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Michael Clarke Duncan in "Redemption Road"

*Acclaimed actor-director Mario Van Peebles taps Michael Clarke Duncan for his latest directorial effort, “Redemption Road.”

The Tennessee-set drama follows two men from different backgrounds embarking on a music-steered journey through the deep south who are then linked by a series of events that took place years earlier.

L-R: Charlie Poe, left, Mario Van Peebles, center, and actor Luke Perry, right, on the set of “Redemption Road.”

“One of the things that drew me to it was it has life affirming quality to it. You see a lot of films where you don’t care for the people and you’re watching them do things, but it just doesn’t help us out,” Van Peebles told The Huffington Post. “Dr. [Martin Luther] King said, ‘We either learn to live together as brothers and sisters or we die together as fools.’ And I think ‘Redemption Road’ is about some very different folks having to learn how to live together as brothers and sisters.”

Duncan, also the film’s co-producer, says it was his character Augy and the direction of Peebles that drew him to the film.

“I never played a character like that,” he said. “Independent movies sometimes come along and the script is so good that you want to be involved in it. It wasn’t about the money, it was all about the script. The second thing that attracted me to this movie was Mario Van Peebles. Just to be able to work with that brother, I’ve met him several times before. And just to know him and to know how cool he is, and to finally get to work with a director like that, it was unbelievable.”

“Since I co-produced the movie, the brother was in my trailer literally every morning for 40 minutes,” Duncan continued. “We would go over lines and go over what we would do for the day before the sun set. And the brother is truly intelligent, he knows his game, he’s on top of his game, and those are the two main things that attracted me to the movie.”

The film, currently in limited release, also stars Morgan Simpson and Luke Perry. [Scroll down to watch the trailer.]

Meanwhile, Mario Van Peebles is set to share the big screen alongside his iconic father, Melvin Van Peebles, in his forthcoming flick, “We The Party,” set to hit theaters early 2012. Michael Clarke Duncan’s FOX series, “The Finder,” premieres on Jan. 5 immediately following “American Idol.”

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Courtesy of EURWeb.com

Michael Clarke Duncan in "Redemption Road"

*Acclaimed actor-director Mario Van Peebles taps Michael Clarke Duncan for his latest directorial effort, “Redemption Road.”

The Tennessee-set drama follows two men from different backgrounds embarking on a music-steered journey through the deep south who are then linked by a series of events that took place years earlier.

L-R: Charlie Poe, left, Mario Van Peebles, center, and actor Luke Perry, right, on the set of “Redemption Road.”

“One of the things that drew me to it was it has life affirming quality to it. You see a lot of films where you don’t care for the people and you’re watching them do things, but it just doesn’t help us out,” Van Peebles told The Huffington Post. “Dr. [Martin Luther] King said, ‘We either learn to live together as brothers and sisters or we die together as fools.’ And I think ‘Redemption Road’ is about some very different folks having to learn how to live together as brothers and sisters.”

Duncan, also the film’s co-producer, says it was his character Augy and the direction of Peebles that drew him to the film.

“I never played a character like that,” he said. “Independent movies sometimes come along and the script is so good that you want to be involved in it. It wasn’t about the money, it was all about the script. The second thing that attracted me to this movie was Mario Van Peebles. Just to be able to work with that brother, I’ve met him several times before. And just to know him and to know how cool he is, and to finally get to work with a director like that, it was unbelievable.”

“Since I co-produced the movie, the brother was in my trailer literally every morning for 40 minutes,” Duncan continued. “We would go over lines and go over what we would do for the day before the sun set. And the brother is truly intelligent, he knows his game, he’s on top of his game, and those are the two main things that attracted me to the movie.”

The film, currently in limited release, also stars Morgan Simpson and Luke Perry. [Scroll down to watch the trailer.]

Meanwhile, Mario Van Peebles is set to share the big screen alongside his iconic father, Melvin Van Peebles, in his forthcoming flick, “We The Party,” set to hit theaters early 2012. Michael Clarke Duncan’s FOX series, “The Finder,” premieres on Jan. 5 immediately following “American Idol.”

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Courtesy of EURWeb.com

*Lalah Hathaway, one of contemporary R&B’s most prized artists and in-demand vocalists will release her sixth solo album and second for Stax Records, “Where It All Begins”on October 18, 2011.

The versatile, critically-acclaimed musician, songwriter, vocalist and producer found creative regeneration and new found energy making this record, an artistic re-birth she’s eager to share with anyone willing to listen.

“Everybody is an artist in some way,” Hathaway enthuses, “I wanted to explore what that really means.  For me it meant walking into being the artist I’ve always wanted to be. It was an opportunity for me to embrace my independence as an artist through my music and connection to my fans.”

