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1974 Buchtel graduate will join other alumni at Turkey Day Jam in downtown Akron
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
POSTED: 02:54 p.m. EST, Nov 26, 2008
For 13 years, alumni of Akron's Buchtel High School have been gathering around the Thanksgiving holiday to commiserate with fellow Griffins past and present and boogie into the night at the annual Turkey Day Jam — All Class Reunion.
The Turkey Jam once again returns to the John S. Knight Center on Saturday, and this year's entertainment lineup will feature WZAK (93.1-FM) personality Kym Sellars, class of 1984, and actor Leland Jones, who has appeared in Tyler Perry's House of Payne. The music will be provided by two generations of home-grown smooth R&B crooners: Blake Carrington and Howard Hewett.
From his home in Harlem, N.Y., Carrington, class of 1988, has been building his career the old-fashioned way, independently releasing an album, Traveling Man, and a mix tape, The First R&B Street Soul Mix-Tape Vol. I. He has worked and recorded with artists such as Kid Capri and DJ Premier and has performed his contemporary R&B stylings as the opening act for Ne-Yo, Jagged Edge and Keyshia Cole.
Hewett, class of 1974, became a famous singer shortly after he left Akron for Los Angeles and hooked up with Shalamar, featuring Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel. Shalamar had a string of R&B/disco hits in the late 1970s and early '80s including The Second Time Around, A Night to Remember, Make That Move and the Hewett co-written and ''Quiet Storm'' staple For the Lover in You.
Hewett went solo in 1986 and had a string of solo hits, including I'm for Real, Stay and Say Amen.
Hewett will be back in his hometown this weekend to perform for the first time in quite a while. It will also be rare that Hewett will be visiting Akron during cold weather.
''I hate coming back in the wintertime, man. It's just way too cold. That's one of the reasons I left. But Akron is always home,'' he said laughing while driving through the nonsnow-covered streets of Los Angeles where he lives with his wife, Angela, and 10-year-old daughter, Anissa (he also has three other children).
''The thing that has always been a plus for me is the fact that I get so much support,'' he said. ''I come home and I get crazy response and crazy, total support from everybody I went to school with to everybody I came in contact with growing up.
''The people that are still there in Akron like claiming me, and it's just a really cool thing.''
During his formative years, Hewett performed in a gospel group with his sisters called the Hewett Singers and played in a local R&B band called Lyfe (''We were funky, man. Real funky,'' he said) with area musicians he still counts as friends.
For the Turkey Jam, Hewett said his set will cover his entire career from early Shalamar hits to his early solo hits to his latest releases, 2007's If Only and the season-appropriate Christmas. Christmas, released last week, is Hewett's first holiday disc and features 11 Christmas songs including two originals, I Remember Christmas and That's Christmas.
Helping out Hewett on the project are Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Ralph Johnson, who produced several tracks featuring fellow EWF members, as well as longtime friends George Duke and Monty Seward. The classics include The Christmas Song, featuring a lovely harmonica solo from Stevie Wonder, a bilingual take on Baby It's Cold Outside with young singer Jasselle offering her half of the duet in Spanish, and Donny Hathaway's modern classic This Christmas.
While many artists fill their holiday albums with choirs, strings and elaborate arrangements, Howard and company purposely keep things simple with many songs featuring a basic quartet offering smooth R&B and jazz-inflected support. On a brief yet contemplative version of Silent Night, Hewett takes considerable liberty with the tune's familiar melody accompanied only by EWF member Myron McKinley's tinkling piano. It's one of Hewett's favorite tracks on the disc.
''We had talked about different string arrangements and things, but I just love the simplicity of it,'' he said. ''I love the jazz influence on some of the songs. And as I looked at everything before we went into the studio, I just decided I wanted to keep it as simple as I can, more straight to the point and more organic.''
Hewett laments that he will miss the official family Thanksgiving dinner (though he is hoping someone will save him a plate or two) and he won't have much time to hang out with friends, fans and family.
He has to return to Los Angeles to prepare for a quick holiday tour and for his duties as a national spokesman for the Defeat Diabetes organization, which focuses on bringing awareness to diabetes. The cause is close to his heart because his mother suffered from the disease and died from diabetic complications.
Although his stay will be short, he said he is very excited.
''It's an honor to come back and play for the Turkey Jam and, hopefully, we'll have a packed house in there and everybody will be happy and we'll have a good time.''
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
Details
• What: The Buchtel High School Alumni 13th annual Turkey Day Jam — All Class Reunion
• When: 8 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday
• Where: John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St., Akron
• Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Information: 330-535-5532 or http://www.GoGriffs.net. Tickets are available at Henry's Acme (Hawkins Plaza) and Sidney Ryan Inc. at 2086 Romig Road, Akron, both of which will have presale tickets available until Friday.
