EDUCATION AND LEARNING
WORLD WHO’S WHO IN JAZZ,
CABARET, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.
Rating: 5 Stars.
A MONUMENTAL
WORK. A GIGANTIC ACCOMPLISHMENT! FROM AUTHORITATIVE ARTICLES TO
PARADE OF GLAMOROUS STARS!
Icons grace the
covers of the volumes of the forthcoming World Who's Who in
Jazz, Cabaret, Music and Entertainment (6 volumes), such as
the legendary Jill Corey (left), who, three decades ago, also
made the cover of Life magazine. Ms. Corey appears on the
cover of Volume III. Excerpt from the book: "Jill
Corey...One of the greatest artists of all time. Mesmerizing,
divine. The ultimate diva! A living legend on and off stage.
Her style, technique, stage presence, her voice, the quality and
beauty of her repertoire, her rapport with the public and her
unmatched individual originality and improvisation set her apart
from the rest of the sparkling stars. She is “La Grande Dame” of
entertainment par excellence! Press quotes: "A performer of
unusual depth and insight…Jill Corey has made one of the most
spectacular comebacks in cabaret…Corey's return is more than
welcome, it's downright exciting."- Stephen Holden, the New York
Times"
Ms
Teri Roiger (left) is on the cover of Volume III.
LONDON- Another
spectacular masterpiece by entertainment critic and author
extraordinaire, Maximillien de Lafayette. It is a gigantic set of 6
volumes exceeding 4,000 pages. An odyssey of the world of showbiz,
music, jazz, American standards, and cabaret. And from a different
angle, World Who’s Who in Jazz, Cabaret, Music and
Entertainment becomes a biographic encyclopedia of the who’s
who in music, the pioneers, the composers, the musicians, the stars,
the singers and musical organizations. In brief, it is monumental.
Sailing into the immense world of the six volumes, we discover the
unexpected, an aspect of biographical work rarely revealed to the
public: The advice and tips, the author and his editorial board of
100+ give the readers, the performers and singers. An elaborate
chapter on what a singer must know and must do when booking a venue
for a live performance illustrates the intensity, the practical
value and use of the voluminous set.
Ms Karmyn Tyler,
former Miss Louisiana is in the book. De Lafayette said: "Ms Tyler
is one of the most delightful finds and discoveries in jazz. She is
first rate."
Canadian diva Carol
Welsman with President Bill Clinton at the Magna International Gala
Dinner. Ms. Welsman has a strong ally: Maximillien de Lafayette
himself. She appeared on the cover of his recently published huge
book United States and the World Face to Face, and of
course, she appeared once again on the cover of Volume I of the
World Who's Who.
Carol
Welsman on the cover of de Lafayette's voluminous book United
States and the World Face to Face.
The World
Who’s Who in Jazz, Cabaret, Music and Entertainment could be
compared to a continuous non-stop symphonic performance by an
orchestra of 1,000 musicians from all genres and schools under the
baton of an international conductor. Each one brings to the symphony
a personal cache and unexpected notes. And it works! Because this
heavyweight Who’s Who is astronomical. Just imagine what you could
find going through 200 chapters in 3 volumes! And the biographical
notes! Almost 30,000 entries. The Who’s Who is well crafted and
divided into several parts, such as, biographies, data and facts,
charts and analyses, and resources. In brief, it embraces all facets
and aspects of the world of music and those who make music. Most
impressive it is. Authoritative? Affirmative. Useful? No questions
asked, simply because it is the world’s first who’s who of music,
singers, performers and the business of music.
Photo:
the stunning and legendary American diva, Maureen McGovern was
described in the Who's Who as a legend and a divine diva. Excerpt:
"Maureen McGovern, the
ultimate diva, the living legend and the jewels of the crown of
world entertainment. The trilogy of her magic consists of a
mesmerizing stage presence, impeccable technique and that
aristocratic classy command of lyrics and vocal virtuosity. Maureen
McGovern's career, which spans
35 years, includes
recordings, concerts, Broadway, theater, films, television, radio
and composing. Maureen returned to Broadway's 2005 season,
originating her Drama Desk nominated role of 'Marmee' in
Little
Women,
The Musical
and reprised her role as 'Marmee' in the first
Broadway National Tour [2005-2006] of
Little Women.
