Black Voices Celebrated At Kirk Douglas Theatre

By Darlene Donloe

The voices of Black artists will take center stage during the second season of “Not A Moment, But A Movement” a three-day festival taking place Sat., June 22 – Mon., June 24, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.  

The event, presented by the Center Theatre Group (CTG) in collaboration with The Fire This Time Festival and Watts Village Theater Company, is an initiative created to amplify, center, and celebrate Black voices. 

This year, six woman-identifying or non-binary playwrights were commissioned to write new plays beginning in January 2021.

Five of the playwrights - Z & Co” f/aka AzizA Barnes, Roger Q. Mason, Tahirih Moeller, Cynthia Grace Robinson, and t. tara turk-haynes—will have their resulting works read during the festival. This will mark the first time that any of the plays will be presented to the public.

The themes of the plays range from personal coming-of-age stories and explorations of gender identity and body dysmorphia; to experiences of intimacy and joy; to complex issues about civil rights and queer identity; and the loss of independence while enduring dementia. The final play is an imagining of when Diahann Carroll, Sidney Poitier, Joann Woodward, Paul Newman, Duke Ellington, and Marlon Brando came together to make the 1961 movie Paris Blues about jazz expatriates in Paris. 

Roger Q. Mason

On Sunday, June 23, at 7 p.m., playwright Roger Q. Mason will present ‘Night Cities’ about a young Bayard Rustin before Civil Rights Movement fame.  In the play, Rustin must choose between his private desires as a queer Black man and his public calling as an agent of social justice and civic change.

The play, directed by Nancy Keystone, is set against the labor movement of the 1930s and 40s. It embraces the musicality, dream imagery, and liberation of jazz playwriting to explore one man's quest for complex humanity in a world that limits who we are to how we can be used for the good of others. 

Mason was recently touted by The Brooklyn Rail as “quickly becoming one of the most significant playwrights of the decade.”

Mason appreciates the praise.

“A significant playwright is a scribe who keeps their culture honest, who speaks truth to power, and who inspires the people of the time in which they live to think about the cosmic obligation they have to make this world better for their ancestors, themselves, and the folks yet to come,” said Mason whose plays have been seen on Broadway at Circle in the Square (Circle Reading Series); Off and Off-Off-Broadway at MCC Theatre with Carnegie Hall, La Mama ETC, New York Theatre Workshop, New Group, and more. “The playwright holds a spiritual place in society. The ancients understood that. In classical Egypt and Greece, writers were part of the civic order, granted commissions and places of distinction within socio-political structures because those cultures knew that writers held a key to the divine, reflecting back to people they were, who they could be, and who they had been in the past. It’s powerful work that we do as playwrights: through our creations, we help our fellow humans understand the divine.”

Mason chose to write about a young Bayard Rustin because he “Revealed himself to me as a reflection of our dilemmas: the parts of ourselves that we sacrifice, suppress, or amplify to succeed in the world.”

“We are constantly battling between our private and public selves, our inner desires, and our outward presentations,” Mason said. “What we see in the early years of Bayard Rustin was a man struggling with different parts of himself: his religion, his sexuality, his understandings of race and access, and his social awareness. I want audiences to know that Bayard was a complicated, yearning, searching human, just like the rest of us.” 

The play is called, ‘Night Cities,’ said Mason, because it discusses Bayard's notions of intimacy, particularly his definitions of free love.

“In his lifetime, he pursued a hearty and plentiful sex life which obliterated the lines between monogamy and sex positivity,” said Mason, who holds degrees from Princeton University, Middlebury College, and Northwestern University. “How do you balance the desire for sexual freedom with commitment to individuals who attract you intensely?  There’s a scene in the play where one of his lovers talks about committing to a monogamous relationship and Bayard discusses the ephemerality of queer sex. He equates it to nighttime cities built by lovers through passion, only to disappear in the morning.  That scene is the inspiration for the play's title.”

