Brian Owens: The Voice of American Soul

Sitting across the table from Brian Owens, one might get the feeling of conversing with — as some say — an old soul. There is a calmness and self-assuredness that suggests he’s been here before, even though he is only on the verge of becoming the new voice of American soul. He doesn’t project the harried, fast-paced life of a national recording artist, but rather the soulful energy that dominates his music.

Raised in St. Louis, his music reflects a city infused with blues, soul, and folk, resulting in a style that is distinctly his own, yet reminiscent of artists like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Al Green, and, for those who know him, his father Thomas Owens who chose not to pursue a music career. “I want to be my own voice, but in a way that’s familiar to people,” Owens says. “So I welcome the comparisons because it means that people take comfort in my influences. People also say, ’You sing like your father,’ which is still a nod to good tradition. I’m glad to do that.”

As one of the lead singers of Sidewinder, the Air Force band that became a YouTube sensation with 2.5 million views, Brian has been featured with the band on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Entertainment Tonight, and Fox and Friends. And he is determined to balance the media attention with a level head. “I’m very excited about the exposure,” he says. “Positive exposure is always good, even when I’m not at the forefront. I believe it will come back to me in a good way.”

In the meantime, Owens is preparing for the launch of his first major release, Moods and Messages — a self-proclaimed soundtrack to his journey as a soul artist. With the backing of St. Louis-based Destin2B1 Records and distribution through New York-based RED, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, Owens says, “Moods and Messages is about balancing out how we feel and what we give out to the world in terms of messages. So moods and messages often conflict, but you have to choose what your life will say, despite how you feel … It’s about making choices.”

The album displays Brian’s personal choices — serving in the Air Force, becoming a husband and father, performing — as they constantly shape his music into messages that are encouraging, thought-provoking, and touching. From social awareness to loving tributes to family, Brian masters the art of effortless lyrics and melodies to deliver messages that are powerfully relevant.

In his first nationally distributed single, “I Just Want to Feel Alright,” Owens evokes some of the most universal experiences of pain and desperation, even tapping into the mood of a country recovering from war and economic recession. It is a cathartic, yet hopeful anthem for our times.

The upbeat track “Open (Lovely Day)”, is a light-hearted reminder to count the blessings life gives daily, and to see the possibilities in every moment.  “Oh I” is a soulful, love ballad that pays tribute to the perfect partner– her kiss, her touch, her smile. “Keep Movin On”, is a message of encouragement  that acknowledges some of the most common adversities of our time through song. From the lost job, to the sacrificial life of a soldier, to the sharp pain of loneliness. A break from the deep messages woven throughout the album, “Let’s Get Out” is a fun reminder that sometimes, a little escape is all you ever need.

Brian attributes much of his style of interpretation to the consistency of human nature. “I’ve found that there is nothing new to write about – just new ways to write about the traditional, but exciting cycles of life. Music that reaches and touches people is about human nature. That doesn’t change. What makes us vulnerable, what makes us scared, what makes us happy — it never changes.”

WEBSITE                    TWITTER                 FACEBOOK

brianowens.tv              @brianowenstv           facebook.com/brianowens.tv

EPK Link
http://www.reverbnation.com/c./rpk/514908?access_code=b17ffd435ef77d23785b&auto_play=true

Website
www.brianowens.tv

Facebook
www.facebook.com/brianowens.tv

Twitter
www.twitter.com/brianowenstv

YOUTUBE LINKS

Brian Owens Promotional Reel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cizpsQUpnBw

I Just Want to Feel Alright (LIVE)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps4tXXaF2jM

Show Me St. Louis Profile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNlhyFxfKpM

Great Day St. Louis Performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8pzVBvXQR4

Game 1 World Series Performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9UXt27x5Vc

What Black Men Think Hits The Documentary Channel

Our friend and a favorite filmmaker Janks Morton’s groundbreaking film “What Black Men Think” will be featured on the Documentary Channel.  Click here for more details.