"
Photo:
Amy Baker who performed for President Clinton is on the cover of
Volume I.
Volume III of the
Who's Who is my favorite, for it contains an abundance of resources,
data, facts, charts, directories of directories, lists of lists and
photos of those fabulous artists and legendary performers and divas,
such as Maureen McGovern, Marlene VerPlanck and Mark
Murphy.
From L to R: Diva
Stephanie Jordan is in. The enigmatic and captivating Peggy Judy is
on the cover!
Photo:
The queen of Harp, Aideen O'Donnell is in the book.
The gallery of
photos is refreshing. It is extensive. It contains 200 photos of
singers and musicians from all schools, styles and genres, ranging
from traditional jazz to hostesses of open mic. events; artists like
Teri Roiger, Ute Lemper, the most unusual Cynthia
Bassinet, cabaret star Deborah Boily, Diane Hoffman, Barbara Cook,
Rufus Reid, Allan Harris, Suzanne Petri, Janine Alondres, Irene
Soderberg, Soraya Shaw, Cami Thompson, Janet Planet, Katie Bull,
Frank Jackson, Judie Neimack, Jim Malloy, Barbra Streisand,
Paulette Attie, Marlene VerPlanck, etc.
VERY SPECIAL HONOREES: THE DISTINGUISHED ONES!
Mr Donald Smith,
(left) founder and organizer of the American Cabaret Convention,
described as the father of Cabaret in America in the World Who's Who
in Jazz, Cabaret, Music and Entertainment.
A large chapter in the World Who's Who in Jazz, Cabaret, Music
and Entertainment was devoted to individuals and groups who made
significant contributions to Jazz, Cabaret and music in America.
Although, Dr. de Lafayette, the author of this encyclopedic book is
known and highly respected for his authoritative knowledge of the
industry and unbiased reporting, in this Who's Who, however, he
succumbs to his emotions. He wrote glowing articles about Mr Jim
Eigo, a jazz business wizard and promoter, Mr Donald Smith,
and two other personalities as if they were the unmatched and
formidable pillars of the music industry in the United States. This
could disturb other figures who equally contributed to music in
America. Mr de Lafayette wrote: "Donald Smith is the pillar of
cabaret in America. Take him away from the scene, and cabaret in
America will cease to exist."
On Mr Jim Eigo, (left) the author said: "This is the most
productive, effective and honest man in the business. The wizard of
jazz business and artists' promotion." HothouseJazz.com and
their leadership got a glowing write-up in the book, especially
HothouseJazz president Gwen
Calvier and her team. (described by the author as one of the
most important jazz resources and services to artists in the United
States). But in general, the book is unbiased, extremely
useful, authoritative and well-written.
The Satin Doll Trio was selected as Best Trio in
America.
Photo,
left: The legendary performer, songwriter and actress, Paulette
Attie, the recipient of 5
consecutive ASCAP Plus Songwriter Awards 2000 – 2004 and the
National Poetry Award, 1998, and Woman of the Year 2004.
Honorable mentions
were given to diva Marlene Verplanck, Paulette Attie, Soraya
Shaw, Stevie Holland, Melissa Errico (described as the "fabulous
one" and the bursting talent on Broadway) Randa Ghossoub,
Suzanne Petri has been described and recognized as the cabaret
pioneer in America, and Irene Soderberg was highly admired in
the book for her talent and joie de vivre!
Melissa Errico
described by Maximillien de Lafayette: "The fabulous one!"
Photo, left, diva
Marlene Verplanck on the cover of Entertainment Divas,
Cabaret, Jazz, Then and Now, a recently published massive
book of 724 pages written by Maximillien de Lafayette. Ms Verplanck
also appeared on the cover of Volume II of the World Who's Who.
Any negative report
or yellow journalism? Certainly not, because de Lafayette does not
believe "in badmouthing people. Those artists have to make a living.
Don't cut off their chances. Everybody has to eat. If they are
talented, promote them...if they are not so good, give them another
chance...I don't advocate bad reviews. Just do not write about
them..." said Mr de Lafayette whose column is read by more than 10
million readers worldwide.