Mason has been involved with Not A Moment But A Movement for several years.

“My relationship with Not A Moment, But A Movement has spanned over three years and reflects my bountiful relationships with Center Theatre Group, Watts Village Theatre, and The Fire This Time Festival,” said Mason. “Cezar Williams, the artistic director of The Fire This Time Festival, has been a champion of my work for over a decade.  His belief in me is how I was first introduced to Not A Moment, But A Movement.”  

Mason’s playwriting has been seen at numerous venues including on Broadway at Circle in the Square (Circle Reading Series); Off and Off-Off-Broadway at MCC Theatre with Carnegie Hall, La Mama ETC, New York Theatre Workshop, New Group, and more.

Other readings in the festival include Tahirih Moeller’s play “Kia Was Here,” (3 p.m., Sat., June 22) directed by Bruce Lemon. It’s about an 18-year-old named Kia and her 15-year-old niece Kamille. The play takes place in the past and in the present.

Moeller, a writer-doodler from Long Beach, has worked with Greenway Court Theatre, Long Beach Playhouse, and PlayGround-LA. Her works include Actually Oranges (When Life Hands You Lemons), and Heroes of the West. 

Z & Co” f/aka AzizA Barnes presents ‘FKA I AM A BAD BLK PERSON (7 p.m., Sat., June 22), directed by nicHi douglas, is a continuation of the play BLKS: different characters, same question: why do i laugh when i am in pain?  No other information was given. 

‘Letters From Loretta,’ (3 p.m., Sun., June 23) written by Cynthia Grace Robinson and directed by Andi Chapman, is an intergenerational love story about a widow living with dementia who clings to a relationship with her late husband while fighting to maintain a life of independence as her daughter, Nora, assumes responsibility for her care.  

Robinson’s plays have been produced in the U.S. and internationally. Some of her works include Freedom Summer (North Carolina Black Repertory Company); Dancing On Eggshells (The Billie Holiday Theatre) and Peola’s Passing (New Perspectives Theatre Company; Festival de Teatro Alternativo, Bogota, Colombia), and more.

Blue Paris Blues (7 p.m., Mon., June 24), written by t. tara turk-haynes and directed by Khanisha Foster. The play is about when Diahann Carroll, Sidney Poitier, Joann Woodward, Paul Newman, Duke Ellington, and Marlon Brando came together to make a movie about jazz expats in Paris in 1961. 

turk-haynes, a graduate of Lang College and Sarah Lawrence, is a writer whose work has been featured on various stages and screens including Lower Depth Ensemble, Rogue Machine, Company of Angeles, the Hip Hop Theater Festival, the Actor's Studio, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Schomburg and the Kennedy Center. 

Not A Moment, But A Movement, The Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, June 22-24; $10-$15; tickets@ctgla.org, 213 628-2772.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Music Month: Celebs Pick Fave Female Artist

By Darlene Donloe

 June is Black Music Month, a great time to celebrate its rich history. 

Black musicians, singers, writers, and producers have made incredible contributions to the music industry for centuries.

This month is set aside to pay homage to all those individuals who, through their music, have made us smile, laugh, cry dance, tap our feet, clap our hands, and swivel our hips.

President Jimmy Carter officially designated Black Music Month on June 7, 1979. It was during a reception at the White House, which featured performances by Chuck Berry, Billy Eckstine, Little Richard, and Andre Crouch.

On May 31, 2016, President Barack Obama declared the month of June 2016 – ‘African American Music Appreciation Month’ in a presidential proclamation.

June was first deemed ‘Black Music Month’ by Jimmy Carter and campaigned for by songwriter and producer Kenneth Gamble back in 1979. The month was bought forth by Gamble, Cleveland radio DJ Ed Wright, and media strategist Dyana Williams.

As the nation’s first Black president, Obama felt strongly that an official proclamation was more appropriate than just ‘Black Music Month’.

