Riviere Fall/Winter 2013-2014

Riviere magazine

Riviere Soulsville in the City Stax, the Grizzlies and the MSO

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Mednikow in Atlanta Another door opens

Some Days are Diamonds

Fa ll & W inte r 2 013

Inspiration comes in many forms

Announcing the Engagement Mednikow becomes OfďŹ cial Jeweler of the Memphis Grizzlies

M e m p h i s , Te n n e s s e e

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© D. YURMAN 2013

To our Friends and Customers

,

At Mednikow, we celebrate many things with our customers: births, graduations, weddings and anniversaries, and of course, Christmas and Hanukkah. These occasions connect us in unique and heartwarming ways.

We are especially

pleased

that we have become the Official Just two weeks ago, a customer brought in a carefully preserved ink blotter dated July 1917 with the Mednikow logo and our address from that era engraved across the bottom. It was another reminder that we

Jewelers of the Memphis Grizzlies this year.

have been woven into the history of Memphis for 122 years.

Indeed, the community as a whole is a part of our family. We love being involved in our city and are honored to support civic and charitable groups with donations and other support. You’ll find ads for many of them within these pages, and we hope you will join us in supporting them.

We are especially pleased that we have become the Official Jewelers of the Memphis Grizzlies this year. After advertising for years on Grizzlies broadcasts, we committed to further support of the team that has so wonderfully brought our city together. It has been truly remarkable to learn first hand how humble the players are and how dedicated they are to improving our city through charitable works. One paragraph cannot contain our enthusiasm, so for more on our new partnership, please enjoy our articles about the outstanding commitment to Stax and Soulsville by both the Grizzlies and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

We are also happy to announce our growth in the Atlanta market, where we have just opened in the heart of Buckhead, across from Lenox Square Mall, continuing the tradition of our original Atlanta store that opened in 1995.

Mednikow and Memphis are on a roll, and we are proud to be team players.

Respectfully,

Jay A. Mednikow

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POIS MOI COLLECTION

Table of Contents

Riviere

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FALL & WINTER 2013

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26

ANNOUNCING THE ENGAGEMENT

SOULSVILLE IN THE CITY

Mednikow and the Memphis Grizzlies

The Miracle on McLemore Avenue

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50 SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS

MEDNIKOW IN ATLANTA

Inspiration comes in many forms

Another door opens

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58 SELF PORTRAIT Music defines DeltaCappella

75 THE WORLD OF MONICA RICH KOSANN

EVENTS AND PARTIES AT MEDNIKOW

Monica shares her thoughts on what inspires her

Mednikow jewelry brings glamour and fun to the party

Riviere

magazine Volume Four, Issue Two Fall & Winter 2013

On the cover: One-of-a-kind silver, bronze, and twenty-four karat gold jewelry by Gurhan, crafted from individual Roman soldiers' belt buckles discovered among recovered artifacts excavated from Ottoman ruins.

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PUBLISHER: Robert M. Mednikow MANAGING DIRECTOR AND EDITOR: Jay A. Mednikow CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Jean Mathews ART DIRECTOR: Melissa Ellis ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR: Marvin Yates

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Donna Farnsworth, Chad Mellon and Martha Vanzant

Riviere is published by Contemporary Media, 460 Tennessee Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS: Chris Davis, Fredric Koeppel, Jean Mathews and Jon W. Sparks

©2013, J. H. Mednikow & Co., Inc.

A publication by Mednikow, 474 Perkins Extended, Memphis, TN 38117 T: 901.767.2100 • E: riviere@mednikow.com

All rights reserved. Printed in USA. Reproduction in whole or in part of any materials contained herein without the express written permission of J.H. Mednikow & Co. Inc. is prohibited.

STEPHEN WEBSTER

Why Name Our Magazine

Riviere?

IT’S NOT IMMEDIATELY CLEAR WHY “RIVIERE” IS SUCH AN APPROPRIATE NAME FOR THE MAGAZINE WE’VE CREATED FOR MEDNIKOW CUSTOMERS AND FRIENDS. Riviere is the French word for river, and with that in mind, it becomes clear, for who has not experienced the breathtaking sight of sunlight broken into a thousand mirrors reflected in a river’s current?

Riviere Magazine celebrates a union between Mednikow diamonds and the city we have loved for more than a

lMemphis.

hundred years,

A river of diamonds is composed of a single line of graduated diamonds encircling the neck. It is flexible, and the platinum or gold settings are minimal, so the diamonds appear as a sparkling river flowing along the contours of the body.

What could be more perfectly descriptive or more chic?

Because of their flattering beauty and the

magnificent manner in which they display the diamonds to their best advantage, riviere necklaces have been made for hundreds of years. There are endless variations. Usually, they taper with the largest diamonds in the front, but they can be uniform in size, or have differently shaped diamonds or even colored gemstones interspersed.

So it’s easy to understand why we chose to name our magazine after the riviere diamond necklace. Riviere Magazine celebrates a union between Mednikow diamonds and the city we have loved for more than a hundred years, Memphis, a city whose view of the mighty and romantic Mississippi River will continue to inspire us all. 

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Contributors FREDRIC KOEPPEL Being allowed into someone's inspiration and dream is a privilege almost sacred, so it was a high honor to sit with Jay Mednikow and talk about — and hold! — a trove of precious diamonds and observe the way that he thinks about and assembles his creations. While I often get close to many of the objects (the inspirations and dreams) that I write about — food and wine, art and books — it's a different matter to become a part of and write about the realms of luxury and beauty.

I once wrote about all these concerns full-time for The Commercial Appeal and now do so on a free-lance basis, which means I get to stay home with the dogs that my wife and I have rescued, fostered and (inevitably) kept. My wine reviewing and commentary can be found on my awardwinning blog biggerthanyourhead.net.

DONNA FARNSWORTH Through her professional photography, Donna Farnsworth has captured many of life’s most beautiful moments at weddings and celebrations—as well as events at Mednikow. Donna also makes generous use of her lens to support charitable organizations, lending her skills and her camera to help touch hearts through her many years of work as a volunteer photographer for the Child Advocacy Center and the Germantown Charity Horse Show.

CHRIS DAVIS is a staff writer for The Memphis Flyer. He is a theater critic and arts and entertainment reporter who occasionally crosses over to write about news and current events. Chris also writes the weekly column, Fly on the Wall and edits the Fly on the Wall blog. He has written for Memphis, Details, Maxim, and Outdoors, developed viral advertising content for the Ford Motor Company, and recently contributed three essays to The Southerner’s Handbook, a new book assembled by the editors of Garden & Gun magazine. When not writing he fronts Papa Top’s West Coast Turnaround, an all purpose old time country band, and makes scary movies with his children.

Chris and his wife, Charlotte, have twin daughters, Josie and Lucy. They live in Memphis’ Greenlaw/Uptown neighborhood.

