Vocalist Penni Layne Releases 'Warm in December'

BOSTON, Mass. - In the oppressive midsummer heat of New York City last July, jazz vocalist Penni Layne and her quartet entered iconic Sear Sound to record “Warm in December,” the just-released Upside ten-track set of seasonal standards and an original tune that she wrote with her coproducer Larry Jackson. Despite the stifling temperatures and humidity outside, Layne and her ensemble summoned memories of Christmases past to bring this cozy collection of classics presented as acoustic jazz rhythms and melodies to life.      

The “Warm in December” seeds were sown last Christmas as Layne and Jackson began rifling through holiday songbooks to select material to record. Her mission was to record “a holiday album that is the product of childhood memories, magic, and traditions passed onto our children. The album is a love letter to my husband, my family, past and present, and to anyone who believes in miracles.” 

Many of the selections on “Warm in December” are timeless perennials - “Winter Wonderland,” “The Christmas Song,” “Let It Snow,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” and “Sleigh Ride” – shared in imaginative new arrangements. A few cuts – the title track, “I Love The Winter Weather,” and “A Christmas Love Song” – are lesser-known gems given a fresh sheen rendered with the hope that they become new favorites of the album’s listeners.

Then there is the tender original, “At The First Snowfall.” Layne and Jackson composed it during Christmas in the pandemic, penning a song to conjure family connectedness despite the prevalent feelings of isolation and loneliness. The married partners tapped into fond memories and gratitude to tell a story to evoke happiness during the sacred season, a hard-pressed season not to be impacted by the worry, sadness, and fear that gripped the globe at the time. The heartfelt number plays like a gift to be opened each Christmas, like the entire album.

Throughout “Warm in December,” Layne plies her soothing voice, beaming joy, grace, elegance, fervor, and gentility. Her cohorts – pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Neal Miner, guitarist Greg Ruggiero, and drummer Keith Balla – astutely construct swinging jazz cadences and romantic ballad backdrops, settings from which Layne’s inviting vocals leap to the fore, taking powerful command of the spotlight. 

The Boston-based Layne will celebrate the season and the album release with a concert at Regattabar in Boston this Friday (December 13). Performing a setlist featuring songs from “Warm in December,” Layne will be accompanied by Jackson on bass, GRAMMY-winning trumpeter Bijon Watson, keyboardist Ryan Claunch, and drummer Steve Bankuti.

Layne and Jackson are a prolific pair that create a wide array of music projects – from jazz to R&B and electronic dance music. 2025 will see them issuing a jazz album comprised of standards and originals titled “Every Day I Fall in Love” (release date TBA). Their busy release slate includes an album, “The Art of Love and Poetry,” from their eight-piece R&B band, Penni Layne & The Wonder Boys. They plan to release six singles – one every six weeks – with the first to arrive at a soon-to-be-announced date. Teaming with producer Andrija Gavrilovic to create high-energy remixes under the PLM moniker, Layne eyes dropping six to eight singles from a yet-to-be-titled album beginning in February or March. 

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

L.A. Theatre Works Releases Four Tennessee Williams Audio Plays

LOS ANGELES (December 10, 2024) — L.A. Theatre Works is excited to announce the availability, beginning today, of four audio theater productions of classic plays by Tennessee Williams. The company’s Tennessee Williams Collection launches with the release of The Glass Menagerie today, December 10, followed by three titles in 2025: A Streetcar Named Desire on March 11, The Rose Tattoo on April 8, and Summer and Smoke on May 6. Listeners can find each recording online at latw.org, as well as at retailers and libraries everywhere.

A co-production with NPR affiliate KCRW 89.9 FM and the BBC, the L.A. Theatre Works audio production of The Glass Menagerie, Williams’ autobiographical “memory play” that launched his career, reunited the cast of the Roundabout Theatre’s celebrated revival: Julie Harris, Calista Flockhart (in her Broadway debut), Kevin Kilner and Zeljko Ivanek, and features John Goodman as the narrator. Set in 1935 and based on Williams’ family, the play centers on the Wingfield family, who live together in a cramped St. Louis flat, forced to wrestle with unrealized dreams and painful memories.

Glenne Headly, Vincent D'Onofrio, Amy Brenneman, and David Selby headline the cast of A Streetcar Named Desire, an L.A. Theatre Works co-production with the BBC and CBC. In Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Blanche DuBois, once a well-heeled Southern belle but now alcoholic and destitute, arrives in New Orleans to stay with her sister Stella and her brutish brother-in-law Stanley. As Stanley terrorizes the fragile Blanche, reality slips slowly away from her.

