programs for girls and women, my name or contributions were not acknowledged nor archived as one of the women in leadership in Glendale.” Glendale’s history books also excluded the identity of the first Black woman commissioner appointed in 2003. It wasn’t until 2021 that Karen Compton’s name was finally revealed in addition to the fact that she was also one of the Commission’s founding members. “Ms. Compton paved the way for women like me,” said Marie. In 2019, these two blatant omissions were brought to the attention of YWCA Glendale Executive Director Tara Peterson who honored all women in leadership as part of her program to raise awareness about women’s contributions. On April 14, 2021 at the YWCA Glendale 24th Annual Legacy Luncheon, Marie Y. Lemelle was honored with the Trailblazer Award for her dedication to women and children and the betterment of her community through selfless service. Photo: Ken Jones
Community Activist and YWCA Executive Director Tara Peterson congratulates Entrepreneur and Visionary Marie Y. Lemelle for her advocacy to end racism and stop violence against women. Photo: Ken Jones After 15 years of Marie’s residency in Glendale, she learned that Peterson led the charge with other organizers and presented a game-changing report for the City of Glendale to acknowledge its historical contributions to racism including banishing any person of color from its city at sundown, allowing KKK rallies in the city, and precluding Blacks from purchasing or renting in its city. On September 15, 2019, the Glendale City Council took the historic step of acknowledging the city’s long history of racism and adopted the Sundown Town Resolution. Glendale is the third former sundown town in the U.S. and the first in California to publicly apologize and adopt the resolution. Glendale is among more than 100 towns in California that imposed Sundown practices to discriminate against Black people. Today, she is the recipient of numerous awards including the YWCA Glendale’s 2021 Heart & Excellence Trailblazer Award presented to her on April 14, 2021 at the 24 th Annual Legacy Luncheon. “We are honoring Marie for all the hard work and dedication to the women and children in our community,” said Peterson who also presented Marie with three certificates from the County of Los Angeles signed by fellow honoree L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger; California Senator Anthony J. Portantino; and Glendale Mayor Vrej Agajaian, which reads, “I commend you for exemplifying excellence and amplifying YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Congratulations on a job well done! On behalf of the City of Glendale, I wish you continued success.” Marie continues her journey to raise awareness about topics that affect people through her books. She is the co-author of “The Female Code: A Woman’s Book for Empowerment & Confidence,” and author of two upcoming books, “I Am Not My Illness: Personal Stories of Inspiration” and “Lights, Camera, Action Plan: How to Survive and Succeed in Hollywood.”
Marie is listed in the first and second editions of the Who's Who in Black Los Angeles, a portfolio showcasing influential African American leadership in and around the Los Angeles region. If there is one word that describes Marie, it is champion. A champion promoting equity and equality among women, especially women of color. Her dedication to end racism and violence against women is a fight that she strives to win.tory and architectural heritage and the Coalition for an Anti-Racist Glendale, a community collective dedicated to creating a more just and equitable Glendale by advancing systemic change in five key areas: housing, employment, education, justice, and health.
Racism is not dead and is a part of an invisible, hateful history of cities across the Nation. California has more than 100 Sundown Towns, including Glendale, that displayed similar signage and printed materials to send intimidating messages to anyone who was not white to stay out of its city. Photo: Arlene Vidor
In her quest to help people embrace cultural diversity, she was one of two Black women who discussed their experiences in Glendale during the Glendale Historical Society’s first Black History Month event in February 2021. To view the virtual presentation, click on the title “Stories of Black Residents in Glendale: Past and Present” or go to https://glendalehistorical.org/pastvirtual-events. Marie dedicated her award in the memory of her parents and said, “I am honored to accept this award and join the YWCA Glendale family and add value to its legacy to make positive change.” Marie is a member of the Glendale Historical Society. For the past 8 years, Marie has written and continues to write about the tragic stories of human rights, sex trafficking, and gender violence. She gives the voiceless a platform to talk about their experiences without re-traumatizing them and help them through a healing process and uplift others who suffer in silence.