His proclamation calls Black music, “Among the most innovative and powerful art the world has ever known.” President Obama also called upon “Public officials, educators, and people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate activities and programs that raise awareness and foster an appreciation of music that is composed, arranged, or performed by African Americans.”

This year (2024) President Joe Biden will once again celebrate Black Music Month with a Juneteenth concert featuring Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Charlie Wilson, Kirk Franklin, Anthony Hamilton, Brittney Spencer, Trombone Shorty, and more.

I caught up with some celebrities and asked them the following question.

Who are the three best female singers of all time?

Keith David

KEITH DAVID (actor, singer) Ella Fitzgerald, and Leontyne Price. There are a lot of really wonderful singers. There is a sista I’ve been listening to named Samara Joy. She has a wonderful voice. 

Glynn Turman

GLYNN TURMAN I was married to the queen - Aretha. Also, Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday.

KiKi Shepard

KEKE SHEPARD (Television host) Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Sarah Vaughn. I’m torn. There are so many like Billie Holiday.

Erica Gimpel

ERICA GIMPEL: (FAME, God Friended Me, The Night Agent) Billie Holiday, Rachelle Farrell, and  Lalah Hathaway.

Florence LaRue

FLORENCE LARUE (The 5th Dimension) That's hard. I'll say Aretha, Whitney Houston, and CeCe Winans.

Tarell Alvin McCraney

TARELL ALVIN MCCRANEY  (Geffen artistic director, Oscar winner (Moonlight) and Peabody winner.

It's Sarah Vaughn, Aretha Franklin, and Chaka Khan.

Desean K. Terry

DESEAN K TERRY (The MORNING SHOW) Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Nina Simone. 

Shanice

SHANICE - OMG! Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Chaka Khan.

Malachi McCaskill

MALACHI MCCASKILL (A Strange Loop) Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Jazmine Sullivan.

Claude McKnight

CLAUDE MCKNIGHT (Take 6) There is no such thing as the best. Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston. 

Michael W. Twitty

MICHAEL W. TWITTY (food historian, author) I'll say Mahalia Jackson, Chaka Khan, and Aretha.

T.J. Wilkins

T.J. WILKINS (singer) Wow, Aretha, Ella Fitzgerald, and Whitney Houston.

James IJames

JAMES IJAMES (Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright) That's hard. I'll say Sarah Vaughn, Whitney, and Aretha.

Eriq La Salle

ERIQ LA SALLE (ER) Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Leela James.

Gerald Ramsey

GERALD RAMSEY (Mufasa – The Lion King) - Whitney Houston, she’s on the playlist every day. Ella Fitzgerald – there is always joy and light in every song she sings. The Yandall Sisters – a sister group that sings old-school Samoan songs. I keep a playlist on my phone. 

Michael Feinstein

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN (singer) Ethel Waters, Rosemary Clooney, and Tina Turner.

Kent Gash

KENT GASH (director ‘Jelly’s Last Jam’): You’re trying to get me killed. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and Billie Holiday. I chose all three because none of them are similar. But the second you hear two notes, you know it’s them. They can all swing like no one’s business. Ella was a friend of the family.

Ellia English Submitted for Primetime Emmy

Top: (l-r) Larry David and Ellia English
Bottom: Ellia English

Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Awards team has submitted Actress Ellia English to the 2024 Primetime Emmys Submissions for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series on behalf of her work in Episode 1210: “No Lessons Learned."

Ellia is recurring as Auntie Rae on  Curb Your Enthusiasm on © Home Box Office (HBO/MAX).  Starring Larry David as an over-the-top version of himself, who is the iconic Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm offers a tongue-in-cheek depiction of the writer/producer/comedian’s fictionalized life.”

Ellia’s role as Auntie Rae began in 2007 as a member of the “Black” family, a family of hurricane evacuees who take refuge in Larry's house upon his wife Cheryl's invitation to adopt a family.

