...............Issue
6 ~ August, 2002...............
...............Issue
6 ~ August, 2002...............|
A
Tale of Two Geniuses Robin
Williams Ray
Charles
The very next night Ray Charles was in town appearing at what was called on the ticket "Value City Theater". With the stage moved to the middle of the arena in an attempt to create a more "cozy" atmosphere, I would hardly refer to the venue as a "theater". And the fact that…at best…the crowd MIGHT number 2000 the place seemed vast and…well…empty. As we waited patiently for a glass of cabernet…that for some reason comes out of a cooler…I heard the opening act begin playing. Hey…it was 10 minutes before the starting time printed on the ticket. When was the last time you went to a show that began EARLY? I know Ray is getting up there but does he have a 9:30 bedtime? The Hoodoo Soul Band…locals from Columbus…gave a fine performance of classic funk and soul tunes. Unfortunately they were only onstage for 25 minutes. There was no encore. And it took no more than minutes to set the stage for Ray Charles. Ray's band came out first to warm up the crowd with half an hour of wonderful big band jazz. Twenty something strong, they played with an enthusiasm of people half their ages taking turns soloing impressively with plenty of class. The entire orchestra played sitting down…which seemed to be a major irritation for the bass player who hopped around in his seat like he had a bad case of poison ivy on his butt and was under doctor's order NOT TO SCRATCH! Soon enough there was the introduction of the "Genius of Soul…Mr. Ray Charles" and out he pranced wearing a tuxedo and a ruffled shirt that was so very yellow it made Yellow Cabs look like "Pastel Cabs". "Does he dress himself?" is what I wondered to myself. Ray sat down at the electric keyboards (In the past I've seen him alternate between grand piano and electric but not so this evening.) and began playing incredibly. It was obvious that for a man of 70 years plus Ray could still play the piano with the best of them. In a matter of no time he was playing those classics that make the label "Genius of Soul" a fitting description. "Hey Girl", "Busted", "Georgia on my Mind", "Just for the Thrill of It", Leon Russell's wonderful "Song for You" (arguably the evenings highlight)…Mr. Charles sings like no one else. Unlike mere mortals Ray can incorporate all that is American into his art…be it jazz, blues, rock, soul, pop…even country music. The Raelettes came out and sang some beautiful gospel music followed by backing up Mr. Charles on "I Can't Stop Loving You" and culminating in a rousing "What'd I Say?" I had noticed throughout the show…every other tune or so…Ray would slap his microphone with his hand. I thought this quite curious until on the second to last number he stopped mid-song to lambaste the guy running the sound, telling the audience he was sorry but "it's just stupid. Just STUPID!!!" He completed the song, ran through another and then it was "Let's hear it for the genius of soul Mr. RAY CHARLES!!!" As the crown respectfully stood and applauded Ray did his very best "I'm a real happy Ray Charles" impersonation of himself…walked off…and never came back. No patriotic "America the Beautiful"…not even a flippant "Hit the Road Jack" as a farewell. Ray was pissed…to say the least. I'd seen him tear into his band decades ago at a show in Cincinnati. He played longer then. Ray Charles was onstage for 65 minutes. I'm not complaining. The music was great. But a short encore would have made the evening…shall we say…less temperamental. I've played in bands most of my life. I know how aggravating a bad mix can be. Or perhaps I'm way off base. Perhaps I didn't see the jittery bass player stand up…run over to Ray…and lean down to whisper to him…"Mr. Charles. Some one snuck that bright yellow shirt into your locker again."
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John
Alec Entwistle, 1944-2002
by Ted Kane Who
is the world's great rock and roll band--you can make a good argument
for ending that sentence with a period and not a question mark, but
there are several other deserving candidates. There is, however, no
doubt in my mind that the Who's bassist was the greatest to ever play
that instrument for a rock group. John Entwistle was the rarest of musicians,
a innovator who revitalized and reimagined the way his instrument was
played and heard. A completely unprecedented voice on the electric bass
when the Who first bust on the scene in the early '60s, Entwistle changed
the role of the bass in rock by playing in an upfront, melodic style.
Like Charlie Parker on the saxophone, Jimi Hendrix on the guitar and,
yes, bandmate Keith Moon on the drums, anyone taking up the instrument
in his wake faces the decision of whether or not to pursue Entwistle's
overall approach. Even now, a kid who may never have even heard of the
Who is either going to play in one of the styles--hard rock, heavy metal,
punk--that is their legacy or not. Anyone who tries to make the bass
do anything besides sit in the back unobtrusively owes a debt to John.
Book Review: Blinded by the Right (The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative) by David Brock Reviewed by Rick Brown David's
Brock's new book tracing his liberal roots at Berkley to neo-conservative
muckraker and back is truly one giant confessional. At times it reminds
me…all too painfully…of my own short foray into fundamentalist
Christianity in the early 70's. There was the "Jesus Movement"
which I embraced because I felt…although right wing conservative…that
it was somehow outside the establishment. A sort of "radical conservatism"
if you will. The idea being that because the ideology was so far right
it was rebellious. Until one night at a prayer meeting where people
were "speaking in tongues" while others were "interpreting"
their gibberish it struck me. "How can this be good and Godly when
I feel like home made shit?" Unfortunately for Mr. Brock it took
him much, much longer to realize exactly what he was stepping in. The Bonnaroo Music Festival Manchester, Tennessee June 21 - 23, 2002 Reviewed By Cory Tressler
Arlo Guthrie
with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Reviewed By Rick Brown Waking
up early Saturday morning I was concerned about the show that evening
because it was pouring down rain…not that we didn't need it…but
the thought of sitting on Chem Abstracts' lawn in the rain was terribly
unappealing. But before noon the skies cleared, and by evening it was
a beautiful summer environment. My wife and I packed up our picnic and
walked the mile or so to the sprawling landscape of the mysterious Chemical
Abstracts. Widespread
Panic Reviewed By Patrick O'Malley
KIM
PENSYL - JAZZMAN I
don't have much of a chance to hang out in the metropolis of New York,
but I understand that when some New Yorkers hear the word "Ohio",
they immediately conjure up images of the Wild West, hillbillies and
cows. Well it's been my experience, after many years of living in Columbus,
Ohio (which includes a couple moves out of state, only to return), that
the quality of life here is not only great, but getting even better.
There is much praise for Columbus' music and arts scene, and one person
in particular, jazzman extraordinaire, Kim Pensyl, is a major contributor
to this excellent quality and enjoyment of life.
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