Welcome to yet another long overdue edition of Ten2One (try to concentrate on the ‘welcome’, not the ‘long overdue’…)

At ANY rate, we’re here to introduce you to an amazing Jazz vocalist ( Yep…a First for us!!!). We’re taking another trip to The ATL. We’re gonna meet Lemonade Jones, and dig into such heavy topics ranging as Deep Sea Diving ( well, Lake diving, that is…), the art of Seductive Pouting, and Huge piles of cold, hard, ca$h. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Lemonade Jones ( aka Tanya Reed)!!!

Tanya Reed’s richly cultivated voice captivates the souls of her listeners.  Through the universal language of music, Tanya has found her redemption and mean of contributing to the positive evolution of our culture.  Tanya’s time is now; emerging as a solo artist on the music scene 10 years as the premier jazz/ soul artist; she is taking the entertainment world by storm.

Tanya’s love for music ignited as a young child under the guidance of jazz organist Melvin Rhyne.  At the age of 11, she, along with her two sisters and her mother, founded a vocal jazz trio, “The Reed Sisters.” In 1993, the sisters’ musical career took flight when they developed a musical bond with jazz legend Dr. Betty Carter.  Betty Carter discovered the budding artists singing in a hotel lobby lounge in their hometown, Milwaukee, WI.  Instantly, Tanya and her sisters were invited to participate in Dr. Betty Carter’s annual program, “Jazz Ahead.” Year after year, under the mentorship of Dr. Carter, “The Reed Sisters’ wooed sold-out audiences in New York’s Majestic Theater and Washington D.C’s Kennedy Center. In July 1998, Tanya and her sisters were featured with Dr. Carter in Italy’s world-renowned. “Festival of Two Worlds.”

Tanya has performed at prestigious venues such as The Apollo Theater, Blue Note (NYC), Jazz Showcase (Chicago), The House of Blues (Chicago), 651 Brooklyn Academy of Music Theater, The John F. Kennedy Center (D.C.), SOB’s (NYC) and Joe’s Pub (NYC) with artists like: George Benson, Karriem Riggins, Geri Allen, Jacky Terrasson, Mel Rhyne, Jack Dejohnette, Ari Brown, Nate Smith and more.  Her independent release “Tanya Reed Live in Chicago-The Debut” was a success with over 20,000 units sold. “A Taste…Tanya Reed,” the sophomore CD/EP is the sonic musical flavor that delights all taste buds. 

Tanya has been the focus of diverse press coverage, including articles in Jazz Times, Down Beat, New York Times Magazine, and Midwest Jazz Magazine (cover story).  She has also been featured on “CBS Sunday Morning,” and “BET on Jazz” television programs.

(ed note: her discography was a gazillion pages long. She’s been on a TON of material! So be sure to check out her blog and other links. and now; back to our regularly scheduled program…)

Lemonade Jones

1- What album must every music lover own?

“What’s Going On”-Marvin Gaye

2- What’s your automatic cure for boredom?

YouTube

3- What was your nickname growing up, and how did you get it?

Tootie Fruity with the big fat booty…first my Dad called me “Tootie”, and then my manish cousin Ron-Ron added the tag line ‘with the big fat booty’!.LOL!

4- What did you buy with your very first paycheck?

Probably used it to get my hair done.  I may have been around 14 years old.

5- What strange habits or quirks do you have?

Scratching my body when I get tired and puckering my lips out for comfort or when I am thinking hard….
6- What musician ( or band ) would you most want to work with?

Kanye West, because he has enough musical sensibility to understand my vantage point but still very commercial.
7- What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done on a dare?

Jump off a boat in Lake Michigan with only a rope and a life jacket not knowing how to swim.

8- What movie character do you most identify with?

Miss Sophia from “The Color Purple”, and Cruella DeVille. ( ed. note: We’re assuming it’s the same Cruella DeVille from “101 Dalmations”. but hey, we’ve been wrong before…)

9- What’s the easiest way to bribe you?

Money

10- What’s the best B-day gift you ever got?

A ten dollar money tree on my tenth birthday and homemade tacos.

Parting Shot:

“Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no.”

I would like to take credit for it, but it seems that somebody like Oprah said it first….LOL!

Well there ya have it. Words from Lemonade Jones. Here’s where it gets good though. As we mentioned earlier, she has a HUGE discography and a lot of live performances under her belt. If you’re in the Atlanta Area, be sure to check her out: ( double click for full-sized image…DUH)

 If you want to see and hear more of Lemonade Jones, be sure to check these links out…you know you want to:

www.lemonadejones.blogspot.com

and if you REALLY wanna show her some support ( yeah that’s right…REAL support), feel free to check out these digital music stores where you can cop some of her  releases. You won’t regret it…

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tanya-reed-live-in-chicago/id210801588

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tanyareed

It’s time for yet another installment of Ten2one. This month we’re gonna take our first trip out to the West Coast ( by way of Louisiana…), We’re gonna check in with  an artist and writer with a great sense of humor and a great outlook on life. Sit back and get ready to laugh your head  ( and other parts ) off, as we meet Kenny Keil. So we’ll let Kenny tell you a little bit about himself, and give us the scoop on Self-Medication, The Grocery Store Olympics , and Clubbing with Stephen Hawking. But don’t take our word for it. Heeeeeeeeeeere’s Kenny!!!!! ( yeah that was cheesy…but where’s YOUR blog?)