In the 12th and final season of “Curb,” the season premiere storyline deals with the sensitive subject of the state of Georgia Election Integrity Act, SB 202, passed in 2021, which makes it illegal for anyone other than election workers to hand out water or food near voting sites.  Larry David, who as the show’s curmudgeonly star is better known for breaking social norms than actual laws, discovers Auntie Rae (Ellia English) has been waiting in a long voting line under the hot Georgia sun for over two hours.  Larry offers her a bottle of water, only to be abruptly confronted by a law enforcement officer who arrests Larry and faces a looming trial on the series.  The storyline must have made its way to the state capitol because, according to Variety magazine, Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, sent a letter to David addressing the plotline about the 2021 voting law.

Curb is unscripted, with actors given just outlines for the plots and improvising the dialogue. The actors have to be so in the moment and listen to what everybody’s saying and respond because it’s improvised, and it’s just pure fun.

“I love working with Larry David and the cast of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It is such a privilege and an honor to be invited back to season 12. It was as if I had never left! When I returned, it was like being at a family reunion. We were hugging and loving each other. And then when it came time to get to work, we jumped back into our character relationships, withholding nothing and enjoying every moment.” Says Ellia.

The 12th and final season of the HBO/MAX series has submitted for 35 nominations, including the top prize for outstanding comedy series.

The nominations-voting round is open from June 13-24. For your consideration, Ellia English, Curb Your Enthusiasm for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, on behalf of her work in Episode 1210: “No Lessons Learned.”

Isaac Edwards Is In Love "With You"

The seven-year itch, the idea that happiness in relationships declines and divorce rates spike after seven years, certainly does not apply to R&B/jazz saxophonist Isaac Edwards’s marriage. Having recently celebrated his eighth wedding anniversary, Edwards teamed with multiple Grammy-nominated hitmaker Darren Rahn (Dave Koz, Blake Aaron, Tim Bowman, Nick Colionne) to write “With You,” a jubilant, high-energy single released last Friday (May 17) that he penned as a bright bouquet to honor his wife, Laura. Edwards produced the Songs in My Pocket Music release that began collecting playlist adds on Monday (May 20).

“With You” finds Edwards in the company of frequent collaborator Jacob Webb, bassist and a Billboard chart-topper in his own right. Playing over the sturdy funk groove constructed by Webb and drummer Kevin Marsh, Jordan Love adds guitar to embellish the ebullient melodies created by Edwards’s saxophone, keyboards, and synths.

With a full and grateful heart, Edwards composed “With You” to capture his feelings for his partner.

“Life with Laura is very upbeat and magical. When I think of her, the phrase that keeps coming to me is that ‘she literally makes everything better,’ which is totally true. Laura lights up the room when she enters, and she's filled my life with so much joy, hope, and happiness,” said Edwards who resides in Southern California with Laura and their two children.

One of Edwards’s previous singles, “On The Town,” hit the Billboard chart. He’s released four albums, including a gospel-jazz outing titled “Here,” which garnered a Shai Award nomination, the Canadian equivalent to a Dove Award. The saxman studied under the tutelage of six-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist Eric Marienthal and three-time Grammy-nominated sax player Jeff Clayton. His formal training came from earning a bachelor’s degree in music performance (saxophone) and a master’s degree in jazz studies. An overachiever by nature, Edwards also received a law degree from Pepperdine University.

Crafting musical collages from jazz, R&B, funk and gospel, Edwards has performed or recorded with Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, guitarist Adam Hawley, soul/funk band DW3, bassists Darryl Williams and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and ten-time Grammy-winning vocalist Joel Kibble of Take 6. 

Catch Edwards perform “With You” live at the Monserate Winery in Fallbrook, CA on June 23.

Edwards’ “With You” is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, or iTunes by visiting https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/isaacedwards/with-you.

For more information, visit https://isaacedwardsmusic.com.

