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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1978)
Dixieland jazz break to the middle of “Dixie Chicken,” these arrangements aren’t drasti cally different from the originals — they’re just more energetic. This is what a live album should be but all too rarely is: a chance for the musicians to loosen up and play in what’s at least supposed to be their natural habitat, the concert hall. But not to worry. Even when the feat loosen up, they’re still one of the tightest rock bands to be found. A quick listen to the live “Rocket in My Pocket” should convince non-believers. With musicians of this band’s caliber, loose isn’t the same thing as sloppy. These guys just sound like they’re having a much better time on stage than they do in the studio. (Though, I'll admit, they never usd to sound too bad there, either, until I heard this record.) As might be expected, there are various solos throughout the record, and they’re in telligently and articulately done within the context of the songs. Nobody resorts to mere flash or spotlight-grabbing, which is one of the band’s main strengths. Each member seems to understand that he is just that, con tributing his part to the total sound. As a result, the solos work at least as well on rec ord as on stage, a rarity indeed when a con cert is transferred to vinyl. Lowell George, once considered the “leader” of Little Feat, makes his presence known just often enough to let you know he’s still a vital part of the band, but he seems more than content to share the spotlight with others, most notably Bill Payne on keyboards and Kenny Grad ney on bass. The Tower of Power horn section adds fine backup on several cuts, while never in truding at all. And if all this isn’t enough to convince skeptics to get hold of the record, it’s also got some of Lowell George’s by-now-infamous liner notes. What more could a person want? Ah, what the hell. Why should I be ner vous? I’ll say it. Maybe Little Feat is the finest band in America. One of them, at least. Now I just wish this crazed hipster would put his gun away. occg/6 Jimmy Buffett: Son of a Son of ■ Sailor (ABC) On the album cover, Jimmy Buffett looks pleased; his songs sound it. His record com pany has given star packaging to this travel ing club-band-made-good, and Buffett is freer now to enjoy sea, sun and drink. Prod uction is appropriately lively for ditties, slow western and barroom tunes. Three songs especially — “Fool Button,” “Livingston Saturday Night” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise” (an ode to the carnivorous life) — exude an atmosphere of raunchy fun. “The Coast of Marseilles” and “African Friend” are, above all, romantic. “Marseil les,” one of the two cuts on the album not written by Buffett, is a simple song which could have been thrown away because it’s so short. However, the arrangement builds it into the type of gently pleasant song you’d want to put on again. Looking for something to begin where “Margaritaville” left off, I didn’t really find anything. “Son of a Son of a Sailor” sounds the closest. But then there’s “Manana,” the hippest song on the album. Don’t let the references to Steve Martin and Anita Bryant stop you from listening. “Son” or “Man ana” could be on the radio a lot. Maybe it’s incongruous to have a happy musician. Maybe Buffett’s paid his dues and deserves to enjoy himself and indulge his love for the sea. Whatever it is, the record sounds like he’s in control of a seasoned band in one of his favorite bars. Becky Sue Epstein Richard Torrance: Double Take (Capitol) When “Runaround Girl” pops out of the speakers, it pops. There’s no Aphex Aural Exciter, but the band still sounds like it’s doing a session in the next room. Torrance has obviously put a lot into this album with John Carter, a new producer for him on sev eral selections, and the performer’s new con fidence shows up. You can tell that he’s heading in the direction he wants to be going — toward a good, hard, rock band. (The remaining selections were produced, uncredited, by John Haeny and remixed by Carter). The first two cuts on the album are the strongest. “Runaround Girl” and “I can’t Ask for Anything More Than You” both use