Mercedes Ruehl and Anthony LaPaglia, who starred in the 1995 Broadway production of The Rose Tattoo that earned a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play and Drama Desk Awards for both actors, reunited to record the play for L.A. Theatre Works in front of a live audience at L.A.’s Skirball Cultural Center. The story of an Italian-American widow in Louisiana who has allowed herself to withdraw from the world after her husband's death; the large cast also includes Emily Bergl, Marieclare Costello, Tim DeKay, Brent Hinkley, Carol Locatell, Kate Mulligan, Antonia Ray, Peggy Roeder, Vincent Schiavelli and Claudette Sutherland.

Finally, Summer and Smoke’s Alma Winemiller is a shy, religious young woman who grew up pining for the boy next door. He’s grown up to become a doctor with a penchant for sexual conquest, so when he returns to their Mississippi town to start a medical practice, their strange attraction sets them on a path of turmoil and heartbreak. Also recorded before a live audience at the Skirball, the L.A. Theatre Works audio production stars Ann Gee Byrd, Kristen Frazier, Mark Kudisch, Carlos Lacamara, Gabriel Olds, Tina Sánchez, David Selby, Tegan West, Armin Shimerman, Kitty Swink and Sarah Zimmerman.

Domingo To Receive Award at 40th SBIFF

 

Colman Domingo

SANTA BARBARA, CA - The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce that cinema icon Colman Domingo will receive the Montecito Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Domingo will receive the prestigious award on Friday, February 14. The evening will highlight his powerhouse performance in Greg Kwedar’s SING SING, where Domingo’s portrayal of Divine G brings an incredible mix of vulnerability, charisma, and resilience to the big screen. This recognition comes from Domingo's win at last night’s Gotham Awards, where he took home the honor for Outstanding Lead Performance.

“ Colman is such a committed performer and of the most extraordinary talents on the small screen, in theatre, and in film, and he makes it all seem effortless.  His work in SING SING is unforgettable,” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.

Colman Domingo has been nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA, Tony® Award, Critics Choice Award, Independent Spirit, Gotham Awards, Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League, NAACP Image, and Black Reel Award. He has also won an Emmy, Astra, AAFCA, NAACP Image, and Black Reel Award.

In 2023, Domingo starred as Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin in Netflix and Higher Ground’s film “Rustin," for which he received an Academy Award Nomination, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG nomination. He can also be seen as “Mister” in the Warner Bros production of "The Color Purple," which received a SAG Ensemble nomination.  Domingo's executive produced and starred in Greg Kwedar’s film “Sing Sing,” which was purchased for distribution by A24 and had its theatrical release in the summer of 2024. He also executive produced "It's What's Inside”, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was released on NETFLIX in October 2024.

Domingo is well known for his Emmy Award-winning role as “Ali” in HBO’s “Euphoria” as well as his roles in “Zola,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” ‘Selma,’ “Candyman,” and many more. 

He is currently seen in the Netflix limited series "The Madness" created by Clement Virgo. He also recently wrapped production on ‘Michael’ playing Joe Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Lionsgate will release the film on October 3, 2025. Additionally, Domingo will voice Norman Osborn in the upcoming Disney+ animated series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.” Domingo is currently in production on NETFLIX’s “The Four Seasons” alongside Tina Fey and Steve Carrell.

The Montecito Award is named after one of Santa Barbara's most beautiful and stylish areas. Past recipients include Jeffrey Wright, Angela Bassett, Penélope Cruz, Amanda Seyfried, Lupita Nyong’o, Melissa McCarthy, Saoirse Ronan, Isabelle Huppert, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, and Javier Bardem.

The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will occur LIVE February 4 - February 15, 2025. Official events, including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre and its new Film Center, plus the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes for the 2025 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.

Last year, the festival featured 200+ films from over 48 countries, with honorary awards given to Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, America Ferrera, Lily Gladstone, Greta Lee, Charles Melton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Andrew Scott, Martin Scorsese, Justine Triet, Billie Eilish, and Ludwig Göransson.

A-list and industry guests will once again ascend to Santa Barbara, making it a must-stop location on the awards circuit and delivering a record number of films with many World and U.S. premieres. The film lineup and schedule will be announced in January 2025.

About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 39 years, SBIFF has become one of the top 10 film festivals in the United States, attracting 100,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes, and symposiums. SBIFF fulfills its mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.

SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community through many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students, and families in our local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s field trip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to high school and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. Most importantly, SBIFF’s programs are always directed toward the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.