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JEAN MATHEWS, writer, arts activist, and host of “Arts a la Carte” explains what makes her work as creative director at Mednikow so rewarding, “A huge part of the Mednikow tradition is that all beauty is to be treasured—whether it takes the form of a remarkable diamond or a symphony, we believe that the arts lift up a community.” This issue of Riviere reminded me of words written by the poet Conrad Aiken, “Music I heard with you was more than music, And bread I broke with you was more than bread.” Music is more than music to Memphis, for it brings us together at a common table, uniting us in a communion of joy.

JON W. SPARKS is a freelance reporter, feature writer and performing arts reviewer who writes for several publications. On writing our feature story, “Soulsville in the City,” Jon said, “While much of the news is made up of single, dramatic events, the stories of greatest value are those about how people go above and beyond to build a community. That's the story of Soulsville, which could easily have been ignored, but which is a tribute to citizens with a long vision of what Memphis can do and where it needs to be generations in the future.

And the building blocks for a superior city are provided by all elements pitching in and helping out.”

CHAD MELLON When asked to shoot the Stax museum I was excited to be engaging in a piece of American history that left such a lasting stamp on the sound of music we love — while also beating all the odds of American and southern cultural norms of the time.

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is a vast and passionate destination that quickly engages and gives you a sense of more than just the music that was made at the historic location — it also gives you a history of the roots, trials and eventual perseverance of the Black American experience. Having the opportunity to photograph the Memphis Grizzlies players was exciting, also — they were not only kind and gracious but had deep and personal connections to the great things that the Soulsville Foundation does for the youth in the city of Memphis.

Photo by: Heather Simmons

EXPECT THE BEST!

W W W. G PA C w e b . c o m

901-751-7500

2013/14 S E A S O N RIVER PROJECT 2, OCT. 19–27 NUTCRACKER, DEC. 13–15 WORLD WONDERS, FEB. 21–23, 2014 PETER PAN, APR. 12–13, 2014

BALLETMEMPHIS.ORG

Announcing the

Engagement Mednikow and the Memphis Grizzlies LIKE SO MANY MEMPHIANS, WE’RE ALL IN WITH THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES, AND WE’VE MADE IT OFFICIAL. This year we made the important decision to marry our brand to Memphis’ hometown “grit and grind” NBA team, and like all great partnerships, we are proud to say that we did it for love.

Who could forget last year’s season of thrilling wins? But that’s not why we fell in love with this franchise. There’s a lot more to love about the Grizzlies. We enjoyed the exciting wins as much as anyone. But winning, like looks, is not a good enough reason to launch a partnership.

The Mednikow brand has been around for 120 years, and it is built on certain qualities, all of which have to do with excellence: quality, integrity, character, leadership, imagination, and a generosity of spirit. Hitching our wagon to another brand is not something that we considered lightly. Winning

isn’t everything—but doing the right thing is.

Recently ESPN released its Ultimate Standings issue, in which it ranked the Memphis Grizzlies the Number One sports franchise in all of America. That’s including not just the NBA, but the NFL, NHL, and the MLB—122 franchises in all. The scope of the criteria took into account eight major categories: players, fan relations, ownership, stadium experience, coaching, title track, bang for the buck, and affordability. That’s a lot to love.

In a letter sent to supporters, Jason Levien, CEO of the Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx Forum wrote, “Although we are thrilled and humbled by this honor, our intention is to push past what anyone believed this team could accomplish. We have achieved, but as expectations rise we know we must become greater; a greater team on the court, a greater influence in the community and a greater fan base. That’s what this season is all about, becoming a Greater Memphis.”

In the movie “As Good As It Gets,” Jack Nicholson’s character moves from a dysfunctional, selfish man to one who finally “gets” the meaning of generosity and moral courage. This epiphany, that a life well-lived in the service of family and others causes him to say, “And the fact that I get it makes me feel good—about me.” He tells the woman he loves, “You make me want to be a better man.”

Just so, the Grizzlies have given us a similar gift. They have made us feel good—about ourselves. They make us want to be a better city. Gathering together at the “Grind House” or turning the set onto SportsSouth to watch a game provides Memphians with a shared goal, a reason to cheer, and yes, sometimes to groan, but most importantly and always, a reminder that we are all in—together. 

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Soulsville In The City

So a symphony conductor, a group of NBA players, and a fifth generation jeweler all walk into a room where a fur-lined Cadillac with gold trim is spinning‌ B y J o n W. S p a r k s P h o to s B y C h a d M e l l o n 26 | R i v i e r e

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SO, A SYMPHONY CONDUCTOR, A GROUP OF NBA PLAYERS, AND A FIFTH GENERATION JEWELER ALL WALK INTO A ROOM WHERE A FUR-LINED CADILLAC WITH GOLD TRIM IS SPINNING . . .

Although this sounds like the intro to a joke, a seasoned Memphian would instantly recognize that such a quirky beginning contains just enough odd twists to be true. You might even throw in another far-fetched detail: the jeweler, Jay Mednikow, played in the same furry car as a boy because its owner, the late Isaac Hayes, lived just across the street. To make it more Memphis, you could add a musical footnote: Jay’s vocal band, DeltaCappella, recently recorded a gritty, a cappella version of Hayes’ seminal hit, Theme from Shaft, on their new, aptly titled CD “Ain’t No Doubt”—and the cover of the album is a nod to the iconic STAX marquee. Such a postscript would only make this tale of Memphis and Soulsville Fortunately, getting people to understand the more believable, because this is how Memphis rolls—and rocks.

This is how the photo shoot commissioned by Mednikow and importance of heritage, education, culture contained within these pages began. and civic pride is an incredibly When asked about the success of Soulsville, Mayor A.C. Wharton provided a succinct synopsis by observing that “there experience. are two things that have the power to lift us above our daily toil and unite us—music and sports,” and notes, “We have witnessed the power of this in our city. The partnership of the Grizzlies, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and Soulsville is a great example of how music and sports unite us.”

And so, groups like the Grizzlies, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and businesses like Mednikow are tapping into the deep aquifers of Memphis talent and resources in order to re-create and revitalize Soulsville and the city.

rewarding

Building Blocks Soulsville itself began as a modest but historically miraculous neighborhood located on McLemore Avenue. Press a button on the interactive map of the neighborhood, one of many fascinating exhibits 28 | R i v i e r e

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inside the Stax Museum, and immediately the density of talent that once made up the vibrant neighborhood comes alive. The streets near Stax records are dotted with the homes of musicians whose hits captivated the world during the 1960s and 1970s. Today that legacy is inspiring a city-wide effort to give Soulsville, a community, and a city a new chance to transform lives.

In 1998, the Ewarton Foundation, made up of civic leaders, found a way to begin the transformation.

It began with a plan to create an anchor for a revitalized neighborhood by building the Stax Museum of American Soul Music on the site of the old studio. The concept grew to take in the Stax Music Academy to mentor at-risk youth and then later, the Soulsville Charter School. Throughout the process, groups like the Memphis Grizzlies and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra have stepped up to play a material part in keeping the dream alive.

