The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, in cooperation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, presents The Black Movie Soundtrack at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, September 3, 2014, at 8 PM. Just announced special guests include soul singer Bilal; Prince cover-band Princess, featuring SNL alum Maya Rudolph and singer-songwriter Gretchen Lieberum; and hip-hop group Public Enemy. The special evening will be hosted by actor and comedian Craig Robinson.
The program, directed by Grammy-winning musician Marcus Miller with award-winning producer/director Reginald Hudlin, features a soulful celebration of music and movies, with clips on the Hollywood Bowl's big screen. Special guests, including the previously announced Grammy-winner Anthony Hamilton, will perform with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by Vince Mendoza. Featured movies include Stormy Weather, Super Fly, Purple Rain, Waiting to Exhale, and others. The house band will include John Beasley, Kris Bowers, Louis Cato, Paul Jackson, Jr., Patches Stewart, Kamasi Washington, and Ramon Yslas.
"This concert is a dream come true for me," states Hudlin. "I've wanted to assemble a celebration of black movie music for a decade, and the range of music from Stormy Weather to Shaft, from Purple Rain to Happy, is epic."
Craig Robinson, arguably best known for his role as Darryl Philbin on The Office, is also a stand-up comedian and musician, performing all over the world with his band The Nasty Delicious (TND). TND recently served as the house band for the American Comedy Awards and performed this summer at the esteemed Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee. As an actor, Robinson has starred in such films as This Is The End, Pineapple Express, and Hot Tub Time Machine. This Christmas, he will star in the sequel, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, and next spring in his own sitcom for NBC,
Mr. Robinson.
Born and raised in Philadelphia and initially developing his aptitude for music in church, it wasn't until Bilal's father introduced him to jazz and he began attending the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts that he began to envision his future in songwriting. Immersing himself in his musical education, Bilal developed his own voice and interpretation of his own writing. While attending the New School for Social Research in New York, Bilal meshed his classical approach with the New York City nightlife, collaborating with fellow Soulquarians, The Roots, Common,
Erykah Badu and Mos Deaf, and with
Aaron Coleman of the Spin Doctors. A demo made with Coleman led to a record deal with Interscope and a tighter focus on his music career. His album, 1st Born Second, released in 2001, was hailed by critics though he would eschew media efforts to box him into the Neo Soul movement of the aughts. Following the mysterious leak of the still unreleased Love For Sale, Bilal placed more focus on touring, playing "jazz-fusion/rock type funk." His sophomore LP, Airtight's Revenge, released under the independent label Plug Research, thrilled critics while providing listeners with a retrospective journey and an experimental fusion of jazz, hip-hop, electronic, soul and blues with themes of love, religion, politics and spirituality. His latest endeavor, A Love Surreal, is now available.
SNL vet
Maya Rudolph and LA singer-songwriter Gretchen Lieberum are Princess, a Prince cover-band. The two have been singing together since college but it was only recently that the duo turned their mutual adoration for Prince into a musical project. Born out of their collective, life-long obsession with Prince, each performance is a love letter to the Artist himself. Don't Worry, They Won't Hurt U... They Only Want U 2 Have Some Fun.
Public Enemy have spent over 25 years delivering socio-political messages that give voice to those who have long been ignored, are unafraid to question institutional injustices and challenge both leaders and laymen alike to work for change. Their musical and lyrical intensity, eloquence and depth are matched by few, an explosive combination that feeds both mind and soul. Their artistry draws unwavering critical acclaim and legions of worldwide fans who have flocked to concerts in over 83 countries, during 2000 concerts, on 84 tours. The New York Times named Public Enemy's music to their list of the "25 Most Significant Albums of the Last Century" and in 2005 the Library of Congress included Fear of a Black Planet in their National Recording Registry. Three albums are certified multi-platinum, three more are gold, with four gold singles and a platinum-selling home video. As resonant now as ever, Public Enemy's "Harder Than You Think" rose to #4 on the UK pop charts in 2012, and in 2013 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Photo by: Robert Trachtenberg/NBC
