Tuesday, February 27, 1973
I HE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Three
Tuesday, February 21, '1973 1HLMICJ-IIGAN DAILY Page Three
Hancock soars,
Hubbard grounded
By BERT STRATTON
Herbie Hancock and Freddie
Hubbard had their night at Hill
Aud. last weekend. Herbie Han-
cock was great, and Freddie
Hubbard wasn't so great. The
concert contrasted the intricate
electric compositions of Hancock
with the facile slick tunes of
Hubbard.
First up was Hancock and his
septet. They came out with an
armful of instruments and they
used them all-everything from
cowbells and wood blocks to an
arp synthesizer.
They played a small bundle of
tunes rolled into a couple lengthy
pieces. All of the tunes were fair-
ly new ones and all of them were
rhythmic masterpieces. It seems
the new electric jazz is moving
more and more towards rhythm
in an attempt to free the melody
from any narrow chordal restric-
tions. Herbie Hancock's septet is
leading that movement. Miles
Davis' group is interested in
that too. In fact it's hard to talk
about Hancock without mention-
ing Davis' influence on him.
What Hancock played Satur-
day night could not have hap-
pened without Miles Davis com-
ing first - especially D a v i s'
"Bitches Brew" album of a
couple years ago.
Miles Davis established the
OPEN DAILY AT 12:45
SHOWS AT 1:10-3-5-7-9 P.M.
new modal electric music. He
popularized the electric piano
and the electric bass, and he
brought in the Latin. percussion-
ists and all the hells.
Hancock's followed up on it.
He's listened to his Sly Stone,
his Miles Davis, and his R&B,
and he's synthesized a new mu-
sic which is every bit as good
as Miles Davis'. Actually it's bet-
ter, because Hancock writes very
beautiful ensemble arrangements
(which his horn section plays
periodioAlly throughout his num-
bers), and these unison arrange-
ments tend to hold Hancock's
compositions together, g i v i n g
them a unity that Davis' tunes
lack.
Hancock's music is dangerous
stuff. It should only be tried by
people who've played with Davis
-men like John McLaughlin and
Wayne Shorter. There's too much
room for shucking in the music.
Another thing - I think Han-
cock's music is too demanding
for most people. Some people out
there are only kidding them-
selves. They've been caught up
in the recent apotheosis of Miles
Davis and all he stands for.
Some people are just riding the
weirdness w a v e, waiting for
something great to happen again
in rock music.
And I'll admit it-I can't stand
most of the new electric jazz.
It's too pretentious, too overtly
searching for cosmic conscious-
ness.
Ray Charles is a lot more cos-
mic than Miles Davis is at this
moment. I think Hancock's music
falls somewhere in between.
Hancock's on the front lines of
innovation but he's not making
a big revelatory thing about it.
He's an unassuming person and
his music shows it. He gives his
listeners some aids, just enough.
As for Freddie Hubbard's
group, there's not much to say.
They came on and did a version
of McCartney's "Uncle Albert."
Then they did "The Godfather."
It was as slick and shiny as
Hubbard's record covers.
But it wasn't terrible. It was
occasionally very mellow, as
when Hubbard played his flugel-
horn. But it rarely got off the
ground.
His sidemen were incredibly
b o r i n g. Their improvisations
sounded prerecorded (as oppos-
ed to Hancock's sidemen, who
were very cohesive and interest-
ing).
Freddie Hubbard has taken a
job in the soul-jazz factory, re-
working pop tunes by putting in
a couple standard embellish,
ments, and then going out and
making big money.
He used to be an upcoming
trumpeter with promise. Now
he's beyond help. He can put you
to sleep, especially if you listen
to him right after Herbie Han-
cock.
tonight
Hickerson brings
new songs to Ark
By LORRE WEIDLICH
Every time Joe Hickerson per-.
forms at the Ark, even the most
critical of Ann Arbor's folk audi-
ence go to see him. Yet per-
forming is not his full-time job;
archiving at the Library of Con-
gres in Washingtton, D.C. is.
In charge of the largest folk-
lore collection in the country,
Hickerson assembles and cata-
logues all collected songs, from
recorded and taped sources as
well as books and manuscripts.
The archives were begun by the
Works Project Administraftion
during the Depression and are
now maintained as a valuable
record of dead and living U.S.
traditions.
Because of his experience in
the Library of Congress, Hicker-
son always has new songs to
perform, and he wants to teach
them to everybody. He seems to
have a very special attraction
unshared by other performers.
I've yet to hear anyone say that
he's "just not exciting" or -that
they've overdosed on his music.
Partly this is due to the fact that
evenings with Joe bring out the
very best in the whole Ark scene
-he creates a mellow, com-
munal-type atmosphere in which
people can relax and join in the
choruses. Partly it's the variety
of his repertoire-he sings every-
Doily Photo by KAREN KASMAUSKI
Herbie Hancock at Hill
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89.5 fm
By HERB BOWIE
Back in the days of the early
Yardbirds, fans used to scrawl
"Clapton is God" on the walls
around London. Well, Clapton is
not God. We all know that. But'
who else could still have people
believing in him after having
gone so long without performing
any miracles?
