The Michigan Daily--Tuesday, February 21, 1978-Page 53
Sleepy Ram blin'Jack still shine,
By LILY PRIGIONIERO
FIVE INCHES of snow in Dallas was
all it took for the Friday night show
at the Ark to get a late start. But Ram-
blin' Jack Elliot came struttin' out with
his fancy western shirt and pointed
cowboy boots, strummin' and mumblin'
under his huge cowboy hat. "Plane had
a few problems," he said with a huge,
dimpled smile.
But Ramblin' Jack didn't ramble too
much Friday night. His focus was on his
songs and trying to hold his audience's
attention. In a stupor that came from
thirty hours without sleep, he kept the
listeners entertained with songs like
"Plains of Buffalo" and "Anytime."
His vividness showed through, even
with the bit of yappin' he did between
songs. You could tell he was a talker ...
right in the middle of one song he said
"Aw sheeit, we'll do that one tomarra,"
then rambled on about such subjects as
doing movies in Hollywood and playing
tunes with one of his biggest admirers,
Willie Nelson.
He did songs from different groups,
ranging from Peter, Paul and Mary to
Woody Guthrie and the Grateful Dead.
One of the songs he wrote and then
recorded with Johnny Cash, "A Cup of
Coffee," was one of the night's best
songs; it really fit his mood, and his
dialogue accompanied by his strum-
ming was a perfect image of a sleepy
truck driver. Through all his
exhaustion, Ramblin' Jack still pulled
through and delighted his audience with
his spontaneous humor.
JACK ELLIOT has a great reputation
for putting on the best entertaining and
humorous "rambling" acts in the U.S.
He can really live up to his name at
times; during some performances, he
can do as little as four songs and keep
his listeners laughing at his stories and
jokes.
Have you ever wondered what
famous country-western singers like
Jack Elliot listen to on their turntables?
He said amongst his favorites are Willie urban life at 16 to join the rodeo. Young
Nelson, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan,
the Beatles and Ray Charles. He first
started out playing and loving that New
Orleans Jazz, then continued with
"those cowboy songs."
It all started when Jack, fascinated
by Western movies, ran away from the
"Buck Elliott" (as he called himself),
born in Brooklyn, New York, became
good friends with Woody Guthrie, and
started a fascinating career entertain-
ing his audience with songs and a bunch
of ramblin' small talk. Ramblin' Jack
Elliot can definitely be talked about as
a legend in his own time.
Ramblin' Jack in action
Tyner dynamic in Detroit
8mm fest best yet
By WILLIAM CAMPBELL
THE EIGHTH Ann Arbor 8 mm film
Festival, last Friday, Saturday and
Sunday blossomed this year inside the
aura of its imaginative fare. Transcen-
ding the boundaries of the medium, this
year's prize-winning films portrayed,
in essence, a quality of production on
par with efforts produced with tech-
nically superior equipment.
More than $1,000 in prize money was
offered, and nearly 800 spectators at-
tended this year's presentation of
diverse, and often bizarre films shown
inside Schorling Auditorium. But most
important, in agreement with the
festival's philosophy to "encourage
creative activity in the field of 8mm
film production," the festival attracted
a record 183 applicants.
Sunday night's presentation, reser-
ved for the festival's best, offered a
collection of documentaries,
animations, and experimental films
which defy categorization. While the
audience generally tended to favor
those films with a plot, the judges chose
as winners those with a combination of
technical, narrative, and creative ex-
cellence.
THIS YEAR'S WINNER of the $100
Keith Clarke Memorial Award plus an
additional $50 was Jerry Weissman's
Thin Ice Will.Crack - N.Y. to L.A.
Unanimously selected by the judges as,
the festival's best film, Thin Ice em-
ployed cinematic expertise to produce a
statement on America's consuming
culture. By superimposing a deprer-
ssion scene upon a billboard
celebrating America's standard of
living, Weissman's last scene stressed
the fundamental precariousness of
America's economic values.
Two films, an animation and an ex-
pefimental effort, received $100 apiece
in a tie for second place. Doug Chiang's
Private Little WAr was by far the
festival's best animated film. Through
quick pacing along with interesting
visuals, Chiang created the illusion of
intrastellar warfare, fought with skilled
swordplay by creatures bearing
definite resemblance to styrofoam
balls.
Patchwork, Philip Perkin's ex-
perimental film, proved to be in a most
difficult genre. Synchronizing diverse
visual patterns with separate beats,
Perkins precisely merged the forms
together, creating a final bland of
image and sound. While a number of
the Festival's experimental offerings
tried scratching film or burning film for
effect, Patchwork molded its audio-
visual technique into a film that worked
and was well received by the audience.
