Interview: Ted Gioia – Musician, Author and Jazz Critic

Date of Interview: 03/27/2013

© 2013 Clayton Perry

Ted Gioia is a pianist, music historian, and one of the founders of the jazz studies program at Stanford Univeristy. The New York Times has named two of his works notable books of the year: The History of Jazz (1997) and Delta Blues (2009). Gioia is also the author of West Coast Jazz, Work Songs, Healing Songs and The Birth (and Death) of the Cool.

In promotional support of The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire (Oxford University Press: July 6, 2012), Ted Gioia spoke with Clayton Perry about the evolution of music criticism, defining moments in jazz history, and the importance of music education.

Interview: Allen Stone – Singer, Songwriter and Producer

Date of Interview: 03/01/2013

© 2013 Clayton Perry

The music of Allen Stone pulsates with new millennium blues and reverberates with Gospel-infused fervor. On his self-titled debut, the rough, jagged and smooth contours of adolescent and young adult life are reflected in a free-flowing, introspective sea of sonic tales. Although born-and-raised in Chewelah, Washington, Stone’s music is “univer-soul” – tackling the highs and lows everyone must face along Life’s journey.

In the midst of extensive international touring, Allen Stone managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting upon 20’s angst, “Satisfaction,” and pre-recorded music.

“R&B Love Letters” featured in Gil Robertson anthology

Where Did Our Love Go is the third anthology edited by Gil Robertson IV that examines critical issues affecting the quality of African American life. My contribution to this effort is “R&B Love Letters,” a reflective essay that explores how contemporary music shaped and re-defined my conception of love. Additional contributors include: soul icon Anthony Hamilton, journalist Byron Pitts, and sociologist Dr. R. L’Heureux Lewis-McCoy.

“In an era where the decline of the African-American family and the estrangement of black women from black men are real and abiding dangers, this book reminds black folk of a simple, soul-saving truth: love is, still.” — Pulitzer Prize winner journalist Leonard Pitts

Where Did Our Love Go is a critical look at relationships in today’s African-American community. Marriage is an essential part of the vitality and character of a community. For this reason, the decline of marriage rates within the black community in the United States and its potential implications are of real concern. While marriage rates among African Americans have long been lower than those among other ethnic groups, the gap today is so pronounced that it has sparked an intense national dialogue.

Gil L. Robertson IV is a veteran journalist whose syndicated column, “The Robertson Treatment,” appears in more than 30 newspapers and reaches more than 2 million readers around the country. He is also the editor of Family Affair: What It Means to be African American Today (Agate Bolden, 2009) and Not In My Family: AIDS in the African-American Community (Agate Bolden, 2006).

Where Did Our Love Go: Love and Relationships in the African-American Community | Publication Date: February 12, 2013 | Publisher: Agate Bolden

 

Interview: Antwan “Big Boi” Patton – Hip Hop Icon and Renaissance Man

Date of Interview: 12/04/2012

Over the past two decades, Antwan “Big Boi” Patton has received commercial success and critical acclaim for speaking on wax – and in the streets – about social and political issues that directly affect the African-American community. Although known internationally as an ambassador of hip-hop and one of rap’s great icons, without question, “Big Boi” is Georgia’s beloved native son. From Atlanta to Savannah, Patton is well-regarded for his activist spirit and philanthropic efforts.

In the midst of a promotional campaign for Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, Big Boi managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting upon “edutainment,” the birth of Stankonia Studios, and the importance of family.

Interview: Emeli Sande – Singer and Songwriter

Date of Interview: 08/23/2012

Emeli Sande is the 2012 winner of the BRIT Critics’ Choice Award. Sande’s debut album – Our Version of Events – became the year’s biggest-selling new release in the United Kingdom, as well as the fastest-selling since Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream (2009). The critical and commercial success of the Scottish-born singer led her to play a crucial role in the 2012 Summer Olympics – performing Henry Francis Lyte’s hymn “Abide With Me” during the Opening ceremony, “Read All About It” (Part III) during the Closing ceremony, and a cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” exclusively for BBC’s coverage of the Games.

“Wonder” – Our Version of Events’ fifth single – will be released on September 30, 2012. In support of the Naughty Boy-produced track, Emeli Sande managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule to settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on life as a medical student, the “science” behind music-making, and her emotional attachment to “Heaven.”