The latest "new" Clapton al-
bum is simply, and deceivingly,
entitled Clapton (Polydor PD
5526). "Deceivingly" because, al-
though, not billed as an an-
thology or a greatest hits album,
it contains nothing but four songs
from Layla and four from Eric
Clapton! Were unsuspecting re-
cord buyers to miss the tiny,
fine-print statement in the bot-
tom left-hand corner of the back
of the album cover - "The con-
tents of this record have been
previously released in other col-
lections" - they might quite nat-
urally assume that these ver-
sions are different from t h e
originals. Apparently this is what
Polydor hopes will happen, for
why else release such a strange
collection (the four songs from
Eric Clapton are quite obviously
about the worst ones on that al-
bum) and package it in such a
manner? The whole thing verges
on fraud, and I think it highly
unethical for stores to even sell
the record.
In Concert (RSO SO 2-8800), by
Derek and the Dominos, is quite
a different story. Although I can
only assume that the double al-
bum - coming as it does, near-
ly two years after it was re-
corded - was a mere mercenary
afterthought on the part of the
Robert Stigwood Organization,
it's a pretty good album. Not
great, you understand, not t h e
new Clapton album we've all
been waiting for, but pretty
good.
The first couple of times I
heard it, I was sure I'd hate it.
Duane Allman turned down an
offer to tour with the group, and
Bobby Whitlock makes no effort
Cia pton may not be God,
but he'll do in a pinch
to compensate for the missing
lead guitar by improvising a lit-
tle on keyboards. Instead, he
plays incredibly simple rhythm
parts, and I expected the album
to suffer as a result. There are
also some just plain dumb moves
on the album. There's an utter-.
lv worthless drum solo in "Let It
Rain" that lasts about five min-
"tes; Whitlock plays piano on
"Presence of the Lord" - a
hymn, for Chrissake! - instead
of org9n. And, on "Tell t h e
Truth," the band absurdly re-
Deats the bridge, whose only
finction is to build a little ten-
sion before the chorus, about 50
times while Clanton improvises.
Despite all these blunders, I
found myself liking the album
about the third time around. In
Concert has a raw vitality to it
that was totally absent from the
restrained vrecision of E r i c
Clacton and was pretty m u c h
buried on Layla under the lush-
ness of all those guitars. Here,
Derek and the Dominos finally
deliver what the band's name has
always promised: a double shot
of 100 proof rock 'n' roll.
In fact, this album just about
convinces me that, had Derek
and the Dominos stayed together,,
they could have given the Roll-
ing Stones a run for their money
as the greatest rock 'n roll band
in the world. Like the Stones,
Derek and the Dominos was
basically just a plain old-fash-
ioned rock 'n roll band, with a
touch of blues thrown in f o r
variety. And, again like t h e
Stones, the Dominos had a uni-
que refinement of that simple
rock 'n roll base: in the case
of the Stones, it's Jagger's lyrics
and vocals; for the Dominos it
was Clapton's guitar. And finally,
as In Concert shows, the Dom-
inos, like the Stones, was a great
live band.
Clapton is absolutely at his peak
here, doing exactly what he does
best: playing rock guitar with an
unmatched combination of power
and grace: explosively exciting
yet also precisely controlled,
wildly improvisational yet always
staying within the song, constant-
ly pushing it along and building
it. The vocals, both Clapton's and
Whitlock's, are just about per-
fect - raw, hoarse, and ear-
thy, and showing more spontane=
ity than they ever have in the
studio. Jim Gordon's busy drum-
ming works beautifully, keeping
everything moving at a frantic
pace, and Carl Radle and Bobby
Whitlock provide simple, b u t
solid, rhythmic support for the
group.
To be sure, In Concert has its
low points. Its highs, though,
more than make -up for them.
The chorus of "Let It Rain," with
Clapton and Whitlock scream-
ing out the vocals and Clapton's
guitar frenetically working be-
hind them, punctuating and ac-
centing eloquently; Clapton and
Whitlock trading hoarse shouts
on the bridge on "Tell the
Truth;" Clapton's guitar on "Why
Does Love Got to be So Sad," as
good as anything he's ever done:
these moments, and others on
the album, are good enough that
I'm willing to predict that this
is going to be the live album of
the year.
Hopefully, though, not the Clap-.
ton album of the year.
Joe Hickerson
thing from ballads to spirituals.
Partly it is because of a sense
of expectation-what new songs
will Joe be coming with this
time?
His involvement with folk mu-
sic is quite a change for a man
who began in physics. Joe had
some interest in folklore and
playing the guitar when he be-
gan as an undergraduate at Ob-
erlin, but he found that the years
he spent there intensified his in-
terest, not only in performing
(which he did at Oberlin), but
also in finding out about songs.
