page 12
daily nebraskan
thursday, September 21, 1978
arts and entertainment
Blind blues Icing bases music on audience request
By Mary Jane Winqucst
"It's traditionalist to a point, but we're not purist
about it," says bassist David Kasik describing the "blues"
played by Bryan Lee and the Street Shuffle Band, per
forming in Lincoln for the first time this year at the Zoo
Bar, 136 N. 14th St.
Blues in the traditional B.B. King style are part of the
group's 75-tune repertoire, but the high-powered sound
put out by an amplified harmonica and organ is the band's
obvious point of departure from other blues heard in
Lincoln.
The honky harmonica, taking the place of a saxo
phone, was emotionally played by musician Madison Slim,
complete with widened eyes, waving hands and an un
ceasingly swivelling body, lean as the name implies.
Back at the Zoo
Slim, joined by his brother Bruce Koenig at the organ,
whined out a fine sound. Koenig, who has been with the
band six months, said he has played at the Zoo before
with James Solberg who is now teamed with Luther
Allison, another Zoo favorite.
"I was excited to come back, Koenig added.
According to Koenig, his brother had his own band
called Madison Slim and the Nightcrawlers before joining
Lee a year ago.
Blues seem to be popular in several midwestern towns,
according to Kasik. Me listed Lincoln, Madison, Wis., and
South Bend, Ind., as solid homes for blues music.
Between sets at the Zoo members of the Milwaukee-
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Bryan Lee, performing blues king at the Zoo bar.
Photo by Bob Pearson
based five-piece band agreed that blues were alive and well
there.
Club well-known
"WeVe heard so much about the club, so many of our
friends have played here," according to band leader Bryan
Lee.
Called the blind king of blues by other band members,
Lee said he has experienced an abundance of musical style
the plast 22 years. According to Lee, the three-year-old
band plays 28 days a month throughout the midwest.
Lee labels his music blues or rhythm and blues, but he
said his music varies, depending on the crowds reaction.
"If they feel like dancing then well play something
funky," Lee explained.
Probably a reflection of Lee's involvement a few years
ago in top 40 material is the group's upbeat, rocky sound.
Like Kasic said, their blues style is not purist.
B.B. King tunes
"Never Make a Move Too Soon," and "Beautician
Blues" are two of the B.B. King tunes played by the
group.
"I met a fine beautician in a real lost condition," Lee
wailed out as he almost exclusively provided the vocals.
Another crowd pleaser was the unusually titled tune,
"EverybodyWants To Go To Heaven But Nobody Wants
To Die."
Although the band opened Monday night at the Zoo,
Lee said they were taking a couple of nights off before re
turning there for shows tonight and Friday.
The blind band leader's musicatexperiences seemed the
most diverse, stretching back to 1956. Starting out imitat
ing his rock'n'roll idols Fats Domino and Chuck Berry,
Lee said, he then experimented with blues and instrumen
tal music similar to the Ventures before joining the
English movement in the 1960's.
Back to first love
"I had to make money ," Lee said, explaining his switch
to top 40 tunes in the early 1970's. "But I said to hell
with it," he added, and is now playing what he loves best,
the blues.
Lee, perched at the bar accompanied by his white cane,
said even though he is blind he is totally independent. Lee
said he has only two restrictions.
"I can't drive a car or read the printed page."
But the lead guitarist said he wants to clear up some
myths about blindness as he travels .with the group.
"This is my part as a musician, to tell that blindness is
a characteristic, not a handicap," he added.
Lee said he dislikes the airline's habit of temporarily
taking away canes from blind passengers.
"Airlines look upon canes as symbols, but they are
tools of mobility," according to Lee.
As the group travels the midwest, Lee said publicity is
the formula for drawing a crowd in a town the group has
never played in.
"When you get in to .town the first time round, you got
to make it sound like you are something special," Lee
explained.
About a recent performance Lee said, "We advertised
the hell out of it and 400 people came in."
Even though this is the group's first time in Lincoln,
there didn't seem to be much of the publicity Lee desired.