The Bridge: In Honor of Malcolm X

 

By Darryl James 

May 19th is the birth date of El Haaj Malik El-Shabazz, known to us as Malcolm X.

Who was Malcolm X?

Malcolm X was a number of things to a number of people.

To white racists, he was the physical manifestation of the chickens coming home to roost—the sins of the father being visited upon the sons. He was committed to the respect and protection of the Black community and unwavering in the extent to which he was willing to go and to which he was willing to influence millions to go to oppose and stamp out oppression.

His mission? In his own words, it was “to bring about the complete independence of people of African descent here in the western hemisphere…and bring about the freedom of these people by any means necessary.”

Those means included violent retaliation, of course, but those means also included economic revolution. Malcolm X advocated Black self-reliance as a means to freedom.

“If you can’t do for yourself what the white man is doing for himself, don’t say you’re equal with the white man,” Malcolm chided.” If you can’t set up a factory like he sets up a factory, don’t talk that old equality talk.”

Brother Malcolm became the universal symbol for Black Manhood as he challenged white superiority and privilege in a way that frightened America and made conscious Black people proud.

He also challenged the foundation and purpose of the Civil Rights Movement, which did not make him an enemy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as many people today believe.

 It is ignorant to detract from one man to glorify the other. Brother Malcolm was as crucial and relevant as Brother Martin, but a fearful nation would not embrace him the same because he represented the fiery response to violence—a divergent option to Brother Martin, but certainly not an opposite option.

In a 2005 installment of his column for the New York Daily News, Stanley Crouch, a self-hating Negro, claimed that Malcolm X was a “heckler of the Civil Rights Movement” and a “minor figure,” calling the Nation of Islam a “cult,” and a “cartoon version of Islam.”

Boot-licking House Negro bitches like the “writer” Stanley Crouch can deride Malcolm X from the comfort of the twenty-first century, but in his weak little heart which pumps lemonade, Crouch knows damned well that he would never have had the testicular fortitude to be one tenth of what Malcolm X was to America—a proud Black man unafraid to tell the world what was wrong with this nation and unafraid to face it, sacrificing his life for the people he loved.

Crouch, a revisionist idiot, has no real concept of history, particularly where Black people are concerned. Malcolm and Martin had two different movements, which were moving closer to each other before they were assassinated. To call Malcolm a “heckler of the Civil Rights Movement,” is ignorant and demonstrates self-hatred.

Malcolm’s critical challenge of the foundation and purpose of the Civil Rights Movement is very different from being a “heckler,” which is someone who sits inactively on the sidelines tossing negativity.

Certainly, Martin was and is larger than Malcolm, but that has more to do with who he had following him and the times to come. Malcolm was about hate the way Martin was a racist—both false assumptions made only by idiots.

The reality is that Martin was safer than Malcolm—for whites and for scared Negroes who didn’t want anyone to make too much noise and piss off the white establishment they feared and revered.

But Martin also had detractors, many of whom hated him as they hated Malcolm. Some Negroes were afraid that Martin, too, would upset the apple cart and make it harder for them to kiss white people’s collective asses.

Malcolm X, much like Dr. King, was evolving from fighting a domestic fight on the home front for civil rights into waging a war on the world stage for human rights.

And they were both taking an economic revolution to the bottom of society.

At the end of the day, there is never a reason to choose and no one should be asked to.

But there is a reason to celebrate. To celebrate the birth of a beautiful, strong human being who changed the way Black men thought of themselves and frankly, the way the world thought of Black men.

The late Ossie Davis, who delivered the eulogy for Malcolm X in the Spike Lee film and in life at the funeral, said it best:  “Malcolm was our manhood. Our living Black manhood.”

(Malcolm was) “Our own Black shining prince who didn’t hesitate to die, because he loved us so.”

And those of us who understood him, love him as well.

Happy Birthday Brother Malcolm.

 Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.”  James’ stage play, “Love In A Day,” opened in Los Angeles in 2001 and will become a feature film in 2012. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.

