Artists & Music Ultra Naté Takes Novel Approach `Stranger Than Fiction' Latest Chapter For Strictly Rhythm Artist BY MICHAEL PAOLETTA never be taken for granted." wings beyond her dance origins, infus- Even the most successful dance While she's visibly calm, Naté ing a decidedly rhythmic foundation divas face pressures following up doesn't hide the fact that this is anoth- with elements of alt-leaning pop and their hits, as fans and the industry er anxious moment among many in acoustic soul. It also finds her working alike clamor for more of the same. An her 12 -year career. "What can I say ?" with such savvy producers, songwrit- artist who wants to grow beyond con- she asks with a sigh. "To have some- ers, and musicians as Attica Blues, D- stricting categories -as thing so very near and Influence, Brian Alexander Morgan, Ultra Naté most certainly dear to my heart now Nick Nice & Anders Barrén, Arnthor Back On Track. Newly formed Platform Recordings celebrates its launch with does-faces some hurdles available for mass con- & Bloodshy, Lenny Kravitz, Nona drummer Mike Clark and his band at the Bowery Ballroom in New York, and some headaches. sumption can be stressful, Hendryx, and N'Dea Davenport. a stop on Clark's Prescription Renewal tour. Clark is planning to be on the road through So, it's an early spring to say the least." Collaborating with such a diverse much of the spring. Pictured backstage at the Bowery Ballroom, from left, are DJ Logic; day, and singer /songwriter Strictly Rhythm has lineup of talent kept Naté from get- Ivory Daniel of Sestwide Management; band member Robert Walter; Clark; and Naté is spending some licensed Stranger Than ting locked into any one creative pat - band members Steve Zelenka, Joseph Finneran, James Fauk, and Charlie Hunter. much-needed quality time Fiction to various labels (Continued on page 17) at her home in Baltimore. internationally. Avex re- Her new Strictly Rhythm leased the new set earlier album, Stranger Than Fic- ULTRA NATE this year in Japan. (The tion, is due out April 24, and Japanese version includes she has just returned from a club tour two bonus tracks: "Runaway" and a that saw her performing in cities as far- cover of the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Jude Cole Puts on Manager's Hat; flung as Amsterdam and Los Angeles, Your Love. ") Throughout May and London and St. Petersburg, Fla. On June, the set arrives in the U.K. and Saturday (24) and Monday (26), Naté Germany (Universal), France Frampton Shops Around For label Deal will perform at the Fort Lauderdale, (Happy Music), Spain (Blanco y CHECKING IN: From time to time, we still pull out gle, "Sometimes," which is climbing the Hot Country Fla., Coliseum and Miami's Ice Palace, Negro), Italy (Energy), Australia one of our favorite albums from more than a decade Singles & Tracks chart. respectively. Then it's off to the stages (Sony), Scandinavia (Scandinavian), ago, Jude Cole's 1990 Reprise release, A View From It's hard to imagine where he finds the time, but of Hong Kong and Malaysia. and the Benelux (Digi- Dance). 3rd Street. The delectable piece of alterna -pop Cole has just released a new album, Falling Home, "I never stop touring. You can't," Recorded in Stockholm, London, spawned two top 40 hits, "Baby, It's Tonight" and which is available through his Web site and a number Naté says. "I love performing. That Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New "Time for Letting Go." of E- tailers, such as Amazon.com. interaction with the audience is very York, the sterling Stranger Than Fic- Though he's still making music, we were very sur- special; it's something that should tion finds Naté spreading her musical prised to learn that much of Cole's energy these days HEARTFELT: Stevie Wonder and Brenda Russell goes into managing acts. Among the acts on his ros- have written a song for Denzel Washington's new ter is Lifehouse, which is zooming up The Billboard movie, the Nick Cassavetes- directed John Q. The 200 with its debut, No Name Face, as well as climb- ballad, called "Justice of the Heart," will be performed Magna Carta's Shadow Gallery ing The Billboard Hot 100 with first single "Hanging by Wonder. Russell, who wrote the lyrics for the track, by a Moment." Cole's company, says she and Wonder have Los Angeles -based Watertown known each other for 15 years Resolves Cliffhanger On `legacy' Management, also represents a but notes that this is the first new Warner Bros. signee, 14- time the two have completed a BY CLAY MARSHALL experience with Legacy. year-old Lindsay Pagano. song