By Gwen DeRu

HAPPY NEW YEAR …TO ALL OF YOU….
….FROM ALL OF US!!!

During the Holiday Season more than ever, our thoughts turn grateful to those who have made our progress possible.  And in this spirit we say, simply but sincerely…. Thank You and Best Wishes for the Holiday Season and a Prosperous New Year.

Here’s wishing you a safe, healthy 2014…plus ‘all’ that you wish for you and yours!!!  Enjoy….and Share the remainder of the Season!

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. JESSE J. LEWIS, SR. (many, many more) and LeKAMEREN DeRU!!

Enjoy the Season…. It is a ‘more’ laid back time of the year when everyone is wanting to spend more time with family and friends, trying to take a few days off, wanting to head out of town for a short vacation or just getting more well-needed sleep (or rest).  BUT, when ‘even that’ is too much and you want to do something outside… consider this outdoor hike…  It will get everyone out of the house (or someone, anyway) to get a break from the same or too much of it.
FOR OUTDOORS LOVERS… THIS SATURDAY, Southeastern Outings Day hike at Sipsey Wilderness in Bankhead National Forest.  Details: Moderately strenuous four mile hike in a highly scenic location, Upper Quillan Creek Forest Area.  Much of the hike is off trail, there are lots of ups and downs, and several rock-hopping creek crossings are required.   Walk along a creek and old road to a nice waterfall.  The path out or in (depending on which group you are in) will be along an old road.  There is a stop for lunch at the site of an old mill to see several small waterfalls on side creeks and tributaries to Quillan Creek and visit at least two other pretty waterfalls on Quillan Creek itself along the way.  Bring a lunch and water for the day expecting to finish about 4 p.m. with an optional dinner after.  Well-behaved supervised children age 9 and over that are able to walk four miles off trail without complaining are welcome.  Reservations are required by 5 p.m. Friday, January 3, if you wish to participate in this outing.  Call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email your reservation to seoutings@bellsouth.net.  Leave either your phone number or email address.  This outing is limited to 20 people that will break up into separate groups (to 10 people each) with its own separate leader in order to comply with U.S. Forest Service regulations.  Look for the meeting time and place once you have signed up for this trip.  PLEASE CANCEL…if you can’t make this trip for any reason call and cancel, right away.  Others may want to go on the hike. For reservations or cancellations, call (205) 631-4680.
CLASSES FOR MANAGING ‘YOUR’ MONEY – MAKE SMART MONEY MOVES – The Birmingham Public Library will offer free classes on money in 2014 by kicking off three money management classes in January.

FIRST CLASS on Jan. 8 – Learn about saving and investing at Wylam Library, 4300 Seventh Ave., Wylam, at 10 a.m. with Andreas Rauterkus, associate professor of accounting and finance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Attendees will learn how to understand various financial markets, evaluate different saving and investment options, develop new ways to make better investment decisions and more.

SECOND CLASS on Jan. 8 – TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCES in a 3:30 p.m. workshop led by UAB professor Dale Callahan at Five Points West Library, 4812 Avenue West. Ways to increase your income, save more and how to eliminate personal debt will be addressed. (Check out Callahan’s website: www.dalecallahan.com)  Then, there is the

LAST CLASS on Jan. 23 – FOR CHILDREN….Bring the little ones to see Phillip “Mr. Mac’’ McEntee as he leads “A Penny Saved’’ in this 3:30 p.m. children’s program at Avondale Library, 509 – 40th St. South. Using Benjamin Franklin’s quote, “A penny saved is a penny earned,’’ Mr. Mac will teach children about the importance of saving money.  The classes are part of a national grant program known as “Making Cents: Resources to Help Your Money Grow” and “Smart investing@your library®,” a partnership between the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The Birmingham Public Library and 14 other libraries in Jefferson and Shelby counties offer the series. The programs will end in May 2014. Other BPL locations include Avondale, Five Points West, North Birmingham and Springville Road.  All classes are free and open to the public. For more information, call Jim Murray at (205) 226-3690, visit www.making-cents.org.
HERE ARE A FEW MORE THINGS GOING ON…
THIS WEEKEND….

