Last weekend was another great one here in Durham....After work on Friday, I went to Hayti and worked the reception of the Quilt Show...These Durham quilters have put together some simply amazing quilts, and I urge everyone who can to come and check them out...They are musically themed, and have images of everything from Blues to R@B to Jazz and other forms of music, and seeing these quilters bond with the African Children's Choir was awesome and then to hear this group of talented kids perform before they went off to another gig was great.....Also Baron Tymas did his usual stellar job of providing some great jazz sounds, and I learned from Ed Gomes that one of the members of his band had performed at Freeport with the NCCU Jazz Group and that they had done a stellar job. Apparently, though there were names like Joshau Redman and others there, our fine folks from here were definitely the stars of the show and did a great job of making Branford Marsalis who sponsored the stage they were on quite proud.....One of these days, the cultural minister will get to this event as well..It, as well as the Cannes Film Festival and Spoleto, are on my list of events outside of NC that I want to attend. I hear that I missed good shows at West Village with some great blues, and some good music over at Brightleaf as well...But hey you can't be everywhere...Haven't quite figured out that cloning thing, so I can be at mutual places.
On Saturday morning, I went by the Farmers Market and Craft Market, and checked some of that out and talked to some new contacts as well as a few friends like Thoa who I worked on with the Obama campaign in putting together some events and Malloy, a long time friend and incredibly talented dancer....Afterwards, I went by the new, old DAP, in other words, the renovated Durham Athletic Park made famous by the movie Bull Durham, and passed out along with Dianne Pledger flyers about the Blues Festival, and then after doing that, checked out some of the fun including a Olympic like competition with various Mascots from around the area that was fun and of course the celebrity softball game that featured a few good plays, but don't tell some of those celebrities, but they might want to stick to their day jobs....SMILE...However, I thought Sylvia, a member of the NCCU Hall of Fame, a couple of NCCU Coaches, Bill Kalkhoff, and some of the TV sports reporters did a good job of holding their own, but in my opinion Patrick Baker was the star and was not letting anybody get past him and he scored the winning run.........That evening, I decided to pass on the two events I knew were going on...Playdate and Damien's birthday party, though I later learned both were great....
On Sunday, I checked out the Latin Music that King and Jeff were spinning at Central Park......Carl Webb asked if I missed any events, and Carl Webb joked that there are multiple me's, and we all know that would be dangerous......The music was great, and the demonstration by the Capoeria dancers was great.......I chickend out when a friend asked me to do some Latin dancing with her, and passed but my buddy Ray quickly picked up the challenge....Maybe next time I will be more brave........Yes, folks believe it or not, the social minister of Durham still has his chicken moments. Of course, conversating with Tim McGloin and Linda about AADE was great, as was the company provided by Sioux Watson of the Independent, and a few other friends that were there....I'm looking forward to the one this Sunday featuring Stevie Wonder music.........
On Monday, I took the smart man's option, and decided to not to get in the middle of Miss McLaughlin (a neighbor's) and Bruce Bridge's (a friend's) fight over the future of the Know Bookstore....I know we need the culture they provide with great music, great food, and great music, and whoever gets this property, i hope they maintain these kinds of traditions......
Well, about to bounce, but don't forget there is all kinds of great entertainment this weekend...Tonight, Durham Be Easy is happening downtown, great blues is happening at West Village, and there is other music in other locations as well and later in the weekend, some great Latin music at Rock Quarry Road.......

Black Theatre festival in Winston And Some Personal Thoughts and Reflections

Once again, I had the pleasure last week of going down to Winston-Salem and enjoying the National Black Theatre Festival.....Even when things change like the host hotel...I remember when the festival was in the Adams Mark but now that is the Marriott and of course change in namnagement change the nature of hotels, the festival itself is such a homecoming with so many wonderful things happening that it doesn't matter whether you are checking out Reader's Theatre, one of my favorites, since I love watching plays develop and also watching the reactions from audience to new works and the interpretations in readings that the directors and actors choose to give these new works that for the vast majority of them they are just now seeing when they are picked to read the scripts...The poetry jams are also very popular, and though some of the best poets were in West Palm Beach, Florida there were still some great ones that came into the area and performed and this was my first time checking out Malcolm Jamal Warner's musical group and I found them to be very talented musicians.
Also it was fun going to Bird's party for the second festival in a year, and once again, it was definitely a fun party with lots of great dancing and great socializing happening at that event.
But, like I said earlier, one of my favorite reasons for going to the festival is because it offers me an opportunity to catch up with folks I know consider colleagues and friends...Folks like Garland Thompson and his son Garland, Jr. who organize the Readers Theatre, Weusi Baraka, Renee Nixon, and that's just to name a very few....And of course, every year, I met new friends and have the opportunities to possibly collaborate with them on upcoming events and of course there is always the strong possibility of grooming and developing new clients...Of course there are also great plays that happen at the festivals as well and I was fortunate enough to catch my friend Ayinde's play Nappy Journeys and I am hopeful it will have an opportunity to be seen in the Triangle area since he is a NCCU graduate, and I also saw a great play about Teddy Pendergrass. And these were just some of the great productions that were there.
And of course both me and my Hayti Film Festival co-hort Angela Ray were making sure that folks were aware of our festival for 2010 and even talked to some celebrities who said they may be interested in attending that festival....I will keep you informed how things develop.
So you know I am already excited about 2011 and who knows what new adventures will happen at that festival...
And on the personal side, I have been reflecting on a couple of things...One believe it not, 2012 the half century mark will be here for me and I know I have a lot of goals and aspirations I would love to have at least in motion by that time...For example, I want Lee Entertainment to me much further along than it is, and I might even want my own my multi dimensional recording, film and theatre place by then or at least having some ducks in the row so it can happen since like all things these take capital, and a lot of capital...I am also hopeful that by then, a lot of my friends will have their projects much further along than they are now.....Maybe I will get lucky and win the lottery (oh wait a minute, you have to play regularly and be REAL LUCKY in order for that to happen) and can set up a Artistic trust fund...That will be real cool.......
And on the family side, my brother just had his second child making me an Uncle to the second power...I couldn't explain it if I had to, but I have some feelings that both Langston and Julius are destined to do great things in their life......For one things, they have some great parents and some really cool grandparents, not to mention a half bad Uncle...SMILE.......They already have great legacies to build on...I think of all the great work both my brother and his wife have done working with troubled youth here in the area, I think about the Radio Station both my parents were involved in starting up in Warrenton, I think about the great art my Dad continues to develop and all the great Foundation work my Mom did at both Golden Leaf and Z. Smith, and the things I have learned working with festivals and media, and the fact that we all are students of the world and I know they will be inspired and challenged to learn as they grow up and develop....Oh well enough musings.........Until the next entry, hit me back and let me know what's on your minds...