Thursday, 28 August 2008

Bernie Mac: America's King of Comedy


We've been cheated out of Bernie Mac's second act.
Dead from pneumonia at a mere 50, Mac leaves behind a legacy of great succeeder and unrealized promise. We can be grateful for the hits, most notably his influential, insufficiently comprehended sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show". But as with any performing artist who dies at the height of his calling, you can't help mentation there would have been more to come.








Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in 1957 in Chicago, he was, in show biz circles, a late boner. He didn't come to national tending until he was already well into adulthood, and his funniness came from a in spades adult linear perspective. It could be raw and blustery, but the anger and insights both came from experience, and were frequently softened by a warmness he could turn on and turned at will.


Though he worked in TV and films though the '90s, most notably, perchance, in the 1995 strike "Friday," Mac's career didn't take off until 2000 with the Spike Lee concert photographic film "The Original Kings of Comedy." His co-stars at the time were belike better known: Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey. But it was Mac who stone-broke out, ambitious Hollywood to give him a sitcom � a challenge met by Fox the adjacent year with "The Bernie Mac Show."





Loosely based on his possess life," Mac" cast him as a happily married man wHO becomes a not-so-happy father when he's forced to take in his sister's three young children. Addressing "America" now through the camera, Mac let us know precisely what he thought of this and every other turn of event, patch his children and his wife let us go out they knew how to get about him.


The show ran little Joe years and earned "Mac" two Emmy nominations. But as ratings fell and network support vanished, Mac moved on to movies: "Oceans 11" and its sequels, "Guess Who (a Guess Who's Coming to Dinner revamp)," and "Transformer"s among them. He likewise battled health problems brought on by the inflammatory disease sarcoidosis that were clearly more serious then he let on in public.


For all his talents, Mac was not always his best ally. His complaints during the guide of his Fox evince, while sometimes justified, did not do much to endear him to the network, and may feature hastened the end of the series. Most late, his off-color remarks while introducing Barack Obama at a fundraiser in July got him into trouble with both the audience and the campaign.







More information

Monday, 18 August 2008

Vanessa Hudgens Slapped With $5M Suit



(Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage/Getty Images)


A euphony producer has sued Vanessa Hudgens for $5 million, claiming the actress and her father have repeatedly violated a contract and failed to pay him his contribution of her earnings.


Hudgens, unitary of the stars of Disney's successful "High School Musical" serial, entered into an correspondence with producer Johnny Vieira when she was still a minor, the causa, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, states. Vieira claims Hudgens and her father, Greg, sued to get out of the agreement, merely have too failed to abide by settlement terms.


An e-mail message seeking remark from Hudgens' publicist wasn't immediately returned Tuesday morning.





Vieira is described in the lawsuit as a ballad maker and euphony producer world Health Organization was "set-aside in the business of discovering and developing artists in the music industry" when he entered into an concord with Hudgens in 2005.


That agreement, Vieira states, called for him to as share in advances, royalties and marketing from Hudgens' career.


That was before she landed a starring theatrical role in "High School Musical," which is scheduled to release its third installment later this year. She has also released a pair of solo albums.


Vieira claims an audit turned up at least deuce instances where he is owed money, and that Hudgens, 19, has refused to pay him.


He is also suing Greg Hudgens for defamation, claiming he sent an e-mail to others that accused Vieira of being a "predator."


Hudgens was sued last year by a lawyer world Health Organization claimed she owed him $150,000. Court records show the lawsuit was settled in January, about a calendar month after a judge ruled that case could go to trial.

Copyright 2008�The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disperse, rewritten, or redistributed.




