Mack Avenue label imprint Sly Dog Records has released seven titles by Kenny Rankin (who died in Los Angeles from lung cancer on June 7, 2009 at 69) for download and the titles will be available by compact disc at popular retailers on Nov. 3, 2009.
The following titles are “Mind-Dusters,” “Family,” “Like a Seed,” “Silver Morning,” “Inside,” “The Kenny Rankin Album,” and “After The Roses.” All seven CDs will be available at online digital sellers (iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, etc.).
Rankin, who grew up in New York City, came into the larger public consciousness in the early 1970s. It was the era of the singer-songwriter, and although he fit the profile, Rankin transcended that genre. Rankin brought a finely tuned sophistication and a capacity for a surprising variety of musical expression to contemporary pop music.
absorbed the many forms of music around him like a sponge. He sang a cappella in the hallways of the same neighborhood that Dion DiMucci and Teddy Randazzo lived in. It would be no surprise to his old friends when doo-wop elements surfaced later in songs such as “Roll-A-Round” on the “Inside” album.
A Greenwich Village apprenticeship brought Rankin into contact with producer Tom Wilson in 1965. At Wilson’s invitation, Rankin played rhythm guitar on “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and “Maggie’s Farm” for Bob Dylan’s “Bringing It All Back Home.”
Author: mitchmuse
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Two male actors (ages 20-30 something) are needed for the Broken Arrow Community Playhouse production of “Crimes of the Heart.” Performance dates are Oct. 23,24, 29 and Nov. 1, 2009. The playhouse is located on 1800 S. Main Street, Broken Arrow.
The characters being cast are Doc, a nice, regular guy who was once in love
with one of main female characters, and Barnett, an enthusiastic young lawyer
that is defending another female lead. Director Teresa Bringle will be
holding second auditions for the two roles at 5 p.m. Sunday Sept. 6. She can
also arrange an audition by appointment, if necessary. Both roles will not
require a full-blown rehearsal schedule but will require actors to be
available for tech week and performances.
For more information, please call (918) 258-0077 or send an e-mail to BACPTheatre@aol.com. Please include contact information and any scheduling conflicts.
The Broken Arrow Community Playhouse is seeking a full-size Skeleton to use in the upcoming production of “The Sunshine Boys.” The play runs from Sept. 13, 2009.
BLAC (Black Liberated Arts Center) Inc. will host Soul Bowl Party in the Park from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12. at Washington Park, located at Northeast Fourth and High Streets in Oklahoma City.
The event will feature new musical artists on the Discovery stage. Among those local talents scheduled to appear are Born in November, Lil Dezzy, Roderick Pugh and jazz vocalist Miss Muffy. Miss Muffy is the granddaughter of the late, legendary bandleader Leslie Sheffield.
“Our community has been asking over the years for BLAC, Inc. to showcase new talent, and we see this event as the perfect opportunity to introduce new faces in a relaxed setting,” Anita Arnold, executive director of BLAC Inc. said. “Washington Park is special in the hearts and minds of many in the city because of the wonderful historic significance and pleasant memories of the past.”
According to Arnold, there will be an area High School T-shirt competition. The high school that has representatives wearing most T-shirts will have a $500 donation given to the school by BLAC, Inc. The participant who wears the oldest T-shirt will have $250 donated to their school. Everyone is encouraged to wear a T-shirt that represents their high school alma mater.
The evening will end with the featured artist – Tulsa jazz saxophonist Eldredge Jackson. Picnic baskets, blankets and lawn chairs are allowed. BLAC Inc. will sell beverages during the event. No beverages of any kind are allowed in the park – particularly alcoholic beverages. The public is invited, especially alumni members of all local high schools. Event tickets are $10 and are on sale now at the following locations in Oklahoma City: Capitol Square Station, KM66, Learning Tree Toy Store, Charlie’s Jazz, Rhythm and Blues Store and at BLAC Inc. offices. For more information, call (405) 524-3800.