Hathaway brings that message home splendidly on the gorgeous title track, penned by her and Ernest Green. “If you say what you mean/And mean what you say,” she croons at the beginning of “Where It All Begins,” showcasing her sensual alto over a languid, hypnotic groove.

In addition to Green, Hathaway recruited other esteemed kindred spirits to either co-write or contribute tailor-made tunes. The list includes Lewis Williams, Lee Hutson, Jr., Errol Cooney, James Day, James Fauntleroy, Rahsaan Patterson, Terrence Lilly, Jonathan Richmond, Mike City, Dave Young, Bryan Sledge, Eddie Serrano, Rich King, Andre Harris and Vidal Davis. Recruiting such top-tier songwriters – some of who have penned hits for Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Bilal, Babyface, Musiq Soulchild, and host of others, demonstrates Hathaway’s long-held status in contemporary R&B.

This album contains several up-tempo gems that are sure to heat up urban radio stations and nightclubs. For example, check out “If You Want To,” the album’s thumping, synth-driven first single, penned with Patterson, Richmond, and Lilly and the effervescent “My Everything,” which she co-wrote with Jonathan Richmond.  The slinky groove of Hutson, Jr.’s “Small of My Back” is also undeniable.

“Where It All Begins” comes on the heels of Hathaway’s most successful album to date, 2008′s “Self Portrait,” her first record for legendary soul label Stax Records. The album reached the top ten on the Top R&B Albums chart and included the Grammy® nominated (Best Female R&B Vocal) song “That Was Then.”

Indeed, Hathaway intoxicates as a storyteller. Even though her voice brims with magnetism, she never overpowers to the point of drowning out the lyrics. As with previous albums, “Where It All Begins” comes loaded with enduring songs that sound personal yet easily relatable, touching upon affairs of the heart as well as the everyday joys of life.

The disc comes on strong from the get-go.  Andre Harris and Vidal Davis’ gutsy “Strong Woman,” is a sassy cautionary tale, urging lotharios to step up to the plate and stop taking their devoted female lovers for granted.

Naturally, the singer hasn’t abandoned her R&B roots. “Where It All Begins” includes luxurious slow jams such as “This Could Be Love” (co-written with Green and Lewis), on which she sings of joys and fears of truly falling in love with that someone special, and City’s bittersweet “Always Love You,” which hints of the sadness of leaving an unfulfilling romantic relationship.

Hard-core fans will certainly be delighted with the newly arranged and recorded “I’m Coming Back,” a Quiet-Storm jewel, written by Gary Taylor, which appeared on her 1990 eponymous debut. It’s a song that’s remained a highlight of her live shows for two decades. “No matter, where I go – churches, festivals, Japan, South Africa – people love that song,” Hathaway says, “This version has a different arrangement, because it’s morphed over the years. I decided to rerecord it. We added vocalist Rachelle Ferrell at the end, which is really sublime.”

When it comes to honoring her predecessors, perhaps there’s no other greater example on “Where It All Begins” than with her spellbinding take on “You Were Meant For Me,” a chestnut that her late father – the incomparable Donny Hathaway recorded.

In view of Donny Hathaway’s landmark albums and indisputable influence on generations of singers worldwide, she speaks of him as a guiding light, especially when it comes to interpreting other people’s music. “I really listened to my dad’s own songs,” Hathaway says fondly. “‘Jealous Guy’ by John Lennon – I always thought my father owned that,” she laughs. “I just grew up with the approach of opening yourself up to create something beautiful, that’s a love letter to what came before.”

On “Where It All Begins,” Lalah Hathaway unquestionably succeeds at opening herself up in new and profound ways, striving for artistic higher ground and to ‘create something beautiful.’  “I feel like I’m at the top of my game, like I’m at the beginning again,” she says, excitedly. “There aren’t many artists, particularly female singers, who after 20 years, are kind of still on the come up. I feel like I’m on the come up.”

To hear Lalah Hathaway’s new single “If You Want To” please visit: www.lalahhathaway.com or click the player immediately below:

If You Want To | Lalah Hathaway by concordmusicgroup

Visit Lalah Hathaway on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LalahHathaway
Follow Lalah Hathaway on Twitter: @lalahhathaway

source:
Tosha Whitten-Griggs
The Front Page Firm
tosha@thefrontpagefirm.com

———

Joel Amsterdam
Stax/Concord:
joel.amsterdam@concordmusicgroup.com

EURweb

Courtesy of Democracy Now!

On Tuesday, Democracy Now! spoke with Ashley Joppa-Hagemann, the widow of a U.S. Army Ranger who confronted former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld about her husband’s suicide on Saturday ahead of his eighth deployment overseas.