It appears that
everybody who is somebody in the entertainment business is in this
book. The World Who’s Who in Jazz, Cabaret, Music and
Entertainment will be made available to the general public in
late January or early February of 2007. Highly recommended. Five
stars.
By David Nye, Staff
writer.
Continues on the next column.
_____________________________________________________
Fees-probe schools to pay out £3m
Eton was one of the
schools investigated.
Fifty independent schools investigated for
fee-fixing have agreed to pay a penalty of £10,000 each, plus an
average of £50,000 to charity.
The Office of Fair Trading says they may have
broken competition law by sharing details about fees. The schools,
including Eton, Harrow, and Winchester, could have been fined up to
10% of their annual turnover. The deal, offered in February, has
been accepted by all 50 schools. The OFT will take no further
action.
'Inadvertent breach': A charity set up to
help pupils who attended the schools during the years 2001 to 2004
gets £3m. The settlement was co-ordinated by a steering group led by
Independent Schools Council general secretary Jonathan Shephard. He
said: "The settlement reached represents a sizeable cost to the
schools for inadvertently breaching competition law by continuing to
share information in a manner which had previously been perfectly
legal. "The OFT makes no finding that the exchange of information -
a practice that ceased before the investigation began - had any
effect on the level of fees. "The schools concerned can now
concentrate once again on providing a first-class education to their
pupils." The OFT says parents of children at the schools needed the
protection of competition law, as in any other sector in which they
bought goods or services. But the schools accused of fee-fixing have
said there will be no refunds for parents. The charity payment will
differ according to each establishment's income. It is estimated
that roughly 40,000 people will benefit from the fund, which will be
used for educational purposes and would pay out before the pupils'
30th birthdays. Winchester College had a turnover of £15m in
2003-04, and Eton's total income for 2004 was £38.7m.
_______________________________
SCIENCE
Space shuttle moved to launch pad
The shuttle is scheduled to launch from
1 to 19 July.
The Discovery orbiter has been moved onto its
launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, as part of
preparations for a July lift-off. The slow procession from the
Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad took almost eight hours. The
space shuttle is scheduled to fly some time between 1 and 19 July.
It will be only the second shuttle flight since the space shuttle
Colombia disintegrated on re-entry three years ago, killing all
seven astronauts.
Pointing skywards, the shuttle, already attached to its
orange rocket fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters, inched along
its four-mile (6.5km) journey atop a giant transport vehicle.
Shuttle programme manager Wayne Hale has expressed confidence that
Discovery will launch in July as planned and that the US space
agency (Nasa) will be able to launch a further two shuttle flights
before the end of the year. A final decision on whether to launch
will be made in mid-June. Discovery had originally been expected to
blast off this month, but the schedule was changed when a faulty
fuel tank sensor was discovered.
Apes can think and plan ahead
The bonobos were able to forward plan.
Bonobos and orangutans are capable of future
planning, according to a study published in the journal Science.
Researchers found the apes could select a suitable tool for reaching
a treat, carry it away, and return with it to retrieve the reward
hours later. Forward planning is thought by some to be a uniquely
human trait. The German team suggests such skills may have evolved
about 14 million years ago, when bonobos, orangutans and humans
shared a common ancestor. "We showed that individuals are able to
pick up a tool, transport it to a different location, keep it there
for at least an hour, and bring it back to solve a problem,"
explained lead author Dr Josep Call, from the Max Plank Institute
for Evolutionary Anthropology. "Previous studies had shown that
chimps and other animals can transport tools to solve a problem on
the spot - so they will go and even make a tool and then they will
bring it to solve a problem. "But the main difference with the tasks
that we tried is that here when they transport the tool and save it,
they have no use for the tool. They need to anticipate that they
will require it solve a problem in the future."
