F ebruary 16,1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
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P age B4
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M a &C entertainment
Musical McGill Brothers Visit Mister
Rogers’ Neighborhood
T H E S O L S O N IC S
Jazz In The Present Tense
Mister Rogers welcomes the McGill brothers, flutist Demaree and clarinetist Anthony, on program #1674,
during anew week of Mister Rogers ’ Neighborhood about Things To Wear, premiering on PBS February
21-25. Dressed in their recital clothes, they rehearse and talk with Mister Rogers about how important
music has been in their lives. Fred Rogers helps children know it's not what people wear that counts, it’s
what’s inside that matters most.
Two musically-gifted brothers
visit in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
program, premiering on PBS Febru­
ary 24, in a new week of Neighbor­
hood programs aboutThings to Wear.
Demane, an eightccn-year-old flut­
ist, and Anthony, a fourtecn-ycar-old
clarinetist, dressed in tuxedos for a
musical recital, rehearse the lively
“Tarentalla” by Saint-Sacnc.
In th e ir v is it w ith M iste r
R ogers, on this h ig h ly -a c c la im e d
ch ild ren ’s television program now
in its 26th season, the M cgill
brothers talk about how music
has been im portant in their lives.
M ister R ogers helps his view ers
know that m usic can be a helpful
way to express w hatever th e y ’re
fe e lin g . B e s id e s the m u s ic a l
M cgill bro thers, this new week of
program s features valuable m es­
sages ab out self-esteem and c o n ­
flict reso lution that help children
as they grow and learn.
Natives of Chicago, the Mcgill
brothers’ love of music came through
their family indirectly. Theirparcnts’
backgrounds are in the visual arts,
although they have always enjoyed
music. When their parents were dat­
ing, as art education students, their
mother bought their father a gift of a
Bute, which he never played. A few
years later, they handed the flute over
to their eight-year-old son, Dcmarrc,
when he decided to play in the el­
ementary school band.
C u rre n tly stu d y in g at The
C urtis Institute o f M usic in P hila­
delphia, D em arre has perform ed
with som e o f the m usical giants-
-the sym phony orchestras o f C hi­
cago, P ittsburgh, and M ilw aukee,
as well as with the C hicago C ham ­
ber O rchestra.
Even in his high school years, he
was a masterful performer, playing
First Flute in the Chicago Youth Sym­
phony Orchestra and the World Youth
Symphony Orchestra. His studies con­
tinued through the summertime at the
Interlochen National Arts Camp, the
Sarasota Music Festival, and the
Tanglewood Institute Program of the
Boston Symphony Orchestra.
His younger brother A nthony
also began his m usical career with
the elem entary school band. L ook­
ing over a room full o f in stru ­
m ents, he gravitated tow ard the
saxophone. He decided instead on
the clarinet because the sax was
bigger than he was!
Now a ninth grader at Whitney
Young High School in Chicago, he is
Principal Clarinet of The Chicago
Youth Symphony orchestra and their
woodwind quintet, The Merit Music
Program’s Chamber Orchestra, and
The Chicago Teen Ensemble. In the
spring of 1992 he toured Japan with
the Chicago Youth Symphony Or­
chestra. During the 1993 season of
the Intermediate Symphony Orches­
tra.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is
underwritten by Public Television
Stations and the Corporation for Pub­
lic Broadcasting. M ister ro gers’
Neighborhood is produced by Family
Communications, Inc., the Pittsburgh-
based, nonprofit company founded
and headed by Fred Rogers.
Contemporary Dance Series:
Ralph Lemon Company
The New York-based Ralph
Lemon Company Dance Series Fri­
day and Saturday, March 4 and 5, at
8pm, and Sunday, March 6, at 2pm in
Lincoln Performance Hall at PSU
(comer of S W Market & Broadway).
The company will present two pieces.
Their Eyes Rolled Back in Ecstacy
involves ninth and tenth century
chants, music from ex-Pink Floyd
member Sid Barrett, and original
music composed by Chris Hy ams Hart.
Segments will be performed of Folk
dances, and ongoing series of dances
which explores the ambiguity of hu­
man relationships and employs for­
mal elements of the folk dance genre.
Tickets may be purchased in ad­
vance through the PSU Box office,
725-3307, at SW 5th & Mill, and at
the door prior to periormance. Friday
and Saturday admission is $20; or
$17 for senior adults and PSU em ­
ployees, $8 for students, and $6 for
PSU students with valid I.D. Admis­
sion to the Sunday matinee is $ 15 for
adults, senior adults, and PSU em ­
ployees; $8 for students; and $6 for
PSU students. $10 rush tickets arc
offered 10 minutes prior to curtain
time.
Ralph Lemon is known as a “mod-
ern-dance myth maker and story
teller,” says The New York Times.
His work has won him a New York
Dance and Perform ance “ Bessie
Award (1987), the American Chore­
ographers Award (1987), and the
Boston International Choreography
Competition Gold medal (1988). He
and his company have performed in
dance festivals around the world, in­
cluding: American Dance Festival,
Spoleto Festival USA, Scotland’s
Mayfest, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festi­
val. Since creating his own dance
company in 1985, he had created
more than 20 pieces, including those
comm issioned for such bodies as Graz
opera Ballet, Alvin Ailey Repertory
Ensemble, American Dance Festival,
The New Dance Ensemble, and The
Boston Ballet.
