Newspapers / The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.) / March 7, 1991, edition 1 / Page 6
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Bobby “Blue” Bland and Hank Crawford, two of the living legend* of blues, were in the area recently. The two have for years carried African American music to almost every cor ner of the globe. Longevity to them is an understatement. They are true keepers of the flame, if you will. I didn’t get to see them this time around. But I pulled some albums to try to recreate the impression they left the last time I saw them a few years back. Hank CrawfOrdremin* ed me of David “Fathead” Newman, whose interpretation of “Hard Times" just happens to be my favorite. Well, maybe used to be my favorite. During the course of playing the albums I happened upon an album by the Crusaders. “Stix” Hooper, drums; Joe Sam ple, awesome keyboards; Wilton Felder, tenor saxophone; and Wayne Henderson, trombone; the Crusaders. The theory that musicians choose their instrument because it somehow reflects an aspect of themselves receives at least partial confirmation in the case of the Crusaders. Over the years the group has acquired a solid reputation as composers, arrangers, artists and producers. The four have played together since their youth. The Crus a ders have the longevity thithas made groups like the Four Tops, the Temptations and the Modern Jan Quartet legends. Among my friends, there is a certain reverence for the Crusaders. Each has proven an able solo artist. As a group they are a vir tuoso. They have the ability to project broad, powerful, Mg, brassy blasts. But more often than not they express themselves in a smooth, soft-spoken manner. Emotionally they are strongly drawn to each other almost like a close-knit African-American family. If they had existed during an earlier period they would have upset the slaveowners. Togetherness was im portant then and now. The group took shape around the ability of the four to express themselves individually and collec tively without losing their individuali ty, if that makes sense. At the time the concept of a group with their in strumentation was visionary to say the least. They got together at the right time and the right place. Any visionary group will attract skeptics. The Crusaders were no ex ceptions. But when, in the middle of any day, one puts an album on and the Crusaders blow a soulful chorus, they quickly, wipe the smile off even the most skeptical of faces. Epic Records Releases Al Green's Gospel Hits to those who haven't kept up with thla gifted singer’* prodigious output since he began hi* career In religious music a decade ago. Ai Green, born April U, IMS in Forest City, Ark., didn’t Jut happen upon his musical career. He was one of nine children whose earliest ex posure to music cam* from the church. As a child he toured exten sively with his father, base player Robert Green, in a group called the Green Brothers. Al Joined the group at age nine, and the Green Brothers toured throughout the South and Midwest on the gospel circuit. In his teens, following his family's move to Detroit in I860, young Al was increasingly influenced by pop music; when he was discovered listening to the “protane” sounds of Jackie Wilson, his stint with the Green Brothers came to an epd in 1964. He immediately formed a pop group called the Creations, but his professional career really began in 1967 when the group-now called Al Green and thr *itml Metes rslnasnil a song called "Back Up Train” on their own Hot Line label. Green was working the“Chitlia’ Circuit” of small blade clubs from Chicago to Baton Rouge when hornet bandleader Willie Mitchell in Midland, Texas in im. It waa Mit chell who brought Al Green to Mem phis and Hi Records, who organised the uniquely laid-back yet propulsive Those hits came in rapid succession a' " Green is Blues,” the team s ’ One in a Million," a collection of Al Green s greatest gospel recor dings, may not qualify as "new” music But this album, Al Green’s first Word release through Epic Records, will come as welcome news AL GREEN first album together. “Tired of Beini Alone,” In 1971, was A1 Green’s fin flpld record and his first signlficar pop hit (No. 11) after an imprassiv series ofRAB charters like "You Sa; It” and “I Can’t Get Next To You.' Over the course of the next five yean A1 Green racked up 14 top 10 R4t] singles Including the No. 1 R&B an pop landmark “Let’s SUy Together sndtheNo. 