DANIEL ALGRANT'S film,
Cathedral, earned festival honors by
capturing the painful essence of a South
Boston housing project through the
eyes of a ten-year old resident. Kevin,
the main subject of the film, burned
nearly half his face on an exposed
heating pipe within Cathedral. Algrant
pursues Kevin's energetic but tragic
point of view as characteristic of those
who are forced to grow up inside
Cathedral's cement cells. Despite some
poorly recorded conversation,
Cathedral became rich documentary,
through slick editing, fine audio overlap
of visual images, and through
packaging of its intended statement.
Among those films receiving
honorable mention was an entertaining
and skillfully done animation by Tom
Kraft entitled Oscar Goes Bowling.
Creating a clay animation of a poor,
befuddled creature named Oscar, the
film focused on Oscar's problem of get-
ting a bowling ball to cooperate.
Had the administration of the festival
been as well thought out as the films
themselves, the festival would have
been perfect.
The Saturday matinee didn't work.
The theatre was too light and there
were some problems with film
splicing that marred the presentation.
In all but the first evening's presen-
tation no introduction to the films ahead
was given, an addition which would
have furthered the understanding and
enjoyment of the audience.
By MATTHEW KLETTER
LAST SUNDAY NIGHT marked the
second concert of the Composers
Concepts series, presenting McCoy Ty-
ner and the Paradise Theater Orches-
tra, featuring Ron English and Lyman
Woodard. The restoration of the Para-
dise Theatre stands out among the
various renaissance activities of De-
troit. The theater showcased black jazz
in Detroit from 1942-1952, bringing in
such jazz greats as Earl Hines, Billy
Eckstine, Count Basie, and the "Bird,"
Charlie Parker. -
Sunday's performance began with
the Paradise Theater Orchestra, which
played three selections by Woodard and
four by English. The first, "Cheeba,"
maintained a Latin sound, and featured
a vibrant piano solo by Woodard. The
Orchestra, which consists of fifteen
Detroit area musicians, sounded great,
and was a pleasant surprise after many
disappointing concerts in- Detroit
during the last few years. Nenge, the
congo player, stood out as the white-
shoed, funky dancer of the Orchestra,
using percussion to lay his funk on the
responsive audience.
English plays his guitar with accura-
cy, leading the orchestra through a cool
jazz set. The last selection by the Para-
dise Orchestra, "Lullaby," brought out
the Detroit sound that one visualizes
driving down the Lodge or maybe by
the Jeffries Freeway West, past the
factories.
THE SECOND ACT of the night was
McCoy Tyner. Born in Philadelphia in
1938, Tyner began playing at 15, pro-
gressed to jazz by 17, and in 1959 joined
saxophonist Benny Golson, later join-
ing the Jazztet. He then joined John
Coltrano's Quintet as pianist when the
group was only two weeks old.
He played with Coltrane for almost
six years. Referring to Coltrane McCoy
recalls, "John felt that music was like
the universe, which influenced me. It's
like you look up and see the stars but
beyond them are many other stars. He
was looking for the stars you can't see."
Tyner performed four selections, the
first two written by himself, the third
by Duke Ellington, and the final num-
ber by John Coltrane. It became ob-
vious from the first selection, "Fly with
the Wing," that Tyner is a master of the
keyboard, floating across the board
with incredible speed and clarity.
Tyner achieves a personal sound;
many times a mystic piano encroached
by twilighting clarinets performed by
George Adams and Joe Ford.'
THE McCOY TYNER Sextet' is a
dynamic sextet unit, undominated by
Tyner: The rhythm section, composed
of bass player Charles Fambrough,
drummer Eric Gravatt, and multiple
percussionist Guillermi Franco, creats
the intricate background for Tyner and
his saxmen to expand upon. Tyner has a
developed sense of form allowing all of
his musicians a great base from which
to work.
. While watching McCoy Tyner, you
can feel a subsaharan African force.
Gravett's energetic drums are in-
spiring; he closes his eyes and lets his
subconscious direct his arms, allowing
them to fly all over his set. The drum
solo ends -with a song resonating
throughout the ballroom.