For 13 years, alumni of Akron's Buchtel High School have been gathering around the Thanksgiving holiday to commiserate with fellow Griffins past and present and boogie into the night at the annual Turkey Day Jam — All Class Reunion.
The Turkey Jam once again returns to the John S. Knight Center on Saturday, and this year's entertainment lineup will feature WZAK (93.1-FM) personality Kym Sellars, class of 1984, and actor Leland Jones, who has appeared in Tyler Perry's House of Payne. The music will be provided by two generations of home-grown smooth R&B crooners: Blake Carrington and Howard Hewett.
From his home in Harlem, N.Y., Carrington, class of 1988, has been building his career the old-fashioned way, independently releasing an album, Traveling Man, and a mix tape, The First R&B Street Soul Mix-Tape Vol. I. He has worked and recorded with artists such as Kid Capri and DJ Premier and has performed his contemporary R&B stylings as the opening act for Ne-Yo, Jagged Edge and Keyshia Cole.
Hewett, class of 1974, became a famous singer shortly after he left Akron for Los Angeles and hooked up with Shalamar, featuring Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel. Shalamar had a string of R&B/disco hits in the late 1970s and early '80s including The Second Time Around, A Night to Remember, Make That Move and the Hewett co-written and ''Quiet Storm'' staple For the Lover in You.
Hewett went solo in 1986 and had a string of solo hits, including I'm for Real, Stay and Say Amen.
Hewett will be back in his hometown this weekend to perform for the first time in quite a while. It will also be rare that Hewett will be visiting Akron during cold weather.
''I hate coming back in the wintertime, man. It's just way too cold. That's one of the reasons I left. But Akron is always home,'' he said laughing while driving through the nonsnow-covered streets of Los Angeles where he lives with his wife, Angela, and 10-year-old daughter, Anissa (he also has three other children).
''The thing that has always been a plus for me is the fact that I get so much support,'' he said. ''I come home and I get crazy response and crazy, total support from everybody I went to school with to everybody I came in contact with growing up.
''The people that are still there in Akron like claiming me, and it's just a really cool thing.''
During his formative years, Hewett performed in a gospel group with his sisters called the Hewett Singers and played in a local R&B band called Lyfe (''We were funky, man. Real funky,'' he said) with area musicians he still counts as friends.
For the Turkey Jam, Hewett said his set will cover his entire career from early Shalamar hits to his early solo hits to his latest releases, 2007's If Only and the season-appropriate Christmas. Christmas, released last week, is Hewett's first holiday disc and features 11 Christmas songs including two originals, I Remember Christmas and That's Christmas.
Helping out Hewett on the project are Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Ralph Johnson, who produced several tracks featuring fellow EWF members, as well as longtime friends George Duke and Monty Seward. The classics include The Christmas Song, featuring a lovely harmonica solo from Stevie Wonder, a bilingual take on Baby It's Cold Outside with young singer Jasselle offering her half of the duet in Spanish, and Donny Hathaway's modern classic This Christmas.
While many artists fill their holiday albums with choirs, strings and elaborate arrangements, Howard and company purposely keep things simple with many songs featuring a basic quartet offering smooth R&B and jazz-inflected support. On a brief yet contemplative version of Silent Night, Hewett takes considerable liberty with the tune's familiar melody accompanied only by EWF member Myron McKinley's tinkling piano. It's one of Hewett's favorite tracks on the disc.
''We had talked about different string arrangements and things, but I just love the simplicity of it,'' he said. ''I love the jazz influence on some of the songs. And as I looked at everything before we went into the studio, I just decided I wanted to keep it as simple as I can, more straight to the point and more organic.''
Hewett laments that he will miss the official family Thanksgiving dinner (though he is hoping someone will save him a plate or two) and he won't have much time to hang out with friends, fans and family.
He has to return to Los Angeles to prepare for a quick holiday tour and for his duties as a national spokesman for the Defeat Diabetes organization, which focuses on bringing awareness to diabetes. The cause is close to his heart because his mother suffered from the disease and died from diabetic complications.
Although his stay will be short, he said he is very excited.
''It's an honor to come back and play for the Turkey Jam and, hopefully, we'll have a packed house in there and everybody will be happy and we'll have a good time.''
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
Details
• What: The Buchtel High School Alumni 13th annual Turkey Day Jam — All Class Reunion
• When: 8 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday
• Where: John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St., Akron
• Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Information: 330-535-5532 or http://www.GoGriffs.net. Tickets are available at Henry's Acme (Hawkins Plaza) and Sidney Ryan Inc. at 2086 Romig Road, Akron, both of which will have presale tickets available until Friday.
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