I Page 6-Thursday, December 7, 1978-The Michigan Daily Basie swings the blues at Hill By LEE LEVINE Yea! The hill was swinning Tuesday night. Of course, I'm talking about the Count Basie Orchestra with Joe Williams who appeared at Hill Auditorium Tuesday night. For the last forty years, the Count Basie Orchestra has been considered by many to be the finest big band in jazz. Similarly, many have felt that the finest jazz vocalist of the last twenty- five years is Joe Williams. In light of these awesome reputations, it would seem quite easy for a concert featuring the Count and Joe Williams to fall short of one's expectations. But if those ex- pectations were for a fun, fabulous, and near perfect evening of "swinging the blues," Count Basie and Joe Williams didn't disappoint. FROM THE ONSET, the audience was treated to the kind of music that has made Count Basie famous. Ap- pearing by itself for the first set, the band performed with its customary raw power and tightness of sound. Featuring a number of younger players alongside old timers such as baritone saxman Charlie Fowlkes and guitartist ROBERTO ROSSELLINI' S 1945 11 1OPEN CITY Shot during"the dying days of the Nazis in Rome, this powerful film of human drama spanned Italian neo-realism. Most of the people i'n the film are not professional actors, and much of the footage was shot by hidden cameras. However, the tensions, the heroic resistance of the main characters are so intensely recreated as to make the film a masterpiece. In Italian (with subtitles). CINEMA GUILD TONIGHT AT 7:00 and 9:05 OLD ARCH. AUD. $?.50 The U-M SCHOOL OF MUSIC PRESENTS THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN nce ~mpany FRIDAY, DECEMBER $ at 8 PM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 at 8 PM SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10at 3 PM POWER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS PREMIERE PERFORMANCES OF WORKS BY GUEST ARTISTS " GUS SOLOMONS,JR. (performing in his own work) * LAURA GLENN (funded in part by the Nat'l Endowment for the Arts) * GARY LUND Special performance of Jose Limon's THE EXILES Tickets available at the P.T.P. Box Office in the.Michigan League Mon.-Fri. 10 am-1 pm, 2pm-5 pm Power Center Box Office opens 2 hours before each concert Freddie Green (who has been with Basie since 1937), the band exuded an enthusiasm that proved infectious for the audience and invigorating for the musicians. The band swung smoothly through old standards such as "Freckle Face," "John's Idea," "There Will Never Be Another," "One O'Clock Jump," and "Doggin' Around." Following the Basie-led rhythm section's solid and unfettered tempos, the band played with bluesy emotion, riffing in unison in the classic Basie style. The orchestra was particularly effective in its playing behind improvisation. Doing songs such as "There Will Never Be Another," the band exhibited, the Basie style of picking out a blues riff from the solo (in this case played by alsto saxman Henry Dixon) and then sounding that riff out behind the improvisation. This accom- paniment continually pushed the soloists to greater heights during the band's scintilating solo work. But maybe the most impressive characteristic of the Basie band is its simple uncluttered sound. The band, like its leader in his piano stylings, never wastes a note. Thus every note that is played comes shining through with clear punctuation and power un- clouded by needless musical ramblings and fills. DESPITE THE BAND'S obvious strengths, the performance was not devoid of a few weaknesses: Unlike Basie's laconic improvisation, the younger members of the band tended to travel little distance with their solos, despite adequate solo space. This was exemplified by trombonist Dennis Wilson in a Jay Jay Johnson piece. While possessed of technical vir- tuousity (rapid tongueing, circular breathing, and effective gliscando dominated his solo) Wilson opted for the maximum number of notes and techniques-which only served to mud- dle and confuse his solo. The only other disappointment of the first set was the band's arrangement of the uncharac- teristic "Just The Way You Are." Only brash young singer Dennis Roland's smooth cool voice saved this piece from being a total failure. Nonetheless, brilliant as his accom- paniment was during the first set, blues singer Joe Williams captivated the near sell-out crowd with his smooth, elegant and dynamic voicings. Opening the second set with the classic "Everyday," Williams was at his "sweet bluesy" best. The song, featuring an unison cry of sympathy from the band members after a typical Williams lament (throughout