Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 25, 1986
Shepp to hit the Ark Saturday
By arwulf arwulf
ANTHONY Braxton stood chat-
ting with us in the front room of
the Trotter House, his quiet self
peering out through wire-rimmed.
spectacles. It was an Eclipse Jazz
workshop; a chance to meet the ar-
tist, talk things over, clarify points
and gain insights. Anthony's
workshops have always been quaintly
pedagogic affairs, bristling with char-
ts, theories and postualtes. This one
had colored diagrams, very in-
triguing, and our guest was in a
talkative mood.
He would appear that evening in
duet performance with pianist
Marilyn Crispell at the U-Club. At the
moment he was discussing music
critics, their myopic preconceptions,
and the labels they impose upon the
music.
"Oh yes, they say 'All those niggas
got real angry in the '60s...' "Anthony
shook his head, perplexed. "It's not
that simple!" This man has been
blowing into nearly every type of reed
instrument for the last twenty years.
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often taking the horn away out to its
furthest extremities, where some
listeners may flee in terror. The issue
at hand was a sensitive one, not only
for Braxton but for any saxophonist
who has played honestly in the
tradition of Jazz since 1960.
It might be more so for Archie
Shepp than for anyone else, as he
was labeled The Angry Young Tenor
from the outset, and most written
works treat him in this way.
Listening to his recordings, par-
ticularly the ensembles he led in the
'60s, one can easily detect whence
came the label. But it's not so simple,
as Braxton said.
Anger was a part of it, to be sure.
"Malcolm,Malcolm, Semper
Malcolm"' and "Scag" were both
recorded in 1965, Archie reciting his
bitter poetry in front of a very heavy-
handed ensemble. The general focus
of his music has always had an angry
poke to it, even when interpreting an
Ellington ballad.
His wonderful tone with the bite, the
controlled rasp, the plummet of a
nine-piece ensemble in a sandstorm
fragmented chords, there's a whole
spectrum of emotion, of which wrath
is but a segment.
The point is, a saxophone overblown
to produce a healthy screech is not
necessarily a manifestation of anger.
I would have to say it's an echo of the
world and it's twisted plot. But I'm not
the guy with the horn, and you must
disregard what I say. Listen to Ar-
chie.
"I play music out of an over-
whelming need to play; to make the
rains come, to abolish wars. The
ultimate human sacrifice is, to me,
life, not death. Folk art re-affirms
life. I consider myself a folk musician
by dint of the fact that I play for
masses of people, under the most
formidable circumstances: when
they are eating, drinking, swearing,
fighting, etc. It is my responsibility to
make order out of chaos without the
specific aid of a gavel; that is, to cap
ture a religious moment and convey it
in the most inteligible language God
inspires."
This is what Archie wrote in 1967. It
would be assinine to assume that this
is an accurate quote for the Archie
trait with Albert Ayler, Eric Dolphy,
Pharoah Sanders, and, naturally,
John Coltrane. All five of these men
are incredibly sensitive; they
respond strongly to the jagged patter-
ns of everyday life, the wicked flim-
flam of existence. What comes out of
the horns if the ulimate in human ex-
pression; unfettered by notions of
'what people will think,' the
saxophonist bites the reed and gives
the world a taste of himself.
Persons who are unable to listen
without qualifying every single
minute of a performance might be
alarmed by these sounds, much as a
cat will run when you slam the kitchen
door.
Continued exposure to the music,
however, breeds a delicious
familiarity. It's like learning a
language. Soon you feel they are
talking to you. You talk back, After
the 21st listing, even the most
bruising solos seem friendly and
down-to-earth. It's like having your
back scratched.
I should add that Archie is now a
pillar of the Jazz Tradition, and that
many younger reedmen have openly
benefited from his example. David
Murray has grown up on Ayler's and
Archie's miracles, and he carries the
Tradition far into the future. We are
fortunate to have been born into the
same century with these creatures,
and missing an opportunity to hear
them perform live would be foolish.
Hope to see you at the Ark.
i
Shepp to appear at Ark Sat.
Shepp of today. However it carries a
certain timeless levity that I am sure
characterizes Mr. Shepp and always
will. The man is, quite simply,
brilliant. As brilliant as ever a man
has been. Archie shares a common
Highlander>" Low life
Associated Press 4
Anjelica Huston, winner of Oscar for best supporting acress in "Prizzi's
Honor" arrives with actor Jack Nicholson for the 58th annual Academy
Award ceremony last night in Los Angeles.