1RAB songs "I’m Still i Love with You,” “You Ought to B With Me,” “Livin’ For You,” “L-OA E (Love),” and "Full of Fire.” In October 1974, A1 Green « perienced a spiritual awakening. H rededicated his life to Jesus Chrii and headed back to his gospel rooti A1 Green, soul singer, became Rei A1 Green, ordained pastor of the Pul Gospel Tabernacle in Memphii Tenn., and using what one critic call ed “a voice at unearthly beauty in tn service of the heavens.” But “On imMlkthe samras it used to be; wrote Newsweek’s Bill Baroi. “Gree is still one of the most excitin singers around.” * uaoruu ween. wnen musical to Stewart Theatre March 21, at •. ] 1990-91 CenterSti "Project!” explores the realty and the hopes and dtWm. « original - members of Free Street combine musical numbers, monologues and street scenes, often culled from inter views with Cabrini Gram tenants. For many la the audiences they’ve played for, the show is autobiographical. One observer com mented, “When they sang about the needtO-have dreams, it broughttears Jto my eyes.” He had grown up in Cabrini Green. The Chicago Tribune remarked about “Project!’s” recent debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D C., “No visiting troupe—not the Royal Danish Ballet, not the Red Ar my Chorus—has electrified an au dience here quite the way the fired-up cast of ‘Project(’ did... the show was continually interrupted by applause, and by the final number, people were on thier feet and cheering.” Jangling, jarring and sometimes violent, “Project!” is also full of warmth and humor and the amazing . eloquence of rough-edged street talk.V It is not only a testament to the pro blems of project living, but also a testimony ofthe: high-rise hopes and dreams the residents have. Tickets are IM-'for the general public, with discounts available for Center Stage Create-Your Own Series subscribers, and NCSU faculty, staff ' and students upon presentation of a current campus CD at purchase. For tickets or details, come by the top pop SINOLSS 1. Because I Love You (Hie Postman Song), Stevie B, RCA 2. Justify My Love, Ma donna, Warner Bros. 3. Love Will Never Do (Without You), Janet 4. From a Distance, Bette Midler Atlantic 5. High Enough, Damn Yanhees, Warner Bros. Ralph t.DNAfea Suzanne Vega, Trescant, 7. Tom’s I taring A&M 8. Freedom, George Mi chael, Columbia 9. For the First Time, Surface, Columbia 10. Gonna Make You Sweat. C&C Music Fac Freedom WS Lisbon Play Set For Studio Park March 15-24 Terrence McNally'* savagely amiming drama of obsession and operatic passion, “The Lisbon Trsviata,’’ will be pmeented March 15-M at the Studio Theatre, located in Theatre in the Park. The independent production will be produced and directed by Fred Gorelick. The cast features top local prptartanaL and amateur talent in cluding Martin Thompson, David IMnTW Ua and Jason Fetvedt. *®Ke Lisbon fravlata” is not a part of TIP’s regular season. McNally's play premiered as a 1985 workshops Nmr York City, then was re-written in 1999 and presented at the Manhattan Theatre Chib. "The Forum In Los lard Thomas. , McNally said, (a* Is not about are usually a play about gay r sexuality was ijeetoftheplay... journeys-that in lat the play con and adult situs GETTING READY-Chicago’s Fra* Strait Theater musical numbare, monologues and itreet icanas, attan prepares for Ralaigh’s Stewart Theatre. The ensemble ef culled from interviews with Cabrinl Green tenants, residents and original members of Free Street combine Stewart Theatre box office Monday call 737-3104. Co-sponsored by the mittee and the Black Students Board through Friday, 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m., or Stewart Theatre Programming Com- of NCSU. Roberts Continues Jazz Tradition With Playing With "The Giants” Marcus Roberts is now a leader in his own right. During six years of touring and recording with Wynton Marsalis, the premier jazz artist of his generation, Roberts learned the importance of the jazz tradition and developed a passion for perpetuating this art form. The pianist has distinguished himself admirably on both counts: his first two recordings as a leader for RCA/Novus, “The Truth is Spoken Here” and “Deep in the