Blues
Continued from Page 9
leathery vocals of Bud Spires arc also
an unforgettable part of “Devil Blues.”
Big Jack Johnson, who was re
corded in a lounge, cut “Catfish
Blues,” “Big Boy Now” and the tear
jerker, “Daddy, When is Momma
Coming Home.”
Originally, “Deep Blues” was a
fiImpound track. British rocker Dave
Stewart wanted to document an al
bum on Film, paying tribute to the
down-home blues and rhythm and
blues that has inspired contemporary
rock artists.
Stewart contacted Palmer to pro
duce the sound track, and Palmer
turned the project into more than a
sound track.
Seven of the 15 performances in
cluded on the album are not in the
film. Even the mixing sessions for the
film and album were “completely
separate projects,” according to the
“Deep Blues” biography written by
Palmer.
A 24-track recording truck met the
musicians on their porches, at house
parlies, juke jointsand clubs, faraway
from the sterility of modem studios,
Palmer said.
Blues musicians featured are
Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, John
son, Frank Frost, “She-Devil” Jessie
Mac Hemphill, Roosevelt “Booba”
Bamos, Lonnie Pitchford on his elec
tric diddley bow, Owens and Spires.
Listeners don’t have to be familiar
with these musicians to enjoy their
brand of blues.
Just listening to this release could
change one’s whole outlook on music
and certainly help develop a greater
appreciation for blues and rock. In
that sense, Palmer and Stewart ac
complished what they set out to do.
They’ve unearthed the roots of rock,
buried deep in the delta blues — the
core of contemporary music.
Listen closely and it is easy to
identify the guitar runs that have in
fluenccd several American, as well as
British musicians such as Eric Clapton,
the Rolling Stones and John Mayall.
Indeed, “Deep Blues” is worthy
music, and if you squint your eyes at
the fine type inside the cover, you’ll
realize that the 15 tracks of home
grown blues aren’t all that Palmer
compiled.
Palmer also has written a short
biography on each contributing artist,
as well as documenting the why, where
and how of producing “Deep Blues.”
Palmer writes, “.. . this is music
from the heart of the heart of rock and
roll. PLAY IT VERY LOUD. If the
electric guitars aren’t slicing your
skull and dicing your brains likcchain
saws from hell, TURN IT UP.”
— Jill O'Brien
Courtesy of Atlantic Records
David A. Stewart and R.L. Burnside contributed to the “Deep Blues” soundtrack.
Kennedy Center
hosts annual
gala, bestows
many honors
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cyd
Charisscdanced for Ginger Rogers,
Yo Yo Ma led a sea of cellos in a
concert for conductor and cellist
Mstislav Rostropovich, and Aretha
Franklin sang her soul classic “ You
Send Me” for jazz vibraphonist
Lionel Hampton.
Such were the tributes bestowed
on this year’s KcnnedyCentcr hon
orees, who attended a gala in their
honor at the Kennedy Center Opera
House Sunday night.
Honored with Rogers,
Rostropovich and Hampton were
husband and wife actors Paul
Newman and Joanne Woodward
and modem dance choreographer
Paul Taylor. 1
At a reception in the East Room
of the White House earlier in the
evening, President Bush thanked
the honorccs for their contributions
to the arts in America.
“Whether we’ve tapped our feet
to their music, hummed their tunes,
glided around our living rooms —
something to witness — or grinned
at the movie screen, or maybe even
waved an imaginary baton,” Bush
said, “tonight’s honorccs have de
livered a lifetime of performances
that have carried us to places and
emotions and ideals only the best in
the performing arts can reach.”
Guests at the White House re
ception included actors
TomSellcck, Gregory Peck and
Sam Walcrston, and jazz
musician Herbie Hancock.
Walter Cronkitc was host of the
Kennedy Center gala,which will
air on CBS Dec. 30.
