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