Tuesday, January 8, 1974
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Five
Tuesday, Jnuary 8, 174 THE MICIGAN|DAIL
Blues
By KURT HARJU
Despite musical activities such
as the Blues and Jazz Festivals
and the upcoming Bob Dylan
concert, Ann Arbor's everyday
music scene has been at times
unjustifiably bleak - until re-
cently.
Since the People's Ballroom on
Washington St. burned down, the
presentation of music (with the
exception of places like the Blind
Pig and the Ark) was in the
hands of the local bar-owners
who could, but more often could-
n't, provide the kind of music
Ann Arbor audiences wanted to
hear.
There was no community cen-
ter where people could meet and
dance as they used to at the Peo-
ple's Ballroom. And there was
no place that offered any of the
music that annually gave rise
to the Blues and Jazz Festival.
Except for an occasional c )n-
cert, there was just no place to
and
go for a good evening of m.isic.
That is, of course, until list
scmester.
Those coming back from sum-
mer vacation found the Piimo
Showbar (with its slogan "Dis
place is smokin' ") in full swing
in what was formerly Mackinac
Jack's. Since last July it was of-
fering the very best in local rock
n roll, a selection of nationally
known artists - many of which
were blues groups, and the tine
and space to boogie at a reasen-
able price.
Another place, the King Plea-
sure Jazz Club, was just opening
up in October in the basement
of the Frontier Beef Buffet with
an impressive first act: Charles
Lloyd. For a price comparable to
that of a concert, one could sit
comfortably and close to thf
performer, listen to high quality
jazz, and have a few drinks or
food besides.
Things started to loik up last
jazz:
a 11 - and the two musical sites
h-ve bee2i looking bet-ler e,-er
si-Ce.
Last semester, the Primo Show-
bar featured Luther Allison Lfter
his triumphant return to last
year's Blues and Jazz Feival,
One-String Sam, Bobby "Blue"
Bland, Bob Seeger, CJQ, Wil-
lie Dixon, and Tim Buckley
among others.
In addition, the Primo pro-
vided a much-needed outlet for
the best of the local bands such
as Radio King and His Court of
Rhythm, the Rockets, and Lght-
in'-
On the other side of town, King
Pleasure was slowly building up
a following with the likes of
Jimmy Smith, Esther Phillips
and Mose Allison. Just over the
Christmas vacation, they brought
in three of the biggest names in
the business: Pharoah Sanders,
Sun Ra, and Charles Mingus.
Doc Watson, who delighted Ann
Mar ina
Arbor a few years ago with his
fine guitar picking, is appearing
at King Pleasure this week. Fred-
die Hubbard and Mose Allison
are also on the upcoming sched-
King Pleasure so far has been
successful enough so that they
will remain open.
Peter Andrews, President of
Rainbow Multi-Media, handles
the advertising and booking at
Barry Allen's Primo Showbar,
and feels that "they are provid-
ing a public service by present-
ing good and danceable music.
The two owners before us - Ma-
ckinac Jack's and Bimbo's -
were appealing to the straight-
frat type and they weren't get-
ting anywhere."
Past debts went along with the
place so it has been a real fin-
ancial struggle but Indrews notes
that "we're doing better than
anyone else has in this location
in the past 25 years."
Andrews says Primo is attract-
ing a 40 per cent return rate and
that many patrons are local re-
sidents other than just student.
He attributes this to the consist-
ently good music and open atmos-
phere that results in an oppor-
tunity for social interchange.
Fights, a real problem u n d e r
former managements, are "just
not hip here," Andrews s a v .
"Everybody gets along with each
other."
Primo has a $1 to $3 cover
charge and average liquor p ricy..
TV
highlightS
9:30
2 Movie: "Nightmare." A fleeting
glimpse of a sniper leads to terror
in this crime drama. Richard
Crenna, Patty Duke Astin.
11:30
2 Movie: "Heat of Anger." A female
attorney defends a building con-
tractor accused of murder. Lee J.
Cobb, Susan Hayward.
4 Johnny Carson. Guests: singer
Helen Forrest, comedian David
Brenner.
50 Movie: "Cafe Metropole." (1937)
Playboy (Tyrone Power) masquer-
ades as a Russian prince to win an
American heiress (Loretta Young)
and her money.
1:00
2 Movie: "Sea of Lost Ships." (1953)
A tribute to the U. S. Coast Guard
and its rescue work in the north
Atlantic.
"We're doing really w
six nights a week now.
other night we break ev
drews reports.
Next semester, Primo;
devote about nine nights
to national acts and pres
wide variety of music th
include a little jazz.
"We're not a really big
room for 250 people or
we don't make that mi
bringing in the well-knows
says Andrews, "but it d
success
ell about into improving the club and its
On tie services and into superior book-
en," An- ings. The engagements cost as'y-
where from $800 to $3000, and
plaIs to they try to pay most of that out
a month of the cover charge, which us-
entiog a ualiy runs about $3.50 (reduced
at might to $2.50 on Thursdays).