■- ■
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DANCE CONTEST
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I 9 p m. I
I 1823 "0" Street *
NO COVER^
Sixties’ author makes comeback
with strong Alaskan characters
“Sailor Song”
Ken Kesey
Viking/Penguin Books
By Matthew Grant
Staff Reporter
A long lime in the coming il has
been, but with his new novel “Sailor
Song,” Ken Kesey once again has
proved the critics wrong.
Many had written off the 60s icon
and author of “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest” as an almost-been, a
former prophet whose brains were
french-fried from all that acid he once
so conspicuously took.
Not so.
After writing “Sometimes a Great
Notion,” his second novel, the origi
nal merry prankster abandoned the
novel as an artistic form.
Since then he has offered only
occasional writings, including a ragbag
collection of short pieces and
children’s stories.
But in this, his first substantial
literary outing in more than 20 years,
Kescy proves that he is still capable of
coming up with the goods.
“Sailor Song” is set in Alaska in
1994.
“First you should know why
Alaska,” Kcsey writes in “Sailor
Song.” “Because Alaska is the end,
the finale, the Last Ditch of the Pio
neer Dream. From Alaska there’s no
place left to go.”
This is typical Kcsey. For him
progress always has been associated
with movement, with pushing back
the frontiers and opening up'unex
plored areas.
Accordingly and typically, many
of the characters in the novel make
use of a wide range of drugs, includ
ing alcohol, marijuana and scoot, a
new designer upper that provides en
ergy and, in exchange, steals REM
sleep.
Characterization has always been
Kcsey’s strength and the small town
of Kuinak, Alaska, inhabited by Dcaps
(Descendants of Early Aboriginal
People) is rich with personality.
Things change for these characters
with the arrival of a Hollywood film
crew who want to transform the little
village to shoot a version of a classic
aboriginal story, "Sea Lion,” in the
novel penned by a round-eye in the
late 20th century.
“Sea Lion,” in reality, was pub
lished as a children’s story by Kesey
last year.
Kesey claimed to be writing this
novel for the MTV generation, and he
utilizes all of his magician’s bag of
tricks to grab the reader’s attention.
Possibly, he overdoes it.
If there is a fault with this story it
is that the narrative jumps around so
much that it is sometimes difficult to
keep track of.
Nevertheless, “Sailor Song" is a
strong and compelling novel that may
succeed in earning Kesey a perma
nent place in the list of notable au
thors of this century.
entejjcfednment
Music professor to give horn recital
From Staff Reports
Allen French, an assistant pro
fessor in the University of Nc
braska-Lincoln’s school of music,
will perform a horn recital at 8 p.m.
tonight.
French is a member of the Moran
Woodwind Quintet and the UNL
Faculty Brass Quintet. He also is
the principal horn player for the
Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and
the Nebraska Chamber Orchestra.
Prior to tcac hi ng at UN L, Frcnc h
was an assistant professor of horn
at the University of Alabama at
Tuscaloosa.
French will perform with pia
nisi Shirley Irek. Assisting will be
organist George Ritchie, soprano
Donna Harler, and Zhang Guo-wei
and Jolyn Mosher on horns.
The program will include selec
tions by J.S. Bach, Fran/. Schubert
and Alexander Zcmlinsky.
The recital will be at Kimball
Hall and is free to the nublic.
“A Christmas Carol” tickets on sale
From Staff Reports
Tickets arc on sale for ihc Uni
versity Theatre and Dance produc
tion of Charles Dickens’ “A Christ
mas Carol,”
The classic play, an adaptation
by Barbara Field originally pro
duced by The Gutheric Theatre,
will be staged at the Lied Center for
Performing Arts.
“A Christmas Carol” is directed
by Tice L. Miller, theatre, arts and
dance department chair, with the
assistance of Juliana Hagcmcicr
and Rob McKcrchcr.
The 82-mcmbcr cast includes
ghosts, 21 children under age 15,
two Saint Bernards and a labrador
Adult tickets' for “A Christmas
Carol” arc $18 and $14. Half-price
tickets are available for UNL and
Wesleyan students and youths 18
and under.
The production will be per
formed at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday
and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Satur
day and Sunday.
