Not like a puppy
"The Eel" screens tonight at Lorch Hall. This film about an
ex-con and his unusual pet is in Japanese with English subtitles.
7 p.m.
AR SlTSm ai
Monday in Daily Arts:
Check out Daily Arts for reviews of "My Son the Fanatic"
and "Blue Streak."
# 1
8
Friday
September 17, 1999
A
0,
Blues, Jazz Fest opens tonight
By Curtis Zimmermann
Daily Arts Writer
One only has to go as far Red Hot Lovers to
fully comprehend the legacy of the Ann Arbor
Blues and Jazz Festival. The posters on the wall
bear names like Howlin' Wolf, Miles Davis,
Muddy Waters and Charles Mingus. Perhaps the
festival (or the world), will never see such a great
line up of musicians on one bill again, simply
because many of the geniuses which defined these
musical styles have passed on. But, what we see in
this year's festival, which begins tonight in Ann
Arbor, is a diverse sampling of the two genres,
both old and new.
The festivities begin tonight when Koko Taylor
and Buddy Guy take the stage at the Michigan
Theater. The musicians were label-mates back in
the 60s on the now legendary Chess Records, and
have recorded and toured together in the '90s.
With these two artists together on the same bill,
this year's inaugural performance promises to be a
mind blowing evening of Chicago style blues.
Blues and
Jazz
Festival
Various iocations
Tonight through
Sunday
To many, Koko Taylor is the
reigning Queen of the blues.
Born in Memphis in 1935 she
and her husband migrated to
Chicago in the '50s where she
was discovered by Willie
Dixon. In 1962, she signed to
Chess Records on which she
released numerous albums
and scored her biggest hit
"Wang Dang Doodle" in
1965. When Chess Records
went under in 1975, she began
recording for Alligator
Records, the label she remains
faithful to (and contractually
w
47
porary Blues.
His set should provide a solid example of where
blues is going in the next century, without forget-
ting its past.
Beyond the headliners, the most intriguing story
of this year's festival is that both C.J. Chenier and
Big Bill Morganfield who take the stage Saturday
and Sunday respectively are sons of American
musical legends.
One could talk in great detail about Zydeco, the
African American counterpart of Blues, and some
might call it the predecessor to Cajun music. In
the same breath. you'd have to mention master
accordion player Clifton Chenier. Not only is he
considered the greatest musician ever to play in
that style, but slots in his band served as training
ground for some of the great players of both
Zydeco and Texas blues.
Clifton Chenier's main innovation to the style
was his addition rock 'n' roll into the mix, which
brought notoriety to himself and the genre. At the
age of 21, soon after graduating from music
school, C.J. joined his father Clifton's Red Hot
Louisiana Band.
As Clifton's health deteriorated in the '80s he
began conditioning his son to take over the band.
Following his fathers death in 1987, C.J. took full
control of the group. While refusing to be com-
pared to his father, he has established himself as
one of the leading figures in the genre. Living
Blues magazine even dubbed him "The best living
Zydeco singer and accordionist."
Big Bill Morganfield, who will be backed by the
Bob Margolin blues band, is another well bred
musician, the son of Mckinley Morganfield AKA
Muddy Waters. Water's, like Clifton Chenier, is
considered one of the greatest in his respective
field, the Blues.
His recordings, among other things, were cen-
tral in the birth of rock 'n' roll. Unlike C.J.
Chenier, Morganfield did not polish his craft
while playing with his father. In fact it wasn't until
after Muddy Water's death in 1983 that he decided
to learn the guitar. After years of perfecting his
sound on his own and with various bands that
Morganfield released his first album aptly titled
"Rising Son," last year.
Beyond the headliners and the family traditions,
this year's Blues and Jazz Fest offers a stellar
range of performers. Friday evening, "The Mighty
Burner." Keyboard player Charles Earland will
bring his own brand of funk blues to the Bird of
Paradise. He's scheduled for a series of 4 shows,
two Friday and two Saturday. Earland has become
a well respected organ player over the last three
decades, releasing more than 50 records.
Saturday's lineup includes a Delta Blues singer;
Uncle Jessie White, a young female Blues croon-
er, Thornetta Davis; Blues guitarist Jimmy Dillon;
and Steve Turre, who blends modern and tradi-
tional jazz with Latin American music. Sunday
will showcase local favorites Madcat & Kane as
well as the Bird of Paradise Orchestra. Also
appearing will be the Amigo Latin Jazz All-Stars
and swing revivalists Steve Lucky and the
Rhumba Bums. So no matter which installment of
the Festival you attend there is no doubt you'll get
you money's worth.
r-mwwww-
aw-
Courtesy of Unversa Pcitures
Kevin Costner contemplates the beauty of baseball in "For Love of the Game."