**TWO KINGS AND A QUEEN at the STARDOME COMEDY CLUB.   Three Big Comedians share one StarDome stage. Between them, they have been on BET’s Comic View, Showtime, HBO, Comedy Central plus Theatre’s, Arenas and concerts all over the U.S. Comedians Marvin Dixon, Lester Bibbs and Cocoa Brown will drive this comedy show all way home. THEN, AT THE STARDOME… DON’T MISS… next weekend, CARLOS MENCIA, on January 10-11, COREY HOLCOMB, January 17-19 and HENRY CHO on January 30-February 2.  Tell Bruce that Gwen sent you.  Enjoy some good laughter and fun times while you eat some great food with your great friends.  See you there!  For more, call (205) 444-0008.
TODAY… THE BEST IN RECORDED MUSIC, 8 p.m. at Ona’s Music Room.
FRIDAY…
**FRIDAY AFTER WORK, 4:30 – 9:30 p.m. at 25 West Oxmoor Road, Suite 26 in Homewood.  Call (205) 572-1295 for more.
**THE BEST IN RECORDED MUSIC, 10 p.m. at Ona’s Music Room.
**THE BEST IN RECORDED MUSIC, 10 p.m. at Ona’s Music Room.
SUNDAY….
**PHASE II BAND AND SHOW, 9 p.m. at Tide & Tiger Lounge, 409 Graymont Avenue (across from Legion Field.)  For more, call (205) 229-4829 or 502-3880.
MONDAY….
**NAPPY NIGHT – Music at Boujee Lounge, every Monday at 204 Avenue U in Pratt City, 8 p.m. with good jerk food, vendors and music.  See you there on Mondays!
TUESDAY…
**MUSIC with DJ BATMAN…at the New Tide and Tiger!!
WEDNESDAY…
**MUSIC with DJ BATMAN…at the New Tide and Tiger!!
AT THE NEW TIDE AND TIGER – In the neighborhood… Around the corner… Down the street…and across from the Legion Field Stadium on Graymont is the ‘new’ TIDE AND TIGER…. With music, good food and fun times.   You can even play cards on some nights and get Dance Classes by PASQUALES every Saturday at 4 p.m.  Check out the ‘new’ Tide and Tiger Lounge.  For more call (205) 503-3880.  Don’t say that I did not tell you when you hear about this ’best kept secret’ around. Tell them Gwen sent you.
COMING SOON…,
IN 2014 –

JANUARY 11 – THE GREAT DIVORCE, 4 and 8 p.m. at the Alabama Theatre.  This is a new production.  It is about a journey to heaven and hell that is a provocative exploration of human nature, featuring vivid characters drawn with Lewis’ trademark wit.
JANUARY 11 – B.B. KING with special guest ERIC ESSIX, 7 p.m. at Iron City.
JANUARY 11 – BASKETBALL LOVERS…BLITZ vs GULF COAST FLASH at the Cross Plex.
JANUARY 23 – NAREK ARUTYUNIAN, clarinetist performs Thursday, at the Alys Stephens Center.
JANUARY 24 and 26 – RIGOLETTO, Friday, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. at the Wright Center, Samford University with Todd Thomas (Baritone, Rigoletto), Jan Cornelius (Soprano, Gilda), Michael Wade Lee (Tenor, Duke) and Steven White, Conductor.  Call (205) 322-6737.
JANUARY 25 – C. S. LEWIS’ WILLIAM AND THE SENATOR’S DAUGHTER, 7 p.m. at the Brock Recital Hall, Samford University.

MARCH 8 – UNCF MASKED BALL GALA, 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Birmingham Ballroom.
NOW…. a BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU DR. JESSE J. LEWIS, SR., LeKAMEREN DeRU, ERSKINE CHILDRESS…AND TO ALL CELEBRATING!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL YOU BIRTHDAY BALLERS…MANY, MANY MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!!  ENJOY!!
Well, that’s it.  Tell you more ‘next’ time.
(People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com or gwenderu@yahoo.com)

NEW YORK – Bravo Media premieres three hot new series sure to cure those winter blues and jumpstart the New Year.
On Thursday, January 2nd at 10:30p.m. ET/PT, get a start on those new year’s resolutions with two new faces of fitness guaranteed to make you sweat on “Toned Up.”  Katrina Hodgson and Karena Dawn have taken the web by storm with their website ToneItUp.com which receives over 1.8 million unique visitors a month and over 600 twitter mentions per hour. Although the two are business partners, they are also best friends, roommates and much more. Making no apologies for who they are, these women use their “yoga smarts” to push themselves and their brand to wild extremes. Whether they are speaking in their special language of “meows” or debating the merits of bug propellant, the dynamic duo have created an exercise revolution that has already inspired millions. Catch a sneak peek of the series here: http://www.bravotv.com/toned-up/season-1/videos/new-series-toned-up

