Evolution deserves a listen
Review by
Cater Chamblee
Six weeks ago Evolution
came to town, but until last
night at Centennial College,
only the fortunate folk who
caught thei two weeks at The
Apartment had heard them.
Hopefully this oversight is
forever past, because the four
man group blows jazz,
America's premier music, a
music hardly ever played in
Lincoln.
Led by Vic Lewis, the
quartet does jazz standards
(Davis' "All Blues," Hubbard's
"Red Clay," Monk's "Straight,
No Chaser") and originals
(Lewis' "Virginia" and pianist
Bill French's "Apple Cores")
and did them well.
ITS PERSONNEL, Lewis on
drums, French on piano, Steve
Jensen on trumpet and Bruce
Colim on acoustic and fender
bass, are young conservatory
trained musicians whose
backgrounds include playing
with Clark Terry, Lee Konitz,
Sarah Vaughn and Lionel
Hampton, and they hope
to find a home here.
They play with fire and
with occasional brilliance
around town. Perhaps they will
find that home.
Certainly they deserve
hearing, and those who have
missed them, will get another
chance Friday afternoon at the
weekly Nebraska Union Jazz
and Java concert.
FRIDAY AND Saturday
night they play the Snack from
10 p.m. until everyone gets
tired. Sunday night at 9 p.m.
they work the Elms, just east
of Emerald. The Elms gig is an
open jam and any musician
with an urge to stretch out is
invited to bring his ax on by.
For years I've heard fellow
unfortunates wail at the
incredible death of live music
in Nebraskaland, and the
complaints were legitimate.
But there's something to hear
now, and if it goes away from
lack of support, perhaps we
really deserve that long, long
silence.
Black is beautiful in Hollywood
by Trish Reilly and Vern E. Smith
Newsweek Feature Service
Nobody has to tell America's movie
executives these days that black is beautiful.
For in city after city across the country, when
it comes to box office, black is boffo.
Films with black themes, black actors,
producers and directors are drawing black
audiences to downtown theaters in numbers
that are ballooning like an Afro hair-do. Black
movies are the phenomenon of the industry this
year and everybody connected with them is
making money.
TWO OF THE YEAR'S biggest film
bonanzas, for instance, have been a pair of
black productions-Siaf, which has grossed
more .than $14 million nationally, and Sweet
Sweetback's BaaJasssss Song, which has done
almost as well on an investment of only
$500,000.
"What we are seeing today is a black
audience that is now able to financially support
black movies," says Shaft's director, Gordon
Parks. "There's no doubt that the studios are
now shaping movies specifically for that
audience." And if the current crop of successes
is a guide, the shape will be in the mold of
Richard Roundtree's swaggering portrayal of
Shaft, the black detective who clobbers white
gangsters, or Melvin Van Peebles's hustling
Sweetback who makes it with a staggering
number of ladies, both black and white, and
clobbers white detectives.
ACCORDINC TO PARKS, the main
ingredient "is that you see blacks winning" and
this element, lacking in James Earl Jones's
performance as Jack Johnson in The Great
White Hope, is "very exciting to the black
community."
Neither Shaft nor Sweetback-nor, for that
matter. Cotton Comes to Harlem, Black Jesus,
The Liberation of L.B. Jones or the current big
draw, Soul to Sow, -got much critical praise but
they were winners with black audiences. The
Great White Hope was acclaimed but, like
Johnson, was a loser.
All sorts of people, naturally, are scurrying
to cash in on the black film boom. Pop star
Diana Ross, for instance, will play the part of
singer Billie Holliday in the upcoming Lady
Sings the Blues. MOM is planning a sequel to
Shaft called The Big Bamboo, plunging the
black detective into intrigues in Jamaica.
SOME CRITICS FEAR that the current
boom will produce a lot of trash and cynically
exploit the appetite of black movie-goers. One
critic notes that a good box office is guaranteed
"with the black over the white, with lots of
derogatory white gags. . .Any film that gives the
black ego a shot in the arm." Parks, though,
sees a big future for the black film. "It's not
just having a black star that does it, nor is it
dependent on the number of blacks in the
cast," he says. "Black films are going to get
better and say more and more, because blacks
no longer take just anything they can get."
IN YESTERDAY'S DAILY NEBRASKAN A
DISPLAY AD FOR THE CAMPUS BOOKSTORE IN
CORRECTLY ADVERTISED " ALL WOOL NAVY SWEATERS"
FOR $4.47. THE CORRECT PRICE IS $5.47.
Sheldon Art Gallery Tues. Dec.Jfh
Special Films 3,7,9 P.M. $1.00
J2L
fflLSLSL
Having recently fallen heir to several record albums, I decided
that it might be good if I started earning my keep and review
some of them. In this case, there are three lesser known artists, of
which hopefully, two will not remain lesser know.
