8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 20, 1995 R&B singer goes Big (Cbief)Band Local favorites Thornetta Davis and Big Chief record for Sub Pop By Mark Carison Daily Arts Writer Detroit area blues singer Thornetta Davis was once too shy to sing for anybody but herself. "I started singing in high school," she explained, "nobody even knew I could sing because I was too shy to get up in front of anybody. Then I joined the girl's glee class because I found out that there was no audi- tion required and I've been singing ever since." If Davis ever really was too fright- ened-to audition for a choir, one cer- tainly could never tell by the music she makes now. Her powerful vocals come off as anything but shy, grace- fully gliding over beautiful melodies and soulfully growling through defi- ant lyrics. She is a soul queen in the classic tradition of Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughn and Etta James, yet her love of music goes far beyond the standards of classic jazz and R&B singers. Her most recent work has been with fellow Detroiters Big Chief, a col- laboration which seems rather odd on a surface level. While the differences between the artists are easily appar- ent (Big Chief consists entirely of white, male testosterone-charged su- per rockers), they share the same vi- sion that all music should come from the heart and soul. Said Davis on the RECORDS Continued from page 5 Various Artists Tribute to Black Sabbath: Eternal Masters Priority Be careful. There are a few Sabbath tribute albums, and this isn't one of the more impressive ones. Which doesn't mean it isn't interest- ing. From a fairly faithful rendition of "War Pigs" by Sacred Reich to the matter, "I like all kinds of music. That's why I'm so easily adaptable to this rock stuff. I love doing what I'm doing. I love singing rock. People ask me if I like doing this kind of music. I wouldn't do it ifI didn't love it. Ijust want to perform. No matter what it is, as long as it's good and I like it, I'll do it." Davis has been friends with Big Chief ever since they brought her in to work on their second album, Face (Sub Pop). "They wanted a female vocalist to do some work on their album, and they had heard about me through the owners of the studio they were recording at. I went in and did some wailing, and they've liked me ever since. They put me on their next album and that's when Sub Pop started showing interest," said Davis. So, they recorded one new song and two cov- ers (James Brown and Funkadelic tunes), snagged two of Davis' more prominent tunes from Big Chief's third LP, the off the wall concept album / movie soundtrack Mack Av- enue Skullgame and put out the EP Shout Out last year on Sub Pop under the title of "Thornetta Davis With The Big Chief Band." The normally grungy record label apparently thought highly of the ef- fort and pursued her with a new idea. "They approached me," said Davis, "and I wasn't sure about it at first because I wasn't used to this kind of music. I had worked with Big Chief, and I know I had fun working with them, but I've been singing blues for eight years, and I knew they didn't want to hire a blues act. I asked them 'well, what are you going to do with me?' And they said 'We'll figure out some- thing, all we know is that we want to sign you. We really want to work with you.' And so I decided that if they had the faith in me, then fine." So Davis has been working on a project due for release sometime in January of '96, this time not with the entire Big Chief Band, but with the Chiefs' bassist Matt O'Brien, guitar- ist Phil Durr, and drummer Mike Danner. There are plans for horns and other such embellishments, but the songwriting process has thus far been pretty stripped down. What to expect from Davis' latest effort? Davis had this to say about it: "It'll be more in the vein of alternative rock type stuff with my voice. It's a pretty good mix- ture of R&B and rock stuff. It does have a definite Big Chief flavor to it, and they're kind of funky. You know, Even though this photo shows her with the Chisel Brothers, Thometta Davis will be playing with Big Chief members tonight. they're funky white guys, and I can get with that." Davis keeps herself busy as both a sort of hired gun blues and jazz singer with several groups and as the lead singer for a fun Detroit band called the Chisel Brothers, who specialize in classic R&B stuff. She sings with several groups regularly, including the Sharecroppers Of Soul, the Blues Disciples, the Blues Insurgents, and the Sun Messengers, and she is known as one of the best voices in Michigan. Thornetta Davis performs tonight at Alvin's in Detroit with a stripped down band that includes the same three members of Big Chief that she is recording her album with. more innovate covers on the album, "Eternal Masters" is a good enough metal cover album. One important problem is that the songs have all essentially been released before. For instance, "Electric Funeral," covered by Jesters of Destiny, was re- leased eight years ago. It's always a bit disheartening to find that a collection has just been culled from albums. It still has its moments. It's not often you hear a Sabbath song sung by a super-feminine set of pipes, as "Snowblind" is by the Cords. Or when ) one's belted out by a set of cords that have been pounded on by a meat tender- izer, as "Zero the Hero" is by Cannibal Corpse. It's just another Sabbath cover al- bum. If you like any of the artists on the comp enough to want to buy it for them, you've probably already