The Stax Music Academy opened in its new building in 2002 and has been providing intense music instruction to young people in its after-school and summer programs. More than 2,500 students have attended the academy—and since 2008, every senior in the Academy has been accepted to college.

In 2003, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music opened on the site of the old recording studio, a lively center that draws about 50,000 visitors a year and commemorates a previous era while providing inspiration to future music lovers.

In 2005, the Ewarton Foundation changed its name to the Soulsville Foundation. The Soulsville Charter School, meanwhile, began teaching 60 sixth graders, growing to serve some 500 students in grades six through twelve, more than a third of whom live in the Soulsville community.

According to Tim Sampson of the Soulsville Foundation, the school has had two graduations and some of those students were also in the music academy. In 2012, all 51 charter school seniors were accepted to college with more than $3.2 million in scholarships and grants.

In 2013, all 37 seniors were accepted to college, all with some form of scholarship or grant, all totaling more than $9.2 million.

I go in

every

morning and see these kids and I tell you, a day doesn’t go by that I don’t say, ‘That’s me.’

— Henry Nelson

Seeing is Believing “I go in every morning and see these kids and I tell you, a day doesn’t go by that I don’t say, ‘That’s me.’ ” “Me” is Henry Nelson, a longtime radio personality and now Group Sales & Events Coordinator at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. “People ordinarily don’t know about this campus,” Nelson says. “People who help this community prosper, those are the ones that go back to our city and tell the story about what’s happening on this campus, which involves such phenomenal students over the years.”

“We’re a city of incredible neighborhoods, and this is no exception,” Nelson says. “The Soulsville Foundation’s three programs are the cornerstone of truly revitalizing the neighborhood.”

Fortunately, getting people to understand the importance of heritage, education, culture and civic pride is an incredibly rewarding experience. “This is the easiest sell on Earth in getting people to get it,” Nelson says. “I especially see it in the eyes of members of the FA L L & W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

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describes how the attention from the Grizzlies has directly helped students.

“One time the Grizzlies, through Coach Lionel Hollis, had a drive giving students backpacks filled with school supplies.

With the backpacks, the students could apply themselves in classes. And taking it a step further because of that, they could focus when it came to one-on-one encounters.

Students can digest things Involvement with Soulsville illustrates the going on. So it’s not just a lofty idea—the implementation hopes and goals of the MSO as it seeks to is real. The students benefit create greater within not just from the generosity of the team, but they are also the community. moved by the star factor. It all becomes real and tangible.

Symphony and the Grizzlies. I share their Every year we’re able to help enthusiasm, but I’m inspired that they a student get into a college.” share mine.”

A key fundraiser is Staxtacular, the As the Soulsville revitalization was annual gala that impresses not only taking shape, the National Basketball because of the money that comes in, but Association’s Memphis Grizzlies franthe goodwill that goes out. Since 2005, chise was finding its own groove in the the Grizzlies’ annual Staxtacular benefit, Bluff City. When the Grizzlies moved featuring music, food and NBA stars, from Vancouver to Memphis in 2001, it has raised more than $800,000 for the brought another element the city could Stax Music Academy. The players and take pride in: a keen sense of duty to the coaches are meeting and greeting contribcommunity. It has become a significant utors as well as students. “Staxtacular supporter of St. Jude Children’s Hospital gets bigger and better each year,” says as well as schools and nonprofits.

Nelson. “Phenomenal is the only word.

One of those organizations is the It’s life changing—especially if you’re a Soulsville Foundation. Justin Merrick, music lover. It’s beginning to spread out operations manager of the Academy, from here.”

harmony

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A Classical Education The Memphis Symphony Orchestra has long been coming into the community, mentoring music students. “An important focus for us is education and community engagement,” says Mei-Ann Chen, music director of the MSO. “At Soulsville Charter School, MSO musicians coach string and percussion students and serve as positive role models.”

Kirk Whalum, critically acclaimed jazz saxophonist, song writer, and Grammy winner is now Chief Creative Officer of the Academy and the Museum. Whalum speaks with passion about Soulsville and the support it receives. “What a beautiful thing . . . it’s good for the Symphony to do its outreach. It’s a win-win. I’ll say the same for the Grizzlies.

We are incredible beneficiaries.”

Involvement with Soulsville illustrates the hopes and goals of the MSO as it seeks to create greater harmony within the community. Interestingly, for all of the institutionalized segregation that held sway into the 1960s, there was one enterprise that would have nothing to do with racial conflict. That was Stax itself, where musicians were there for the music. Prejudice had no place at Stax, whether in the 50-50 split of the Memphis Horns as well as Booker T. and the MGs, or whether in the diverse stable of staggeringly good studio musicians.

Gayle Rose, board chairman of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, says, “The big opportunity in Soulsville is to continue the legacy of Soulsville, which was always a blend of collaboration between white and black Memphis. It’s almost providential that the symphony should be centrally focused in helping build music as an asset for our community.

We’re the largest employer of musicians, and we already have a very deep music mentoring program at the Charter School and the Academy.”

For Mark Wender, Chief Operating Officer of the Soulsville Foundation, the backing of the Grizzlies and the MSO are having a profound and sustaining effect.

“This neighborhood has such a rich musical legacy that it’s incumbent on arts organizations to nurture that bridge from the music that was produced and written and recorded all over the world in order to create more opportunities for our educational programs at Soulsville.

Our relationship with Soulsville Charter

“I remember this car. It was a surreal experience when I saw this car at the Stax Museum and recognized it from when I was a kid. Isaac Hayes lived around the corner from me, and his former wife and two children lived across the street from me, so he was a fixture in my neighborhood. The thing that most impressed me wasn't the over-the-top ornamentation and gold-plating; it was the refrigerator in the back seat. How cool was that to a 9-year-old boy!” —Jay Mednikow School students shows how music is an important link to provide.

If the students can read music, they can excel in science and math. By nurturing arts organizations, we can help kids develop tools they can use forever. With the Symphony, the musicians are great role models for the kids. Their involvement is making a huge difference in the music abilities of the children. We’re also involved with partnerships because our students at the Charter School and Stax Music Academy will be the consumers of the symphony and opera and ballet in the future. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies have strong ties to the community and they recognize that we are pioneers in education reform. Their support is huge.”

Reaching Potential In 2012, a $678,000 grant from Chicagobased ArtPlace was given as a way to invigorate the Soulsville neighborhood as a center for music. The MSO, which got the bulk of the grant, set up a yearlong residency in the neighborhood, bringing free concerts and community engagement.

It partnered with Community LIFT, an economic and community development organization that worked to improve the

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music infrastructure of the area. For the year it was in effect, it was a success, elevating the presence of music and showing the rest of the city what potential there was along McLemore Avenue.

