Showbiz vet Dutton takes ‘Time’ to Lifetime
Sarah Rodman
In the made-for-TV movie “Racing for Time,” which debuted Feb. 16 on Lifetime, veteran actor Charles S. Dutton plays Cleveland “Stack” Stackhouse, a guard at a youth prison who has a positive impact on the lives of the young offenders in his charge by forming a track team. Co-starring Elizabeth Peña (“Lone Star”) as the prison superintendent and a truly impressive Yaya DaCosta (“Take the Lead”) as a young woman learning to trust herself instead of the bad influences in her life, the gritty, hard-edged “Time” — based on a true story — presents a very different look for a network famous for its “women in jeopardy” TV movies.
Dutton, who also directed, knows all about gritty and hard-edged. In a career spanning more than 20 years, he has acted in, produced and directed a number of works looking at life from a street-level view — a view acquired, in part, through his serving 7-1/2 years in prison. It was there that Dutton discovered his love for theater, which ultimately led him to attend Yale School of Drama. Full story
|
Wesley, Berklee honor funk legend
Micah Nemiroff
There’s a great scene in the 1994 documentary “My First Name Is Maceo,” which captures a tour of former James Brown sidemen led by legendary saxophonist Maceo Parker, that shows the band’s members about to get their funk on.
Parker, fellow saxophonist Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis and trombonist Fred Wesley are all decked out in smooth suits, sharp slacks and slick ties. The beige-suited Wesley — arguably the greatest funk trombonist of all time, whose résumé includes stints alongside music icons like Brown, Count Basie and George Clinton — is getting ready for his solo.
The Mobile, Ala., native has a quieter demeanor than Parker, but when it’s his turn to blow, his horn speaks volumes, delivering a seamless solo that smoothly transitions from one line to the next — he makes it look easy. The solo and scene are both quintessential Wesley — the man, his trombone, some funky music, and a wide smile at the end. Full story
|
 Fresh off Grammy win, Hancock to be feted by Harvard
Banner Staff
Grammy-winning jazz musician Herbie Hancock has been named the 2008 Artist of the Year by the Harvard Foundation of Harvard University, the foundation announced Tuesday.
Hancock, the unanimous choice of the selection committee, will be awarded the foundation’s most prestigious medal, which bears the signature of the university’s president, at Harvard’s annual Cultural Rhythms ceremony on Saturday, March 1.
“The students and faculty of Harvard are delighted to present the 2008 Artist of the Year award to the legendary jazz pianist and Grammy award winner Herbie Hancock,” said Dr. S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation, in a statement announcing the award. “He is a masterful artist, a brilliant composer of modern jazz who has shared his musical gift with humanity in ways that inspire and unify.”
Full story
|
