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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1998)
-a. Page B3 I l j r yprtbiià flUsm wr rJ ^ Z i <Tljc JJortlanù (lf)h server ENTERTAINMENT George FRIDAY. JANUARY 9 at 7 p.m. SATURDAY. JANUARY 10 at 5 p.m. PORTLAND PREMIERE ■ VISITING ARTIST Charles Mingus: Triumph of die Underdog (1997) Clinton’s I am Charles Mingus, half black man. half yellow man 1 play jazz, I am a Negro." declares the volatile, uncompromising genius at the start of Don McGlynn’s riveting look at the tortured musical life of the great composer and bass player. Featuring wide ranging interviews w ith musicians and critics w ho were close to Mingus, along w ith the insights ol his wives Celia and Susan, an extraordinary portrait emerges o f an artist o l unparalleled talent and complex, paradoxical temperament. Over the course o f nine years o f digging, McGlynn has also surfaced treasured film and television clips from the 1960s and 1970s, radio broadcasts, interviews and vintage photographs, many unknown, tocapture the joy and rage o f his life, and the legacy o f musical genius that he left behind (78 mins.) Preceded by Mark M ills’ Ornette Coleman Harmolodiscs (1996), a pithy examuiation o f jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman's theory o f music (and life), which is to "remove the caste system from sound." (10 mins.) Director Don McGlynn w ill introduce his film G re a te s t Funkin’ H its A party record from top to bottom. Greatest Funkin' Hits compiles new versions of such R&B chart-toppers and dance floor staples as "Atomic Dog’ from Clinton’s I982solodebut Computer Games and “Flashlight' from P a rlia m e n t's 1978 d isc Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syn drome. Q-Tip. Busta Rhymes and O f Dirty Bastard and original P- Funk members do the honors on the updated “Flashlight,” while Ice Cube takes the mike for a version of Funkadelic’s "Bop Gun (one Na tion)’’ which has been commercially unavailable until now. The 96 remix of the funk anthem "Knee Deep ( Deep As AM uthaFunkaRem ix)" included here features new vocals by digital Underground and Clinton himself. This #1 R&B smash is among the most sampled songs in the history of hip hop. Greatest Funkin’ Hits also includes a remix of "M othership Connection Starchild.” the theme song of Clinton’s current Mothership Tour, which began last July and con tinues through 1999! Greatest Funkin' Hits testifies to George Clinton's production genius and innovative musical style and his FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 at 7 p.m. SATURDAY, JANUARY 17 at 5 p.m. PORTLAND PREMIERE Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl? The Life &i Music o f Robert Johnson (1 9 9 7 ) profound impact on every major con temporary artist from Prince to Snoop Doggy Dogg and beyond. By pre senting these fi esh reworkings of the most influential and respected songs in today’s urban music scene, a whole new generation of critics and fans can appreciate C linton’s enormous musical achievement in a fully mod ern context — proving once and lor all that the funk is truly its own re ward. C A P L E T O N If reggae is a rhythm set to poor man'scry.Del Jain Record' mie rocker Capleton has charged that cry with red hot discourse and slamming beats. Since he received a record-breaking seven encores at 1990’s Reggae Sunsplash festival. “The Prophet’s” searing word bullets and riveting live performance have established him as a pace-setter for reggae's new wave ju g g le odd jo b s and the m ie by n ig h t w ithin K in g sto n ’s fiercely co m p etitiv e sound sy stem circuit. An a u d itio n w ith (his cu rren t m a n a g e r/p ro d u c e r) S tu a r t B ro w n ’s T o ro n to . C an ad a-b ased A frican S tar sound system led to C a p le to n ’s first b re a k , g o in g head to head in head R oache. T he ro o ts g rap ev in e teleg rap h ed the new o f C a p le to n ’s success to hom e, a ttra c tin g in terest from h eav y -w eig ht Jam aican producer P hillip "F a ttis" B urrell o f the X term inator label. F attis released his f irst hit sin g le , I 9 8 9 's "G ood C h a rt," "W o m an Mi L o tio n ," “G ood L oving" and "M ake H ay .” S lin g in g s la c k n e ss w on him d an ce hall stard o m and those m u ltip le S u n sp la sh en c o re s in ' 9 0 . But in 1992, C apleton risked it all by break in g from the girls n ' guns pack and d e d ic a tin g h im self instead to R a sta la ri and ly r ics o f up liftm en t. ~“ W — w ith / í m m y Saturday, January I7 from James DePreist, conductor Ron Steen Sextet: Ron Steen, drums; Hadley Caliman, tenor sax; roots generation. I-Testament. the label's follow-up to Capleton’s 1995 chart-busting debut Prophecy, is the artist’s most audacious venture so far. It's percussive rhythms, powerful m elodies, and m em ory-tugging samples obliterate boundaries bet ween R&B’s soul, hip-hop's catharsis, and reggae’s promise. “We have to mix it in order to transcend to a wider audience, so everyone can hear the message.” Capleton explains. Even as a 12-year-old rebel from a huge extended family in the bucolic St. Mary's Parish o f Jamaica, Clifton Bailey's precocious gift of gab earned him the nickname Capleton. "There was a lawyer in my town named Capleton. and when I met with my bredren. and me just jump and start to talk. One of them said, ‘He can talk. He’s just like lawyer Capleton. It's like from then, the name just stuck.” Y o u n g C a p le to n w as a ls o know n for sp in n in g d ream s o f deejay stardom and stealing from his hed to bask in the in to x ic a tion of night-long country dances. At eig h teen , he left St. M a ry ’s to JAN. 7, 1998 Julian Priester, trombone; Paul Mazio, trumpet; Phil Baker, bass; Bill Beach, piano Carlton Jackson/Dave Mills Big Band Shirley Nanette, vocalist Our