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.