The waiting room: The scientists
investigated this with a series of experiments. In one of these, the
apes were taught how to use a tool to retrieve a treat from a piece
of apparatus. Then the researchers offered the apes a selection of
tools - some suitable, some not - but blocked their immediate access
to the reward. Instead, the apes were led away to another location
where they had to wait for an hour before being returned to the
original room where, if they had selected the correct tool, they
could release their treat. Six out of 16 times the apes successfully
chose the correct tool, kept it with them in the waiting room, and
then used it to access the reward. The team found the success rate
was about the same when they increased the waiting time to 14 hours
- enough time for the apes to sleep in between collecting and using
the tool. "Traditional learning theory has a hard time explaining
this, and several scientists had postulated that future planning is
something beyond the capabilities of animals, so we were very
surprised to see this," said Dr Call. The scientists looked at
bonobos and orangutans because they represent our closest and most
distant great ape relatives, respectively. Humans and bonobos
evolved into separate lineages about five to seven million years
ago; orangutans about 14 million years ago. "Because both orangutans
and bonobos showed the ability to future plan in these tasks, this
means this skill could have been present in the common ancestor to
all great apes," Dr Call said. Next, the team plans to investigate
whether the apes will protect their tool if they share the waiting
room with a competitor. -By Rebecca Borel
_______________________________
TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft reveals Vista checklist
Microsoft boss Bill
Gates has given regular previews of Vista.
Microsoft has revealed how powerful computers
must be to run Vista - the new version of its Windows operating
system. It has given advice on the basic specifications to run
the software as well as the higher capabilities needed to get the
most out of it. Also available is a downloadable tool that lets
people know if the PC they own now will run the system. Microsoft
has said that Vista will go on widespread release in January 2007.
Spec check: Vista, formerly known as
Longhorn, is Microsoft's long awaited update to the Windows family
of operating systems and makes some big changes to the way that the
software works. Typically every release of Windows kicks off a round
of PC buying as companies and consumers buy machines that can make
the most of the novel features included in the new version. Only
those machines with a graphics card that has a significant amount of
memory will be able to use this 3D display. Other big changes in
Vista include the way it handles sound and networking with other
machines. Microsoft has also prepared a Vista "Get Ready" website
that can help people work out if their PC can run Vista unaltered,
if they need to upgrade their main memory or graphics card, or if
they need a whole new computer. Also available is a software
download called the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor that can check a
PC and advise about the action needed to run the new version of
Windows. The situation is also complicated by the fact that
Microsoft is set to release Vista in six separate versions. Three
will be aimed at home users, two at companies and one for emerging
markets. Many PC makers are already selling machines that they label
as "Vista ready". There is no information yet about the abilities of
Intel-based Apple Mac computers and whether they will be able to run
Vista.
|
VISTA HARDWARE CHECKLIST |
|
|
| |
Minimum |
Recommended |
|
Processor |
800MHz |
1GHz 32 or 64 bit |
|
System Memory |
512MB |
1GB |
|
Graphics card |
DirectX 9 capable |
Runs Windows Aero |
|
Graphics Memory
|
- - |
128MB |
|
Free space on Hard Drive
|
15GB |
15GB |
|
Source: Microsoft
|
Microsoft has released "minimum" and
"recommended" specifications for Vista. The minimum means that the
operating system will run but some new features will be disabled.
Recommended means that this is what is needed to get the most basic
configuration of the whole package working. For instance one of the
big changes in Vista is the graphical look of the interface itself -
dubbed Aero. In Vista the familiar boxes, windows and icons on the
desktop are modelled as 3D objects - just like in many computer
games.
Sweden convicts
first file-sharer
Photo: Downloading copyrighted material
was made illegal in Sweden in July.
A Swedish court has
meted out the country's first conviction for using an online
file-sharing network. 28-year-old Swede Andreas Bawer was
found guilty of breaching copyright by distributing a Swedish
movie online and fined 16,000 kronor (US$2,000). The verdict was
welcomed by the entertainment industry as a step toward tougher
enforcement of copyright laws. In the past, Sweden has been
criticised for being lax on online piracy and introduced a new law
in July.
This case relates to 2004, before the new law banning
the downloading of copyrighted material came into effect. Prior to
the law, an estimated 900,000 Swedes regularly downloaded movies,
games and music.
