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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1979)
Portland Observer Thursday. March 29.1979 pafla g Portland Profile by Linda Thompson Uttia Frankia Laa Is appearing nightly at Fred's Piece. Also featured Is Black Vaivat. (giyjaiDii by Allen Jones SPECTRUM IN BLUE - THE HEATH BROTHERS In 1974, when the Modern Jazz Quartet disbanded, Percy Heath — who had been the bassist in that legendary group for its entire 22-ycar existence — did something that seemed very natural: he joined forces in a new band with his two brothers, saxophonist-flutist Jimmy and drummer Albert. " I t felt good when we got together," Percy says. “ There’s a fam ily thing there. It was sort o f on the back burner the whole time I was in the quartet. I ’ m sure Pop would have dug it.” Albert has since left the Heath Brothers group to form one o f his own, but he’s back on drums as a special guest on "Passing Thru . . . ” , the Brothers’ debut album for Columbia. Stanley Cowell, who has been the keyboard player with the group from the beginning, is also on hand, as are guitarist Tony Purrone, a young discovery o f Jimmy’s from Connecticut, and Mtum e — who, in addition to being one o f the most gifted percussionists around and a band leader in his own right, also happens to be Jimmy Heath’s son. On four o f the album’s eight tracks, an unusual brass section o f two French horns, trombone and tuba, arranged by Jimmy, offers intriguing added musical colors. "Passing Thru . . .” , co-produced by Jimmy, Percy and George Butler, covers a brpad range o f musical territory, wit^i an emphasis on Jimmy’» con siderable skills as a composer (he wrote three o f the selections and co-wrote one. the evocative ballad "Light o f Love," with Albert and one, the lively " A r- therdoc Blues,” with Percy) and arranger. “ It ’s the best thing I ’ve done to date,” Jimmy says o f "Passing Thru . . .” T hat’s a statement with which both Albert and Percy concur. "Jim m y and I learned together," Percy says. In 194«, they both went on the road with bebop trumpeter Howard McGhee. Two years later, they found themselves side by side in Dizzy Gillespie’s band. In Philadelphia, they both built solid local reputations — Jimmy as a player, teacher and sometime band leader (John Coltrane was once a sideman o f his) and Percy as the house bassist at the Down Beat, Philly’s top jazz club. By the early fifties, both were in New York, where between them they performed with virtually every major name o f that era’s jazz: Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell, A rt Blakey, Kenny Dor ham, Fats Navarro, Horace Silver, and so on. C lcarly, Jimmy and Percy Heath between them have a wealth o f experience and an abundance o f talent. Add to that the considerable experience and equally impressive gifts o f Albert Heath and Stanley Cowell and the youthful vitality and creativity o f Tony Purrone and Mtume — plus Jimmy's tasty arrangements and the spirit and energy obviously present in the recording studio and you have "Passing Thru . . .*’ an album o f more than passing in terest by the Heath Brothers, a family that plays together beautifully. VISTA Are you a self-starter who believes that social change on behalf of the poor and bowerless in America is possible? If so, you belong in VISTA VISTA volunteers serve one year working with non-profit organizations, neighborhood self-help groups and social service agencies Their goal is to help the poor and power less in our society have a greater voice in the decisions that affect their lives As a VISTA you may organize community action groups to deal with neighborhood issues, or work on projects related to consumer affairs, legal services, business and economic development, housing, education, youth counseling, or health and nutrition It it beautiful to discover the num ber o f Black role models in the Port land metro area. What a wonderful discovery. The snowball o f models is becoming an avalanche. T h is week features tw o small business owners — the proprietors of the Love-Lee Lady Beauty Salon located at 106 N . Killingsworth. The success o f the beauty salon, which is as much a part o f the Black community as the Capitol Building is to Salem is attributed to the dynamic endurance and personalities