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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1981)
Page 8 Portland Observer, October 15, 1981 entertainment HAPPE INGS The King of Blues ENTERTAINMENT A .. A A lD G rt K in g by Lanita Duke Grassroot News. N. H i - T h e Kin« o f Blues. Albert King, showed Port land that the music o f his Kingdom is just as hip as its runaway child, Funk and it’ s just as mellow as any love ballad. "Problems and troubles are thé blues. All the music you hear comes from the blues. They come up with d if ferent arrangements and call it soul. The fast loud stuff is called rock and roll. Well, who knows what rock and roll is. I f it’s fast and loud then they were doing rock and roll when I was a kid. What was Louis Jordan playing? playing u X v ’° ,h* ’ * * * “ pUy'ns juSt “ h*P * *,u ff “ ‘ hey’re "W h a t is Soul? I ’ll tell you what it is. Anything you do and you feel it and the person next to you feels you doing it. T h at’s S oul!" The king held court and schooled me as to the suffering and pleasure o f his music. Albert King is not the stereotype blues artist just as his music is not what you expect blues to be. He has been around and his experiences and intellect showed in an answer to why none o f the real blues masters make any o f those big bucks that a rock group would make o ff the same cut. " In the first place, I don’t have a lot o f money. In the second place, I ’m Black. In the third place, a white band could come along and someone would sign them up for 25 per cent where I wouldn’t do that. This cat is going to push them and make them as hot as he can because he’s getting 25 per cent. And he may create a habit and then he’ll furnish the habit. H e ’s the agent, the manager and the habit furnisher. Why not push them because he's making big money." King stressed that this happens to most groups. "B u t some times they luck out when they get big that they can make it on their own. People have to go along with them because they have the money.” The Houston Ballet z Civic Auditorium Celebrity Attractions presents the highly acclaimed Houston Ballet, with the Houston Ballet Orchestra, performing Ben Stevenson’s premiere pro duction o f Peer G ym as well as a mixed repertoire program. Performances arc at the Portland Civic A uditorium on October 21, 22 and 23 nightly at 8:15 p.m. Peer G yn t was world premiered in Houston, June 1981. The story is based on the famous Henrik Ibsen play about the life o f a charming ne’er- do-well, following him from lusty youth through near-madness, to retribu tion and forgiveness. The music is by another great Norwegian, Edvard Grieg. Houston Ballet's full-length Peer Gynt, lavishly staged and superbly danced, represents a splendid example o f the kind o f story ballet that pre vailed at ballet's beginnings and that is returning in force today. Bartók Concerto, choreographed by Ben Stevenson, with music by Bela Bartók and new sets and costumes by Matthew C. Jacobs, was first per formed by the Harkness Ballet o f New York at the therater Liceo in Bar celona, Spain. The ballet consists o f two vigorous movements o f dance for seven couples surrounding the central movement which is choreographed as a lyric pas de deux. IPIC€irHJ€EJ FABULOUS X Morris Enterprises presents soprano Peggy Houston Shivers in concert Sunday. October 18. 1981, at 4 PM at Westminster Preebyte rian Church, located at 1624 N.E. Hancock. »I 4 4 Making It Happen Pe88> Shivers began formal studies in vocal music under Bruce and Paula M arvin at the M arvin Studio o f Voice in Portland, Oregon. She attended Portland State University at the time and although very active in the music department there, she received her degree in Education and later a Master’s in Guidance and Counseling from Bal! State University. Muncie. Indiana. M s. Shivers was selected to represent the Portland State Music Depart ment throughout the Northwest on many occasions. She was the Soprano of the touring company, was soloist with the choir, participated in musical stage productions and represented the school at various local, state, and re gional functions. She also performed as soloist with local civic groups, the Portland Summer Opera series, Holladay Bowl Productions, sang with the Portland Junior Symphony and received the grand honor o f being personal ly invited by M arian Anderson to participate in the Annual M arian Ander son Awards Recital. She was the first "M iss Royal Esquire” o f Portland, a title she won by singing the aria “ Un bel de vedremo” from the Opera "M adam e Butterfly” and Summertime" from Porgy and Bess. She was very active in the Allen Temple Church music department while living in Portland but alwo worked as soloist for several other churches in the area. M s. Shivers moved to San Francisco and continued