T he P o rtland O bserver • M ay 3, 1995
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D a v e M a tth e w s B a n d
There was a time when every
rock’n ’roll movement sprung from
the grass roots. W hile much has
changed over the years, a band w ork
ing entirely on its own - outside the
parameters o f current trends - can
generate the kind o f organic electric
ity that marketers spend a fortune
trying to create. C ase in point:
C h arlottesv ille, V irg in ia ’s Dave
Matthews Band.
in the three years since Matthews
put together the genre-blending quin
tet, its charged live performances
have come to pack clubs, theaters
and arenas across the country. “ It’s
been a very natural, very low-key
progression,” says Matthews. “ I don’t
feel like w e’ve had this drastic, over
night success. It’s basically been a
matter o f word-of-mouth -- people
liking what they've seen and bring
ing some friends with them the next
time around.”
Those die-hard fans have also
snapped up copies o f the band's self-
released debut, R em em ber Tw o
Things (over 130,000 copies since
its fall 1993 release) -- a remarkable
feat, considering the album was in
dependently distributed. While the
band notes that the first release may
have hinted at their potential, they
are satisfied that U nder The Table
And Dreaming, their RCA debut --
produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2,
Talking Heads, Rolling Stones) --
captures the nuances o f the intricate
interplay that marks the band’s com
plex live shows. The critics agree:
Rolling Stone Called it “one o f the
most ambitious releases o f the year.”
With singer/guitarist M atthews’
vulnerable, expressive voice at the
fore, the band (reedm an LeRoi
Moore, violinist Boyd Tinsley, Bass
ist Stefan Lessard and drummer Cart
er Beauford) weaves a mesh o f sounds
that Details described as “unpeggable
and totally addictive.” Each member
Pianist Bates Gives Concert At PSll
One exposure to the twelve songs
on Under The Table And Dreaming
imparts the sense that this band is
original enough to defy pigeonhol
ing.
Evocative melodies soar over
compact grooves on tracks like “Sat
ellite" and “Jimi Thing,” while the
band airs its more visceral nature on
edgy rockers like “Rhyme & Rea
son" and “ What Would You Say.”
Such stylistic shifts occur within
songs as well: the propulsive “W are
house” boasts a richly-textured fu
sio n -sty le d break , w hile “ A nts
Marching” weds straight-up funk and
a lively country fiddle.
“ In the beginning, I didn’t have
a fully-formed idea o f what I was
going for,” Matthews admits. “1 just
set out to assemble my dream group
o f musicians -- people I’d been lis
tening to locally for years -- and
much to my surprise, they all agreed
to join. And even after all this time,
we sti 11 work the same way There are
no rules in this band, no one to say,
Wait, you can’t do that.’”
With its independent refusal to
re c o g n iz e b o rd e rs , th e D ave
Matthews Band proves that they have
what the San Francisco Chronicle
said to be “a means o f expression
free enough o f cliche to be an authen
tic alternative.
Dave Matthews Band
showcases a highly individual ap
proach, making the Dave Matthews
Band a truly eclectic ensemble.
“The way I look at it, we have
five lead voices in this b an d ,”
Matthews says. “I may be the first
thing people notice, since I do the
singing, but there are times when
LeRoi’s sax is the voice, and times
when Boyd’s violin is at the front.
And in Carter and Stefan, we have
something that goes far beyond a
simple rhythm section. There are very
few times when the audience has just
one thing to listen to.”
P age B3
The final concert o f the 1994
PSU Piano Recital Series is given
Sunday by internationally renowned
artist Leon Bates. The event begins
at 4 p.m. in the Lincoln Performance
Hall at 1620 S.W. Park.
Bates will perform works by
Jo h a n n e s B rahm s, L u d w ig van
B eethoven, A rthur C unningham ,
Samuel Barber and George Walker.
Tickets are $15 for general admis
sion and $13 for senior adults.
Bates loves to challenge stereo
types at schools and gyms through
out the country. As an African Amer
ican male who is an internationally
renowned classical pianist, Bates is a
rarity; add that he is classical pianist
who can bench-press 300 pounds,
and the mind boggles.
The Philadelphia native loves to
talk with people about his career and
his avocation, maintaining that body
building helps him as a pianist and
the discipline required for both is
what has helped propel him to suc-
'
With their critically acclaimed
self-titled debut on G RP records in
1989, the Voices established them
selves on the cutting edge o f vocal
ensemble singing, breathing new life
into a vocal genre pioneered in the
late 50 ’s by Lambert, Hendricks,
and Ross. Tight arrangements, inti
mate voicings, and dare-devil scat-
ting are all New York Voices trade
marks, and are beautifully show
cased on three additional GRP al
bums: “Hearts o f Fire”, “W hat’s
Inside” , and most recently, “The
NYV Collection”
Long-time fans o f the Voices
will notice that the original five Voic
es are now four. A Manhattan perfor-
mance in February of 1994 previewed
the new Quartet concept for the first
time to a very receptive audience. The
New York voices are: Darmon Meader,
Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian (found
ing members o f the group in 1987),
and Lauren Kinhan (who joined the
Voices in May o f 1992).
The voices continue to tour in
tensely with their stellar instrumental
trio, and are in constant demand from
Moscow, Russia to Moscow, Idaho. In
addition to their concerts and clinics,
the Voices have recently embarked on
several new projects, in including per
formances with symphonies and big
bands. Their latest success with a large
ensemble occurred at Carnegie hall in
September of 1994, when they per
formed with the great Count Basie
Orchestra on a spectacular program
featuring the legendary Lena Home.
New & used books on
Business, Music, &
African-American Studies
★
★
★
★
Bates says that the stereotypes
held about African-American males
and about classical music and musi
cians always need challenging. His
work in that regard includes featur
ing works by contemporary African
American composers in his program.
W /fH f/fty , • l/f t if J 4 / / .
The St. Johns Parade Com
mittee is pleased to present the
33rd Annual St. Johns Parade Sat
urday, May 13, from noon to 2:00
p.m.; starting at N. Burr, traveling
west on N . Lombard through down
town St. Johns, turning right at N.
New York, and disbanding at N.
St. Johns Street next to St. Johns
Park.
It’s the city’s third largest pa
rade with lots o f floats, bands,
c ¡owns, and the first appearance o f
the 1995 Junior and Senior Rose
Festival courts.
What: 33rd Annual St. Johns
Parade
When: Saturday, M ay 13,
N oon to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Starting at N. Burr,
Traveling west on N. Lombard
Theme: "W e Build The Com
munity”
G ran d M arsh all: C a p ta in
Dave Sprando, Fire Station 22
Contact Persons: Lila Estes
(286-1550) or Joan Brown (286-
3570)
New York Voices
★
cess.
St. Johns Parade.
o ic e f
"New York Voices lives up to
its reputation as the most exciting
vocal ensemble in current jazz. ” -
Boston Herald: January 1994
Pianist Leon Bates will perform
in concert Sunday at 4 p.m. at
Portland State University.
★
★
Music
Millennium
32nd
& E.Burnside
231-8926
23rd *
& NW Johnson
248-0163
★
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Used books bought every day till 8:30 PM
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1005 West Burnside Street
228-4651
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