Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
The Queen of Soul made a surprise appearance at the House of Swing, helping the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with its first concert in its newly refurbished home in New York. Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis had a special gift for the audience when he introduced Aretha Franklin in the middle of Thursday night’s annual “Big Band Holidays” concert at the Rose Theater. The concert followed a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Bette Midler to open the new Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Atrium at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Franklin, walking onstage to a standing ovation, said, “Wynton, I think maybe I’ll change the program just a little bit.” Accompanying herself on piano, she then sang the Christmas carol “O Tannenbaum” in English and German. She followed with a soulful, gospel-infused version of “My Cup Runneth Over.” The 73-year-old singer, joking that “this happens to be my 50th year in the business, and I’m feeling it,” dedicated her performance to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died in 2006. Ertegun signed Franklin to the label in 1967 and helped turn her into the Queen of Soul by recording such hits as “Respect.”
The truck driver who slammed into a limo carrying Tracy Morgan, killing one man and severely injuring the comedian, will ask a judge this week to throw out criminal charges against him. Kevin Roper was driving a Wal-Mart truck in June 2014 on the New Jersey Turnpike when he crashed into Morgan’s limo van. Morgan, the former 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live star, suffered brain trauma, broken ribs and a broken leg, and his friend James McNair was killed. Two other passengers also suffered serious injuries. Within days, Roper was charged in state court with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto, though as of Friday he hadn’t been indicted, said his attorney, David Glassman. Glassman said he will ask a judge in Middlesex County on Tuesday to dismiss the case because Roper is unable to get a fair trial because of negative publicity surrounding Morgan’s federal lawsuit against Wal-Mart. Morgan settled with Wal-Mart this summer for an undisclosed amount. Roper wasn’t a defendant in that lawsuit, but he filed motions in federal court seeking to have it delayed until after his criminal case was resolved.