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The Michigan Daily
Wednesday, January 15, 1986
Page 5
English Concert loves tradition
By Rebecca Chung
TONIGHT at 8 p.m., one of the
greatest gifts of the early music
movement, Trevor Pinnock and The
English Concert, will be gracing
Rackham auditorium. Their program
promises to be a Bach-lover's dream,
consisting of C.P.E. Bach's Sym-
phony No, 3 and Oboe Concerto in E-
flat Major, and J.S. Bach's Har-
psichord Concerto (BWV 1059), Bran-
denburg Concerto No. 3, and beloved
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor
(BWV 1043).
For those skeptics who doubt that
great music cannot possibly survive a
deluge of antiquity, or who have been
jaded by early music ensembles who
rely more on their relics than their
musicality, this is the group that could
alter your perceptions. Perhaps
Trevor Pinnock can allay your fears
better:
"As I see it, the fact that we choose
to perform on historical instruments
is, in a way, a private concern of ours,
rather than a public one...we have to
make clear that what we do is not just
a historical exercise. Nor is it a mat-
ter of fashion. Rather, it's something
to do with how we put the music
across."
"We're fascinated by the colors of
the old instruments' sounds, and we
find that we can exploit the in-
struments to their fullest potential in
the music that was written for them.
It's a matter of finding the right tool
for the job: if you discover the
techniques of the old instrument, and
play it long enough for it to be a really
natural mode of expression for you,
then it becomes the vehicle through
which you can most directly put the
music across to the audience."
He continued,
"In England, now, audiences have
gotten used to the sound of a concert
on old instruments; in fact, on the
BBC radio, they no longer announce
that people play period instruments.
Nor should they have to. If we can't
make an acceptable sound that can be
heard simply as an acceptable sound,
without a special label, then we
shouldn't be playing. And if we can
produce a good sound, then there's no
need to say we're playing old in-
struments. What's happening, in
short, is that the early instrument is
finally being seen as it should be seen
- that is, as a natural part of the
mainstream of serious music-
making."
Pinnock formed the Concert in 1973
after becoming fascinated with the
idea of re-utilizing old performance
methods and instrumental technique.
"It was a crusade, and it was jolly
tough work. I was not interested in
taking an academic approach. I knew
that if the music was to be put across
convincingly, it had to get into the
hands of committed players. And I
remember what a struggle it was for
us; there were good musicians -
people who could play modern in-
struments very well, knowing what
they wanted, and not always
achieving it. There were frustrations;
and there was the agony of knowing
that what one was doing was merely a
feeble attempt. And sometimes one
quite lost heart and felt like giving up
the whole business. But it was
necessary to work through all that, in
order to learn the secrets of the in-
struments."
Since then, their reputation has
skyrocketed. They are known not only
for their expertise in handling their
instruments, but also for the
musicality of their performances.
Among their honors are a
Gramophone Award for Best Early
Music of 1980, the Deutsche
Schallplatten Preis in April, 1981, and
three Classical Edison Awards (a
distinction they only share with The
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields).
For tickets, contact the University
Musical Society's Burton Tower Of-
fice between 9 and 4:30. Pinnock,
speaking for the ensemble, said, "We
all felt it was worth it, and were glad
to do it." So will you.
Jesse Colin Young, a folk musician whose work spans the political and
personal turbulence of the '60s to the introspective '80s, brings his show to
the Ark tonight for two shows.
Music of a lifetime
Jeanne Mayle: dreams so real
By Peter Ephross
TESSE COLIN YOUNG'S music
;,and life over the last eighteen
years has paralleled the ups and
downs of the folk scene during the
same time period.
In the early sixties Young's
'rebelliousness and loud guitar
playing got him thrown out of
Phillips Academy. While this did
not endear him to his Harvard-
educated father, it showed that
Young's future in this world would
be music, not academics. At Ohio
State, Young made connections
with Bobby Scott, who took a liking
to Young's blues/folk style. Scott
helped finance and produce
Young's first album, Soul of a City
Boy, which Capitol released in
;1964. Of that first album, Young
now says, "I was a rank beginner
when I made it. But the seeds of
everything I've done since are in
that album."
But Young's career really took
tff with the rise of the flower power
movement in the late sixties.
,Young's band, aptly named the
Youngbloods, became a hit, first in
(an Francisco, then going national
with their hit "Get Together,"
which reached number five in 1969.
With the breaking up of the
Youngbloods in 1972, Young ven-
tured into a mellower blend of jazz,
rock, and folk. While these albums,
particularly the live LP, On the
Road, released in 1975, were suc-
'cessful, Young's personal
problems began to come to the
forefront. Young realized, at the
same time that his brand of folk-
rock began to decline in
popularity, that his music, the long
hours of working in the studio, the
months ontour, were forcing him
to lose sight of some important
things in his life, namely his wife
and two daughters. After a
lengthy introspective period,
Young wrote the songs for the
album Hiding Away, a look at the
man within the artist.