Even with all this, the Soulsville neighborhood still hasn’t reached what many feel is its potential. The ArtPlace grant was a one-time event, so the challenge to the city, to Soulsville, and to the neighborhood’s supporters is to find other sources of backing to continue the effort to regain its title as the premiere music district in Memphis, joining the dynamics of the Beale Street entertainment district, the Overton Park theater district and the burgeoning arts districts of Crosstown, Broad Avenue and Cooper-Young.

In October, for the second year, the Berklee City Music Network Conference held its meeting in Memphis, anchored at the Stax complex. The conference, affiliated with the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, explores ideas on access to quality and diverse music education for students from underserved communities across the country.

Whalum says, “What was on display were kids who are highly motivated, success stories, many of whom coming

from the very worst and most at-risk environments to become superstars. I say superstars in a holistic way—community leaders, not just ‘American Idol’ contestants, but leaders in many areas because of the experiences they’re having via music. You can’t overstate that.”

“It’s a big deal and it’s life changing.”

Expressing his gratitude, Merrick adds, “When organizations collaborate with us, they find nourishment in the work we’re doing. We have different visions, but this is setting up a practical and realistic implementation that allows students to benefit from experience. What you have then is not short term, it’s long term. It’s very humbling when the Grizzlies and serious musicians from the MSO come over.”

With a diverse support and energetic leadership the neighborhood of Soulsville will expand its boundaries. And with the Grizzlies and the MSO leading the way by committing to individual students and to the schools and the programs that nurture them in the neighborhood of history and hope—then the heartbeat of Soulsville may yet beat to a rhythm within us all. 

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Jerryd Bayless

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Quincy Pondexter

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MEDNIKOW,

STAX AND

THE MSO

memphis CLASSICS

Follow the Memphis Symphony!

jewelry on Mei-Ann Chen by Mednikow

t .FNQIJT4ZNQIPOZ PSH

COMMUNITY SUPPORTED and COMMUNITY SERVING

Learn more at MemphisSymphony.org.

GRIZZ QUIZ What do you really know about Jerryd Bayless, Mike Conley and Quincy Pondexter?

When we invited them to our photoshoot at STAX, we quickly learned that these three young gifted athletes are genuinely interested in giving back to the city that loves them. Even disregarding their NBA rock star status, each of these young men has much to offer the community they call home. We were impressed with their serious attitude toward raising money for charities, their gentle humor, and their quiet charm. Take the quiz and enjoy getting better acquainted with Mr. Bayless, Mr. Conley, and Mr. Pondexter.

Once upon a time, when he was small, he looked up to Allen Iverson, who was very tall.

There’s nothing better than catching up with his Entourage—at least on TV!

a) Jerryd Bayless b) Quincy Pondexter c) Mike Conley

a) Jerryd Bayless b) Mike Conley c) Quincy Pondexter

Grizz owner Justin Timberlake’s “20/20 Experience Part II” and Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same” are both on his playlist.

Whether handling the ball or handling chopsticks at his favorite restaurant, STIX—he makes it look easy.

a) Quincy Pondexter b) Mike Conley c) Jerryd Bayless

a) Mike Conley b) Quincy Pondexter c) Jerryd Bayless

No twists and no shouts— when he works out he likes to practice shooting 3’s.

When the grinding gets rough, he remembers these three words as the best advice he ever received: NEVER GIVE UP.

BEST MOVIE EVER: THE MATRIX ANCHORMAN DARK NIGHT RISES/ FORREST GUMP a) Mike Conley b) Quincy Pondexter c) Jerryd Bayless BREAKFAST WORTH WAKING UP FOR: Honey Nut Cheerios Table at Brother Juniper's Grits, Eggs, and Bacon a) Quincy Pondexter b) Mike Conley c) Jerryd Bayless

a) Jerryd Bayless b) Mike Conley c) Quincy Pondexter

A basket of Gus’s spicy fried chicken is the way to score major points when it comes to take out.

Great Mexican cuisine is the comfort food that tells this Grizzly he’s back home.

a) Quincy Pondexter b) Mike Conley c) Jerryd Bayless

a) Quincy Pondexter b) Jerryd Bayless c) Mike Conley

Answers: 1 (a), 2 (b), 3 (c), 4 (a), 5 (c), 6 (a), 7 (a), 8 (b), 9 (c,a,b), 10 (b,c,a)

a) Mike Conley b) Jerryd Bayless c) Quincy Pondexter

MATCHING POINTS:

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Jewelry by Yossi Harari

Inspiration comes in many forms. Poets and painters have their muses; composers have that elusive transcendent chord; chefs have foie gras and truffles.

SOME DAYS ARE

Diamonds B y F r e d r i c Ko e p p e l

“You want something that’s not just beautiful but

interesting

and complex.”

JAY MEDNIKOW’S INSPIRATION IS DIAMONDS. “Well, duh,” say readers, “he’s a fifth generation jeweler.

What else does he think about but diamonds?”

Not think about diamonds. Handle them. Get to know them. Contemplate them. Arrange them, as children arrange their building blocks or Legos. Play with them.

“In this business,” Mednikow said, “I play with diamonds the way other people play with paperclips.”

It’s not meant to be an idle boast. There is indeed a black box of diamonds that Mednikow brings into his office, sets on the conference table and opens for a visitor to see. Or rather, a series of black trays, each comfortably holding, in individual boxes with transparent lids, arrays of diamonds in regimented rows. One sits, stares, and thinks, “Star light, star bright . . .” Alternately, one thinks, “That’s a fortune in precious stones . . .”

Of course the table must be kept meticulously clean.

“You have to be careful,” said Mednikow. “You can’t brush the table with a cuff and lose one of these ‘paperclips.’”

Mednikow, scion of the family that founded the well-known jewelry business in Memphis in 1891, demonstrates the old school method of storing diamonds, still adhered to by his father, Bob Mednikow. In this mode, each diamond is folded inside a paper sleeve as prettily as a tiny present encased in origami folds of fragile blue tissue paper. Fifty or sixty diamonds thus enclosed could be fitted into a shallow box with a lid.

Father and son share an office in a sort of Oscar/Felix relationship. Bob Mednikow’s desk is straight-pin neat; his

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Eventually, the sentimental value far outweighs the monetary value, and it becomes a part of family history and 42 | R i v i e r e

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heritage

.

son’s side of the room is, well, a sign that creative people often thrive in slightly chaotic environments.

Jay Mednikow admits that the old-fashioned manner of storing diamonds in folded paper is “mysterious, dramatic,” but with the recent innovation of giving each diamond its separate box the jeweler can see the diamond immediately and make a quick assessment of its quality and use, though nothing beats holding the stone in the fingers and allowing the light to filter and fragment through its infinitesimal prism.

“When you look at diamonds,” Mednikow says, “the key is matching them in a set even though they’re different. You want something that’s not just beautiful but interesting and complex.” Rhythm, in others words, but not repetition.

He places a necklace on the table, a delicate filigree, a breath of platinum, interspersed with diamonds of varying sizes and shapes, mainly fairly small or smallish, say from just below a carat to one and a half carats. Then he starts going through the little boxes to illustrate how he puts diamonds together, taking out stones, assessing, gauging, playing.

