Ledisi — It's Christmas - Cool Black Review

Yo check it, I’m a recent Ledisi fan (like the last two years) so I never heard of this album, released in 2008…frankly before she “Instagrammed” it (below).

Now being a recent fan I said, I like Ledisi, if anything she may give a new twist to some Christmas songs and maybe I could get 1 or 2 to include on a Christmas playlist, but WOW is this album fantastic!

From beginning to end the songs are masterfully arraigned and Ledisi’s voice sounds perfect. Not good, perfect!  I must also give props to the musicians on this album for they did a wonderful job as well.

The album starts off with Ledisi taking us to church and ends that way as well. In the middle could be called “A Soulful Christmas” because it is soulful and bluesy. She even manages to give great cover versions of classic songs (Give Love on Christmas Day and What a Wonderful World). 

My favorite off the album though has to be the beautiful song This Christmas (Could Be the One). A beautiful ballad for the Christmas season.

Every music artist and their mother’s mother has a Christmas album, but believe me when I tell you, for black music fans (R&B, Jazz, Blues, Soul…you know the architects of American music) this is a great album.  Even though this is my first time listening to the album, I guess it was predestined for me to love it. It was released on my birthday September 23, 2008 J

John Grisham - The Racketeer - Cool Black Review

The Racketeer by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This, my ELEVENTH John Grisham book, travels the usual course of other Grisham books and I’m fine with that. Why else would I keep coming back? But this one has enough deviations to elevate it.

First and for foremost, the protagonist for the first time I can think of in a Grisham book is black. Does Grisham integrate black culture into the character? Not really, but I’m fine with that. I’d rather he stay away from it than do a piss poor representation of black culture. Even though I recall him doing a good job on black culture in his first book, A Time to Kill even though I surmise he just really knew a lot about southern culture rather than just black culture.

In any case about this character, this book, he’s not a lawyer…but he used to be and he unlatches a convoluted plan, as they all do, to better himself. This is the usual blueprint of a Grisham book, but a lot of what happens is a real mystery as you wonder why he has taken a prolonged deviation from what seems like the main story, but of course is not.

Another usual good Grisham book, but he gets major points for making the protagonist and a lot of supporting characters black and mixing it with a good, suspenseful story.

View all my BOOK reviews at Goodreads

Additional

LOL. Drew at Goodreads nailed it!

Here's Grisham's story checklist:

1. Small-town lawyer who was wronged by the Feds.
2. Lots of cash and shady off-shore banking.
3. Righting wrong against Feds (or evil corporations)
4. Bumbling Feds
5. Attractive woman who helps small-town lawyer

That happened in pretty much all the Grisham books I've read and yet I still keep coming back. LOL.

First Thoughts on the Films of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival

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'Luther' Season 3 Casting News

Sienna Guillory

Idris Elba Will Be Romanced By Sienna Guillory In Season 3 Of 'Luther' + Returning Cast + Guest Stars

November 26, 2012

Shadow & Act

Some may prefer that Luther be romanced by Alice (played wonderfully by actress Ruth Wilson) - those who've grown to love Alice and her deliciously maniacal ways, almost as Idris' Moriarity, we could say; alas, it won't be that kind of likely dysfunctional relationship.

Instead, Luther (Idris Elba) will be take by a character played by Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil, pictured above) in the hit series upcoming third season/series, which, as we've already noted, will comprise of 4 hour-long episodes, which began shooting last week, to the excitement of many.

In season 3, Luther finds himself under a lot of pressure, as he struggles to solve two conflicting crimes, while simultaneously fending off a ruthless ex-cop who's determined to bring him down by any means necessary.

Sienna Guillory's character will be called Mary, and she's described by theBBC as... "a worker in a vintage clothing shop, who meets Luther by chance." What happens from there, we'll have to wait to find out.

Also revealed are that Warren Brown, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Dermot Crowley and Michael Smiley will return to assume the roles they each played last season.

And next seasons guest stars will include Lucian Msamati (Game Of Thrones fans will remember him as the pirate Salladhor Saan; he andNonso Anozie were the 2 black Brits who joined the series cast last season), and Ned Dennehy (Tyrannosaur).

No date announced yet on when Luther, season 3 will debut, in the UK or the USA; but I expect it'll be sometime in 2013; and maybe even simultaneously this time - meaning, those in the USA won't have to wait months after it airs in the UK, to see it in the USA.

Cool Black Mad Commentary: No word on how Sienna Guillory's character will appear on Luther. As you can see below Google has different looks for her.

Sienna Guillory

Related: See our review of Luther Seasons 1 & 2 here 

A Day in the Life of Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes: What Did You Do Today?

After creating ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''Private Practice,'' Rhimes is launching ''Scandal,'' another drama for ABC which stars Kerry Washington as the powerful head of a Washington, D.C., crisis-management firm. Here's how the busy producer spent a recent Tuesday—Lynette Rice, Entertainment Weekly, Published March 23, 2012 

4 a.m. Wake up in a panic I was worrying about a big Owen [Kevin McKidd] and Cristina [Sandra Oh] scene we're shooting today on Grey's. I changed it the night before, and I was wondering whether I should change it again.

