I
Page 4 Portland Observar January 16. 1981
entertainment
HAPPENINGS
Dick Bogle
ENTERTAINMENT
On the Jazz Beat
AN EXCLUSIVE IN TER VIEW W ITH
MAX ROACH
Exclusive - By Lanita Duke
Grassroot Nawa. N.W . - I f ever there’ s a living legend in the world of
jazz. Max Roach is one of them. Max as a percussionist helped develop the
He-Bop sound which matured into R&B. Grassroot News reporter Lanita
Duke interviewed Max during his last stop in Portland.
Duke: Max, what’s your musical background?
Roach: I’ve been into music since I was about eight. I started in the Black
church and majoned in composition at the Manhattan Conservatory in New
York City. When I was 16, I worked with Duke Ellington and that more or
less determined what I was going to do with my life . I worked my way
through school by playing drums on 52nd street.
Duke: How would you classify yourself?
Roach: I’ m a percussionest, composer and an educator. A jazz musician is
a person who has to be well versed in many things.
Duke: As a culture, where does jazz stand in the U. S. ?
Roach We have a variety o f cultures in America. We have Blues, Soul,
Jazz, Bluegrass and Country and W estern. These types of music has grown
out o f the grassroot population and that is where Jazz stands culturally. Jazz
is a unique brand of music.
Duke: What don't you see happening throughout the Jazz culture?
Roach: People don’ t know certain things like they should. You have to
know what Bessie Smith did, or what Duke E llin g to n did. Jazz is not
something you can wake up one morning and start singing. Someone might
offer you a contract because you’ re young or you look a certain way and
anything you do is O.K. You do it and it’s a hit record today and you’ re gone
tomorrow. Jazz musicians should try for substance. You see, culture has
taken the place o f the gun. Since we're fighting for the mind, culture is used.
I think that Disco is an international conspiracy.
Duke: Why would you classify Disco as an international conspiracy?
Roach: Because everybody wants to party. Everybody wants to dance.
Especially young Black kids dancing on the grave o f Malcom X and Martin
I uther King. They are dancing away everything that these people died and
gave their lives for.
People aren't dealing with this society nor are they developing themselves
from a technological point o f view. This whole new science o f controlling
birth, and kids are walking around with these radios upon their ear and if you
ask them a question they answer you with a song or dance. It’s a form of con
trol (hat’ s why I say it’s an international conspiracy.
It’s happening all over the world, and not just here in the U.S. It’ s o.k. to
be entertained but there’ s also alternative to yopr own development. They
way things are going we’ ll have no more DuBoise’ s, if you know who he is.
We’ll have no more Paul Robesons, or Billy Holidays because everybody’ s
dancing and partying.
Duke: What advice could you give our youth?
Roach: The youth need to throw down that mess and start dealing with
books. It's a shame that we have so few engineers. We go into the Social
Sciences like teaching. Little easy stuff. Let’ s get technological training.
SEE SPORTS O N G IA NT SCREEN T V.
JOE’S PLACE
LINDA CLIFFORD COMBINES BEAUTY
WITH TALENT
Linda C liffo rd combines the classic qualities o f beauty, style and per
sonality with outstanding talent and versatility, and the result has brought
this former Miss New York State well-deserved recognition as one of today’ s
top female vocalists.
Acclaimed for her powerful vocal style, Ms. C lifford has now achieved still
another musical accomplishment with her newest album, / ’zn Yours ( Decem
ber 1980). Produced by Issac Hayes, I'm yours is an extraordinary selection
o f seven songs (five o f which were written by Hayes) bursting with rhythm,
and dynamically delivered by Linda. I'm Yours includes her hit single, ‘ ‘ Red
Light,” produced by Michael Gore and featured in the Alan Parker motion
picture "Fame, ” as well as "Shoot Your Best Shot. ” Both were number one
records on the dance charts.
