RIP Yaphet Kotto

 Mr. Big is no more ! Or should I say Kananga ? Alonzo Mosely from FBI ? Or Parker from Alien ?

Yaphet Kotto was a versatile actor and one of the proeminent black actors in movies in the 70's, like James Earl Jones and Louis Gossett jr. He was also a star in the Tv series Homicide. He died at 81. 

His breathrough came after his part in Across 110th Street when he was offered the part of the villain of the 1st Roger Moore  James Bond movie, Live and Let Die (1973), Kananga alias Mr. Big. He was also a part of th ensemble of the space crew of Alien (1979) together with brits like Ian Holm and John Hurt.  

For some of us, Alonzo Mosely from FBI, his character from the film Midnight Run(1988) was the closest to the heart.

Article and obituary in The New York Times

“One day, when I was about 16, I walked into this theater showing ‘On the Waterfront’ and I saw Marlon Brando for the first time, I couldn’t speak. It was like somebody had punched me in the stomach. It was like someone had crashed cymbals in both ears. I was blasted out of the theater. I knew from that moment that I wanted to be an actor.”

Yaphet Kotto (1939-2021)

Colectiv-nominalizat la 2 Oscaruri / Collective nominated for 2 Oscars !

Moment istoric ! Finally ! Dupa ce Colectiv a fost nominalizat la BAFTA au venit si nominalizarile la Oscar ! 

Pentru prima data, in 93 de ani de la infiintarea lor, un film romanesc e nominalizat ! Si nu la una ci la doua categorii -Film Strain si Documentar ! 

Bravo si bafta mare !  Good LUCK !

*Toate nominalizarile la Oscar 93 aici !

* cronica mea la Colectiv aici !

*Colectiv se vede in Romania pe HBO si HBO GO. 

Alexander Nanau’s “Collective,” instead, has the rare distinction of scoring Oscar nominations in both the international feature film and documentary feature categories.

                  Variety 

Colectiv nominalizat la BAFTA / Collective nominated at BAFTAs !

Congratulations to all involved ! Colectiv / Collective nominated at the  BAFTA's.

My review here (in Romanian)

Colectiv can be seen in Romania on HBO. 

And a cool conversation between director Alexander Nanau, Joe Berlinger (director of Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) and Lars Ulrich (drummer of Metallica)  here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piw-G-tb9L8

RIP Chick Corea

Return To Forever, mr. Chick Corea...He would've been 80-eighty- on June 12 this year.

1st time I saw him he played his Children's Songs album SOLO piano at Sala Palatului, at the 1st Camel Jazz Alive Summit Festival, back in 1993 (April 6th).

He came to Romania five more times, last time in Bucharest in 2012 with Gary Burton, also at Sala Palatului. In 1998 he played Sala Palatului again on his Origin tour. In 2008 (October 26th) he played with the FIVE PEACE BAND again at Sala Palatului, all-start band together with John McLaughlin, Kenny Garrett & the great Vinnie Colaiuta on drums (I saw him again with Sting -Back to Bass live in 2013). In 2009 he was here again. Then In 2017 he played here for the last time, in Timisoara at the Jazz Tm Fest. 

He was at his best with Return to Forever, his group from 1971 featuring many but always Stanley Clarke. Featuring Al Di Meola, Lenny White on drums, many others. 

A brilliant Live of Return to Forever !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucaPIJy4VNE

He played with Miles Davis on Bitches Brew. Author of many jazz standards he won 23 Grammy's and was nominated over 60 times. Chick Corea is considered one of the most importnat piano players of the XXth century.  Thank you for your music et all....