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As an advocate for women empowerment, Marie is offering a free signed copy of her co-authored book, "The Female Code: A Woman's Book for Empowerment & Confidence," for a limited time for a shipping and handling fee of $6 US. Contact: MarieLemelle@PlatinumStarPR.com to place orders. Photo: Ken Jones
Commission On The Status Of Women 2008-05-12 - Glendale Commission on the Status of Women Meeting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txhxr3nFG84&t=3192s
HIP HOP CORNER Spotlight On J Kristyle Management
James Everett CEO OF KRISTYLE MANAGEMENT
James Everett AKA J Kristyle is the founder and operator of J Kristyle Management which currently represents Motivational Hip Hop Artist Money Matt & Mo Money . Also, I have 2 models K.C_girl & Candi Clymaxx. New to the management fold, J Kristyle has cut his teeth in the business wearing other hats such as promotional and marketing campaign curator for independent brands. Now crafting the sequel, J Kristyle is an intricate part of the arrangement and production of the forthcoming project The Allstar Team Mixtape which he has assured everyone will land Spending his days connecting his artists to opportunities to build awareness of his brand and development as well, J Kristyle is in constant communication with popular DJs, promoters, tastemakers and other executives alike. Support Mo Money, Money Matt, K.C_Girl, Candi Clymaxx and J Kristyle Management as a whole. Follow @J Kristyle Management for all updates. I am on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedln and Youtube..
MODELS & TALENT AGENCY ATLANTA CHICAGO
Photo by In Lieu & In View
This rising teen model and actress is quickly becoming one of the New Faces to pay attention to. Currently represented by HOP Models and Talent, she enjoys modeling because it allows her to tell stories through imagery, work with talented individuals and helps bring to life the creative and unique visions of designers. Her previous work include: The Landmark Resort Commercial, Behind the Veil (movie) and Oribe Styling Event. Lucy's model inspiration would have to be Gigi Hadid because of the way she moves in front of the camera as well as Winnie Harlow for the way she has taken on the modeling industry in a way that’s never been done before. When Lucy is not staying abreast of the latest fashion and new product lines, you will find her working out, painting, making memories with friends, and indulging in anything that involves chocolate chips. Her future goals include pursuing a degree in business, walking in New York Fashion week, owning a business which allows her to give back and to travel to different places.
Photographer-Lyndon Winchester. @lyndonphoto2
Photo by Chris Charles
RAISED IN THE CITY THAT CREATED "GO-GO" MUSIC, AL STRONG CARRIES AN AFFINITY FOR DANCE MUSIC THAT IS APPARENT IN HIS SOUND. Source: alstrong.com I asked Al about how he adjusted to the music industry shutdown due to the pandemic. His response was that he went into producer mode. The creativity flowed and being, unintentionally, sequestered made a huge difference. Al has over 20 tunes ready for his next project, relishing in having more things to choose from. He actually indicated he has enough material for 2 or 3 new projects, with 10 tracks per, along with a few interludes. Knowing Al Strong as I do, I can assure you that all of the projects will be exemplary finished projects.
I recently had an amazing one on one conversation with the immensely talented musician Al Strong. Both of us having roots in Washington DC, we spent a few minutes talking about home. Al’s neighborhood was the infamously dubbed “Simple City”. If you know anything about the DC hoods, you know why they called it Simple City. Tough, raw and dangerous. True urban life. However, this brother was blessed with strong and discipline minded adults, keeping Al from the bangers and corner hangers. He was able to find his way to the prestigious Duke Ellington Academy. It was there that he excelled and flourished as a music student and instrumentalist. Learning the theory and embracing it’s history in the world’s music would prove to be among Al’s strongest attributes as he began to carve out his niche as a professional artist. Al was able to stay focused was the people who raised him. He spoke mainly about Dr Gladys Bray, his adopted mother. He said he went all the way back with Dr Bray’s sister, who was his fifth grade teacher. They took Al under their wing at a young age and when it was time to go to high school, Dr Bray’s sister, his fifth grade teacher, said that she knew his grandmother was about to move back to North Carolina and she wanted to see if her sister, Dr Bray, would take him in. Dr Bray adopted Al at that time. She was an educator, with her PHD in education, a graduate of Catholic University and she did not have any kids of her own. Dr Bray ran a non profit called The East Of The River Steel Band. Thus Al got a lot of steel band experience. The band played at the opening for the Summer Olympics at RFK Stadium and had a cultural exchange with Trinidad Tobago. That led to trips there every 2 years and the Trinidad band coming to the states every other 2 years. In Washington DC at that time, it was a true blessing to have a band and arts program to help keep young Al off the streets and be productive. Al says that with the presence of his mom and going into Duke Ellington for high school, it opened him up to a whole new world of possibilities. That it really saved his life. Al had a solid academic background and the grades to prove it. On an international trip with the Duke Ellington School, Strong was recruited by the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) jazz ensemble, who also happened to be touring Europe at the time. Dr. Ira Wiggins, Director of Jazz Studies at NCCU presented him , a full-tuition scholarship to study jazz at NCCU.
