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The ultimate R&B trio
Gerald Levert,
Keith Sweat
and Johnny
Gill shine.
- Separately they’'ve ruled the
"R&B charts for close to a decade,
selling millions of records world
wide. Together, as LSG, the dam
age they’re about to do could
change the pop/R&B landscape
forever. Three superstars who
have dedicated themselves to mak
ing the event album of the year.
How did this once in a lifetime
‘union come about? “Gerald and I
have been great friends since the
beginning of our careers,” says
Keith. “I’ve known Johnny since
back in the days and have always
respected his talent. I called up
Gerald one day with the idea that
we should do something together.
I have never been in a group, and
I was intrigued with the idea of
taking our careers to another
level.”
But for three stars who have
sold more than 25 million albums
and wrote, produced, or performed
close to thirty number 1 R&B hits,
there was the risk of throwing all
the chips in to scale new heights.
“Ithought a while about the whole
idea,” muses Gerald. “Johnnyand
I have been in a group and we
know the aps and downs. But I've
‘always been competitive, it’s part
‘of what motivates me. If I see
Puffy, Keith or anyone on a roll, it
- makes me want to get out there
and go to work. What’s been great
about this project is I look around
the room and there are two other
'guys who have been there like I've
been there, and they are going to
push me, to challenge me to reach
that other level, yet we’re all in it
together. It makes the work that
much more rewarding. There’s a
camaraderie that somehow slips
into the music.”
The best evidence of Gerald’s
sentimentisthe LPitself. An R&B
masterpiece from the very first
cut, the three superstars enlisted
the best producers in the busi
ness, including Sean “Puffy”
Combs and Jermaine Dupriamong
others, to help work the knobs.
“It’s always exciting to work with
the best music minds out there,”
says Johnny. “Because you never
know what the final outcome is
going to be. That’s what keeps us
going, how you’re going to solve
the creative problems and come
up with the best solution, the best
songs.” For Gerald, an award win
ning producer himself (as well as
Keith), he admits to making ad-
Justments in order to get the most
out of the tremendous amount of
talent ever present at the LSG
sessions. “You definitely have to
Let the memory live again with Cats at the Fox Theatre
“We are thrilled to welcome back
Cats, an Atlanta favorite, to the
fabulous Fox Theatre, January 20-
25,” says Christopher B. Manoe,
producer of Theater of Stars. “From
itselaborate costumes and set toits
innovative story and beautiful mu
sic, this show is a delight for the
entire family. Cats is an unforget
table experience that definitely
should not be missed!”
Of special interest this year is the
portrayal of Cassandra by Georgian
Jennifer Paige Chambers. Jennifer
began training at her mother’s stu
dio in Lawrenceville. She has per
formed in the First National Tour
production of Crazy For You, the
European Tours of Crazy For You
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Johnny Gill, Keith Sweat, and Gerald Levert are LSG. Photo by Kwaku Alston
give a little,” he smiles. “There
are different work ethics and dif
ferent styles. You're also dealing
with three different vocalists who
all have their own niche.”
Not to mention the amazing
guest artists that added their own
flavor to the album. None other
than LL CoolJ, Busta Rhymes and
MC Lyte appear on the Rashad
Smith produced “Curious.” Faith
Evans, Co Kofrom SWV and Missy
Elliott appear on “All the Times,”
with Jazze Pha producingand rap
pingon “Let A Playa Get His Freak
On.” Sean “Puffy” Combs pro
duces “You Got Me,” featuring
The Lox, with Jermaine Dupri
producing “Where Did I Go
Wrong,” featuringJD. Gerald and
Keith also take on some writing
and production chores, with Keith
producingor co-producing 5 tracks
and Gerald producing 4 tracks,
including “Door #l,” which just
may be the trio’s own favorite.
“That song came about in an in
teresting way, recalls Keith. “I
was on a tour bus when I gnt the
idea for the song. I called up
Gerald. The idea was to give our
musical resumes behind each door,
and see which of us the ladies
prefer,” he laughs. “I think the
song is an absolute smash,” says
Johnny, barely containing his en
thusiasm. “It captures our per
sonalitiesthe best.” Gerald echoes
the sentiment. “We all take a
verseonit,” hesays. “It’sa playful
way to show what we’re bringing
and 42nd Street, and in the Re
gional Tour of A Chorus Line.
Andrew Lloyd Webber conceived
the idea for Cats in 1972 when he
picked up a copy of T.S. Eliots’ Old
Possum’s book of Practical Cats in
an airport bookshop.
