Gilbert O’Sullivan Driven to Tour Again, Naturally By Jay S. Jacobs Gilbert O’Sullivan sure believes in making up for lost time. The 1970s hitmaker – who had three chart-topping hits in the US, “Alone Again (Naturally),” “Clair” and “Get Down” – had not played a live gig in the US since 1973 when he did … Continue reading
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson The Revolution Will Finally Be Televised By Jay S. Jacobs “The revolution will not be televised.” When recording artist and poet Gil Scott-Heron first wrote that line in 1970, he probably wasn’t thinking of the Harlem Cultural Festival, which had been run the summer before. Or perhaps he was, as he was … Continue reading
SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) (2021) Featuring Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Mavis Staples, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chris Rock, Sal Masakela, Sheila E., Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Denise Oliver-Velez and archival footage of Nina Simone, BB King, David Ruffin, The Fifth Dimension, Mahalia Jackson, Moms Mabley, Abbey Lincoln, … Continue reading
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Not So Silly Love Songs – Taking ‘Blackbird’ to New Heights By Mark Mussari Fifty years ago, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. did something they’d never done before. As the de facto lead singers of the legendary 5th Dimension, the couple covered Paul McCartney’s “Every Night” on the … Continue reading
Ed Sheeran – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – July 12, 2017 Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour made a stop in Philadelphia for two nights on July 11th and 12th. With James Blunt as opening act, the crowd warmed up their singing voices as they sang along to one of Blunt’s most famous songs, “You’re Beautiful.” … Continue reading
David Oyelowo Historical Accuracy by Jay S. Jacobs David Oyelowo has been making movies for a little over a decade now, and he seems to have carved out a special niche in Hollywood. The actor, who was born in Oxford and lived several years in Nigeria as a boy, has become Hollywood’s go-to choice for … Continue reading
WHAT HAPPENED MISS SIMONE? (2016) Featuring Lisa Simone Kelly, Roger Nupie, Al Shackman, George Wein, Stanley Crouch, Dick Gregory, Ilyasah Shabazz, Ambassador Shabazz, Gerrit De Bruin and archival footage of Nina Simone. Screenplay by Liz Garbus. Directed by Liz Garbus. Distributed by Netflix. 92 minutes. Rated PG-13. Jazz chanteuse Nina Simone always somehow felt too … Continue reading
Julie Delpy Paris Match by Jay S. Jacobs Sometimes, through a mixture of hard work, talent and sheer luck, a movie just clicks. Everything works. The 1995 romantic comedy/drama Before Sunrise was one of those films. It stood out from the pack of the Gen X films of the time, because it was smart, funny and had a serious point of view. It was light … Continue reading
Rosey Real Wild Child by Jay S. Jacobs The dream isn’t an uncommon one. A young Connecticut girl gets a job working for her cousin. This cousin just happens to be the right hand-person for the biggest concert promoter in New York. And despite the fact that the job is just a glorified gopher position, … Continue reading
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