He mentions that he rejects 90 percent of the diamonds he looks at.

“Customers come to us,” he says, “because they know we’ve done the homework. Everything is vetted, proper and right.”

Mednikow places two round seemingly identical diamonds on the table. They look stunning, but he says, “You wouldn’t want these together on the same string. They’re too similar. For one of the same size, you would want something like this,” and he extracts from its little black box a square-cut diamond and lays it next to one of the round ones. “See, these would balance each other on opposite sides of a necklace.” It’s a lesson in the sort of eccentric symmetry that makes beauty memorable.

And so, over the course of a few minutes, with practiced eye and

nimble fingers, Mednikow assembles a dozen disparate diamonds in the shape of a theoretical necklace that would look alluring draped around the neck and decolletage of a perfectly dressed woman. And reckoning the price?

“Umm, probably around $35,000,” says Mednikow, “counting the prices of the individual stones, the designing, labor and all the expenses that go into getting the diamonds. There are hard costs and soft costs in any business. Experience, the relationships, some of which go back to my grandfather’s time. It’s a small industry. I know most of the important people and they know me.”

The remarkable aspect of the finished necklace lies not only in the stones themselves and the craftsmanship but in the utter simplicity of the concept and result. Such a necklace may cost as much as a respectable automobile, but it completely eschews anything like opulence or flamboyance, a reflection, perhaps, of Mednikow’s audience as well as of his classic taste.

The Memphis market is a little more conservative than other parts of the country, but there's a variety of customers. It's a smaller market, so there aren't the extremes of style you see in New York or Los Angeles. Remember that jewelry is a luxury item. People need cars and clothes, but they also have the desire to decorate themselves, a desire that goes back thousands of years.

So play it is, but serious play in which Mednikow invests not only time, effort and money but a tremendous emotional component.

If a diamond is in a box, he says, it's just a rock, and that's fine for collectors. But jewelry is meant to be worn and worn for a lifetime, and a fine piece, well, a woman would pass it down to her granddaughter — touchingly, his throat catches with emotion — and it becomes extremely special. Eventually, the sentimental value far outweighs the monetary value, and it becomes a part of family history and heritage.

And he retrieves the diamonds and encloses them in their little black boxes, where they'll mutely wait for another afternoon of play. 

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Monet, Degas, Renoir and other French Masterpieces on view now at the Dixon.

Edgar Degas (French, 1834 -1917), Dancer Adjusting Her Shoe, 1885, Charcoal and pastel on paper, 18ž x 23½ inches. Bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Hugo N. Dixon, 1975.6

4330 Park Avenue Memphis dixon.org

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Mednikow In Atlanta

Another Door Opens IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS, AND ILLUSTRATING THIS AXIOM IS THE RECENT OPENING OF THE NEW MEDNIKOW STORE IN ATLANTA. Formerly located within upscale Phipps Plaza, Mednikow Atlanta closed its doors in the mall and opened new ones this month

at a stellar, free-standing store situated in Buckhead on bustling Peachtree Road.

Jay Mednikow, explains the recent opening, “Jewelry is a long-term business. The products we sell are designed to last

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a lifetime and then be passed down to the next generation.”

“Really good jewelry stores are in it for the long run too.

We first opened our Atlanta store in 1995 with a thirty-year vision. Few businesses these days think in terms of thirty years, but at Mednikow, we’ve already got 120 years under our belts, so thirty years is just another step.”

In 1995, Bob and Jay Mednikow saw an opportunity in the Atlanta market and decided to pursue it. Even then, their long-term goal was to have a store front on a prestigious street in Atlanta, but the best choice at the time was to open inside a mall.

With no name recognition in Atlanta at the time, Mednikow felt that the credibility of the luxury mall and luxury neighbors would help people in the new market understand and more readily accept the Mednikow brand and tradition of excellence.

“Few businesses these days think in terms of thirty years, but at Mednikow, we’ve already got 120 years under our belts, so thirty years is just another

step

.”

But the ultimate dream was always a street-level store, and now that dream is finally coming true.

Mednikow reflects on the recession of the past few years and admits that it slowed his growth plans, but with a smile, he adds that, “By the time readers see this article, the brand new Mednikow store in Atlanta will be open for business.”

Mednikow believes that years of continual advertising and a presence inside prestigious, elegant Phipps Plaza allowed Mednikow to establish itself as a leading jeweler in Atlanta, enabling the new store to stand on its own.

John Thompson, who has enjoyed eighteen years with Mednikow, now heads the Atlanta staff.

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Meet John Thompson Mednikow Atlanta WE CAUGHT UP WITH JOHN THOMPSON AND ASKED HIM TO SHARE HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEW MEDNIKOW STORE ON PEACHTREE ROAD IN ATLANTA.

“Jewelry is a long-term business.

The products we sell are designed to last a

lifetime

and then

be passed down to the next generation.”

Thompson’s expertise in jewelry wardrobing is greatly appreciated by his many customers. According to Mednikow, “John is so familiar with his customers’ collections that he is able to offer thoughtful advice that maximizes both the enjoyment and the investment values of their jewelry.”

It’s probably no coincidence that the interior of the new store is vibrant and filled with light. The same energy is in Mednikow’s voice as he states, “We don’t strive to be a large chain of stores, and we currently have no plans for any other stores. We’d rather concentrate on continuing the growth trajectory we started in Atlanta eighteen years ago. We still have another twelve years to go in our 30-year plan.” 

The newest doors to Mednikow can be found at 3384 Peachtree Road in the heart of Buckhead, adjacent to Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza, and nestled among the best hotels and restaurants in the city.

Mednikow extends what is obviously a heartfelt invitation, “We welcome all of our customers to both of our stores—and although our doors at 474 Perkins Extended will stay the same, we are looking forward to a complete renovation of the Memphis store in early 2014. We’re extremely happy to serve our customers in both Atlanta and Memphis with stores that offer a luxurious and personal shopping experience.”

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Riviere: John, tell us about the new store—what does it look like?

John: It has a very clean style that is relaxed and yet somewhat hip; it’s meant to invoke a more personal shopping experience, so it has more personality. Jay Mednikow insisted that he did not want a “cookie cutter” jewelry store. Instead he wanted to create something decidedly more about the individual client and that would express our brand which offers more personal service and flexibility in a comfortable, great atmosphere. It’s really all about the client.

Riviere: Tell us about the new location?

John: In a word, it’s ideal. Bob Mednikow remarked that if he could “stick a pin in a map of Atlanta” and pick the spot for our new store, the pin would have landed right where we did! It offers us great visibility, ease of access, great parking, security, and wonderful signage opportunities.

Riviere: You ‘ve been with Mednikow since 1995 and you are also a native to Atlanta. What makes working with Mednikow attractive to you?

John: Commitment! At the customer level, Bob and Jay are totally committed to satisfying every client—that goes without saying. However their dedication to their staff is a critical element of our ability to meet our customers needs because they empower their associates to always do the right thing.