What’s up internets! My name is Kenny Keil and I’m an artist and writer currently living in Los Angeles. I’m originally from Louisiana where I grew up on a steady diet of comics, cartoons and music, and eventually went to school for a degree in graphic design. Then I did something almost unheard of for someone with a design degree – I got a job. And then a couple more jobs after that, all the while pursuing personal side projects with what little free time I could muster. Now, after years of taking the road most travelled, I’m venturing off into the world of freelancing and putting more focus on comics, illustration and writing. Recently I self-published a comic book collection called “Giant-Sized Tales to Suffice”, a humor anthology that lovingly parodies the stories, fans and creators of the American comic book. My comics and illustration work has also appeared in various anthologies, journals, MAD Magazine and throughout the internet. I’m also getting into screenwriting and storyboarding for commercials, web shorts and music videos, and pretty much whatever other creative ventures life brings my way. When I’m not working I enjoy reading, running, and hanging out with my family.

1- What was your favorite toy as a kid? 

A pencil. I was the kind of kid who could keep himself occupied for hours on end with a drawing utensil and a blank sheet of paper. Still am. (Runner-Up: Orko action figure from Masters of the Universe)
2- What collectible item do you cherish the most? 

In 1992 I had the opportunity to meet Stan Lee at a comic convention signing. Because the line was so long (and Stan was like, 70), there was a strict 2-item per person limit. Now keep in mind that I’m 12, so it’s not like I own a bunch of comics that Stan Lee actually wrote. Also, I’m 12… so I’m an idiot. So what are my 2 items? A copy of Ravage 2099 #1, and… another copy of Ravage 2099 #1. One to keep, and one to eventually pay my college tuition, naturally. Now’s the part where you ask me what the hell a Ravage 2099 is. Well, I’ll tell you. He was a crime fighting garbage man from the future. Look, they can’t all be gems. Besides, the guy hadn’t written a comic in like 40 years, what do you want from him? But deep down I just knew that Ravage would  one day  rank right up there with Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. I probably don’t have to tell you how that one turned out.

So yeah… to the outside observer, I probably own cooler stuff than that, but I treasure my Stan Lee-autographed Ravage 2099 #1′s the most because they’re just such an exquisite balance of “awesome” and “completely missing the point”. I live for that balance. It’s the yin and yang of my very being.
3- What’s the Best Advice you’ve ever gotten? 

When I was little, every morning before I’d go to school my mom would tell me to “have fun and learn something new.” Even in my adult life I find that to be a pretty solid game plan.

4- What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done on a dare? 

I’m not really the “dare” type, but there was this one camping weekend back in college where I attempted to tumble down a hill head first. Hold on, the ridiculous part is coming. Not satisfied with simply reaching the bottom of the hill still breathing, I decided to go for a big finish, using my momentum to launch myself into the air for one final mid-air somersault. I landed on my shoulder so hard that I thought I was going to die. I spent the next 2 weeks in extreme discomfort, just going through tube after tube of Icy Hot trying to numb the pain of what I assumed was a sprain of some sort. I asked my friend who was majoring in Exercise Science about it (because that’s kind of like seeing a doctor, right?) and he was all like “Dude, if you had broken something, trust me… You’d know.”

Well, I didn’t know, obviously, so I took that to mean nothing was broken. Then the left half of my entire upper body started turning yellow. I decided maybe it was time to go to the hospital, where an X-Ray confirmed that I did in fact have a broken collarbone. That I had been trying to treat with Icy Hot. The doctor decided that since I’d gone this long without pain medication, there was no need to start taking any now (asshole), so instead he just fitted me up with this old velcro brassiere-like contraption to make sure everything healed properly. So I spent about a month wearing a giant bra, and to this day my shoulder aches whenever it’s about to rain. Don’t do dares, kids.

5-What brings out the snob in you, Music, Movies, or Food? 

Definitely not food. I can fine dine with the best of them, but at the end of the day not much is fucking with a cheeseburger. Also, I find it odd to be snobbish about carrying out a basic biological function. Seriously, who or what isn’t a “foodie”? Here’s my rule of thumb: If babies and houseplants can do it, it’s probably not worth being elitist about. Let alone uploading pictures of to your Facebook page.

I can be pretty snobbish when it comes to the other two, but I’ve seen (and loved) far too many terrible movies to be any sort of credible film snob. And I don’t really have the time or energy to musically snob out like I used to. There was a time when I seriously thought you could judge a person by their CD collection. Obviously that was foolish of me, because nobody even has CD’s anymore.

6-If you could change the end of any movie, what movie would it be, and what would you change? 

I’m a pretty passive audience, so I tend not to get worked up on how I’d do things differently, even when I strongly dislike a film. That said, “Shutter Island”? Yeah, that one was pretty disappointing. Plus I just saw it a few weeks ago so it’s fresh on my mind. I’ll go ahead and spoil it for those you haven’t seen the movie. Or the trailer, because you can totally guess the “twist” from the trailer: Turns out Leo is crazy and the whole thing is an elaborate hoax mixed with hallucination. I dunno, maybe if I had never seen Fight Club or say, graduated the 3rd grade, that ending would have surprised me. But as it stands, I haven’t seen a twist that weak since I took Stephen Hawking to a Chubby Checker concert. As for how I’d change it? Well here’s the thing – the twist is SO obvious that about halfway through your brain starts trying to trick itself into thinking it’s going to twist the other way, and Leo’s hallucinations turn out to be real. So you can’t really go that route either, because that too would be expected. Therefore, I’d stick with the hallucination angle, but toss in one last curveball that nobody would see coming. For example, maybe on top of all the other hallucinations, Leo’s character is actually a really fat dude who just thinks he looks like Leonardo DiCaprio. I think that’d be worth another half a star, at least.

7- Do you have any phobias? 

I’m afraid so.

8-What contest would you always win? 

I’m telling you, if grocery store self-checkout aisles were a competitive sport, I’d be pro. I’d have sponsors and shit. And that’s with no formal cashier training, mind you. Just raw talent. You should see me blast through a cartful of groceries while all those other knuckleheads fumble around a jar of Jif looking for the barcode. Okay, so yeah, maybe they don’t realize I’m racing them. But even if they did, it wouldn’t matter.

