ARTS The Michigan Daily Friday, October 20, 1989 Page 7 Pretty darn quirky Peter Schickele is P.D.Q. Bach BY SHERRILL L. BENNETT always had that vein of ham," says Peter Schickele. "It's part of my genetic make-up." But when Mr. Schickele first performed his farcical music and stage show at New York's Town Hall in '65, he never dreamed he would return annually for the next 25 years as Professor Peter Schickele, a member of the musical pathology department in Southern North Dakota Uni- versity at Hoople. The Professor, and musicians of the Semi-Pro Musica Antiqua, are devoted to the discovery and performance of the music of P.D.Q. Bach, "the last and the least" apocryphal son of Johann Sebastian. * Through extensive tours including Ann Arbor's Michi- gan Theater, tonight with guest artist Randall Jeffries, an Ann Arbor native, Professor Schickele and his troupe have succeeded in delightfully annoying audiences and justifying the historical neglect of P.D.Q.'s music. The real Schickele has an innate passion for music and comical theatrics, first prompted by comedy band leader Spike Jones and his take-offs on pop tunes of the '40s and '50s. "At the age of 10, 11, 12, I was a Spike Jones freak," Schickele admits. "He had a very nice vaudevilley stage show that attracted me. My brother and I used to entertain at Rotary Club luncheons lip- syncing Spike Jones records." Although Schickele's first inclination was to the theatrical element, his in- volvement has always run deeper than that of a techni- cian of histrionic shenanigans. "Most satirists make fun of what they like, not what they don't like," says Schickele. "It's no accident that P.D.Q. Bach is a com- poser of the 18th century because Bach and Mozart are my favorites." . His profound interest in music surfaced in his late teens, and was first nurtured at Swarthmore college and then later at the Juilliard School of Music, where he re- ceived a Masters Degree in Composition. Since then, he has written more than 100 legitimate, no-nonsense pieces, and like Haydn, Schickele's whimsical nature perfumes each one. Recent premieres include Far Away From Here for Blue Grass Band and Symphony Orches- tra, and Ceremony, a large cantata for baritone, chorus and jazz ensemble. Even before P.D.Q., Schickele revealed his satirical genius by making music out of non-musical objects. "If somebody discovered, as somebody actually did at Swarthmore college, that you could play notes on the nozzles of the fire hoses in the halls, then I would write a piece for fire hose nozzle," Schickele recalls. As P.D.Q. Bach, he has displayed his mastery by inventing all sorts of zany instruments that actually work. "P.D.Q Bach wrote for Bicycle, Bagpipe, Dill Piccolo, and Left- Handed Sewer Flute... for the Ann Arbor concert, I will play the Pastaphone which consists of two pieces of uncooked manicotti." The actual format of the show hasn't changed since the very first half-concert at the Juillard School in '59 - Schickele gives a mock lecture introducing a piece and'then it's performed. P.D.Q. Bach's music, however, has changed and so has his personality, collecting bio- graphical information over the years "like barnacles on a ship," Schickele explains. It was because of this evolu- tion that Schickele waited ten years after the Random House commission to write his book, The Definitive Biography of P.D.Q. Bach. "P.D.Q. Bach is a more fleshed-out person than he was in 1965," Schickele ad- mits. The Intimate P.D.Q. Bach, a show begun in 1972, changes music every few years as more of P.D.Q.'s music is discovered by Professor Schickele. Tonight's program includes one of the newly discovered works, The Little Notebook for Piggy Bach, and a relatively new- fQund chamber opera The Magic Bassoon, "a one- act tragicommodity." See BACH, page 8 0 r 1 4 - 3i t" jt7> Ie G mac Christopher Hollyday Christopher Hollyday novus Christopher Hollyday's new al- Wbum is his fourth overall and his first for a major label. The Boston altoist has been highly touted since he burst onto the eastern jazz scene at the age of 14. Four years later, he gives us this offering, playing with a maturity beyond his years. The list of jazz prodigies has included such names as Miles Davis, Tony Williams, and Wynton Marsalis; now Christopher Hollyday can claim his place on that list. This young man has chosen four very able accompanists for this recording date. Wallace Roney is his hornmate on trumpet, and the rhythm section is the trio of Cedar Walton on piano, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on dLrums. Each performs well on his pwn, but from the outset, it's Hol- lyday who takes charge. Hollyday affirms his control with a strong solo on the opening track, "Omega," followed by a textbook bebop performance of Charlie Parker's "Bloomdido." Bird's influ- Brin hisb ad .11for 1 FREE :2 oz drnk 1'4LA +' 6 2 STH AkT.y expires 10/28/89 . ence is clearly heard here; fortu- nately, Hollyday's own style shows through as well. "Bebop" affords him another free-blowing opportu- nity, but the most impressive num- ber is his whirlwind tour of "Ko- Ko," a dazzling display of melodi- cism and technical prowess. No question about it - Hollyday is a master of the bebop idiom. On the slower numbers, an area in which most young players are de- ficient, Hollyday performs compe- tently if unspectacularly. He negoti- ates "This is Always" without a hitch, and injects "Embraceable You" with some bright ideas. If there's one weak cut on this record, it's the second one, "Appointment in Ghana." Granted, this Jackie McClean-penned tune is a difficult one, but Hollyday is tenta- tive on it, his ideas disjointed. An- other small fault on the album is Hollyday's sound. It's bright but dry, with almost no vibrato, even on the ballads. He also tends to slip out of tune at times. These faults, how- ever, are small in light of Hollyday's otherwise fine performance. Fans of straight-ahead jazz would do well to get this recording. Twenty years from now, when Hollyday has made dozens of acclaimed albums, this eponymous one should be a col- lector's item. Even if that doesn't pan out, the record is still worth having. --Ben Aquino Ice-T/The Iceberg Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say Sire When I asked for this tape, the saleslady quickly produced it from behind the counter, and brandished it before me with two fingers, almost like a turd. Perhaps she expected me to cringe at the cover. "How does it feel to buy a tape that's rated X?" "It's cool." "It's really vulgar. 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