Photo by Chris Charles
Strong continued to advance his education by attending Northern Illinois University to study with renowned saxophonist and professor Ron Carter. Receiving instruction in both classical trumpet and jazz trumpet playing, Strong earned a master of Jazz Performance/Pedagogy.
Photo by Chris Charles
The following in the Indie Incognito Q&A with Al Strong. TS Al, tell me about your biggest influence in your musical career.. AS Davey Yarborough ! If I wasn’t under that man’s guidance in high school, I would not be where I am today. He believed in me and it was Mr Yarborough was first able to showcase his talents overseas, performing with the school's esteemed jazz band. TS How did you end up choosing the trumpet as your instrument? AS I played a little trumpet from the time I was about 10, through different schools in DC and Maryland. I didn’t get a chance to take trumpet lessons until I got to Duke Ellington. Because we, unfortunately, lost one of the great trumpet players at the school, who passed away. I was next in line . I was thrown into the fire by stepping into the main big band. It was cool though because you never knew who would pop in. Terrence Blanchard could pop in there or Wynton. You know, the heavyweights. So Tony, I just knew I had to be prepared at all times. TS Do you remember the first time one of those legendary cats showed up and you were totally in awe? AS Oh man, no doubt. I remember when Nicholas Peyton came to the school and did a special concert for us. He was standing right next to me, blowing the craziest stuff.
Tony, what made those experiences unique was that when Davey would take us overseas to North Sea or Montreux jazz festivals, we would run into guys like Winton and the other major cats and it was just like seeing family. TS What was the best piece of advice you got from those legends like Wynton or Ron Carter? AS Practice with a capitol P. You hear that so much, you know, from your teachers but when you hear it from those guys out there that you see on TV and in the magazines, it hits home a lot more. Of course I noticed and realized that those same cats came back to the school to spend time with us students. That was their way of giving back and it set the course for my future endeavors. It started with the Art Of Cool Project and the starter schools and what we do for jazz education and even the Lift Every Voice And Sing project is my way, our way, of giving back. Ways that will stick with these kids for a lifetime. TS What was an eye opener for you as a kid playing the North Sea and Montreux festivals/ AS Well, I was basically a jazz head as a young guy. But I would see artists like The Roots and Erykah Badu and I’d say , wow I thought this was a jazz festival. But, then I would understand that all music goes back to jazz. That opened my eyes even more to the world of music. When the Art Of Cool project came about, it was a way to meet people where they are as far as their musical tastes. They would then realize the connection between artists they love and that they were sampling the likes of Ahmad Jamal. The connection was clear. Tony, it allowed us to create the relevancy for our students of the Art Of Cool project. With the Lift Every Voice And Sing project, it was a way for us to pay homage to those who came before us. You know, music has to the next generation and we helped foster that. That mind set came from all of my time at Ellington and traveling tours, that the cats always talked about paying homage.
TS I consider you a steward and curator of jazz music. In what ways would that be correct in your eyes? AS Wow, that would go back to my upbringing. Back to Duke Ellington. My teachers and musical mentors there. They all let me know that this music, jazz music, is meant to be passed along to the next generation. That being one of my goals and intentions, I would say you are right. TS What do see as the Al Strong legacy? AS Oh wow, that’s heavy Tony. I definitely hope the Art Of Cool project will be a big part of that. What I found was that there was a lot of admiration that came from a lot of the musicians we would hire to perform at the festivals or the one off shows, being impressed that I, myself, am a musician but I chose this path to also would share an audience or help an artist build an audience for others. That is one of things I hope artists will continue to do. I have begun to see other festivals as offshoots of the Art Of Cool project like Snarky Puppy. I think they started their own festival. It’s kind of in the same vein of not presenting mainstream or totally unknown, but more underground. You know, the Underground cats have great followings and produce great music, but they are not necessarily pushing towards a commercial type of vibe. So, I think this could be the power in what could possibly be my legacy. That you don’t have to follow a set formula, follow your heart. Al Strong is an award-winning trumpet player, composer, recording artist and educator. A native of Washington, D.C., Strong is a graduate of the renowned Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts and holds a B.A. in Jazz Studies from North Carolina Central University and a Master’s in Jazz Performance / Pedagogy from Northern Illinois University. A cultural innovator, he is the co-founder of the Art of Cool Project, which spawned the original Art of Cool Music Festival in Durham, N.C. and the Art of Cool youth summer camp. Strong is lauded for his distinctive original music and jazz classics, which has garnered him national and international attention.
