Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: June 26, 2016
By: Laura Deni
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PAINT YOUR WAGON CD IS A ROUSING DELIGHT

Knee-slapping, fun, tuneful, zestful, gorgeously melodious and under-appreciated

It's Paint Your Wagon - with a book (newly adapted by Marc Acito) and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe.

Although it has never received a Broadway revival, last year there was a March 18-22, 2015 Lincoln Center Encores! production which was recorded to perfection and has now been released by Masterworks Broadway.

If anyone, as an adult, not only saw but vividly remembers the 1951 Broadway production, which had a run of almost 289 performances, they would be heading towards the age of 90. For those who went to the 1969 movie as an adult, they would be in the grandparent stage of life. Probably still possessing all of their faculties, the memories of the unusual movie might have painted a wrong impression of this colorful musical.

I have no idea what the 1951 Broadway production was all about, but the movie version has little to do with this 2015 stage version which features Jenni Barber, Keith Carradine, Robert Creighton, Caleb Damschroder, Justin Guarini, Nathaniel Hackmann, Robyn Hurder, Alexandra Socha, Melissa van der Schyff, Scott Wakefield and William Youmans.

Directed by Marc Bruni the cast also includes Darien Crago, Steve Czarnecki, Nicolas Davila, Casey Garvin, Shonica Gooden, Timothy Hughes, Naomi Kakuk, Justin Keyes, Jenny Laroche, Melissa Hunter McCann, Harris Milgrim, Kevin Munhall, Kristin Piro, Robbie Roby, Jason Simon, Kevin Vortmann, Nicholas Ward and Mikey Winslow.

Running a captivating and enjoyable 77 minutes, the music in this CD is infinity better and more inclusive than the movie. The plot line is also totally different and so is the musical score which is under the direction of Rob Berman. You're better off not trying to reference the movie to this stage offering.

Perhaps to appreciate all of the musical numbers it helps to know the basic plot, which is explained in the accompanying CD booklet.

The story takes place during the California Gold Rush. In May 1853 widower Ben Rumson (Tony nominated Keith Carradine) strikes it rich after his headstrong teen-age daughter Jennifer (Alexandra Socha who made her Broadway debut in Spring Awakening and appeared off-Broadway's Fun Home) finds gold dust. Rumson establishes a town in his own name. The show follows the progress of the town as hundreds of men come to dig for gold - sung in Rumson Town where a vein has been struck that is "so long and so wide that no one can miss 'er" and it "takes four days on a fast horse to get from one end to the other."

But with 400 men and enough booze - one necessity is missing - women. That is solved by bringing in some hire by the hour "French dancers," celebrated in There's a Coach Comin' In.

Keith Carradine leads the cast of Paint Your Wagon. Photo: Joan Marcus

There are two sub-plots: the first focuses on the romance between Ben's daughter Jennifer and a Mexican named Julio (half African American and half Italian American Justin Guarin) who is forced to live outside of town due to his race. Raised by a single father in an all-male mining town, Jennifer is baffled by the men who are all but licking their lips when they stare at her (What's Going on Here?) Rumson decides to send her east to school. Before the stage coach can gallop her to the virginal safety of a proper headmistress, she falls in love with Julio.

The second sub plot is the arrival of Jacob Woodling (William Youmans) a Mormon with two wives Elizabeth and Sarah (Jenni Barber and Melissa van der Schyff). Wooding needs money and decides to auction off Elizabeth (Barber.) Ben wins her with the highest bid, freeing her from an abusive marriage.

The plot description seems to go from sappy to serious - or perhaps too much of an effort to be politically correct with; "After eighteen months, the gold has run dry and the miners move on. But Jennifer and Julio stay to make a new life, counseled by Rumson who realizes that after violating nature and stealing the earth's riches it's time to settle down and farm the land rather than resume the search for gold."

Called an ambitious concept for a 1950s Broadway show, today it's called "a surprisingly realistic take on freedom, family, and racism in the Gold Rush-happy America of 1853."

Suggestion: This is a CD. Sit back and enjoy the music. It's the best of musical entertainment as only Lerner & Lowe could craft.

Under the music direction of Emmy Award winner Rob Berman, the cast with beautiful voices sings excellent orchestrations played to perfection by the musicians.