The Kirk Whalum Interview – Part I

Black Men In America.com Exclusive Interview

By Gary A. Johnson

Most artists would be daunted at the thought of remaking a classic work of art made by legends, but not Grammy winner Kirk Whalum.  The multi-dimensional saxophonist adeptly steps into the role of John Coltrane and tapped his brother, vocalist Kevin Whalum, to fill the shoes of Johnny Hartman on an unabashedly romantic collection of duets originally recorded in 1963 by the seminal artists.  Romance Language, due to be released on Valentine’s Day by Rendezvous Music, consists of all six songs that comprise the Coltrane/Hartman recording along with a handful of modern ballads to complete the disc produced by Kirk Whalum and John Stoddart.

Romance Language is Kirk Whalum’s 19^th album as a front man since his 1985 solo debut, Floppy Disk.  He topped the Billboard contemporary jazz album charts twice (And You Know That! and Cache) and amassed 11 Grammy nominations.  Whalum took home a coveted Grammy earlier this year for a duet with Lalah Hathaway that appeared on his The Gospel According to Jazz: Chapter III.  An ordained minister who earned a Master’s degree in the Art of Religion, Kirk Whalum has forged an unparalleled career path in both the secular and the non-secular music words, garnering hits, awards and accolades for his jazz, R&B and gospel recordings.  His soulfully expressive tenor sax voice is unique and has appeared on literally hundreds of recordings by Barbara Streisand, Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Michael McDonald, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, and Larry Carlton as well as on collaborative albums with Bob James, Rick Braun and Norman Brown.  When not recording or performing, he educates and mentors the next generation of musicians in his role as president/CEO of the STAX Music Academy and the STAX Museum of American Soul Music. 

Earlier this month, Black Men In America.com Founder & Publisher Gary Johnson conducted an exclusive interview with Kirk Whalum.  This is Part I of that interview.

BMIA.com:  Hey Kirk.  How are you doing?

Kirk Whalum:  Hey Gary I’m doing great Gary.  Thank you so much.

BMIA.com:  I’m really excited to talk to you, so let’s get right to it.  Let’s talk about your new CD “Romance Language.”

Kirk Whalum:  I want to talk about this.  This is unlike any project I’ve ever done.  For someone like me to take the music of the great John Coltrane and doing my own version of his music is kind of scary.  I’ve studied John Coltrane’s music and his life.  I wrote about him in my seminary final project.  I believe he would be happy with this effort because the spiritual focus of his life would dictate that his music be shared with new and expanding audiences.

BMIA.com:  That’s great.  Kirk, at what age did your musical journey begin?

Kirk Whalum:  That’s hard to say.  I can remember being about 3 or 4 years old and seeing my grandmother as the organist for a pretty high brow baptist church.  She played the pipe organ.  For me to be there and see her was a good experience.

BMIA.com:  You’ve played with a lot of people.  Who would you consider to be your musical influences?

Kirk Whalum:  We can start with Hank Crawford on saxophone.  He was my biggest influence.  There’s a guy who pastors in Chicago named Ossie Smith who plays the saxophone.  He is an amazingly well rounded musician.  He was the first one to pull me aside and begin to show me different things such as jazz theory and improvisation.  I owe a lot to him.  In terms of big names, there’s Arnett Cobb who is a famed saxophonist.  I wear a ring on my finger given to me by Arnett Cobb’s daughter.  I missed his funeral because I was in Japan.  When he was alive he was a very big part of my musical development.  Those were my biggest influences.  In terms of the people I played with, I’d have to say Bob James was the first big one.  He was the one who really discovered me.  I played and toured with him.  He got me signed to Columbia Records and produced my first three records.

BMIA.com:  You mentioned that you’ve been to Japan.  I know you speak more than one language.  What languages do you speak?

Kirk Whalum:  I speak Spanish and French.

BMIA.com:  Let me shift back to music.  What was it like playing with your brother and your Uncle who is affectionately known as “Peanut?”