“Blood, Sweat & Heels” steps up Bravo’s style and sass beginning Sunday, January 5th at 9p.m. ET/PT with a group of up-and-coming movers and shakers in New York’s elite circles of real estate, fashion, and media. The women featured on the show include former “video vixen” turned realtor Melyssa Ford, real estate partner Brie Bythewood, modeling agency owner Mica Hughes, affordable-style expert Daisy Lewellyn, A Belle in Brooklyn blogger and author Demetria Lucas and style and pop culture journalist Geneva S. Thomas. From Harlem to Brooklyn, life in the big city often resembles a small town when the women cross paths in their personal and professional lives. The self-starters built their reputations and successes without the help of a man, but they never underestimate the power of a girlfriend’s support. These independent ladies are aggressive in their pursuit of personal and career goals, but will the cost of success prove too steep as they climb their way to the top? Get a peek at the action at http://www.bravotv.com/blood-sweat-and-heels/season-1/videos/new-series-blood-sweat-and-heels

Steaming up the cold winter season is “100 Days of Summer” debuting Tuesday, January 7th at 10p.m. ET/PT. This new series chronicles a group of young, successful and driven Chicagoans as they navigate the ups and downs of their personal, professional, and social lives in the Windy City over one intense summer. Hooked into Chi-Town’s hottest industries, these nightlife impresarios, fashionistas, real estate moguls and entrepreneurs include Vincent Anzalone, Ray Austin, Tara Clack, Phillips Demming, Jay Michael and Pascale Wellin. They all work hard in business, play hard in life and attempt to navigate the sometimes murky waters that fall in between. In desperate need of relief from Chicago’s long-lasting winters, these go-getters only have a scant 100 days to accomplish the lofty personal and professional goals they set for themselves. Some will succeed and some will fail, but they all will be changed forever. Get a sneak peek at the cast of “100 Days of Summer” with a half-hour preview special airing on Thursday, December 5th at 10:30p.m. ET/PT or online at http://www.bravotv.com/100-days-of-summer/season-1/videos/new-series-100-days-of-summer.
“100 Days of Summer” is produced by Half Yard Productions with Abby Greensfelder, Sean Gallagher, and Nicole Sorrenti as Executive Producers.
“Blood, Sweat & Heels” is produced by Leftfield Pictures with Brent Montgomery, David George, Dominick Pupa, Tess Gamboa, and Caroline Self as Executive Producers.
“Toned Up” is produced by Fishbowl Worldwide Media with Vin Di Bona, Beth Greenwald, Bruce Gersh, Susan Levison, and Stephanie Bloch-Chambers serving as Executive Producers.

*Groundbreaking actress Juanita Moore, an Academy Award nominee for her role as Lana Turner’s black friend in the classic film “Imitation of Life,” has died, reports the Associated Press.
Actor Kirk Kelleykahn, her grandson, said that Moore collapsed and died Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99, according to Kelleykahn.
Moore was only the fifth black performer to be nominated for an Oscar, receiving the nod for the Douglas Sirk-directed film that became a big hit and later gained a cult following. The 1959 tearjerker, based on a Fannie Hurst novel and a remake of a 1934 film, tells the story of a struggling white actress’ rise to stardom, her friendship with a black woman and how they team up to raise their daughters as single mothers.
It brought supporting actress nominations for both Moore and Susan Kohner, who played Moore’s daughter as a young adult attempting to pass as a white woman. Kohner’s own background is Czech and Mexican. By the end, Turner’s character is a star and her friend is essentially a servant. The death of Moore’s character sets up the sentimental ending.
“The Oscar prestige was fine, but I worked more before I was nominated,” Moore told the Los Angeles Times in 1967. “Casting directors think an Oscar nominee is suddenly in another category. They couldn’t possibly ask you to do one or two days’ work. You wouldn’t accept it. And I’m sure I would.”
Actress Juanita Moore arrives at the TCM Classic Film Festival’s “A Star Is Born” held at Mann’s Chinese Theater on April 22, 2010 in Hollywood, California
Born in Los Angeles, Moore started her career as a dancer at Harlem’s Cotton Club, and made her film debut in 1949 with a bit-part in “Pinky,” which – like Imitation of Life – examined the experience of a black woman “passing for white” in the mid-20th-century. Other notable appearances included roles in “The Girl Can’t Help It” and “The Singing Nun.” Her last feature was as a grandma in the Disney film “The Kid” in 2000.
Moore also had an active stage career, starting at Los Angeles’ Ebony Showcase Theatre in the early 1950s, a leading black-run theater. She also was a member of the celebrated Cambridge Players, with other performers including Esther Rolle and Helen Martin. Her grandson is currently president and CEO of the Cambridge group.
She appeared on Broadway in 1965 in James Baldwin’s play “The Amen Corner” and in London in a production of “Raisin in the Sun.”
“The creative arts put a person on another level,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s why we need to bring our youngsters into the theater.”
Among Moore’s other films were “The Girl Can’t Help It,” ”The Singing Nun,” ”Paternity” and “The Kid.” Her TV credits include “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” ”Adam-12,” ”Judging Amy” and “ER.”
Moore is survived by her husband, Charles Burris, her grandson and two nephews.

