I
French String
The Michigan Daily-Sunday, February 5, 1978-Page 5
Trio wishy-washy
Priscilla Herdman
Aussie love Songs
fail to mlove crowd
By JOSEPH ROSEVEAR
p RISCILLA HERDMAN drew a small crowd at the Ark Friday night.
Those that came saw the rings on her fingers - saw them flashing
in the rudy light as she picked and strummed and sang. The quality of her
diction was most outstanding and her sweet voice touched by a soft vibrato
warmed the listeners.
Time does not pass inside the Ark. Listeners Friday night might have
noticed the clock on the mantel behind Priscilla. It reads perpetually 10:17.
Herdman played and sang twenty-five songs Friday night. Most of the
songs.she backed with guitar. A few she sang unaccompanied but for the
small efforts to sing along made by the braver members of the small and
unresponsiveaudience.
THE VERY COLD WEATHER that night may have kept a number of
would-be Ark patrons at home. However, this was Herdman's first perform-
ance at the Ark. In fact, this was her first performance in Michigan. As she
was born in Eastchester, New York and presently lives in Philadelphia, she
is likely more popular east of here.
There may have been forty at the Ark Friday night. Once warmed up,
the audience did join Priscilla for a few songs. The first song they joined was
"Peg and Awl." This was a rhythmic song about the advent in the early nine-
teenth century of a new machine for making shoes. "The awl was used to
punch holes in the leather and the pegs were used to fasten the leather
together all around the soles," Herdman explained.
She sang and played her "genuine, thrift store, silver plated soup
spoons," as she called them, while the audience followed her in two parts at
the recurring refrain. Half the audience was told to joinHerdman in singing
the ref rain, "peg and awl," and the other half was directed to parrot "peg
and a w." This sounded very nice against the rhythmic clicking and tapping
of the two spoons as she strummed them across her fingers and clapped
them against her cupped palm.
BESIDES SHOE MANUFACTURING, Herdman also sang about coal
mining and the textile industry. "I'm fascinated by the whole coal mining
labor movement and development of that area."
Of three songs about coal mining, the first was "Coming of the Roads,"
which described some of the personal ramifications of the growth of the coal
mining industry and the building of roads which accompanied this growth.
The next was "Dying River," a song which mourned the death of one of the
many rivers polluted and killed by coal mining. "Coal Tattoo," the third,
brought to mind the hardships coal miners suffered. Among other things the
song described the "coal tattoo." This is a blue discoloration of the skin
many coal miners developed after being hit by a spray of coal dust as would
happen often during the blasting of the coal with explosives.
There is no misunderstanding the words to any of her songs. "The rea-
son I try to make sure the songs are clear is I feel I have a lot of difficulty un-
derstanding other performers sometimes. I really hang onto the words,
that's what I want to listen to - depending on what the performer does.
There are other performers who are more instrumental," she explained.
"When I can't understand it," she said, "I'm frustrated by it. So,
therefore, I try to make sure that foremost is clear. If people don't know
what I'm singing, then what's the point?"
Depending on what festivals come up, Herdman might go to England
next June or July, or possibly Australia in December and January of next
year. Perhaps, the next time Herdman performs at the Ark - if ever she
does - she will be better received.
Player may make it
By DAVID VICTOR
F RIDAY NIGHT'S performance of
the French String Trio with flutist
Michel Debost was at first a disappoint-
ing affair. Fortunately, the evening
later improved as the artists rose to-
standards one would expect of such a
highly acclaimed group.
The concert began with a lackluster
The French String Trio
with Michel Debost
Rackham Auditorium
Quartet in G major, Op. 5, No.2
(Hob. n G 4) ........................... Haydn
Divertimento in E-fiat major, K. 563 ....... Mozart
Trio in G minor, Op. 66, No. 2.... Francois Devienne
Quartet in A major, K. 298 .................. Mozart
Gerard Jarry, Violinist; Serge Collot, violist;
Michel Tournus, Cellist; Michel Debost, Flutist
performance of Haydn's Quartet in G
major, Op. 5. The opening presto'assai
movement was not one of Debost's bet-
ter moments, overpowering the string
trio behind him and marred by an air
tone. Debost hardly sounded like the
first flutist of the Orchestra de Paris.