More info

Friday, 8 August 2008

Cal Tjader

Cal Tjader   
Artist: Cal Tjader

   Genre(s): 
Jazz
   Soundtrack
   Folk
   Other
   



Discography:


Solar Heat   
 Solar Heat

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 10


Cal Tjader Plays Harold Arlen/West Side Story   
 Cal Tjader Plays Harold Arlen/West Side Story

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 20


Several Shades Of Jade / Breeze From The East   
 Several Shades Of Jade / Breeze From The East

   Year: 1997   
Tracks: 22


Talkin' Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz   
 Talkin' Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz

   Year: 1996   
Tracks: 16


Jazz 'Round Midnight   
 Jazz 'Round Midnight

   Year: 1996   
Tracks: 16


Mambo With Tjader   
 Mambo With Tjader

   Year: 1995   
Tracks: 12


Descarga   
 Descarga

   Year: 1995   
Tracks: 16


Amazonas   
 Amazonas

   Year: 1995   
Tracks: 9


Black Orchid   
 Black Orchid

   Year: 1993   
Tracks: 21


Latin Kick   
 Latin Kick

   Year: 1991   
Tracks: 11


Gozame Pero Ya (Both Sides of the Coin) CD1   
 Gozame Pero Ya (Both Sides of the Coin) CD1

   Year: 1980   
Tracks: 7


Cal Tjader Plugs In   
 Cal Tjader Plugs In

   Year: 1970   
Tracks: 8


Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof   
 Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof

   Year: 1965   
Tracks: 12


Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings   
 Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings

   Year: 1961   
Tracks: 14


Stan Getz With Cal Tjader   
 Stan Getz With Cal Tjader

   Year: 1958   
Tracks: 7


Verve Jazz Masters 39   
 Verve Jazz Masters 39

   Year:    
Tracks: 16


The Shining Sea (Both Sides of the Coin) CD2   
 The Shining Sea (Both Sides of the Coin) CD2

   Year:    
Tracks: 8




Cal Tjader was doubtlessly the almost celebrated non-Latino leader of Latin jazz bands, an extraordinary eminence. From the fifties until his end, he was much the stop man between the worlds of Latin malarky and mainstream bop; his calorie-free, rhythmic, joyous vibraphone manner could comfortably embrace both styles. His numerous recordings for Fantasy and Verve and longstanding presence in the San Francisco Bay Area finally had a profound influence upon Carlos Santana, and so Latin rock. He as well played drums and bongos, the latter to the highest degree notably on the George Shearing Quintet's puckishly coroneted "Blame Your Troubles in Drums," and would occasionally sit in on forte-piano as substantially.


Tjader studied music and education Department at San Francisco State College before hook up with bloke Bay Area occupier Dave Brubeck as the drummer in the Brubeck Trio from 1949 to 1951. He then worked with Alvino Rey, lED his own group, and in 1953, united George Shearing's then hugely popular quintette as a vibraphonist and percussionist. It was in Shearing's ring that Tjader's love matter with Latin music began, ignited by Shearing's bassist Al McKibbon, nurtured by contact lens with Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, and Armando Peraza, and galvanized by the '50s mambo fad. When he left hand Shearing the undermentioned year, Tjader right away formed his possess band that emphasized the Latin element yet too played mainstream malarkey. Bobo and Santamaria eventually joined Tjader's ring as sidemen, and Vince Guaraldi served for a patch as pianist and subscriber to the band's songbook ("Ginza," "Thought of You, MJQ"). Tjader recorded a long series of mostly Latin wind albums for Fantasy from the mid-'50s through the early '60s, switching in 1961 to Verve, where under Creed Taylor's breastplate he expanded his stylistic pallet and was teamed with artists like Lalo Schifrin, Anita O'Day, Kenny Burrell, and Donald Byrd. Along the way, Tjader managed to grudge a minor run into in 1965 with "Soul Sauce," a reworking of Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo's "Guacha Guaro," which Tjader had previously cut for Fantasy. Tjader returned to Fantasy in the seventies, then in 1979 moved over to the new Concord Picante label, where he remained until his demise.






Tuesday, 1 July 2008

Luciano Pavarotti - Pavarotti Estate Settled Fairly Says Widows Lawyer


LATEST: The estate of late opera legend LUCIANO PAVAROTTI has been settled "fairly", according to his widow's lawyer - despite reports of a bitter feud between the star's wife and his children from a former marriage.

A feud between Pavarotti's wife Nicoletta Mantovani and the tenor's three daughters from a previous marriage had blown up after his death when reports surfaced suggesting his legal will had been changed six weeks before his death, meaning all of his assets would go to Mantovani.

However, Mantovani vehemently denied the claims, and went on to sue two of the late tenor's close pals for defamation in a $44 million (GBP22 million) lawsuit last November (07) after refusing to tolerate speculation about the state of her marriage to the star.

