The Michigan Doily - Saturday, July 20, 1985- Page 9
r ilns to join German Orchestra
By Susanne Baum
A S THE Ann Arbor Summer
Festival approaches its con-
clusion, and the city frantically
prepares for next week's Art Fair,
many Ann Arborites are ready for a
break - a quiet, soothing evening at
home in front of the tube. But wait!
Before you resort to perusing the TV
Guide, remember that the Ann Arbor
Summer Festival is not over yet. The
world reknowned German Youth Or-
chestra will appear at the Power Cen-
ter with violin soloist Gidon Kremer
on Monday and Tuesday night, July 22
and 23. Which is more relaxing - sex
and violence soaked TV fare riddled
with more tame but just as annoying
commercial interruptions, or an
evening of exquisitely played 19th
century symphonies of Bruckner and
Schumann? Let your intellect and
your cultured senses decide. Both
shows begin at 8 p.m.
The German Youth Orchestra con-
sists of students from a German
music colleges who meet regularly to
prepare themselves for a future of en-
semble playing.The members run the
orchestra themselves, deciding all
the basic issues, including programs,
conductors, and soloists.
Records
Chick Corea and
Steven Kujala -
Voyage (ECM)
This is a pensive session of charts
and improvisations for piano and
flute. Longtime fans of pianist Corea
should be pleased with his always im-
pressive improvisations. Steven
Kujala has been in Corea's regular
group for years, where he and Chick
have been honing their tete-a-tetes in
performance interludes. Their timing
and sensitivity is its own reward.
Their rapport is evident and the
music works well most of the time,
drifting occasionally into nebulous
noodling.
"Mallorca" is a strong Spanish
flavored piece. It begins with a soft
piano intro giving way to e bassy left
hand motif. Kujala enters playing
with and weaving in and out of
'Chick's theme. Kujala's admirable
technique includes certain
mysterious bird-like flutterings which
are very effective in this piece.
"Diversions" is a longish (too
longish!) improvisation that features
an adult portion of Chick's patented
pixie piano stylings with Kujala
providing wafer-thin embroidery of
genuine delicacy. In other words:
more of the samey-like. This piece
suffers from Claude Bolling's
Disease. In spite of the claims of
liberation and joy in the liner notes
this cut seems a little too careful, but
it closes with a strong sense of
assurance. .
Since its founding in 1974, the Ger-
man Youth Orchestra has appeared
in all parts of West Germany and at
numerous international festivals. It
appears regularly at the Berlin
Festival and the Frankfurt Old Opera
and records for Deutsche Grammon-
phon.
Appearing with the Orchestra in
Ann Arbor is one of today's most
original and compelling solo
violinists, Gideon Kremer. He has
performed with virtually every major
orchestra and mucis festival in the
world under such eminent conductors
as Bernstein, Mehta, Previn, and von
- Karajan.
In addition to his performance
career, Kremer has an astonishingly
active career. His recorded reper-
toire includes works from past cen-
turies as well as modern com-
positions. Kremer has recorded over
45 albums.
Unlike many of today's popular
concert artists, Kremer takes a lively
interest in the music of our time. His
dedication to modern music has been
amply demonstrated by his par-
ticipation in many contemporary
music festivals. He has also given the
first performances of many modern
violin works and additional world
premieres are planned for the future.
The German Youth Orchestra features the cream of German music college students. The Orchestra will per-
form two shows with violinist Gidon Kremer to close the Ann Arbor Summer Festival.
I
"Star Island" is a solo piano improv format, if nothing else. It should bring
dedicated to ECM producer/Godzilla an occasional smile to even the most
Manfred Eicher. In all it is a jaded of Suite for...listeners.
beautiful, thoughtful, and well- Billed as Jazz a la Francais, the
realized piece; a slow, deliberate music on this LP is less tinged with
ballad full of unabashed warmth and classical flavorings and at least closer
vibrancy. The album's final cut, to a real jazz record (whatever that is
"Hong Kong" is also its most playful - y'know swing!) The album should
one. Moving at a brisk pace, it be a special treat for Bolling fans -
features a certain Oriental quality lots of piano and a talented pair of
that is very appealing. There's lots of sidemen. For fans of "heavy" jazz the
space between the notes and the ar- album should be enjoyable in a way
tists, and lots more sweet warblings that leaves you ready for the main
from Steven Kujala. course ("Wasn't that pretty? Now
I see it like this. Voyage will be a let's hear that Cecil Taylor disc!").
delight for Chick Corea fans. I'd give The title cut is a palatable piece of
it a B - at least. Add a full letter European quasi-Bach-analia for the
grade if you especially enjoy Chick in afternoon wine and cheese set. A cute
a non-electric, improvisational set- etude, "Garnerama," an apparent
ting, or if you are into meditation. tribute to pianist Errol Garner, is
This is floating music. slower and more sensitive,
showcasing the abilities of bassist
-Marc S. Taras Jean Francois Rouge and drummer
Jean-Luc Dayan. "Bach to Swing"
Claude Bolling Trio - sounds like jazz...sort of...O.K., O.K. I
Jazz a la Francaise (CBS) give! The lilting letter-perfect piano
Claude Bolling made a name for is braced by an altogether nice
himself in the '70s with Suite for Flute rhythm section that almost cuts loose.
and Jazz Piano which paired the Whoa, garcons.
capable French pianist with the vir- The upshot here is an album that is
baby-doll of classical flute deliberately pleasant. Fans will be
tuosoab dolleofacaTisas ' rolling in the aisles with quiche. Those
Jean-Pierre Rampal. This was a with my simpler taste for grits with
delightful, light lunch session which guts will wonder about the days when
(depending upon your perspective) jazz a la Francais was represented by
launched a series of unfortunate or the truly hot quintet of the Hot Club of
wonderful follow-up LPs with guest France with Django Reinhardt and
stars Alexandre LaGoya, Pinchas Stephane Grappelli. Excuzay-mwah,
Zukerman, etc., etc. To me they soun- Madame, but this ain't the same.
ded like the same music with different But or nice.
notes. This new LP transcends the
strangulation of this programmed - .a-Marc S. -Taras'
Chick Corea's latest album, 'Voyage', is an uneven but sometimes ap-
pealing effort. x,-