the evening the band had fun with a num- ber of antics), climaxed with a charac- teristic Williams wail sliding into the upper register at the end of the song. Williams continued to shine with his super range and emotion on songs such as "Going to Chicago," "Shake, Rattle and Roll," and "All Right, Okay, You Win." Williams enchanted with his charismatic stage presence and "down home" musings during the ribald tune "Person to Person." He amused the audience during this number with "If You're Feelin' Good, You're Supposed To, But If I'm Not, You Ain't Doin' Me Right." In the end, Williams' smooth- as-silk voice, backed by the band that made it famous, stole the show. In short, the clean, tight, sound of the Basie band, with the sweet blues of Joe Williams provided a fabulous evening of swing. Daily Photo by WAYNE CABLE Count Basie brought his big band sound to Hill Auditorium Tuesday evening. REC...ORDS Thurs., Dec. 7, 8 pm Rackham Auditorium Free Admission The Ili i eIrsit' ofNMic iig azz and! Sessions for counselors Experienced counselors who would like to improve their skills in developing structured group programs for adult clients are invited to take part in a workshop Dec. 4-5 sponsored by the University Center for Continuing Education of Women (CEW), the University announced. The workshop, titled "Designing Structured Group EXperiences," will be held in the Rackham Building. Ad- vance registration is required. The fee is $25, with continuing education units available. CEW can be contacted at 763- 1535 for registration or further infor- mation. Seger 's night moves rock home audience (Continued from Page 5) blin' Gamblin' Man," and "That Old Time Rock'n'Roll." The later is already a classic in the company of Chuck Berry's great ones, even though it is one of Seger's newest songs. Tuesday night, he turned it into a spiritual num- ber, exhorting the massses to rise to the beat, which they did. It wasn't hard to appreciate Bob Seger's vision when he sang lines like: Today's music ain't got that some soul- I love that old time rock'n'roll... But too often, Seger seemed a slave to hissongs, offering up live versions that hardly differed from their studio, predecessors. This was especially true with ballads like "Beautiful Loser," "Still the Same," "Main Street,'' "Till it Shines," and "We've Got Tonite." The encores, however, were great. Seger came on wearing a Bruce Springsteen t-shirt and an acoustic guitar, and began to strum "Night Moves." A series of white lights, sen- ding down delicate luminescent rays, filled the stage, and an orange spot illuminated Seger. Two mirror( balls were lit, sending tiny spots of white throughout the arena. Suddenly, Seger reached the end of a verse, and the mirror balls and he stopped dead. It was like a freeze frame. "Night Moves" led right into "Hollywood Nights," a big rocker from Stranger in Town. We danced our way into oblivion, but Seger decided we hadn't heard enough, so he returned a second time, this time wearing a maize and blue t-shirt reading "1" on all sides. The sizzling chords were familiar-it was a Chuck Berry tune all right. "Little Queenie," to be precise. A fantastic rendition of "Little Queenie" to be even more precise. Seger turned this old gem into a tour-de-force, imbuing it with all the character of the Silver Bullet Band. Towards the end, the saxophone rang out from the right, we turned our heads, and la and behold! -Reed was standing way over in right field, ripping holes in the universe as the people around him cheered him on. As we left, some were humming "Hollywood Night," some "Still the Same," and some "That Old Time Rock'n'Roll." No one was humming Gino Vannelli tunes. By LEE LEVINE Current electric jazz and present variations on the "fusion" theme have propelled many one-time obscure jazz musicians into the forefront of today's popular music. While garnering mass acceptance, the trade-off for these musicians has been scorn from critics for their commercialism and the com- promising of their talents. The criticism has been deserved in some cases, and unjust in others. - The Pat Matheny Group, however, has. not suffered from criticism on this count, either just or unjust. THE GROUP revolves around 23- year-old guitarist extraordinaire Pat Metheny. A Kansas City native, Metheny started playing with vibraphonist Gary Burton right out of high school. Having created some ex- citing music with Burton to 'rave reviews, Metheny decided it was time to break off and begin his own unit. The group has just recorded its third album, and is finally receiving its due in recognition. Although the first two