The work of Philadelphia-based artist Alex Queral repurposes old phone books for carving; using a very sharp X-ACTO knife and a little pot of acrylic medium for the detail areas, he creates incredibly detailed celebrity portraits out of pages of faceless names. “It can be quite tense work sometimes because it takes a long time to finish and when you cut something away you can’t get it back again,” he has said. “Nearing the end of the carving and then suddenly having it ruined by a careless cut can be pretty crushing. You have to start all over again.” Click through to view some of our favorite pieces.
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Tomorrow marks the first authorized release of 1964′s The T.A.M.I. Show, a made-for-TV concert which featured seismic performances from a lineup that included Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys, and the Rolling Stones. Despite cheesy, American Bandstand-style backup dancers and shrieking screams that threaten to overwhelm, it has a reputation as one of the best concert films of all time primarily due to the explosive, legendary 18-minute set from James Brown.
A beaming Brown showcases ungodly footwork, slipping across the stage so quickly you expect his leather shoes to melt from sheer force of friction. He drops into splits without warning, like gravity’s sole function is to bring him down on the dance floor, and whips through his standard throwing-off-the-cape routine as if it’s the last movement he’ll ever make. You’ll feel like sweat is slapping you in the face after witnessing the intensity of what Rick Rubin called “the single greatest rock’n'roll performance ever captured on film.”
After the jump, do yourself a favor and watch bootlegged videos of Brown and some other available performances to whet your appetite until tomorrow’s official release.
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Soul Power documents the Zaire ’74 all-star concert that set the stage for Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s legendary Rumble in the Jungle.
Originally uncovered during the editing of Oscar-winning documentary When We Were Kings (1996), which captured the Ali/Forman fight, this sizzling footage has been waiting nearly 35 years to see the light. Kings incorporated just a few tantalizing glimpses of the three-day concert.
Soul Power sets the record straight by featuring complete, historic performances from legends such as B.B. King, Bill Withers, Miriam Makeba, and an incendiary James Brown, whose 1971 single lends the film its title.
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On October 30th, 1974, Muhammad Ali touched gloves with George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. After eight epic rounds, Ali put the mighty Foreman, and the demons of his late career achievements, down to the mat. The Oscar-winning doc When We Were Kings told the story of The Rumble in the Jungle and captured Ali’s magical verbal sparring, along with the feeling generated by American pop and confidence merging with tribal rhythms and homecoming warmth. But that was only half the story. Read More »
As the voice behind one of the hottest record labels in Brooklyn, soul revivalist Sharon Jones has seen it all. Born in Georgia in 1956, she served as a corrections officer at Rikers Island prison for years, sneaking in talent shows and session work after hours. As such, Jones is one of a few select stars whose fame came late – she was in her 40s – but that doesn’t seem to bother the diva. After all, she got here the hard way, channeling the fighting spirit that lifted Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin from the church and the Chitlin’ Circuit to the bigger stages of Broadway. Her devotion to old-school soul icons like James Brown and Otis Redding is matched by her electric energy and tight arrangements.
After the jump, Jones explains about what Obama means for African American music, backs Etta James in her battle with Beyoncé, and runs rap’s bling fixation through the wringer.
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