The Weekly Column

The Pulse of Entertainment: Romaine Waite Offers Magic in Netflix ‘Christmas Calendar' and Grammy Nominated Russell Gunn's Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra Album is Sharp

By Eunice Moseley

"It brings home (the message) stick to your instincts...they tell you what direction you should be going," actor Ramaine Waite said about the message of the original Netflix film "Christmas Calendar" that he co-stars in with Kat Graham ("The Vampire Diaries") and Quincy Brown ("Star"). "The core message is follow the gut feeling."

In Netflix's "Christmas Calendar" Jamaica born Romaine plays Mitch the bother-in-law of Abby Sutton who inherits a magical calendar from her grandmother that predicts the future and seems to be pointing the way to someone special. To find out who is the special one is the mystery to the movie. It's slated to premier in the Fall. It is directed by Bradley Walsh and produced by Brad Krevoy.

The Canadian started in the entertainment business doing weather and traffic for a local station.

"Acting took longer to achieve, but it got to the point I said, ‘Now I can do it for...bills'," Romaine said about how he built his acting career to a point where that's all he does now. "I started back in elementary and high school doing theatrical plays and what not. I was just good at it. I had a chance to be in a friend's movie...it (acting career) happened organically. It feels good following your instinct."

Abby (Graham) learns to follow her instinct too in "Christmas Calendar". Waite's list of acting credits grew extensively because he followed his gut. He appeared on a television series "Taken" and "The Mist." His credits also include "Star Trek: Discovery," "The Strain" and "Beauty and the Beast." In "Christmas Calendar" his character Mitch is the opposite of who he is.

"He is a little bit more reserved and plays by the rules...I'm more outgoing...sometimes you can't play by the rules," Romaine said the differences in him and his character "Mitch." "He is kind of a ‘scapegoat' in terms of family." www.Netflix.com

Grammy Award nominated trumpeter Russell Gunn takes Jazz and mixes it with Crunk music on his new album "Get It How You Live" (Groid Music/Ropedope) with his 19 member Big Band, The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra.

"It's the same (crunk) but a bit broader strokes," said Russell about the genre of music I was first introduced to by the Ying Yang twins from Atlanta. "My Big Band is set up like a traditional band is set up...but the music is an ultra modern version of the Big Band."

That described what I heard on the "Lyne's Joint" selection traditional Big Band mixed with the Hip-Hop genre called Crunk. "Lyne's Joint" is one of my favor songs on the nine selection, "Get It How You Live," project. I wrote as I listened to "Lyne's Joint", "I'm imagining a Hip-Hop version of Louie Armstrong blowing his horn." The "Lyne's Joint" song gets hype in the traditional Crunk style and then it evens-out like Smooth Jazz.

"It's still a Jazz Ensemble," Gunn pointed out about The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra.

Featured on the "Get It How You Live" album are vocalists Grammy Award winning Dionne Farris and Dashill Smith. Also featured on the project are trumpeter Theo Croker, saxophonist Brian Hogans and trumpeter Melvin Jones.

Farris delivers her signature Jazz vocal sound on another favor selection of mine on the album, a remake of her song "Hopeless."

"I started working with her years ago. We met in late 90s," Russell said about the Grammy winner Dionne Farris. "I was a kid with Wynton Marsalis. They were on the same label. It turns out we both lived in Atlanta and we connected...it evolved. So when I decided to do a Big Band she was my one and only choice."

Some of my other favorites of the project include #3 "If Ever I Fall In Love" a remake of the Shai hit because the instrumental perfectly brings voice without vocals, #5 "The Critic's Song" because it's just so sharp in quality, and #8 "Switch Melody," which consist of three cover songs and of those I really like #8a ""There'll Never Be" because the vocals and instrumental support is just perfection and #8c "I Call Your Name" because it made me nostalgic and was a nice version of the classic hit.

"I've been around for a while," Gunn said about his career. "I wish for now that I get the opportunity to present my music to a wider audience." www.GroidMusic.com www.RussellGunn.fourfour.com

SYNDICATED COLUMN: Eunice Moseley, has an estimated weekly readership of over ¼ million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Public Relations Strategist and Business Management Consultant at Freelance Associates, and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENT: 19th annual "Uplifting Minds II" Free Entertainment Conference (Baltimore on Sat April 21st 1 - 4p, at Security Square Mall and Los Angeles on Sat October 20th 1 - 4pm at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood). Entertainment Business panel and national talent showcase competition (vocal, songwriting, dance and acting) with over $15,000 in prizes. www.UpliftingMinds2.com.