Where Reasonable Meets Rebel

C4 ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 2 - 8, 2014

Marco broad – or too narrow. When enemy of progress.” POTPOURRI Thompson NEW YEAR we don’t see the results we’ve It made me think of a and Inez Ross predicted and presented on friend who sat out spin class visit at their our vision board, we throw in because she put her workout Continued from C1 law office Continued from C1 the towel and call it a year. bag together in the dark and Christmas Party After a week of note-sifting her T-shirt didn’t match her musical performances by Dirty year.” After much agony and head-scratching, my New yoga pants. Mugs and En Vogue. about being completely Year’s resolution column It took a whole year, but There were many familiar overwhelmed by this epic fell victim to the same fate Rebeccah’s single sentence and new faces enjoying the “New Year, New You” for that my actual New Year’s hit home in a way that has me music, food, gourmet desserts 2014, abandoning the whole resolutions have suffered for ready to take on 2014 with and top-shelf drinks. The idea seemed like the only the past 25 years. a renewed sense of purpose. lines at the photo booths were sensible option. I was so discouraged that I didn’t spend the past week constant, but everyone was Sound familiar? I went back and read some drafting up unreasonable self- enjoying the party pictures. I don’t know about key points from previous contracts rooted in ridiculous Just to name a few of the anyone else, but this whole conversations with Rebeccah expectations with the guests I ran into: Gabrielle process mirrored my annual Bennett – as I do from time common theme of deprivation and Tony Davis Sr., David New Year’s resolutions to time – to encourage and and sacrifice. Instead, I told and Pamela Reese, James shenanigans. inspire myself. Something she myself the truth. and Robin Walker, Tiara I make the goals and set said last year stuck with me This year, I will be honest and Terrence Curry, Rayna aside time to do the work to and made me follow through with myself as I work towards Meyers, Barbara Meyers, accomplish them. All of the with the feature, though as a self-improvement. Ambitious Ashaki Meyers, Ashley prep work is encouraging, personal failure column. goals are wonderful. But Donahue, Scott Rosenblum, even fun, as the visualization “Don’t make perfection the nothing will guarantee Esq., Les Bond Jr. (Attucks), of basking in the triumph enemy of progress.” reaching your goal like Pete Lamothe, Dre of tackling items on the Doesn’t that quietly make actively working towards Broussard, Arielle Vivian, resolution list takes place. you want to shout? realistic life changes, one Randi Christine, Farin Marie, But somewhere between How many times has our step at a time – and refusing Loren Siobhan, Danielle the planning and the doing, self-improvement fallen to retreat when the path gets Irving, Dana Sims (ICM lawyers’ suite was the perfect Black Rep’s production of “The there is a major disconnect. victim to the pressure of our cluttered. Talent Partners-LA), Brandra location for the pre-Christmas Meeting,” running January Ambitious intentions quickly expectations? Ringo (Universal Motown-LA) celebration catered by De Palm 8 – 26 at the Black Rep’s new fizzle because the goal is too “Don’t make perfection the and Tavon Sampson (Warner Tree’s Easton Roamer and home. The emotional story tells Bros.-LA), Chalena Mack Pappy’s Bar-B-Que. of a fictional meeting between and Louis Schello, the multi- Lots of guests were on hand Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. talented St. Lunatics including for this annual holiday soiree. and Malcom X. Please call Kijuan, Murph and City including the Honorable The Black Rep box office for Spud, Kenny Powell (Platinum Ronnie White, The tickets (314-534-3807). All Sports), Morgan McKenzie Honorable Don McCullin, performances will be held (Washington, DC), Kenya The Honorable Mavis in the Emerson Performance Vaughn (St. Louis American), Thompson, Jackie Christmas, Center at Harris-Stowe State Tammie Holland (KMJM), Attorney Larry Deskins, University. Cameron Davis, Titus Davis Attorney Richard Banks, Mandela: Long Walk to and Nicole Woodie (St. Louis Attorney Pete Woods, Andrea Freedom was time well spent. Rams). Jackson-Jennings (director This film opened Christmas Attorneys Jerryl of Human Services St. Louis day and chronicles the life of Christmas, Inez Ross, Shevon County), Gregory Smith, Dr. Nelson Mandela. Powerful! Harris, Hope Whitehead Charlie Quigless, Billy Topps, Happy New Year! and the Honorable Joan K. Attorney Rufus Tate, Steve Dana Grace: dgrandolph@ Miller hosted their annual Chalmers, Marco Thompson live.com. office Christmas party on and Attorney Jack Simon. December 20. The decorative Don’t miss the St. Louis