Two other events came about
from Young's period of seclusion.
First, he disbanded his backup
band, and second, he began to get
involved in politics. Young par-
ticipated in a 1976 anti-nuke con-
cert and joined MUSE (Musicians
United for Safe Energy), the group
that performed the 1979 "No
Nukes" concert in Madison Square
Garden.
But something was still wrong.
As Young puts it, "I was still trying
to write the songs, produce and
sing and do as much as I could
myself...but it just wasn't working
anymore." Young's answer was to
give up total artistic control and to
use his music as a catharsis for his
personal turmoil. The result was
the 1982 release, The Perfect
Stranger, one of Young's finest
albums.
Just as folk music has regrouped
as a genre and made a mini revival
in the 1980's,Jesse Colin Young has
dealt well enough with his personal
problems to once again produce
some quality music.
Jesse Colin Young will be ap-
pearing at the Ark tonight for two
shows, at 7:30 and 10:30. Tickets
are $8.50.
\A \
Wed., Jan.15
7pm
Kuenzel Rm.,
M. Union
By J.A . Nielsen
IN A CITY where the typical 21-
year-old spends nights studying for
exams or filling out applications for
grad schools, lives a girl who defies
these norms and simply does what she
loves best.
Her name is Jeanne Mayle and she
sings with her band called Jeanne and
the Dreams.
Mayle has been singing
professionally since she was 15 years
old, when she dropped out of high
school to concentrate on music.
Mayle moved to Ann Arbor from
Washington D.C. in 1983 following the
break-up of her old band, The Jeanne
Mayle Trio.
One semester in the School of
Music Education was too much, and
she was forced to quit because it got in
the way of her playing.
Mayle sometimes regrets that she
has not pursued a more stable
lifestyle. "Most of the time I am
really proud of what I'm doing. Then
other times I will look at myself and
say, 'Where the hell are you going,
girl?' "said Mayle.
On stage, she appears certain of
where she is going, as she steps onto
the stage with the confidence of Mick
Jagger and the exuberance of a
cheerleader, clad in an antique black
dress splashed with enormous magen-
ta roses.
Tossing her head back, the
stagelights dancing through her thick,
golden mane, she says, "Thanks for
coming down to Rick's tonight. We're
Jeanne and the Dreams, and we want
you to have a few drinks, relax and
get away from studying, working or
whatever you've been doing." The
band starts up. Mayle melts into a
rich, throaty rendition of Al Green's,
"Since We've Been Together."
Steven Dreyfuss, 34, has been in the
Ann Arbor music scene for 14 years.
He plays the sax with Jeanne and the
Dreams, as well as several other in-
struments in three different bands.
"Jeanne has a lot of talent and
energy. She is rapidly growing into
the role of an exciting entertainer. She
has a great feel for soul music," said
Dreyfuss.
The band concentrates on motown,
soul and early funk. "There is a wealth
of material in that genre of music,"
she said, "for example, old Aretha
Franklin, Ricky Lee Jones, The Isley
Brothers."
According to Mayle the most dif-
ficult aspect of starting a band in a
new city is to establish a reputation.
"Back in D.C. I had a manager who
took care of bookings. Here it is up to
me to prove to bar owners that I am
reliable and that my band is enter-
taining," said Mayle.
Mayle said her ultimate goal is not
"to be rich and famous." She does,
however, intend to move to a larger
city.
Correction
Yesterday's photo of Dave Cross-
land, should have been credited to
Daily photographer Andi Schreiber.
"I have no illusions of fame and
glory. I really just want regional suc-
cess, a large following and a
moderate income in a city like
Chicago or New Orleans," said
Mayle.
But for the moment Jeanne Mayle
will remain in Ann Arbor and play
music for us. Catch "Jeanne and the
Dreams" at Rick's American Cafe
tonight at 10:00 p.m.
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
THIS WEEK AT GUILD HOUSE
r 802 MONROE
I ANN ARBOR, MI 48104
Friday, January 17 8:00 p.m.
BUNYAN BRYANT
Vice Chair for Issues, Ann Arbor Democratic Party:
A Presentation on "Economic Democracy in Ann Arbor"
"A grossly unappreciated
merchant, this store features a
range of merchandise and a
personable staff which makes
shopping there a rather pleasant
experience-a sensation that is
quite rare in Ann Arbor stores."
-The Michigan Daily
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January 15 6 - 8 p.m.
RICE & BEANS NIGHT
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Proceeds for material aid to
Central America.
"Understanding and Mastering
the MCA T"
A Seminar on the MCAT's Design and the
Successful Student's Battle Plan
TOPICS:
" Overview of the MCAT and Its Purpose
" MCAT's Major Pitfall: The Most Difficult
Section of the MCAT
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Resources for Maximum Performance
" How to Make Your 10's-12's, 11's-13's
GUEST SPEAKER: NORMAN MILLER
A I oadinn Fvnert nn the MCAT.