9- What was the last class you took? 

I guess it would have been two years ago when I took a baby class with my wife to prepare us for our first child. It covered everything from labor and delivery to changing diapers to not leaving your baby in the oven for too long. It took me 4 years to get a handle on Photoshop, but I was able to knock out child rearing in a single Saturday afternoon!

10- What did you want to be when you grew up? 

They very first job I ever wanted was farmer. Then I smelled a farm and decided I wanted to be a cartoonist instead.

Parting Shot:

“Be excellent to each other. And party on, dudes.” – Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

So yeah. There’s Kenny Keil…but WAIT, there’s more. Be sure to check out his Graphic Novel;  “Giant Sized Tales to Suffice”. It’s hilarious, and looks GREAT on your bookshelf 

"Giant Sized Tales to Suffice"

If you want to learn more about Kenny, his comic, or any of the other projects he’s written and worked on, make sure to check out these links:

New-York based Marina Franklin is emerging as one of the hottest comedians in the comedy scene today, with such notable appearances as “The Jay Leno Show”, “Awkward Comedy Show”,” Chapelle’s Show”, NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” Season II, VH1’s “Black to the Future”, Oxygen’s “Girls Behaving Badly”, Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” and “Showtime at The Apollo”. She is a favorite in Comedy Festivals across the world, like Glasgow’s Comedy Festival, BBC’s World Stand’s Up, Rotterdam’s Comedy Factory,  Montreal’s Just For Laughs, New York Underground Comedy Festival, Ireland’s Kilkenny Comedy Festival, and Nashville’s Bonnaroo Music Festival. Franklin’s career in entertainment wasn’t always in stand-up comedy; originally from Chicago, she made her acting debut at the Illinois Rep Theatre. She then quickly realized her love for acting and went on to pursue a MFA in acting at Syracuse University. Franklin is viciously likeable, if there is such a thing.

1- What was the first concert you ever went to?

Sad to say, but I think it was Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam in Gary, Indiana. Yes, I travelled all the way to Gary, Indiana to see Lisa Lisa.

2- What song is stuck in your head right now?

Kanye’s “Runaway”. Cause I know a lot of assholes that I would love to have a toast to, and there are no shortage of douche bags.

3-What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done on a dare?

Drink out of the toilette…but you know not so ridiculous when you consider that the toilette is actually one of the cleanest places in the house. I read that somewhere….(ed note: Miss Franklin used the French Spelling “toilette”…this doesn’t make it any less gross.)

4-Sex or Romance?

At this time in my life,  definitely Sex.  I’m like  a dude when it comes to that. That’s why I date young.

5- What movie character do you identify with the most?

Sadly, I don’t think they have anyone in movie’s that I as a black woman in 2010 can identify with. Gabrielle Union’s characters do not do enough for me. She can’t play every black woman character in Hollywood, can she? But she is beautiful. Keri Washington’s characters? Nope.  I’m gonna have to go with Woody Allen.

6- Who inspired you the most as a kid?

I don’t think one person did that for me as a kid. I would say that I watched a lot of “I Love Lucy” so most likely Lucille Ball.  But, I really can’t pinpoint just one. I liked a lot of characters in comedy. John Ritter in “Three’s Company” was also one of my favorites. I had a love for slapstick .

7-What’s your favorite recipe?

Again, I’m not a favorite person. I love food. My mom was not the best cook when I was growing up, so anyone’s cooking was always better than what I had at home. My Aunt Marilyn’s cooking was always one of my favorites. Everything was tasty. She definitely had the best Macaroni and Cheese EVER, but I can’t eat that anymore.

8-If you had an invention that could change the world, what would it be?

It would be a drug that would stop the urge for people to be right all the Goddamned time.

9-If you could insert yourself into any moment in history, what/where would it be?

The 70′s during the Paradise Garage era..That was the best moment in history for music. I still listen to the music of the 70′s. Today’s music doesn’t have that sound anymore…Well, it does, but it’s all remixed into some new sound that is not like the original.

10- What was the last luxury item that you absolutely HAVE to have?

The iPhone. I Love it and wouldn’t have anything else.

For more info and details on Marina’s upcoming personal appearances and shows, check her Facebook Fan page out:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marina-Franklin/14544137308

or

http://www.theblacklistnyc.com/johnoliver

I’m a visual artist who lives in the suburbs of Chicago. My art is a mix of Japanese traditional art, tattoos, skateboarding, graffiti, and street art. I have been painting for a little more than two years now. I started off painting graffiti then to skateboards and finally on to canvas. My art has been viewed in all areas of Chicago and can be seen in Butterfly Social Club , Orange restaurant, and Untitled Store in Woodfield. My mission is to create art that inspires people to do live their life with passion, creativity, and positive energy.

1-What’s the Best advice you’ve ever gotten?
The artist Revise CMW actually e-mailed me on what paint, spray paint, and brushes to use on canvas. If he’d never showed me what to use,  I probably would not pursue painting with as much passion. He really gave me a good blueprint on how to paint with a Graffiti background.

The Art Institute is great and thats where I really fell in love with fine art. I remember going to exhibits featuring Norman Rockwell and Ansel Adams. I fell in love with American artists and how they displayed American Culture and scenery. Plus people can use their bathroom on Thursdays since it’s free admission.

I like to watch this cartoon called “Adventure Time.” Its about a human boy named Finn that has an awesome hat and Jake his best friend who is a yellow dog with magical stretching power. The whole plot of each episode is how they find adventures to save the land of Oo from evil villains like monsters, goblins, and wizards. It’s a childish show but it has adult humor and mannerisms.