Paint Your Wagon opens with a gloriously lush overture. The show produced three classics: I Talk to the Trees, (I Was Born Under a) Wand’rin’ Star, and They Call the Wind Maria plus some toe-tappers including There’s a Coach Comin’ In, Whoop-Ti-Ay and I’m On My Way.

Rumson Town is witty as is In Between, both sung by Carradine who also offers up Wand'rin Star, that ode to itchy feet compelled to travel on.

They Call the Wind Maria, is given a rousing rendition by miner Steve (baritone Nathaniel Hackmann who spent two years appearing in Les Miserables) with the miners’ chorus. The delivery qualifies as an aria with Hackman's rich, rippling baritone being one of the highlights of this CD.

If you're familiar with I Talk to the Trees being sung as a ballad, enjoy Tract 4 performed with Spanish dance rhythm infused hopeful exuberance. Lonely Man is an instrumental Scottish jig - coming from the composers who also gave us Brigadoon.

I Still See Elisa is a heart-tugging memory piece in which Ben still sees his wife whenever he dreams of love and longs to again hold her. Particularly effective arrangements for the musical lamentation Another Autumn vocally caressed by Justin Guarini, a first season American Idol runner-up. He's also the one who sings the yearning I Talk to the Trees.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this CD is the inclusion of a bonus track What Do Other Folks Do? which was dropped from Paint Your Wagon before the show opened in New York but was later polished and recycled in Camelot as What Do the Simple Folk Do?

Thankfully Masterworks Broadway has released this gem of a CD. Buy and enjoy.










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ART AND ABOUT

HERB RITTS: THE ROCK PORTRAITS

David Bowie III, Los Angeles, 1987 Photographed for Rolling Stone Image © and courtesy Herb Ritts Foundation

Meet the royalty of rock and roll. Photographer Herb Ritts introduces you to David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Janet Jackson, Elton John, Madonna, Prince, Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake, Tina Turner, and more of the world’s biggest musical stars of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.

His startlingly intimate portraits for Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and other leading magazines presented these artists as the public had never seen them before.

From B.B. King to Bruce Springsteen to Bono to Britney Spears, come face-to-face with the kings and queens of pop music.

Discover Ritts’ legacy of portrait photography and music video direction in this popular touring exhibition from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.

Herb Ritts: The Rock Portraits opened to the public on Friday, June 24, and runs through Sunday, September 18. Admission is free. The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfork, Virginia.

NEW ROMANCE: ART AND THE POSTHUMAN Flirt with a post-apocalyptic future at the Festival of New Romance – a fusion of contemporary art from Australia and Korea, hosting a vibrant mix of events to mark the opening of the exhibition New Romance: art and the posthuman at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Between Thursday June 30 to Sunday, July 3, witness K-Pop dance-offs, ‘fantastic creatures’, sci-fi films, ‘humanoids and hybrids’, cactus grafting, Korean cooking and more.

A few of the events include a July 2 Free Performance by Justin Shoulder OO, a fantastic creature conjured by artist, Justin Shoulder. Using costume and its transformative powers, this colorful and mesmerizing work explores ideas of queer embodiment, camouflage and mortality.

A Future Worlds panel discussion will take place on Sunday, July 3. What will the future look like? Hear artists and researchers respond to this topic, including artist Dara Gill who will share his research on the definition of anxiety as 'fear of the future'. Artist and poet Amy Ireland will discuss feminism, artificial intelligence and occultism sound.

Also on July 3 there is Lecture by Stelarc: Humanoids and Hybrids: Creepy, Uncanny and Contestable Bodies. Stelarc, a high-profile Australian artist working at the intersection of the body and technology since the 1970’s, will deliver an audio-visual lecture in which Stelarc contends that ‘the body is obsolete’ and that we should consider ‘alternate anatomical architectures’ that extend and augment its capabilities.

Artist and entrepreneur Giselle Stanborough will explore the ethics of dating in a technological age.

Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia.

GEORGE LUCAS has a chance of plans Two years ago much was made of the famed director announcing that Chicago had won the bid for his $700-million art museum. Since then the only thing to materialize has been legal complications, because Lucas insisted he wanted his museum built on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Plan B is that the museum will take shape in California. Two sites being considered are San Francisco and Los Angeles.