Documentary series on contemporary African Diaspora premieres 
on public television’s WORLD Channel
NEW YORK , N.Y. – Acclaimed actor Anthony Mackie adds TV host to his resume as he joins “AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange.” The star, best known for his roles in “8 Mile,” “The Hurt Locker” and “Pain & Gain,” will emcee the sixth season of the documentary program, which brings films about popular culture across the African Diaspora to the small screen. The series, produced by National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and co-presented by American Public Television (APT), premieres on public television’s WORLD Channel on Monday, January 13, at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT and runs weekly on Mondays through February 10. Along with the WORLD Channel airings, APT will distribute “AfroPoP” to additional public television channels in February 2014.
This season “AfroPoP” cuts to New York City to examine the birthplace of the worldwide pickup basketball phenomenon with Bobbito García and Kevin Couliau’s “Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC,” co-presented by Latino Public Broadcasting (January 13). “AfroPoP” hoofs it across America and India to catch the dynamic collaboration of two dance masters, Indian Kathak guru Pandit Chitresh Das and African-American tap star Jason Samuels Smith, with “Upaj: Improvise” by Hoku Uchiyama, co-presented by the Center for Asian American Media (January 20).
The series then journeys to Africa for a special look at Sierra Leone with two films: Rebecca Richman Cohen’s “War Don Don” (“The War Is Over”), an inside view of the U.N. special court trial of senior rebel leader Issa Sesay for his role in the country’s 10-year conflict (January 27), and Daan Veldhuizen’s “Stories from Lakka Beach,” which captures the engaging stories of a colorful mix of villagers in the post-conflict nation (February 3). “AfroPoP” rounds the bases with “Boys of Summer” by Keith Aumont and a scrappy but determined band of young ballplayers on the Caribbean island of Curaçao who are trying to make it to the Little League World Series for the eighth year in a row (February 10).
“As an actor I’ve been blessed to be immersed in various world cultures, so I’m honored to have a role in sharing compelling stories like these with people across America,” said Mackie. “Film is such a powerful tool in bringing understanding and harmony to people of all backgrounds and life experiences.”
“NBPC is especially pleased to be working with one of today’s brightest actors, Anthony Mackie, whose career we’ve been following since he starred in the 2004 feature film ‘Brother to Brother,’ which we helped fund,” said NBPC Director of Programming Leslie Fields-Cruz, who is also co-executive producer of the series. “With Anthony agreeing to serve as this year’s ‘AfroPoP’ host, in many ways it feels that NBPC’s important work has come full circle.”
Mackie joins an exclusive club. Past hosts of the series are Idris Elba, Anika Noni Rose, Wyatt Cenac and Gabourey Sidibe.

For all things “AfroPoP,” visit www.blackpublicmedia.org. To find out when and where to watch, including additional air dates for each of the episodes, check your local listings or go to www.worldchannel.org.