When I was younger, my father enrolled me in Tae Kwon Do classes. When I first started competing in sparring, I would always win Gold. Later, when I was in seventh grade, I would get beat because the other kids went through puberty faster than me and I would go home with Bronze.

I’m not a big snob about music, movies, or food since I’m pretty open to anything.  Fashion is the only thing that brings out the big snob in me.  If people don’t know anything about street wear, sneakers, or cut & sew, then don’t bring it up.

I’m Christian and for me Christianity isn’t a religion but a relationship with God.  Jesus is Lord.

7- What do you collect?

9-Who is the Greatest artist of your lifetime ( in any medium)?

I am a huge fan of David Choe. His art is beautiful, but at the same time the grimy and nitty gritty technique that he adds into his paintings are ridiculous. He’ll do full mural walls and from top to bottom and it’ll have fine painstaking detail.  He won’t even have any preliminary sketch. All his ideas are in his head and he just goes for it.

Beastie Boys – “Hello Nasty”
Kid Cudi- “Man on the Moon”
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Blood Sugar Sex Magic”
Rage Against the Machine – “Evil Empire”
Jay-z – “Black Album”

PARTING SHOT:

“Get busy living or Get busy dying.”- Shawshank Redemption.

Andrew has several works on display around town. Here’s a few shots of some of his pieces, and if you are interested in buying them or have any questions, hit him up:

andrewjleonardo@gmail.com

In 2004, Glenn began programming curatorial projects for the Bankle Building in Detroit,  started Studio204, and began traveling to Chicago to photograph for magazines and publications, most notably The Chicago Sun Times and The Natural Athlete. In Chicago, Glenn has interned at The Art Institute of Chicago, as a publicist for Caro d’Offay Art Gallery, Assistant to the Director of ALLRiSE Gallery, and worked in visual artist management. Glenn currently works as a Project Manager for the SAIC Office of Exhibition Practices, is completing a curatorial fellowship at the Hyde Park Art Center, and is a freelance contributor to the Art21 Blog.

Allison is currently interested in new curatorial approaches to programming  exhibitions in mid-level, non-collecting Contemporary art institutions, sustainable art projects that address community needs, temporary and site-specific exhibitions, satellite spaces, new audience development and inclusion beyond the institutional space. In her spare time she devours oversized fashion magazines, cooks vegetarian food, throws parties, drinks good wine, and lies on her roof.

Once again we’ve dedicated the space to the visual arts. We have a Photographer this time around ( and if we’re not mistaken this is the first photographer we’ve had.. you guys can do a search…fact checking be damned!!!!) Anyway, we’re gonna have a sit-down with Allison Glenn, a Shutterbug with a twisted sense of humor and an interesting view of the world. Check out Allison’s words of wisdom of as we find out a little bit about playing Hooky, Jennifer Beals, New Kids on The Block, and Blackberry addiction… enjoy the Labor Day edition of Ten2One!!!

Allison Glenn...shutterbug.

1- What was the first concert you ever went to?

My first concert was New Kids on the Block at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. I was in 3^rd grade, and I wore a Joey McIntyre T-shirt with a hot pink slide buckle and black spandex. I remember I was allowed to leave school early, which was almost unheard of in private school. We were in the third row, and stood on our chairs during the whole concert…hahaha!!!!
2- What song is stuck in your head right now?

Really, hmm…”Archaic Days” by Tommy Guerrero…forever stuck.

3-What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done on a dare?

No answer…

(Ed note:  it must have been REAAAAALLLY bad.  But like the old saying goes…The silence is DEAFENING.  Allison, we await your “Defamation of Character” lawsuit. )

4-Sex or Romance?

Romance, all day! I prefer intimate affection and closeness to just about anything…

5- What movie character do you identify with the most?

Olive in “Little Miss Sunshine”

6- Who inspired you the most as a kid?

My brother

7-What’s your favorite recipe?

Depends on the season: Fall and Winter, it’s my vegan chili. Summer, a good avocado, mixed green, cherry tomato, sunflower seed, hearts of palm, artichoke heart, dried cranberry, sun dried tomato, egg white salad with fig balsamic vinegar. If I’m cooking for meat eaters, I make a yummy Creole-seasoned tilapia baked with spinach, cherry tomatoes, and green onions. I’m still a sucker for my mom’s macaroni and cheese.

8-If you had an invention that could change the world, what would it be?

That’s a little larger than my scope. I think it’s important to teach tolerance, forgiveness and understanding as well as dedication and respect for self and others.

9-If you could insert yourself into any moment in history, what/where would it be?

New York City, late 1980s so I could catch the Flashdance/Jennifer Beals craze + still kick it at Alleged Gallery on the Lower East Side.

10- What was the last luxury item that you absolutely HAD to have?

My Blackberry

Parting Shot:

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you”

-Maya Angelou

If you guys are interested in seeing some of Allison’s photography or find out more about her and her various projects, be sure to check her out:

www.allisonglenn.com

www.coroflot.com/allison_glenn

wait… hol’up for a second…we COULD go the old “read the bio and go from there” route, but since we’re rebooting the franchise, we’re gonna break format for a sec, and let Shari introduce herself…in her OWN words.  Shari, you may fire when ready…

Hi everyone! My name is Shari and I am a lifelong Chicagoan, though the entire rest of my family is from Belize. I’m a web/Flash developer by day at an advertising agency and a freelance graphic designer when time permits. You may have seen some of my work out there. I designed the site for Black Girl With Long Hair (http://www.bglhonline.com) and the logo for Afrobella (http://www.afrobella.com). Currently, almost all of my time goes into my online shop, Bon Bon Vie (after the T.S. Monk song of the same name). I’ve always had an unhealthy obsession with tee shirts, so I figured, why not design some myself? I currently have a few designs on the site, but will be rolling out more slowly but surely.