Riviere: Tell us a little about your customers and why you enjoy working with them.

John: My clients are fabulous, they come to me with a wish, a desire, an idea, and we work together to make

that a reality represented by a wonderful piece of jewelry. And you are right, I work with my customers and for my customers because I never like to sell anyone anything. To me “selling” has an adversarial sound to it. Instead, I try to play on my customer’s team; we work together and identify their needs and I source the perfect gift that will satisfy those needs. It might be something from our stock, or it might be that the gift is something was discovered from my travels and is my memory of exceptional jewels I have seen. And sometimes we craft a unique item that is custom made just for them. I guess you could say that I like to help my clients discover something that they desire. And, when I advise them properly and the resulting gift is a huge success, it creates a bond between us, a level of trust.

Riviere: Would you share a bit about yourself and some of your interests?

John: I am one of the luckiest guys alive. I have great friends, two wonderful families (my family and the Mednikow store family), and I have my dream job. I’m an adventurous traveler and enjoy going to exotic locales. And I’m passionate about great wines, great art, great jewelry, and great food.

(I eat more than my share I am afraid!)

And speaking of food, I also enjoy entertaining friends by cooking for them once or twice a month.

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Portrait

Music Defines DeltaCappella B y C h r i s D av i s

AIN’T NO DOUBT ISN’T DELTACAPPELLA’S FIRST LONG-PLAYING CD, nor does it represent the group’s first visit to a recording studio. This tightly knit vocal harmony group has only been together for six years but they’ve already been around the block a time or two having recorded an EP of popular favorites like The Spinners’ “Rubberband Man,” and Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis,” in addition to a dozen Christmas songs, and an unprecedented if still unreleased a cappella opera built around the original language of William Shakespeare’s romantic fantasy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

We were born in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.

When you hear this album, I think you’re hearing us. And I think you’re hearing

Memphis.

—Kip Long

But even after six years of concerts, network competitions, and several diverse recording projects, the group is still engaged in the act of defining itself against expectations, and on each of Ain’t No Doubt’s brick house tracks, listeners can hear the sound of eleven unique voices blending to say hello as if for the very first time. The result is an uncommonly eclectic

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collection of lovingly re-imagined covers that are as diverse as the singers who bring them all to life without the aid of any instruments other than the human voice.

We almost called the CD “Difficult to Summarize Visually.” It’s an inside joke with a back story that still makes all the singers

laugh.

—Jay Mednikow

“We’re a jumble,” says Jay Mednikow, the owner of Mednikow Jewelers, who fell in love with a cappella singing when he was a student at Harvard, and founded DeltaCappella in 2007 in order to connect with people who shared his passion for the genuinely ancient and various traditions of unaccompanied singing.

So it’s not especially surprising that Ain’t No Doubt style-jumps from disco to doo wop to Spaghetti Western to contemporary top-40 as easily as it bends time, linking songs from the 1930’s through the 1980’s and both decades of the 21st-Century.

Before it was christened “Ain’t No Doubt,” the members of DeltaCappella had considered giving their pop-inspired disc a more cryptic but no less appropriate title. “We almost called the CD ‘Difficult to Summarize Visually,’” Mednikow says. It’s an inside joke with a back story that still makes all the singers laugh.

“There’s a show on NBC called The Sing Off,” Mednikow explains, describing a network reality show with the no-nonsense motto, “Hit the right notes or go home.” “We auditioned for season two and made it pretty far into the process,” Mednikow says. “There were contracts.

DeltaCappella is: (standing) Jay Mednikow, baritone/tenor; Thomas "TeKay" King, tenor; Paul Koziel, tenor/vocal percussionist; James Riddick, baritone; Charles "Sir Soulman" Ponder, baritone/tenor; (seated) Toney Walsh III, baritone; Sri Naidu, tenor; Tom Watkins, bass/baritone; Chris Nuthak, baritone; Dan Beard, bass; Kip Long, tenor.

Some of us love jazz. And some of us prefer Christian music or vocal percussion. Some of us love six part harmony. But what we do is sing

a cappella

And mostly we do it to please ourselves. —Dan Beard We were on a reel. But we didn’t make it on the show. They said we were ‘too difficult to summarize visually.’”

Dan Beard, DeltaCappella’s whitehaired basso profundo and barbershop aficionado takes his shot at describing this multiracial and multigenerational group that’s so difficult to pin down

visually. “Some of us love jazz,” he says.

“And some of us prefer Christian music or vocal percussion. Some of us love six part harmony. But what we do is sing a cappella. And mostly we do it to please ourselves.”

When DeltaCappella auditioned for The Sing Off in Nashville the judges were clearly looking for an Americana sound.

When the group sang the traditional folk song “John Henry” they were told, “More like that.” When they sang “Man of Constant Sorrow,” the signature folk song from the Coen Brothers’ film O Brother Where Art Thou they were told, “That’s your sound!”

“They said ‘more like that’ and I’m like, ‘That’s all we’ve got like that,’” Ponder says, as his fellow singers recoil from the very suggestion of being defined by any single song. This is why DeltaCappella isn’t just difficult to summarize visually. The group and their recordings are difficult to summarize categorically, although tenor Kip Long gets close.

“The members of this group were born in five different decades,” Long explains. “We were born in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. When you hear this album, I think you’re hearing us. And I think you’re hearing Memphis.” 

According to Mednikow, DeltaCappella is looking years into the future and planning several very different recording projects. He says he can imagine following the mixed bag of Ain’t No Doubt with a CD of jazz standards, or swamp blues, or maybe even an eventual foray into country music. The last suggestion elicits a groaning response from a few members of the group, and knowing smiles from others but Mednikow maintains it could happen.

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Was there ever really any doubt?

On a Sunday afternoon in the spring of 2007, a group of men who had auditioned but never met gathered in a sunlit room and sang. The blend was magical, and the evidence was in. For the ’fellas in DeltaCappella, there’s never been any doubt because the parts and the instruments they create with their voices alone are more than notes on a page.

The songs included on this album are songs DeltaCappella loves to sing because they express all of the happiness and sorrow and the love and longing that make the ’fellas and their audience so beautifully human.

DeltaCappella is Memphis — there ain’t no doubt!

“Boogie Nights,” the first track on

“Ain’t No Doubt,” introduces itself like a silver tongued pickup artist at a swinging cocktail party. It says its pretty hellos, and dazzles you with some snappy banter before inviting you dance inappropriately, and possibly on a table. The original 1976 single by Heatwave, a British dance band blending disco and soul, opens unexpectedly with the angelic sound of a harpist running up and down the strings as if to signal a cinematic flashback. Then, in a strong counterpoint to the languid harping, the bass and drums drop hot and hard like a bebop combo, laying down the foundation for some jazzy brass to come. And just when you think you know where the song is going “Boogie Nights” turns everything upside down with the introduction of electronically-enhanced vocals and a relentlessly assertive guitar groove that instantly conjures images of mirror balls, stack shoes, and too-tight pants. No irony here: DeltaCappella’s opening salvo is a sincere, and relatively straightforward rendition of the skating rink standard that inspired and lent its

We're a jumble, says Jay Mednikow, the owner of Mednikow Jewelers, who fell in love with a cappella singing when he was a student at Harvard, and founded DeltaCappella in 2007.

