It’s hard to find anyone in any field of music with longer ties or more influence than Dr. Bobby Jones within the gospel world. That influence and his notable achievements are being recognized next month by the Recording Academy. He will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award during a Special Merit award ceremony. This will be held in Los Angeles during Grammy week in early February. Dr. Jones love affair with music and gospel began as a child when he sang with his church choir. A self-taught pianist, upon coming to Nashville, Dr. Jones worked his way through college by earning…
Author: Ron Wynn
The Nashville Jazz Workshop will present a pair of concerts in a couple of weeks that feature rhythm players as combo leaders. The first on Jan. 24th spotlights percussionist/composer John Arruci with his quartet. The second on January 25 features drummer John Alvey. Both will be in the NJW’s acclaimed Jazz Cave at 1012 Buchanan Street. Tickets for both shows are $35, and each one begins at 7:30. Arriucci is recognized as one of the world’s finest percussionists. He’ll be appearing in Nashville for the first time leading the John Arrucci Quartet, which he’ll lead from the Vibes. Joining John…
Suddenly the U.S. Army’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion are getting the national exposure that they’ve long deserved, but never received until now. That’s due to the release on Netflix of Tyler Perry’s film “The Six Triple Eight.” Kerry Washington and Ebony Obsidian are the primary leads in this ensemble cast. The story showcases the largest group of Black servicewomen to serve overseas during World War II. Washington has taken the occasion on publicity interviews to discuss the obscurity of this unit, something that’s quite frankly done a disservice to an exceptional unit. “She went, just out of curiosity, to…
Richard Parsons wasn’t a vocal or highly publicized pioneer, but he was a vital and important one. For many years, he was the highest-ranking Black executive in any media company, and by default the most powerful Black man in Hollywood. But his reluctance to emphasize that fact kept many on the outside from knowing or recognizing his stature. Parsons, who passed last Thursday at 76, played major management roles at such firms as CBS Corp., Citigroup, and the Los Angeles Clippers. He passed at his Manhattan home of bone cancer, according to a close friend, Ronald S. Lauder, a member…
This has been a rough year for both the Tennessee State men and women, as each has begun the year with a pair of road losses. Though the games were hard fought and close, the two losses only add to the troubles that have been endured this year as neither of the Tigers squad has a winning record. But there’s still plenty of time in the Ohio Valley Conference season, and each team at minimum wants to make it into the postseason tournament and have a chance to reach the NCAAs. For a team it seemed that the Tigers were…
Even though only the first half is currently being shown in theaters, “Wicked” is already setting records. As of this past Sunday, the film had generated $634 million worldwide after six weeks of release. That makes it officially the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in global box office history. The previous record holder was “Mamma Mia,” which was released in 2008. It amassed $611 million, but that was by the end of its run. “Wicked,” co-starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, has also earned $424 million at the domestic box office, surpassing “Grease” as the top domestic Broadway adaptation. This success makes…
One of the Nashville’s longest running musical groups will be making a special holiday appearance at the City Winery on December 26. The Nashville Jazz Orchestra has been one of the city’s finest large bands for decades, and the place where many of the city’s finest improvisers assembled to play both classic tunes and originals. The group’s roots date back to the mid–90s when trumpeter and arranger Jim Williams founded it. For many years it was the city’s only large jazz ensemble. They got their start playing concerts at schools, parks, festivals, and theatres, plus select engagements. Williamson began organizing…
The notion that only a few tweaks here and there can fix the Tennessee Titans has been thoroughly disproven this season. After Sunday’s latest home disaster to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s pretty clear that a major overhaul is needed to even make this team competitive, let alone return it to the playoffs. Another double digit loss season is now a certainty after the 10-6 loss that was also the lowest scoring game this season in the entire NFL. That the Titans twice decided to go for touchdowns on fourth down rather than get chip shot field goals backfired when it…
The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced its 16th Annual AAFCA Awards and 2025 Special Achievement honorees last week. The Special Achievement Awards ceremony takes place Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, and the Annual AAFCA Awards Wednesday, Feb. 19, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The recipients include actors and artisans from 2025 Oscars contenders “Nickel Boys,” “The Piano Lesson,” and “The Six Triple Eight.” The 2025 Special Achievement Awards honorees include: Lynn Whitfield, Legacy Award; Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse, Gen Next Award; “Nickel Boys,” Karen & Stanley Kramer Social Justice Award; and Amber Rasberry,…
The accomplishments of a groundbreaking squad of athletes have now been officially celebrated. Howard University’s famed 1974 soccer team, which made history 50 years ago, was inducted last week into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame. They were the first Historically Black College/University to win an NCAA national title, claiming victory following an undefeated campaign. It was an enormous achievement, not only because they were pioneers, but because they won the championship in a sport where not many HBCUs were even fielding teams at the time, and one that still isn’t nearly as popular on Black college campuses as football…