 

Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles To Renovate Its Headquarters

 

The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (“SCLA”) has acquired $15 million to renovate SCLA’s Headquarters. Amanda Susskind, Managing Director, joins the leadership of SCLA with Founder and Artistic Director Ben Donenberg and Chair William H. Ahmanson to help oversee this renovation.

The new $15 million Renovation of the SCLA Headquarters will serve as a:

*State-of-the-art 299-seat live performing arts and community center

*22,000 sq ft. multi-media rental studio supporting broadcast, streaming, recording, and traditional sound stage activity

*LA Signature facility at the western Gateway to Downtown LA’s Cultural Corridor

*Cultural community center dedicated to world-class theatrical productions, high-quality arts enrichment for students and teachers, work-readiness training for youth, and on-the-job training / transitional employment for Veterans and chronically unemployed.

SCLA Founder and Artistic Director Ben Donenberg said, “Renovating our 22,000 square foot warehouse to support live multi-media performance, as well as building out the functionalities demanded by high tech media production, will enable us to create great art that meets the moment and support other non-profit arts organizations and commercial for-profit entertainment industry enterprises to do the same.”

The newly renovated studio will also support the expansion of a wide range of SCLA’s White House-awarded youth employment programs and transitional arts employment on-the-job training experiences targeting the Los Angeles community’s most severely unemployed populations.  

The world-renowned architect of the project is Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, Design Principal of SPF: architects. His work is distinguished by over 100 national and regional design awards, including an American Architecture Award in 2014 for the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills and an AIALA Presidential Award for leading the executive architecture team on the $280-million renovation and expansion of the Getty Villa Museum.

"As an architect deeply committed to the power of the arts to transform communities, I am excited to lead the renovation efforts for the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles," said Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, Founder and Design Principal. "Our vision for SCLA is not just about revitalizing a space, but about enabling SCLA to build upon their legacy of artistic expression and community engagement. We celebrate this groundbreaking and look forward to the building’s unveiling as a cultural beacon for the LA community and beyond."     

Things Are 'Topsy Turvy' At Actors' Gang

Fazeelat Aslam, Molly Kirschenbaum, Mary Eileen O'Donnell, Jimmy Berry,
Charlotte Hacke, Adam J. Jefferis, Adele Robbins, Mariana Jaccazio,
and J. Claude Deering in TOPSY TURVY - Photo by Ashley Randall

By Darlene Donloe

During the shutdown caused by the COVID pandemic in 2020, Tim Robbins had plenty of time to think and reflect.

Once theaters also fell victim to the scourge that was COVID, Robbins, the artistic director of The Actors’ Gang Theater in Culver City, took the forced, yet personally unwanted downtime to write about what the world, the nation, the state, the city, and his village were going through as a consequence.

The result is his latest show, ‘Topsy Turvy (A Musical Greek Vaudeville),’ presented by and currently enjoying its 2024 world premiere at The Actors’ Gang Theater in Culver City through June 8.

Robbins wrote and directed 'Topsy Turvy,' set in a humorous and comedic hybrid world of classical Greek theater and a raucous vaudeville show.

The show’s theme parallels the events realized during the pandemic and addresses the many moral, societal, governmental, medical, uncomfortable, foundational, community-based, and unbelievable issues that ensued and affected millions in various ways.

Robbins is one of the first playwrights to respond to the distress of the last four years.  He began writing 'Topsy Turvy' as a response to the seeming disintegration of the community and the widening chasms between all of us that were exacerbated by the lack of human contact during the lockdown. 

Robbins said, “A play can inspire laughter, bring us songs that touch the heart, raise difficult questions and dichotomies, remind us of our shared humanity, and perhaps if we do our job well, heal some divides.  And it has the potential to unite us.”

Robbins’ dialogue reads intimate - like it comes from his years of personal reflection surrounding the dreaded COVID.