Costuerh home
asTiger pi1tcher
9
obligated to), to this day.
Like many of Blues' Elder statesmen, Buddy
Guy didn't start to get the recognition that suited
his abilities until later in his career. As a result, the
'90s have been Guy's most successful decade
since entering the business.
After signing with Silvertone records in 1991 he
released numerous albums, and won three
Grammy awards. Like Taylor, Guy first estab-
lished his career in Chicago in the late '50s. He
started out at Cobra records than moved to Chess
in 1960. During his seven years with Chess, he
balanced a career as a solo artist and session musi-
cian for many of the Chess stars including Sony
Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, and coincidental-
ly, Koko Taylor. The '70s saw Guy and his now
legendary collaboration with Junior Wells. Still,
despite his success, Guy was without a record deal
in the US for most of the '80s.
One of the names on the wall in Red Hot Lovers
will be headlining Saturday's installment of the
festival at Gallup Park. Tenor Saxophonist
Pharaoh Sanders who appeared at the festival in
the '70s returns to Ann Arbor with a different per-
spective on the type of jazz he performed back
then.
Sanders first made a name for himself recording
with John Coltrane in the '60s. Since Coltrane's
death he has changed musical directions many
times, often incorporating his style of playing
Courtesy o Aigator Recoros , daO ' 5 or'c Records
KoKo Taylor and Buddy Guy perform tonight as part
of the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival.
within other world musical traditions. His latest
release, "Save our Children," showcases this new
style which he will no doubt share with the crowd
at Gallup Park on Saturday.
Keb' Mo', the last person to take the stage at the
festival is also the youngest of the four headliners.
Mo', born Kevin Moore, released his first album
under his new alias in 1994.
Since then, he has become one of this country's
most popular contemporary blues singers. In the
years leading up to his initial success, Mo' worked
and toured with various Rhythm and Blues groups.
It wasn't until this decade when he stared in a play
about Delta Blues that Mo' finally came into his
own musically. His music blends elements of
Robert Johnson with the many sounds of contem-
By Matthew Barrett
Daily Arts Writer
The season is ending, the team is
terrible and pitcher Billy Chapel
(Kevin Costner) is at the crossroads.
His arm is a mess and the glory days
of his career are well behind him.
And yet something burns inside of'
him -- the desire to squeeze every
last thing that he can from the game
he loves. So, sore arm and all Billy
prepares to pitch against the divi-
sion-leading New York Yankees -
"For Love of the Game."
For Love of
the Game
At Briarwood
and Showcase
that he retire and
Then, in the
span of just a
few moments,
this career-long
Detroit Tiger is
blindsided by
the news that the
team is being
sold and that the
new manage-
ment plans to
trade him, to the
San Francisco
Giants. The cur-
rent owner pro-
poses to Billy
leave the game for
'NCAA 2000' provides authentic challenge
NCAA Football 2000
PlayStation
EA SPORTS
Brady or Henson? You make the decision. And leave Lloyd Carr out of it. Sound
too good to be true? Well it's all within the realm of possibility in "NCAA Football
2000,' a game that's sure to keep college football fans locked to their controllers for
hours on end.
The game's best feature, far and away, is its authenticity. Each school has its own
stadium, fight song and the actual players from its team featured in the game (the
players are identified only by their numbers, not their names). Knowing the players
makes things much more fun and exciting, and allows gamers the chance to settle the
aforementioned quarterback debate once and for all.
As far as teams go, "NCAA Football 2000" is well-stocked. Players can choose the
Wolverines or any of the other 139 different teams offered, and guide them through
a year complete with that school's actual 1999 schedule.
Those who opt to control a team for an entire season, can also compete for the
Heisman Trophy, check out their position in the polls (updated weekly) and choose
between a tournament or bowl game to determine the national champion.
By no means is the action limited to the big boys - a variety of division I-AA
schools are included. In addition, the game boasts 40 different classic match-ups that
span through 51 years of college football. By far, the best contest is the 1973
Michigan- Ohio State game, which provides fans still bitter about the Rose Bowl
snub the opportunity to grab control of the Dennis Franklin led squad and take the
appropriate revenge. The other two classic Michigan teams featured are the 1991
(versus Washington) and 1997 (versus Washington State) squads, both going up
against their opponents in the Rose Bowl.
