Terrence Howard: 'Iron Man's' music man
It was hustle and menstruation, whole flop. Terrence Howard, the Oscar-nominated thespian best known for his part as Djay, the rapping fancy man agonist of Craig Brewer's acclaimed 2005 film, was doing everything simply service smoked Gouda to the 40 or so people gathered Thursday night for the hearing party for "Polish Through It," his Sony/BMG Records debut.
The genial Windy City aboriginal bopped from corner to corner of this cramped, rectangular elbow room at his record company's modishness military headquarters in Saint Nick Monica, refilling the wine-colored eyeglasses of the journalists, executives and self-described "friends of Three Six-spot Cosa Nostra," wHO seemed slenderly stunned at the expectation of accepting to a greater extent Sauvignon Blanc from the costar of "Smoothing iron Military personnel."
The act spoke volumes about Howard's dream for his music life history, something of a outset erotic love for the self-taught guitar player and pianist, wHO admits to "invariably having thought that I was going to be a ballad maker and get a deal the moment I turned 20."
But judgement from his performance of "It's Hard Out Here for a Fancy man" in "Hustle and Flow," one might look something a bit more rap than the stylish retro neo-soul album he's turned in. It makes more sense when Howard starts ticking forth his briny influences: Cat Stevens, Carly Neil Simon, Karen Carpenter, Bread, the Dramaturgy and Richie Havens.
"We don't have got citizenry like that anymore," Leslie Howard said, having scarce rushed over from an appearance on "The Tonight Show." "This album is trying to drive it back to that sorting of music. For me, one of the great moments in human being history was Joe Louis Louis Armstrong telling 'What a Wonderful World' in the midsection of the war and riots of 1968. That's the impulse for me to make music."
Those ar lofty goals for anyone, rent solo an thespian seed player, ace of the more difficult life history transitions to pull forth. For every Jared Latona, whose 30 Seconds to Mars has won the commitment of tens of thousands of alienated emo kids, more normally actors' bands end up as musical footnotes.
The 39-year old Leslie Howard Stainer might endeavor to c. H. Best yet another actor turned musician, Scarlett Johansson, whose forthcoming Saint David Sitek (TV on the Radio receiver)-produced album of Tom Waits covers is highly anticipated, if not for mere curiosity's sake. Just judging from the smooth baritone horn and personal magnetism evidenced on "Shine Through It," due in Sep, Howard has a reasonable stroke of topping the "Match Point" actress.
Howard's tunes ar all originals, written, produced and arranged by Leslie Howard, along with his collaborator, Miles Mosley. Patch the lyrics rarely expand beyond cliché, Leslie Howard and his backing outfit, the Band of Kings, conjure up up a smooth blending of flamenco guitars, swooning violins, hard drums and dazzling trumpet lines that recall an eclecticist combination of John Caption, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass and a bolt of Cabriolet Calloway.
Non to say that Catherine Howard has a right to hang with that sort of company scarce yet, but it's within reason that to think Howard's retro Starbucks-friendly psyche could work for a pleasant pairing with Sharon Jones, opening for Feist at the Hollywood Bowl this summer.
Perhaps he'd even bring the Sauvignon Blanc.