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name to filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s Academy Award winning homage to the “Golden Age” of American pornography. Only this all vocal cover foregoes the original’s harp sounds and, in the spirit of the Bar-kay’s Soulfinger, gets right to the party. It launches with the happy, friendly sounds of laughter, and cocktail banter that are quickly interrupted by this funky little jam with a solo courtesy of Charles Ponder, a singer as comfortable with opera as he is with funk.

“I was in Phoenix, AZ and saw this group called Boogie Nights,” Ponder says. “They did the song and right away I thought, ‘we should do that.’ “I loved the sound of the Moog,” Ponder says of the synthesizer whose sounds his voice synthesizes so perfectly.

“Ain’t No Doubt,” shifts gears right out of the gate, plunging from the giddy, almost kitschy heights of “Boogie Nights,” into a heartfelt rendition of “Not Over You,” a gentle 2011 ballad by Gavin DeGraw the singer/songwriter who is still probably best known for writing and performing the theme song to One Tree Hill.

From there DeltaCappella turns the clock back to 1969 with “Spinning Wheel,” Blood Sweat & Tears’ chart-topping blend of jazz and pop psychedelia. “I brought Spinning Wheel” to the table because I consider myself to have a rock-friendly voice and thought I could knock the solo out of the park and knew I could do the vocal trumpet solo too,” says Toney Walsh III, who also thought the song was an excellent opportunity to show off his band’s tic tight rhythm section, bass singer Dan Beard and human drum kit Paul Koziel. “My criteria for a song

is that it had to be fun enough to keep Dan interested. It has to be good enough for Paul and it has to have a great solo,” Walsh says, checking off all three for “Spinning Wheel.”

The heady, horn-laden Blood Sweat & Tears track is followed by “Change the World,” a song written and composed as the theme to Phenomenon, a sci-fi fantasy film starring John Travolta.

The 1996 film turned out to be a modest success but “Change the World,” was a huge hit for Eric Clapton, spending an unprecedented 80 weeks on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. For Ain’t No Doubt, DeltaCappella matches Clapton’s comfortable, unforced groove without ever actually replicating it, paring the song’s hopeful, fantasy-tinged lyrics about kings, queens and a kingdom where “love rules,” with aching, boy-pop vocals.

“Change the World’s,” yearning tone sets the emotional stage for equally faithful runs through a pair of more recent hits, 2011’s “Without You,” originally performed by French DJ turned pop star David Guetta, and 2012’s “I Won’t Give Up,” an inspirational ballad by Jason Mraz.

At this point in the disc Ain’t No Doubt leaves the 21st-Century, never again to return, with a loving copy of the Beatles’ 1966 hit “Paperback Writer,” a song that only makes sense for a harmony oriented band with a booming bass.

“I Only Have Eyes for You,”

first introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler in the 1934 movie Dames and simultaneously recorded by Ben Selvin’s Knickerbockers, gives listeners some idea of the kind of magic DeltaCappella might work with a collection of American standards. The group’s all vocal arrangement leans heavily on a gorgeously imagined 1959 cover by The Flamingos, who were a cornerstone band for Chicago’s Chess Records, and one of early rock-and-roll’s most influential harmony groups.

It can be tricky measuring even very good cover arrangements against definitive historical tracks, but DeltaCappella’s takes a “less is more” approach to this potentially sappy depression-era ditty that stuck around and blossomed into the gorgeous pinnacle of post-doo wop perfection. Judiciously deploying tightly packed harmonies and reverb-enhanced shoo-bops, DeltaCappella has managed to record a track that may be even moodier and more atmospheric than the Flamingos famously atmospheric .45.

“For me ‘I Only Have Eyes For You,’ is

After six years of concerts, competitions, and recording together the group is still engaged in the act of defining itself against expectations, and on each of Ain't No Doubt's brick house tracks, listeners can hear the sound of eleven unique voices blending to say hello as if for the very first time. our opportunity to say, ‘hey we can do an old school tune too,’” Walsh says.

Speaking of atmospheric, DeltaCappella’s take on the cowboy standard “Ghost Riders In the Sky” gives listeners a taste of how the seemingly reluctant group might someday approach a country inspired recording project.

Although there is nothing insincere about the arrangement or the performance “Ghost Riders” represents Ain’t No Doubt’s closest scrape with pure novelty, which is saying something for a group that performs instrumental parts

without instruments. Sonic references to the Western-themed TV show Rawhide and the epic, whistle-and-lash soundtracks of Ennio Morricone bring out the fun.

“Ghost Riders,” was originally recorded by actor/folk singer Burl Ives and subsequently covered by everyone from Bing Crosby and Peggy Lee to The Ventures, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash but DeltaCappella makes this one their own, and the enduring story of ghastly, spectral cowboys endlessly chasing the devil’s fire-snorting herd provides an excellent opportunity for Dan Beard to get out of the basement and take over the lead.

It is tempting to suggest the need for a moratorium on all performances of Leonard Cohen’s admittedly exquisite song “Hallelujah.” Although the tune went virtually unnoticed for the first 20-years of its existence, a soaring nearly perfect, if perversely interpreted cover by Jeff Buckley — a haunting rendition recorded three years before the young musician drowned in Memphis’ Wolf River harbor — brought new life to Cohen’s edgy ballad of agony and ecstasy.

The song has since become a staple of film and television soundtracks, and it is easily the most frequently performed song on talent-based TV reality shows.

Thankfully, the DeltaCappella version is worthy of the song’s hard-earned reputation as being one of the greatest ever devised. Opening with sweet doo wop arpeggios it wastes no time getting straight to the words.

“It deals with love and loss but there’s a lot of irony in the lyrics, and a lot of abstraction,” says James Riddick, whose lead vocals are reminiscent of the Buckley cover, but never imitative.

“It’s meaningful to me because of something I’ve gone through,” he adds singling out a favorite line: “Maybe there’s a god above but all I’ve ever learned from love is how to shoot at someone who outdrew ya.”

“That,” Riddick concludes.

Jay Mednikow isn’t afraid to be provocative. “I think Elvis got it wrong,” he says of “Suspicious Minds,” a chart-topping hit for Presley in 1969.

DeltaCappella has transformed the hard-driving song about a dying relationship into a mournful four minute and fifty-four second requiem for innocence.

Sri Naidu, the modest eye, ear, nose, and throat doctor who cut the song’s arresting lead vocals says only that he is happy to perform a song that represents Memphis, and the city’s most iconic performer.