Paul Williams, Just An Old Fashioned Love Song (A&M
Records)
On the back of the record jacket is a quote, There are those
who listen, and those who wait to talk. This album is dedicated to
the listeners." How true! You have to be a listener to appreciate
this record.
THE FIRST TIME I listened to this record, 1 thought, "Gad,
another commercial, Carpenters-type album. Nice for what it is,
but so what?" Then I listened to it again the next day, and again
the day after that, and suddenly I realized that as my moods
changed, so did my opinion of the album.
Williams has written the music andor lyrics for a majority of
the songs that he sings on the album. Williams' voice has a strange
irritating huskiness to it, but the more you listen to the record
the less you notice it, perhaps because of the beautiful lyrics on
many of the songs.
Backed mostly by piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass
and drums, on some cuts Williams has added woodwinds, brass,
strings and even kazoos on the title song.
ALTHOUGH WILLIAMS has included several songs which
have been recorded by various groups, "We've Only Just Begun,"
"Let Me Be The One" and "An Old Fashioned Love Song,"
Williams' best cuts on the album are his lesser known originals, "I
Never Had It So Good," "Waking Up Along," "That's Enough
For Me" and "When I Was All Alone."
As 1 said, if you're not a listener, don't buy the record, you
won't like it; but if you like on occasion to turn the lights down
low, and simply think. . .about something or someone. . .it's one
hellofa nice record.
Ron Cornelius, Tin Luck (Poly dor Records)
Cornelius is an accomplished guitarist, having backed such
people as the Kingston Trio, Flatt and Scruggs, Bob Dylan and
Leonard Cohen on various records as a studio musician. Perhaps
this is where he should have stayed.
Like Williams, Cornelius has written the majority of the songs
on the album, but I'm left with sort of a blah feeling in my
mouth after listening to it.
THE ONE REDEEMING factor of the album is Cornelius'
guitar work. As I said, he is a good guitarist, but his lyrics (which
sound very contrived) and his singing leave much to be desired. In
fact, probably the best cut of the album is an instrumental, "Left
Handed Lady," which showcases Cornelius' guitar talents.
Cornelius says his songs are "just songs, there is no gigantic
crusade. The only things I'm trying to say is I've learned some
things through my experiences, and at the same time I've hung
onto my guitar." Fine, but I like a little more in a record.
If Cornelius records an instrumental album I might buy it, but
a vocal one sorry.
William Truckaway, Breakaway (Warner Bros.Reprise
Records)
Backed by a passle of fine musicians (Charles Lloyd, Buddy
Emmons, Richard Greene, Arcelio Garcia, Jr., Norman Mayell
and Douglas Killmer, as well as others) Truckaway's first solo
album comes across extremely well.
ANOTHER ARTIST who wrote most of the music and lyrics
for the songs and who docs his own vocals, Truckaway has a
pleasing country-westernfolkish style. The easy-going homey
pattern that he sets down does much to reinforce this style.
Truckaway gives you a good, happy feeling. You know that he
honestly enjoys his music, and even if you don't like
country-westernfolkish music, I'd damn-well bet that you
couldn't listen to this album without slappin' a grin on your face,
kickin' off your shoes and beginning to stamp your foot. The
sound is that contagious.
THE WHOLE ALBUM is nice, but my favorites are
"Breakaway," "Way To My Heart," "Send Me Some," "Be The
One," "Where's My Baby" and an indescribable little song called
"Bluegrass."
Keep on truckin', Truckaway!
The NU School of Music will give their annual presentation of
George Frederick Handel's oratorio Messiah at 3 p.m. on Sunday,
Dec. 5, in the NU Coliseum.
Conducted by Prof. Karl Jenkins, Messiah will feature four
student soloists: soprano Sherri Allison, soprano Ka'thryn Harney,
tenor Roger Benjamin and bass Michael Wiese.
The presentation is free and open to the public.
THE WINTER'S TALE by William Shakespeare and directed by
NU Theatre student, Mitch Tebo, will be presented Dec. 9-1 2, at
8 p.m. in Room 301 Temple Building. There will be a 50c
admission charge for the full-length comedy.
The Mud Slim Slide Players will open their third review of the
season, The Gas Light Christmas Spectacular, at the Gas Light
Theatre on Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m.
The review will also run Dec. 10 and 11,17 and 18 and Jan. 7,
8, 14 and 15.
1.!yo
3eef flie beer-that tastes
as great as its name.
Ca ly e rt-B eve r Dist. CO. 800 S. Street LincqlnJNebraska
DRAFT (f)KcS
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PAGE 6
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1971