“We are living in an aftermath of disorder and disarray,” said Robbins. “Theater is here precisely for these times. It has the potential to unite us. It can inspire laughter, bring us songs that touch the heart, raise difficult questions and dichotomies, remind us of our shared humanity, and perhaps if we do our job well, heal some divides."

During the shutdown, The Actors’ Gang kept all of its employees on salary and health insurance. The Gang adapted its outreach programs in schools and prisons to a virtual format and continued workshops with its actors online.

Robbins said, “But what was missing was what theater reliably provides: a place of gathering and community. The Gang could not meet in their shared space, their theater. For some, there was something tragic and wrong about the theater being closed, something ominous and unsettling about gathering places all around the world being shuttered. And when theaters were allowed to reopen there was something that didn’t feel right about only opening for some audience members and excluding others.”

The show opens with the sweet sounds of a Greek Chorus of mortals, who unbeknownst to them, are about to have their worlds turned ‘Topsy Turvy’ by the sudden appearance of a mysterious illness.

The Chorus of 10, clad in muted colors, get a visit from a harbinger who informs them that staying together could cause them harm and even kill them.

Half of the Chorus believes the harbinger and thinks the group should heed the warning. The other half would prefer to go on living their lives and singing their songs.

Seeking the help of something or someone more powerful than themselves, the Chorus, invokes the Gods, seeking divine intervention to help mend their divisiveness and restore their ability to sing together.

Occasionally the group receives visits from a Vegas-inspired Bacchus and Cupid, an Aztec goddess Coatlique, the biblical character Onan, and Dionysus and Aphrodite. 

The fun begins when mixed in with the Gods, come the magicians, hypnotists, an acrobatic monkey, and the master of ceremonies, the Great Distracto.

Robbins' direction doesn’t move the chorus around the stage. Instead, they sit on squares – distanced from each other – often looking into a glowing sphere that can double for a computer screen.

The one-hour and 40-minute length of the show plays longer due to prolonged soliloquies/monologues.

The entry of sideshow characters breaks up the wordy talking heads, proving to be a welcomed pause.

The pleasant music plays a key role in 'Topsy Turvy' with six original songs written by Robbins, brought to life by a small orchestra of musicians and the choral harmonies of 15 actors.

(l-r) Luis Quintana and Chas Harvey

Exceptional performances from Robbins’ assembled ensemble. Luis Quintana and Chas Harvey are hilarious standouts.

‘Topsy Turvy,’ written directed and composed by Tim Robbins, stars Fazeelat Aslam (Constance), J. Claude Deering (Persnickety), Willia Fossum (Distracto, Ima Emrite, Doctor, Gaia), Stephanie Galindo (Coatique, Distracto), Scott Harris (Bacchus, Onan, Dionysus), Charlotte Hacke (Thalia), Chas Harvey (Distracto), Ayinde Howell (Igneus), Mariana Jaccazio (Iris), Adam J. Jefferis (Cletus), Molly Kirschenbaum (Valiance), Mary Eileen O’Donnell (Olive), Luis Quintana (Harbinger, Distracto Cupid, Juan Diego, Chaos, Dr. Cracker Jack), Adele Robbins (Amaryllis), Tip Scarry (Prior), Megan Stogner (Distracto, Mungo, Ouranos), Guebri Van Over (Aphrodite, Priest), Melina Fink (understudy), Maga Shukar (understudy) and Jimmy Berry (understudy).

Musicians include Dave Robbins (guitar and percussion), Mikala Schmitz (cello), Danica Pinner (cello), Megan Stogner (melodica), Willa Fossum (piano) and Guebri Van Over (flute).

'Topsy Turvy' will premiere internationally at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, Romania, launching this summer's 31st festival on June 21 and 22, 2024.

The Actors’ Gang Theater, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (Thursdays are pay-what-you-can at the door), 2 pm. Sunday, May 26 and June 2, $28-$38, boxoffice@theactorsgang.com, 310 838-4264.