Geraldine Page wins
Best Actress' honor
HOLY WEEK RITUALS
AT CANTERBURY HOUSE
THE EPISCOPAL CAMPUS MINISTRY
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
218 N. Division, corner of Catherine
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26th, 5 to 7:30 p.m. (and every
Wednesday in March and April) - Meditative Eucharist
followed by supper and a study of Original Blessing by
Matthew Fox.
MAUNDY THURSDAY, MARCH 27th, 8 to 10 p.m. -
Traditional footwashing ceremony and Gethsemane
vigil.
GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 28th, noon to 3 p.m. - Silent
meditation in observance of the crucifixion (attend any
portion of the three hours).
HOLY SATURDAY, MARCH 29th, approx. 9:30 p.m. -
The Easter Vigil at St. Andrew's (306 N. Division)
begins at 7:30 p.m. Afterward, we will carry the celebra-
tion across the street to Canterbury House.
All are welcome. Call 665-0606 for more information
or just come and join us.
By Mark Landsman
Abreed of men cannot die unless
they are decapitated with a
sword. Sound intriguing? Add the
fact that these guys never age, and
have the ablility to jump through cen-
turies and you've got a great story,
right? Not quite. Highlander, the
newest release from Twentieth Cen-
tury Fox, heartily fails to make the
best of a very interesting idea.
The film is about Conner MacLeod
(played by Christopher Lambert of
Greystroke fame). Once a 16th cen-
tury clansman, and now an antique
dealer in present-day Manhattan,
Macleod is one of a unique breed of
immortal men, who can only be killed
by decapitation. Wait, it gets better.
The basic idea is that in the end there
can only be one of these men around.
Thus, the last two immortals must
battle to the death. The last two men
end up being MacLeod and the evil
Kurgan (Clancy Brown). These two
spend the entire time running around
trying to cut each other's head off.
Starting in Manhattan, the film con-
tinuallydflashes back to 16th Century
Scotland, where MacLeod and the
Kurgan originally met and battled. In
the meantime people are getting
decapitated around New York City.
Brenda Wyatt (Roxanne Hart), a
weapons expert working for the police
department, searches for clues that
eventually lead her to MacLeod. As
expected, they fall in love, and the
film climaxes with MacLeod trying to
save her from the evil clutches of the
Kurgan.
Basically, the story is interesting.
However, the writers of this film
destroyed a good idea with poorly
written dialogue. The characters are
punished with constant cliches and
trite conversation. There were some
lines that literally made me want to
get up and walk out.
The acting was nothing more than
mediocre. Lambert is only recreating
his "I'm and outcast and a freak" role
that he played in Greystoke. His at-
tempt at a Scottish accent is more like
a cross between French and Hebrew.
However, the most pathetic attempt
at acting came from Brown, who just
runs around the screen grunting and
foaming at the mouth like a rabid
mutt. On the positive side, Sean Con-
nery did put in an adequate perfor-
mance as the dashing mentor of
MacLeod. He, however, is only in 25
minutes of the film.
It's really not the actors' fault,
almost all of the characters are
shallow and one-dimensional. Many
are bluntly introduced and then
removed form the story without the
audience knowing much about them.
This causes confusion for the viewer.
Another large problem with the
film is that it's too overdrawn. There
are so many sword fights, and they're
all identical - MacLeod meet villain,
villain fights MacLeod, and MacLeod
takes his head off. By the end of the
film, these duels are not only predic-
table, but really boring.
A final thorn in Highlander is the
soundtrack. For some reason
unknown to me, the producers of this
film hired the rock group Queen to do
the score. Somehow I find it difficult
to concentrate on a 16th century Scot-
tish countryside scene when Queen is
blaring in the background.
Highlander is certianly based on a
very clever and interesting idea, and
it even has some entertaining aspects
to it, few as they may be. However,
the unbelievably - weak dialogue,
shallow characters, and a score by
Queen (a cruel joke) make this film a
serious waste of time.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -
Geraldine Page won the Oscar as
best actress last night forher role
as an ailing woman determined to
return to her childhood home in
"The Trip to Bountiful."