NEW YORK (AP) — James Avery, the bulky character actor who laid down the law at home and on the job as the Honorable Philip Banks in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” has died.
Avery’s publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told The Associated Press that Avery died Tuesday in Glendale, Calif., following complications from open heart surgery. He was 68, Snyder said.
Avery, who stood more than 6 feet tall, played the family patriarch and a wealthy attorney and judge on the popular TV comedy that launched the acting career of Will Smith as Banks’ troublemaking nephew.
The sitcom, which aired on NBC from 1990 to 1996, was set in the Banks’ mansion, to which Smith’s character was sent from Philadelphia when things got tough in his own neighborhood. Fans came to know the imposing Banks as “Uncle Phil.”
Avery liked to say that the way to be an actor was to act, and he had a busy and diverse career before, during and after “Fresh Prince.” His TV credits included “Grey’s Anatomy,” ”NYPD Blue” and “Dallas,” and among his many films were “Fletch,” ”Nightflyers” and “8 Million Ways to Die.” His voice alone brought him many jobs, notably as Shredder in the animated TV series “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
According to Snyder, he will be seen in the film “Wish I Was Here,” directed by Zach Braff and scheduled to premiere later this month at the Sundance festival.
Avery grew up in Atlantic City, N.J., and served in the Navy in Vietnam in the late 1960s. After returning to the states, he settled in California and studied drama and literature at the University of California at San Diego.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and stepson Kevin Waters.

 NEW YORK, N.Y. – WE tv has announced an expansion into scripted programming by greenlighting its first original scripted series, The Divide, written by the award-winning and Academy® Award and Emmy® Award nominated Richard LaGravenese (Behind the Candelabra, The Fisher King, Water for Elephants, The Ref, The Bridges of Madison County) and co-created by LaGravenese and Tony Goldwyn (Scandal, Conviction, Justified, Damages, Dexter, A Walk on the Moon). The pair will executive produce along with Emmy® Award winner John Tinker (The Practice, Chicago Hope) who will also serve as executive producer and showrunner on the project. Andrew Sugerman (Shopgirl, Conviction) will co-executive produce. The series will be produced by AMC Studios, which produced the pilot, directed by Goldwyn. Season one will consist of 10, one-hour episodes premiering in 2014. WE tv also announced development deals for three additional scripted dramas.
WE tv President and General Manager, Kim Martin, said, “The Divide is the kind of compelling, high-quality storytelling that we think will set the right tone for our entry into scripted drama, a significant step in our network’s evolution. We could not be more excited about this project and the talent behind it. We are also very pleased to be following our first scripted series order with three projects in development being driven by an incredible array of award-winning creators.”
Ed Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of AMC Networks, said, “Originally developed and piloted at AMC, The Divide gives WE tv the opportunity to enter the scripted space with a truly engaging series. It will join other series such as The Walking Dead (AMC), Low Winter Sun (AMC), Mad Men (AMC) and Rectify (Sundance Channel) that AMC Networks has developed or produced in our commitment to telling distinctive stories and bringing viewers quality, cinematic entertainment.”
LaGravenese said, “It’s really exciting to be a part of creating a new series with the WE tv and AMC gang at a time when – for me as a writer – the television frontier is expanding at such an incredible rate, with all these new venues and new possibilities for storytelling. We also have a kick-a** cast who will give us endless opportunities for kick-a** characters to write.”
Goldwyn said, “In The Divide we set out to explore the ethical grey zone entered by people driven by a sense of higher purpose and convinced of their own moral infallibility.”
At its core, The Divide is an exploration of personal morality and how all people – especially ambitious people – struggle with the shades of grey found in the absence of a simple, ordered moral universe. The show probes how truth coexists in the modern justice system alongside ambition, ethics, politics and race. As an impassioned case worker with The Innocence Initiative, Christine Rosa delves into the case of a death-row inmate she believes was wrongly convicted of a young family’s heinous murder 11 years earlier. She chases down new evidence in a search for the truth and confronts an equally passionate district attorney, Adam Page, whose view of justice is colored by shades of grey. Throughout the journey, Christine and Adam’s pasts resurface as they are faced with the question of one man’s guilt or innocence intertwined with their own personal histories.
Marin Ireland will co-star with Damon Gupton. Ireland hails from the legit stage with many critically-acclaimed television performances (Homeland, The Killing, Law & Order, Mildred Pierce). There to counteract her every move is Gupton as Adam Page (Prime Suspect, Deadline). The cast also includes Joe Anderson (Across the Universe, The Grey, The River), Aunjanue Ellis (Ray, The Help, The Mentalist), Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme, Person of Interest) and Paul Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl, Water for Elephants, Parks and Recreation).
Additional scripted projects in development for WE tv:
 ALL AMERICAN WOMAN (wt)
America: 1964. 1988. 2013. Three years set in distinctive decades that changed the cultural landscape of the country forever. In All American Woman, the lives of three unique and compelling women unfold against the backdrop of one common thread – All American Woman magazine. All American Woman is executive produced by the Academy® Award nominated Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy) and Andrew Miano through Depth of Field productions, with Emmy® Award nominated executive producers/writers Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott (Runaway Bride, The Starter Wife) and co-executive producer Jenni Ross. The project is from Fox Television Studios.
DIRTY – From writers Nancy Fichman and Jennifer Hoppe (Damages, Nurse Jackie) and executive producer Emmy® Award winner RJ Cutler (Nashville, September Issue), Dirty pairs Lucy – a successful financier who has fallen on hard times and is forced to live and work with her former housekeeper, Maize, in an unexpected and clever enterprise. The project is from Fox Television Studios.
HEADHUNTERS – Executive produced by Emmy® Award winner Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life on the Street, Oz, Copper) and Academy® Award winner Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Wag The Dog, Copper) and written by Susanna Styron (Borgia, Shadrach, 100 Centre Street). As generations of women are being encouraged to ‘lean in’ in new and innovative ways, Headhunters examines their attempts to confront the ambiguity and conflicting choices that surround their lives today.