In part two of our interview, Joppa-Hagemann calls for a military memorial for her husband, and notes she has not received a condolence letter from President Obama. We also speak with Jorge Gonzalez, executive director of Coffee Strong, a veteran-owned, veteran-operated GI coffeehouse just outside of Ft. Lewis, Washington. He’s a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War who joined Joppa-Hagemann in confronting Rumsfeld. "Our campaign right now is called Operation Recovery, which is calling for to end the redeployment of all traumatized troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, whether they’re suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, [or] military sexual trauma," says Gonzalez.

Click here to see Part 1 of the interview with Ashley Joppa-Hagemann.

READ THE COMPLETE RUSH TRANSCRIPT:

AMY GOODMAN: Was there a memorial for Jared at Ft. Lewis after his death?

ASHLEY JOPPA-HAGEMANN: No.

AMY GOODMAN: Why not?

ASHLEY JOPPA-HAGEMANN: No, still hasn’t been one. They keep changing their story. They first told me they didn’t want media coverage. They didn’t want the media to get the story. Then they said its pending investigation, the outcome of the investigation. Then they said, absolutely not, there’s not going to be a memorial.

And, all I want is a memorial. I want a letter of apology from the Ranger regiment. They were the ones who were supposed to be responsible for my husband to take care of him, and they did not. I did everything in my power. They didn’t. And I don’t see why its so hard to give me those two things.

AMY GOODMAN: What do you think they should have done?

ASHLEY JOPPA-HAGEMANN: Well I can tell you what they haven’t done. It would have been nice if they actually came over to me and expressed their condolences. If the Rangers actually treated us like–Rangers are supposed to be a brotherhood, take care of one another. They’ve never done that. Even after my husbands death, nobody’s called me unless I called them to get answers. And even when I called, they don’t call me back.

AMY GOODMAN: Did they inform you that your husband was dead?

ASHLEY JOPPA-HAGEMANN: I had the two officers come, yes.

AMY GOODMAN: Have you received a condolence letter from President Obama?

ASHLEY JOPPA-HAGEMANN: No. And um, as it seems I will not be receiving one because my husband was not killed in action. I guess they’ve been talking about how, if they take their life, then they might be able to receive one. But that excludes my husband, once again, because he did it on Ft. Lewis and he wasn’t overseas when he did it.

AMY GOODMAN: Was there a memorial, any kind of memorial service for Jared, for your husband?

ASHLEY JOPPA-HAGEMANN: We had his funeral down in California. He wanted to be buried with his family. That was part of the reason why, I wanted to be sure if I buried him down there, that they would have a memorial for him up here. They told me, 'Ya, if that's what you want, we can do that. Ya.’ Then they told me, 'Nope.' As soon as we buried him they told me no.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re talking to Ashley Joppa-Hagemann. Her husband committed suicide on June 28 at Ft. Lewis. He had been deployed somewhere around 8 times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was an Army Ranger.

We’re also joined in the Seattle studio by Jorge Gonzalez, executive director of Coffee Strong, a veteran-owned, veteran-operated GI coffeehouse that’s just outside Ft. Lewis, Washington. He served 15 months in Iraq, is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. He was with Ashley Friday when she confronted Donald Rumsfeld.

AMY GOODMAN: Could you describe the scene, Jorge, from your perspective, as Ashley was handling Donald Rumsfeld on a book tour the funeral program from the funeral for her husband?

JORGE GONZALEZ: Hi, Amy. The scene was very quiet. Normal kind of stuff going on. Amy handed the funeral program to Donald Rumsfeld and started telling him who Jared was. And that’s when security started putting their heads up, trying to see what is going on. Ashley did a great job, she did not let up on Donald Rumsfeld. And then that’s when security agents grabbed us both and drug us out of there.

AMY GOODMAN: Did you give the former Secretary of Defense his book for him to sign for you?

JORGE GONZALEZ: Yes, I had to buy a book just to wait in line. You write on a post-it note what you want the book to say. I wrote, "To Coffee Strong. Fighting the war, after the war." He asked me what Coffee Strong was. I told him its a GI Coffee House that provides resources and links for veterans and GIs for PTSD, TBI, Military Sexual Trauma. Its owned and operated by veterans. He said, 'Oh that's interesting.’

AMY GOODMAN: And so at what point did you both get taken out?

JORGE GONZALEZ: I think it was about 20 to 30 seconds into what Ashley was telling Donald Rumsfeld, that Jared joined the military because of his lies. He died because of Donald Rumsfeld’s lies. That because the military was not giving him the adequate resources he needed to get better. Twenty to 30 seconds into it.

AMY GOODMAN: Jorge, can you talk about what is happening in the military? Coffee Strong is right outside Ft. Lewis. There were 5 suicides alone in July. So that doesn’t even count Jared, who killed himself at the end of June. What’s happening? What kind of support are soldiers, or Rangers, or folks on the base getting?

