ARTS
The Michigan Daily
Saturday, November 17, 1984
Page 5
'McCoy
Tyner 's magic,
imaginative musical spirit
h
By Marc S. Taras
ARLY THIS week I was touched
by McCoy Tyner. Through his
music. Out of the blue. Or perhaps out
of my imagination (an easy ex-
planation for the skeptical).
- I was rolling on the floor; transported
by Tyner's wonderful hymn "Walk
Spirit, Talk Spirit". Good advice for
trying times. Like the old adage says,
"You gotta walk it like you talk it."
McCoy Tyner and his trio did just that
for two sets of stunningly visual music
during their Thursday night
engagement at the Union Ballroom.
While the Eclipse tech crew battled
valiently with the different acoustics,
the spirit became increasingly
tangible. Palpable. A hands-on ex-
perience.
McCoy was accompanied by a pair of
virtuosic musicians, Avery Sharpe on
acoustic and electric bass, and Detroit
" native Louis Hayes on drums. These
two matched Tyner's fountain of
strength stamina with genuine sen-
sitivity. Appropriately, they began with
the lyrical standard "Just in Time."
Taken at a brisk pace, McCoy propelled
this tune up and out. Next came the
aforementioned "Walk Spirit, Talk
Spirit." This piece is typical of Mc-
Coy's glorious rhythmic inspirations. It
is music with irresistable velocity.
Avery Sharpe's taut bass work talked
spirit. They got religion. Old religion.
During the lovely "Ballad for Aisha"
the visual/tangible nature of this music
emerged like warm sunshine. The
visions rivers was flowing in earnest
joy. A softer piece, reminiscent of a
classic love theme, the featured playing
was Sharpe's magnificent use of the
upper register. Lovely warmth and
elephant chords. African raindrops of
crimson and gold fall softly upon a
lavender river. Velvet soft. Inner
strength. Footstomp heartbeat; McCoy
revealed as the modern architect of an-
cient-new pyramids. Quetzalcoatl
returns, feathers fluttering beneath
African headress.
Pause. A moment. In fact a beautiful
rendering of the upbeat Coltrane piece
"Moment's Notice." A spotlight for
Hayes' drums which came swinging
along through McCoy's Afrovisions.
Hayes showed us strength, stamina,
and stick control. Martial rolls. Hayes
appearing a true martial artist.
. The second set leaped out in a strong
upbeat funk groove. 'Just Feeling'
featured Sharpe on electric bass. His
solo welling up into a drums/piano
crescendo. Hayes' cymbals propelled
the music from within as he dropped
bombs to the left and right. McCoy
Tyner taking to the wind a great bear
bird man. The music expanding to
mountaintops and contracting to river-
beds. A music of correspondence.
Tyner's solo spotlight was an unac-
companied offering of the beautiful
Ellington standard "Prelude to a Kiss".
This one might have had the added title
"Twelve views of. .. " Tyner's
stylistic explorations were alarming.
Titles were becoming less significant.
The next piece began with a slow Egyp-
tian-sounding rhythm taking flight in a
beautiful melody. I can feel the cradle
of civilization rocking. Gently forward.
Gently.
The encore piece featured some
really slinky bowed bass. Maddening.
I've got the bug. The joint is jumping. A
funny little tune that I almost
recognized. Sharpe's bass stating the
theme in unison with McCoy, and
kicking suddenly into a fast break.
Plucking wild! It was a bright and
buoyant goodbye to an audience that
was transfixed, transported, and tran-
sformed.
And needless to say, on their collec-
tive feet and voicing a united
passionate approval. How do you repay
understanding? The music of this trio
touched many hearts besides this one
Thursday night. McCoy Tyner's
imaginativespirit brought vision to
more eyes than these two. When you
walk it like you talk it, Magic comes
naturally.
Three Form
Tammy Thomas, JoLea Maffei, and Jeffrey Krestik will present a modern dance performance in
the Studio A Theater of the Dance Building. There will be two shows on Friday, November 30, and
Saturday, September 1, at 8:00 p.m. For more information, dial 763-5460.
Die Fledermaus produces a nove
By Ted Moncreiff
OHANN STRAUSS' Die Fledermaus
tJ(The Bat) opened Thursday night to
a full house with a performance that
left no one disappointed. The nearly
three hour performance, filled with
singing, dancing and a few surprises
completely won its audience with its
light-hearted festivity.
Die Fledermaus is a Vienese
operetta concerning the revenge of Dr.
Falke (Matt Carney) for a practical
joke his friend Gabriel von Eisenstein
(William Anderson) had played on him
some years before.
The joke involved leaving Falke
Hagregard-
Blegen vocal
concert hits
H tonight
By Neil Galan ter
asleep on a park bench dressed as a bat
where he woke up the next day to the
stares of the Sunday promenaders.
Falke's revenge, which includes ex-
posing Eisenstein as a filandered in
front of his wife, turns into a comedy of
errors in which mistaken identities,
compromisiing circumstances, and
more than a little champagne lead to a
hilarious conclusion.
Performed by the Professional
Theatre Program, under the direction
of David Morelock, and the University
Orchestra, conducted by Gustav Meier,
the performance boasted a superb or-
chestra and several performers worthy
of honorable mention. Although all of
the preformers deserve
congratulations on a fine performance,
those deserving special praise are John
Castrodale as Rosalinda, Michael
Pavelich as Alfred, and Fontaine A.
Follansbee as Adele.