Kirk Whalum:  I’ve recorded with both of them quite a few times.  I keep creating ways for us to collaborate.  These are two world class talents.  These are people who deserve to be heard.  I also work with my nephews and my son.

BMIA.com:  How long have you been married?

Kirk Whalum:  I have been married for 32 years in August 2012.

BMIA.com:  What is the secret to being married?

Kirk Whalum:  I trust God for that relationship.  I know that it’s his Grace that he saved my life.  Marriage is about forgiveness.  We have to constantly be in forgiveness mode and nurture the relationship.

BMIA.com:  What advice do you have to help young people who want a career in the music business?

Kirk Whalum:  One important thing for them to know is that they can control their destiny.  There’s so many aspects of the music industry that are out of their control, but the most important aspect of the business is within their control and that has to do with being diligent and pursuing your craft.

BMIA.com:  Is that you playing the saxophone solo on Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You,” from the soundtrack of the movie “The Bodyguard?”

Kirk Whalum:  Yes sir.

BMIA.com:  What was it like working with Whitney Houston?

Kirk Whalum:  I played with Whitney for 7 years.  The movie “The Bodyguard” was completely unique.  I was touring with Whitney and I was living in Paris.  She had insisted to the Director that she wanted to sing that song live to the film.  They were against recording music live to the film because there are too many things that can go wrong.  Whitney gave the producers an ultimatum.  She put her foot down and insisted that she sing live with her band or she would not sing the song.

BMIA.com:  You’re President/CEO of the STAX Music Museum.  Is that correct?

Kirk Whalum:  Yes.

BMIA.com:  What’s going on with the legendary STAX?

Kirk Whalum:  If it’s a raw funky groove, chances are it’s not Motown, its STAX.  STAX was known for. Booker T & the M.G’s, Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, The Staples Singer, Albert King and Rufus Thomas.  STAX music was organic and raw.  In 1989, the building was torn down.  A few years later the building was erected and the STAX Music Academy is up and running.  The Academy has a charter school providing kids with a world class education, and music is a part of the curriculum.  The STAX Music Academy is an after school program of about 75-80 kids who come from different backgrounds.  The kids are talented and incredible.

For more information you can visit Kirk Whalum’s official web site at www.kirkwhalum.com.  Part II of our exclusive interview with Kirk Whalum will be posted next week.

Special thanks to Juanita Stephens for arranging this exclusive interview.

Gary A. Johnson is the Founder & Publisher of Black Men In America.com a popular online magazine on the Internet and the Black Men In America.com Blog.  Gary is also the author of the book “25 Things That Really Matter In Life.”

The CEO Manny Halley

In January 1999, Imani Entertainment Group began its journey in becoming one of the premier entertainment companies in the world. Created and nurtured by Founder, Manny Halley, IEG has become a major player in the entertainment world. With a bevy of companies under the IEG umbrella ranging from management to book publishing. This company has set its sights on all aspects of the entertainment world and with hard work, dedication, and a fresh outlook they are posed to take over.

Without a doubt, one of the most influential voices in the entertainment industry is mega successful entrepreneur and music mogul, Manny Halley.  The CEO, of Imani Entertainment Group is responsible for discovering the voice and talent of Grammy Award Nominated R&B singer/songwriter Keyshia Cole.  Born and raised in the inner city streets of Brooklyn, NY, Manny brings the hustle mentality and heart of the streets to the board room serving as the executive producer for Keyshia Cole’s, “The Way It Is” reality series which holds the #1 spot for the highest rated BET program in history and running the nation’s best-selling IHOP for the past 10 years.  With his family by his side, Manny has sought to create a leading empire that the entertainment industry has yet to see.

In 2003, a friend of Halley’s arranged a meeting for him to meet a rising songstress making noise out of Oakland, CA.  The sultry soprano was none other than Keyshia Cole who once she sang for Halley was signed on the spot to his growing entertainment company.  Within the year, Halley arranged a meeting for Cole to meet with Chairman of Geffen Records, Ron Fair, who would be responsible for signing and executive producing Keyshia’s debut and Grammy nominated sophomore albums, “The Way It Is” and “Just Like You.”