AMY GOODMAN: Jorge, can you talk about what is happening in the military? Coffee Strong is right outside Ft. Lewis. There were 5 suicides alone in July. So that doesn’t even count Jared, who killed himself at the end of June. What’s happening? What kind of support are soldiers, or Rangers, or folks on the base getting?

JORGE GONZALEZ: Very unsurprisingly, its not very much help at all. Thirty-two suicides just in the Army this year is going on. Unfortunately this is not the first big number and it probably won’t be the last big number. The suicides are going to keep going up if soldiers do not get the help they need. They need counseling, they need to talk to people instead of just getting drugged up, put on these medications, and not taken care of. This is not going to stop, unfortunately, unless we actually do something about it and bring awareness to people out there, to the military base, to officials, to the doctors, to soldiers themselves, that this is not what they joined the military for. They didn’t join to just become puppets, to become cannon fodder for these government officials.

Even though Donald Rumsfeld does not have an official title, he is still on watch, we are still watching him. He was one of the main architects in this war. So we’re not going to let up on Donald Rumsfeld, on Dick Cheney, on George Bush–on anybody in that cabinet at that time in that administration.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about your own experience in Iraq?

JORGE GONZALEZ: I deployed June ’06 to Mosul, Iraq. Joined the military, very patriotic. I was fighting for my country, fighting for the freedoms of U.S. citizens. Halfway through my tour I really started to see, not what, not what we were really doing there, but I saw no reason to be over there.

One experience is I was given an order. I was on a Striker and we had two missile launchers on top of the striker. I was told to shoot at this building that had seen two guys with AKs run into this building. I can see 3,000 meters down the road in my vehicle, and I looked at the building and saw nothing but women and children, and there was a school. And I was told my my captain that, 'Blow it up.' And I said, 'Is this the building?' I described it perfectly and he said, 'Yes, that's it.’ And I’m like, 'Can you see it from where you're at?’ 'Yes, I can see it." So he can see what's going on over there. So I made an excuse, I said I cannot do this. I lied to my captain and I said, 'I do not have a clear shot.'

That’s one of the first times that my humanity actually came out, instead of what I was doing in the past. It wasn’t my only experience where I stood up, and it wasn’t my only experience where I didn’t stand up and say something. But I’m very glad I did at this time.

And coming back from Iraq, I suffered, and I still do suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I still suffer with depression, I still suffer with thoughts of suicide. I was rushed out of the Army. I never got the adequate medical attention that I requested, that I needed. I was put on drugs, I was kept away from my family, I was kept away from my unit. I was put aside just like Jared was, to the S-5 shop. Instead, they put me in a room by myself, in the barracks, and that’s how I was taken care of. And its not the first time, there’s other soldiers exactly the same.

Sgt. Crookland, same example, killed himself because they put him in a room by himself when he was deemed a low risk after three suicide attempts. Its widespread in the military.

AMY GOODMAN: And then what happened to him?

JORGE GONZALEZ: He finally committed suicide. Sorry, it was two times in Iraq that he tried to kill himself, then he was brought back to the United States, where he saw a medical professional. He was then deemed a low-risk for suicide. His chain of command back on base made fun of him, called him a wuss, called him all these names I can’t say on TV. Then they gave him a room by himself, which Army regulation says you’re not supposed to if you’re under any kind of suicide risk–whether it be low, high, medium. And he finally hung himself, and he was still ridiculed after his death.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about what Iraq Veterans Against the War is calling for?

JORGE GONZALEZ: We are calling for the end of, for all soldiers to return from Iraq and Afghanistan, from overseas. We’re calling for reparations on all citizens of Iraq, Afghanistan. We’re also calling for full  veteran benefits, for GIs to get the benefits and medical assistance that they need. Our campaign right now is called Operation Recovery, which is calling for to end the redeployment of all traumatized troops from Iraq, Afghanistan. Whether they’re suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, military sexual trauma. They’re having a big campaign right now at Under the Hood Cafe in Fort Hood, where Gen. Campbell is being kept on watch. They’re trying to pressure him to stop the deployment of traumatized troops.

Democracy Now! Blog

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*In the latest round of Shonda Rhimes musical chairs, Jason George is headed back to his role on her ABC series “Grey’s Anatomy,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The actor first appeared on the show’s seventh season before heading to Rhimes’ jungle-set medical drama “Off the Map,” which was cancelled in May after one season.

George will reprise his role as anesthesiologist Dr. Ben Warren — Bailey’s (Chandra Wilson) ex-boyfriend — for multiple episodes in the upcoming eighth season of the medical drama, according to TV Line.

George will first appear in late October/early November.

“Grey’s Anatomy” returns for its eighth season on Thursday, Sept. 22 on ABC.

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