ARTS Thp Michigan daiiv Tuesday, February 1, 1983 Page 7 ne m cn c an vw y ___ i SSilent j By Julie Bernstein OW DOES A performer mesmerize an audience, achieve excellence in his craft, and provoke awe and wonder with no real rationale? As rhetorical as these questions may 'seem, Saturday night's performance by ,Marcel Marceau was equally in- describable. The sold-out house of spec- tators ranged from ages eight to eighty, and even with such great size and diversity, he still connected with everyone, making them laugh, cry, and quite often simply stare in amazement. What helped to make Marceau's sub- tle gestures and facial reactions so meaningful was his traditional lack of ;,laborate costumes, props, or even in- -conspicuous backdrop. Marceau com- 'mits himself to an imaginary world that .to him is real, taking us with him. And why shouldn't we go along? He takes us to wonderful places with such wondrous things to see. Marceau's thematic intentions star- ted off simply and progressively gained depth. From his charming portrayal of the pathetic, unfortunate dice-player to his ingenious representation of a pom- pous attorney-at-law in "The Trial," he night at. remained cool and proficient. Even if one couldn't perceive an object that he was holding or an action he was playing, it didn't matter - watching Marceau should not be a game of Twen- ty Questions, and one could still enjoy the magic of his generally creative body and intricately expressive white face. Saturday night's crowd had to be on its toes. Every five minutes a new character appeared on stage in some unexpected predicament. After several pieces, one had to be reminded that this was a one-man show rather than a cast of many, all intriguing in their own right. After intermission, the Marcel Mar- ceau new-comers were introduced to "Bip," the vulnerable, naive, lovable little creature, and soon saw him veture through the recognizable, hazardous episodes of traveling by train and preparing for a blind date. Bip also wound up in some extraordinary situations. "Bip plays David and Goliath" was a charming sketch, ser- ving as an excellent example of one ac- tor creating two physical allusions. Moreover, "Bip as a Lion Tamer" showcased Marceau's child-like sen- sitivity and perfect comic timing. In addition to his touching humor, Marceau showed us yet another, darker Power Center side. The suggestion of death was evident in two of his pieces, "The Trial," and "Bip Remembers," the lat- ter which has never before been seen by American audiences. Whether there were sound effects or not (i.e., gun- shots), the images were as believable as those in a World War documentary film. "Bip Remembers " contains a great deal of symbolic imagery as Bip recalls the different stages of his poetically tragic life. Obviously, it was hard to grasp all of Marceau's message; viewing the art of gesture is like studying a poem or famous pain- ting - -you must examine it several times before its essence really takes shape and strikes you. In the preview for this event, I men- tioned that during Marceau's last visit, he dined at the French House. Once again, the artist/teacher/philosopher spent time with students and shared some very inspirational words. First of all, Marceau felt that history was a living and vital element in today's revolutionary society. He claimed that revolution does not mean breaking down existing establishments and re- constructing, but building upon what is already there, allowing for new ideas to come into play and influence multi- faceted growth. Setting a very relaxed and intimate mood, he noted that when someone sees a technically perfected mimical trick - like walking an invisible dog, or touching an imaginary wall - they acknowledge it with, "Oh, that's a Mar- ceau." Marceau attributed this to the fact that he is the only one who has ever developed the technique and underlying theory of mine. Comparing the technique of mime to the grammar of English, he said that before you can develop the style you must know the grammar, viola, the philosophy behind his school - if he can teach the technique then his students can develop their own inner expression, or "l'espirit," to accompany it. If you did not get a chance to see him this time, try to catch him the next time around. Tickets will cost a pretty penny but I believe it is worth it. In this age of growing artistic commercialism, there are so many "artists" trying to get as far as they canl as fast as they can, forgetting what they are trying to say and why they are sacrificing so much. It is a relief to know that there are a few left, like Marceau, who take the time and exercise the discipline to achieve a deeper understanding and more ac- curate illustration of their artistic opinions while striving to communicate their passion for humanity. Marcel Marceau's two shows at the Power Center Saturday and Sunday nights proved that one does not have to hear as much as see what was hap- pening. .......... . .. Belgrave's book and candle brightness College Students! Summer in Colorado REWARDING SUMMER experience in the Colorado mountains for sophomore and older college students working with children in a camp setting. Backpacking, horseback riding, wildlife, ecology, crafts, many outdoor programs. WRITE NOW: include program interests. SANBORN WESTERN CAMPS, FLORISSANT, COLO. 80816 By Jerry Brabenec +T OCAL JAZZ fans eager to hear Ssome true Detroit jazz had their prayers