Rosalinda's scene as a Hungarian
Countess, and Adele's solo singing per-
formance in Act III considering her
talents as an actress were both scene
stealers. Michael Pavelich's perfor-
mance as Alfred was characterized by
energy, enthusiam and flamboyancy.
Pavelich's voice in particular
possessed a size, range, and flexibility
that simply overwhelmed the audience.
One of the surprises of Thursday
' festivity
evening's performance was a solo per-
formance by internationally renowned
violinist Ruggiero Ricci, a Professor
here at the University of Michigan.
Due to the rather small size of the
stage of the Mendelssohn Theatre,
some sacrifice of the lavishness
traditionally associated with the
Vienese operettas was inevitable.
However, through the spectacular
scenery and the fabulous costumes, a
sense of the lavishness of the original
production was maintained.
The success of Die Fledermaus'
opening night with its drama, humor
and enthusiasm, promises a successful
run at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre.
1 0
"another op'nin...
(U
QE
w"
W,
another show"
Kiss Me Kate
Power Center for the Performing Arts
November 15,16 & 17, 8pm
Tickets $6.00 Available at the
Michigan Union Ticket Office
For more information. call 763-1107
,io
HOW OFTEN is it that a listener
has the opportunity to hear two of
the finest soloists around today
together in concert? The chance is
definitely a rarity and it is best to grab
the chance while it lasts! The young
American lyric soprano Judith Blegen
and the renowned Swedish baritone
Hakan Hagegard will present a recital
Saturday at Hill Auditorium at 8:30
p.m., which will include selections by
more than a half dozen various com-
posers, duets and solos both.
Blegen, who was born in Montana
received her musical education at the
renowned Curtis Institute of Music in
Philadelphia. She made her
Metropolitan Opera Debut while only
in her early twenties in a highly and
critically acclaimed Mozart's "The
Magic Flute".
Since, she has risen to the top as an in-
ternational opera star, making ap-
pearances in leading roles at such
Opera Houses in Chicago, San Fran-
cisco, and at the Royal Opera, Convent
Garden, Vienna State Opera and the
Paris Opera. She is also equally in
demand as a soloist with orchestra, and
to give recitals as well, as she will here
in Ann Arbor.
Hagegard has a career which is no
less impressive. Having been described
by The New York Times as "one of the
world's finest lieder singers", he was
first introduced to the international
public as Papageno in Ingemar
Bergman's film version of The Magic
Flute. He has subsequently gone on to
conquer both the operatic and concert
world on three continents, including
appearances with many major opera
companies and at many major musical
centers. His television and recorded
performances or Orff's Carmina
Burana are definitive and persuasive'
interpretations and his recent or-
chestral appearances with the sym-
phonies of Pittsburgh, Seattle, Cincin-
nati, Atlanta, Dallas and Baltimore
show him to be in command of reper-
toire ranging from Mozart to Mahler
with regards to the art of song and aria,
and to the most contemporary works of
Dallapiccola and Ligeti.
Combining the splendid artistry of
both of these artists should net a Satur-
day evening recital that is satisfying
musically and of high intellect. Ticket-
s range from $8 to $18 and are available
at Burton Tower or at the door.
Availability of seats and any other in-
formation may be obtained by calling
The University Musical Society at 665-
3717, Monday .thru Friday, 9 to 4:30 and
on Saturday from 9 till noon.
-U
Records
Elvis Costello and the
Attractions - The Only
Flame in Town
(Columbia EP)
"The Only Flame in Town," offered
here in an extended 'special mix,' is one
of the mildly agreeable cocktail-
pop/soul/funk disappointments from
the first (and hopefully last) mediocre
Elvis Costello album, this past sum-
mer's Goodbye Cruel World. Elvis
seems to be working toward radio ac-
ceptability in a way that doesn't quite
work artistically (or, so far, commer-
cially), flattening out the ideas trium-
phantly introduced on Punch the
Clock's "Everyday I Write the Book."
This three-song EP is worth getting
though, for the collaboration with Nick
Lowe on the Bacharach/David classic
"Baby It's You." Both Costello and
Lowe's vocals are deliciously relaxed,
and the acoustic guitar-based track
slides down as sweetly as marzipan. A
"1984 Monster Mix" of "Pump It Up"
introduces no big innovations on the
original, but a good Costello song is
always worth another listening
(especially when produced by Lowe),
000 e m IIe
" $300 THIS EN
TTWOT
and it's a rather comforting throwback
to the days when Costello was
unquestionably one of the gods. His
current phase seems a bit confused and
transitory, but there's obviously no
justification yet for writing the guy off.
- Dennis Harvey
s0" "
"
"
"
s
Pse Presents
TIRE AD GOOD FOR
ICKETS AT $3.00 EACH
" Alan Bird is getting
* nothing he wants this Christmas
" From Bill Forsyth, the Director/
* Writer of "Local Hero" and "Gregory's Girl"
"
FRI. 1:00, 7:00, 9:00,11 P.M.
* SAT. J:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00, 11 P.M.
" SUN. 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00
Acader
presen,
future,
conterr
"
0
"
S
:
0
"
(PG)"
"
;my Award Winner Giorgio Moroder ,
ts Fritz Lang's classic vision of the ,
,now beautifully restored and with a "
,porary music score.
"
Songs Preformed by "
Pat Benatar " Billy Squier "
Adam Ant " Lover Boy & More! "
0
PAT METHENY
~ fln with -
i
I \ mmm-- dil W A / -