SANS501/Cl
large furnished 1 and 2 bed-
room apartments available for
fall occupancy
Located across from U of M stadium
Bus Service every 15 minutes from
Hoover St. to State St.
call 995-3955
visit resident manager at
apartment K-i
NEWS FROM THE
MAJOR EVENTS OFFICE
Tyner lays love down on a piano as he
plays an Ellington piece. The final
selection "Moments Notice," written
by John Coltrane, comes to a close with
a climactic ending fizzling off into
meditative state.
The next two concerts in the Com-
posers Coicepts series are Donald Byrd
on Easter Sunday and Yusef Lateef on
EXHIBITION & SALE
ORIENTAL
GRAPHICS
TWO DAYS ONLY
FEBRUARY 22 & 23
Tuesv- Fri. 10-6
10 am - 6 pm Sat. Sun. 12-5
764-3234
Sunday, April 16. Take a trip to Detroit
and become part of the jazz renais-
sance.
The Panama Canal took 10 years to
build and was opened on Aug. 15,
1914. FIRST FLOOR MICHIGAN UNION
/4CUIVAIII-1
)'IIAILS
MENDELSSOHN THEATRE
SUN, FEB. 26, 2 & 8 pm
st Artist Series
r m 2
JIMMY BUFFETT will appear, in con-
cert, with the Coral Reefer Band, on
Friday, March 24, at 8:00 p.m. in Hill
Auditorium. Critics have called Buffett "a
unique, funky, easygoing, charismatic,
enigmatic, colloquial, progressive, intel-
lectual, maverick, country-folk-rock singer/
songwriter/performer, His friends call him
other names. . . . Whatever, it's a whole
lot easier (and more fun) to listen to
Jimmy's music, than it is to describe it in
words.
Buffett, who lists his occupation as
Professional Misfit, grew up in Mobile,
Alabama, and names his early influences as
The Mills Brothers and Mitch Miller. He
received a degree in journalism from Au-
burn and the University of Southern Mis-
sissippi, but claims that his education
doesn't get in the way of his writing.
Jimmy hit Nashville in the late 60's,
then drifted down to Miami, meeting
Jerry Jeff Walker, who advised him to
"follow his own wierd ....
With the release of his last album,
"Changes in Latitudes /Changes in Atti-
tudes," Buffett has finally reached the
plateau of major stardom. With tunes
penned by Jimmy, Steve Goodman, and
Jesse Winchester, "Latitudes /Attitudes"
takes the listener on a semitropical cruise
through Jimmy's world of sun, sailing,
women and booze. The cruise will sail
through Hill Auditorium on the night of
March 24.
Tickets are $7.50, $6.50 and $5.50 and
will ao on sale tomorrow at the Michigan
THIS WEIEK,
UNION PROGRAMMING
FREE DISCO DANCING LESSONS
Taught by a professional, come with or without a partner
Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union
Thursday, February 16 and 23 at 9:00 p.m.
"LEARN TO BARTEND"
Bartending course taught by professionals
University Club of the Michigan Union
Mondays, February 20 & 27 and March 3, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
$10.00 per session, register at Ticket Central
VIEWPOINT LECTURES
LECTURE:, BARRY COMMONER
Topic: "Carter's Crisis: Energy or Economic." Dr. Commoner is
a well known biologist, ecologist, and educator. He is
renowned nation-wide as an outspoken advocate of safeguarding
man's environment.
Rackham Auditorium
Tuesday, February 21, at 8:00 p.m.
Ticket price $1.50
MEDIATRICS
SOUNDER
The story of a black family's survival during the Depression.
starring Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson.
MLB, Auditorium 3
Wednesday, February 22, 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.
Ticket price: $1.50
THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR
A high tension thriller about the corruption of American institutions
starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.
Natural Science Auditorium
Friday, February 24, 7:00 and 9:15 p.m.
Ticket price: 1 .50
DIRTY DUCK
A transvestite bird sets out to corrupt a meek businessman, animated.
Natural Science Auditorium
Saturday, February 25, 7:00, 8:40 and 10:15 p.m.
Ticket price: $1.50
ECLIPSE JAZZ
CHICK COREA / HERBIE HANCOCK
Acoustic Piano solos and duets by the two legendary pianists.
Hill Auditorium
Sunday, February 26, 1:00 p.m.
Sold out, any refunded tickets will be available beginning at 11:00 a.m.
the day of the show at Hill Aud. box office.
WOODY SHAW CONCERT ENSEMBLE
Woody Shaw is an original player continuing in the be-bop and hard
bop tradition. The ensemble has the flexibility of a small group
and fullness that suggests a big band sound.
Hill Auditorium
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Featuring
JAMES H.HAWTHORNE,
Guest Artist-in-Residence
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