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Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:44 AM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Jackson spent the last months of his life frightened and on edge, convinced that he would be killed by people wanting to get access to his valuable music catalog, according to his sister, LaToya Jackson.

Jackson makes the claims in her new book, "Starting Over," which also chronicles her own troubles, including an abusive marriage to her late ex-manager/husband, Jack Gordon.

Jackson says that she and her brother went through similar experiences of being controlled and manipulated by shadowy figures that cut them off from their family.

"The difference is, I was eventually able to get away and start over; Michael can't start over," she said.

Saturday will mark the two-year anniversary of the King of Pop's death at age 50. Dr. Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter, accused of giving him an overdose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives. He has pleaded not guilty; the trial is set for September.

However, Jackson's sister called Murray "the fall guy." She said there were other people who needed to be investigated and described Jackson's death as part of a wide conspiracy. Jackson was the co-owner of the lucrative Sony/ATV catalog, the copyright holder of the Beatles' and other artists' songs, and his older sister contends he was murdered for control of it.

"This is definitely something that was premeditated, that they had planned to do, and they planned to take my brother out, and my brother knew it, and that's why my brother told me repeatedly, repeatedly and repeatedly, that this was going to happen to him," she said in an interview Wednesday. "He explained to me, 'It's because of my catalog."'

Jackson had harsh words for John Branca, the co-executor of Jackson's estate, accusing him of being more interested in his own interests than those of the beneficiaries of the estate_ Jackson's mother, his three children and charitable causes.

"They care about what they can do and what they can get their hands on, and no one in the family has anything to do with the estate," she said. "At this point, blatantly said, John Branca right now is Michael Jackson."

In response to Jackson's statements, the estate issued this statement: "After numerous hearings and after reviewing evidence contained in countless filings and exhibits, three California courts have decided John Branca and John McClain are the rightful and lawful executors of Michael Jackson's Estate just as Michael specified in his will.

"Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain have turned the estate around financially for the benefit of Michael's children and mother, protected the intellectual property and music catalog assets Michael accumulated during his lifetime as well as carried out their mandate to shelter and preserve funds for his children until they reach certain ages as adults. Their performance as the executors of Michael's estate is a matter of extensive public record and speaks for itself."

Jackson's three children - Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket - are being cared for by Jackson's mother, Katherine. Unlike when they were in their father's care, they no longer shield their faces with masks and have entered private school: "They are adjusting very well," Jackson said.

Jackson, who has appeared on "Celebrity Apprentice" and "Dancing With the Stars" since her brother's death, was once estranged from her brother and the rest of her family. She even went so far as to support charges that Jackson was a child molester when he was first accused of the crime in 1993 (he was not charged in that case and was acquitted of similar charges in 2005).

But she said she was then under the control of her ex-husband, who forced her to say negative things about her brother. She said Gordon beat her on a regular basis and threatened the lives of her family; she eventually broke away from him with the intervention of her brother Randy, according to the book.

Jackson, who now calls Michael "godlike," said the day she spoke out against her brother was the worst day of her life. However, she said Jackson forgave her.

"He said, 'LaToya ... I know your heart, and I know you would never do anything like that, and I know he forced you and made you to do that," she said. "He says, 'I love you, and I will always love you."' Jackson said she's gratified that Jackson's once tarnished image has been rehabilitated after his death.

"I think it's wonderful that people remember him in a wonderful light," she said.

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Expansion plan

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 02:59 AM PDT

A new generation of Norwegian jazz mavericks are making inroads in this part of the world.

TWO years ago, Norwegian jazz outfit In The Country's mercurial pianist Morten Qvenild took a moment to reflect on how far he had come with his band when they stepped off the stage at the Penang Island Jazz festival. On that humid December night, the Oslo-based group had left the audience with a stunningly emotive set dominated by jazz, post-rock and electronica elements.

"Only a few days ago, we were playing a gig in the dead of winter in Tromsø (northern Norway, within the Arctic Circle), it was total darkness and bitter cold. Tonight we are in Penang, and sweating it out. At the end of both gigs, we felt that we connected with the audience – no matter where you are and who the crowd is, it's the music that strikes a chord," said Qvenild back then.

"There is this stereotype that Norwegian jazz is about music inspired by mountains, fjords and islands. That's hardly the case. Norwegian jazz is a complex story – with so many inter-mingling genres and musicians involved. Yet the diversity factor is a huge part of its appeal," he added.

Not only at the Penang Island Jazz festival, which also featured the explosive tuba-propelled Trondheim-raised trio PELbo last year, have these contemporary Norwegian jazz musicians found a new fanbase. In Kuala Lumpur, two noise/improv acts – Jazkamer and MoHa! – played to small but no less enthusiastic crowds in the last six months.

"Despite the extreme noise and experimentation, MoHa! managed to attract over 200 fans to its gig in KL ... that's not too bad. The awareness is growing because music fans in the region have caught up on the things happening in the Norwegian jazz scene," said Mak Wai Hoo, Soundscapes Records promoter, who organised the MoHa! show.

At the Nattjazz festival in Bergen, Norway late last month, which coincided with the JazzNorway In A Nutshell 2011 programme, most of the musicians agreed that Norwegian jazz is being taken seriously in new markets, especially in Asia.

Norway has remained visible on the foreign jazz scene ever since Jan Garbarek and Terje Rypdal's rise to fame in the 1970s. Now Bugge Wesseltoft, Sidsel Endresen, Nils Petter Molvær, Silje Nergaard and Jaga Jazzist are frequently top-lining international jazz festivals.