got the track. Well, it's probably better than the cur- rent Dio incarnation of Black Sabbath. - Ted Watts The Whispers Toast to the Ladies Captiol Records Okay, trivia time. Imagine four men with the following traits: They're all over 40, two have mustaches like Lamont Sanford and one has abeardlike his pop's friend, Grady, they're all a little paunchy and they each sport one of those 1985 "box" haircuts that went out of style even before Used Jeans. Who are they? No, they're not men from the Actuarial Math- ematicians Convention from Hell. They are Nicholas Caldwell, Leaveil Degree and twins Wallace and Walter Scott, bet- ter known as The Whispers. For thirty years now they have wowed audiences with their high-class voices and style. Now, these men who truly fit the bill as "soul survivors" want to give a little "Toast to the Ladies." Comprised of twelve songs, this LP is akin to musical love poetry, and the whispers are truly Poet Laureates. Songs like "Make Sweet Love to Me" and "Come on Home" are just what fellas trying to get their sex on have prayed for. They're slow, seduc- tive and have an easy-to-move-with rhythm. The group might hit a few bad nerves with "Every Little Thing You Do" which starts off sounding more like a Bobby "Ain't Nobody Humpin' Around with Me Except Whitney ... Sike! !" Brown cut. But, theseguysmore than make up for this mistake with "Heaven." Listening to this song, I don't know why these guys would want to sing anything but love songs. Even the faster-groove songs like "Crowd of I" and "Better Watch Your Heart" are worth a coupla peeks. It's amazing how much we of the new school still rely on old school examples in our music. (This is mainly true ofrappers. They use a different old school sample every time they make a song, and they are usually all Isley Brothers and Marvin Gaye songs.) While we may spurn "old people's music, " the truth is that we'd probably be lost without that influence. "A Toast to the Ladies" is a perfect ex- ample of the difference between romanc- ing and just being a dog or a ho (e.g. Jodeci and Adina Howard). It's a nice change. - Eugene Bowen The Joykiller The Joykiller Epitaph Hey! We got some high-speed harm- ful rock and roll goin' on here. From the opening track on their eponymous al- bum, the Joykiller is on a shoot 'em up spree based on some fine music. "Love You More Dead" is about someone wanting to kill their lover. The impetus behind it would seem to be found in the line "And I won't have to take you to bed." It's almost as ifit were a new Elvis Hitler album. "Show Me the System" is more of apolitical song, but has the same anger and even more speed in it. The album continues with more or less angry songs that are for the most part pretty fast. Take that as an endorsment. The songs do sometimes slow down, but still stay pretty angry. "Seventeen" is nearly funky, nearly a Skid Row ballad, but is still about hatred. The album's hatred themes run the gamut of hate in love, hate of politics, the kind of hate postal workers have, stalker's ha- tred, sex hatred and hatred of work. Not too shabby a bill of goods. Hate every- thing except this album. Ted Watts See RECORDS, page 9 The Polos are The Polos are coming. coming. Bivouac now carries Polo Ralph Lauren. Including the Grand Canyon line, new fir fall. INS story or XEnua Tonight and tomorrow evening only, the Michigan Theater is presenting director Yin L's moving and expressive film, "The Story of Xinghua." The movie stars Jang Wenli as Xinghua, a humble rural housewife in present day reformist China who is unable to bear an heir for her greedy and overbearing husband. While he spends his days tearing down Isolated parts of the far northern Great Wall and selling them for profit, Xinghua toils in the fields and prepares dinner for her husband and their guests. Despite her husband's repeated rapes and beatings, Xinghua manages to escape reality by finding her true love and dreaming of living a happy and peaceful life. Breathtakingly beautiful cinematography captures this fictional story of one woman's survival amidst horrible circumstances. It is a troubling tale whose subject matter is, at the very least, unpleasant. Nevertheless, "The Story of Xinghua" Is, more Importantly, a romantic glimpse into the mind of a persons strong in will and enriched with faith and good fortune. BIVOUAC Quality Outdoor Clothing &' Equipment For a band named Joykiller, it sure looks like these guys are having lots of fun. I " European Union " IPL - American Memory (Library of Congress) 9 Patrologia Latina " ARTFL GRADUATE LIBRARY INTERNET CLASSES C " INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD WIDE WEB " . SEARCH STRATEGIES FOR INFORMATION ON THE WEB." ) SUBJECT BASED RESOURCES IN YOUR FIELD OF STUDY." " uboect First Date ilme Location .QR Second Date IM Location CO History (U.S.) Sept. 20 1-3 Angell C Oct. 5 1-3 Angel! B ('3 Social Work Sept. 22 1-3 Frieze Oct 3 10-12 Frieze Education Sept. 25 10-12 SEB Oct..17 1-3 SEB Economics Sept. 26 1-3 SEB Oct.20 9-11 SEB Philosophy & Religion Oct. 4 1-3 DIAD Nov. 7 3-5 DIAD English Language Literature Oct 10 1-3 Angel! B Oct. 30 2-4 Angel B 3 Social Psychology Oct. 11 1-3 Angell C Nov. 16 2-4 Angell A Political Science & Documents Oct. 12 1-3 Angell B Nov. 14 10-12 Angell B GIS & Cartographic Resources Oct 18 10-12 DIAD Nov. 3 10-12 DIAD o Library Studies Oct. 19 10-12 DIAD Nov. 17 10-12 DIAD Women's Studies Oct. 23 1-3 DIAD Nov. 8 1-3 DIAD s 0 (CD 4 l d CD n Ann Arbor Civic Theatre CenterStage Productions Presents R ur-- mes