Lady Sings the Blues is the story of jazz singer Billie Holiday and is loosely based on her 1956 autobiography. Holiday took its title from one of her most popular songs. Continue reading
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Category: Music
Gospel Sunday: Calvary – Richard Smallwood and Vision
(In Photo: Roderick Tobin, Walter Rutledge, Samuel Quiller)
Richard Smallwood’s music has been recorded by artists such as Destiny’s Child, Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard and many more. His recording career began in 1982 with the album The Richard Smallwood Singers. The album spent 87 weeks on Billboard’s Gospel chart. Continue reading
8/17/17 (Repost) O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: D’Angelo- Untitled (How Does It Feel)
Untitled (How Does It Feel) created a music video scandal. The music video helped boost D’Angelo’s visibility and the song’s public appeal. Continue reading
(Repost) 4/1/14 O&A NYC DANCE: Martha Graham – Appalachian Spring and Rite of Spring
By Walter Rutledge
The recent all too-short season of the Martha Graham Dance Company at New York City Center was a resounding artistic success. The company performed two programs of Graham classics and stunning new works by Nacho Duato and Andonis Foniadakis. The Saturday March 22 evening program included two Graham classics Appalachian Spring (1944) and Rite of Spring (1984). Both works reinforced the fact that Graham was not only as a master craftsman, but also as an artist with a strong sense of classic form, structure and design. Continue reading
Throwback Thursday: Marvin Gaye- Let’s Get It On
Throwback Thursday- Tina Turner March 6, 2014
Apollo Club Harlem
By Walter Rutledge
Apollo Club Harlem returned to the Apollo Theater for four performances Thursday, February 20 through Sunday, February 23, 2014. The evening consisted of a pre-show musical interlude by pianist Isaac Ben Ayala, a lively revue and post show dancing on stage for orchestra patrons. The stylish evening was a true up-scale date night combining entertainment, dining and dancing while celebrating the history of Harlem’s most venerable performance venue. Continue reading
Creating an Urban Legend: A Conversation with George Faison and Ebon Charles
By Walter Rutledge
On December 5, 2013 Bah Humbug from The Notorious E.B. Scrooge premiered at the Faison Firehouse Theater. The production was conceived, written, directed and choreographed by George Faison. Ebon Charles, who also performed the role of E.B. Scrooge- a ruthless record mogul, and Hip Hop artist Rah Digga contributed additional material. Faison’s urban adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol used rap music as the storytelling devise, transforming the holiday classic into an urban legend. Continue reading