Photo by Chris Charles
“LEVAS” is trumpet musician Al Strong’s heartfelt arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the classic hymn also known as the “Negro National Anthem.” A rich and elaborate 8-minute odyssey, “LEVAS” is a tribute to the Black American experience and a love offering from an artist dedicated to the preservation of Black culture. The inspiration for this undertaking came in early 2020 during a performance by the Al Strong Quartet at Saint Augustine University’s annual CIAA Jazz Brunch. Strong began to superimpose the anthem’s melody over a vamp at the end of an original tune. The band immediately went with the vibe and an arrangement was born. He later went to the studio and began scoring the arrangement, adding a string section for a distinct sound. As the year went on, Strong’s passion for “LEVAS” was further ignited after the tragic killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the countless calamities of 2020. An only child who spent some years bouncing from shelter to shelter with his father, Strong knows all too well the struggle of Black Americans. Yet it is the optimism of "Lift Every Voice and Sing's" lyrics – [“Out from the gloomy past/‘Til now we stand at last/Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.”] -that fuels this unique interpretation. It is in the spirit of hope and triumph that we present to you, “LEVAS.” ~ Al Strong
By Tony Smith Jorel "JFly" Flynn was born and raised in Waycross, GA. Like many musicians, Jorel started out playing in church. He tinkered with a number of instruments including the bass and trombone but when he found the drums…or as he told me , the drums found him, he realized people paid attention. J attended Dekalb College and while there he received a call to tour with R&B R&B singers Kelly Price, Dave Hollister and Glenn Jones. That was truly the beginning of the beginning and it catapulted his career, enabling him to play with many accomplished artists such as Cameo, Toni Braxton, Keith Sweat, K-Ci and JoJo, Phil Perry, and Jennifer Holliday just to name a few. JFly has toured with "Heads of State" (featuring - Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, and Ralph Tresvant), Peabo Bryson, New Edition and Cameo. He has also played at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards held in Atlanta, and was the Music Director for the 2011 Heisman Trophy Awards. It was while on that initial tour with Kelly, Hollister and Jones, did Jorel have a life changing moment. He recalls with a huge smile, how God asked him a simple question. How Big Is Your Dream? In 2011, he founded the nonprofit How Big Is Your Dream to encourage and mentor kids interested in pursuing careers in entertainment. Thus, the stage was set for the pursuit of his purpose along with the ascension of his incredible career. As the President of the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter (Grammys), Jorel “JFly” Flynn has a profound impact within the music and entertainment industries throughout GA. He is a visionary that positively influence communities though his innovative music programming activities. JFly is the founding CEO of the How Big Is Your Dream Foundation (HBIYD). HBIYD hosts the How Big Is Your Dream Academy of the Arts, a summer program in which industry professionals teach student music theory, technology, production, and other skills/disciplines. The children oftentimes return and mentor other children so this movement is expansive. As a strategist that sit on HBIYD non-profit board, I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on strategic initiatives that positively impacts underserved communities. He is an exceptional musician that is passionate about helping others. Partnering with him and the HBIYD family is an honor. Personally I know him to be a very kind, giving, and compassionate person.
I told Jorel that I didn’t want to know what he was as much as I wanted to know who he was as a man.The following is our in depth Q&A.
First off, Jorel how has life been treating you? Life has been life. You know, adjustments have been made. I feel like, with everything our people have been through, we have been able to adjust and make it through. How did you make the necessary adjustments with the onset of Covid 19? Well Tony, when this first hit us, humanity as a whole was impacted tremendously. It was something we had never witnessed in our lifetime. It made me look inward to find peace and comfort and learn how to navigate through this thing. It was really a blessing that I had a succession of performances including the Soul Train Awards, Capital Jazz Cruise and then I did a big show at Disney World with Peabo Bryson plus my own show, Soundcheck Of American Music. Right after that run, everything started to lock up. As much as you could be, how were you prepared for that lock down of events? Like a lot of my contemporaries, I had a nest egg and figured I could hold on through this for a couple of months or so. But when 3 months turned into four and five and then a year, yeah reality really hit home then.
What was the first thing that you had to put on hold? I was scheduled to do a new release in May 2020 featuring Alex Bugnon. We had a full show planned but that is still on hold more than a year later. But I have learned, because I have been sustained, to trust, understand and obey. The lessons I have learned from the elders in my community really helped me learn to sit still and weather this. How were you impacted by the BLM and social justice protests? I thought back to some of the sermons I heard in church. It made me realize that the best way for me to get through this was to Give my way through it. I began thinking a lot about the kids and the parents that did not have the resources to navigate through this. Since I do have a prominent seat at the table with the Recording Academy, I was privy to valuable information about governmental resources that the public was not readily aware of. I passed that information along. I used having that access to grants, food and health assistance that would greatly benefit the kids that my foundation services, as well as their families.