Set in an oversized junkyard
where everythingis a bit over three
timeslife-size, the musical presents
a tribe of wandering cats as they
gather at the full moon for the an
nual Jellicle Ball. Throughout the
night, theaudience meets and hears
the stories and memories of the
various felines. At the close of the
evening, the cats must pick one of
their members who will ascend to
the “Heavyside Layer” and will be
['s Our Pleasure.
here.”
What each of the three super
stars bring to the table is nothing
short of amazing. Their careers
read like a virtual who’s who of
R&B in the ‘9o’s:
Gerald Levert has sold six mil
lion albums as a solo artists and
with his group Levert.
His latest album, Groove On, is
beyond platinum. He has written
and/or produced 14 Number 1 R&B
hits for himself and other super
stars. The Grammy nominee has
a vocal range that moves from
smooth sensual tones, to raw un
abashed emotion, as well as pos
sessing one of the most respected
ears in the music business.
Keith Sweat has sold more than
12 million albums worldwide. His
most recent self-titled album is
quadruple platinum delivering
back to back platinum number 1
singles. He’deollected five straight
Number 1 R&B albumsand 12 top
ten R&B hits with six number Is.
He has set up a recording and
producing empire in Atlanta, dis
covering and producing both Silk
and Kut Klose, among others. He
won the 1997 American Music
Award for Favorite Male Artist,
Soul R&B, and he was nominated
for two 1997 Soul Train Awards.
Johnny Gill was one of the stellar
voices behind legendary R&B stal
warts New Edition. A starsincethe
age of 16, he has sold nearly 8 mil
lion albums with the groupand asa
solo artist. His vocal prowess and
reborn into a new life.
Presented by Cameron Mackin
tosh, The Really Useful Company,
Ltd., David Geffen and The Shubert
Organization, Cats is directed by
Trevor Nunn, with Gillian Lynne
serving as associate director and
choreographer. Sets and costumes
are by John Napier, and lighting is
designed by David Hersey. For the
touringcompany, orchestrationsare
by Stanley Lebowsky, lighting de
sign reproduced by Rick Belzer, sce
nicdesign reproduced by T. Michael
Reed and Richard Stafford, and di
;':ction reproduced by David Tay
r.
Cats willbe presented at the fabu
lous Fox Theater, 600 Peachtree
ability to perfectly deliver a ballad
has made him one of the most rec
ognizable voices of the ‘9os. He’s
notched four number 1 singlesasa
soloartist, garnering him Soul Train
Awards for Best Male Vocalist and
Best R&B Album of the year. He’s
an American Music Award recipi
ent as well as a Gramry nominee.
Of course the three principalsare
more than eager to give props to
each other. Keith recalls a particu
lurly enthralling moment on
“Round & Round,” a track he pro
duced and co-wrote with Edwin
“Tony” Nicholas. “I thought
Johnny just took that song to an
other level” he says. “I got chills
when we worked on it.” Gerald sec
onds the notion, adding that the
complementary vocal styles of all
three singers was the most refresh
ingandrevealingelement that came
to light during the recording pro
cess. “Let’s face it, we all have egos
and we all had to check them some
timesduringthe project,” he smiles.
“But it’s ultimately satisfying to
see and hear all three of us in a
studio putting this together, driv
ing each other to another place.
Johnny brought his soulful style
and Keith adds that dance element,
and I bring my touch — it’s like
addingextrasyruptoicecream. We
accomplished what we’re known
fer and then pushed the envelope a
little further. Ithinkit’sarecord —
that even with all the expectations
— that’s going to surprise a lot of
people.”
Street, from January 20-25. Perfor
mances are scheduled for Tuesday
through Sundayat 8 p.m., Saturday
and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Ad
vance tickets are available at the
Fox Theater box office at (404) 881-
2100 and through all ticketmaster
ticket centers including: Block
buster Music, Publix Super Mar
kets, HMV, Tower Records, Back
stage Music, Sound Shop, Braves
Clubhouse and Hard Rock Case. To
charge by phone, Ticketmaster on
line at http://
www.ticketmaster.com. For group
ticket sales, call Theater of the Stars
at (404) 252-8960. Ticket prices
range from $16.50 to $34.50, not
including handling charges.
Coshy produces jazz
tribute to son Ennis
A few years ago, Bill Cosby as
sembled a group of some of the
most well-known and respected
jazz musicians on the scene to
record an album of jazz standards.
After the tragic death of his son
Ennis, Cosby approached Verve
Records with the material, having
decided that he wanted to release
this material as a tribute entitled
Hello, Friend: To Ennis with Love.
“This album is dedicated to him
from the whole family — his
mother, his sisters, relatives, and
friends.”
