The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 23, 1983 - Page 7 I West brings us folksong magic By Deborah Robinson ALTHOUGH HER pleasant yet some- what nasal voice will continue to brand her as a mountain lark, Hedy West has broadened her music and her life by traveling around the world after leaving that "southern hospitality" of her Georgia home. The author of the '60s folk-boom classic "500 miles," West began her musical career while studying at Colombia University. At that time, New York was teeming with folk revivalists, however Hedy felt compelled to sing the older, more unusual versions of folksongs that had been passed down in her family for generations. Accompanying herself on a five- string banjo and guitar, she still clings to the traditional folksongs, but her musical style has become more inter- national since her first recordings in the '60s. Hedy West has traveled exten- sively and has lived in England and in Germany, this being the reason for some of the newer aspects in her music. The British and Irish songs she collected are a natural complement to., and the roots of Hedy West's own Ap- palachian tradition. More incongruous are the added influences of her studies in classical composition and in the song style of German playwright Berthold Brecht. According to folklorist and song collector Alan Lomax, West "still remains one of the most direct and for- ceful singers of the folksong - whatever the origin, and wherever the performance." This weekend, the Ark Coffeehouse will welcome Hedy West back for the first time in four years. Previously she was scheduled to appear at the Cof- fehouse in March, but weather con- Hedy West performs folksongs for the Ark crowd tonight and Saturday. ditions kept her stranded in the airport and her fans disappointed. Friday and Saturday nights, the Ark will once again be filled with West's South State at E. Liberty sweet ballads. She is likely to sing about everything from coal mining to cold- blooded murders; as referred to on one of her own albums Love, Hell, and Biscuits. She'll be bringing her country tunes to 1421 Hill St. with shows begin- ning at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30, and tickets are $5. . Buzzin' music comes to Rick's By Eli Cohen THERE'S A FINE line between "making it" in the music business and just "getting by." It can be like walking a tight rope-and many new bands do just that-they are almost successful. The Buizztones are just such a band. The group is a veteran of the local music scene, frequenting establishments from Detroit to Ann Ar- bor. They haven't made any national successes yet but, as promoter Jimmy Cioe says, "They have as much a shot at happening as any band in the area." The Buzztones are on the verge of breaking big, but they just haven't done it yet. Lamont Zodiac-the stage name for lead singer Tom Brzezina-talks of a new four-song EP that is being recor- ded for a major label. Fortunately for the Buzztones, the EP is being produced by Was Not Was. That group is hot right now, having just recorded a new album that is quickly rising on the charts. "We also have a cut called 'Bow Wow Wow Wow' on the Was Not Was album which came out on Geffen," says Zodiac of the new-found prominence of his band. The exposure in nightclubs like Rick's or the Second Chance, opening for the likes of Robert Palmer, help the Buzztones to gain importance, according to Zodiac. Zodiac is not a lone Buzztone, though. He has four cohorts who include lead guitarist Roscoe Paradise, drummer Reggie Macambo, bassist Red Banner and keyboardist Boog Hill. The Buzztones primarily stick to original material, most of which is writ- ten by Zodiac or Macambo. Any other songs they perform are borrowed from such rhythm and blues greats as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, or the Four Tops. These are the Motown heroes that have "inspired our original stuff," says Zodiac. That original stuff, according to Zodiac, has a more modern flavor than its Motown predecessors. "We use a lot more synthesizers on our original work," he explains. The Buzztones have begun to use a drum machine on several of the new songs. The machine-a wonder among won- ders-has been utilized to create cow bells, hand claps, and other special ef- fects to enhance Macambo's drums. "No other local band uses it," boasts Zodiac. Ann Arbor is a favorite for the Buz- ztones. They have done concerts and parties here for well over a year. "We've had a real good response at both Rick's and the Chance," affirms Zodiac. Apart from the 10 p.m. date at Rick's on Friday and Saturday, the Buzztones will be back at the Second Chance on October 18. The feeling is, of course, mutual. Ann Arbor likes the Buzztones as much as the quintet likes the town. Rick's was even packed over the summer when the Buzztones last appeared. "They really keep people dancing from the start," according to a manager at Rick's. "They are a dance-band that's almost as good as SLK," said one University sophomore, referring to the local ska band rated number one in the area among students last year. Ann Arbor seems to enjoy this kind of straigh fun, straight rock-type band. The Buzztones are the kind of band to dance to, not to rally behind. "We're not the Clash," assures Zodiac, "we aren't trying to make a philosophical statement." The Buzztones' lyrics are drawn more from actual experiences and more traditionalrock themes than an inner political motivation. The Buzztones seem to be a local favorite about to establish a wider reputation. The planned EP could shoot the Buzztones into the national music scene making the Detroiters top-40 and not local anymore. These concert dates this fall may be the last time the quintet plays the Ann Arbor clubs. so at 10 p.m. the Buzztones will be at Rick's. Dance away. PIANO DROPOUTS How to Play the Piano Despite Years of Lessons Two years of testing have produced a new course in making music. This course is based on an amazing breakthrough in piano in- struction, and it is intended for people who can at least read and play a simple melody line of notes. This new technique teaches you to unlock your natural ability to make music. You will learn how to take any melody and play it a variety of ways: rock, folk, swing, ja'zz, semi-classical, bolero . . . you name it . . . just for the sheer joy of it! By the end of this 8 lesson course, you will know how to arrangeuand enricha song so that you won't need sheet music or memorization. How well you play depends upon how much you practice, of course. Come and experience this revolutionary new way of bringing adults back to the piano. 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