8 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 4, 2005 ARTS Sax legend Blythe graces A2jazz venue By Lloyd Cargo Daily Arts Writer CONCERT PREVIEW Arthur Blythe possesses one of the most distinctive tones in jazz. His alto sax attack is as large and legend- Members of Piccolo Teatro di Milano in "Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters." 18th centry play done for modern audiences ary as the man, who's world- renowned for gifts as a com- poser and solo- ist. His sound is even more pow- erful in person. Tonight at the Canterbury House, Blythe Arthur Blythe with Nick Rosen and Creative Arts Orchestra Tonight at 8:00 p.m. At The Canterbury House 721 E. Huron St. Yosef Dosik on alto saxophone, Music junior Matt Endahl on piano and Music senior Chad Hochberg on drums as well as Music faculty members Prof. Ed Sarath on flugelhorn and instructor Mark Kirschenmann on trumpet. The concert will conclude with Blythe join- ing the Creative Arts Orchestra, a large ensemble that plays completely free improvisations. Blythe was born in Los Angeles in 1940 and began playing the alto saxo- phone at age nine. Influenced by Char- lie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, Blythe devel- oped a distinctive sound, trademarked by his wide vibrato and forceful phras- ing. In the '60s, Blythe joined up with Horace Tapscott and the Pan African Peoples Arkestra and made his debut as "Black" Arthur Blythe on Tapscott's 1969 Flying Dutchman release, The Giant Has Awakened. In the '70s, Blythe's popular- ity reached an apex when Columbia signed him and began hyping him as jazz's next big thing. Perhaps a little too "out" for the masses, Columbia preemptively dropped their public- ity campaign and instead chose the more marketable Wynton Marsalis to replace Blythe. Despite Columbia's lack of confi- dence, Blythe's debut for the label, Jazz saxophonist Arthur Blythe will perform with Creative Arts Orchestra and bassist Nick Rosen at the Canterbury House tonight. By Jeremy Davidson Daily Arts Writer FIN E ARTS PREVIEW What can a 300-year-old story teach us? Some- times more than you may think. When Michael Kondsiolka of the University Musi- cal Society invited Piccolo Teatro di Milano to come to the University on its college tour, he created an oppor- tunity for universi- ty students to reach Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $35-$45 At the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre out to a unique group of performers. After being invited by the UMS over a year ago, the theater company will present Carlo Goldoni's "Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters," at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. Though Goldo- ni's play was written in 1747, it empha- sizes universal themes that relate to contemporary life. "The situations Goldoni describes in his play are very simple and very human and can be appreciated by audiences in any era," said Ferruccio Soleri, who stars as the production's protagonist, Arlecchino. Soleri, an acclaimed Italian actor with 40 years of experience, has acted in works by playwrights from Bre- cht to Shakespeare, but he said that this part has brought him the most success. "Arlecchino also keeps me young!" he added. Eleonora Vasta, a spokeswoman for the theater company, said that while the play will use supertitles, the company invites its audience to use the titles as only one means of comprehension. "(We hope the audience will) allow themselves to get carried away by the rhythm and the gestures of the actors. We are deeply convinced that their skills will offer the ultimate key to the understanding of the plot of Gold- oni's 'Arlecchino,' " Vasta said. The message of the play, according to Soldoni, is that you can get through any situation, no matter how compli- cated, by being true to yourself and relying on your own strengths with- out compromising your ideals. "(This is) something very diffi- cult to do nowadays. I think that (the character) Arlecchino would not sur- vive in today's society. In fact, Arlec- chino is the symbol of the human capacity to invent and improvise solutions to any problem when they are approached with an open heart," Soldoni said. The tour stops at many universities at which members of the company have an opportunity to speak with students and coordinate educational activities with the.performance. "This particular tour for us is not just about presenting the world-famous production of Arlecchino, but also about educating American audiences about Commedia dell'Arte and Piccolo Teatro di Milano," Soleri said. Soleri will be available for a free art- ist interview on Saturday at the Michi- gan League before the performance. will be accompanied by some of Ann Arbor's finest musicians - the Uni- versity's Creative Arts Orchestra and a special guest, bassist Nick Rosen. Blythe plans to begin the concert by playing duets with Rosen, a student at California Institute of the Arts. In addition to being an excellent bassist, Rosen is also the man responsible for bringing back legendary bassist Henry Grimes to the