Ornette Coleman: 1930-2015, Jazz Pioneer Passes at 85

Alto Saxophonist, composer and overall innovator in the world of jazz, Ornette Coleman, passed away Thursday at the age of 85. According to a family representative, the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Coleman altered the parameters of jazz through the course of his career. With much of his early development going largely undocumented, Coleman seemed to burst onto the scene in 1959 equipped with a musical identity and loyal following. He attended the Lenox School of Jazz in 1959 and had an extended stay at the Five Spot in New York. Although originally inspired by Charlie Parker, it was evident to listeners and musicians that Colemans sound, which included a tone that purposefully wavered in pitch and emotional solos, was radical and variant of jazzs previous traditions.

Inspiring controversy and gaining renown, Coleman became one of the major trailblazers of the free jazz movement of the 1960s. During 1959-1961, beginning with The Shape of Jazz to Come, Coleman recorded a series of classic and startling quartet albums for Atlantic, including jazzs first extended, continuous free improvisation LP, Free Jazz. Having added the trumpet and violin to his instrumental repertory, Coleman then formed the free funk double quartet Prime Time, which featured dense, witty ensembles. He would later refer to his music as harmolodics, implying the equal significance of harmony, melody, and rhythm.

The jazz giant continued to record and widen the musical options for a jazz musician. With interests expanding beyond the boundaries of the genre, Coleman became known as a sort of music-philosopher and general avant-gardist. Although not easily understood, he could be heard offering perplexing insights regarding harmony or ontology or seen at a party in the heart of New York City in a satin suit. Early songs, such as Una Muy Bonita and Lonely Woman, as well as his records The Shape of Jazz to Come, Change of the Century and This Is Our Music have come to be recognized as some of the greatest contributions to jazz and its history.

Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/06/ornette-coleman-1930-2015-jazz-pioneer-passes-at-8.html

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Peter Jackson pays tribute to Christopher Lee

ROSANNA PRICE

Last updated11:29, June 12 2015

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The Lord of the Rings legend, who also appeared in Stars Wars, passed away in a London hospital after being treated for respiratory problems

Kiwi film director Peter Jackson has posted a heartfelt tribute to his Lord of the Rings colleague and friend.

He described the actor Chrisopher Lee, who died on Sunday, as an icon of cinema and says the world would be "a lesser place" without him.

"It is with tremendous sadness that I learnt of the passing of Sir Christopher Lee," he wrote.

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Peter Jackson on set with Christopher Lee, who played the wizard Saruman in the Lord of the Rings movies.

READ MORE:*Christopher Lee's six greatest villains*Veteran actor Sir Christopher Lee dies*He could turn schlock into Shakespeare

"He was 93 years old, had not been in his usual good health for some time, but his spirit remained, as always, indomitable."

Jackson talked about Lee's multilingual talents, and his intelligence and being "well versed in art, politics, literature, history and science."

He shared memories of spending time with Lee in the UK.

"One of my favourite things to do whenever I came to London would be to visit with Christopher and Gitte where he would regale me for hours with stories about his extraordinary life. I loved to listen to them and he loved to tell them - they were made all the more compelling because they were true - stories from his time with the SAS, through the Second World War, to the Hammer Horror years and later, his work with Tim Burton - of which he was enormously proud."

Jackson said he grew up watching the acting legend, and was lucky enough to work with Lee on five films.

"I grew up loving Christopher Lee movies. For most of my life I was enthralled by the great iconic roles he not only created - but continued to own decades later. But somewhere along the way Christopher Lee suddenly, and magically, dissolved away and he became my friend, Chris. And I loved Chris even more."

"There will never be another Christopher Lee. He has a unique place in the history of cinema and in the hearts of millions of fans around the world."

Other Lord of the Rings cast have shared their tributes to Lee online.

Actor Elijah Wood, who played Frodo, said "An extraordinary man and life lead, Sir Christopher Lee. You were an icon, and a towering human being with stories for days. We'll miss you."

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-Stuff

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/69332227/Peter-Jackson-pays-tribute-to-Christopher-Lee

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Raven-Symon� Named Co-Host Of 'The View'

Raven-Symon has officially been named a co-host of "The View," ABC announced Wednesday.

The news was revealed live on the talk show. The actress and former Disney Channel star joins co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Nicolle Wallace and Rosie Perez, "effective immediately," according to a press release from the network.

Raven is smart, funny and genuine.Weve loved getting to know her, and were all thrilled shell be part of The View every day, Executive Producer Bill Wolff said. She brings a fresh perspective on the hot topics of the day, and shes a lively, welcome addition to our conversations and interviews.

