" w w w ! *x " v w w Wynton Marsalis: Doing right by jazz Wynton from 1 for the best, jazz instrumental perfor- mance by a soloist. Also that year, the Downbeat magazine Readers Poll named Marsalis Jazz Musician of the Year and voted Wynton Marsalis Jazz Album of the Year. The praise for Marsalis, however, is by no means limited to listeners. No less an artist than bassist Ron Carter, a veteran of Miles Davis' band, has described Marsalis as "the most remarkable musician to appear on the scene in some time. He itsintelligent, witty, studious, down to earth, and an incredible player." Ann Arborites will get a chance to hear what Carter was describing when the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, completed by Wynton's brother Branford, pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Phil Bowler, and drummer Jeff Watts, performs in the Power Center tonight at 8 p.m. At a time when many jazz musicians seem to have lost the progressive feeling that marked the work of Charlie "Bird" Parker in the '50s and John Coltrane and Miles Davis in the early '60s, Marsalis remains refreshingly true to his art form. Many current jazz musicians are too intent on finding new sounds. Others are content to retread old styles or resort to "safe" pop-jazz hybrids. But Marsalis respects the tradition his musicstens from and makes a point of performing older music. "What I'm trying to do now is bring the music back to where it was, but I'm not trying to go back there and play that music, because that's impossible," he says, who often rearranges older works. "I'm trying to play what I play now, based on what the other cats played. My job is a lot harder than the job of the cats in the '60s was, because when they came up, the vibe of playing was in the air. When I came up, nobody was really trying to play." Marsalis doesn't hesitate to cite his many influences, proudly listing Ornet- te Coleman, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, and Louis Armstrong, to name a few. "I try to imitate everybody-anything that I like, I try to imitate," he says. Marsalis himself comes from a notably jazz background. His father, Ellis Marsalis, is a well-known pianist who played the New Orleans jazz cir- cuit during the '50s and early '60s. Branford Marsalis, Wynton's older brother, is an adept saxophonist and an integral part of the Wynton Marsalis Quintet. Wynton received his first trumpet Orleans Civic Orchestra, winning the Most Outstanding Musician Award at the Eastern Music Festival (in North Carolina) in 1977. He was a soloist with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra the following year and the summer af- ter finishing high school, he studied at the Tanglewood Music Festival where he was named the Outstanding Brass Player. In 1979, Marsalis entered the Julliard School of Music in New York where he increased his knowledge of musical theory and sought out new teachers. He seems, however, disappointed by the During the summer of 1981, he toured with the Herbie Hancock Quartet, which featured pianist Hancock, Ron Carter, and percussionist Tony Williams. In the summer of 1981, he toured with the Herbie Hancock Quar- tet, which featured pianist Hancock, Ron Carter, and percussionist Tony Williams. In the summer of 1982 Mar- salis was one of the many all-star musicians playing in KOOL jazz festival across the nation. Last fall another album, Fathers and Sons, featuring Wynton, Branford, and Ellis Marsalis, as well as saxophonists Chico Freeman and his father Von, demon- strated the continuity of jazz. Audiences, and fellow musicians alike marvel at the sheer technical ability Marsalis has displayed at both live performances and in the recording studio. "His range on the trumpet is one of the best I've ever heard, top to bot- tom," says quintet bassist Phil Bowler. Echoes Kenny Kirkland, the quintet's fine pianist, "I don't think other trum- pet players have the control that he has." Marsalis denies the popular notion that too much technique can get in the way of musical expression. "If you have soul, you're going to have it anyway. The more technique you have, that's not going to keep you from being soulful. It might intimidate more people ... It's going to make you miss more notes maybe, but that's not soulful or unsoulful," he says. There's no secret to learning how to play an instrument, says Marsalis. "It's just a matter of practicing and having something to say. You don't learn from a book. You just read them and then you look up in your mind what you want from it." Although he constantly seeks more knowledge about his art from others, Marsalis says it is up to an artist to develop musically. "You are the only one that can teach yourself-it's just like learning how to drive." "What made Charlie Parker who he was?" he asks. "It wasn't the fact that someone taught him how to play and he had fnaybe 50 teachers. But he was Charlie Parker. He could look out and see what was going on, understand it, and express it in music with very little hassle." M ARSALIS' EXTENSIVE ex- experience with classical music makes him one of the few truly suc- cessful "crossover" artists. He recen- tly recorded Joseph Haydn's Trumpet Concerto with the National Chamber Orchestra of London (Raymond Lep- pard conducting) for an album to be released concurrently with a new jazz album in May. (Marsalis hopes to arrange a classical tour soon). Something extra went into the Haydn recording and Marsalis is proud of it. He even says it's better than his debut jazz album. "When I crossed over to play classical music I studied that music for a long time, and I respected the music, and