MASTERPIECE LONDON 2016 the leading international cross-collecting fair for art, antiques and design takes place in London June 30-July 6 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. There will be national as well as international exhibitors. This event showcases products like excellent painted furniture, spectacular jewelry, 20th century design, lighting, accessories, and works of art and craft of every kind in the Antiques & Philately industries.

What with Britain leaving the European Union, the stock markets on a roller coaster, and financial gurus caught pondering, the current situation can be a buying bargain for Americans. Your dollars go father.

If you have any filthy lucre to spend there are some gorgeous offerings.

Shop till you drop.

On the other hand, if the tumbling stock market has you in financial turmoil, consider this: expensive heirlooms can be multitask items. Sure they can sit around collecting dust - or, candlesticks can be used to thump a burglar; an ornate bowl might be the perfect receptacle for coins when you stand on the street corner begging.

Highlights this year on the Koopman Rare Art stand include a stunning silver-gilt George III presentation tray bearing the maker’s mark of Joseph Preedy. Although a notable and prolific silversmith in his day, trays by Preedy are rare and this one is particularly important on account of its royal provenance. Oval in shape with basket weave pattern sides and rope twist handles and rim, the tray was a christening gift from King George III to his godson the Duke of Dorset. The center of the tray is engraved with coats of arms within a garter and below a coronet and bears the inscription: Given by his most excellent Majesty George the III, to his Godson, George John Frederick Sackville, Duke of Dorset, born Novr.15, 1793. Previously in the famous Al-Tajir collection, the tray weighs a substantial 6.54kgs and has an asking price of £350,000. Due to dramatic market fluctuations, what that amounts to in American dollars is considerably lower than what it was two weeks ago.

A George III silver-gilt ‘Royal’ Presentation Tray London 1802, Maker’s mark of Joseph Preedy Length: 66.75cm, 26.2in Width: 44cm, 17.3in Weight: 6,540g,210oz 4dwt Asking price: £350,000 Photo: Koopman Rare Art

Among other notable pieces with Royal provenance is a magnificent set of four Royal George III silver-gilt candlesticks. Each candlestick bears the Royal Ducal crest believed to be for the Duke of Cambridge. The candlesticks were made in London in 1829 by Charles Fox and based on a design by Robert Adam. Suites of similar candlesticks can be found in the collection of William Beckford at Brodick Castle, where Beckford enlarged existing suites (Asking price £ 39,000).

Similarly a pair of George III tankards, bearing the maker’s mark of William Hall, London 1802 also have royal provenance. Engraved with the initials CR below a royal coronet and the Garter motto together, the initials are those of Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), wife of George III, while the additional engraved crest and royal coronet are for one of her sons. The tankards have an asking price of £25,000.

If economic uncertainly has you running for the hills, don't forget your boxes.

Koopman Rare Art also has a superior collection of European gold boxes dating from the 18th and 19th centuries - some bejewelled, others made of hardstones, such as agate, lapis lazuli or rhodonite, while others incorporate decorative scenes in micromosaic. Lewis Smith, Director of Koopman Rare Art, explained: “There has been a noticeable increased interest in gold boxes recently, which tends to be the case in times of economic uncertainty. Not only are they extremely beautiful, desirable objects they are also very portable.”

One very rare gold box, of the most exquisite quality is made of three different colors of gold and is decorated with allegorical scenes, which make reference to arms, nature, music and science. Dating from 1772 the maker is believed to be Nicolas Marguerit (asking price £65,000).

If you want to financially conserve by cutting back on Starbucks through brewing your own at home - consider the long term investment of purchasing and using one of the earliest silver coffee percolators. Made by English silversmiths Emes and Barnard in 1809, the design is both elegant and practical. Comprising two parts the top canister, which sits on the pot below, takes the coffee granules and the hot water. Once the coffee has percolated through, the top can be removed leaving an elegant coffee pot with lid for pouring. This fabulous piece has an asking price of £7,500 and will clearly last for a couple more hundred years - enough time to recoup your investment.

SWEET CHARITY

SONGS FOR NEW ALTERNATIVES: A PRIDE CONCERT BENEFITING THE HOMELESS LGBT YOUTH OF NYC

Michael Longoria, Diana DeGarmo, Christina Bianco and Ashley Austin Morris in New York on June 23, 2016 at Hardware. Photo Credit: Valena David

took place Thursday, June 23, at Hardware in New York City.