Now, Mantovani's lawyer Anna Maria Bernini has announced that Pavarotti's estate has been shared equally - insisting the widow's close relationship with the tenor's three daughters made the proceedings easier.

She tells Italy's II Resto del Carlino newspaper, "Nicoletta and the three daughters (from the tenor's first marriage) are friends. It was this affection that made it possible to reach the best conclusion to the negotiations on the estate."

Although the full details of the will settlement are undocumented, the Italian press range Pavarotti's personal wealth to be between 30 - 200 million euros ($46million/GBP23million-$127.5million/GBP158million).





See Also

Thursday, 19 June 2008

Milton Nascimento

Milton Nascimento   
Artist: Milton Nascimento

   Genre(s): 
Pop
   Latin
   Folk
   Jazz
   



Discography:


Perfil   
 Perfil

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 16


Pieta   
 Pieta

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 16


Tambores de Minas   
 Tambores de Minas

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 17


Millennium   
 Millennium

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 20


Maria Maria   
 Maria Maria

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 18


Gilberto Gil and Milton Nascimento   
 Gilberto Gil and Milton Nascimento

   Year: 2000   
Tracks: 15


Millennium: Milton Nascimento   
 Millennium: Milton Nascimento

   Year: 1999   
Tracks: 20


Crooner   
 Crooner

   Year: 1999   
Tracks: 16


Nascimento   
 Nascimento

   Year: 1997   
Tracks: 12


Amigos   
 Amigos

   Year: 1994   
Tracks: 12


Minha Historia   
 Minha Historia

   Year: 1993   
Tracks: 14


Angelus   
 Angelus

   Year: 1993   
Tracks: 15


O planeta blue na strada do sol   
 O planeta blue na strada do sol

   Year: 1991   
Tracks: 11


Txai   
 Txai

   Year: 1990   
Tracks: 15


Personalidade 2   
 Personalidade 2

   Year: 1990   
Tracks: 14


Yauarete   
 Yauarete

   Year: 1987   
Tracks: 11


Encontros e Despedidas   
 Encontros e Despedidas

   Year: 1985   
Tracks: 12


Ao Vivo   
 Ao Vivo

   Year: 1983   
Tracks: 13


Missa dos Quilombos   
 Missa dos Quilombos

   Year: 1982   
Tracks: 15


Anima   
 Anima

   Year: 1982   
Tracks: 11


Ultimo Trem   
 Ultimo Trem

   Year: 1980   
Tracks: 18


Sentinela   
 Sentinela

   Year: 1980   
Tracks: 13


Jurney to dawn   
 Jurney to dawn

   Year: 1979   
Tracks: 12


Clube da Esquina 2 (cd2)   
 Clube da Esquina 2 (cd2)

   Year: 1978   
Tracks: 12


Clube da Esquina 2 (cd1)   
 Clube da Esquina 2 (cd1)

   Year: 1978   
Tracks: 11


Geraes   
 Geraes

   Year: 1976   
Tracks: 14


Minas   
 Minas

   Year: 1975   
Tracks: 13


Milagre Dos Peixes Ao Vivo   
 Milagre Dos Peixes Ao Vivo

   Year: 1974   
Tracks: 16


Milagre dos Peixes   
 Milagre dos Peixes

   Year: 1973   
Tracks: 11


Clube da Esquina   
 Clube da Esquina

   Year: 1972   
Tracks: 21


Milton   
 Milton

   Year: 1970   
Tracks: 13


Milton Nascimento   
 Milton Nascimento

   Year: 1969   
Tracks: 10


Courage   
 Courage

   Year: 1969   
Tracks: 10


Travesia   
 Travesia

   Year: 1967   
Tracks: 10


MPB Compositores CD 19   
 MPB Compositores CD 19

   Year:    
Tracks: 12


Minha Historia   
 Minha Historia

   Year:    
Tracks: 14




International singing champion and songster Milton Nascimento may have his roots in Brazil, only his songs have stirred audiences all over the world. Born in Rio, Nascimento's adoptive parents, both andrew D. White, brought him to Tres Pontas, a small town in the united States Department of State of Minas Gerais, when he was two. His mother american ginseng in a choir and at local music festivals, often accompanied by Milton. Nascimento's father was an electronics tinker, maths teacher, and at one compass point ran a local receiving set station where a young Milton on occasion worked as a DJ. He began tattle as a teen. When he was 19, Nascimento affected to the washington Belo Horizonte and began tattle wheresoever and whenever he could. Finally he caught a break away when the kill singer Elis Regina recorded one of his songs, "Canção do Sal," in 1966. Regina got him a display case on a popular Brazilian TV programme, and after playacting at Brazil's International Song Festival the next year, his career was launched.