I currently work at Abelson Taylor, a pharmaceutical advertising by day as an interactive developer doing mostly Flash development, and in my spare time, I do a lot of freelance work (art direction, graphic & web design, t-shirt design, wordpress development). My online portfolio is located at http://www.cargocollective.com/sharineal. I just started an online t-shirt shop called Bon Bon Vie (http://www.wearbonbonvie.com) , so that is my baby at the moment.

See? that was cool, right? Welcome to the August 2010 edition of Ten2One. This time we’re headed back to the Windy City, to meet Designer extraordinaire Shari Neal. (The kid is BAAAD, ya’ll). So sit back, read on and check out a little bit of this-n-that, as we find out about Rocawear jackets, the exorbitant cost of Concert Tickets, Teenage Photo ID’s, and some of the good things you can find in the dumpster behind Dunkin’ Donuts.

1- What movie character do you identify with the most?

Halle Berry as Angela in “Boomerang”. I always liked the fact that she was an artist/art director at an advertising agency and she wasn’t flashy…she was just a behind the scenes creative type, kind of like me.

2- What did you buy with your very first paycheck?

I bought a female Rocawear baseball jacket. It was really freaking expensive. Even by today’s standards. I bought it from one of those overpriced, “urban” mall stores. I still have that jacket in my closet as a reminder of what a dumb ass purchase it was.

3-What’s the funniest prank you ever pulled (or had pulled on you)?

This is kind of cruel and may even be crossing the line of prank territory, but I can laugh about it now . My brother used to tell me that I was found in the dumpster behind our apartment in a Dunkin’ Donuts box and my real family abandoned me. I would ask, “Why do I look like you, then??” He told me they got me plastic surgery and I was too young to remember it. And he somehow got my mom in on it. So he’d be like, “Mom, didn’t we find Shari in the dumpster?” and she’d say yeah. So I believed that lie for a really long time.

4- What was the hardest thing you ever had to learn?

That getting a high paying job out of college is not something that just happens. Nobody in their right mind wants to pay a 21, 22 year old Journalism major $70,000 a year. My first real paycheck made that very clear.

5-What was the cheesiest clothing trend you wore as a teenager?

I had a silver velour mock turtleneck. That thing was awful in hindsight, but back then I thought I looked pretty hot. I wore it in my 8th grade Whitney Young i.d. photo, so I’ll always have the memories. I was also into animal prints and camouflage.

6-What’s the ONE item you can’t live without?

My laptop. It’s my livelihood.

7-What are the ingredients for the perfect Road trip?

Good music and good friends.

8-What song lyric describes you at the moment?

“I’d like to think the best of me/
is still hiding/
up my sleeve.”

John Mayer, “No Such Thing”

9- What’s the best Birthday gift you ever got?

I got Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation tickets and a new pink bike for my 6th birthday. You couldn’t tell me shit after that. However, my mom was quite pissed that I fell asleep at the concert 3 songs in. I was constantly reminded that the tickets weren’t cheap.

10- What’s the easiest way to bribe you?

With food, it’s my Kryptonite. I am an overweight man on the inside.

Parting Shot:

“You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could’ve, would’ve happened… or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on.”
— Tupac Shakur

you can catch up with Shari and view some of her work here:

http://www.wearbonbonvie.com
http://www.cargocollective.com/sharineal
http://www.facebook.com/bonbonvie
http://www.twitter.com/ShariBonBonVie

and you can do yourself ( or your ol’ lady ) a favor and buy one of these:

Enough of that. We’ve lined up some new talent, and starting in July, we’re gonna have some new interviews and info for those of you have been loyal readers. But you know, would it KILL you guys to send us some questions for our honored guests? Actually, if you know anybody that would be a good fit for Ten2One, feel free to put us in contact with ‘em.

Anyway, back to the show…

Sincerely, The good folks here at Ten2One

It’s not very often that you come across people that somehow maintain consistency over long careers, so when it happens, it’s VERY noticable.  Torin Edmond is one of those people. From DJ to Producer to remixer, the man does it ALL and has been one of the best at it for QUITE a while. He’s one of the best Deep House DJ’s to emerge from Chicago,  head promoter at INNER SOUND SYSTEM ( one of Chicago’s most influential monthly events held at the now defunct Sonotheque), as well as one of the venues resident jocks. This month we’re going to get in the mind of Torin Edmond and learn a little bit about  the relationship between Architecture and Music, fast driving, and Janet Jackson. Ladies and Gentlemen, the December 2009 Edition of Ten2One;  featuring Torin Edmond

1- What did you want to be when you grew up?

9- What one personal item could you not live without?

I’m not sure how I would handle losing my music collection.

“What I Am” Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians.

PARTING SHOT:

“There is no “I” in TEAM, but there is one in WIN!”  Michael Jordan

Be sure to check out Torin @

www.thaunderground.com

His most recent publication IDIOM (http://69.25.104.81/bookstore/detail/880977) where he served as Executive Editor presents writings which offer varying perspectives on religion, beauty, ethnic oppression, architectural history, art, and theater in conjunction with several photo essays on seven cities throughout Italy.  He received his Bachelors of Architecture from Howard University and his Masters of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.  His architectural research addresses fundamental questions of social and cultural representations in Architecture with a strong emphasis on broadening the potential of how historical precedents are used in contemporary practice.  His DJ sets are filled with Afro-Latin rhythms, house, Brazilian rhythms, Funky Disco, Soul and recently has been trending deeper and techier in his musical sets.

