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Brian McKnight at Dakota Jazz “Bridging” Music

Written by editor on 07 August 2011

By Raymond Jackson and Tamrala Jackson

Brian McKnight made a return visit to the Dakota Jazz Club on July 7th, promoting his new cd, ”˜Just Me.”'

As usual, he gave a startling performance with his brother; Claude McKnight founder of the Gospel a Capella group, Take 6; and two sons, Brian Jr., 21 and Niko 19, as special guests.Â You could tell he is a man on a mission, and a proud father and mentor leaving a long lasting impression on all in attendance!

His four performances in two days clearly showed his overall talent. Â Having come from a family of Gospel/Inspirational singers, he stated, “I was the self taught piano player; all of my siblings are better than me vocally, so I just supplied them with the music”

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Super 8 & 13 Assassins

Written by editor on 07 August 2011

Super 8

Super 8
****1/2
Paramount Pictures
PG 13, Running Time 112 minutes
Director: J.J. Abrams

Cast: Kyle Chandler (Jackson Lamb), Elle Fanning (Alice Dainard), Joel Courtney (Joe Lamb), Noah Emmerich (Nelec), Ron Eldard (Louis Dainard), Glynn Turman (Dr. Woodward), Riley Griffiths (Charles), Ryan Lee (Cary), Zach Mills (Preston), Gabriel Basso (Martin).Â

If there are any lovable movies for the 2011 Summer Movie season (and there are very few) it”'s the science-fiction/fantasy “Super 8.” Directed by J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek”[2009], “Mission Impossible lll” [2006]) and produced by Steven Spielberg, “Super 8”has the delicate touch of Spielberg-esque. And that touch also has the lovely audience pleasers of an “E.T”, “Close Encounters”, all Spielberg-esque. Not just a few have compared “Super 8”to Rob Reiner”'s 1986 film “Stand By Me”, with a similar twist at play: kids being kids.

Joe (Joel Courtney), Alice (Elle Fanning), Cary (Ryan Lee), Charles (Riley Griffiths), Martin (Gabriel Basso), all adolescents living in a unspecified Ohio town of 12,000; in1979. Upcoming amateur filmmakers Joe and Charlie, along with Alice, Cary and Martin go to a train station to make a “scary” film for an upcoming arts film festival. They await an on coming train before they start filming, but just as the train is approaching the train station a pickup truck goes straight towards the train.… Read the rest “Super 8 & 13 Assassins”