Page 8 -The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 9, 1989
I
A
true
individual
Ahmad Jamal stands alone in
jazz
world
UMf~/ AsianiStijdeiit C(Xoalitioii: \siaItIj l Eoiti Lt c1'diie Scries
BY LIAM FLAHERTY
T ma'
JUDE NAflITA
1987 DRAMA-LOGUE
AWARD - performance
in her original one -woman show
Coming Into Passion/Song For A Sansei"
a series of
IN 40 years, pianist Ahmad Jamal
has evolved from an idiosyncratic to forg
a true individual voice. The quirks melo(
and surprises in his playing have gles
been integrated over decades, through
countless shifts in the jazz landscape, and p
until now Jamal stands as the sole rotect
disseminator of his musical voice. petati(
The language he speaks is sparse
and thoughtful. He holds a peculiar
place in jazz, eschewing the ornate- touch t
ness of Oscar Peterson or the percus- melody
sive, exotic chords of McCoy Tyner. familiar
Though there are clear elements of pyroteci
be-bop in his playing, he stays clear Jama
of the lightning, to the edge of the city not
world runs of Bud Powell and his He was
progeny. And, unlike Cecil Taylor, of 11v
he won't run you off the globe. competi
Jamal's expressions are of a gen- jazz sh
tier hue, and his genius lies more in two fell
interpretation than in improvisation. have a
Like Miles Davis did oh so many style, Ea
years ago, he will take a standard and He b
bend and nudge until it is unmis- himself
takably his. The question here is one major c
of texture, elusive to define, but un- New Yo
mistakable when heard. Jamal will innovati
Reworked
1 will touch the
tten corners of a
dy, find strange an-
for familiar chords,
)roduce, without py-
hnics, a classic inter-
ion.
he forgotten corners of a
, find strange angles for
chords, and produce, without
hnics, a classic interpetation.
l hails from Pittsburgh, a
renowned for its gentleness.
born in 1930, and by the age
was competing in classical
itions. He began absorbing
ortly afterwards, touching on
ow hometowners who would
profound influence on his
arl Hines and Errol Garner.
egan making a name for
in the '50s, playing the
lubs in both Chicago and
ark. Jamal was utilizing some
ve arrangements, as well as
some fairly unusual rhythmic backup
in congoes and guitar. Jamal dropped
out for a while in the '60s, his
Moslem faith clashing with those
unsavory elements that musicans
sometimes seem to encounter. Dank
New York City clubs after midnight
may be conducive to good music, but
arenas of asceticism they are not.
Jamal found his way back in the
'70s, incorporating, with varying de-
grees of success, the electronic in-
roads of that decade. He has been in a
more traditional mode of late, as his
latest recording, Crystal, features the
standard instrumental lineup of bass,
drums, and percussion.
That will be his backup this
weekend at the Bird, where he
promises to touch on the breadth of
all his years and work, and his crys-
talline lines will have room to
breathe, and space to fly.
AIIMAD JAMAL will perform at
The Bird of Paradise tonight at 9
p.m. and 11 p.m., and on Friday and
Saturday at 8 p.m., 10 p.m., and
midnight. Tickets are $20, available
in advance or at the door. Call 662-
8310 for further information.
Venice
hopes
to win 20th C.
audience
HiHURSDAY, FEB. 9tIh, ,7P[ M
lii
BY AMY KOCH
F ROZEN spirits can find temporary comfort as The
Comic Opera Guild brings the cavorting 18th century
to Ann Arbor with their revived version of Johann
Strauss' operetta A Night in Venice.
In spite of an enchanting score, a weak libretto has
tainted American productions of A Night in Venice.
Since Strauss' dramatic effect relied upon local Vene-
tian comedians, contemporary audiences often find this
material dated. Ann Arbor's Tom Petiet has created a
better vehicle for Strauss' melodies by modifing the
drama "to better link the plot to the music" while re-
taining the original waltz theme from 1883.
A typical comedy of errors, A Night in Venice re-
lives the infamous Carnival where costumed Venetians
indulge in all pleasures, especially the seduction of
women. The plot revolves around the Duke of Urbino's
ball and his amorous intentions for Barbara, the wife of
a Venetian Senator. Upon learning this, the Senator
disguises his mistress as his wife to "lend" to the Duke
and gain political favor. However, the Duke has already
serenaded the real Barbara and asked her to the ball.
Petiet's cast consists of Soprano Penny Kindraka,
of the Detroit Symphony Chorus playing the cunning
Barbara, David Troiano as the Duke of Urbino, and
Michael Constantino as Senator DelAqua.
The Comic Opera Guild will present A NIGHT IN
VENICE, February 9, 10, 11 at 8 p.m. and February
11 at 2 p.m. at the Michigan Theater. Tickets are $9
and $12.
4
POWER CENTER
O(fi<: of the \'icy Pre:iIIfor tl>11 t rc 33ir133
Schoo of ( I .,tigi1 cring
'In it rI lou i 11 ~ *p
ad miss i on1:
I "Ij 4, 'J
FOR F UR.mu f? FNf ORNIA ION CALL 763-333:3
Narita
Continued from Page 7
free performance represents a culmi-
nation of the efforts of an entire
community of students, interest
groups, administration and local
businesses which has flowered into
more than just pictures on a wall.
Narita's five characters, performed
by her on stage, are easily identifi-
able "stereotypical" Asian women: a
young Japanese student; a teenaged,
third-generation Asian who feels that
her culture has nothing to do with
who she is; the aged survivor of a
WWII detention camp; a Filipino
mail order bride who will say any-
thing to please her new American
husband; and a Vietnamese hooker
who is proud of her "good job."
In a recent interview, Narita said,
"(The show) has given me a great
sense of power because in this
industry, an actor is pretty powerless.
A writer can create some opportuni-
ties for himself, and a producer can
fulfill the dreams of the writer. So
now I'm getting to do all three. I
guess you just get frustrated and
fearless and angry and hungry enough
that you disregard all the rules."
JUDE NARITA will perform at the
Power Center tonight at 7 p.m. Ad-
mission is free.
FIRST RESPONSE.
is the only 5-minute,
yes or no pregnancy test.
I
d I just did it!
The FIRST RESPONSE R
Pregnancy Test.
Well, what's
the news?
Only
FIRST RESPONSE can
tell you in 5 minutes!
Turns pink for
pregnant. Stays white
for not pregnant.
And it's so easy to see.
You knew,
in just 5 minutes!
Yup, and
when FIRST RESPONSE
says yes or no, it's for
sure. With other tests,
you have to wait longer
for results.
So which is it,
yes or no?
Now, why
do you think
I'm smiling?
You can always
trust your
FIRST RESPONSER.
FIRST RESPONSE, TAMPAX and the
I
MTS Rate Changes
Public Meeting
February 9, 1989
4:00-6:00 pm
Vandenberg Room
Michigan League
The public is invited to a meeting to
discuss proposed changes to the
Michigan Terminal System (MTS)
" s~4
y
MAUA TURRCUO XIE -18
:SAVE $1 0he'
FIRSTFIS
Preiinancv Tst Te teanc <
rate structure.
Greg Marks, Interim
Director of the Computing Center,
and other CC personnel will address
MTS users' questions.
Beverages will be served.