The Michigan Daily-Friday, April 8, 1988- Page9 McShann plays 01' Kansas City style By Brian Bonet When you think of Kansas City jazz, you think of Count Basie. But another name, among a long list of others who deserve recognition, is pianist Jay McShann. Like Basie, the 72-year-old Mc- Shann is a master of the tempos and piano feeling that evolved by way of Kansas City and the optimism of the great post World War I boom that thrived in the United States. As critic Charlie Gillet adds, the music was inspired by "the wide open na- ture of Kansas City during the '20s, where crime and good living joined in defiance of prohibition and the kind of morality it represented." This is the music McShann will share at the Kerrytown Concert House this Saturday night for two shows. To most, Kansas City jazz is tradition, but in McShann's case the music is firsthand and genuine. Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, McShann made his way to Kansas City in the late 1930s where 'the grounds for rhythm and blues, which would surge a decade or so later, were already being established. It was here that McShann's playing was quickly gaining notice and, within a year, he formed his own quintet. By 1938, a couple of years after Basie's departure, McShann's combo expanded to seven players and was undisputedly one of the top outfits in K.C. Featured was a 20 year-old alto saxophonist by the name of Charlie Parker, who was with the band occasionally for six months before hitch hiking his way to New York in 1939. McShann and his combo contin- ued to shine between 1942-1943, despite Parker's departure and despite the fact that many fine jazz musi- cians were being drafted to serve in World War II. But, in 1944 Mc- Shann himself was drafted, and the band eventually dissolved. After being discharged in November, McShann briefly returned to Kansas City were he was part of an All-Star combo session with singer Julia Lee for Capitol Records. Soon after, McShann headed for the West Coast, proving his versatility by performing in formats ranging from duos to big bands. In the late '50s, it was a homecoming to K.C. where McShann worked regularly in local night spots, played the Midwestern Jazz festivals, and stuck close to home. This was until 1968 when a brief European tour brought about a revival in his career. His annual tours through England, France, Spain, and the rest of the continent since 1969 have become quite a success. Indeed, McShann's popularity has skyrocketed in recent years and has made him one of the most sought after jazz artists today. Kerrytown, in their friendly, close-to-living'room setting, have already delivered and delighted with pianists Dave McKenna and Ray Bryant. Now it's McShann's turn with a genuine taste of Kansas City tradition. Pianist JAY McSHANN will be performing at the Kerrytown Concert House this Saturday night for two shows, 7 and 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. Reservations are suggested. Jay McShann's performance at Kerrytown will be a rare opportunity witness a genuine product of the early Kansas City jazz scene. "F top Bonn Quintet : Talented, too little-known ensemble By Lisa Magnino The Bonn Woodwind Quintet is one of the world's preeminent chamber arts groups. They have traveled extensively throughout the world and act as the unoffi- cial group laureate for their home country of West Germany. In 1982 they accompanied the president of West Germany on his state visit to China, where they played in Peking and Shanghai and took part in a recording project arranged by Radio Peking. In 1984 they again traveled with the president to Indonesia and Thailand, where they performed in Jakarta and Bangkok, and at the Royal Palace in Bangkok in honor of the King and Queen of Thailand. It was not until 1985, however, that the quintet crossed the Atlantic to tour the United States. Perhaps this is why the group's popularity here has been lim- ited to aficionados of wind music, but even this small group of fans has recognized the talent of the quintet's members. Klaus Reiet, oboe; Gusta Kedves, French horn; Wolfgang Sorge, bassoon, are all principal play- ers of the Orchestra of the Beethovenhalle in Bonn; Andreas Bossler, flute, is a lecturer; and Michael Neuhalfen, clarinet, is a lecturer at the Music School of the city of Bonn. All of the members have also per- formed frequent solo concerts. Yet the quintet is not merely a woodwind group. The addition in 1980 of American pianist Steve Masi broadened the group's repertoire beyond woodwind pieces to include works for piano and quintet. The program that will be performed tonight shows the breadth that the quintet is capable of achieving, as it covers baroque pieces for woodwinds and follows up with classical and Romantic arrangements for piano and quintet. The performance begins with Bach's Quintet in B-flat major, and is followed by Anton Reicha's Quin- tet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 88; Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110; and Mozart's Quintet in C minor. The program will conclude with Poulenc's Sextour for Piano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn, and Bassoon. Although tonight marks the quintet's second appearance in Ann Arbor, this is still a rare opportu- nity to catch a too little known group. The BONN WOODWIND QUINTET performs tonight at 8 p.m. at Rackham Auditorium as part of the University Musical Society's Chamber Arts Series. Tickets are $14 and $10. For more information call 764-2538. DON'T SEND YOUR WINTER CLOTHES HOME - STORE THEM FOR THE SUMMER! 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