answered Saturday night when the Marcus Belgrave Quintet played at the University Club as part of Eclipse's Bright Moments series. A disappoin- tingly small but enthusiastic crowd was on hand as five of Detroit's finest played a program devoted, in Belgrave's words, to that "great com- M poser, pianist, and humorist," Thelonius Monk. The small crowd was probably a result of standard Ann Ar- bor cultural overkill, but advertising and publicity seemed scarce, too. People seem largely unaware of the caliber of Detroit's indigenous jazz talent. Hard times have cut into the music scene, but Detroit still boasts one of the biggest and most vital club scenes in the country, and Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter, Donald Byrd, Barry Harris, and Elvin Jones are just a few Detroit alumni who have gone on to world acclaim. Other great talents like Belgrave have chosen to stay and enrich the Detroit area. Belgrave's long and distinguished performing and teaching career began in the old Hastings Street area, a vital black community of homes, stores, businesses, and bars that was wiped out by the Chrysler Freeway. A member of the Air Force band from 1955 to 1957, Belgrave also played with Ray Charles, Eric Dolphy, Max Roach, Aretha Franklin, and Charles Mingus. His reputation as a player's player is secure, and his is one of the truly original trumpet styles, combining fiery high playing and virtuosity with impeccable phrasing in an energetic style that is closer to Dizzy Gillespie than to Clifford Brown, but really owes little to either. Belgrave has been very active in all levels of music education in the Detroit area for years, serving on the faculty of Oakland University, Macomb Com- munity College, and the Detroit Public Schools. More recently he has been the driving force behind the Jazz Develop- ment Workshop, along with Sam San- ders and John Sinclair. The workshop offers a complete curriculum of jazz history, theory, arr- anging, and performance, as well as in- strumental lessons by many of the city's greatest players. In Belgrave's words, "We (at the workshop) are con- cerned with providing a learning en- vironment for many of the youth that are culturally disadvantaged and at the same time making the community aware of the young artist, bringing enrichment to the whole community..." Belgrave has performed on many albums, incuding dates with Charles Mingus, but I was only able to locate one date as leader. The LP "Gemini II" was released by local label Tribe Records in 1974, and featured Belgrave along with drummer Roy Brooks, saxophonist Wendell Harrison, and pianist Harold McKinney. The album received a four star review in downbeat magazine. Saturday night's show featured tenor saxophonist Donald Walden, pianist Teddy Harris, bassist Greg Cook, and Roy Brooks on drums. Of the four, Roy Brooks is probably the most well known, another respected session veteran and recent collaborator on Max Roach's "M' Boom" percussion en- semble project. Teddy Harris, a fine Bud Powell-like pianist, was longtime music director for Diana Ross and the Supremes. The group caught the mood of Monk's cryptic, whimsical tunes nicely without lapsing into imitation. The rhythm sec- tin was lively throughout, as bass, piano and drums tossed accents and or- naments back and forth constantly without losing the simple foundation of Monk's sound. Donald Walden has a clear, expressive tenor sound with little vibrato, and a taste for doubletime phrases and staccatto tonguing. Walden also got out a vintage curved soprano sax for the closing chorus of the ballad, "Pannonica." The most exciting tune of the evening was not a Monk tune, but one written by John Coltrane during his appren- ticeship with Monk. Belgrave told us that the tune was "a blues Coltrane did some very different things to," but then neglected to mention the name of the tune. It was an uptempo blues with some unusual turnarounds and two or three alternating melody lines. Brooks kept the rapid tempo relaxed and flexible, and Walden came on strong, mixing bouncy, humorous phrases and hard bop, keeping the listener off balance and excited. Marcus has great technical and har- monic sophistication, but seems most interested in tone quality, setting a great variety of tones, from pinched to blaring, from airy to solid, and bending phrases in a way that would seem im- possible for a valved instrument. But the real spectacle of the evening was the drumming of Roy Brooks. A close look at his drum set revealed some puz- zling mechanical additions: two or three extra pedals, including dual pedals on the single bass drum, and most peculiarly of all, a rubber hose that routed his breath into the interior of the drums. By forcing air into the drums and tightening the heads while playing a roll, Brooks could change the drums' pitches, achieving effects much like a tympani or talking drum. Brooks runs this unique equipment with a rhythmic flexibility much like Elvin Jones and the expressive phrasing of Max Roach. In general, this band was of the highest caliber. Jazz reviewers often fall into a pattern of tagging players with "influences", saying, "He got that from Charlie Parker," or, "There's a lot of Coltrane in his playing." With musicians like Belgrave and Brooks, however, one can only compare in a vain attempt to describe, because these men are jazz geniuses in their own right. 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