By Esther Callens

K. A. Tucker returns with yet another phenomenal read.  One Tiny Lie is the title of this second installment in the extraordinary Ten Tiny breaths series.  Sure to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor which is a Goodreads Choice 2013 Nominee, One Tiny Lie offers yet another emotional tale from the Cleary sisters.
In One Tiny Lie, Livie (the youngest) is cast in the forefront. Kacey (Livie’s oldest sister) was mentally a wreck after the horrific accident that killed their parents and almost claimed her life. This places her on the road of destruction. Eventually, she goes into therapy and finds healing within herself. Livie has always been the “stable sister” as she has always kept her emotions under control with a maturity that was beyond her adolescent years – which is proven to be somewhat of a disadvantage.
Now is it years later and Livie has lived up to the promise she made her father.  She has excelled and now is enrolled in Princeton with a plan to eventually attend medical school and someday marry the man of her dreams. To Kacey, this is typical of Livie – but is it what she really wants or needs?  Through Kacey’s urging (advised by Dr. Stayner, therapist), Livie goes to her first college party where she is introduced to a lot of new experiences – one named Ashton.
Ashton is the captain of the rowing team and all that is the exact opposite of what Livie wants. He is also best friends with Connor – whom Livie feels is her prince charming. However, Livie finds a strange attraction in Ashton and her axis is tilted off course.  The results blow a huge hole in Livie’s agenda.
K. A. Tucker has written an absorbing tale with loveable young characters. She is an exceptional writer that never ceases to amaze with her brilliancy in storylines.

By Esther Callens

Bringing a wonderfully unique sound and style is vocalist Les Grant. His latest, Way Forward Way Back puts a new spin on some remarkable jazz standards. He is a stellar artist with plenty of panache.
Les is an unforgettable singer. He is a modern cut of the fantastic swing era. His music is full of energy – and that is something that’s profoundly evident.
Additionally, Les is equally comfortable on the paced tunes such as “I Get Along Without You Very Well” (Except Sometimes) and “My Funny Valentine” as well as bluesy melodies like “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)”– which are featured on his album. He is outstanding.
Les Grant is quite the talent. In addition to his distinctive vocals, he is an actor, businessman, entrepreneur and writer. He has appeared off-Broadway, in independent films, regional theatre, commercials and even done voice-overs. He attended Circle in the Square’s Musical Theatre Program in NYC, studied acting at the Wilma Theatre. He wrote and starred in the one-person show Lonesome When You Go, which was featured at the Pulse Ensemble Theatre’s OPAL series and selected by the NBC network for their PSNBC program in New York.
Additionally, he is a former member of the University of Pennsylvania’s award-winning Counterparts vocal jazz ensemble. He and his band, The Les Grant 5, perform frequently in New York and throughout Europe.

Track Personnel: Les Grant (vocals), John Chin (piano), John Ellis (sax), Matt Povalka (bass), Dan Rieser (drums).
Track listing: Blues Skies (Radio Edit), You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To, I’m Old Fashioned, I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes), One For My Baby (And One More For The Road), Angel Eyes, Old Devil Moon, You And The Night And The Music, My Funny Valentine, Blue Skies (full).