The Michigan Daily ARTS Friday, September 27, 1985 Page 7 Texas bluesman lends insight to '80s sounds By Arona Pearlstein 'T LOVE WHAT I DO. When you like what you do, there's no problem," said blues singer and guitarist Johnny Copeland about touring. Copeland should know - he's been writing songs and touring for over 30 years. He'll be opening for blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan tonight at Hill Auditorium. "I got started back in '53 with a friend of mine, Joey Hughes. We were kids and we just got real interested in it," Copeland said. The two formed a band called the Dukes of Rhythm and toured for several years. Later, Copeland formed his own bands and toured mostly around the Houston area before putting together his latest band in New York in 1975. Copeland's style of blues - the Texas blues - has a sound all its own. It's a much more fast-paced, lively sound than its languid cousin, the, Chicago blues. We hear horns and saxophones flesh out its songs, along with a burning guitar. Copeland said he didn't feel he had any direct influences on his music. "My dad was a blues singer. It was .like I was automatically a blues. singer," he said. "My favorites (Texas blues singers) are T-Bone (Walker) and Gatemouth Browne." Copeland calls a recent tour of 10 African nations his best tour to date. "It was a great thing to be able to travel there," he said. "Blues is the music that left there - they could ap- preciate it still." Copeland recorded a soon-to-be- released album in the Ivory Coast with African musicians. "The music is pretty much the same," he said of the album. "It blends in well. It soun- ds more Latin, I guess. They (African musicians) adjusted pretty well to what I wrote. A lot of them were saying, 'What is this?' But they gave a pretty good performance." Most Africans were familiar with the slower-paced Chicago blues. "I had an African in Zaire tell me, 'You say you're a blues singer - what's all this love, love stuff?' He expected it to be slower." Copeland said. What does the future hold for the blues, now that many young people - particularly blacks - are turning to other types of music? Said Copeland, "That's the choice (for young people). Whatever a young person do - black or white - he has to do with all his heart and soul and can't nobody take it away from you. It's yours." Copeland added, "Well, I like Stevie Ray Vaughan, who is a real shining gem in the blues. Guys like Stevie make it a real upcoming thing for young people." Copeland has worked over the years with little recognition despite recording over two volumes of albums. Said Copeland, "I get as much (recognition) as I can get. I was always busy, working, working. I was always working on songs." Haitink (center) is shown leading the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. The orchestra will be perfor- ming tomorrow night at Hill Auditorium. Tradition of excellence By Rebecca Chung S INCE ITS INCEPTION in 1888, the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, which has been under the tutelage of Stravinsky, DeBussey, Ravel, Mahler, and Richard Strauss, name a few, has built an impec- ble record of excellence. The Washington Post has called it "the Netherlands' greatest contribution to the arts since Rembrandt and Ver- meer." The orchestra's recordings, new and old, live up to the accolades they hat recieved. Both of its Jochum releases, made in the early 1960s, and the newer ones led by present conduc- tor 'ernard Haitink, display a lively, ~sponsive, and sensitive anization. One notices a crispness and precision in their sound that in- creases the impact and beauty of the pieces that they interpret. Bernard Haitink, as Permanent Conductor and Artistic Dirctor, con- tinues the tradition of excellent con- ducprs the Concertgebouw Orchestra has enjoyed since it was founded. Haitink began his musical career as a violinist with the Radio Philharmonic dhestra, and held his first major onducting position in 1955 with the Netherlands Radio Union. He first appeared with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1956, and shared the post of first conductor with Eugene Jochum in 1961. In 1963, he assumed total responsibility for the organization. Since then, Haitink has been given many awards for his expertise, among them the Honorary KBG of reat Britain, the Gold Medal of the nternational Gustav Mahler Society, the Medal of Honor of the Bruckner Society of America, and the Knight of the Netherlands Order of the Lion. Haitink's choice for Saturday's protram will be appealing to those just beginning to appreciate classical music as well as those with a confir- med obsession. The Concertgebouw will open with Bizet's exhuberant Symphony In C Major, which was vir- ally unknown until 1933 when izet's English biographer rediscovered it in a bundle of manuscripts. The symphony was first performed in 1935, and has since then enjuyed increasing popularity world- wide. The program's second piece, Clajde DeBussey's Jeux, which was written in 1912 for Diaghilev, depicts a seenario that explores the jealousy qpgst two girls and a boy. Pierre ulez called it "a sort of L'apres- midi d'un faune in tennis clothes." Jeux did not make much impact when it "as first performed on May 15, 1913, and was completely over- shadowed by the debut of Stravin- sky's Riteof Spring two weeks later. It is, Yhowever, one of its composer's most remarkable scores. The piece has an opening reminiscent of Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice, but becomes h~rmore wondrous and complex, !r displaying DeBussey's mastery of 4armonies and tone color. Following Jeux will be Beethoven's PHONATHON CALLERS 'NEEDED Symphony No.7 in A Major, which was composed between 1809 and 1812. The premiere, led by Beethoven him- self, was a triumphant success. The piece is characterized by fullness, joyousness, and life. Richard Strauss called it "the apotheosis of the dan- ce." The famous slow second movement, "Assai meno presto" cannot fail to grip the heart of even the most casual listener. Tickets for this Saturday's concert and the pre-concert celebration are available from the University Musical Society at their Burton Tower office. COACH AND FOUR The HAIR STYLING & BARBER SHOP * All * Convenient Location and Hours Sports * Reasonable Rates Shop " Personal and Distinctive Styling Appointments Open Tues.-Fri. 8:30-5:30 806 S. State St. Available Mon. & Wed. 8:30-8:00 SBet. Hill and Packard 6688669 Saturdays 8:30-5:00 Bet. Hill99999and9 P ard 9922 a 2,, 99, ,9,9,,,,,,, ,, _. 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