together. LOS ANGELES -With the band's "I'm glad we did Tyranny, but I "I had been asked by several "We collaborated once before, fourth album, Legacy, Shadow didn't feel like a musician -I felt different acts to manage them, but we never finished the proj- Gallery has returned to its roots - like a technician," he says. "We and I had just instinctively BEAi. ect," says Russell. "It's so amaz- or more accurately, the progres- knew we had to make a simpler turned people down," says Cole. ing to work with him. The first sive -rock act has returned to the record. We tried to keep it fun." "I thought, `What a crazy by Melinda Newman album I ever bought was [1963's] sound of its sophomore effort, That's not to imply that the six notion.'" But after helping Life- Little Stevie Wonder /The 12 Year Carved in Stone. cuts on Legacy are lightweight; house land a deal with Dream - Old Genius." That '95 set featured the song the closing track, "First Light," Works, acting as a friend, Cole decided it was time to No word on what label will release the movie's "Cliffhanger," and the Pennsylvania clocks in at more than 20 minutes. say yes when Lifehouse leader Jason Wade asked soundtrack. sextet opens Another song, him to handle the band. Legacy -due `I'm glad we did "Society of the As an artist, Cole says, he understands artists' COMING ALIVE AGAIN: Peter Frampton, who April 10 from Mind," echoes needs and frustrations. He tells his artists something is touring this summer with Journey and John Waite, Magna Carta "Tyranny, " but I the technologi- he wishes he'd heard more when he was younger: "I is looking for a new record deal. "I'm writing right Records -with cal themes em- tell them to listen to their instincts -they don't lie. At now," he says. "And I'm shopping around right now." the sequel, "Cliff- didn't feel like a phasized in 14, Lindsay doesn't know anything about the business, Asked what he wants from a new record company, hanger 2," fea- Tyranny. But but she does have a fire that tells her where to go. I Frampton says, "I want to go with whatever label will turing some of musician -I felt like Wehrkamp think I denied listening to my instincts at times when give me the time of day. Two years ago people would- the same mu- says the group maybe I shouldn't have. It gives me a sense of justice n't give me the time of day. Then I started going out sical motifs. a technician.' didn't want to to come back and help them listen to theirs." and touring, and it was the 25th anniversary of Framp- Gary Wehr- make Legacy In addition to managing Lifehouse and Pagano, ton Conies Alive, -GARY WEHRKAMP and that brought my visibility up." kamp, the group's too similar to Cole is writing and producing Pagano's Warner Bros. primary song- its predecessor. debut, which will come out this summer. He learned of BITS: Carl Scott, Warner Bros. Records senior VP writer, says the song was always "We wanted to get a little bit Pagano when Nashville songwriter Pat Bunch of artist relations and artist development, is leaving meant to be continued. "The story more of that progressive -rock feel slipped him a videotape of Pagano performing in the the label as part of Warner Music Group's buyout wasn't concluded, but that was back into it." basement of her Philadelphia home. "At the end of the package offered to longtime employees over the age intentional -it would have killed The self- managed Shadow Gal- tape, Lindsay was singing `Respect,' and I just start- of 50. Scott is starting a new management venture all the fun," he explains, noting lery's eponymous '92 debut was ed watching her videotape over and over," says Cole. called Gartzman, Simmons & Scott Entertainment that fans frequently inquired Magna Carta's second -ever release. "It [evoked] everything I ever loved as a kid, like the . Veteran talent booker Frank Riley has parted about when a second chapter The set will be reissued this year. Jackson 5 cartoons. This was more than a year and company with Monterey Peninsula Artists and has would be released. "We thought it Label president Peter Morticelli a half ago-I didn't know who Britney was; Christi- formed his own San Francisco -based agency, High- would be funny to start with the says the label would enthusiastical- na Aguilera didn't have an album out yet. I thought road Touring. Acts that have followed Riley to the same exact music." ly support a tour-something the it would be great to make a record by a teenager that new company include Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, The new album represents a group has yet to experience.