Pay-What-You-Can performances are on Thursday evenings, and tickets are available at the door. A post-show discussion with Tim Robbins, and with creators of the play, take place after performances on Friday, May 24, 31, and June 7.

On the DONLOE SCALE, D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent), ‘Topsy Turvy’ gets an O (oh, yeah).

Arthur Thompson's Latest Single Is 'Oasis'

An “Oasis” of joy: R&B-Jazz vocalist-drummer Arthur Thompson releases a spirited version of Roberta Flack’s No. 1 hit

R&B-jazz vocalist-drummer Arthur Thompson wants to have an impact – in and out of music. Launching his solo recording career a year ago after decades of playing drums for contemporary jazz A-listers, he’s releasing recordings with a purpose. His just-released third single, “Oasis,” is an uplifting, energizing, and assuring affirmation of love. Thompson produced his version of the song that was a number-one hit for Roberta Flack.  

Thompson’s previous release was “We Can BEAT Cancer,” which features 9-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz and soul-jazz vocalist Erin Stevenson. The benefit single and video that dropped last October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month raised money for cancer research and spent four months on the national singles chart. Thompson debuted early last year with the soulful “Smile” featuring hitmaker Mindi Abair with whom he regularly tours. The two singles earned Thompson the Breakout Artist of the Year honors from BEATS Magazine.

On the heels of the success of his first two singles which were his original songs, Thompson elected to reimagine the Marcus Miller-Mark Stephens song recorded by Flack in 1988. Vibrantly cheerful and invigorating, the foundation of his version of “Oasis” is a staccato drum groove augmented by his crafty percussion beats. The sunny harmonies and luminous melodies are animated by Jon Gilutin’s keyboards, guitarist David John, and bassist Coretz Johnson. Deftly deployed layers of punchy horns from The Monkey Fist Horns fill up the track, adding jubilation and celebration. Melody Dunlap’s warm and glowing backing vocal provides the perfect support to Thompson’s charismatic tenor lead.

“‘Oasis’ transports you to a place where you feel safe, encouraged, and loved. It describes a longing for that special someone, a feeling of complete peace when you are apart because of the confidence you have in knowing that they will return to you. I decided to record this particular song because I really enjoy Roberta Flack’s sultry and soulful voice. When she sings a lyric, she makes you feel,” said Thompson, who was also drawn to the track because of the original version’s African beats.

“I always thought ‘Oasis’ was a beautiful song, and it has African undertones with the rhythms and drums. If you listen closely, you will hear that influence with my African Djembe, Dundun, Kenkeni, and Sangdon drums.”

The Nashville-based Thompson recorded “Oasis” in his hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was joined in the studio by some of the musicians with whom he grew up playing, including his friend Gilutin. As special as that experience was for Thompson, he said that shooting the “Oasis” video with his son was even more meaningful.  

“Watching Arthur Jr. grow in his craft of videography and direction made me feel so proud as a parent to see his love for the arts come to fruition. I never thought that we would work together and have that opportunity,” beamed Thompson.

Thompson, who is at sea this week performing aboard the Dave Koz & Friends all-star cruise, is a mission-based musician. This fall, he’ll be releasing another new single in conjunction with the launch of a mental health awareness nonprofit called Where Are You Now. Thompson created the Music & Math program designed to aid at-risk youth. The curriculum that has been taught in Oklahoma, Texas and California relates basic mathematical concepts with musical notes and scales, incorporating repetitive auditory memorization skills. Thompson co-founded and served for ten years as the director of the Promises for Families Foundation, which provided summer camps and school programs for children and youth who have an incarcerated parent. He continues to teach his Drums Speak school program across the country, offering music and education to children.

“For me, my music career really just gives me a platform to serve and make a difference in the community and to empower kids by providing them with education and tools to grow in the arts. That’s really what’s behind me stepping out from behind the drum kit after all these years. The more success that my records have, the more people I will be able to impact.”