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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, September 13, 2013 - 5A
CONCERT PR V E W
Etienne Charles to
bring 'Creole Soul'
Famed jazz regard. Culture shock gener-
ally refers to a state of dishev-
musician returns to elment or disorientation when
confronting cultural displace-
Kerrytown ment. For Charles, the shock was
both his own upon entering the
By JOHN BOHN music industry, and an attempt,
Daily Community Culture Editor through his music, to create a
sense of culture shock with the
Etienne Charles will return to reminder of our own forgotten
the Kerrytown Concert House roots in cultural diversity.
this Saturdayforthe release of his To convey this message, jazz
fourth album, was the natural medium of
Creole Soul. tjeme choice.
Charles's jazz "In respect to the genre ...
mirrorshisown (jazz is) supposed to include
cultural diver- Saturday many different styles of music
sity, drawing at8p.m. because that's what jazz is at
from the musi- the core," Charles said. "At the
cal traditions of Kerytown core of this music, there are
his roots. Creole Concert House many different cultures that
Soul is in many From$5 contributed to it. So I'm really
ways continu- just continuing that tradition of
ing this style. bringing new styles to the table."
"Definitely an expansion," Having performed jazz since
Charles said, "and a lot less cau- his late teens, Charles has taken
tion." his music around the world.
Charles has taught jazz at However, for him, it's always the
Michigan State for the past four audience that is most important.
years. Originally from Trinidad, "I think it depends on the
Charles moved to Tallahassee, audiences," Charles said. "I like
Fla., and later New York in pur- audiences to be themselves and
suit of a career in jazz perfor- to contribute themselves to the
mance. While a person of diverse musical experience. ... There are
culture and an artist of diverse those special places all around
style, Charles does not look to the world."
brand himself as unique. The jazz club scene has ebbed
"I'm not necessarily promot- and flowed over the past cen-
ing (cultural diversity)," Charles tury, and in Ann Arbor, the jazz
said. "I'm a living example of clubs, with the closing of the
cultural diversity. Anyone who Firefly, have all but vanished.
lives in America is an example "I moved to Michigan after
of cultural diversity. ... There (the Firefly) closed, so I missed
are certain people that for- that bus completely," Charles
get that America is the land of said. "And they still talk about
immigrants. So many people it. The same way they talk about
say that they are American and the Village Gate in New York. Or
immediately forget that their Bradley's or Augie's. All of these
grandfather is Polish and their different, famous clubs that
grandmother is Italian." used to be major hangouts for
"Whether they accept it or not the young musicians to meet the
or actually know that it is rele- older legends."
vant is a different story," Charles "Clubs will fold all the time,"
added. Charles added. "But we're not
His first album, Culture Shock, losing what we have, the bond
served a dual purpose in this between the band and the audi-
ence. And we can take that any-
where."
In response to this shortage
of venues, Charles has encour-
aged his students at Michigan
State to create their own spaces.
While the students of the Michi-
gan State Jazz Studies Program
have university spaces like con-
cert halls to perform, the greater
East Lansing community, for a
while, lacked its own jazz ven-
ues.
"When I started teaching,
students came to me saying,
'We don't have any places to
play,' " Charles said. "And I said,
'Well, go find some.' We put on
our suits and went to the nicest
restaurant in town and said we
want to play some jazz for you.
We'll play for X amount of dol-
lars and dinner. And they were
like, 'OK, fine.' And we'd do it for
a little while, and some of them
caught on and some of them
didn't. There was one place we
played every Saturday night for
four years. It became the jazz
club in town."
Despite this shortage, Charles
is optimistic about the Michi-
gan jazz scene, a scene that,
with Baker's Keyboard Lounge
in Detroit, boasts of the world's
oldest operating jazz club.
"There's definitely a great
culture of jazz in Michigan, and
it's heavily rooted in tradition,
but there's a lot of innovation,"
Charles said.
Much of the continuation of
this legacy will likely come from
the schools.
"There is a high level of musi-
cianship among young musi-
cians in the state of Michigan,"
Charles said.
"The level is extremely high at
(Michigan State)," Charles said.
"I'm not just saying that because
I teach there. It's just based on
the community aspect of it. It's
like a family. Every year it sees
students grow, and when they
leave, we miss them."
Overall, it's a fantastic film.
Delving nto Lake Bell's
ambitious 'World'
By KAYLA UPADHYAYA
ManagingArts Editor
Lake Bell is trying to tell us
something. I was first introduced
to the pervasive actor during
her season-one arc on "Boston
Legal," butI first fell in love with
her as Cat Black, the occasional
nudist, occasional dead doctor on
Rob Corddry's wickedly hilari-
ous medical satire, "Childrens
Hospital." Bell's certainly recog-
nizable, having appeared in vari-
ous romcoms in recent years, and
she's beloved in the comedy com-
munity. But if her feature film
"In a World . "is any indication,
she's also an emerging director
we should all be tuning into.
In her directorial debut -
which she also wrote and stars
in - Bell introduces us to the
faces behind trailer and com-
mercial voiceovers. This prem-
ise tricks us into believing the
film is confined to a niche world.
The voiceover realm is relatively
unexplored by cinema, and Bell
gets points for singularity. But
the film expertly navigates a
balance between specificity and
breadth, making it both the most
charming and piercing movie I
saw all summer.
Let's start with the details. Bell
populates "World" with infec-
tiously quirky characters, first
and foremost with her own char-
acter, Carol, who hopes to be the
next big thing in voice acting.
Her father Sam (Fred Melamed),
a voiceover superpower himself,
insists voiceover work has no
roomfor women,and her competi-
tion, the eccentric and crude Gus-
tav (Ken Marino, who has become
a maestro at playing douchebags),
agrees. Demetri Martin plays
bumbling sound guy Louis, whose
crush on Carol never dips too far
into incessant nice-guy territory.