More recently, SBIFF secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition paves the way for creating a state-of-the-art film center. This vibrant, year-round destination will be a central hub for cinema enthusiasts and the heart of SBIFF’s renowned Film Festival. Building on the success of the Riviera Theatre revitalization in 2016 and the opening of its own Education Center in 2019 in the downtown area, SBIFF continues to strengthen its commitment to the cultural fabric of Santa Barbara.

Disneyland Opens First Black-Themed Park Ride

Disneyland courtesy photo

By Darlene Donloe 

 Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the first Black-themed ride in Disneyland’s history, finally opened to enormous fanfare on Friday, Nov. 15. 

The long-awaited new amusement park ride is the first time Disneyland’s diverse fan base has been able to see itself mirrored in one of the park’s rides. 

 The day before the opening, a host of Disney executives, fans, and celebrities, including Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish), who voices Mama Odie, Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls), who voices Princess Tiana, and Michael-Leon Wooley (AJ and the Queen), who voices ‘Louis,’ on the ride, were all on hand to christen Disney’s latest attraction and the next chapter of ‘The Princess and the Frog’. 

Lewis called the opening, ‘historic,’ while Rose called it ‘phenomenal,’ and ‘amazing.’ Charita Carter, executive creative producer of Tiana’s Bayou, and Carmen Smith, sr. v.p., creative development, Walt Disney Experiences, who both oversaw the development of the attraction, were on hand and called the ride a ‘fantastical journey.’ 

Tiana's Bayou Adventure is a log flume attraction at Magic Kingdom in Florida, and Disneyland in California. It is based on Disney's 2009 film, ‘The Princess and the Frog.’ 

The experience begins with an outdoor float-through that leads to indoor dark ride segments, with a climactic steep drop followed by an indoor finale. The drop is 52.5 feet (16.0 meters). 

The attraction, which replaced Splash Mountain, opened on June 28, 2024, at Magic Kingdom and on November 15, 2024, at Disneyland. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set in New Orleans, circa 1927, as Tiana, who is now a restaurateur (Tiana’s Foods) is preparing to throw a Mardi Gras party. 

The water attraction has Tiana and her alligator friend, Louis, going into the bayou to find a band for the celebration. Tiana and Louis need help finding the new crew. Guests meet 19 new critters along the way, including a turtle, raccoon, bears, and more. They also run into Mama Odie and her pet snake Juju. 

The attraction, which has a carefree, cheerful feel, takes place in a land called Critter Country and takes riders on a musical journey through the Bayou with Tiana and her friends. It reportedly serves as a celebration, boasting a statement about the communal power of music and a narrative that serves as an American success story. 

One of the opening scenes has Tiana welcoming guests to the bayou while Louis plays the trumpet, frogs croak, and a band of critters plays zydeco music on various objects. Lighting up the scene are water lilies and fireflies. 

The ride features multiple songs from The Princess and the Frog, including “Down in New Orleans,” “Almost There,” “Gonna Take You There,” and “Dig a Little Deeper.” 

True to the Louisiana culture, the music, food, spirit, and flair of New Orleans are proudly on display, including murals by Louisiana artist Malaika Favorite on the building outside of the ride. While ‘Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’ is an incredible experience, the real magic comes from seeing a Black Disney Princess as the star of her own Disney Parks attraction for the first time. 

For some, that truly makes it ‘The Happiest Place On Earth’.

'King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones' Doc, Produced By Quincy Jones and Debbie Allen, Has North American VOD Release

Gangster for some, philanthropist for others, who was really Edward Jones? In the 1930s and 1940s, this descendant of slaves becomes one of the richest men in the United States thanks to the Policy business, an illegal numbers game, that ultimately became the modern state lottery, now played by millions nationwide. It’s estimated that Edward Jones made amassed a fortune  $25 million in the Policy business (numbers game),  and put money in the pockets of Black folks who didn’t have many economic opportunities. But in these times of segregation, his success and unfailing support to the African American community are a problem. In conflict with both the mob and the Feds, he is eventually forces into a life on the run!

Exploring the rise and fall of the most famous Policy King of all times -- Edward  Jones, nicknamed the “King of Kings” --  his filmmaking granddaughter uncovers an unparalleled story, while showing the lasting repercussions of his untold story, both within her family, and for Chicago’s South Side where he once embodied the American dream. 

Love, success, violence, revenge, mafia, murder, betrayal, prison, kidnapping. . . Edward Jones’s story holds all the best ingredients of gangster movies. Add segregation and you have a very explosive cocktail! 