Los Angeles scene after a 30-year absence. Following the duets, Blythe will per- form with a septet consisting of himself and Rosen, as well as Music sophomore Lennox Avenue Breakdown, was a critical and commercial success. He continued to showcase his talents as a composer and as a leader through the '80s, playing with jazz luminaries such as James "Blood" Ulmer, Chico Freeman, Cecil McBee and the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Lester Bowie, with whom he formed supergroup The Leaders. Most recently, Blythe has been tour- ing North America and Europe with the celebrated tuba player and long- time collaborator Bob Stewart. He's also been doing residencies in Germa- ny and Paris. Tonight's program, brought to Ann Arbor by the University's Jazz and Contemplative Studies program, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch a jazz legend considered one of the best of his generation in an inti- mate setting. It's a rare chance not only to hear some of Blythe's own compositions but also to experience the astounding improvisatory chops that continue to place him at the fore- front of jazz. 'U' student plays Blind Pig as part of rap duo By Andrew Kahn Daily Arts Writer LSA senior Alfred "Griot" Austin isn't just a college student. He's also one half of rap duo Lawless Element, who will perform at The Blind Pig on Saturday night. Griot Digable Planets and producer/rapper Mag- with nif's music has a distinctly Lawless smooth, soulful sound, Element which is reflected in their Saturday at 9:30 p.m. recent debut Soundvision: In Stereo. At The Blind Pig Influenced by legend- ary artists like Rakim, Nas and Slick Rick, Griot has a style all his own. "We're just ourselves. The marketing (of the group) is not too much different from what I am day-to-day," Griot said. "A lot of people put on a front and they pretend to be some- thing that they're not, but we're just ourselves." Griot recalled a solid support for local artists here at the University. "It was a pretty good hip hop scene (at the University)," he said. "A lot of shows went on at the Underground, at the League, where people came out and supported under- ground music." As far as the college music atmo- sphere in general, he added, "I think the college campus is pretty accepting to underground music because it's a place that's supposed to stimulate your mind, so it would be kind of hypocritical for you not to actually listen to music with a mes- sage." Griot is unhappy, however, with a growing trend in rap: the overwhelming abundance of rap- pers. Currently, there are "too many MCs, too many artists," he said. "There are a lot of career choices, but it seems like people pick up a micro- phone because they think it's an easy way out, but it's really not easy at all." This can make it even more difficult for new artists like himself, since many fans would rather be on stage than part of the audience. "When you're performing for some- one who wants to be doing what you're doing ... They're not going to be so quick to clap." The clear message and substance of Lawless Element's songs, in addition to Griot's rhym- ing and Magnif's production talents, make them *I exceptional compared to the Cristal-popping rap- pers so prevalent today. "We don't try to imitate what we see on TV. We try to make music with real issues," Griot said. And perhaps that is one of the reasons their fanbase has expanded. "The music we make is embraced by everybody - we don't get just underground supporters ... We get mainstream fans. When we make music, we don't really make music specifically for an underground fan or a mainstream fan. We just try to be ourselves as much as possible," Griot said. A Detroit native, Griot was also quick to add that while he thinks highly of other local rap groups like the socially conscious Slum Village, Lawless Element's music is not the same. "Initially, a lot of people probably don't listen to the music and throw out a lot of comparisons. If you actually give it a listen, you'll find it's not alike." As for their upcoming Ann Arbor show, Griot guarantees the audience will be entertained. "They can expect to see a pretty intense live show," he assured. "It's something we've been working on for a long time. It's going to be an excellent show. I promise." The Department of Philosophy The University of Michigan announces THE TANNER LECTURE ON HUMAN VALUES 2005-2006 MARSHALL SAHIJNS Charles F. Grey Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and of Social Sciences University of Chicago Hierarchy, Equality and the Sublimation of Anarchy: The Western illusion of Human Nature U I I I: r Friday, November 4, 2005 4:00 p.m. Rackham Amphitheatre, 915 E. Washington I1 SYMPOSIUM ON THE TANNER LECTURE MARSHALL SAHLNS E. VALENTINE DANIEL Professor of Anthropology ColUm bia University IAN MORRIS Jean and Rebecca Willard Professor of Classics Profcssor of History Stanford University PHILIP PETTIT William Nelson CroIVwell Professor of Politics Princeton University I I mwte--vw# 1iZ5 i A101fi . . I -1- --. IU m Adav f I 73S 17'«x3aIn mau ~ fn 9a I try^,,I1