In 2006, in conjunction with BET, Halley developed and co-produced the hit reality television series, “The Way It Is”, an original program giving audiences the ultimate backstage pass into the life of Keyshia Cole.  On October 30, 2007, the second season aired following Cole’s new claim to fame and recording of her second album, “Just Like You” while dealing with the demons of her and her family’s past.  Halley’s role was highlighted in the series as viewers saw how flawlessly Halley handled Cole’s day-to-day affairs with press, studio time, artist collaborations and even her family.  The show premiered with outstanding ratings with the second season finale drawing in a reported 3 million viewers and 2 million households becoming BET’s largest returning series and original series in BET history.

A man of strength, faith and humility, Imani “Manny” Halley will not rest until the world knows who Imani Entertainment is. His commitment, dedication and loyalty to his artist and more importantly best interest are unsurpassed.  Halley has merged his many talents and keen sense of delivering what the public wants into his latest endeavors.  If his track record is any indication, the future looks might bright for the entertainment mogul.

http://imanientgroup.com/    Manny Halley (@mannytheceo) on Twitter

Republicans Should Be Gay

By Raynard Jackson

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk.  Say what you will about the gay community, but this one thing is clear, “they are masters at communications!”

I make my living doing Public Relations, Crises Management, and Strategic Planning, so I know good public manipulation when I see it and the gay community, in this regards, should be emulated by the Republican Party.

Growing up in St. Louis, there was no such thing or word as being gay (yes, I am sure they existed, but they definitely were not known).  So, the gay community studied Blacks and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s and made a conscious decision to adopt—some would say hijack—the language of the Civil Rights community.

They went from gay rights to Civil Rights; from gay marriage to marriage equality.  Anyone that knows anything about PR, knows that marketing is all about language and communications.  Politics is the ultimate form of marketing.

You can ask a girl to have sex with you or you can ask her to make love to you.  Both ask the same thing; but the latter uses a more effective way to communicate your desires than the former.

Early on, gays knew that America was not going to support “gay” rights, but in light of the experience of the Black community; who could be against “Civil Rights” for gays?

But yet, gays never explained and the media never asked were their assertion of “rights” stemmed from.

A “right” indicates something you are entitled to—by birth, by God, by law, by social norms, etc.  Therefore, I would like my gay friends to explain to me the origin of their rights?  They have rights as an American citizen, but not because they are gay.  This is what you will not hear the gay community talk about because equal rights is not their real objective—that is a byproduct of their real goal.

Their real goal is to force society to “accept” their personal lifestyle choices—i.e., being gay, bisexual, transgendered, etc.  Civil Rights for Blacks was never about acceptance, but rather enforcement of the U.S. Constitution.  The Constitution had already guaranteed us the very rights we were fighting for—right to vote, right to live anywhere, right to due process, etc.  We were not seeking to create a special class of rights based on “choices” we volunteerarily made (we were born Black—we did not choose to be Black).  We did not choose to come to America nor did we choose to be slaves.

So, our Civil Rights movement was about enforcement of the rights we were already guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.  Therefore there can be no equating Blacks and Civil Rights with gays and special rights!

So, for Obama, Sharpton, the N.A.A.C.P, the Congressional Black Caucus to equate gay rights with Civil Rights should be an insult not only to the Black community; but to all who sacrificed for Blacks to gain the Civil Rights that Blacks were already due.

Former California U.S. Senator and linguist, S.I. Hayakawa once said, “meanings are in people, not in words.”  Republicans typically think simply because they are right on the issues, somehow the public will understand their positions.  They should learn to be more like the gay community—to understand how words can change the perception the public has on controversial issues.  Gays understood that Americans would not support gay marriage, but who can be against “marriage equality?”  What a brilliant PR move!

Republicans need to do a better job of educating the American people that they are not against gay people; they are against “special rights” for gays.

