page 10
thursday, October 18, 1979
daily nebraskan
'
Bands original music defies classification
Bv Brian McManus
m
Although it is often called a jazz band, the Spencer
Ward Quintet is a group that defies classification.
"Actually, we are a fusion group. By that I mean that
we incorporate various styles-jazz, blues, classical, Latin,
rock, and anything else that sounds interesting," said
Spencer Ward.
Don't interpret this to mean that they play a wide
variety to appeal to all tastes. Far from it they play to
suit their own creative instincts. The result is the best,
tightest, most interesting local group I've ever heard.
We can do what we like-new and experimental
things, mainly because we don't rely on our music as our
sole occupation," Ward said. "We aren't playing for a liv
ing. We all have other things going on. We're playing to
have fun and express ourselves. Because of this, money
isn't dictating what we play. Well never turn into a cock
tail lounge band just because that's where the money is."
New Country by Jean Luc-Ponty and A Day in the Life
of a Fool, a Latin bossanova, are the only two songs in
their repertoire that are not originals. Almost all their
songs are written by Spencer Ward, with the band mem
bers contributing their own ideas on the arrangements of
their instruments.
"WE HAVE A lot of freedom in the group," said Bill
Hanlon. "And, although we improvise on tunes, we also
rehearse quite a bit so we have a tight, coordinated sound."
The group members have numerous interests and occu
pations outside the Quintet. Spencer Ward, who writes the
songs and plays an Ovation (an amplified acoustic guitar),
is currently working on his doctoral dissertation in coun
seling psychology.
"Originally, we figured the group would play to a very
limited extent, but people's response has been tremen
dous," Ward said. "It's kind of a drain; I'd envisioned it as
a once a month thing, but now we're playing just about
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Photo courtesy of U.S. Museum of Modern ArtFilm Stills Archive
Woman dons samarai mask in Onibaba, showing at Sheldon Film Theatre this week.
Two Japanese films at Sheldon
Sheldon's Japanese Cinema series has been well re
ceived with attendance topping 1,500 during the first
three weeks, according to film curator Dan Ladely.
The fourth week of the series features two films:
Hiroshi Teshigahara's Woman in the Dunes and Kaneto
Shindo's Onibaba
Woman in the Dunes is an allegory probing funda
mental questions of existence and the meaning of free
dom. The tale of a man held captive with a woman at
the bottom of a sandpit is influenced by the themes
found in Beckett, Pinter, and Kafka.
An entomologist collecting beetles on the dunes
misses his bus back to the city. Some natives offer him
assistance, and he is lowered by a rope ladder down to
a sandpit where he finds a woman willing to provide
food and lodging in her shack. He accepts and the next
morning prepares to leave. The ladder is gone and he is
trapped. Slowly the implications of the trap are reveal
ed. He has been put there to help the woman shovel
and load the shifting sand in baskets that are hauled up
from above in return for water and food.
Onibaba is about an elderly peasant woman whose
son has gone off to war, and her daughter-in-law, They
manage to survive the feudal wars by killing wounded
samurai, stripping their armor, and selling it.
One day a returning neighbor, Hachi, tells the
daughter-in-law that her husband has been killed. The
old woman becomes jealous when she sees the neighbor
and the daughter-in-law making love. Worried about
losing the girl, who is her means of survival, she tries to
scare the girl away from Hachi by donning a terrifying
mask she has stripped from a dead warrior's face. To
her horror, she is unable to remove the mask,
These films are showing at the Sheldon Film'
Theatre on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Onibaba (105 minutes) is scheduled as follows:, at 7
p.m. on Thursday; 3 and 9:15 p.m. on Friday; and 7
p.m. on Saturday.
Woman in the Du ncs (123 minutes): at 9 p.m. on
Thursday; 7 p.m. on Friday; and 3 and 9 p.m. on Sat-urday.