In fact, by the time he gradu-
ated he found that he wasn't
much interested in physics and
very interested in folklore. So
he went on to Indiana University,
which has the oldest folklore
program in the country, to pick
up his M.A.
What's Joe's advice to anyone
thinking about being a folklorist?
Find the available courses in
your university and take them.
Moreover, see if your university
has a folklore society or club
and take advantage of it. Hicker-
son believes in folklore societies;
he founded Oberlin's.
ARTS
I am trying
to bribe you
with
uncertainty,
with
danger,
with
defeat.
... forge
luis
borges
That's mostly what you'll
find if you commit your
life to the millions in the
Third World who cry out
in the hunger of their
hearts. That...and fulfill-
ment too...with the
COLUMBAN
FATHERS
Over 1,000 Catholic mission-
ary priests at work mainly in
the developing nations.
We've been called by many
names - "foreign dogs" ..
~hope-makers" . . "cc.pital-
ist criminals"..."hard-nosed
realists"...
Read the whole story in our
new
FREE BOOKLET
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The Morning After
Progressive Rock
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This Week in Sports
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Progressive Rock
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EMU-MAJC
PRESENT
J.
MARK AL
OR EVENTS COMMITTEE
FS:
MOND and FOCUS
TICKETS ON SALE: $2.50, $3.50, $4.50
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4 ACADEMY
AWARD
NOMINATIONS!
INCLUDING
-BEST PICTURE
-BEST ACTOR
-PAUL WINFIELD
-BEST ACTRESS
-CICELY TYSON
& BEST SCREENPLAY
Salvation Records
is having a special
on J. Geils, Mark
Almond, and Focus
albums for $3.29 each.
330 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor-9-8:00 p.m.
"ANN ARBOR'S OWN SALVATION"
D)AIL3Y Al
7, 93 5G
"SOUNDER"
A Robert B.Radnitz/Martin Ritt Film
"* * %... Sheer and
unexpected terror! A tough,
bitter little sleeper ofa movie
about four times as good as
you'd expect! Unbearable
tension!"
-Chicago Sun Times
1
Lst 2 Days
7:20 & :00
761-9'700
CULTUR \INLAR'
SPECIAL CONTEST TIP - David Bromberg look-alike con-
test in the Fishbowl at 7.
ANAIS NIN-lecture and readings from her works at 8 in
Rackham Lecture Hall.
FILM-AA Film Co-op presents Peoples' Sweet Sweetback's
Baadassss Song in Aud. A, Angell at 7, 9; Cinema Guild
shows Mann's Winchester "73 in Arch. Aud. at 7, 9:05;
New World Film Co-op presents Please Stand By, followed
by discussion with filmmaker at 7, 9:30 in 'Aud. 3,.MLB;
History 104 Film Series shows Satyjit Ray's Devi in 1528
CC Little at 7:30.
CREATIVE ARTS FESTIVAL-"All Things That Are, Are
Lights"; discussion - screening with filmmaker Stan
Brakhage in Aud. 3, MLB at 3; Brakhage's Sexual Medi-
tation Series and Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes,
followed by discussion with filmmaker, at 8:30 in Nat.
Sci. Aud.
MUSIC - Black Music series: Anderson White talks on
"The Organization of Instrumental Ensembles in the
Black Community;" Music School features John D. Lar-
kin conducting the U Varsity Band at 8 at Hill.
Wednesday and Thursday, February 28 and March 1
Department of Speech Communication and Theatre
Student Laboratory Theatre
PRESENTS
SOME IMPROV FIGURES
developed for performance with a new play
WE CAN'T ALL BE HEROES
by ALDEN FLANDERS
ARENA THEATRE FRIEZE BUILDING
Promptly at 4:10 or earlier if the theatre is filled
ADMISSION FREE
* TONIGHT.
Midterm blahs set in?
Escape for a little while
and join us:
Infnrmation
DOUBLE FEATURE-STARTS THURSDAY
Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn in Bob
Rafelson's "KING OF MARVIN GARDENS."
Also Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, Susan Tyrell in John
Huston's "FAT CITY.".
Telsi
NEW WORLD MEDIA presents
* PLEASE STAND BY *
starring DAVID PEEL as FREEMONT ZAPATA
"THE ROBIN HOOD OF GUERRILLA TELEVISION"
Columban Fathers
St. ColumbansNeb.68056
Please send me a copy of your
E booklet. No strings.
MUSIC BY
DAVID PEEL and THE
LOWER EAST SIDE
JOHN LEN NON and
YOKO ONO
...... i 4 . . . .U1.fe
WITH:
Wendy Apple
(Putne.y Swope)
Alex Bennet
(WPLJ FM)
Roberts Blossom
(Slaughterhouse-5)
nn,;A D aI
I
I