The piece was further hurt by a lack
of dynamic contrast in the menuetto
that followed. The overpowering ten-
dency of the flute was excusable in the
Adagio third movement, as much of it
'magazine'
By WILL RUBINO
"M USHROOM RECORDS regrets
[Vi.that a contractual dispute has
made it necessary to complete this
record without the cooperation or en-
dorsement of the group Heart, who
have expressly disclaimed artistic in-
volvement in completing this record,"
reads an album cover disclaimer on
Magazine, Heart's second LP. Record-
ed between Dreamboat Annie and Little
Queen, the record is available only' as
an import due to a legal dispute bet-
ween the band's old label, Mushroom,
and new label, Portrait.
Magazine
Heart
Dutch Arisa Spari 1024
Despite the legal hassles, Magazine is
worth the search necessary to find it in
Ann Arbor's record shops.
Side one kicks off with the ironically-
titled "Heartless." Good synthesizer
work by Howard Leese, and a steady
guitar riff make the tune a winner.
"Just the Wine" starts with a simple
acoustic guitar introduction, and then
builds to full orchestration and more of
Leese's synthesizer. The tune tells of
today's meaningless "ships in the
night" relationships.
THE TITLE TRACK is a slow rocker
dealing with the problems of the female
rock 'star and how she deals with ela-
tionships that are constantly "dancing
across the pages of magazines." Lyri-
cally, this song is in the same vein as
"Little Queen" - both songs take stabs
at media control ofthe music industry.
Side two opens with the beautiful
"Here Song," showcasing Ann Wilson's
clear, strong voice and sister Nancy's
was scored for a flute solo over the
strings or for trills behind them. While
Debost unquestionably had moments of
sterling clarity, his breathy edge was
evident in this movement. w
IN THE FOURTH and final move-
ment the strings failed to blend. Heavy
in his openings and lethargic in the
body of his part, Michel Tournus
provided a poor contrast to the calcu-
lated dryness of violist Serge Collot's
execution and the energetic bursts of
Gerard Jarry's violin.
Mozart's lengthy Divertimento in E-
Flat major came off much more pleas-
antly. Even without Debost's disunify-
'ing presence, the piece was still marred
by a lack of blending. Tournus attacked
his cello much too heavily in the open-
ing Allegro movement, detracting from
the fine musical coordination of Jarry
and Callot. The violinist displayed his
virtuosity in the long ascending lines
while the violist complemented him
with a simple grace in the sudden de-
scending lines.
A marked improvement in musician-
ship was quickly evident in the follow-
ing Adagio movement. Jarry's ability
was displayed in an air of calculated
tension. The allegro menuetto saw the
trio come together for the -first time.
Tournus played with verve, both behind
the intense Jarry as well as in the
has Heart
acoustic guitar work.
From there on, the album goes down-
hill. "Devil's Delight," is 'reminiscent
of "Go On Cry" from Little Queen. The
next two tunes, obviously filler mate-
rial included to complete the record,
are "Blues Medley" and "I've Got the
Music in Me," both recorded live.
"Blues Medley" features rough guitars
and Ann Wilson's seemingly endless
screaming. "I've Got the Music in Me"
fares a bit better, but hardly compares
to Kiki Dee's version.
Even though Magazine can hardly be
considered a triumph for Heart, it isn't
a bad album. Had the Wilson sisters
cooperated in its completion, it might
have excelled Dreamboat Annie. That
an album as flawed as Magazine can
still top much of the competition shows
Heart is a talented band indeed.
numerous solo cello passages. Violist
Collot performed admirably- as the
theme rotated among the three
musicians. Almost as it it had been
suddenly awakened, the energetic cello
line with which Tournus closed' the
movement exploded into its most
powerful part.
THE OPENING BARS of the fifth
movement, the allegretto menuetto; be-
longed to Collot. In his most outstand-
ing moment, the violist rendered this
pleasant dance playfully, yet with deft
control.
While the other two members of the
trio had their variational solos on the
theme, Jarry was its most impressive
master on perhaps the most well-known
section of this rather lengthy Mozart
trio. In the closing Allegro Jarry flaw-
lessly executed the jaunty violin line.
Scored for flute, violin, and cello,
Devienne's Trio in G minor, Op. 66, was
the only composition of the evening in
which the French String Trio did hot
perform together. This piece revealed
an amazing contrast in quality to the
earlier sections. Unlike the Haydn
Quartet, the flute did not overpower the
strings, in spite of the absence of the
viola. Even during the most intricate
passages (the presto rondo in- particu-
lar), Debost remained fluid and soft.
Unfortunately, the piece was dampened
by an occasional lapse into heavy
sawing on the cello.