Well, people, we’ve had DJ’s, we’ve had artists, and we’ve had world travelers…but in the Nov 2009 edition, we’re gonna get all three in one shot. Curtis Clay is one of our favorite people for a variety of reasons, he’s a thinker, an author, an amazing DJ, and an all-around decent dude. Let’s tune in to get Curt’s perspective on Art, Morris Day, and his version of The Great Boombox Experiment. Check him out…

Curtis Clay

photo by Abby Greenawalt of Pitchfork Studio @ http://www.abbygreenawalt.com/

1- What’s your favorite Vacation spot?

I absolutely love Barcelona…  The culture, the music, the food, the people, the vibe, the history, the architecture, the siestas, the beach, the shopping… just everything about the city makes it one of my favorite places to visit.  The first time I went, I had only planned to be there for 4 days.  On my second day I linked up with a friend from the University of Illinois who had some friends there.  After one day of kicking it with the locals they made me check out of my hotel and crash at their place.  I ended up staying for 9 days!  If I was not scheduled to meet the woman I was dating at the time in Madrid, I would have stayed even longer!  Generally, my favorite vacation spots are where I know someone who lives there.  In the same way I believe it is unfortunate when people come to DC and only see it through a tourist lens, I try to always visit places where I know I’ll have a local view on food / culture / music / nightlife, etc. to ensure I get a true view of anyplace I visit.

2- If you could change the outcome of any movie, what movie would it be, and how would you change it?

Do you mean if I could write Jar Jar Binks out of “Star Wars”? lol! This is a tough one…. For a classic, I’m going with “Purple Rain”.  I think showing Morris Day and Jerome dancing away during “Baby I’m A Star” at the end just totally drains any believability out of the fact that The Time were out to KILL Prince on stage and embarrass him trying.  I really think they should’ve shown Morris & Co. looking at Prince with contempt rather than enjoying the performance as much as they were.

3- What did you want to be when you grew up?

I had no idea what I wanted to be when I was growing up.  My parents thankfully gave me the freedom to try out a bunch of things in my youth. I played piano for a while, I had hoop dreams, but DJing was always inherently a part of me before I even knew what DJing was.  I used to stay up late and record mixes off of BMX and then when I moved to Springfield off of Majic 108.  Then I’d take two boom boxes and make them face each other and press play on one and record on the other and basically cut and paste my own versions of how songs should loop and go together onto the other cassette tape.   I know you know what I’m talking about.  The most memorable one was I took the drum break from the Force MD’s “Itchin for a Scratch” and extended it to about 5 minutes. It probably took me about 3 hours to do.  But before I even really knew what mixing was, I had an inherent need to reorganize songs differently than how they were presented to me on the radio.  But purchasing DJ equipment on my meager salary from cutting grass just wasn’t an option.  Hell, I could never even afford a pair of Jordans! So my DJ dreams were dashed for quite some time.

It wasn’t until I was a Senior in High School, about to turn 18 that my parents sat me down and gave me two options:

1. I could decide what I wanted to be, go to college and they would pay for it.

2. I could join the military.

But whichever I chose, I had to get the hell out of their house!  Since push-ups aren’t my thing, I quickly decided I wanted to be an Architect and went to Howard.

4- What’s your favorite museum?

Architecturally, and for what it represents to the entire profession from the 1990’s to the present, clearly the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain by Frank Gehry would be the obvious choice.  However, Renzo Piano, the architect of the recent addition to the Art Institute of Chicago did a small museum in Basel, Switzerland for the Beyeler Foundation that has always stuck with me since I visited.  The way it is situated on the site, the way natural light is used, the way materials are used, and the incredible detailing found throughout the building make it an incredible building.  It also has one of the largest collections of drawings by one of my favorite artists, Alberto Giacometti.

Beyeler Foundation

Guggenheim Bilbao

5- What’s your automatic cure for boredom?

Quite honestly, I have sooooo much music, particularly, music that has not ever received a proper “headphone listen”.  There is a difference between just casually listening to music while you’re cooking, studying, or on the phone vs playing music through headphones where you do absolutely nothing else but focus on the music itself.  It gives you the opportunity to actually STUDY the music.  I have developed new appreciations for records I’ve had in my hands for years after listening to them through a pair of quality headphones.  When I’m bored, I listen to music.

6- What bad habits do you need to break?

Maybe its because I’m engaged now and I just love spending time with her, but I have become a pretty private person, and a mentality has developed within me which tells me that I don’t need any more friends.  As silly as this may sound, I have some amazing people in my life and I use their presence to justify not letting anyone else in.  Maybe it is because I fear they will never be able to “live up to” the standard of the people I already have in my life? It is a terrible habit as it creates a behavior where the moment I feel the slightest hint of shadyness from a MFer I don’t really know, I’ll write their ass off!! My feeling is, why be bothered? I am blessed to have a bunch of tremendous people in my life which breeds the unfortunate behavior of being less likely to be open to new people.  I’m lucky to have people in my life that have no problems telling me exactly what they feel, sometimes too honest! Lol.  I’m working hard on this.

7- What’s the easiest way to bribe you?

I’m too stubborn to be bribed man!  I stand strong for my principles, almost to a fault.  I suppose, offering me the opportunity to DJ for a crowd of people playing whatever type of music I like would be enough to get me to accept getting paid less than what I know I’m worth.  Many DJ’s, including myself, want so bad to share music with as many people as possible, that we sell ourselves short in what we should be paid in order to share what we love with people.  I’m lucky to have a job that pays the bills and allows me to make DJing something I do strictly for fun.  You have to give respect to those that only DJ for a living and are adamant about standing on their principles of only playing quality music and not succumbing to the musical tastes of the masses.  That is a tough hustle.

8-What was your nickname growing up?

‘Cinnamon stick’.  I was always skinny as a board until I went to grad school and started drinking beer instead of liquor.

9- What’s your favorite Fall activity?