If Obama and the Democrats think gay rights is a Civil Right, then how can they at the same time say they will leave it up to the states to decide the issue?  Huh?  When are they going to introduce legislation in Congress that codifies gay rights as a Civil Right?

Everyone knows that the Democrats have no intention of introducing legislation because this is all an election year ploy!

Let me also help you with the media’s obsessive use of supposed polls that show that a majority of Americans “support” gay rights and gay marriage.  What the media and gays never tell you is that there are currently 35 states that define marriage as between one man and one woman in their state constitutions.  So, the polls are in direct contradiction to the facts on the ground.

This fact is a PR bonanza if the Republicans did a better job of communicating their positions to the public.  To my Republican friends, learn how the gays have used language to advance their cause—in other words, be gay!

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for Black Enterprise, ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com), Freedom’s Journal Magazine (www.freedomsjournal.net), and U.S. Africa Magazine (www.usafricaonline.com).

 

Perfect Your Beach Physique: 10 Hottest Tips to Start *Today*

By Cindy Prossessor

Whether you’re planning a tropical vacation to escape the winter blues, or are simply preparing for beach season, we’ve got some tips that will have you sporting a six-pack and an overall toned body in no time.

And, you can kiss all those excuses that are running through your head goodbye. There are ladies to impress. So, spend some time reading through our fitness tips below and you’ll be rockin’ those board shorts and rock-hard abs before you know it.

Learn bench press basics: If you’re using weight lifting as a method to prepare your body for the beach, there are several things to keep in mind to avoid injury while helping strengthen your muscles.

• Lift straight up and down – When lifting heavy weights, it’s important to ensure that no part of your motion is wasted. Focus your mind on moving the bar and weight straight in the air. Letting in waiver from side to side (even just a little) will actually make it harder on your body.
• Draw in your shoulders – Draw your shoulder blades toward one another to help reduce how far your arms travel. Even shedding off a few inches can make a difference in how it affects your muscles.
• Squeeze the bar – When lifting, squeeze the bar tightly to help increase your strength. Studies have shown that increasing your grip on the bar can help you increase your bench press strength by up to 10 percent.
• It’s not just about your arms – Bench pressing can help tone many parts of your body…not just your chest and arms. When lifting, try contracting your glutes to help strengthen your core muscles. Why? Because the power is then moved from your feet, through your torso, and up to the shoulders.
• Position your elbow correctly – For optimum performance, be sure that your elbow is at 45 degrees in relation to your shoulder. Tucking in your elbow like this will help reduce the stress on your shoulders.

Don’t forget full-front squats. According to many fitness experts, squats are among one of the top exercises out there. Simply hold weights in your hands and continue with the normal squat exercise.  And, because of the position of the weights, you don’t need to hold as much as you normally would to gain strength.

When pushing, don’t forget to pull. Think about your training program and make sure you’re dedicating the same amount of time to pushing as you do pulling. Evening out the two will help you attain better muscle balance and avoid injuries.

Step away from crunches and try something new. There are many ways to strengthen your core and one of the most well known are crunches. But, that doesn’t mean they’re always the best. Try exercises that require you to rotate your core from side-to-side. Or, incorporate a medicine ball into your routine.

Challenge yourself, but don’t overdo it. One of the most common mistakes people make when jumping into an exercise regime is to overdo it from the get-go. Instead, decide upon a program and stick to it. Chances are, it has several rest days incorporated into it and those days are crucial to help your muscles rebuild and grow.

When combining workouts, start with weight lifting. If you decide to do cardio and weight lifting on the same day, be sure to start with weight lifting. Going for a run before lifting can leave your body fatigued which means you won’t have as much strength for lifting.

And there you have it, guys. Take these tips into consideration as you’re working on your rock solid beach physique and you’ll be ready to hit the sand in no time!

About the Author:

Cindy Prosser modeled swimwear in a past life… but now that she’s a part-time freelance writer and full-time mom she has embraced a new passion: helping you look great in board shorts for men from Bare Necessities. Like Bare Necessities on Facebook for HUGE sales and be sure to get the Bare Necessities coupon!