THE FINAL SELECTION of the'
evening, Quartet in A major, is scored
for string trio and flute. The flute
opening of the Tema con variazioni first
movement was exemplary of Debost's
fine musical ability. This opening
movement also revealed Jarry as 0
master of execution. By the closing
rondo, all earlier disappointment was
forgotten as the balance and blend of
the trio and flutist exceeded almost any
expectations. The artists received a
roaring applause from the crowd, then
offered them an encore, the Rondo
finale from Mozart's Concerto in D
major An excellent choice, it demon-
strated Debost's superb ability as a
flutist.
Though flawed by a shaky opening,
the University Musical Society-
sponsored concert was a satisfying
showcase of excellent musicianship on
the part of Michel Debost and the Fren-
ch String Trio.
An albatross, according to Nation-
al Geographic, may live as long as 50
years. Some are nine years old
before they produce their first egg.
"I
. I
LORI CHRISTMASTREE
fiber
CYNTHIA WEBB
.clay
February
1-26
Reception: Tu.- Fri. 10-6
February 3 Sat, Sun.12- 5
7-9 pm 764-3234
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Ae
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U-
eclipse jazz presents...
SAM RIVERS TRI
featuring DAVID HOLLAND & BARRY ALTSCHUL
.
f
By KEITH TOSOLT
If you're one of those MOR pop fans
who liked "Baby Come Back," it's a
sure bet you'll love the album it came
from, Player, the debut LP by the five-
member band of the same name.
Vocalist J.C. Crowley and guitarist
Peter Beckett, the prime creative for-
ces behind Player, have the love song
genre down pat. Thus, only two of the
Player
RSO -3026
disc's ten tracks deal with subjects.
other than romance.
Musically, Player concentrates on
vocals and melodies. Simple tunes are
backed by pleasant, if rather subdued,
instrumentation featuring synthesized
keyboards. The production is clean and
the mix is even, making the songs
sound fresh even after repeated air-1
play.
SIDE ONE is mellow, containing
ballads like "Baby Come Back," while
I V*. . I
the other side rocks hard; however,
Player never cuts loose with any inten-
sity.
PLAYER is a typical product of the
pop hit-making process in which
albums are recorded around a sure-fire
hit; usually the rest of the material is
formula filler. For Player, this means
love songs; for many other pop groups,
the formula is disco.
Top 40 success is a rather tenuous en-
terprise for most bands; their singles
often beam out over the AM airwaves
with a high intensity for a short period
of time, then disappear into oblivion.
But Player, with such vehicles as
"Baby Come Back" and the rest of the
tunes on the LP, may be lucky enough
to actually make it. Despite its lack of
variety, Player showcases the talents
of a band with some promise. Too bad
they couldn't come up with some novel
song ideas.
A PERIODICAL RETREAT
Foreign Magazines
Quality Craft Periodicals
I I
Fine Woodworking a Glass Mag.
* U
I , Craft Horizons & Print Mag. a
Literary Quarterlies
316 S. State 663-0215
* I
---- ----------------------- --
F - - Undergradate Political Science AssociationU
sponsors a
COECareer mReepion
COME MEET:
Attorneys, Judges, Political Candidates, Dean of U of M
Law School and LSA, Secret Service and FBI Representatives
Monday Feb. 6
7:30-9:30 pm
University Club-Union
cash bar-tea-cookies
EVERYONE WELCOME
also appearing...
LEROY
JENKINS
TRIO
featuring
ANTjIONY DAVIS &
ANDREW CYRILLE
.. a wo
.-orv %
.%V
Tickets on sale Tues., Jan. 31 at Mich. Union Box Office 10-9 and Wed., Feb. 1 at Schoolkids
and both Discount Records.
SAM RIVERS will lecture on 'THE STRUGGLE OF BLACK MUSIC IN
AMERICA" Fri., Feb. 10, 2 P.M., R.C. AUD. FREE. LEROY JENKINS, Artist AR
in Residence, will conduct a specially assembled 26-Piece Ensemble,
Sat., Feb. 11, 2 P.M., Power Center. FREE. Info: UAC 763-1453.
. M.
S
e
R
:
Friday & Saturday
February
10 &11
8:OOpm
POWER CENTER
Tickets:
$4.50 & 3.50
THE U OF M's OFFICE OF MAJOR EVENTS PRESENTS:
w ILLIU HELSOHl
SPECIAL GUEST
JERRY JtrfT WllRR
AND
IITIINOfI
WITH GUEST DON BOWMAN
.i
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k
a
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j1'~
w ''
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F 4
1
I C
COUPON- 2 for 1 Special -COUPON-
Buy 1 Super Salad-GET 1 FREE
Good: SUNDAY-THURSDAY
Faruarv5-hu am r,
February 5 * Ann Arbor 7:30 PM
Sunday
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