I realized how much work I had to do to make a good album. I did a classical record of classical music played like the composer wanted it to be played." Because Marsalis appreciates all music and is so diligent in his own craft, he resents classical musicians who seem to take jazz lightly. As an exam- ple, he cites a recent jazz album made by the famed classical violinist Itzhak Perlman. "I don't mind Itzhak Perlman loving jazz. I don't even mind him putting out a jazz album. That's great," he says. "But what I don't like is his attitude in calling the album It's A Breeze. What I don't like is the attitude 'Let's have some fun and play some jazz,' like it's COVER STORY- Horn of plenty Page 1 Swing. That's the main ingredient in the music of Wynton Marsalis, student and performer of fine jazz. The 21-year old trumpet player has plenty to say about musical traditions-classical as well as jazz-but it's the crystalline sound of his instrument that will bring crowds to his Power Center perfor- mance tonight. Cover photo by Marc Karzen. THEATER. Loaded Page 4 The year is 1913. Panic in Calumet's Italian Hall kills 74. And thus the stage is set for Performance Network's latest production, The Mother Lode, as two reporters investigate the tragedy. Over on Main Street, Lunch Hour attracts after-dinner audiences with a comedic exploration of modern marriages. MUSIC______________ ______ Cult heroes Page 5 Not another Krishna's performance-the cult in town is none other than the Blue Oyster gang. BOC will tempt the reaper over at Hill Auditorium tomorrow night; catch the gospel according to oysters. On Wednesday, Hill hosts Sejii Ozawa and his renowned Boston Symphony for a string of classical hits. Jazz electricity fills the air when you're tuned to one of these three area radio stations. But are they too conservative in their selections? And are there enough listeners? Answers to these and other questions in this week's feature. THE LIST RADIO Radio Radio Happenings Pages 7-10 Your guide to fun times for the coming week in Ann Arbor. Film capsules, music previews, theater notes, and bar dates, all listed in a handy-dandy, day-by-day schedule. Plus a roster of local restaurants. RESTAURANTS Rabbi Guido's Page 11 What is this, a Kosher version of Italian food-or is it an Italian attempt at the delicious delights of a Kosher deli? Find out with this week's review of the newest eatery in town, Rabbi Guido's Club soda Ann Arbor outlets I number, but there are jazz tradition. Wheth Thursday, or Del Rio o swinging sound. 'I think the music is accessible if it's swinging ... Your only responsibility is to swing. Everything is accessible if you listen to it.' -Wynton Marsalis, student of jazz ,:: ......... .. . .::::::::::::::::.:::......... ................................................ .. .......... ...................................:..,..::. : r..:. ::...:. ..: ....... .. ............. ............ :. ,"::. :"::.::.: . ,. . .:;+ *?{.?:4?:4}:::4;{::::: "is6'": }'f. \ Y."kti.::4: wrr "N: Yr:: vv. . ..,".............. ........ ..:... . . .. . . .............. ..,.......... . ... ... ............ .. ......... . ... ............................:................ . .... . . ................ ..::......................:......:.. .. ......... r.:. .....v......... 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Associate Editors................ Larry Dean of the Daily every week during the University year Mare Hodges and is available for free at many locations around the Copyright 1983, The N Susan Makuch campus and city. D a l 1 - (PH( We Now Have Live Entertainment FM 9:00 - 1:00 AM Friday & Saturday Nights oil Come feast on Cherries Jubilee, .-c Banana Flambe, Mandarin Cheesecake, -c Silk Pie, Cappuccino, and Espresso. F FLAMING! Free Cappuccino With Desert with this ad 211 S.StateSt. 761-8467 Free Delivery Available . 7 Nights a Week 4:00-1:00 AM 44.4444 4444 44#4 4~# U I EVERYTHING IN THE LIVELY ARTS Subscribe to The Michigan DailyS A Publication of The Michigan Dai from trumpeter Al Hirt when he was six, but real interest didn't develop un- til he was twelve. Marsalis says he wasn't pushed to practice. "My parents let me do what I wanted to, but I wanted to do it (practice) so it didn't make a difference." He learned mostly by trying to imitate what he heard on records and by seeking out as many mentors as possible. "When I was in high school I used to look up teachers to study with," he remembers. "(I'd) call and ask if they'd give me a lesson. I try to study with anybody I can. I learned a lot from students that I went to school with." Although his first interest was alwaysw jazz, Marsalis studied classical music for years, partially to dispel the myth of "the big monster on the other side of the mountain," as he calls it. While still in high school, Marsalis played first trumpet with the New Julliard experience. "I didn't like (Julliard) that much. I had some good teachers, just the students were real stuck up." On a break from school, Marsalis joined the pit orchestra of the musical Sweeney Todd on Broadway. A short time later, he joined master drummer Art Blakey and his group, the Jazz Messengers. Marsalis' unintimidated work on tour with Blakely reminded many listeners of another Jazz Messenger alumnus, the late trumpet player Clifford Brown. By this time the word was out. Mar- salis appeared on several Art Blakey recordings. Later, CBS signed the trumpet player to his own recording contract, one which stipulated that his second album be a classical recording. "They (CBS) weren't crazy about (the idea), but now that the album's done, they're alright," says Marsalis. 1r r