o f the two owners — Alzena DeDeleveaux and Cassie Jenkins. A native o f Falles, Oklahom a, Ms. D eD eleveaux attended and graduated from M adam e W alker’ s Beauty Salon, Phoenix, Arizona. A f ter graduation she moved to Pasco, W ashington where she became owner and o perato r o f A lz e n a ’ s Beauty Salon. In 1958, she decided to try her beautiful smile and "down to earth" personality in Portland, Oregon as a beauty operator for Lillian’s Beauty Salon. As more Blacks migrated to Port land, there became a need for ad ditional beauty operators and beauty salons. It was during this era that Ms. DeDeleveaux and Ms. Jenkins decided to establish a beauty salon in another area o f the Black neighbor hood. In 1963, the renowned Love- Lee Lady Beauty Salon began its reign. Throughout the years Love-Lee Lady Beauty Salon has been a train ing ground fo r num erous Black beauty operators since there is no college in metro Portland that deals with Black cosmotology. As a member o f the Allen Temple C .M .E . Church, Ms. DeDeleveaux, is actively engaged in many church activities. She is Annual Conference president fo r the A la s k a -P a c ific Conference which includes, Alaska, Washington and Oregon; a member o f the A d u lt C h o ir; m em ber o f Stewardess Board #1; Sunday School teacher; and president for the Com mittee on Mem bership and Evan gelism. H er hobbies include bowling and fashions. Hubbard, Texas produced the co owner o f Love-Lee L a d y , Cassie Jenkins. She attended Madam C.J. W alker Beauty School in Kansas C ity, Missouri. In Kansas City, Ms. Jenkins and her sister owned and operated a beauty salon called Holly wood Beauty Shop. She left Missouri in 1956 and moved to the Pacific Northwest — Port land. It is apparent that L illia n ’ s Beauty Salon is a part o f Portland’s Black history for Ms. Jenkins also w orked at her salon u n til she decided, in 1963, to try her wings as co-owner o f Love-Lee Lady Beauty Salon. An active member o f her church. Bethel A .M .E ., she holds the posi tion o f church treasurer. H er hobbies include bowling and church activi ties. Black beauty operators who do hair styling at Love-Lee Lady are: Lonnie Jenkins, Cassie Benjamin, Celestie Davis, Jerry W ard and Mary G iven . T h ey are all B lack role models in their own right. T h ro u g h o u t the years, Ms. D eD eleveau x has adopted " p la y daughters" and given them basic training in personal hygiene and groom ing. Her advice for success is, " d o n ’t go into business for self gratification only, but do it also to help others to excel.” "Y oung people think that I am a slave driver,” reports Ms. Jenkins, “ A slave driver I am not. I believe that in order for a person to succeed, he or she should start at an early age getting into the practice o f working. I f the idea o f working is embedded in a person while young, it will become a way o f life and the problem o f un employment because o f laziness will not exist.” I f there are occasions when you admire a beautiful hair style, nine times out o f ten, it is a product o f the m ag n ificen t w o rk o f the beauty operators at Love-Lee Lady Beauty Salon. U n til next week rem em ber — Look for the good in everyone you meet. This is truly rewarding. Fred's Place 2511 NE Union Little Frankie Lee with Bobby & his Talking Guitar D irect from O akland Two shows nightly Monday-Sunday Also: Black Velvet CASSIE JENKINS After 12 years isn't it time for a change? Next Tuesday, elect a neighborhood leader to the Portland Community College Board, Ed Leek PCC Zone 2 Committee to Elect Ed Leek, 5323 N.E. Mallory, Portland 97211 & EVIE CROWELL Portland School Board Position 5 “Committed, Concerned, Competent” Paid fo r by the Retain Evie Crowell fo r School Board Committee. Maroa Mu/vey. Treasurer OPEN UNDER N EW M A N A G EM EN T NORTHSIDE FISH MARKET FISH & SEA FOOD OF ALL K IN D S Your degree or relevant community work experience may qualify you for the experience of your life See our repre sentatives for information on current and future openings throughout the U S. Volunteers In Service To America Fresh Call V IS T A in Portland a t 221-2411 • Buffalo • Catfish • Grenner • Salmon Shrimp • Lobster Tail • Crab • Red Snapper •Gar • Whole Ling Cod • Live Lobster 3316 N LO M BA RD POR ELA N D ,O REG O N 289 9 0 7 5