To address any storms that may be swirling in your life, I post this song for you today. It’s amazing to know that we have a Comforter to come to, who understands our storms and who can grant us peace.
I am so inspired by the following quote by former President Theodore Roosevelt that I had to post it on my blog today. May it inspire you as well:
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
Family and friends of Isaac Hayes invite the public to attend the unveiling of grave marker at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Memphis Memorial Park, 5668 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, Tenn. Attendees are asked to bring a rose to be placed next to the marker.
Participants are invited to opening reception of Heller Theatre‘s new space from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Come check out the new theatre, then stick around for previews of shows from the coming season, door prizes, snacks, music from local artists, and artwork by Marty Coleman.
Ben Sumner hosts the evening. Heller Theatre @ Henthorne located at 4825 S. Quaker in Tulsa, OK. For more information, call (918) 746-5065 or e-mail parktheater@cityoftulsa.org.
Mount Calvary Holy Church of America, Inc. will consecrate Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr. into the official office of International Presiding Prelate and Senior Bishop during their 80th Annual International Convocation.
Bishop Owens has been a member of MCHCA for over 30 years. He was consecrated a Bishop in the organization in 1988 and was appointed Vice-Bishop in 2001. In August 2008, Bishop Harold I. Williams stepped down as Presiding Prelate taking Emeritus status and appointed Bishop Owens as the Presiding Prelate.
Owens and his wife, Co-Pastor Susie C. Owens, pastor Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, the largest church in Washington, D.C. proper with a membership of almost 8,000. He is also the Dean of the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops.
The consecration service will take place Thursday, August 20, 2009, at the International Headquarters of MCHCA Inc. Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church is located at 610 Rhode Island Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002. The service begins at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Bishop J. Delano Ellis, President of the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops will be the Consecrator and serve as speaker of the evening. For more information, call (202)529-4547.
Oklahoma City’s Black Liberated Arts Center (BLAC Inc.) will host a Thriller Tribute Party on Saturday, Aug. 29, in honor of the late Michael Joseph Jackson’s accomplishments in music, business, and charitable giving. The event also marks Jackson’s 51st birthday.
The Thriller Tribute Party will be held at the Petroleum Club (34th floor of the Chase building) 100 N Broadway in downtown Oklahoma City. There will be food, drinks, and music orchestrated by deejay Ron Leggins.
Ten of Michael Jackson’s most popular videos will be played at various times throughout the night. There will be a special presentation of Michael Jackson’s accomplishments – from those that made him famous through his amazing music career to facts that have been overlooked such as his great philanthropy and humanitarian efforts.
The party starts at 8:00 p.m. and ends at midnight. RSVP is preferred and due by Saturday, August 22. Admission is $25.
To make a reservation or for more information please contact BLAC, Inc. at (405)524-3800 or e-mail BLAC Inc. at blac37inc@yahoo.com.
Clark Youth Theatre, 11440 E Admiral Place (1/4 mile east of Garnett on Admiral) in Tulsa, will hold auditions for “As You Like It” by William Shakespeare. Auditions are at 3 p.m. Saturday, August 8. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and improvisation of scenes. All students 18 and younger are eligible to audition. The show is directed by Julie Tattershall.
“As You Like It” by William Shakespeare. Clark Theatre’s annual classic play for 2009 will transport attendees to the mythical Forest of Arden, where they will follow the adventures of Rosalind, considered by many to be Shakespeare’s greatest female character. Forced to flee her evil uncle, she disguises herself as a boy and searches for her exiled father. Comedy and romance inevitably ensue. Containing Shakespeare’s classic “All the world’s a stage” monologue, “As You Like It” is one of his best-loved comedies.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. October 2, 3, 9, 10 and at 2 p.m. Sundays October 4 and 11. Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $8 for adults. For more information about performances or to make reservations, call (918) 669-6455 or go online to http://www.clarktheatre.com.
Clark Theatre is a youth theater program and is part of the City of Tulsa Park and Recreation Department. Clark Theatre won the Tulsa Area Theatre Excellence award for Outstanding Youth Production for 2009.