Linda C lifford continues to grpw. as an impressive performer and a great
deal of het' diversity is the result of her early musical background. While most
of the neighborhood children in New York were singing gospel music, seven-
vear-old Linda was already on television. As a child actress, she appeared in
such shows as "S tartim e" and "M ary Mailman. ”
Linda was only ten when she appeared with Harry Belafonte and Sidney
Poitier in an NAACP television special, and by the time she was seventeen
she was touring nationally. Linda sang in numerous clubs throughout the
country from the Catskills to Chicago and this exposure eventually led to her
first recording contract with Gemigo Records. While at Gemigo, Linda
recorded her first national chart record, "Long, Long Waiter. "
Her first album, Linda, was produced by Gil Askey (who was Diana Ross’ s
musical arranger), and Linda’ s second Curtom album, t f M y Friends Could
See Me Now, brought her to the top and established her as a major artist. The
Single from that album, "Runaway Love, ’ ’ earned her recognition as the top
female R&B vocalist in a number o f 1978 year-end awards.
Let Me Be Your Woman, a two-record set, followed, and then the ap
propriately titled The Right Combination, a collaboration with Curtis
Mayfield. The album contained several delectable duets, including the pair’s
previous single, "Between You Baby And M e ." In 1980, Linda released
Here's My Love.
Her newest album, Fm Yours, is a power packed collection of high energy
music that demands the strength o f a sensational singer. Ms. C lifford meets
the challenge with her dynamic vocals which make each number all the more
exciting. Fm Yours represents the first association between Issac Hayes and
Linda C lifford and it is certain to be still another right combination for this
talented recording artist.
HAPPENINGS
1801 N.E. Alberta
South American Folk Music Benefit Concert for I I Salvador featuring
“ Jatari ’ , Saturday, January 17, 1981,8:00 p.m., St. Andrews Church, 806
NE Alberta.
Jazz is alive and not doing too
badly here in P ortland. Over the
weekend, I checked out a couple ol
jazz houses; one old standby and the
other a relatively newcomer to the
presentation o f live jazz music.
Some o f the best jazz in town can
be found at one o f the city’s newest
establishments, Delevans. One o f
P ortland’ s top drummers in a city
loaded w ith excellent drummers,
Ron Steen, fronts the group
featuring Peter Boe on piano, and
Phil Baker on bass.
When 1 walked in during the
break, I overheard someone say, ‘ ‘ I
wonder how loud Ronnie is playing
these days?”
Steen, although carrying the
reputation as one o f the best, also
has been known to get carried away
in the volume department. But, in
the sm allish Delevans w ith an in
timate setting, Steen was perfect. He
used brushes quite well ballads
like ‘ 7 F a ll In Love Too E a s ily "
and was tasty when he switched to
sticks.
Pianist Peter Boe is a technician
who plays a heavy style o f piano
with forceful inventiveness.
1 came away more impressed than
ever with bassist Phil Baker. Baker
has worked quite a bit around town
w ith drum m er Mel Brown and I
know i f Mel had his way, Phil
w ould be jo in in g Mel and fellow
Portlander, pianist George Mitchell,
as key members o f the Diana Ross
orchestra.
The trio plays full sets with seven
or eight tunes and one has the
feeling o f ce rtainly getting his
money’ s worth. However, Delevans
is peculiar because for the most part
few customers pay attention to the
music. The crowd is youngish, early
twenties to early thirties, and despite
that, Delevans is not a body shop.
Most everyone there was part o f a
couple, but they just seemed more
interested in their own conver
sations, than in the excellent jazz
being laid down by Steen and frien
ds.
Despite all its problem, Bourbon
Street has always tried to put its best
musical foot forward. For the past
several months, Jazz Tram led by
Robbie Robinson was the house
band.
They are gone and singer Ralph
Black is up fro n t singing his heart
out with a good selection o f ballads
and blues.
I he night 1 caught his act, he was
accompanied by Howard Young on
piano and a promising young bassist
Denny Bixby. Notice something
missing? That’ s right, no drummer.
But it really d id n ’ t seem to make
that much difference to the many
dancers up doing their thing on the
floor. In fact, I saw more folks dan
cing this night than 1 did near the
end
of
Robbie
R obinson’ s
engagement. The bass work by Bix
by certainly laid down a strong bot
tom to the music and that apparen
tly was enough to keep people up on
their feet dancing.