The game itself is pretty simple to learn and in a matter of minutes first-timers can
figure out how to handle things on the offensive side of the ball. Defense is another
story - it takes some time to get the hang of the hefty playbook, but with the prop-
er dedication, anyone can, be a star. Players can also choose between four different
skill levels (Junior Varsity, Varsity, All American and Heisman) - so beginners can
start from the bottom and work their way up.
"NCAA Football 2000" provides so many different opportunities to gamers that
months could be spent playing before all of its options were exhausted. So whether
you're leading the Wolverines or one of the other 200 plus teams featured, "NCAA
Football 2000" is a great way to kill some time on a lazy fall afternoon.
- Matthew Barrett
good with his head held high.
Before Billy can even process the
news, he learns that his longtime
love Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston) is
leaving him and taking a job in
London. Heightening matters is the
fact that Billy first met Jane on a day
that he was pitching in New York,
with him making plans to visit when-
ever the Tigers were in town. And so,
with much on his mind, Billy takes
the mound.
Throughout the game, the story
flashes back to various key moments
in Billy's life as he reflects on his
past while trying to sort out his
future. The flashbacks deal with the
progression and destruction of
Billy's relationship with Jane and his
rehabilitation from a freak hand
injury. Interweaving these glimpses
into Billy's past with the game is an
interesting way to tell the story and it
provides some insight into what a
pitcher actually thinks about as he
pitches a game.
Although Kevin Costner portray-
ing a baseball player has become a
bit of a cliche, the actor is on the
mark 'and it's hard to figure anyone
else who could pull the role off. And
while he may be a little awkward in
the more romantic scenes, Costner is
perfect in the moments when, as the
aging warrior, he digs for all he's got
on the mound.
The other standout in the cast is
John C. Reilly ("Boogie Nights") as
Gus Sinski, the Tigers catcher and
Chapel's best buddy on the team. A
jokester, who stands by and protects
his pitcher to the end, Sinski looks
and feels like a big league backstop.
Reilly combines a wicked sense of
humor with some serious intensity in
the more dramatic scenes, making
the relationship between Chapel and
Sinski one of the film's high points.
From the instant that "For Love of
the Game" begins with grainy home
movies of Billy's ascension from
Little League to the big leagues, it's
clear that those behind the movie
possess both an intense knowledge
and passion for baseball. Director*
Sam Raimi does his best to make the
game appear as beautiful as possible
with long, sweeping shots of the
action, and it works. This contrasts
well with the use of quick cutting in
some of the more bam-bam baseball
sequences, where Raimi covers for
the actors' lack of baseball talent and
interjects excitement into the game.
Another nice touch by the filmmak-
ers is the use of complete silence
during a few of the pitching
sequences, in order to convey Billy's
blocking out of the hostile crowd.
Satisfying to the end, "For Love of
the Game" is the rare movie about
sports that builds and maintains an
interest in how the both the game
and the characters' lives will turn
out. The film also marks a signifi-
cant step forward for director Sam
Raimi, who follows his sharp "A
Simple Plan" with another story that
hits home. Ranking right up there
with "Tiger Town" in terms of great
movies about the Detroit Tigers, "For
Love of the Game" is one not to be
missed, baseball fan or not.
The University of Michigan
School of Music
441
Sunday, September 19 11111
FACULTY RECITAL
Anton Nel, piano.
Britton Recital Hall, E.V. Moore Bldg., 4:00pm.
Handel: Chaconne in G Major, Debussy: Preludes, Book 2,
Beethoven: Sonata in A, Op. 2, No. 2, Chopin: Andante Spianato and
Grande Polonaise Brilliante, Op. 2-2.
Thursday, September 23
GUEST MASTER- CLASS
Robert Van Sice, marimba
McIntosh Theatre, E. V. Moore Bldg., 8:00pm.
Mr. Van Sice is Professor of Percussion at Yale University. In
1989 he gave the first full-length marimba recital at
Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and has played in most of
Europe's major concert halls.
C zz,
.................
student discount ticket price available
at the Michigan Union Ticket Office.
Only $1250 for a 1 day pas!
BEER TENT for 21 + with l.D.
Gallup Park is on Fuller Rd
across from'Huron High School
www.a2.blues.jazzfest.org
Saturday Sept 18, Noon 'til 8pm GALLUP PARK
C Ph11 r SANIEKS
CiCheRnisr &1Ii'hfa
Steve Tune * immhy ORION'
Congregation
Seed of Abraham Zera Avraham
P . ...,
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