Fall is that time of year where you transition from being outside all the time, to being inside all the time, so every Fall, I reorganize all my shit… my clothes, my music, my books, my pictures, my digital music files, my ipod, my furniture… everything.  I feel like it’s that time of year to prepare your nest at home for all of the time you will be inside.

10- What’s the one luxury item you HAD to have?

I was in Jamaica for a wedding and went to the Gallery of West Indian Art and absolutely fell in love with this original painting by a Cuban painter named Abel Garcia Matos and just HAD to have it.  I had no intention on purchasing a piece at that time and I ended up buying this huge painting (30” X 60”) that just stopped me in my tracks.  One of the women I was with just walked up to me while I was staring at it and said, “You know you have to buy that right?” It was so obvious to both of us that it represented me and I bought it without even asking how much it cost.

...

Parting Shot

“Without the heart, there can be no understanding between the hand and the mind.” – unknown

There ya have it, folks. Be sure to check out Curtis’ book IDIOM ( just hit the link up top, and it’ll take you where you need to be. But be sure to come back!!!!)

1-What’s the most bizarre recording in your collection?

Mickey Mouse Disco. Probably the oldest record in my collection too. I’ve had it since 4 years old.

2-What’s the best Birthday Gift you ever got?

A surprise birthday party when I was 15.

3-James Brown or Fela?

James Brown, He inspired Fela.

4-What Superhero has the greatest powers?

I’ll give you two. One from Marvel Comics and one from DC Comics.

First Marvel:

Vision from the Avengers Comics in the 80s. He could manipulate his density, heal himself, and had superhuman stamina, reflexes, speed, agility and strength in any form of density. He has very few weaknesses and is virtually indestructible.

DC- Superman.  His only known weakness is kryptonite.  As long as he stays away from that nothing can stop him.

5- What’s your favorite Sports-related memory?

Too many to name.  I’ll break the rules and give you 2. Both are nicknamed “The Run”.

From the time I was 5 years old and into adulthood I was a huge University of Nebraska football fan prior to Bill Callahan’s coaching stint (2004-2007).  I gotta go with my man Tommie Frazier’s 75 yard run vs. Florida in the 1995 NCAA national championship (1996 Fiesta Bowl).  On this run he broke several tackles on his way to a touchdown. Frazier. Throughout his career the Florida native Frazier tormented all 3 Florida powerhouses in 3 straight National Title games earning the MVP in all 3 games. Florida State in 1993 losing on a controversial play in the 4th quarter, Miami in 1994 (national champion), and Florida 1995 (national champion). That run symbolized Nebraska’s dominance and pointed to the 1995 team as being arguably the single greatest college football team ever.

“The Run” Adrian Peterson of the Chicago Bears when he was in college at Georgia Southern in the 1999 Division 1-AA National Championship vs. Youngstown State.  Peterson spent the entire week prior to the game on crutches due to a turf toe injury.  Georgia Southern mauled Youngstown State but it was a run by Peterson that stands as the most electrifying play in my recent college football memory. During this run he broke several tackles, ran over a few defenders and grabbed someone and threw them out of bounds as if he were in a fight in a dark alley. If you youtube “Adrian Peterson the run Georgia Southern” you’ll see what I’m talking about.

6-What brings out the snob in you; Music, Movies, or Food?

Movies used to be on the list but I stopped taking movies so seriously when I realized not all have to be thought provoking, intriguing, artistic or deliver a message to be entertaining. Over time I found myself also amused by simple predictable stories that were basic, sometimes corny but fun.

Now we narrow it down to music or food.

I am very passionate and picky about food. The preparation, the quality, freshness, how it’s paired, new unique ideas and presentation.  Nevertheless, I generally view different peoples opinions with a to each his own attitude and am not as snobbish when it comes to food as much as I am when it comes to music.

Nothing irritates and gets my blood pressure up more than hearing people give props to music that is really not deserving. I am probably one of the biggest music snobs you will ever meet.  However I am very fair about giving my opinion on some positive creative stuff.  I know everyone is entitled to their opinions but some people shouldn’t be.  For instance people implying that mainstream rappers like Lil Wayne or Drake are better than MCs like Ghostface or Common is just insane.  It just goes to show how easily society is programmed into following what the mass influence wants them to like and refuses to think for themselves on virtually every level.   During the 1990s I heard silliness like this on the regular.   The most ridiculous comment was the summer of 1994 when someone emphatically told me Outkast’s debut album with Players Ball was better than Nas Illmatic.  Not to crap on Outkast.  Over the years they have had plenty of solid projects and I have grown to become somewhat of a fan, but their debut album was barely average especially when you compare it to other Hip Hop albums around that time.  Illmatic was the one of the best albums in that era and one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time.

Another time I was on a date and we were discussing music. And asked her what music artists she likes and emphatically mentioned some bullshit one hit wonder artists.  I think it was the Wreck n Effect. I was really pissed because I feel like Teddy Riley was hugely responsible for the crossover R&B sound working its way Into real Hip Hop.  So then when I asked her what she thought about KRS ONE and she said he’s wack.  I was saying in my head “Aight, its time for me to take you home”… But business needed to be handled first if you know what I mean… While “letting one go” I loudly mumbled, “The Realness”.

Nowadays hearing some of the stuff people play at parties is ridiculous.  I sometimes wonder if my level of impatience and irritation shows on my face. If you could only hear what’s going on in my head…It would sound something like…”Oh great I love hearing a not so random selection from the top 50 overplayed Disco and House classics. I can’t wait to hear that song again at the next party I go to.  As if the first 99 times I heard it just this year is not enough…” Then seeing people get hyped to it as if it were brand new is just crazy, especially when the last time I saw them they were doing the same thing to the same song.  Don’t get me wrong I love the classics too, but there is a time and place for it, and the time is not every week.  I take music very serious because I believe in it so much, and have the opportunity to hear so much good music that doesn’t get much publicity and has a difficult time making its way into everyone’s CD player or Ipod. This is one of the reasons Swank Society Radio was created.

