ARTS The Michigan Daily Tuesday, March 24, 1981 Page 5 Back-up band out shines Corea By JERRY BRABENEC What do Gary Burton, Herbie Han- cock, Stanley Clarke, Mike Brecker, and Steve Gadd all have in common? -Well, they're all jazz musicians, and. they've all played Ann Arbor with Chick Corea in recent years. Corea has filled Hill Auditorium several times now, and his newest group regaled this Loyal following with an impeccable per- furmance Saturday night. THE QUARTET'S most striking characteristic, was its tightness, Throughout the intricate heads and ex- tented solos, the players were tightly synchronized and in total control. No loppy attacks, muffed phrases or loose entrances-these guys are studio aces, and they can play exactly even as they push their imaginations to the limits. .Chick's arrangements were modern but melodic, and the mood was light and subtly humorous. He has fun per- forming, never leaving the audience out of the action. The first set consisted of four selec- tions from the group's forthcoming album. Chick introduced the tunes in a classical vein, as Quartet I, Quartet III, Quartet I part 1 and Quartet II." Quartet II opened with a lullaby-like piano solo and moved into a ballad. Die- hard jazzers never tire of sentimental harmonies, and this tune was replete with the kind of gorgeous moments that stance, the darker more sustained tone Jack DeJohnette favors. the outstanding tunes in the second set were a jazz waltz entitled "Mirror, Mirror" (which seemed to remind. Brecker of "Someday My Prince Will Come"), the Charlie Parker standard "Confirmation," and an instrumental number in which Steve Gadd displayed the chops we all remember from Steely Dan's Aja. Excepting his intuitive backing of the other soloists, Corea's only really memorable playing of the evening was an inventive solo piano fantasia. Corea's main interest in soloing is the punctuation of smooth, simple chording with scalar runs and complex little riffs where he twists his hands around each other, otherwise his playing is sort of limpid and unassertive. All in all, it was a very satisfactory evening overall. Corea's arrangements were smooth and detailed, Brecker demonstrated a fusion of Trane's technique with the funky style and sound of modern studio tenors, and the rhythm section cooked. Thanks, Chick-hopefully we'll see you again soon. . ; s [~INOIVIDUlAL THEATRES1 1 5th A~e at ibe',} 761.9700 WWaiWTW ---- mininm. ,U I Your choice of 5 popular I Olga "wrapped sandwiches' . The Original Olga, Olga Buirger, Hotdog, Vegetarian, (Regular or Tuna Olga...just 994 (Re) (with cheese, $1.19) with_ _ Size) this coupon. Coupon good through * March 29, 1981 I Not valid for carry out orders. Offer good after 2 P.M. only. , S 205 S. State Street at Washington C I I Daily Photo byTRACY CRAWFQRD Chick Corea's loyal fans filled the balconys of Hill Saturday night to cheer the piano player on. G let the listener forget Michigan weather, phone bills, and the other an- noyances of the mundane world. Quar- tet I. part 1 was sort of a loping, Latin 2- beat with a rock feel, and featured ex- citing bass and drum solos. Bassist Eddie Gomez, particularly roused the audience with a solo that bristled with high velocity runs and flamenco-like strumming. All through the concert Gomez's rhythmic drive was unflagging. A light, flexible sound and popping attack gave his solos a lyricism uncommon among bassists. Steve Gadd, stoked the fires with the muscularity of a prize fighter. His muf- fled tom-toms and trebly cymbals were definite and sure, demonstrating what a variety of sounds are available to a drummer when contrasted with, for in- .-M Professional Theatre Pror I ARS MUSICA: I Musical trip to the 18th century I ENDS THURSDAY , r rv n . D e v i & Daily-7:10, 9:00 ed.-1:20, 3:20, 5:20, 7:10, 9:00 Henrik Ibsen's A DolHuse By LAURIE ANDERSON: Ann Arbor's Ars Musica is a unique ensemble which performs music of Baroque composers such as Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi on eighteenth cen- tqry instruments. The ensemble uses old instruments and plays in a Baroque style, in an attempt to reproduce the sound of the music as it would have been heard by an eighteenth-century audience. The ensemble chose well known. selections for its programs Sunday at Help Preyen Birth Defects - The Nation's Number One _ 3 Child Health SProblem. Support the BIRTH DEFECTS FOUNDATION This space contributed by the publisher. MANN THEATRES VILLAGE 4 375 N MAPLE Daily Discount Matinees TUESDAY BUCK DAY St. Andrew's Church: a Handel concer- to grosso, Bach's third .and sixth Bran- denburg concertos, a Haydn quartet for flute and strings, and a Vivaldi concer- to. I was hoping to hear some lesser known works which featured more exotic instruments like crumhorns and Baroque trumpets, but perhaps the Ars Musica wanted to perform music which we'd often heard played on modern in- struments, so that we could hear how very'different the music sounds on original instruments. CERTAINLY THE music had a more stark, somber quality, played on original instruments in the more austere "Baroque'performance style. Thiscaused an especially strikinig ef- feet in the Handel Concerto Grosso, Op. 6 no. 1, which was 1)played by an en- semble of Baroque strings. The eighteenth century violins have a sharper nasal sound and the celles a softer, brighter sound than their modern counterparts. Except for a few squawks and sloppy trills from the violins, this lively, melodious concerto was beautifully played by the Ars Musica. THE SIXTH Brandenburg concerto, however, played by the same string en- semble, did not fare so well. Their tem- po was much too fast, so that the con- certino players could hardly fit in all the notes of their solo passages making the entire work sound rushed and un- controlled. Probably the most pleasant piece of the program was the Vivaldi concerto for oboes, strings, and harpsichord. Vivaldi's music can sound repetitive and superficial at times, but the original instrument gave this piece a special grace and profundity. Especially lovely was the blend of the bright, brassy sounding Baroque bassoon and oboes, with the soft, mellow tones of the strings. While I still prefer the richer, more dynamic sounds of modern instrumen- ts, hearing the Ars Musica perform masterfully on Baroque instruments is a worthwhile experience, because it causes one to have a cleared notion of what the Baroque composers might have had in mind when they wrote their music. the ann arbor im cooperativ 1 [ w STARRING Barbara eda-Young from "Serpico" WITH THIS ENTIRE AD - one admission $2.00 any film Good Mon. thru Thurs. Eves. valid thru 3/26/81 "M" HURRY... ENDS THURSDAY! Erik Fredricksen Kay E. Kuter David Little Phyllis Sommerville March 25-29, 8 pm Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre Sunday at 2pm and 8pm Tickets at PTP Call 764-0450 MevIYn (-- H (r)R) ACADEMY AWA RD " NOMINATIONS Daily-7:40, 9:30 Wed.-2:00, 3:50, 5:50, 7:40, 9:30 DL yCasifes r. eo t .: , ,. r : .s ., . t . . I TONIGHT TONIGHT PRESENTS REGGAE SU NSPLASH 7:00& 10:20-AUD. A MONTEREY POP 8:40-AUD. A $2 single feature $3 double feature IYou don 't need a magician to get re S Lilt S ! 3ttilpa Classified Ads 764-0557 I Display Ads 764-0554 Circulation 764-0558