her studies under Madame S. Strelova, a well-known vocal coach in the Bay Area. The high lights o f her music experiences in that area were playing the lead role in the San Francisco Opera Ring’s Production o f “ Lost in the Stars,” a role for which she received wide acclaim. She was permanent soloist with the San Francisco Concert Quartet and was selected by Duke Ellington to be fea tured soloist in his Sacred Concert I I which was presented at Grace Cathe dral. From San Francisco, she moved to M a d rid , Spain w ith her husband Clarence, a well-known artist. L ife in M adrid proved to be a unique musical experience. Ms. Shivers was one o f 70 accepted into the "Escuela Superior de Canto, a conservatory for singers only, where most o f the students and all o f the instructors were performing professionals. Being accepted there proved to be not only a great honor, but a stepping stone to further oppor tunities to perform in the European enivronment. She studied under Isabel Penagos, a famous Spanish Soprano and now director o f the conservatory, and was coached by Felix Davila who was the former coach and husband o f Theresa Berganza o f the M etropolitan Opera Company. Ms. Shivers’ ac companists were Rogelio Oalvenez and Janet Burgemeister, an American pianist. She was selected twice to perform in Master Classes o f Dona Lola Rodnguez de Aragon and was awarded the roles o f Fiordiligi in the Opera Cosi fan tutte,” and Dido in “ Dido and Aeneas.” Along with concert w ork, Ms. Shivers performed on Spanish television and was a regular performer on the National Radio Network. But the most memorable musical experience was being featured perform er during the United States Bicentennial celebration in M ad rid and being presented in concert at the U n ited States C u ltu ra l Center under the auspices o f the United States Embassy. Since returning to the United States to live, in addition to concert work Mrs. Shivers has performed with the Colorado Springs Symphony Orches tra She received glowing reviews for her performances. One writer, John Fetler o f the Colorado Springs Gazette wrote: It is rare to hear any singer to have such a thorough conception o f M o zart’s work, not only in the technical proficiency, not only in the time and phrasing, but far more importantly, in the rhythm o f M ozart’s vocal music. Peggy Shivers has an ability o f the higher reaches o f purely musical expres sion which few singers possess.” Her repertoire includes Italian, French, American and Spanish art songs, German leider, arias and spirituals. S H O W C A S E OF E N T E R T A IN M E N T presents A Special Halloween Dance Contest / will be held at the Royal Esquire Club D isco 1 V •’ T THE MELLOW M AN " ' 9:00 PM to 2:00 AM OCTOBER 17.1981 The lyric o f the blues is centered around wanting to get some or getting got. The story telling in this music comes from the soul o f the Black church. The same beat you hear on some gospel songs sounds like the beat o f the blues. So you can get just as happy when someone is singing the blues as when in church." The king said and indicated that many o f the so-called church people "loves the blues." The show Albert King put on was sizzling hot. “ The old man got down,” was among the remarks o f the audience. An added touch was a sister. Joyce Huston, who writes and arranges the horn section. Since most road musi cians are male it was nice to see a sister complement the brothers on stage. We know there is nothing like L IV E entertainment and is Michael at the Last Hurrah, along with North Country productions can bring in the talents of various cultures, it s up to us to support them financially by coming out. I f not, Portland will culturally be as dry as the Sahara. PRODUCTIONS’ 3 rd A N N U A L Halloween Masquerade Ball »» pboouctoc F tA T M B COkCCMAW ORGAN * A L L » HASTF» OF G « » » J ■ r » » A T ALSO. K S T COST!*» AWARD» (CASH! PRIZED SHERATON - AIRPORT (Columbian Ballroom) Saturday, October 31,1981 C O N T E S T E N T R Y TIM E 11:00 BEST M ALE SINGUE S2S 00 BEST F E M A L E SING LE S2S 00 BEST CO U R LE SSO 00 Ticket o u tle t: House o f C O -S P O N S O R E D BY: K A R -R A D IO 1400 AM P O R T L A N D O BSERVER ------NMtAl2]JLQ*aMUlllC.. 69 P ro d u ctio n S p ecial O ffe r f DED ROSE 1706 N .E . A lb e rta 211 S.W. 6th Ave. Ctothtof •44-0 00 A Monster Funk of an Affair FITZ TOP OF THE COSMO Fri, O c t. 30 and S a t. O c t. 31 from 9 pm til 2 am C o st is $3.00 for information contact David Bowen M acic FEATURING O ' fe a tu rin g The Staple Brothers Band A FASHIONS Portland. Ore 97204 223-4430 H a llo w e e n C o s tu m o Re n tal 26% O ff W ith C o u p o n j 1030 NE Union T b n Ticket O u lteli TICKETS: $7.50 Monte of Sound 3624 N Witkeme Ftwley • Beeuty Supply. 4664 N f Union o» 3612 N t 16th 282 9881 effet 6 00 p m.