Larry Boehmer, Zoo manager, said he relies on the
group's music for publicity.
"If they sound good well have a crowd Thursday, and
they sound good."
Sophisticates finding more to wine than meets the lips
By Ben T. Shomshor
It is not easy for this writer to come to
grips with the loneliness and despair which
accompanies writing a food and drink
column. I have somehow dealt with the
nightmares in which I am stoned with stale
taco shells or drowned in an over-sized
deep fat fryer under the shadow of golden
arches.
I have reluctantly accepted the ludi
crous role of being the world's only dining
critic on a 1,200 calorie, low-fat, low
cholesterol diet. But, I shall never endure
the actions of copy editors who take it
upon themselves to define rose and red
wines as synonymous. To those of you
who were perplexed about the comments
on "red" wines in last week's column, I
apologize.
Those of you who did not notice
anything out of the ordinary, should
continue reading today's column.
Beer's position assured
Wine is not likely to replace beer as the
sustaining elixer of noble students. The
natural affinity of beer with pizza, Taco
John's burritos and one-night stands has
assured its position at the university. None
theless, wine drinking has enjoyed tremen
dous growth in the past decade, both in
terms of prevalence and sophistication.
Gone are the days when the man of the
world at UNL impressed young lovelies by
pulling out a bottle of Tyrolia. Today's
coeds may write off a potential suitor for
ordering a Grignolino to accompany
oysters on the half shell, and have even
been known to spread deprecatory rumors
about the quality of one's manhood should
a chap show up with a bottle of Chateau
LaSalle. In such an environment it be
hooves all of us to know a bit more about
wine.
Be challenged
Wine possibly is the most varied drink
ever devised by man -or by the gods, as the
case may be. Do not think of this as
notes from
table 8
making the task of understanding wine
impossible. Think instead of the amount of
research and experimentation you can
conduct. Let it be a challenge to your
intellect. It may also challenge your
bladder, liver, and 457 remaining brain
cells, but you've probably never noticed
your liver anyway.
If you have established certain tastes in
wine, but don't know where to go from
there, try to vary the types of wines you
like in a certain category. For example, if
you enjoy Gallo's Hearty Burgundy, try
several other California varietals such as a
Cabernet Sauvignon. If you once enjoyed a
Blue Nun Liebfraumilch, try a Johannis
berg Riesling from California, a German
Mosel, or a French Barsac. If, for some
inexplicable reason, you are mad about
Lancers Rose, drink a grenache rose from
Tavel.
Real wines next
After you finish that, you should start
drinking real wine. You may have esta
blished certain tastes, but not in wine.
These can also give you a clue from which
to start. A marked preference for bosomy
brunettes in dark velvet gowns may suggest
a potential fondness for "big" red wines.
A few words of advice: there is no need
for explorations into wine to over-extend
one's financial capabilities. Especially if
you are just beginning to enjoy the magic
of this nectar, you should stick to
relatively simple wines that you can appr.
date to the fullest extent of your ability.
Fortunately these are the wines suitable to
the student's budget. There is no reason to
spend thirty dollars on a bottle if you
cannot tell the difference from a two
dollar "jug" wine.
Seek reputable merchant
Find a reputable wine merchant that
can help you expand into new vistas. 1
would suggest that you check the follow
ing: Cliffs (1200 O St.) offers a small but
quality selection of both American and
imported wines. While most of the wines
may be outside of what your budget can
stand, they are very helpful when choosing
a bottle for a special evening.
The N-Street Drive-In (19th and N
streets) offers a wide variety of wine in all
price ranges. Within walking distance to
campus, and providing most all party
needs, their biggest flaw is the staff which
often seems unhelpful and ill-at-ease with
the large stock of wines.
The Cellar (6913 O St.) is off the beaten
path for most students. But if you want
gentle, sincere, and well-informed advice
about wine drinking and purchasing, make
a trip to this remarkable store. It will be an
education in itself.
Gross
is co
Gift yen
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