albums were critical successes, the group dawdled in obscurity, partly because of poor promotion. But you can't hide a good thing, and the Pat Metheny Group has arrived. The group's most recent release, Pat Metheny Group, has been very successful and is currently No. 10 on the Billboard jazz charts. In ad- dition, the group has already been named number one top new jazz group of 1978 by Record World and was rated number one in national jazz air play in October and November by Radio Free Jazz. It is very easy to understand Metheny's critical acclaim. The Pat Metheny Group is brilliant. The album is one of the finest contemporary jazz works released in a long time. Categorizing the music is not simple and not entirely fair. But for those un- familiar with Metheny's music, I will say it is a type of sophisticated fusion with much more emphasis on jazz than on the style's other elements, though it is electric with the exception of acoustic piano. But the Metheny band is unique in its presentation, sound, and concept. Its music is visual, in that it inspires imagery, using layers of sound derived from a polytonal approach interspersed with image-rendering accidentals and related effects. The group weaves a tapestry of sound that envelops the listener and leaves him with his senses reeling. SIDE ONE HAS only two songs, and they might just be the finest works Metheny has ever written. The opener, "San Lorenzo," which with the other song on this side has received the majority of the air play, begins em- phasizing Metheny's unique guitar work. For this song, Metheny restrung and retuned his 12-string guitar to produce a stunning and beautiful sound. This sound serves as the foundation for a colorful and textured sound excursion into the serene and yet sometimes disquieting solitude of San Lorenzo. Layered over Metheny's guitar effec- ts and discreet synthesizer work, which lend dabs of color to the San Lorenzo picture, is a Lyle Mays acoustic piano solo reinforcing the tranquil yet alar- ming theme. Mays, a North Texas State Jazz Band prodigy, amazed critics with a solo piano performance at that school a couple of years ago. Though he invites comparisons with Keith Jarret, Mays is still quite unique in his sound. As his solo wanders from a quiet and sensitive state to a briefly powerful crescendo and then once again to a pensive and sedate one, the listener feels the building tension camouflaged at first by the sensual melody. This eloquent solo plays the major role in the song. Metheny doesn't solo hereasMay's piano work makes this unnecessary. But Metheny lets loose in the next song, entitled "Phase Dancer." His playing, understated and laid back at first, slowly evolves into a sensual apd imaginative solo, occasionally inter- spersed with quick licks of speed, bu more often soft and caressing, in con- trast to May's more brooding and sen- sitive keyboard work. The group plays this song with extraordinary precision and builds to a furious climax as tie song finishes. THE SECOND side is much the same but also includes an acoustic guitar in- terlude, a light jazzy piece, and a tribute to bassist Jaco Pastorias. Metheny's bassist Mark Egan, playing fretless electric bass, aqd drummer Dan Gottlieb, who plays on Gubert Laws' most recent album, are both impeccable musicians who lend a creative and driving rhythmic force backing the solos of Metheny and Mays. Overall, Metheny and his group. weave an amalgam of clean, textured, and resonant sounds for the listener that are guaranteed to make Pat Metheny Group a breathtaking sound experience. Student gets scholarship James Baumgartner, assenior at the University, has been awarded a two- yearPower Exchange Scholarship to study at Magdalene College in Cam- bridge, England, the niversity an- nounced. He has been on the varsity track and field and cross country teams for three years and earned three varsity distance records. SEE Abbott & Costello Curse... SEE Mr Spock Laugh SEE Red Skelton's Cow drop a load onstage... All this and more dl , BL0 R S" Never Before Shown Censored Scenes From Movies & T.V.! Featuring Outtakes You'll NEVER See on Television! Including . JOHNNY CARSON eSTAR TREK "*ABBOTT &COSTELLO #eBORIS KARLOFF 9*WC. FIELDS s RICHARD BOONE " SAMMY DAVISWJR C JAMES ARNESS " ORIGINAL" LAUGH IN a DON RICKLES * DON ADAMS SCRAZ COMMERCIALS *"RED SKELTON * WILLIAM CONRAD *OLD TIME MOVIES esTHE BE ATLES " JACK BENNY e ROD SERLING "WAGON TRAIN *TV NEWS J DEAN aDICKE VAN DYKE s SOB HOPE s HOGAN'S HEROES # JAMES GARNER a NIXON. ETC ETC. MIDNIGHT SHOWS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY Tickets on sale at 11:30 i