Music truly soothes the soul.  Think how much better the world would be if we were able to hear good positive uplifting music as opposed to the nonsense and wackness floating on the airwaves today.

Another thing…I was never really a fan of gangster rap simply because it is in general some non-creative garbage that sends negative messages and affects young minds. I also felt like if you cursed on every verse it was probably hiding the fact that you really didn’t have skills.  Rakim, KRS, and Chuck D rarely cursed to get their point across and did it in a very creative way.

When in High School at a party someone once told me that music (particularly gangster rap) doesn’t affect people’s behavior as he was wearing MC Hammer pants and tried to be “Lil Hammer”.  I was looking at like dude what the f*#k are you talking about? I immediately asked him “So what inspired your outfit today and that dancing you were just doing 5 minutes ago?  Were you auditioning for a position as one of Hammer’s backup dancers?”.  Apparently music has not affected your behavior.  I told him “Your thoughts and actions are sooo original and not influenced by anyone or anything except you, right?”.  Then he proceeded to want to battle and I smashed that fool…Chicago B-Boy Style.

As a fan regarding my opinion of DJs I stopped being as much of a snob and critic once I started traveling and realized how not everyone is as good as Chicago DJs (Plus my expectations aren’t as high as they were in previous years). I also realized in other cities they were more about the music than the art of mixing. I’ve heard cats that weren’t the best technically but were playing cuts. I was happy as long as they weren’t train-wrecking blends.  In Chicago we are spoiled because there are very many good DJs that we get a chance to hear on a regular basis that can mix well and play cuts but generally don’t necessarily take risks or do a great job of introducing new music consistently.   Also, when we hear someone who may not be as technically sound but has great music, some aficionados will not give them a chance even if their selection is good. Not to discount the technically sound aspect…that is very important in DJing. Being able to properly mix and program while playing for a dancing crowd is huge in being able to take the crowd to another level. Song selection, style, timing, and uniqueness are just as important. Great DJs have all of these components.

As far as the actual music aspect I am extremely picky about what I buy and play.  I only play music that I believe is good.  I do not play music that I believe is of an inferior quality or just isn’t relevant or necessary.  I stopped DJing for approximately 5 years because I felt like I was compromising my style and wasn’t able to play the music I really wanted to play. Plus I feel like a huge part of a DJs job is to Introduce crowds to new music and if you’re not able to do that…What’s the point. Eventually, I caught the bug thanks to Tone B. Nimble, Kai Alce, and DJ Kemit and started DJing again and resurrected my love in playing records for a crowd.  I refuse to be stale and non-creative only playing crowd favorites. There isn’t anything wrong with a classic record everyone knows.  I believe you should mix in some music that is good but not so familiar music to create and Influence songs to become classic joints for the future.

7-Who’s your favorite DJ?

Besides myself? (without sounding arrogant)

I can’t narrow it down to just one DJ. There are many who I feel are good but these are my favorite. Anthony Nicholson, Lil Louis, and Jazzy Jeff.

Anthony- He has never let me down when going to hear him spin.  Most importantly he plays cutting edge newer dance music and does not compromise his sound. It’s important to play new music and not just classics.  If there is no new music being played we become stuck in a time warp and cannot build a future.

Louis- Mainly at a party thrown by Lil Louis and when he really wants to beat. Events he and his staff put together are very thorough and creative. Also, the combination of his monstrous sound systems and his ability to steer the crowd in the direction he wants them to go  while introducing them to music and bringing back memories all at the same time is fantastic. Listening to him in the mid 80s inspired me to become a DJ.

Jazzy Jeff- As far as Hip Hop DJs he is the best. His skills of turntable remixing, tricks, precise cuts, and timing of when to drop the next record in at the right time of a particular song are amazing. In regards to skills while rocking a party…There is no one better.

8-What’s the funniest prank you ever pulled?

This isn’t the funniest, it’s just the most recent.  Thinking of the funniest would require too much thought because brain cells were likely being killed at the time the prank was being perpetuated.

I sent one of my friends who was looking for employment to Dunder Mifflin’s website http://www.dundermifflin.com Dunder Mifflin is the fictional company from the TV show The Office but has a real website that looks just like a company. When you navigate throughout the site it still appears like a real website even under careers.  When you try to apply that’s when you get redirected to NBC’s website.  He didn’t watch The Office so he had no idea.

9- Any Phobias?

Getting caught doing something I’m not supposed to be doing.

10- What was the last new genre of music you fell in love with?

NuJazz.  I like jazz and I like new things. Therefore I like NuJazz.  It’s similar to liking Tomato Sauce.  If you like tomatoes and you like sauce.  Put the 2 together and you can’t go wrong.

Nah but seriously NuJazz incorporates various styles of jazz and makes really good music suitable for the dancefloor. It sounds really good especially on a good sound system.

Parting shot:

Celebrate Life and make the most of it.

As previously mentioned, you can catch Sean Alvarez just about ANYWHERE in Chicago, but here’s a few more words from the man himself, about how to get in touch with him:

Hit me up for Mix CDs or booking me for an event via email or facebook

Email: seanalv@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sean.alvarez1

Also, check out my podcast page

www.seanalvarez.podomatic.com

It includes episodes of my internet radio show Past Present & Future aired live Fridays 11am-1pm CST (12noon-2pm EST) on Swank Society Radio www.swanksociety.com

Before we wrap this up I’d like give a special thank you the Ten2one staff for this opportunity and doing their part to keep good music alive.