Serious crime: The Vastmanlands district
court found that downloading copyrighted material was not illegal at
the time. But it ruled that distributing the film breached Sweden's
copyright law. "This kind of crime should be taken seriously," said
the ruling. "Making a film available to the public on the internet
has significant consequences for the film industry. Illegal material
can in this way be spread quickly and reach many people, which can
lead to heavy economic losses for the copyright owners," the court
said. File-sharing carries a maximum sentence of two years in
prison, but in this case the court chose just a fine as the man was
not trying to profit financially from his actions. Bawer's lawyer
said his client had not yet decided whether to appeal against the
verdict. "It's a lot for uploading one film on one occasion and
without financial gain," said Torbjorn Persson. The Swedish
Anti-piracy Agency, which represents the entertainment industry,
hailed the verdict as a big step forward. "This sends a very strong
signal to file-sharers," said Henrik Ponten, legal council at the
group. "Now we have taken the first step toward a functioning
copyright law." The decision to fine rather than send Bawer to jail
could have serious implications for the fight against internet
piracy. Swedish police can only request personal details from an
internet provider about who own a specific net address if they are
suspected of a crime that warrants a prison sentence.
Can a home wind
turbine make money?
Household windmills are becoming quite the
fashion, apparently, but can they make money?
Photo: Wind turbines are increasingly
popular.
Domestic wind turbines have been described as
"the new handbags" - the latest luxury items craved by those who
want to be first to try new technology. But this description
overlooks their green credentials, because any electricity powered
by the elements is reducing CO2 emissions, which are blamed for
global warming. And there are also the financial motivations. A
household with a windmill can save money on bills and sell excess
electricity back to the national grid. So could wind turbines
become a nice little earner? They are certainly on the increase -
7,000 households have been given grants to get the turbines
installed. A report this week by the Sustainable Consumption
Roundtable envisages a future where households generate their
electricity at home, using wind, solar and heat energy - but only
if the government bought panels and turbines in large quantities
for public buildings, so costs fall. "Then we could all afford
them," says Alan Knight, the group's chairman. "To install a
generator or solar panel today you need specialist help. You
should be able to buy one at B&Q and stick it in yourself."
Turbines come in a range of sizes, prices and powers, and living
close to neighbours can make planning permission problematic.
David Nisbet put up a 6kw turbine in his Essex garden in May,
after overcoming 22 planning objections from neighbours about
noise and visual impact. It is 11.5m high to the tip of the blade
and it cost him £10,000, plus a £5,000 grant.
Photo:
NISBET'S WINDMILL.
Cost: £10,000 plus £5,000 grant
Life: Blades will last 20 years, magnets in generator 20
years, steel tower and foundations 60 years
Location: 15m from his house, 35m from neighbours
Height: 11.5m
His motivation was both financial and
environmental and he was inspired by seeing two windmills at the
Ford plant where he works. Although he says the concerns of others
have been allayed, the first few months haven't been as windy as he
hoped. "In the last eight to 10 years we've had strong
south-westerly winds but not this year," he says. "It's been fickle
and I'd put this six months down as a lean year. "It's been
generating electricity but not as much as I had hoped for. It's
connected to the grid and any surplus flows back into the grid." The
wind provided 80% of his electricity in the summer and he estimates
it will heat the house through winter, thereby saving him a total of
£1,000 a year in heating bills. In 10 years, he hopes to have paid
off his investment, but he will still have been buying electricity
from the grid during that time. It isn't possible to be totally
dependent on wind because it doesn't blow every minute, says Alison
Hill at the British Wind Energy Association. "You may get the
4-5,000 units a year to run a household but not every single hour of
every day so you would need to have standard electricity grid
connection to get electricity from the grid. "We are quite lucky in
the UK because when we have most wind we have most demand - winter.
That profile of generation is quite beneficial, but no-one can have
100% self-sufficiency on wind alone. "If it looks like you have a
big wind resource and a good turbine, you can connect that turbine
to the grid and sell that, so there's an additional revenue for
householders there."Typically, a household sees a reduction of
between a quarter and a third in its annual electricity bill." Solar
panels can supplement wind to boost a home's renewable sources but
some households do claim to make a profit purely from wind, by
generating so much electricity that the amount they sell back is
greater than the amount they buy. That would require a very
energy-efficient house and living in a particularly windy part of
the UK, says Ms Hill. And the future is bright - despite the end of
government grants in February - because big companies like British
Gas are investing in new kinds of turbines which have yet to come on
the market, she adds.