Michael Longoria, Kristina Bramhall and Taylor James presented the evening with Michael Longoria and Ashley Austin Morris hosting.

Performers included Alice Ripley, Constantine Maroulis, Diana DeGarmo, Daniel Reichard, Marty Thomas, Christina Bianco, Tori Scott, Ryan Raftery, Willito Rivera, Mathieu Blue, Felicia Finley, Alexa Green, Ashanti J’aria, Danny Longoria, Tim Young, Jennifer Malenke, Michelle Dowdy, Cameron Mitchell Bell, Jennifer Bishop, Matthew Roscoe, Jenna Miller, Kristina Nicole Miller, Marissa Pontecorvo and Andrea Nardello.

New Alternatives, an organization that helps homeless LGBT youth (16-24) become self-sufficient and transition out of the shelter system and into stable adult lives. Their services include case management, education services, life skills training, community-building recreational opportunities for self-expression and support services for HIV+ youth..

BAY STREET THEATRE 2016 SEASON SPECTACULAR starring irreverent comedian Kathy Griffin takes place Saturday, July 2, in East Hampton, New York.

Benefit tickets start at $1,000 and include premium orchestra seating and the post-performance dinner.

GUILD HALL BENEFIT will feature Kathy Griffin, a two-time Emmy and Grammy award-winner who brings her feisty, "pull-no-punches" comedy to the John Drew Theater. A delicious benefit dinner catered by Sonnier & Castle immediately follows at a private location just a short walk from Guild Hall. Benefit tickets start at only $500 for young patrons (21-40yrs) and $1,000 for patrons and include premium orchestra seating and the post-performance dinner.

Saturday July 2, 2016. The evening benefits Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY.

SPREADING THE WORD

THE SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL takes place June 29-July 4 and July 7-10, 2016 in Washington, DC. Celebrate cultural traditions from around the world.

The Folklife Festival includes daily and evening music and dance performances, crafts and cooking demonstrations, storytelling and discussions of cultural issues. The 2016 program will explore the Basque Country’s unique language and distinct culture.

The Basque constitute one of the oldest communities in Europe, and today approximately 1 million people worldwide speak Basque, or Euskara, a language once on the brink of extinction and now an example of successful language revitalization. In addition to its language, the Basque Country is well known for its food, crafts, music and poetry.

The 2016 Festival will host musicians, cooks, language experts and more from the region to explore themes of cultural sustainability, identity and migration.

BRITISH SUMMER TIME FESTIVAL with Take That, Florence and Mumford & Sons takes place July 2-10 in London.

MAGICIAN DIXIE DOOLEY stages two - free to the public - shows every Sunday at the Hall of Antiquities located inside the Boulevard Mall in Las Vegas.

The store is fascinating and prestidigitator Dooley's antics are - spellbinding.

JUNE 28 is National Tapioca Day and June 30 is National Ice Cream Soda Day.

NATHAN'S HOT DOG CELEBRATES 100th ANNIVERSARY

It's that eat the dog time of year.

Considered an even more gastronomic event this year because the famed Nathan's is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The official anniversary of the wiener itself was May 28, when the Coney Island mainstay offered 5 cent dogs. The first hot dog-eating contest took place July 4, 1916, between three men arguing over who was the most patriotic. James Mullen claimed the prize, eating 13 hot dogs in 12 minutes.

Since then the gulp down has only gotten more caloric and stomach stretching.

The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is a culmination of a qualifying circuit conducted throughout the United States from San Antonio to Las Vegas - from Syracuse, NY to Charlotte, NC.

Each year the greatest competitive eaters on earth gather on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, to compete, as they have since 1916. Since this is an election year, no word has been leaked as to whether politics will again play a role.

The official weigh-in ceremony takes place July 1. Reigning champion Matt Stonie and eight-time champ Joey Chestnut will stare each other down.

Last year reigning female champion Miki Sudo defended her title as she downed 38 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Sudo out-ate former four-time champion Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, who finished second by polishing off 34 hot dogs and buns.

Each Nathan’s hot dog is between 6½ and 7 inches long and served on a 6-inch bun, to ensure the dog sticks out at each end.