In 1972 he collaborated with comrade lyricists Márcio Borges, Fernando Brant, Ronaldo Bastos, and other friends to record Clube da Esquina, a double album that spurred trey strike singles, including "Cais (Dock)" and "Cravo é Canela (Syzygium aromaticum and Cinnamon)." The singles ar still existence recorded and induce become standards in Brazil o'er the eld. Since he began recording with his self-titled debut in 1967 for the Codil pronounce, Nascimento has written and recorded 28 albums.


Nascimento's many achievements include Grammy nominations for his O Planeta Blue na Estrada do Sol in 1992, and in 1995 for his Warner Bros. debut, Angelus. Nascimento is also victor of the 1992 Down Beat International Critics' Poll and the 1991 Down Beat Readers' Poll. Nascimento has toured throughout the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Latin America.


His lengthy discography includes Bravery, a 1969 album for A&M and John Milton Nascimento that same year for EMI Odeon; John Milton, likewise for the EMI Odeon pronounce, recorded in 1970, and then quartet more albums for the pronounce EMI Odeon: Clube da Esquina (1972), Milagre disk operating system Peixes (1973), Milagre disk operating system Peixes (Ao Vivo) (1973), and Minas (1975).


His other titles include Native Dancer (CBS, 1976), Geraes (EMI Odeon, 1976), John Milton (A&M, 1977), Clube da Esquina 2 (EMI Odeon, 1978), A Brazilian Love Affair, a collaboration with George Duke (CBS Records, 1980), Journey to Dawn (A&M Records, 1979), and a series of cinque albums for Ariola: Sentinela (1980), Cacador de Mim (1981), Missa disk operating system Quilombos (1982), Anima (1982), and John Milton Nascimento ao Vivo (1983).


His output through the catch one's breath of the eighties and '90s has been unfluctuating and authentic, though never musically predictable. Like any true jazz and bulge ex-serviceman, Nascimento has a inscrutable want to go along challenging himself, vocally, lyrically, and stylistically. Nascimento's other releases include Encontros e Despedidas for Barclay in 1985, Corazon Americano for PolyGram in 1986, A Barca disk operating system Amantes for Barclay in 1986, Milton/RPM for Epic/CBS in 1987, Yauaretê for CBS in 1987, Miltons in 1988 for CBS, Txai for the same tag in 1990, and O Planeta Blue na Estrada do Sol for CBS in 1991.


In the mid-'90s, Nascimento switched to Warner Bros. He released two splendid, promptly available albums for the judge, Angelus bell, his twenty-seventh transcription, in 1995, Amigo in 1996, Nascimento in 1997, and Crooner in 1999. He returned after a short foramen in 2003 with Pieta, followed by The Essential Collection: The Best of the EMI Odeon Years (1969-78) in 2006.


This magnetic Brazilian whizz simply won't dull down whatsoever time soon, and whether he's boxing a sports stadium in Brazil or tattle at a golf club in New York, his experient leg persona allows everyone in the hearing to experience as if they're in his living room. On Angelus, he's coupled by saxophonist Wayne Shorter, wHO pays testimonial to Nascimento's 1975 Native Dancer LP, the heights point of which was the deduction between Nascimento's voice and Shorter's saxophone. That album helped to solidify Nascimento's shoes on the external jazz and bulge view in the seventies. Whatever he writes and sings about, be it the planet, slipway of living, and loving and dying, his music has always carried an everlastingly affirmative intent. As he entered the millennium, Nascimento south Korean won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Pop Album for 1999's Crooner at the commencement annual Latin Grammy Awards in fall 2000.