was proclaiming his comeback CHARLIE at a crack house when he heard himself on the radio. He vowed recovery, claimed Continued from C1 deliverance from substance abuse and reintroduced himself It was one of the GAP Band’s to the music scene nearly 10 biggest markets, and St. Louis years ago with “Charlie, Last supported us a lot more than Name Wilson” and captured the other markets. This city was the undivided attention of Keyon Harrold (center) performing at the Essence Music festival. there for me all the time, so as urban music. Photo by Lawrence Bryant long as y’all will have me, I’m “I just refueled and got back going to keep coming back.” on that thang,” Wilson said. And on January 18, he will “I can relate to the younger 10th grade, I pretty much and an end. You have these return to his home away from audience because I didn’t finish KEYON knew exactly what I wanted parameters and those chords, home at the Fox Theatre. relating to them the first time.” to do,” he said. “I thought I but everything else is up to A lot has happened since he That youthful spirit appears would be doing more jazz.” your imagination and I love tore the stage down at the Fox tenfold onstage during his Continued from C1 He’s a product of the hip- that.” last year. He released his first performances. hop generation, but he brings He gives his St. Louis roots gospel album. “Every night I go on stage, jazz with him to every genre credit for his musical range. “It’s easy for me to be I act like it’s going to be my Festival. he touches – from grimy rap “St. Louis is so soulful,” inspirational with everything last performance – so I try to “I’ve been seeing the world to gospel. Harrold said. “It’s a total mix that I’ve been through,” Wilson give the show of my life every on this tour doing Michael “I was doing the drum and of the East, the West, the said. “There’s definitely a time I come out on that stage,” Jackson’s music, and I’m bugle corps stuff, and jazz South and the North. So we testimony in that. And I had to he said. working with the people who was the next level to learn the get the outlook of everybody do one for the Man upstairs. I “Some of my friends in this wrote and produced the stuff,” horn,” Harrold said. mashed into one.” had to let the people know He business – eight- and nine-time he said. “There’s nothing like He studied the music As he puts the finishing exists and He’s been blessing “Every night I go Grammy winners – say, ‘Man, it. I’ve just been so blessed, of Miles Davis and Duke touches on his second album, me.” n why you work so hard onstage? and there’s no way I could Ellington, taping it from the Harrold reflects on his journey “I Believe” earned him a on stage, I act like it’s You’re gonna fool around pass take any of it for granted.” radio. from North County bugle boy Grammy nomination a few out and have a stroke.’” Harrold is not a man of “Yes, that was back when to a man of music with an weeks ago. going to be my last He promises fans they will many words. He only gets you had to tape stuff from the international reputation for He is now the recipient performance – so I try see so for themselves when he chatty when expressing radio,” he said. musical excellence. of not one, not two, but four returns “home” in a couple of gratitude for the opportunity The McCluer alum went “I’m doing exactly what lifetime achievement honors to give the show of my weeks. to make a living as a musician to New York to study at and I want to be doing in life – including the BET and Soul “I’m probably going to go and to his family for laying graduate from the famed – whether that’s playing a Train Awards. life every time I come down on that stage one of these his musical foundation. Mannes College The New horn or arranging music for “It’s a bittersweet, because out on that stage.” times, but it’s going to be for He started as a member School of Music. In New Maxwell or making music or when everybody starts handing the people – and it’s as simple of his grandfather’s bugle York, he became a protégé of producing music for 50 Cent,” you lifetime achievement - Charlie Wilson as that,” Wilson said. corps at the tender age of six. Wynton Marsalis. The rapper Harrold said. awards it sort of means that “When people come to a Just under 30 years later, his Common gave Harrold his “I’ve been able to be a they are ready for you to sit Charlie Wilson show, I want resume is a jaw-dropper. He’s first professional gig, and world citizen. To be able to down,” Wilson said. “You’ve them to leave saying, ‘I’ve a member of Maxwell’s famed he has become one of the see the world, but not forget done a lifetime, now go never seen anybody work so horn section. He has either most sought-after musicians, where I come from – it’s just somewhere and sit down.” hard’ – and to see that I did it played, produced or arranged working in many genres. so amazing. Even if I was But anybody who knows from the bottom of my heart.” for the likes of Beyoncé, Jay But jazz is where he lives. never paid, I would still be “Uncle Charlie” knows that’s said. “I picked back up and Charlie Wilson returns to Z, Erykah Badu, Gregory “Jazz is an adventure, doing it. It’s not the kind of not happening – especially after started where I left off, when the Fox Theatre on Saturday, Porter, Anthony Hamilton, because you don’t know thing that I could separate seeing him take the stage in the everything was high and January 18 at 8 p.m. For David Sanborn, Fred what’s going to come out,” from. Music is me.” middle of his own tribute and mighty from the GAP band and tickets or more information, Hammond, Janet Jackson, Harrold said. “All you know For more information on bring the house down on BET. then the train wreck happened.” visit www.metrotix.com or call 50 Cent and the Count Basie is you have a set, and in this Keyon Harrold, visit www. “I still feel like I have The train wreck was incited (314) 534-1111. Orchestra. amount of time you’re going keyonharrold.net. so much to sing,” Wilson by drugs. In the wreckage, he “By the time I was in the to have a beginning, middle

Where reasonable meets rebel.

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