How did your foundation shift gears during the pandemic? If you remember, at the time of the pandemic, there were so many grants coming in and a lot of people didn’t know how to fill out the paperwork. So I compartmentalized resources that were specific to the arts and created a medium of understanding for those that needed help with the wording. For our artists, once I figured out how we could exist, I set up a lot of online portals and we did a whole virtual Summer Academy of the Arts. We had instructors from place as far as New York and Italy. We brought the world to the kids. We did it for 8 weeks, from 10am to 4pm Monday through Friday., With 100% engagement. How did the How Big Is Your Dream idea come to you? That actually parallels with my music career. Let me start with, as my career was taking off, I was going back into a lot of areas where the schools really needed someone that looked like the students, to come back and share the experience and information. So it was not in a foundation format at first. Now, I was doing a free festival in my home town of Waycross, GA. I did the festival for 8 years and never charged for admission.
People like Bobby Brown, Alex Bugnon, Jennifer Holliday and a host of other stars, always came and performed. With the huge success of that festival, the foundation was birthed on the heels of the festival. I had a moment on tour when the question of how big is your dream came to me. Next was how much work and commitment was I willing to put into making the dream a reality. It has truly been a blessing. What was one of the funniest things that has happened in your career, early years and or recently? Ok, one of the craziest things that happened was when I was doing Sunday’s Best and they were taping here. I got caught in traffic so when I reached the taping, one of the background singers was on the drums. She was one of the Pace Sisters and Fred Hammond was the music director. Well first, there was always this thing about musicians not showing up on time and man, that felt so bad. One more time was we were again recording Sundays Best and I was complaining, loud and clear, about not liking a particular song. I was talking to the sound man, complaining and complaining. Little did I know I was talking to Big Jim, the cat who produced the song, which was for Jennifer Holiday. Oh brother, that was a humbling but much needed experience. Continued on page 126.
“A PATHWAY FROM DREAMS TO REALITY” Jorel spoke fondly and proudly about the creation of his foundation, How Big Is Your Dream. He stated that the mantra was and always will be about being a viable program and advocate for building the dreams of the youth. What is so important to J Fly is that the kids have opportunity and guidance to help them reach their potential. That edict is echoed in his foundation’s mission which is to promote, educate and develop youth to excel and reach their dreams. What started as a dream for this father of three, these days feels more like an obligation to give back, to awaken dreams in others.
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J FLY
So how did that episode end and did Big Jim step to you? Big Jim, God rest his soul, never said anything. He was the kind of guy who knew the industry very well and was a keen listener. He probably said to himself, Young Buck will figure it out (lol). J, I would guess Big Jim had been there, done that with young cats just running their mouth. How did you use that, and other learning experiences, in teaching the kids in your foundation? That was one of a lot of experiences that allowed me to pour that knowledge into the next generation. Highlighting to them that, you can be discovered by your talent but you need to be taught etiquette and professionalism in the industry. This is echoed in one of the founding statements of the foundation, “Prepare for the opportunity before it arrives, not when it gets there”. Who were the 2 most profound artists you have had the opportunity to play with and why? Cameo and New Edition, hands down. Cameo because Larry Blackmon was almost impossible to please. Working with them was like a boot camp. But I had to go through that to get where I am now as a musician. New Edition was unbelievable because I could not believe I was playing with them. It happened because their drummer was going out with Justine Beiber . He called me the day before and the guys with New edition didn’t even know he wasn’t coming. So I showed up and had to play their show that night, just by listening. I ended up doing a 6 week tour and afterwards continued with Bobby Brown. Those brother were consummate professionals and were committed to giving their fans the best show of their lives.
What would be your best piece of advice for aspiring musicians? Always stay ready and go at it with all of your heart. Understand that preparation is the key. This Q&A, was transcribed from an amazing zoom call I had with Jfly. We chopped it up and down and the time flew by like the breeze. This brother is humble, confident, thoughtful and giving. The talent is exemplary and the future looks brighter than ever for this career and the How Big Is Your Dream foundation. You can follow J Fly at jflymusic.com on Facebook and Instagram @1jfly. You can support the How Big Is Your Dream Foundation at howbigisyourdream.org
Mora Estates
