Third Annual Pacific Northwest
Computer Graphics
Conference
October 29-30, 1984
“APPLICATIONS ON THE LEADING EDGE"
Eugene Conference Center &
Hult Center for the Performing Arts
University of Oregon Academic Credit
TLN 7298 Comp. Graph. Conf., 1 credit, P/N, AAA 410G.
Register at 109 Lawrence Hall, no late fees to add this course.
For Information, write or call
Conference Manager
Continuation Center/333 Oregon Hall
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
686-4231
Present this ad for
any footlong i
meat sandwich i
OFF or meat salad
■
Campus Location
Open 7 Days a Week til 1 am!
13th & Hilyard
Eugene • 484-6955
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Offer expires 10/11/84
Blues duo wows audience
Two top-flight bluesmen ap
peared at the west entrance to
the EMU Breezeway Wednes
day. Harpo Howard and David
McKeand, who performs as
Dave the Minstrel, have travel
ed the United States and
Canada, becoming incredibly
versatile musicians over the last
15 years.
The act is finely polished. No
aspect of the performers’ art is
neglected, as the duo lays down
some of the most supple, com
plex and yet soulful blues on
the music scene today.
McKeand dances, jumps,
spins, cavorts and comments on
himself doing so, all the time
establishing a rock-steady beat
against which Howard's totally
fluid harmonica stylings and
McKeand’s own hard-bitten but
precisely pitched voice provide
inspired accompaniment.
One of the most gratifying
aspects of this duo’s sound is
that not a single note in two
& _ -
hours of hard playing fails to
meet pitch.
Dave the Minstrel’s style and
intonation resemble, at different
times, Howlin’ Wolf, Taj Mahal
and Geoff Muldaur, but he is
very much his own musical
personality.
Howard, from Detroit, has
totally assimilated all the major
current harp styles, from Magic
Dick to the great Charlie Mc
Coy, and improved upon them.
His work combines the inven
tiveness of Corky Siegel and
Mike Turk with the sheer blues
intensity of Junior Wells and the
other Chicago blues masters.
On “Baby, Won’t You Hold
Me Tight,” McKeand used his
guitar and ringed hand as per
cussion to set off Howard's
unusually rich, complex lines;
Harpo wore boots with steel toe
taps, which lent yet another
percussive force to the driving
music.
The two were equally sue
Photo by Michael Clapp
Harpo Howard, left, and Dave McKeand perform a finely polish
ed act before passersby near the EMU Wednesday.
cessful with satire. On a number
entitled "Black Magic Marker,”
to the tune of the Santana hit,
the Minstrel did a hilarious
monologue in evocation of the
reasons behind modern youth's
disaffection and musical
viciousness.
Political barbs followed, aim
ed at everyone and everything
from Ronald Reagan to the her
bicide and sugar industries. The
sugar-crazed kid, a character
portrayed by McKeand, was a
crowd-pleaser, as was the duo's
drug number, "Mushrooms,”
performed to the tune of “My
Girl,” by the Temptations.
Next, the couple dove back
into the blues. Harpo again
demonstrating his amazing
musical versatility by playing in
fifth position (key of G on a B
flat harp), a truly rare event in
harp playing.
After they had finished their
generous set, McKeand and
Howard sat in Old Taylors’
Tavern and discussed their
musical lives. Among the musi
cians the two have played with
are the late Muddy Waters’
group, the Legendary Blues
Band, Ramblin’ )ack Elliot,
bluesman Bobo Jenkins and
local Eugene groups such as the
Whiskey Blues Band and James
Thomberry. They have played
county fairs, blues festivals
and vaudeville.
Harpo Howard, 28, typifies
many younger bluesmen in his
insistence upon an older way of
thinking relinquished by most
of his generation.
*T respect people a lot,
especially other musicians. But
when I meet some of these
pseudo-intellectuals around
here I sometimes tell them that
I’m ignorant by choice, just to
piss ’em off.”
McKeand’s musical career
has been the more varied of the
two; he said the most important
thing in life for him is to play,
no matter what the words say.
McKeand and Howard's
music stands for itself. It is
evidence of the vitality of the
blues tradition in America to
day. They will be leaving for
California today but will return
to play at the Black Forest II on
Oct. 25. Blues enthusiasts are in
for a real treat for a couple of
dollars with these two sterling
practitioners of the blues art.
By Bill Homans
October
Is The Last Month
You Can Buy A
p-. *149.95
p-a *199.95
*AT THESE PRICES
In November, Between Oak & Willamette
Prices Increase to: On 11th
P-6: $189.95 Mon.-Fri. 8:30-5:30
P-8: $229.95 Sat. 9:00-5:00