CONCERT REVIEW 1111,111111111111111, ,111 ,,11111,1, 11111,, Motor City Magic Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts: Distinctive and Delightful LOS ANGELES - In the three ciprocal licks by Crofts, on elec- years since "Summer Breeze" tric mandolin. catapulted them into the public In a break from the more re- arena, Jimmy Seals and Dash laxed, established Crofts (WB) have continued to fare, the two jumped into the fire create a distinctive sound that is with a spry jazz instrumental fea- always eminently listenable. In turing Jimmy on a riveting sax one of the final concerts of the solo, in a prelude to Dash's turn Universal Amphitheatre's summer at the drums - replacing, for a season, Seals and Crofts offered time, the very competent Jeff Por - an adoring crowd a healthy selec- caro. After this bit of fun, the tion of their hits, while they dem- twosome approached the edge of onstarted their numerous musical the stage for a duet on "Ugly skills in a thoroughly diverting City." Relaxing a bit after performing before 15,000 fans at Cobo Hall, Detroit are Elektra performance. Following in the wake of their The duo came on strong with recording artists Tony Orlando & Dawn and the staff of CKLW Radio, Detroit/Windsor. standards, "Summer Breeze" and The concert was a benefit for Muscular Dystrophy charity and was co -sponsored by Play For You," the "I'll title piece "Diamond Girl," Seals and Crofts McDonald's and CKLW. From left are: (bottom row) Mrs. Super Max; Tony Orlando; from their current Ip, and the got into the rock 'n' roll spirit Joyce Vincent Wilson; Telma Hopkins; and Herb McCord, general manager, CKLW; (standing) Brian MacGregor; Jerry Sharell, dir. of artist relations & advertising at E/A; crowd was quick to join in the with some high-energy vocals in- fun with some enthusiastic clap- Super Max; Jo Jo Shutty, the hell -traffic lady at CKLW; Pauline Riddell, CKLW; Cosmic spired by Little Richard. Bob Moody; Ken Buttice, national promotion director at E/A; and Brother Bill Gable. ping along. The famous S&C har- As is customary at a Seals and monies were in top form, with Crofts concert, the show ends Seals taking on the low parts and CLUB REVIEW a rousing Ill II Crofts taking off for the higher with tip of the hat to bluegrass. It's what Dash referred registers. Next came a polished version of "Hummingbird," build- to as "foot stompin,' hand clap - Weisberg's 'Flutemusic' Flourishes pin,' hog callin' music," and this ing quickly from a wispish ode LOS ANGELES-A&M Records The fact that none of the tunes event highlighted by Jimmy's into a forceful and infectious - not too long ago developed a were tied to those sources in rocker. double-time fiddle work - drew haunting advertising/promotion raps only served to aid the The poetic high -point of the the set to a frenzied conclusion. concept for their product: "Listen crowd's enjoyment, letting their show was reached in "East of In their local debut, Danny and to Your World." Now the label's minds wander right along with Ginger Trees," with mood -evok- Joyce (Jasmine) - offering fine most promising jazz crossover act, the music to whatever locales best ing lyrics that seem to stand on original material and strong ar- Tim Weisberg, has his first con- suited their own subjective travel their own merit. Seals and Crofts rangements - were a smashing cept album in "Listen to the City," experiences. wisely chose to let the words success. Whether it was soft- much of which served as the core Dubbed "flutemusic" by his speak for themselves, and they spoken country -rock, as in "Chin- of his show at the Troubadour label, Weisberg's musical niche subtly underplayed the accom- ook," or a bright, uplifting mes- here during a recent weekend is a multi -level integration of jazz, paniment. sage piece like "The Little Kings stay. Leading a six -man ensemble, rock and Latin influence as one In the "something for every- Of Earth," these newcomers were Weisberg effectively made his coherent sound that can be ap- body" category, Jimmy Seals dedi- solidly in control. views of various cities the audi- preciated by fans of pop and rock cated a spirited fiddle arrange- Backed by the Seals and Crofts ence's immediate world of the alike. His development of original ment of "Pop Goes The Weasel" band, the husband and wife team moment. material has been gradual and to the numerous kids in the audi- showed that they could become The vocal "on the road" songs progressive through his five al- ence, and he thereby endeared powerful soft -rock contenders penned by singer -songwriters ad bums. For contrast, he performed himself to the adults, as well. He with "Sing My Song," featuring infinitum now have unique instru- Savoy Brown's "Hard Way to Go" then traded his fiddle for a guitar, eerie Neil Young -type harmonies mental counterparts in this flute from his first A&M sessions. Now and the duo made a smooth and "Golden Road," which was a master's artistry. Although his with a less linear approach to his segue into "Castles In The Sand," funky item spotlighting Danny on new compositions all have speci- work, his uncategorical style has their current single. The number harmonica and a guest appear- fic and personal inspirational grown with his stature as a com- featured some engagingly buzzy ance by Jimmy Seals on sax. sources, Weisberg serves as the poser. Keyboardman Lynn Bless- fingerwork by Seals, and fine re- Mike Harris total non-verbal guide in concert. ing's influence, particularly in the area of synthesizer explorations, has also enabled his music to ex- Nitty Gritty Gig pand in all positive directions, without sacrificing that gently compelling Weisberg trademark. Opening was Father Guido Sar- ducci (who has also cut for A&M). The comedian whose biggest break to date was his strong per- formance as a regular on the short-lived TV rebirth of "The Smothers Brothers Show" is a strange combination of low-keyed humor and ethnic Church -freak characterization: sort of a cross between Pat Henry, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, Jackie Vernon and Cheech & Chong. One of the few new satirists on the scene worth watching, the funky Father's act is the kind that It was a balmy day in the Dallas -Forth Worth area as KZEW ("the zoo") presented its first annual Urban Survival Fair at the Univers- stand-up comedy has long been ity of at Arlington's football stadium. The Fair, attended by some 60,000 people, featured exhibitions by social agencies, missing. It's just the right blend of lectures and demonstrations and music supplied by two United Artists Records groups, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Calico. Shown during the festivities are (left picture) The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, performing in front of the crowd; (right picture, from left) UA di- seventies relevance, irreverence rector of album promotion Billy Bass with Mark Christopher, music director of KIEW; and John McEuen of the Dirt Band. and slapstick. Robert Adels

RECORD WORLD OCTOBER 17, 1975 55

www.americanradiohistory.com