"Thank Horton Foote for all
this," Page said in tribute to her
screenwriter, as the audience gave
her a standing ovation. Miss
Page's victory came on her eighth
nomination.
Don Ameche, the retiree made
young again with the help of
visitors from outer space in "Coc-
con" and Anjelica Huston, the
vengeful Mafia princess in "Priz-
zi's Honor," won as best suppor-
ting actor and actress.
One of the hottest Oscar races in
years came down to the wire with
neck-to-neck contenders and the
industry's snub to Steven Spielberg
generating controversy as well as
excitement.
"The Color Purple" and "Out of
Africa," each with 11 nominations,
and "Prizzi's Honor" with eight,
were considered the favorites for
best picture at the 58th Academy
Awards in a race many critics
called too close to call.
Strong support for "The Color
Purple" was evident in homemade
banners hanging over the red-
carpeted promenade to the Music
Center. One proclaimed "Whoopi,
Good Luck," referring to the film's
star, Whoopi Goldberg, a best ac-
tress nominee for her first movie
role.
The film, based on the novel by
Alice Walker about a rural black
woman's lifelong struggle for self-
worth, won 11 nominations, but
Spielberg was overlooked in the
nominations for best director.
A group protesting "Purple's"
depiction of American blacks said
it planned to picket the ceremonies
later in the day. The Coalition
Against Black Exploitation has
complained that the film incorrec-
tly portrays black men as "brutal
and savage" and black women as
"loose, ignorant and servile."
I
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Where -
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A name like Hewlett-Packard.
(Continued from Page 7)
not forget the love he left behind.
Shannong, being the older sibling,
leaves home to try and earn a living in
Sydney. From there her exotic good
looks propel her to international suc-
cess as a model; her first proverbial
step on the ladder of success.
Meanwhile her younger sister, Kery,
is also planning her escape from
Koonwarra. Kerry uses her superb
equestrian skills to bring her to
Maryland, where she stays with her
Uncle Jack. Jack is the head stable
man of the wealthy Van Buren estate,
and soon Kerry is scheming her way
into the rich family.
Kerry and Shannon did not part on
pleasant terms, but Shannon con-
tinues to send money to her ungrateful
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HOFSTRA
LAW SCHOOL
SUMMER SESSIONS 1986_
sister out of a sense of loyalty. Kerry
feels that Shannon could well afford td
support her, and expects Shannon,4
will keep paying her bills when she en'
ters Braemar College. Her motive for
attending college is to marry a
wealthy husband, and she won't lei
anyone get in the way of her am-
bitions. She uses her daredevil hor=
seman skills and conniving mind to
get her what she wants, but she is not
always satisfied with the results.s
Kerry follows Shannon's life with
jealous eyes, as she cunningly tries td
shape, her own destiny. When Zan
reappears in both of their lives the
love they held for him over the years,
returns. They are all forced to
reevaluate their lives and discover
their own path towards self'
fulfillment.
There is much more to the plot of
Jealousies than a love triangle and twd
ambitious sisters. It allows the readere
to peek at the private lifestyles of
some of Europe's cliquish elite,
highlighting some rather flamboyant
characters. There is the friendly'
gossip, Jonquil, the shy Mark Vanl
Buren, and the powerful Soutb
American tycoon, Amadeo Benguela.
This novel is hard to put down, and
one is tempted to finish the book in ont
sitting. With only one other book t6
her credit listed, Justine Harlowe ceri
tainly establishes herself among other,
more notable authors. She excels at:
descriptive settings, and knows how
to write a fast-paced plot.
Justine Harlowe is an author whoso
name is sure to surface on the best,
selling lists in the future. Jealousies,
has all the ingredients of a winning
novel, not to mention the potential fo
a successful mini-series.
-Lisa Berkowitz
SUMMER SESSION I +
May 19 to June 30
COURSE CREDITS
Commercial Paper 3
Conflicts of Law 3
Debtor-Creditor 3
Evidence 4
Family Law 3
Law and Medicine 3
Remedies 3
Secured Transactions 3
The Child, The Family
and The State 3
Unfair Trade Practices 3
9
SUMMER SESSION II
July 1 to August 11
COURSE CREDITS
Administrative Law 3
Comparative Law 3
Federal Courts 3
Federal Income Taxation
of Individuals 4
International Law 3
Legal Issues in
Public Education 3
Legislative Process 3
Quality presentations,
I
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