'Eat to Be Neat'
to build success
By Peg Sheldrick
In this superficial and highly image-conscious age, you
are continually bombarded with advice on Winning
Through Intimidation, Pulling Your Own Strings, Dressing
for Success, etc. With the help of these inspiring tomes
any 97-pound social weakling can achieve his or her own
fullfilment of the Peter Principle and kick sand in the
faces of peers on the great beach of life.
These books tell you everything from how high the
back of your chair should be to what kind of hairstyle will
get you a promotion. But they all neglect one vital area
that might be holding back millions of would-be whizzes:
every week. With rehearsals, promotion, bookings, and
composing, it's become quite a bit of work ... but I'm
really enjoying it."
Bill Hanlon, who plays vibes and flute, is the other ori
ginal member of the group.
"It all started about a year and a half ago. Spence and 1
met at a party of a good friend of mine. I had my flute
with me and Spence had his guitar. We immediately
clicked." '
WARD AND HANLON 'joined forces with Mehrdad
Eman, who played the Table (an eastern Indian drum) and
Rick Marsh, who played electric guitar. They formed a
group called Mandala.
'"We didn't quite have it together yet at.that stage,"
Ward said. "We did a couple of things, like playing for a
Christmas party at the Glass Onion, but the group wasn't
doing anything remarkable, by any means."
Mandala disintegrated shortly after that. Eman moved
to California and Marsh quit to join another band.
Ward and Hanlon decided to form another group. After
many interviews, they hired Dave Durham, who plays
violin.
Besides playing for the group, Burham is presently in
school, majoring in music education. He has also played
for the Lincoln Symphony.
The added element of the violin contributes to a fuller
sound and takes the group into some interesting direc
tions. Burham 's style can be compared to Jean Luc-Ponty.
He has a trained, exacting style, but can branch out into
innovative and creative solos.
The group later hired John Scofield for drums and
percussion.
"The great thing about John js his ability to blend into
our style of music-whatever we're playing," Ward said.
"It was difficult to find a drummer who fit with the rest
of us. But John has worked out great."
The group had planned stopping as a four-man band.
But Dennis Taylor, the bass player of the group, heard
what they were doing and wanted to join them. . ,
"AT FIRST, I was very skeptical," Ward said. "I
thought an electric bass would add too much noise to the
group. But Dennis convinced me to let him borrpw a tape
of the band. A week later, he came back, and could play
almost everything. There was no question about it, he was
a member." " -.
The band has been together since the end of, June.
Their sound blends naturally, and one would think
they've played for years with each other.
One of the most striking features of the group's work is
the quality of Ward's songs. The range in style and moods
is wide, but all songs show the expertise of the musicians
to its fullest. They'll be playing a song with a strong Latin
beat one moment and be jamming through a tune with a'
blues undercurrent the next.
BUT, MOST OF the time music can't be placed in any
real category. It's not standard jazz, rock or blues, but an
imaginative blend that combines many elements. Their
songs are always different and intriguing, but they never
get so diffuse that the average listener can't appreciate
them. rr
Ward is the spokesman of the group, giving short his
tones behind his songs. He builds a rapport between the
audience and the group, explaining the meanings of song
titles such as "Southbeach' "Genesis VI," "Shumway,"
and "Raphael Sabatini Lives."
T!ayi"8in x 8r,0"P has made my life a lot more in
terestlng Ward said. "It's something we are all very ex
cited with and enjoy doing."
The Spencer Ward Quintet will be playing at The Clay
ton House from now through Saturday.
"
the simple matter of eating.
cJhl' !f lhe Very nature of yur dinncr d dining
can be the key to your success. It's simply a matter of
atrJBK We"' ,a wh ?
iirsi chapter or my brand new book-Z-.W to be Near Oh
no d0', thank me. Just buy the book.
" JlUll! ""P1" of what youH be ftettlns-iust
enough ,0 whe, youf ,mlte
It Waft' m Wha' You E Who You Eat
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