Cosby’s ensemble includes mu
sicians from several generations
and styles. Philip Harper, a young
trumpeter in the Clifford Brown
and Lee Morgan tradition, is
counterpointed by the very per
sonal colorings of avant-trumpeter
Lester Bowie. “Stella by Starlight,”
immortalized by Miles Davis, is a
ballad feature for Harper and is
one of the session highlights,
Another gem is the a capella
tenor sax chorus by Craig Handy
on “Laura,” played at amuch more
brisk tempo than the famous
Clifford Brown recording with
strings. Handy hadn’t worked with
Cosby before the album, but Cosby
was 80 impressed by his playing
that Handy became a principal
soloist and arranger for The Cosby
Mysteriestelevision series. Thealto
sound of Bobby Watson, who had
previously worked with Cosby on
the My Appreciation album on
Verve, is integral the current ef
fort.
Veteran pianist and composer
Cedar Walton worked with Cosby
on arrangements and was joined
in the rhythm section by bassist
Peter Washington and drummer
Billy Higgins. Higgins was the
drummer on the original Blue Note
classic “Sidewinder,” and recre
ates his own funky groove for the
Artist throws charity event,
attends for a few minutes
EVANSVILLE, ind.
(AP) The Artist formerly known
as Prince invited a few hundred
friends — at sls per person — to
apost-concert party toraise money
for charity at a local bar, then
showed up himself for only a few
minutes.
“These parties are toraise funds
for these causes,” spokeswoman
Frances Penningtonsaid. “They’re
never contingent upon (his per
forming).”
The Artist told bar owner Dan
Harpole to expect 1,000 people at
the party after Monday night’s
concert in Evansville,and Harpole
agreed to open his Main Street
Exit, which is normally closed
Mondays.
The Artist arrived at the bar
hours after his concert ended at
midnight but mostly played bil
liards in a closed section upstairs
— and balked when Harpole re
fused to let him and his friends
play free. The owner conceded toa
single game on the house.
“He didn’t even want to pay 75
cents for the pool game,” Harpole
said.
E @
Winter Gathering
°
of Writers at ASU
Three well-known writers of poetry and fiction will share their
works with students and area residentsin the eighth annual Winter
Gathering of Writers to be held Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m., in
Augusta State University’s Galloway Hall 101. Brenda Marie Osbey,
Seaborn Jones, and Kwadwo Agymah Kamau will read original
works in this free program.
For further information contact Professor Tony Kellman at
(706) 737-1500.
AUGUSTA FOCUS _ JANUARY 15, 1998
TIT o
e o
*I R P
Bill Cosby: “IF'm just trying to
find a way to always have
proof that a wonderful young
man was here.”
90s. Steve Kroon completes the
ensemble with his own special
touch of percussion.
On Hello, Friend: to Ennis with
Love, Cosby et al revisit some of
his favorite jazz classics, including
“Sister Sadie,” and “Senor Blues”
by Horace Silver, “Moanin’” by
Bobby Timmons, “Sidewinder” by
Lee Morgan, and “Freedom Jazz
Dance,” by Eddie Harris. Also in
cluded in the set were two beauti
ful balladsthat originated as movie
themesbut became jazz standards,
“Laura” and “Stella by Starlight.”
In addition, there’s one Cosby
original, “Wide Open.”
Throughout thealbum, the band
settlesintoan easy goingcool that’s
both refreshing and familiar,
which reflects Cosby’s intention.
“I’'m just trying to find a way to
always have proof that a wonder
ful young man was here... Really a
wonderful young man. You know
how people hum a song that they
love? The people who knew Ennis
still hum with him with smiles on
their faces.”
Downstairs, about 300 people —
far fewer than expected — waited
patiently. And waited. And waited.
Finally, just before 3 a.m. Tues
day, the Artist walked downstairs,
but heleft minuteslater. The lights
cameup, and everyone was herded
outside.
“He ripped people off,” the frus
trated bar owner said. “I was re
ally disappointed in what he did to
thefanshere. Theydidn’t get what
they paid for, and it made my club
look bad. I apologize to anyone
who paid sls to see someone for 30
seconds.”
“It was a bunch of prima donna
stuff I could have done without,”
Harpole said. “As far as I’'m con
cerned, people paid too much
money for what they got.”
Some customers were seeingred.
“We were very upset, ready to
start screaming, and when it was
over there was no one to complain
to,” said patron Lynn Kyle.
The money raised — Harpole
said he wasn’t sure how much —
went to the Artist’s “Love 4 One
Another” foundation.
1B