first "Jazz with Jimmy" sold out in 1996 so we just had to do it again! This year, as part of the Jazz Society's 1st Jazz Festival, we re featuring some of the best jazz talent around and our orchestra performing Ellington s rhythmic Suite from The River, John Lewis Three Little Feelings and Poem for Brass by J.J. Johnson. Tickets start at $13 Sponsored by U X Kentrov. Supported 4/ Willamette Week, tMHD and The /a it Society oi Oregon This event is part ol the /a n Society 's 1st /a n festival 2 2 8 -1 3 5 3 (1-800-228-7343) • Mon. - Sat. 9am - 5pm www.orsymphony.org • Ticketmaster: 790-ARTS James DePreist, Music Director & Conductor Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall • SW Main A Broadway He never gave an interview or wrote any o f his compositions down on paper, and only recorded 29 songs. He claimed he sold Ills soul to the devil at the crossroads for a diabolical tuning o f his guitar, constantly roamed, and was murdered under still mysterious circumstances at the age o f 27. Robert Johnson, the most influential artist in the history o f blues music, is both a legend and an enigma Peter Meyer’s imaginatively crafted portrait reveals the power o f music to shape our culture as it presents a vivid picture o f Johnson and the circumstances that gave rise to his brilliant music Danny Glover narrates portions of the story and bluesman Keb'Mo portrays Johnson in new footage, which Meyer blends w ith rare photographs, stock footage, in s ig h tfu l in te rv ie w s w ith Johnson contemporaries such as JohnnyShmesand Robert Jr. Lockwood, and appearances by Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, John Hammond, Keith Richards among many others (77 mins.) W ith Third Ward Blues (1997) Anentertainingexannnation o l the personal and professional relationships o f Albert Collins. Clarence "Gatemouth " Brown, Johnny ClydeCopeland and Joe "Giular" Hughes (29 m m s) THE NORTHWEST FILM CENTER PR ESENTS Reel Music A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC ON FILM Jazz, blues, rock, folk, punk, Tex-Mex, soul, reggae, klezmer, classical, Brazilian, Hollywood musicals.-.there is something for every taste. For the full REEL MUSIC schedule, pick up the Film Center's Jan/ Feb calendar or W illa m e tte W e e k . SUNDAY JANUARY 18 at 7 p.m. SUNDAY. JANUARY 25 at 4:30 p.m. PORTLAND PREMIERE Blue Note: A Story of Modem J azz (Germ any, 1996) One o f the great jazz labels. Blue Note Records was founded in 1939 by Alfred b o n and Francis Wolfe, jazz fans from Germany who came to New York to escape Nazism By the 19S0s, the fledgling company came into us own, documenting the rich currents ol modern jazz w ith little regard to commercialism as well as amassing a legacy o f recordings that provide the backbone for any serious jazz record collection. Recordings o f Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock and hundreds more, past and present, are essential documents o f America's greatest art form. Julian Benedikt's homage is full o l great clips, photographs, interviews and history o f the music and the two men w ith the rare dedication and vision to preserve it ( I 20 mins ) Sponsored by Bravo SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 at 7 p.m. PORTLAND PREMIERE Dexter Gordon: More Than You Know ( 1997) Don McGlynn s (Charles Mingus Triumph ol the Underdog, Art Pepper Notes From A JanSumwr) newest | jazz biography celebrates the life and career o f the great saxophonist Dexter Gordon At seventeen Gordon joined the bone! Hampton Orchestra, soon graduated to the Billy Eckstein Band and then went on to be one o f the great players o f the modem era Full o f superb performances by Gordon and some o f those w ho inspired h im — Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins. Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell— as well as clips from the screen tests for Gordon's role (for which he received an Academy nomination) in Bertrand Tavernier's Round Midnight and other rare treats, McGlynn's portrait most o f all captures the beautiful expressiveness— in personality and music— o f this musical treasure (S2 m in s ) Preceded by Jules At Eight ( 1996), Mark Becker's portrait o f Santa Rosa, California eight year old Julian Lage, who. except for the trials o f the second grade, has spent his tune taking jazz, blues and classical music lessons You w ill be impressed (24 mins ) And The Spitbull Story (1997), Matthew Seig’s recounting o f how trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, playing in Cab Calloway s band in 1941 w ith fellow musicians Jonah Jones and M ilt Hinton, got his start down the path to modem |azz history (20 mins.) WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 4 at 7 p.m. PORTLAND PREMIERE Gilberto Gil: Tempo Rei (Brazil, 1997) "Gilberto Gil is one o f the legends of Brazilian music In this intimate, beautifully photographed documentary he returns to Ituacu, his childhood home and to the rivers o f Salvador, where he wrote the first song that gamed him attention Talking w ith his family and friends, musician and writers Jorge Amando, Caetano Veloso, Pauhnho Camafeu, Carlinhus Brown and others, Gil explores the rich musical tradition o f Bahia and Africa Gil, a mulatto, reveals the ideological importance he placed on integrating questions o f race in his art, and the central influence of the Candomble tradition The many performances captured in the film range from improvisations m village squares to concerts in huge auditoriums Wherever lie goes, people know his songs, and jubilantly sing along He is their king " — Kathy Gerritz, Pacific Film Archive (107 mms.) Reel Music is sponsored by Willamette Week, M u s ic M ille n iu m , McMenainins Theaters and Pubs, and KINK 102 FM. NORTHWEST FILM CENTER, 1219 S.W. PARK AVENUE, PORTLAND, OR 97205 (503) 221-1156