While the song selection for “Ain’t No Doubt,” may seem eclectic to the point of being totally random, many of the tracks share at least one common thread. From “Boogie Nights,” to “Change the World,” to the overexposed “Hallelujah,” these are songs that have benefited directly or indirectly from multimedia exposure by way of movie soundtracks, TV shows, videos, and video games. DeltaCappella’s cover of “Suspicious Minds,” sounds like a track that is in search of the right film to underscore.

DeltaCappella closes its unintentionally cinematic CD with a revelatory cover of the ultimate movie song: Isaac Hayes’

“Theme From Shaft.”

Like the Hayes original this “Shaft” takes its time getting started. Koziel’s perfect vocal percussion, and voices approximating Skip Pitts’ famous wah-wah guitar, lay down a funky foundation before perfectly imitated trumpets, bass and keyboards kick in to tell the story of a complicated private investigator understood by no one but his lady. It’s a strong finale, and the perfect bookend for a disc that kicks off with disco, giving listeners a meatier, and more Memphis-centric take on music in the 1970’s. r

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The 2013-2014 Season continues with...

JANUARY 14/17/18 2014

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Tickets & Info: 901. 257. 3100 OperaMemphis.org

Box OямГce: 6745 Wolf River Pkwy 10-4 Monday-Friday

APRIL 3-13, 2014

PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

THE

World of MONICA RICH KOSANN B y J e a n M a t h ew s

THE CREATIVE PROCESS R: Tell us about your studio—what is it like?

MRK: I love my studio. I am surrounded by lots of photographs that inspire me. I have tons of mood boards all over as well with sketches, magazine tear sheets, notes from friends and colleagues…and of course family photos!! I also keep a charm jar on my desk, which I fill with old mementos and collectibles from my travels. I surround myself with the things that I love . . . it reminds me of what is important in life.

R: What inspires you?

“Life in general inspires me. I take inspiration from everything around me…and of course I get such inspiration from my two daughters!”

R: What has your work as an artist taught you that carries over into your personal life?

MRK: To take inspiration from everything and everyone . . . don’t take life too seriously, look at things with a light heart and be open to learn something new everyday.

R: What kind of music do you enjoy listening to while you work?

MRK: Jason Mraz, Adele, Ella Fitzgerald, Mozart, disco . . . I am all over the place. I love music!

R: When you aren’t in your studio designing beautiful jewelry and behind the lens of your camera, what is your “just for fun” creative outlet?

MRK: Going to flea markets, antiquing and traveling!

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JEWELRY R: What is it about your jewelry that makes you happy?

“It makes other people happy! Really it’s true! I love for instance, when a woman buys a “carpe diem” necklace because she just got a new job, or is starting a new phase in life, or just wants that extra positive energy. I also love to watch a woman start a charm bracelet, she gets so excited about telling and sharing her story on her arm in a beautiful elegant way!

Also, a locket of course is always a joyful process, since the woman is wearing whom or what she loves…whether it’s her kids, dogs, boyfriends, or just a photo of a place she wants to travel . . . or a great quote! Lockets are so sexy!”

TRAVEL R: You obviously enjoy traveling, do you have a travel tip to offer?

MRK: Explore areas that tourists don’t go to!

R: When you travel, what little “extras” do you always pack in your carry-on bag?

MRK: Hand sanitizer, lip gloss, moisturizer, a KIND bar and always a shawl for the plane!

R: Speaking of travel, we’re looking forward to Memphis—what would you like to do?

MRK: Food!!! I Want to try some of your great restaurants!

WORDS R: When you can’t travel, books provide a great escape—what book would we find on your nightstand?

R: What is your own “go-to” piece of jewelry that has become a signature look for you?

MRK: I just finished THE PARIS WIFE. I love Paris but even more, I love reading about that period in time where Hemingway and Dali were chatting in cafes!

MRK: I wear my charm bracelet everyday . . . it has become such a part of my life. It’s my story!

R: Do you have a favorite quote?

R: Do you have a favorite story that relates to someone who wears your jewelry?

CARPE DIEM

MRK: All my pieces have a story . . . that’s what makes my jewelry fun to sell . . . you really get to know your customer.

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R: Do you have a favorite author?

MRK: Salinger . . . always loved Catcher in the Rye.

R: Best advice given to you ever?

MRK: Nothing and Nobody is perfect.

R: What’s the best way to while away a rainy afternoon?

MRK: Watch old movies and read my fashion magazines from all over the world!!

LUXURY R: What are the little luxuries that you enjoy every day?

MRK: Coffee in the morning and a glass of wine at night.

CELEBRATING R: What’s your favorite way to enjoy the company of friends?

MRK: I love to entertain and cook . . . small dinner parties are my favorite!

R: What do you consider the perfect addition to your family’s Thanksgiving feast?

MRK: The Macys day parade and the Dog Show!

R: Describe your traditional holiday meal for us.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday . . . and it’s quite simple . . . just turkey and all the trimmings! 

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Thanksgiving TRADITION Monica writes that some ten years ago, she attempted a new sweet potato pie recipe that she discovered in either a book or magazine.

However, in the process of whipping it up, she admits that she somehow left out some key ingredients (all the cinnamon and heavy cream) and also, accidentally cut the amount of sugar and corn syrup needed in half.

The would-be holiday dessert turned out to be a delicious side dish that has been requested by her children every year since. Monica reports that it is not Thanksgiving in her household without this plate on the table.

MONICA'S FAMOUS SWEET POTATO SIDE PIE 1/2 -1 pound sweet potatoes: cooked, peeled, and mashed (The trick is to use real sweet potatoes.

Canned won't taste the same.)

3/4 cup light brown sugar 1 egg yolk beaten 5 tablespoons butter, melted 3 eggs 1/4 cup dark corn syrup 1 frozen pie shell, defrosted Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine sweet potatoes in a large bowl with 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk, and a tablespoon of butter. Beat until smooth. Then pour the mixture into the pie shell and set aside.

Beat the three eggs until frothy. Mix the remaining sugar, butter, and syrup until combined. Pour over the sweet potatoes ďŹ lling.

Bake for approximately 90 minutes. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Then enjoy!! ď ˛

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Events Parties at Mednikow

Jewelry from Mednikow added panache to the fashions modeled by the Germantown Charity Horse Show princesses at the annual Pegasus Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon which took place at the Hilton.

P h o to s B y D o n n a Fa r n s wo r t h

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Events Parties

at Mednikow

Memphis leaders and celebs donned beautiful jewelry from Mednikow before taking to the runway to support the Salvation Army Greater Memphis Women’s Auxiliary at their “Christmas in September” festive fall fashion show that was sponsored by the Shops of Saddle Creek.

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Events Parties

at Mednikow

Mednikow designer trunk shows are the perfect place to catch up with friends for a relaxing evening of cocktails and tempting appetizers. Whether it’s the dazzling “Designer Jewelry Showcase” or one of their singular designer trunk shows, celebrations are always festive gatherings that feature the finest jewels and the world’s most exciting designers.

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