When an established actor turns to a career in music, there’s a certain stigma attached to whatever he or she creates. While Jennifer Lopez or Keanu Reeves can use music as leverage for their stardom, many other “low-profile” actors’ attempts at musicianship are usually perceived as overindulgent celebrity tripe, then promptly laughed away to the used CD bin faster than anyone can say Marky Mark.
Perhaps this is the reason that the present-day Cleavant Derricks remains shrouded in such obscurity. In late 1999, the “Sliders” star and Tony-award winning actor turned to a musical career and released his debut album “Beginnings.” Now, nearly two years after its release, the musician and album remain largely unknown and unheard.
Derricks’ role on “Sliders” provides some interesting context for his turn to music, because during his five years on the series, he portrayed a Motown soul singer named Rembrandt “Crying Man” Brown. Remmy’s song repertoire included “Tears On My ‘Fro” and “Cry Like A Man,” and it’s clear that some of his influence has carried over into “Beginnings.”
That influence is not dominant, however. On “Sliders,” Derricks simply sang the songs, whereas on “Beginnings” he is responsible for both the music and lyrics (along with the help of Aaron “Vain” Jones, who collaborated with Derricks on a few of the tracks and contributed one of his own). The result is music grounded in R&B and soul traditions.
Yet labels or genres shouldn’t determine the demographic of the listener, because Derricks’ singing has an inherent beauty transcending all musical boundaries. His greatest strength lies in his ability to reveal his perspectives with honesty and heart. Even in “Better Get Off Of Me” — lyrically the most straightforward track — the inflection of his voice makes it an absolute joy to listen to, especially toward the end of the chorus, when he warns “You better.”
The album opens with “Cruisin’ L.A.,” which faithfully creates a bittersweet, sentimental mood for life’s simpler moments, such as the seemingly endless freedom of driving with no given destination while one’s favorite music is on the stereo.
The listener can appreciate some of the music’s underlying themes without even having to hear the songs. His portrait on the album cover is an expressive summation of “Beginnings” intentions: Serious yet humorous, sentimental yet relevant, honest while remaining downright bad-ass. The cover photo seems to portray a natural Derricks expression and is likely from a photo session that consisted of no more than 30 seconds of studio time.
The highlight of the album is “Pain In the Walls,” in which Derricks urgently wails, “Caught in a habit/Searching for truth/Price of admission/The cost of your youth.” Later, in a manner reminiscent of the Brian Eno/David Byrne album “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts,” a possessed Derricks yelps, “Help me somebody!” — reflecting his desire for listeners to hear his message that it’s “all not lost.”
Rather than including any “Sliders” staples (likely in high demand from the fans of the series), Derricks has wisely chosen to distance himself from his signature role. Instead, he speaks about Rembrandt Brown from the third-person perspective in the reflective “Remmy’s Slide.”
While these days it’s not unusual to hear many popular songs consisting entirely of loops, sampling and overdubs, such concepts aren’t inherently bad. The production team of Gail Johnson, Aaron “Vain” Jones and Peter Love make use of such techniques, giving the music a full, emotional sound to support Derricks subtly, without overpowering him. The sampling mostly consists of live instruments; horn, wa-wa guitar and bass abound. When there’s a drum machine, it’s used sparingly and tastefully.
Derricks’ Web site (www.cderricks.com) indicates that he embraces all forms of music. Whether “Beginnings” is (as the name intends) the first in a series of albums from Derricks remains to be seen, but a proclaimed willingness to experiment and expand beyond set genres and divisions is probably one of the most exciting things any new musician could indicate. “Beginnings” is a superb start, and Derricks’ mission as a musician has seemingly limitless potential.
Aaron Shakra is a freelance reporter
for the Oregon Daily Emerald.