ARTS
The Michigan Daily Tuesday, March 1, 1988 Page 5
Guitar
innovato
By Michael Fischer
Not since the halcyon days of
Hendrix and Page in the late '60s,
perhaps, has a period seen as much
excitement over new innovations in
guitar playing as in the last five
years or so. For instance, the post-
punk scene - notably the highly-
processed minimalism of The Edge
and the two-handed, keyboard-like
jazz playing of Stanley Jordan -
have suggested a whole variety of
new approaches. It's interesting,
though, to notice that some of the
most influential six-string develop-
ments on the '80s guitar scene have
had their origins in folk, a genre of-
ten known for conservative strum-
ming. Tonight, a remarkably
matched double-bill at the Michigan
Theatre will feature two players -
Michael Hedges and Leo Kottke -
who have broadened the horizons of
the folk scene to widespread acclaim
with distinctively inventive, impos-
sible-to-categorize styles.
In fact, midwesterner Kottke be-
gan playing gigs in 1965 at the
Minneapolis club where Bob Dylan
started out. Although he had never
taken a guitar lesson, Kottke's play-
ors join
tures more instrumentation than of stun
usual, such as acoustic, electric, and ability.
synth guitars, an array of strings, synthe
and drums. Indeed, his styles range simulta
widely enough that Kottke has punctua
toured with artists as diverse as The ing an
Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and The him a
Mahivishnu Orchestra. On this tour, colors
though, Kottke will be in more fa- stunnin
miliar company.
Evid(
Like Kottke, Michael Hedges of- from t
ten sings but prefers to speak latesti
through his dexterous hands at the more o
guitar. Although rooted in the folk ing, r
tradition, the pleasant although sound-
sometimes pedestrian ambient fin- on jazz
ger-picking of 1981's Breakfast in Pat Me
the Field established Hedges's name cal pie
in New Age circles. But 1984's tionalf
brilliant Aerial Boundaries really lyrics.1
signified Hedges's arrival as a player such of
nning musical and technical
His approach, an ambitious
sis of spacious timing and
aneous rhythm/lead picking,
ated by his trademark scratch-
d bursts of harmonics, gives
full-enough palette of sonic
to singlehandedly assay a
ng variety of styles.
Bence of this is found on Live
the Double Planet, Hedges'
release. His instrumentals,
ften evocative than entertain-
ange from pretty, ambient
pictures to manic variations
zy themes, a sort of acoustic
theny on speed. And his vo-
ces feature gorgeous, tradi-
harmonies and richly poetic
His solo re-creation on stage
)f multi-layered compositions
for
tour:
is breathtaking in itself, but Hedges
further stirs up his concert set with
surprising covers: Dylan's "All
Along the Watchtower," a stripped-
down run at Sheila E.'s "A Love
Bizarre," and a sing-along of the
Beatles' "Come Together."
In all, the range of possibilities
that both Hedges and Kottke bring
their instrument is remarkable. As
Hedges says in his classic introduc-
tion to the live version of "The
Funky Avocado," "This sort of starts
out with a medium R&B tempo,
eases out into hard rock, and ends in
a fit of disco fury." And all orb an
acoustic guitar.
MICHAEL HEDGES and LEO
KOTTKE perform tonight at the
Michigan Theatre. The show starts
at 8 p.m., but doors open at 7:30
p.m. Tickets are $14.50.
I I
MICHIGAN
JOURNAL OF
POLITICAL
SCIENCE
A University
of Michigan
Student
Journal of
Political
Studies
call for more
in form a tio n:
763-1691 or
764-7829
Acoustic stylist Michael Hedges shows his old hippie-look- though he
will sport a crew-cut onstage with Leo Kottke tonight at the Michigan
Theatre.
ing soon brought him uncommon
commercial success for his type of
music; even his first of 15 albums,
Records
Stewart Copeland
The Equalizer and Other Cliff Hangers
IRS/No Speak Records
New release from the former drummer for The Police is the
cornerstone fo the first batch of instrumental/New Music albums from
IRS. Copeland plays all the instruments on a date of varying quality.
Some of the tunes are as effective as the best of his previously released
film scores. Others seem to be a bit cluttered, as if he were trying too
hard.
The production is self-concious and very "now/slick." Is this the
goal of No Speak? I wish the drums sounded more like drums. Ah,
well. At its best the album is good wild fun. Most fans should be well
pleased. -Marc S. Taras
released in 1969, has sold almost
500,000 copies. And his complex,
multi-layered style has garnered him
even more success within guitar-
playing circles. Kottke has won an
array of awards, including the five-
time distinction of "Best Folk Gui-
tarist" from Guitar Player magazine
and inclusion in its "Hall of Fame."
Despite his identification as a folk
artist, Kottke's eclectic taste for
blues, classical, jazz, and pop music
and his idiosyncratic approach -si-
multaneously weaving different
melodic and rhythmic lines with the
fingers of his strumming hand -
have widened the scope of his art
beyond simple labels.
Kottke's current tour comes right
on the heels of a new album, Re-
gards from Chuck Pink, which fea-
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Editors accept papers from all disciplines: theory,
sociology, methodology, psychology, American politics,
political economy, international relations, and more...
All submitted works must be double-spaced typed,
preferably on an Apple Macintosh disk, and between
10-50 pages long.
Send or deliver all submissions to:
MICHIGAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
6619 HAVEN HALL
ANN ARBOR, MI 48109-1045
,.
Students:
Did Your Professor
Penalize
You for
A
CLASS
ACT
SENIOR PLEDGE PROGRAM
Honoring the
M.L.K. Day
Boycott of Classes?
BUILD
A
TRADITION
r
14
The Michigan Student Assembly endorsed
the M.L.K. Day boycott of classes and
asked that professors and TAs
accomodate students who honored the
boycott. If a professor or TA did not
accomodate your absence from class on
M.L..Day, please call the Michigan
Student Assembly at 763-3241 or visit
fi
., }
7
...'
Kristin Baker
Greg Brehm
Robert C. Clauser, Jr.
Mary Ann Daviera
Maria Fomin
Debra D. Facktor
Christine Hess
Ashish Jain
Jennifer Jelinek
Stacy Jenkins
Mimi Keidan
Kent Kimmerer
Rita M. Konwinski
Ann Kucera
Jeff Kuvin
Lauren Lane
Carol Lowry
Kim McLand
Andy Rubinson
Jodi A. Tuoriniemi
Constance Vass
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