There were 500 million Nathan’s dogs sold throughout the world last year alone. Laid end to end, they would stretch more than twice around the circumference of the earth.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

SHUFFLE ALONG which received rave reviews and 10 Tony nominations will close at the Music Box Theater on July 24, the date the show's star Audra McDonald begins maternity leave. When it was announced that McDonald would leave the musical ticket sales dropped. Producers indicated they were responsible to their investors and delivered the bad news to cast and crew last Thursday.

The $12 million production closes at a loss.

THE HILL COUNTRY COMMUNITY THEATRE IN TEXAS has announced that it has awarded a $1,000.00 scholarship to Holden Fox for his outstanding contributions to HCCT.

In addition to performing on the Hill Country Community Theatre stage as The Cat in the Hat in Seussical, Christopher Wren in Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap,, Billy Krutzik in Zombies From the Beyond and Barnaby Tucker in Hello, Dolly!,, Holden volunteered as an assistant director and stage manager as well as interning as a marketing assistant and graphics designer.

“We are grateful for all the students that volunteer here,” said Mike Rademaekers HCCT’s executive director. “Holden was the cream that rose to the top. He was always eager to take on new challenges and learn new things. We are going to miss him.”

Holden will be attending Texas State University this September. He plans to major in music theatre and minor in marketing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO . . . .

MEL BROOKS an EGOT who celebrates his 90th birthday on Tuesday, June 28th.

Brooks joins Sir David Attenborough, Hugh Hefner, Cloria Leachman, Jerry Lewis, and Queen Elizabeth who hit their 90th birthday this year and are still active.

Soon to be admitted to the 90th year old list are Tony Bennett, Harry Dean Stanton and Chuck Berry.

A birthday party with all of them present would make for interesting conversation.



THE LAST TIGER IN HAITI a world-premiere play by Jeff Augustin.

Directed by Joshua Kahan Brody a 2015 Princess Grace Award winner, and co-founder of the San Diego site-based theater group The Trip.

A gripping drama.

It’s the final night of Kanaval in Haiti, and a group of abandoned children spend it trading fantastic folktales until the line between reality and fiction blurs. At daybreak, the oldest plans to leave for a new life but discovers the story of his future and past are in the hands of someone else. Set in a world that is utterly real and remarkably imaginative - Haitian lore is woven into a contemporary narrative of survival and betrayal.

A co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre is staged June 28 – July 24, 2016 at the Mandell Weiss Forum of the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California.

COST OF LIVING by Martyna Majok.

Directed by Obie Award-winner Jo Bonney.

Featuring Rebecca Naomi Jones, Gregg Mozgala, and Wendell Pierce.

Four very different people, in four very different circumstances, each trying to get by. Eddie (Wendell Pierce), an unemployed truck driver, reunites with his ex-wife Ani after she suffers a devastating accident. John (Gregg Mozgala), a brilliant and witty doctoral student, hires over-worked Jess (Rebecca Naomi Jones) as a caregiver. As their lives intersect, the play explores the chasm between abundance and need and explores the space where bodies - abled and disabled - meet each other.

Wilson Chin - Scenic Designer: Jessica Pabst - Costume Designer: Jeff Croiter - Lighting Designer: Ben Truppin-Brown - Sound Designer: Tom Schall - Fight Director.

World Premiere June 29 - July 10 on the Nikos Stage at the Williamstown Festival in Williamstown, MA.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY based on the best-selling novel by Robert James Waller. Book by Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman.

Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher.

Gorgeous, soulful music by Tony Award–winning composer Jason Robert Brown.

The Bridges of Madison County tells the story of Iowa housewife Francesca Johnson and her life-changing, four-day whirlwind romance with traveling photographer Robert Kincaid. It's an unforgettable story of two people caught between decision and desire, as a chance encounter becomes a second chance at so much more.

The two-time Tony award winning musical has performances June 28 - July 17, 2016 at the Eisenhower Theatre at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

THE ROSE TATTOO by Tennessee Williams.

Directed by Obie Award winner Trip Cullman.

With Christopher Abbott, Katie Lee Hill, Lindsay Mendez, Darren Pettie, Portia, Will Pullen, Constance Shulman, and Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei.

After retreating in grief, widow Serafina (Tomei) revives and rejoins the world when the hot-blooded trucker Alvaro (Christopher Abbott) arrives at her doorstep. Passion, gossip, music and mystery fill the air in this steamy Gulf Coast town, where possibility and promise ignite.