9:30 a.m. Get in car, go to work I'm lucky because I'm driven by a Teamster. I watched a director's cut of Grey's. It's the quietest space I have, because no one is asking questions. Sometimes [my driver] will take the long way so I can finish watching a cut.

9:49 a.m. Send tweet about new ABC drama @shondarhimes: ''Anyone seen the promos for Missing? Ashley Judd looks badass.''

11 a.m. Discuss hair color of a guest actor on Grey's Somebody we had used before changed her hair color, but we can't dye it, so she may have to wear a wig. This is my day!

11:55 a.m. Talk with costume designer Mimi Melgaard about Ellen Pompeo's wardrobe It's a huge spoiler, so I can't say [too much]. But it was about whether Meredith needed a particular accessory to go with her outfit.

1:45 p.m. Read email from ABC casting exec approving Torchwood's John Barrowman as costar in Rhimes' fall pilot Gilded Lilys He's wonderful. I have an irrational love for him. I feel like I want to lean on his shoulder. The poor man may have to get a restraining order against me.

2:20 p.m. Meeting in Grey's writers' room We do a table read and I give notes. This can last two hours.

4 p.m. Discuss a Grey's prop It's the Harper Avery award, a big legendary award given to a surgeon on the show. Apparently it was too shiny and reflective.

4:15 p.m. Trade emails with Kerry Washington I'm so excited about Scandal, and she is too!

4:20 p.m. Check in with Grey's and Private Practice editors We have a cool editing bay that shows up directly on my office and home TVs.

5 p.m. Head over to Grey's soundstage I went to watch a controversial scene with Sandra and Kevin. I also emailed Sara Ramirez [who plays Callie Torres] about interesting bone surgeries. We are both so into them.

5:40 p.m. Set playdate for daughter, approve press releases for Grey's and Private Practice Between the script ABC reads and what we shoot, the story line sometimes changes.

6:30 p.m. Phone call with assistant before driver arrives She tells me what I need to take home with me for the evening. I'll have a Private Practice cut delivered to my house, where I'll go drink a glass of wine.

Cool Black's Mad Commentary: That 4:20 p.m. check in is so GANGSTA!

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See ALL of our posts about Scandal by clicking the show logo below

The Redd Foxx Biography - Cool Black Review

Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story by Michael Starr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




This book really details Redd Foxx’s life as well as all of his trials and tribulations. Born Jon Elroy Sanford (As cited in this book, NO “h” in Jon despite what the Internet says) Redd Foxx was a definite pioneer in the entertainment industry and knocked down several doors for black entertainers. After reading this book I truly believe there would be no Bill Cosby, no Richard Pryor, no Eddie Murphy without him. Really.

The book depicts all of Redd’s many battles with each producer, network honcho and studio. Believe me some of those battles were really ludicrous and funnier than anything Redd said in his comedy routines.

What may have seemed like incessant and nonsensical salary negotiation on his part for various projects was just Redd making them pay him what he was worth. He wouldn’t kowtow to anyone and in retrospect that was commendable. He also insisted on combating stereotypes in all of his TV shows and yes there were more than Sanford & Son. I can only imagine back then reading some script that looked good to a white writer would be all wrong sometimes in a minute way. Redd understood that those type of images are forever and he was right as more than 30 years later Sanford & Son is still being broadcast.

The book gives a full depiction about how this “Las Vegas comedian” got his own network television show, Sanford & Son, and how much of a big hit it was—and it was!

What I didn’t know about was Redd’s drug use and his womanizing. Wow, Rick James ain’t got nothing on him. This book depicts Redd in all of his X-Rated glory. No censors here. You’ll read that when Redd Foxx cursed you out, you’ve been cursed out by the best!

What I also didn’t know about was Redd’s prolific career in Las Vegas. I thought he was only there sporadically, but he really was a mainstay. In fact out all of his many jobs, Vegas seemed to be his only regular gig.

The book also details that Redd may have been the worst business man alive. He had many businesses and all of them were poorly managed. As fast as he was bringing the cash, and he was, in one door it was going out of five others. That was one of the reasons for his well publicized battles with the Internal Revenue Service.

Another detriment to Redd’s wealth building was that he was also generous to a fault. The book depicts the many times he would give until he had no more. He seemed to fall for every sob story and everyone knew it. He also never forgot his friends and people you know as “Aunt Esther” and Fred’s good friend “Melvin” on Sanford & Son were old friends of Redd’s. (As a side note “Fred G. Sanford” was actually the name of Redd’s real life older brother)

In the end this is a really great book for all Redd Foxx fans. It let you see the man for what he was flaws and all, but you can also see that he was indeed a comedic genius and pioneer in entertainment for all African American performers.

View all my BOOK reviews at Goodreads