He's joined in the sound booth by
deadpan Heners (King of Dead-
pan himself, Nick Offerman), the
super-eager, sloppy-drunk Nancy
(UCB vet Stephanie Allynne) and
Cher (a rare onscreen appearance
by comedian Tig Notaro).
Now, zoom out. The arena in
which these characters operate
mightinitiallyseem confining,but
Bell maneuvers them in ways that
probe and comment on a much
larger world. The gender politics
at play in vocal performance are
found in every corner of the enter- Holden), a woman herself who
tainment industry. In her world, is likely also impacted by Sam's
Carol is one of the few female roaring sexism.
voices scoring theatrical trail- The overwhelming feeling
ers. In our world, Lake Bell may of accomplishment that pours
have had her film debut at the first over Carol - and us as view-
Sundance Film Festival to feature ers - when she's picked for the
as many movies made by women big gig is followed by a deafen-
as by men, but big-picture trends ing blow. A casual encounter in
show we're a long way away from the bathroom with the studio
equity in filmmaking. exec responsible for the choice
The movie scrutinizes the reveals the truth: Carol wasn't
way we talk in literal terms. Bell picked because she was truly
wages her war against the vocal the best. She was picked because
fry and uptalk, with Carol offer- she was a woman, and audiences
ing voice makeover classes to would be into that because it's
ladies with a penchant for end- different and trendy. To a certain
ing all sentences with a question extent, it shouldn't matter why
mark. It's a personal war Bell is she got the job. But the fact that
hell-bent on tackling: Read any Carol is chosen because of token-
post-"World" interview with her ism and not necessarily fairness
- she'll inevitably mention her further proves just how far away
disdain for recent vocal trends. the long-term, systemic change
And if you ever have the fortune Carol craves is. It's a distant fan-
to meet her, be sure to police your tasy. She dreams of a "broad new
"like" usage. world" where women's voices
are valued just as much as male
voices are, where women voice
in a world actors get work because audi-
ences and executives truly want
ravaged by to hear their voices, not because
they're a novelty. I similarly
gender-based dream of a world where we don't
necessarily regard women like
discrimination... Bell as "female filmmakers," but
as "filmmakers" full stop.
An inhale of taut excitement
emanates from Carol as she
But the movie is also about the steps into the booth to utter
way we talk to each other and those titular words for her
the insidious sexism that slips recording. I felt that same feel-
into conversations about the ing as I left the theater after
working world. Gustav and Sam "In a World ... ". It's the feeling
constantly remind Carol she I wanted to feel when walk-
isn't good enough, never men- ing out of 2011's "Bridesmaids,"
tioning anything about her skills which people had insisted was
or experience, only citing her a game-changer for women in
gender as a reason she'll never comedy but ultimately fell short
make it big time. They aren't cri- of my wildly high expectations.
tiquing the system; they're per- "World" is a woman-written,
petuating it. And sometimes it's woman-directed, woman-cen-
more severe than words. Gustav tric film that premiered amid
literally uses sex to assert his a summer of typical dude-cen-
power over Carol after learn- tric fanfare. Bell shot the film
ing she's his competition for the in 20 days for under a million
ultimate trailer gig. Sam, not dollars, and yet it's one of the
knowing that the "chick" Gustav most ambitious movies I saw
is demeaning is his daughter, is all summer. It's a pleasant com-
complicit, encouraging his pro- edy as well as a biting scrutiny
teg6 to mess with Carol's mind. of misogyny, and that's a tough
Sam eventually croons out an balance to strike. Bell does it
apology to his daughters, but with as much cool-breeze ease
I find it very telling that it was as Carol spits out dialects. She's
never his idea to do so. He only certainly found her voice as
relents after insistence from a writer-director. And I'm all
his girlfriend Jamie (Alexandra ears.
Whovians rejoice!'
By GABY VASQUEZ
Daily Arts Writer
"Doctor Who" fans have
been excitedly waiting for any
news on the upcoming 50th
anniversary celebration, airing
in November. Recently, BBC
released a schedule that will
accompany the first episode of
the new season.
Matt Smith, the 11th and last
Doctor, will star in the season
premiere alongside the Loth
Doctor, played by David Ten-
nant. As a Tennant fan myself,
I am beyond excited for his
return to the show, as well as
for the return of companion
Rose, played by Billie Piper.
Fans have more to look for-
ward to in this anniversary
special,
as Mark First seen on
Gatiss will
be debut- -the filter
ing a
David
"Harr
Liam I
first I
sic "V
exciti
anticil
Hartn
while
"Who
new spin-off drama with tion for the show's beginnings,
Bradley (Filch in the while others worry it will just
y Potter" films) as Wil- create a new fanbase focused
Hartnell, who played the solely on this new show, leav-
Doctor in 1963. For clas- ing original "Who" to be some-
Vho" fans, this is both what forgotten. Regardless of
ng and worrisome. Many the outcome, bringing back the
pate a revitalization of first Doctor is a bold move and
ell and classic "Who," will lead to much discussion
others believe classic and debate among fans.
" should be left as is. The fact that a science-fic-
tion drama from the 1960s has
reached such a huge milestone
convergence eally speaks to how far "Doc-
tor Who" has come.
Doctors, old As Steven Moffat said, "50
years has turned 'Doctor Who'
and new. from a television show into a
cultural landmark. Person-
ally, I can't wait to see what it
becomes after a hundred." Me
ne see the fact that this neither.
rama could create excite- - The original version of this
about classic "Who" article was published on The Fil-
g the new "Who" fans as ter, the Daily Arts blog, on Sept.
t way to evoke apprecia- 11.
At
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