some elements of early Motown production, which also helps by association with what we remember as the more carefree era of rock. Blending disco with an early Sixties sound, “I Can’t Ask” could be Torrance’s “Stayin’ Alive.” Torrance has written or co-written 6 of the 9 tunes on the album. Though he doesn’t hold back on any of the cuts, several should sound better live. Torrance sings particu larly hard on “Got No Shadow” and on “Long Lonely Nights.” “Get Into the Music” is rock and roll not heavily done, and very listenable. But after hearing the whole album, the first two cuts still stand out. They’re bright, uncomplicated, and they’d get you moving on a dance floor and humming to the radio. They’re hot. ft *5 F Dissolution Jazz Ubiquity: Starbooty (Elektra) Dee Dee Bridgewater: Just Family (Elektra) Lenny White: The Adventures of Astral Pirates (Elektra) Now, I know that there are many mansions in the house of music. I know that music has many styles and many purposes and many widely, wildly different guises. I know that taste in music, like taste in anything, is highly subjective — and that there is, ulti mately, little to be gained by disputing tastes with which one, as an observer or a reviewer, has no sympathy I know all this, and know it well. But I still feel honor-bound to report that I have the feeling, way deep down in my music loving little heart, that there is something less than sublime going on here. That, for example, a small complement of slightly un synchronized voices chanting in a loud r &b whisper the words, “I’m a star, you’re a star; Starbooty. I’m a star, you’re a star; Starbooty” against a conventional electric rhythm track is not among the highest achievements of contemporary artistic or in tellectual civilization. So what? you may ask. So what, indeed. The three albums considered here are the first releases in Elektra’s new, informally linked “fusion” line. The “fusion” referred to is that between jazz and rock and/or R&B — which is to say that it’s the sort of music that results when good jazz players (accom plished or promising) decide that they want a house in the hills just like Herbie Han cock’s. And no two words describe “fusion” better, in my way of thinking, than ... So what? I have one main objection to fusion music: (Continued on page 17) MASTERPIECES Columbia Special Products, through its Collectors’ Series, is making many historic albums, some long out of print, available. Through Ampersand, several of the very best of these re-issues are being offered to you at especially attractive prices. Any single LP in the list below is yours for the special price of $5.50. Choose any three, and your total cost is only $15.00, a further savings of $1.50. All prices include postage and handling, of course. This offer may not be repeated in Ampersand, so now’s the time to take advantage of these special savings on priceless jazz — even if it’s just to replace worn-out copies of LPs long-treasured in your collections! Cornerstones to a tine musical library Benny Goodman, Eddie Sauter: Arrangements (JGL 523) Benny Goodman Presents Fletcher Henderson (JGL 424) Chet Baker and Strings (JCL 549) Louis Armstrong: Satch Plays Fats (Waller) (JCL 708) Gene Krupa (JCL 753) Duke Ellington: Mahatia Jackson: Black, Brown & Beige (JCS 8015) Ellington, etc.. Newport 1958 (JCS 8082) Mose Allison: Transfiguration of Hiram Brown (JCS 8240) Hank Garland; Gary Burton: Jazz Winds from a New Direction (JCS 8372) Thelonius Monk: Monk’s Dream (JCS 8765) Dave Brubeck: Take Five (JCS 9116) Earl Hines: Fatha (JCS 9120) Miles Davis; Michel Legrand, etc.. Facets (JP 13811) Johnny Dodds and Kid Ory (JLA 16004) Horace Silver: Silver’s Blue (JLA 16005) Red Norvo and His All Stars (JEE 22009) Frankie Laine; Buck Clayton: Jazz Spectacular (JCL 808) Bigard; Stewart; Hodges; Williams: The Duke’s ” (JEE 22005) JAZZ MASTERPIECES P.O. Box 5880 Terre Haute, Indiana 47805 Enclosed please find_ . Send check or money order only, payable to JAZZ MASTERPIECES Please send me the record bargains circled below JGL 523 JCS 8015 JCS9116 JEE 22009 JGL 524 JCS 8082 JCS 9120 JCL808 JCL549 JCS 8240 JP 13811 JEE 22005 JCL708 JCS 8372 JLA 16004 JCL 753 JCS 8765 JLA 16005 Name Address City State Zip CBS&6
