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The musicevolution of
Buckshot LeF onque
Buckshot LeFonque’s musical philosophy: “Add a little this ... take out a little that.
Weaving together jazz, R&B,
rock and hip hop, the music of
Buckshot LeFonque has always
defied categorization (an unpar
donablesinin somequarters). But
that’s just the way an ensemble of
merry pranksters like Buckshot
LeFonque prefer it. It was two
years ago when saxophonist/com
poser Branford Marsalis first got
together with some of his musi
cally like-minded friends to form
Buckshot LeFonque and record
their debut album. Now the band
is back with Music Evolution, an
album as indefinable as its prede
cessor, yet even more thrilling.
Though Buckshot LeFonque
blends many musical styles, the
connective tissue underlying the
new album’s 12 tracks is appar
ent. “We love music,” says
Branford, “and this is how we lis
ten to music. I don’t listen only to
opera or jazz or hip hop. I listen to
all of it. So I like to surround
myself with people who feel the
same way.” Those people include
a handful of top musicians includ
ing DJ Apollo, singer/keyboardist
Frank McComb, guitarist Carl
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Burnett, trumpeter Russell Gunn,
bassist Reginald Veal, drummer
Rocky Bryant, and rapper 50
Styles: the Unknown Solder.
Guest players include Delfeayo
Marsalis playing a mean trombone
on a pair of tracks, alto sax great
David Sanborn, rapper G.U.R.U.,
and Branford’s former wife Tess
giving an evocative reading of
“Weary With Toil,” an original
poem by Delfeayo, set to music by
Branford.
Largely written and produced
by Branford (who also pro
grammed drums and, of course,
played saxophones), Music Evolu
tion kicks off withthejazz/hip hop
flavored title track, which salutes
great artists past and present, from
Satchmoto Calloway. Saysrapper
50 Styles of the song, “Music just
comes from the music before it. If
you love jazz, how can you not love
hip hop in “James Brown - Part 1
& 2,” a tribute to the Godfather of'
Soul. The hyperactive “Jungle
Grove” ispatterned after the jungle
music craze sweeping Europe, and
features the smokingest horn parts
this side of the Cotton Club.
[t's Our Pleasure.
That’s just the instrumentals.
Then there’s the trilogy of R&B
ballads -- “Another Day,” “Better
Than I Am,” and “Phoenix” -- all
sung by the Cleveland-born vocal
sensation Frank McComb, and
each a souvenir of real life heart
break. That all three are tales of
loss, rather than cooing love songs,
says something about Branford’s
approach to songwriting. “I asked
myself, ‘Do I want to write songs
for the average 17-year-old, songs
that talk about love in a light
hearted way?” 1 decided not to
play it safe, and to write lyrics
from an adult perspective.” Adds
McComb, “Branford’s one of those
writers with whom I can really feel
what he’s trying to do.” That
certainly shows in his perfor
mances.
“Another Day” marks another
first for Branford. “This was the
first string arrangement I ever
did,” he says. “Conducting the
orchestra was nerve-wracking but
fun. I told them it was my first
time and to be gentle with me.”
Theblazing rock ‘n’ rap track “My
art e music ¢ literature o theatre
Way (Doin’ It)” features Carl
Burnett on guitar and an undeni
ably cool spoken word bridge per
formed by actor Laurence
Fishburne. In “Black Monday,”
rappers 50 Styles: The Unknown
Soldier and G.U.R.U. document,
in rap, the Million Man March.
Says 50 Styles of the song’s hard
hitting contemporary message,
“With my style of rap, I try to deal
with today’s issues, because you
can’t run from them.”
This band has never tried to run
from them. The members come
from widely diverging back
grounds yet find common ground
within Buckshot LeFonque.
“There are so many different mu
sical walks of life in thigband, says
drummer Rocky Bryant. “You
might get on the tour bus one day
and hear Italian opera; the next
dayyou’re hearing hip hop. Singer
Frank McComb agrees. “Every
body gets to stretch out in his own
way,” he says. “Everybody is an
artist in this band and not just a
backer. We're all loose, free and
easy.
Harry Belafonte
receives UNICEF
humanitarian award
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Eleven-year-old Akimane, an unaccom
panied Rwandan refugee girl, tlaks to
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Harry
Belafonte, while awaiting transport to
Ndosho, a UNICEF-assisted camp for
chilc{ren separated from their parents.
Photo By UNICEF 940468 Betty Press.
NEW YORK
Veteran entertainer Harry
Belafonte, who popularized ca
lypso over forty years ago, was
honored May 12 by the United
Nations for his humanitarian
work on behalf of children around
the world. Carol Bellamy, execu
tive director of the United Na
tions Children’s Fund, presented
Belafonte with the UNICEF Sil
ver Statuette to commemorated
ten years as UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador. United Nations Sec
retary-General Kofi Annan said
of Belafonte, “I have been person
ally gratified by the many visits
that you have made to the chil
dren of Africa—from Mozambique
to Rwanda, Senegal, South Af
rica, Zaire and Zimbabwe. On bé
halfofour United Nations, I thank
you for your noble service and
tireless work.”
Belafonte has long drawn on
his musical talent and back
ground to spotlight the plight of
‘the needy children of the world.
He has held benefit concerts and
sung with top artists such as
Youssou N'Dour, Miriam Makeba,
Hugh Masekela, Manu Dibango,
Johnny Clegg and Maxi Priest.
His humanitarian efforts abroad
Lucy Craft Laney
Museum of Black
History and
Conference Cen
ter presents John
Solomon
Dandridge's
Gasden, Alabama
Red Book and
Cotton series of
oil on canvas
paintings from
now until August
5, 1997. A recep
tion will be held
at the museum on
Thursday, June
12, from 7 - 9 p.m.
The Lucy Craft
Laney Museum is
located at 1116
Phillips Street in
Augusta.
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AUGUSTA FOCUS JUNE 12, 1997
dent Bill Clinton after Belafonte
and his wife, Julie, visited
Rwanda and Zaire in the wake of
the massacres in Rwanda.
Belafonte orchestrated a media
campaign to raise awareness of
the extensive an urgent needs of
Rwandan children who had fled
their homes an, in many cases,
became separated form their par
ents.
“Mr. Belafonte has clearly
shown what a well-known and
well-respected personality can
accomplish for children in need
all over the world. His achieve
ments have been countless. It is
now my pleasure to add one more
award to that crowded mantle,”
said Bellamy, who presented the
Statuette at an award luncheon
at the Untied Nations.
During his distinguished ca
reer, Belafonte has won a Tony
and an Emmy and was a leading
force behind the civil rights move
ment. The UNICEF Silver Statu
ette has been previously pre
sented only four times during the
organization’s 50-year history.
The other recipients have been
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors
Sir Peter Ustinov, Danny Kaye,
Liv Ullmann and Tetsuko
Kuroyanagi.
SO OO ALL SEATS -
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[Generol Cinema Theatres @ I
Here this summer:
Children's movie
entertalnment every
Tuasday and Wednesday.
Ssason tickets just $5 for
all 11 woeks. For details,
call 780-7578.
1B
have focused on Af
rica, such as when he
supported the first
Day of the African
Child. Memorably, in
1985, he brought to
gether 45 performers
to raise money for the
Ethiopian famine and
other African emer
gencies by recording
“We are the World.”
In October 1994,
Belafonte was
awarded the National
Medal of the Arts, one
of the highest United
States honors. It was
presented at the
White House by Presi-