But the next Norwegian jazz generation is picking up the torch. The Nutshell programme, designed to expose Norwegian jazz to international media, agents and festival directors, is also aimed at creative exchange and networking.

This writer, who was invited by the West Norway Jazz Centre to be a part of the Nutshell programme, discovered that not only were the newcomer Norwegian acts actively touring abroad, but some top names at Nattjazz had already made recent tracks in this part of the world.

Take, for instance, acclaimed Norwegian jazz drummer Paal Nilssen-Love (of Atomic fame) who toured South Korea/China with noise artiste Lasse Marhaug (Jazkamer) in February while saxophonist Trygve Seim was on jazz missionary work in Pakistan last month.

Jazkamer even played an experimental set at a Norwegian Seamen's church (Sjømannskirken) in Singapore late last year.

The young MoHa! duo Anders Hana and Morten J Olsen – part of the experimental act Ultralyd at Nattjazz in Bergen – already had touring stops in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore. Natjazz was filled with Norwegian jazz artistes with a foreign presence.

"This Norwegian jazz phenomenon wasn't an overnight thing. Only now you hear more about this scene in far away places ... South-East Asia, (South) Korea, Australia. The system of support from the Norwegian government in assisting jazz musicians has been crucial. With funding, you can make albums and tour to give the music a wider reach. As a musician, you start to build your name from one festival to the next," said trumpeter/improv musician Arve Henriksen, one of Norway's foremost jazz names, during a conversation at Nattjazz.

"Younger Norwegian jazz musicians play abroad a lot more than ever before, it is a different environment for them than say ... the days of Jan Garbarek. Yes, Europe keeps everyone busy in the summer, but we can also think of other places now. The scope is more expansive and there is more versatility with Norwegian jazz music closely associated with classical, rock, Sami folk, electronic, singer-songwriter and psychedelic music. A Norwegian 'jazz' act can easily play at a rock festival and not feel out of place," he added.

Also at the JazzNorway In A Nutshell programme at Nattjazz was Paul Augustin, the Penang Island Jazz (PIJF) festival director, who has set up an "introductory gateway" for Norwegian jazz acts here. As emerging names, In The Country and PELbo were booked for the last two editions of the Penang Island Jazz fest. Now both are regarded as established names in the international touring circuit.

Augustin, who has adopted a European-centric edge for the PIJF, has set his sights on more Norwegian acts for this year's edition. The potential choices were overwhelming at Nattjazz, so Augustin has a pleasant headache announcing his selection soon.

"We will have another Norwegian act for our festival this year and have identified two acts which are very different in musical styles from the previous years, which we feel will go down very well with the PIJF audience," said Augustin at Nattjazz last month.

"Previous Norwegian acts at PIJF turned out to be some of the highlights of the festival. This has taught us one thing, the audience for PIJF has matured considerably over the years and are appreciative and open to various forms of musical creativity. Norwegian jazz is at the forefront of musical creativity – that is why you tend to see many Norwegian acts having their own style/sound. Most of the acts have a 'Norwegian sound' – which is very different from the jazz styles and sounds we are used to."

Home advantage has played a big part in Norwegian jazz's growth. At Nattjazz, it was mostly the homegrown acts that drew the crowd. There is pride in putting local musicians first – an admirable Norwegian trait. Musically, scene diversity is also a major factor.

"It's a small music community in Norway, maybe we have to work harder and together to get heard. It is not an exaggeration to say that for many young Norwegian jazz musicians; learning how to play has meant learning how to play the music of other genres," said Oyvind Skarbo, drummer of fast-emerging free jazz outfit BMX.

Jae Jin In, founder/artistic director of Jarasum Jazz Festival in South Korea, counts the Norwegian jazz scene as the way forward.

"Where European jazz is concerned, Norway is the place to look for the genre's cutting edge and avant garde directions. I admit, their trail-blazing sounds can be overwhelming, but once you get it, there is no looking back," said Jae, who has programmed three Norwegian acts for Jarasum this year, including classical-turned-jazz supremo Ketil Bjørnstad.

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Madonna's life story to be subject of comic book

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 10:59 PM PDT

PHILADELPHIA (AP): Madonna will soon find herself in a whole new material world: the pages of a comic book.

The star will have her life story told in 32 pages by Bluewater Productions Inc., the latest celebrity to be part of its semi-regular line of "Female Force" comics, the publisher said Thursday.

"Our goal is to show the little-known events and influences that resulted in Madonna becoming the phenomenon she remains to this day, more than a quarter-century after she burst upon the scene," said Jason Schultz, Bluewater's executive vice president. "A visual medium provides perspective that is not only accessible but more relatable to the average person without losing any of the information involved."

The one-shot issue - due out in August for $3.99 and written by C.W. Cooke and drawn by Michael Johnson - will look at her life as it transformed from a little-known singer into a multimillion-record-selling entertainer and trendsetter.

"Most pop stars owe everything to this woman. It's amazing all of the things that she's done in her lifetime, and I have a feeling that this is still only the beginning," Cooke said of Madonna.

The issue joins a growing collection of similar titles from the Vancouver, Wash.-based publisher. Previous subjects in the "Female Force" series that have included Betty White, Michelle Obama, Barbara Walters, Sarah Palin and Margaret Thatcher, among others.

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Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Jumaat, 24 Jun 2011

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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