Mark Wendland - Scenic Designer: Clint Ramos - Costume Designer: Ben Stanton - Lighting Designer: Fitz Patton - Sound Designer: Michael Friedman - Original Music: Lucy Mackinnon - Projection Designer: Lydia DesRoche - Animal Trainer: Jeff Brancato - Production Stage Manager.

June 28 - July 17, Main Stage, Williamstown Festival in Williamstown, MA.

WHO'S WHERE

COLDPLAY appear Wednesday, June 29 in at the Olympiastadion Berlin. Friday's gig is in Hamburg, Germany at the Volksparkstadion. Next Sunday, July 3, they can be enjoyed in Solna, Sweden at the Friends Arena.

CHICAGO opens a three nighter Saturday, July 2, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

RIHANNA performs Monday, June 27, at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. Wednesday's show is at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

SELENA GOMEZ is in the spotlight Tuesday, June 28, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. On Wednesday, June 29, she appears at Summerfest in Milwaukee. Friday finds her at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. On Saturday she stars at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

PAUL SIMON in a two night stand June 27-28 at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND on Monday, June 27, finished out a split two nighter at the Ullevi Stadium in Goteborg, Sweden. Wednesday's stop is at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, Norway. Next Sunday, July 3, they open a split two nighter at the Stadio San Siro in Milan, Italy.

RECENTLY-KNIGHTED SIR KARL JENKINS returns to the Royal Albert Hall in London to conduct one of his best-loved works, The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace on Sunday, July 3, 2016. This popular choral/orchestral work was commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum as part of the millennium celebrations and was given its world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2000. The resulting album has been in the classical chart for almost 700 weeks, cementing itself in the country’s consciousness. Artists performing include: Tony Robinson, special guest - David Childs, euphonium - Kathryn Rudge, mezzo soprano - Joo Yeon Sir, violin- the Royal Choral Society and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

THE LADY AT THE MIC Two-time MAC Award winner, Tony nominee, and Drama Desk Lifetime Achievement Award winner Charles Busch pays tribute through song to five extraordinary women: Elaine Stritch, Polly Bergen, Mary Cleere Haran, Julie Wilson, and Joan Rivers. Accompanied on piano by Tom Judson. Sunday, July 3, at Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY.

FINAL OVATION

WAYNE JACKSON an American soul and R&B musician; one of The Memphis Horns, "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever," died June 21, 2016 at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis of congestive heart failure. His death came after several years of failing health during which he still maintained an active schedule earning an income by giving personalized guided tours at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. He was 74.

Neil Portnow President/CEO of The Recording Academy issued the following statement: " A 2012 recipient of The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the incredible Memphis Horns, Wayne Jackson and his trumpet were a perfect pair. Primarily with his decades-long musical partner, saxophonist Andrew Love, he performed on standout recordings such as Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay," Aretha Franklin's Respect, Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline, Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds, Al Green's Let's Stay Together, Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer, and countless others. We have lost a brilliant musician and our heartfelt condolences go out to Wayne’s family, friends and all those who benefited from his tremendous talents."

He is survived by his wife, Amy.

RALPH STANLEY an innovator of Appalachian music died Thursday, June 23, 2016 after losing his battle with skin cancer. He was 89.

He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. He also received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Lincoln Memorial University in 1976 and another from Yale in 2014.

Neil Portnow President/CEO of The Recording Academy issued the following statement: "Considered a patriarch of Appalachian music, Grammy Award winner Ralph Stanley was a masterful bluegrass singer and banjo player. With his prodigious banjo picking, haunting vocal style, and intriguing songwriting, Ralph helped pioneer and popularize the bluegrass genre and inspired countless musicians while doing so. His work on the O Brother, Where Are Thou? soundtrack helped bring about a bluegrass resurgence in the early 2000s. While he will be greatly missed, his contributions to music will live on. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends, fans, and collaborators."

Stanley is survived by his wife of nearly 48 years, Jimmi Stanley; his children, Lisa Stanley Marshall, Tonya Armes Stanley and Ralph Stanley II; grandchildren Nathan Stanley, Amber Meade Stanley, Evan Stout, Ashley Marshall, Alexis Marshall, Taylor Stanley and Ralph Stanley III; and great-grandchild Mckenzie Stanley.

Next Column: July 3, 2016
Copyright: June 26, 2016 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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Laura Deni

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