 KING OF KINGS | 98 minutes runtime 

Director Harriet Marin Jones and the legendary Quincy Jones.  
Photo by Emmanuel Guimier

 

Curtis Haywood Has An Emotional 'Last Dance'

 

 

As his mother valiantly fought brain cancer in the final two years of her life, soul/jazz saxophonist Curtis Haywood struggled to let her go. But he knew he had to let go if only to relieve her of the crippling pain she endured. In that moment of clarity, he imagined dancing with her one final time. Haywood captured that intimate and emotional moment on “Last Dance,” the newly released single that he wrote. Billboard chart-topping guitarist Steve Oliver produced the track and is featured playing on the Megawave Records release which is among the most added new singles on the Billboard radio chart. 

 

While the poignant backstory may seem somber, Haywood’s “Last Dance” is a joyous celebration of life’s transient beauty. The soulful interplay of Haywood's soprano saxophone and Oliver's guitar creates a rich, downtempo R&B groove inviting listeners to dance. 

The accompanying video, below, mirrors this vibrant energy, showcasing the track’s infectious spirit.

“‘Last Dance’ is about recognizing the necessity of releasing what no longer serves us, opening ourselves to new beginnings and brighter futures. This powerful message resonates throughout the song, making it a perfect anthem for anyone facing life’s inevitable transitions,” said Haywood who shot the video during a summer residency in the Hamptons.

 

The Brooklyn-born and based Haywood is a saxophonist and steelpan player who attended the Berklee College of Music. He has released three albums incorporating classic R&B, soul, jazz, and gospel beginning with his 2007 self-titled debut set. Haywood also issued a couple of Christmas singles, “Mary, Did You Know?” and “Hark the Herald Angles Sing.” A dynamic concert performer, Haywood has performed with or been on marquees featuring contemporary jazz, classic R&B, soul, and gospel greats Chieli Minucci, Elan Trotman, Will Donato, JJ Sansaverino, Melissa Morgan, Melba Moore; Ray, Goodman & Brown; The Intruders and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Dennis Edwards and The Temptations Review, Kirk Franklin, Sounds of Blackness, and Noel Pointer.

John Smith & DA'JA 'Make Me Feel Good'

DETROIT, Mich. - Some lines from movies resonate on a deeper level. As multi-instrumentalist John Smith watched Halle Berry’s Academy Award-winning performance in “Monster’s Ball,” her character said something so simple, yet it had a profound impact on him, inspiring the title of his band DA’JA’s new single, “Make Me Feel Good.” The DA’JA Entertainment contemporary jazz release written and produced by Smith is currently collecting radio playlist adds as it hits streaming and retail platforms including Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music.

“When Halle’s character leaned in and said, ‘Make me feel good,’ it was simple, but something about the way she delivered the line hit me. It felt raw like she was asking for more than just a moment. She was asking for connection, to be truly understood. That line stayed with me. It captured a feeling of vulnerability and desire, this universal need we all have to feel alive, wanted, and seen. Whether it’s being close to someone, feeling free, or breaking away from everything that holds us back. That’s where the song came from. It’s more than just words; it’s a request, a plea for something real and unforgettable,” said the Detroit-based Smith about the latest single from DA’JA’s “Life After Life” album, which dropped last year.

A cool electric jazz guitar lead speaks evocatively on “Make Me Feel Good.” The downtempo R&B/contemporary jazz groove is carved by bassist Rob Skinner and drummer Jeff Canady while the melodic backdrop is draped by Moe Whitsett’s understated keyboards and warmed by Dennis Lee’s horns.

Smith’s mission is to use music to unite and unify, bridging generations, races, and the cultural divide. Inspired by the death of GRAMMY-winning crossover superstar Selena, he crafted an alchemy of jazz, funk, R&B, and Latin music that he branded Latin Funk. DA’JA’s first album release, “Straight Up John Smith,” dropped in 2002. The band’s fourth collection, “Life After Life,” has spawned seven singles: “Life After Life,” “Takin It Easy,” “Paradise (Full Mix),” “After Five,” “Magical,” “True Love (Acoustic),” and now, “Make Me Feel Good.”

Nominated for Instrumental & Jazz Artist of the Year at the Los Angeles Music Awards, John Smith & DA’JA have played popular Detroit-area venues and festivals at which they shared the stage with Anita Baker, Martha Reeves, Force MDs, and The Time.

In its touring configuration, Smith anchors the DA’JA band septet from the drum throne and is flanked by Derrick Bow (bass), Rodney Walker (guitar), Eddie Payne (keyboards), Neyo Jones (percussion), Terrell Williams (trumpet), and Moe Garcias (horns).

For more information, visit https://dajaent.net.