Lemon, a native of Minnesota,
It’s credo that suits the Solsonics
well. Building upon the past jazz-
funk aesthetics of the ’60s and ’70s,
the Solsonics have branded a fresh
style of live soul music for the ^ O s -
timely, up-to-date grooves.
W ith th e ir C h ry s a lis /E F G
debut. Jazz In The P resent T ense,
the S olsonics stake their claim as
leaders in the “ new ja z z ” arena,
proclaim ing the return o f m usical
g reatn ess and quality in the U.S.
Form erly only considered part of
the Irish and New York club scene,
they em erge as Los A n g eles’ bid
for soul suprem acy.
The Solsonics were born out of
Los Angeles’ underground club mu­
sic scene over two years ago. Bassist,
Jez Colin, and percussionist, Willie
McNeil (formerly of Jump with Joey)
met through their mutual interest in
different types o f urban m usic.
M cN eil, freshly retu rn ed from
London’s burgeoning scene, was ex­
cited about what he had witnessed
and had the urge to do something live
at a friend’s club, The King King.
Since then, the club scene in Los
Angeles has emerged as a unique
cross-section of music. “I really see it
as the world getting a lot smaller,”
explains Willie.
Both being professional music
producer, they believe deeply in the
“beats and hip-hop sensibility” that
makes their groove immediate. “W e’re
a backwards band in a way, because
the leaders of the band are the bass
and the drums, “Willie says. “That;s
what gives us the strong rhythmic
sense.” While they look toward groups
like Gang Starr, Sade and the Grand
New Heavies as their contemporar­
ies, they also field their influences
from L.S.’s indigenous Latin grooves
like Poncoho Sanchez and War and
rare grooves like Roy Ayers, and
Blackbyrds.
The album, Jazz In The Present
Tense, slot for release January 25,
1994, is a rounded excursion of alter­
native urban music. Each tunc em ­
bodies a unique feel, while remaining
true to the groove. Their first single,
“Jazz In The Present Tense,” (the 12"
version was released on November 23
with two additional remises), is a
traditional jazz number with underly­
ing rhythmic influences. “We sue the
Latin and reggae approach to the
whole band and let improvisation
stretch out over the top,” explains Jez.
This is apparent on their debut al­
I L X A S II A N D
bum), which manifested international
acclaim and acceptance for the group
charting at #5 in U.K.’s KJ Maga­
zine. With Montuno, their Latin in­
fluence is made immediate.”Montuno
Funk is a hybrid tune. We tried to
cross Afro-Cuban rhythms with funk
beats, “ explains Willie.
“ I c a n ’t w ait to get out there
and play m ore,’’ says W illie, ea­
ger for m ore live dates after p la y ­
ing to so ld -o u t crow ds in Los
A ngeles and San F ran cisco on
Jam iro q u ai’s tour, “the m ore we
play together live the better we
g e t.” The S olsonics plan to tour
extensively upon release o f the
album .
While the name “acid jazz” wears
thin, they are hard pressed to define
their sound.”Hard grooves, with “im­
provisation jazz” or “street-soul jazz”
come to mind, but immediately seem
inadequate. The Solsonics are decid­
edly "hard to categorize,” but it’s a
difficulty they can live with. Their
music will have to speak for them.
They soon hope to stake their reputa­
tion on the dance that the name
“Solsonics” will be the marker by
which other bands will define them­
selves.
1 7 0 0 H .E . ALBERTA
1-STOP PRODUCTIONS
PORTLAND, ORE
PRESENTS
ON FRIDAY NITE 18 FEB 94
THE
GREG SMITH SHOW
Lemon Company Dance Series
was a member of the Nancy Hauser son information, contact Pat Zagelow
Dance Company before moving to at 725-5400.
In addition to Contemporary
New York City in 1979. There, he
Dance
performances, Lemon will
worked with Meredith Monk/The
House and produced his first evening present a free public lecture Monday,
concert at the Mcrce Cunningham Feb.28, as part of PS U’s Black history
Month celebration. A Dialogue with
Studio in 1981.
His early interest included paint­ Ralph Lemon will take place Feb.28
ing, literature and theater arts, all of at noon in the Multicultural Center in
which he has incorporated in his Smith Center (Room 126, 1825 SW
dance. He helps to create the visual Broadway). In discussing his work,
aspects of his work himself and he Lemon says: “I am black, but I prefer
adds narrative to create dances and to communicate on as universal a
magical vitality, propelling imagery, level as possible. I want to talk to the
world with my work.”
and rich spirit.
Company members will tech
The choreographer says that his
work often reflects himself, usually modern “release” technique classes
“the dark side,” but it also explores ceb. 28, March 1, and March 3, from
human relationships, generally male- 10:30 to 11:50 am in Room 212
female. It mirrors the erratic and vola­ Shattuck Hall. The Classes blend
tile nature of those relationships with movement release with ballet tech­
dread, hope and compassion. Lemon niques focusing on breathing, align-
has been called “one of the most mcn t and a partic ular kind of freedom
interesting American modern dance central to Lemon’s choreographic
choreographers because he’s one of style. The classes arc also free and
the most humane” (Gary Parks, re­ open to the public. For more informa­
tion, call Joanne Robinson Hill at
views editor of Dance Magazine).
For Contemporary Dance Sca- 725-3132.
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