Raven-Symon is a welcome addition to The View, the show's creator, executive producer and former host Barbara Walters said. She is happy, amusing and well-informed, and has already brought a unique perspective to the program that has resonated with our audience.

The move comes after a series of shakeups at the daytime program. In February, Rosie O'Donnell left the show -- for the second time -- to reportedly focus on her family. Last May, journalism icon Walters retired.

Watch the announcement made on "The View" here.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/10/raven-symone-the-view-co-host_n_7553274.html

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The Best-Dressed Celebrities At The 2015 CMT Awards Dazzled In White

The red carpets just keep on coming. Weve recently had the CFDA Awards, The Tony Awards and now it was country music singers turns to hit the red carpet for the 2015 CMT Awards. One obvious trend was all-white outfits. If youre wondering why there is a sudden shortage of stunning white dresses it is because they were all on celebs bodies at the CMT Awards red carpet. Thats not to say there wasnt any color on the carpet. There were some eye-catching colorful looks to keep things interesting.

(Related: The Worst-Dressed Celebs At The 2015 CMT Awards Could Have Done So Much Better)

Check out the best-dressed celebs who will make you want to swap your LBD for a LWD:

1. Nikki Reed

Nikki Reeds white outfit is the look you want to copy when going out this summer. Its simple and unfussy but fashionable and sexy. The oversized hook detail on the neckline and cutout make her dress more interesting than the standard LWD. Furthermore, her accessories are on point.

2. Carrie Underwood

This was Carrie Underwoods first big post-baby appearance and she looked amazing. Her skin is glowing and her outfit is great. If you insist on wearing long sleeves in the summer, this is how to do it.

3. Jenna Dewan Tatum

Jenna Dewan Tatum went against the popular white dress theme but it worked in her favor. This purplemaxi dress could have looked like she was going to the beach but the sexy lace panels make it perfect for the red carpet. This isnt something youd be wearing over your bikini.

4. Rumer WillisRumer Willis looks flawless. Period. She is rocking a similar look as Nikki Reed with the metallic silver shoes and white dress but they dont look like theyre twinning. The fit on this dress is perfection. Wow.

5. Erin Andrews

Erin Andrews looks ready for summer with this white maxi dress. The side cutout that carries around to the back is the best accessory. Of course you cant forget about that massive diamond on her finger.

6. Jana Kramer

There isnt any white inJana Kramers look but her gown had cutouts which were another reoccurring theme on the CMT Awards red carpet. This deep green color is great with Janas complexion. And who doesnt love an easy side braid?

Who do you think was the best-dressed celeb of the night? Click here to see the worst-dressed celebrities at the 2015 CMT Awards.

(Photos: Getty Images)

Source: http://www.thegloss.com/2015/06/11/fashion/cmt-awards-2015-best-dressed-list-red-carpet-photos/

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YouTube beauty guru Ingrid Nilsen announces: 'The fact that I'm gay is a part ...

June is LGBT Pride Month. Its celebrated every year to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in NYC that spurred the gay rights movement in America. Many young people choose to come out on social media and in online communities in June. But often, with filmed coming out announcements and more specifically, coming out videos on YouTube we usually see young, white, gay men coming out to largely female audiences. Today, Ingrid Nilsen is the first popular beauty guru to use her platform to come out as a lesbian in a video for her fans:

Coming out videos are not a new phenomenon. Over the years, Tyler Oakley, Hannah Hart, Troye Sivan, and other YouTubers with millions of loyal fans have declared their sexual orientation and used their channels to spark conversations about gender and sexuality. Just last month, Joey Graceffa made a music video in lieu of a confession-style video, and started trending worldwide on Twitter.

What feels different and groundbreaking here, though, is that the online beauty community has long-been dominated by a hyper-feminine, aspirational, makeup-clothing-cute boyfriend-diet vibe thats followed in the footsteps of traditional media targeting young, white, well-off, heterosexual, cisgender women. There are many LGBTQ youth who have never seen themselves reflected in the the beauty and fashion space.

Diversity is a wonderful thing.

After six years on YouTube, Nilsen explained why she decided to make a video about her journey to self-acceptance exclaiming, This is me! And the fact that Im gay is a part of me. Through tears, Nilsen goes on to describe how shes always known she was gay, but she started to hide that part of herself when she realized her peers and community werent very accepting of homosexuality and she was seeking love and approval at that time in her life. After taking a few months to find herself, she knew this was the right decision.