Requiring a $1.50 minimum for
place-- drinks and or food, King Pleasure
so - so offers a menu that includes chi-
ucn by pati, burgers, and turkey salad.
vn acts,'' "We've been mixing the best
Joes add food, atmosphere and entertain-
ARTS
Mingus in New York and only
80 people were there. He can
g-t over 100 here."
As a result, jazz acts j u s t
aren't as ex',ensive as one might
think. "We want to bring come
really good people that are k's-
ser known," says Lisa, "but v.,e
have to bring in the acts t h a t
draw in the people first. We're
in a good position - right be-
tween Chicago and Cleveland and
lots of people can fit us il.'
"We chose the name K i n g
Pleasure," John explains, "be-
cause he was a great scat sing-
er and his name also represents
the find kind of entertainment we
want to have here. If things go
bad we can always move in here.
We plan on making it work."
It seems that jazz has fin-
ally found a home in An, Ar-
bor, and Ann Arbor seems to feel
at home with jazz.
Although King Pleasure and
Primo provide different services,
they're filling the same basic
need. The local area has b e e n
responding with its attention
and attendance - and a sigh of
relief.
ROLAND STARS
HOLLYWOOD (UPI)-Oldtime
star and former "Cisco Kid"
Gilbert Roland will star in an
episode of "Kung Fu" with David
Carradine at Warner Bros.
We Style Hair ...
We Don't Just Cut it!
appointments available
Doscolo Barbers
Arborland-971-9975
Maple Village-761-2733
East Liberty-668-9329
East University-662-0354
some spice to the schedule and
we're pleasing the audience."
The success of the two clubs
does seem to be filling the needs
of the area's audiences who
keep coming back for nore. At
King Pleas!ire the need was
one which few knew before the
place actually existed.
"W~e love jazz,'' says Lisa
Gottlieb, who along with J o i n
Petrie, owns, manages, and books
the clib. They already had the
clb idea when the owner of :he
Frontier Beef Buffet, Richard
Carlson, came into Discount Re-
cords where John used to w'rk
a,d asked for advice in startinig
a jazz bar.
"He wanted to bring in the jazz
of the 30's and 40's," says John,
"and we told him it wiitldn't
work but if he was willing, we
co ld line np some acts that peo-
ple would come and see."
For a while, John and Lisa
were just managing and booking
the club. But Carlson finally lost
interest, so they bought t h e
place from him. Having gotten a
good ten-year contract From him,
they oresented Pharoah Sanders
on their first night on their
Right now John and Lisa are
living from engagement to en-
gagement and pouring any ;rofits
ment," says John, "and hoping
more people will come and find
out just how good it is. '
The club seats about 220 at
many small, candle-lit tables. No
seat is more than 35 to 50 fet
from stage with the majority be-
ing as close as you'd want to get.
John and Lisa have been able
to get such top-name bookings
partly because they've had to
draw a capacity audience for
fincial reasons and because the
artists have been available for
dates.
"Someone like Dylan can
make in one night what it takes
these guys - and they're real
artists - a couple of years to
make," John notes. "We saw
Daily Photo by STEVE KAGAN
Billion Dolar Baby
Alice Cooper croons into a microphone at his Dec. 12 Crisler Arena appearance. An audience of-
surprisingly enough-mainly University students celebrating their last day of classes watched Cooper's
Christmas Show, mostly material from his album "Million Dollar Babies." Unlike Cooper's usual teeny-
bopper crowd, the staid audience seemed curious to witness the sadistic, masochistic theatrics.
NEW WORLD FILM CO-OP
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WANTED
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PAY OFFERED
LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO
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unisex hair fashions
Nathan Kolender Lotry Shultz
John Vargas Bill Jo mison
BRING THIS AD FOR $1.00 DISCOUNT
Call 763-1107
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1&9 p.m.
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JAN. 9
THURS.
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Pp r ,
Modern Languages Aud. 3
Natur2l Science Aud.
Next week see: PINK FLAMINGOS (Mon.) DIARY OF A MAD HOUSEWIFE (Tue.)
& FELLINI'S ROMA (Wed. & Thurs.)
Jan. 21-Bunuel's BELLE DE JOUR
Jan. 22 & 23-STATE OF SIEGE
I
Jan.
Jan.
24-JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN
28 & 29-BUTCH CASSIDY &
SUNDANCE KID
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" r .6. .! '"k: :F "t 1' 4' ' ' Iroll' J }'' 7 Y ; ..4:' , ':: ,' .- J +i+" "
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my three sons
Jazz pianist and composer, Dave Brubeck, and his three sons, Chris, Dan, and Darius, will appear in
Hill Auditorium next week in a special ALL-BRUBECK CONCERT-featuring music composed and
performed by the Brubecks. A highlight of the concert is Brubeck's new cantata, "Truth," with Don
Th. Jaeger conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, our 100-voice Festival Chorus, Chris Bru-
beck's "New Heavenly Blue" rock group, and Char lene Peterson, soprano soloist. Erich Kunzel also
conducts the orchestra in other commissioned Brub eck works.
BRUBECK CONCERT ON THURSDAY, -JANARY 17, AT 8:30,
IN HILL AU DITORIUM
Tickets from $3.50 to X8.50
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