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Big Brooklyn Red
 In
1997, when this native Brooklynite moved to Miami and received his
name from Mandrill’s
guitarist Tommy Trujillo, the die was cast. He realized at that
point, by leaving his familiar NYC to conquer new lands, he was
stepping into his destiny.
In 1994 he started his first band "eli & the bluesound project" and
continued sharpening his performance chops while stretching the
boundaries of music on the New York scene. After two years, the band
had run its course and Big Brooklyn Red went on to sign a
production/management deal. While that particular effort never bore
fruit, it gave him the opportunity to work with Ivan Hampden and
Paulette McWilliams. Ivan was Luther Vandross’ drummer and Paulette
was the linchpin of Luther’s inimitable background vocals. It was a
master class.
Only six months after moving to Miami, Big Brooklyn Red became known
as the premier soul singer in South Florida. His trademark
freestyles made each performance one of a kind. Born from the
difficulty of getting musicians to rehearse, his live performances
in Miami were often complete improvisations. “That’s where the magic
is for me,” Brooklyn says. “To just open your mouth and listen to
what God might have me say. The better I sound, the better the song
is, the more humble it makes me.”
“Somewhere along the line somebody with a mind for marketing told me
to let the audience in on what was happening,“ Brooklyn adds. “I got
tired of people asking where they could buy the song I had just made
up.” At a 1999 gig at the Marlin Hotel on South Beach, he asked the
audience for a phrase that they wanted to hear in a song. He flipped
that phrase, and possibly a thousand more since then.
Big Brooklyn Red quickly made his mark. At a weekly showcase called
Neo-Soul Unplugged, he rose to the top of a group of up-and-comers.
His performances there were so legendary that he was often
positioned as the opening act for such headliners as Brian McKnight,
Blu Cantrell, Chico DeBarge, Robin Thicke, and Deborah Cox. “At
Neo-Soul Unplugged my freestyles would make the headliners change
their show…they wanted to be that free.”
In 2003, three tracks from Foreword were licensed to the UK
compilation Organic Soul Vol.3. “Time” was also licensed to be used
on the compilations NY Soul and Soul Lounge Vol.1. At the same time,
his second Soulful House track with producer Patrick Green was
remixed by Dennis Ferrer and released. In two days, all 2,500 copies
of the vinyl pressing were sold out and 1,300 reorders were
requested. The track also got radio play on KCRW before the record
company folded - making “I Got Sunshine“ a bonafide house music hit,
as well as an enigma.
Big Brooklyn Red did dates in England and then flew directly to NYC
in order to film “Showtime At The Apollo.” His performances made the
2004 season of their Best of Amateur Night show.
He explains, “People have an expectation when they spit out a bunch
of words for me to sing. I try to make it something they didn’t
expect. When it’s pretty good I’m thinking really fast. When it’s
really on I’m not even thinking and sometimes I fall flat on my
face. That’s the risk of being an artist and being committed to your
craft.”
Big Brooklyn Red rarely falls on his face.
Jimmy Salvemini
 Does
that name sound familiar?
Maybe it is because a big part of his story is currently featured in
the first biography ever written about Luther Vandross, Luther: The
Life and Longing of Luther Vandross. Luther took Jimmy under his
wing and nurtured his talent after seeing him perform on the hit
talent show Star Search when Jimmy was just 14 years old. But to
tell the story of Jimmy, you would have to first tell the story of
his brother and manager, Larry Salvemini.
The story of Jimmy Salvemini's rise is also the story of what
friends and observers say was Larry's determination to engineer that
rise. It is the tale of two very different brothers, a dozen years
apart in age. One loved to be in front of crowds, the other
hitchhiked 5,000 miles to escape them, but they were brought
together by a common dream. It's the type
of story of which books are written and movies are made. While Larry
raised and lived among wolves and started the Alaska Wolf
Association, his only means of communication to the outside world
was through a CB-like communication system broadcast over the radio,
because he lived in a remote location In the Alaskan tundra 50 miles
from the nearest road.
Over the airwaves he would hear about Jimmy's accomplishments like
when the 12 year- old held up a sign at a sold-out Barbara Mandrell
concert that read, "I'm 12 years old. Please fulfill my dreams to
sing a duet with you." Barbara called him up on stage and what
started as a duet quickly became Jimmy's solo performance. He
received a standing ovation. But it was when Larry heard about Jimmy
winning a prized position on Star Search, that he decided to leave
the Alaskan wilderness and armed only with his charm, persuasion and
determination, decided to move to the Sunset Strip where he taped a
set of goals to the refrigerator for him and Jimmy to achieve in
order to accomplish the family dream.
Jimmy was born with a severe hearing loss which was discovered after
family members outside the house would hear music blasting inside,
and upon investigation would find Jimmy pressing his ear against the
speaker of his oldest brother's stereo. Doctors said Jimmy's hearing
could only be partially corrected through surgery.His Pentecostal
pastor suggested Jimmy's mother take a prayer cloth home. When
putting Jimmy to bed that night, she placed the cloth over his ears
and prayed. About 20 minutes afterwards, Jimmy ran into the kitchen
with fluid draining from both ears. From that moment on, this four
year-old could hear like everyone else.
By six, he was singing solos in church and charging twenty-five cent
admission for the backyard concerts he gave at his house. By ten
this young singer was in high demand on the Long Island music
circuit.
Shortly after his appearance on Star Search, Vandross invited Jimmy
backstage at one of his concerts at the Universal Amphitheater in
Los Angeles. After Jimmy gave a moving performance at Vandross'
request, it was then that Luther decided to set aside all projects
and write and produce his new protege..s debut R and B album. Luther
called in favors from many notable old friends to appear on the
album, such as Irene Cara, Pheobe Snow, Brenda Russell, Cheryl Lynn,
and Pee Wee Herman, just to name a few.
After Larry negotiated a $250,000 deal with Elektra Records, he
could now check off another goal listed on the refrigerator.
On January 12,1986, the day after completing the last song for the
debut album, while on the way to the studio to celebrate what seemed
to be the pinnacle of Jimmy's teenage career, the Mercedes driven by
Luther swerved out of control and collided with two oncoming cars.
Jimmy and Luther were rushed to Cedar Sinai Medical Center while
Larry was rushed to the trauma center where he lay on an operating
table for two hours as doctors struggled to mend the mess that had
been made of his body. Their efforts were valiant, but the wounds
proved too severe. It wasn't long before Jimmy's family boarded a
plane for LA and struggled to find a way to tell young Jimmy, who
was still in intensive care suffering from a collapsed lung and
other internalInjuries, that his big brother had died.
While all involved with the album had high hopes for its success,
the biography explains how the record company decided that in light
of the tragedy, it would be nearly impossible to launch a potential
teen heartthrob out of such horrific circumstances.
Jimmy went back home to Long Island, mourning his brother and trying
to heal his broken body. At that point, much like his older brother
Larry once did, Jimmy drew inward and escaped the crowds that used
to invigorate his talent. He retreated back to where he found
comfort and tried to make some sense of what the bigger picture
might be. Jimmy became reclusive. When he listened to the voice
within, he discovered an innate ability he never knew existed...
writing songs and creating music. His newly discovered talents
became his channel of self-expression. Occasionally singing locally,
it was when Luther had his stroke that memories resurfaced.
Along with still unanswered questions, the lyrics of a poem spoke to
Jimmy.
I have fond memories, so much of you lives in me With each song that
I sing, I remember Brother, This one's for you and the dream we
shared too I will carry it through the way we planned it." ' |