Shed,” garnered high critical praise and shot to the top of the Billboard traditional jazz chart. In addition, in much of the same way that trumpeter Marsalis discovered and nurtured Roberts, the pianist unveiled four of his own musical discoveries on “Deep in the Shed:’1 tenor saxist Herb Harris, bassist Chris Thomas, drummer Maurice Carnes and trumpeter Scotty Bar nhard. Now, for the third and latesl RCA/Novus recording, Roberts has opted to feature himself “Alone wit! Three Giants.” Produced (as were his first two recordings) by Delfeaye Marsalis, the album is a stunning sole recital that finds Roberts tracing the historical progression of, anc similarities among, three “complete” composer/pianist im mortals who, he says, “could functioi in any setting’ —Jelly Roll Morton Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk Explains Roberts: “Jelly Roll Mor ton (‘Jungle Blues,’ ‘New Orleani Blues,' ‘The Crave’) was there at the beginning. He’s one of the early ma jor pianist composers who influence* everyone from Duke Ellington to Ar Tatum to Thelonious Monk. Hi music, even apart from his pian MARCUS ROBERTS playing, is very provocative, me way it’s arranged—with the mini episodes, key changes and complex ities in the way the themes resolve—is very meticulously done and very indicative of the New Orleans style at its highest level. “I chose Duke (‘Mood Indigo,’ ‘Solitude,’ ‘I Got It Bad,’ ‘Prelude to a Kiss,’ ‘Shout ’Em Aunt Tillie,’ 'Black and Tan Fantasy’) because he’s a logical descendant of Jelly Roll who expanded Morton's piano style and orchestral style. Ellington is the greatest composer, period. He dealt with the piano in every conceivable context. Solo, duet, trio, big band, everything—he did it all with great clarity and originality. “Monk (‘Trlnkle Tinkle,' ‘Misterioso,’ ‘Pannonica,’ ‘Monk’i Mood,’ ‘In Walked Bud,’ ‘Crepusculi with Nellie’) came straight out of Ell ington, but developed his own in dividuality, style and technique on the piano, which was based less on the European concept than the American.” To his credit, Roberts did not choose to record the music of these three giants simply because he loves it, because he knows it inside-out or - because the mainstream listening au dience craves it. Equally important, he says, were the opportunities for self-discovery and improvement. “The only way you reach a certain level of self-actualization,” he points out, “is to develop your strengths as well as work on your weaknesses." Solo piano, according to Roberts, is largely a matter of structure and ar chitecture, and the music of each pos ed a special challenge in terms of tone, timbre and dvnamics. Morton: “The challenge with ‘Jungle Blues’ is to keep continuity with your left hand while playing the ostinato figure through the whole tune. With New Orleans piano play ing, it's very hard to maintain the in tensity with both hands all the time.” Ellington: “I wanted to keep ‘Mood Indigo’ clean and deal strictly with resonance at the higher end of the piano, contrasting that by creating a different mood in the middle register in the bridge.” Monk: ‘“Trinkle Tinkle’ is a dif ficult melody, so I wanted to take chances to see if I could go for things I didn’t know I had the technique to play.” |larthaniel Roberts, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., who has been blind since the age of four, got his first taste of tradition from the church, where his mother was a gospel singer. * ** mil ^ r LIVING “SHANT DOLLS—Ml ttal, die. IS pm«M| I marksting campaign that rales hourly an “Ebony" magazine and the Ebony Fashion Fair Tam la prom sis SHAM—the company’s now Rno of African American fashion dols. SHAM was recently introduced at a mafar fashion ovent in How York City, at which “Mag dais” wore prosontod to the madia, cemmnnlkf laadarshlp and ■m I ttw tay trade on the opening day of Mo American mtaraational Toy Fair. Tha event MgMgktod African American designers, Including Kitty Mack Perkins, Matters principle designer who outfitted the new dels. The ins are uniquely fashioned “from head to tee” to capture tim “natural beauty of African American women."
The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.)
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March 7, 1991, edition 1
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