How will being an openly gay woman affect her beauty channel and success? The major beauty guru channels on YouTube have followed a fairly narrow script there are lots of women, gay men, and some trans gurus, but very few, if any, lesbians. Her decision to publicly come out will definitely help many kids who looked up to her become more accepting of themselves and others. It will be interesting to see the long-term impact it has on YouTube and specifically the beauty community therein.

Images via Ingrid Nilsens YouTube.

Source: http://fusion.net/story/148099/youtube-beauty-guru-ingrid-nilsen-announces-the-fact-that-im-gay-is-a-part-of-me/

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Flip Saunders says the Wizards considered drafting Klay Thompson over Jan ...

Last year around this time, Wizards fans wondered how things mightve turned out differently for the franchise had Washington drafted 2014 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard with the sixth pick of the 2011 NBA draft instead of Jan Vesely. John Wall, Bradley Beal and Leonard would be a formidable trio in the Eastern Conference.

This year, couldve-been-Wizards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have the Golden State Warriors eying their first title since 1975. (As Bullets Forever points out, the Wizards couldve drafted 11 of the 15 players on Golden States roster.)

Instead of selecting Curry (or Ricky Rubio, or DeMar DeRozan, or Jeff Teague) in 2009, the Wizards traded the fifth pick to Minnesota for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Coach Flip Saunders called the deal a no-brainer.

After taking Wall No. 1 in 2010, Washington had the sixth pick in 2011. According to the first footnote in Zach Lowes Grantland story on Kevin Loves future, the Wizards seriously considered taking Thompson out of Washington State:

Thompson had blown Saunders away during a pre-draft workout in 2011, when Saunders coached the Wizards. The Washington brain trust considered reaching for Thompson with the no. 6 pick before going the safe route with a big man Jan Vesely,who ranked higher on most draft boards but is now out of the league. We toyed with it, Saunders says, but heaven forbid you go out of the box and pick someone youre higher on than anyone else.

Ernie Grunfeld and Wall watched Saunders and his staff put Klay Thompson, Alec Burks, Tristan Thompson and a few other players through several hours of drills at Verizon Center before the 2011 draft. Tristan Thompson was selected fourth by Cleveland. Klay Thompson and Burks went 11th and 12th to Golden State and Utah, respectively.

In a 2013 story, colleague Michael Lee wrote that the Wizards opted not to take a shooting guard in the 2011 draft because they were still developing Jordan Crawford and Nick Young was about to become a restricted free agent.

Maybe next year itll be Cavs fans lamenting Clevelands decision to draft Anthony Bennett over Otto Porter in the 2013 draft after Porter helps Washington to a win over LeBron James and Co. in the Eastern Conference finals.

Scott Allen writes about all things D.C. sports. Follow him on Twitter @ScottSAllen or e-mail him if youve got a tip to share.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2015/06/09/flip-saunders-says-the-wizards-considered-drafting-klay-thompson-over-jan-vesely-in-2011/

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Jason Terry says he'll return for 17th season in 2015-16

Marc Stein, ESPN Senior Writer

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Senior NBA writer for ESPN.com Began covering the NBA in 1993-94 Also covered soccer, tennis and the Olympics

HOUSTON -- Facing the prospect of elimination from the playoffs Monday night, Rockets guard Jason Terry was adamant that Game 4 of these Western Conference finals would by no means be his last.

At 37 and soon to be a free agent, Terry told ESPN.com that he fully intends to return for a 17th NBA season in 2015-16.

"One hundred percent," Terry said before Monday's tipoff.

Jason Terry has emerged as one of the Rockets' strongest locker room voices and taken on a role in Houston's backcourt.AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Terry also will get at least one more game this season after the Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 128-115 to reduce their series deficit to 3-1.

Initially dismissed as a Houston trade acquisition coveted by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey either as a future trade asset or as a swipe at the rival Dallas Mavericks, given Terry's long history alongside Mark Cuban, Terry quickly hushed such assumptions by emerging as one of the Rockets' strongest locker room voices.

And he has taken on a role in Houston's backcourt since the late March wrist injury that has knocked starter Patrick Beverley out of the postseason.

The Rockets are thus expected to try to bring Terry back via free agency come July. He's in the final season of a three-year, $15.6 million deal he landed from the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2012 after a eight-season run with the Mavericks that featured a championship in 2011 and an NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2009.

Earlier in the playoffs, Rockets center Dwight Howard said of Terry: "He's been a great veteran to our team, a great voice in the locker room, a great voice on the court wherever it may be. He's been consistent all year. He's done an excellent job bringing myself and James [Harden] closer as teammates and also as leaders of this team."

Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/12952097/jason-terry-houston-rockets-plans-play-2015-16

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