In conversation during a break.
Black said he isn’ t sure who w ill be
backing him on a regular basis but
he knows he w ill be on hand to do
what he does best and that is making
people happy.
ACT-SO ORIENTATION
KICK-OFF
/
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» Í 'X V r 'ó
VI
'V A- V
i
ACT-SO, the Afro-Academic Cultural Technological Scientific
Olympics will be holding its annual scholarship orientation lunch
eon, Saturday. January 24, 1981 at the M a tt Dishm an
C o m m u n ity C e n te r from noon until 3 p.m. This is an
opportunity for all high school students, parents, teachers and
counselors to become inform ed about the ACT-SO program.
Special guest speaker will be Mr. James De Priest, new conductor
o f the Oregon Symphony. The ACT-SO program is partially
funded by a $3,(MX) United States National Bank challenge grant.
KENNEDY HEADS BEAUTY PAGEANT
>5
V^HUMOROUS ü - H E a ^
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Grayce Kennedy
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‘S izwe Ba
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ead”
an outstanding
Oregon Shakespearian Festival Production
J a n u a ry 24 a n d 25, 1981
7?OO P.M.
BUCKLEY CENTER AUDITORIUM
UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND
Tickets A vailable:
M eier ¿i Frank downtown ticket office
H.C. Plummer and Co. Real Estate.
317 A . £. KUlings wort h
and at Door
Sponsored by Mat k Colleges Conference Com m ittee
for Scholarship Fund
Grayce Kennedy has been named
local director o f the Miss Black
Am erica Pageant, a national
showcase for the beauty, talent and
poise o f Black women between the
ages o f 18 and 25.
Her appointment was announced
by J. M o rris Anderson, the pag
eant’ s founder and president, at his
headquarters in Philadelphia.
As local director, Ms. Kennedy
w ill plan, coordinate and supervise
all activities o f the Miss Black
American Pageant in Portland.
A Housing R ehabilita tion A d
visor for the Portland Development
Commission, Ms. Kennedy resides
in Northeast Portland.
For contestant information call or
w rite: (215) 844-8872 or send a
photo with a self-addressed stamped
envelope to: Miss Black Am erica
Pageant; 24 West Chelten Avenue,
Philadelphia, PA 19144.
Dexter Gordon
Quintet
January 19, 1981
-sr J r ¿
TOP 10
GOSPEL LP * SOUL 45 s * SO U LLP
SOUL LP
/ The H htspers Imagination
2 Hobby “ Hlue " Hland - Sweet Vibrations
T SA vv Skyyport
J Stevie M under ■ Hotter Than July
5. Shalamar Three For Love
6 H ilton Felder Inherit The Wind
7. Tterra City Nights
8. Con Funk Shun Touch
9. Gap Hand III
10 James Brown ■ Soul Syndrome
SOUL 45
Z Heartbreak Hotel The Jacksons
2. Full of Fire Shelamer
J Too Tight ■ Con Funk Shun
4. f reak to Freak ■ Sweat Band
5. Make The World Stand Still Roberta Flack
and Paabo Bryson
6. Roogte Rods Land Barkeys
7. Rurn Rubber Gap Band
4. Inherl H i n d - Wilton Faldsr
9. l ull of Fire Shalamar
10 Nth Wonder The Sugar Hill Gang
GOSPEL LP
Portland Center for the Visual Arts
117 NW 5th Avenue
222-7107
Two Shows 9:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m.
Tickets $6 50 (15 00 PCVA members)
Ticket outlets: Jango Records; Music Millennium; Longhair Music; PCVA
I Waller Hawkins The Hawklna Family
2. Inez Andrews The Remarkable
J. Ranee Allen Group - I teal Ilka going on
4 James Cleveland Presents Henry Jackson
5. Tramatne Hawkins - Tramaina
ft. Kristie I Can t Let Go
7. The Original Soul Stirrers Nobody a Child
N James Cleveland Sings with the graataat choirs
» AI Green The Lord Will Maks A Way
10 Rillv Preston Universal Love