Interview: Roger M. Bobb – Filmmaker and CEO of Bobbcat Films

Date of Interview: 07/18/2012

Roger M. Bobb is the President and CEO of Bobbcat Films. A six-time NAACP Image Award winner, he is also the former Executive Vice President of Tyler Perry Studios. To date, his various film projects have amassed over $500 million in box office receipts. His theatrical producing credits include: Diary Of A Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion, Daddy’s Little Girls, Why Did I Get Married?, Meet The Browns, The Family that Preys, Madea Goes To Jail, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Why Did I Get Married Too?, For Colored Girls and Madea’s Big Happy Family.

Roger M. Bobb marks his directorial debut with Raising Izzie, a GMC Network feature film, which also serves as the first film produced under his new film and television production company. In the midst of promotional support for Raising Izzie, Roger M. Bobb managed to squeeze some time out his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting upon the influence of Spike Lee, the founding of Bobbcat Films, and lessons learned working under Woody Allen and Tyler Perry.

Who Wants to Skinny-Dip in Mister Frank’s Ocean?

OCEAN water has remarkably uniform chemical composition despite all of the various elements and creatures that reside within it. Even when controlled and uncontrolled substances are dumped into its waters, it pH level remains fairly neutral – being neither wholly basic nor acidic. So let us all – for a moment – skinny dip in the “odd waters” of Mister Frank’s OCEAN!

On Tuesday, July 3, 2012, Frank Ocean revealed via Tumblr that he was bisexual. (Lock-and-step: favorable news headlines were penned; fellow entertainers fawned over the announcement; and the singer-songwriters’ Twitter following increased substantially.) Without trivializing “the matter,” kudos is deserved to Frank Ocean for being open and honest about the man he claims himself to be. Shame on the media for treating his disclosure as some grand circus exhibition! And shame on America for failing to recall the pioneering life and works of James Baldwin – who traversed these waters decades earlier! (*sigh*) Without harping too long on shame, however, let us focus on the far more important issues – floating unnoticed, yet festering unequivocally – in Mister Frank’s OCEAN.

Interview: Haley Reinhart – Singer and Songwriter

Date of Interview: 06/18/2012

Long before Haley Reinhart made a name for herself as an American Idol finalist, she was performing on international stages. Haley’s pre-Idol participation in Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival and Italy’s Umbria Jazz Festival underpinned her dazzling soul-infused renditions that ultimately led to her third-place finish. Throughout the tenth season, Reinhart tackled several venerable classics: “God Bless the Child” (Billie Holiday), “Fallin’” (Alicia Keys), and “Rolling in the Deep” (Adele). Her debut album – Listen Up! – was released via 19 Recordings and Interscope Records on May 22, 2012 and received widespread critical acclaim.

In the midst of a promotional campaign for Listen Up, Haley Reinhart spoke with Clayton Perry about her upbringing in a “house of rock,” the catharsis she found in slam poetry, and the value of risk-taking.

Interview: Dr. Roscoe Brown – Tuskegee Airman and Squadron Commander

Date of Interview: 05/18/2012

Dr. Roscoe Brown served as one of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. As squadron commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group, Brown flew 68 long-range missions from August of 1944 to March of 1945. For his service, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 2007, the Tuskegee Airmen were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush.

The experiences of the Tuskegee Airmen are highlighted in Red Tails, a film produced by George Lucas [theatrical release date: January 20, 2012]. The film was directed by Anthony Hemingway and based upon a screenplay crafted by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder. In support of the DVD release [May 22, 2012], Dr. Roscoe Brown spoke with Clayton Perry about his Air Force experience, life under “Jim Crow,” and the value of education.

Interview: Bram van Splunteren – Filmmaker and Journalist

Date of Interview: 05/14/2012

Bram van Splunteren is a Dutch filmmaker and journalist. His hip-hop documentary – Big Fun in the Big Town (1986) – captures a series of extraordinary events during an incredible week in New York: Doug E Fresh beatboxing and philosophizing on the street in Harlem, Grandmaster Flash scratching records on his living room table, and LL Cool J discussing love raps at his grandmother’s house in Queens. Twenty-five years after its initial broadcasting on Dutch public television, 5 Day Weekend has made this rare, historical footage commercially available for the very first time.

In support of Big Fun in the Big Town’s worldwide release (DVD: May 22, 2012), Bram van Splunteren spoke with Clayton Perry about his passion for filmmaking, early radio resistance to hip-hop music, and the vital support received from Def Jam publicist Bill Adler.