PAGE 7, RETRIEVER, May 10, 1976 Records Elton's Energy. Enlivens Live L.P., 'Here and There' he's been developing for decades. This "Another Epoch-Stride Piano"-Joe double set mixes Peterson solos with his Turner (Pablo Records) trio work with Niels Pedersen on bass and The music on this album was recorded Jaka.Hanna on drums. Solid mainstream by a man born in 1907. His contemporaries jazz in an unusual location recording. were the stride and barrelhouse piano masters like Thomas "Fats" Waller and "The Don Harrison Band"-(Atlantic James P. Johnson. Seventy years of Records) music, from "Fats" Waller to Ellington to Monk, are all gathered here together What we have here is the anemic ghost under the venerable old fingers of Joe of Credence Clearwater Revival. Turner. These sixteen tracks by Creedence bassist Stu Cook and Credence an accomplished master serve as both a drummer Doug Clifford have thrown in hisotry lesson and a glimpse into the their lot with guitarist Russle DaShiell and happier world long gone by. This record is singer-keyboardist Don Harrison. What is a must for anyone who wants an insight ino evioent is that it takes more than a beat to the roots o~ Keith Jarrett's genius. define a sound. Singer Harrison simply ----- Elton John 'Here And lacks the vocal chops of the Fogarty There': A good col­ brothers and his choice of. material is lection, well-recorded, largely uninspired. with lots of energy out put. .. ' "Strange Streets" -Garfield (Mercury Records) There's a helluva lot going on in Canada that we never even suspect! Fortunately for us, the best stuff occasionally slips across the border. Joni Mitchell, Neil and Gordon Lightfoot are prime examples. "Garfield" is the name of a Canadian bane! "Oscar Peterson In Russia"-Oscar producing an eclectic and impressive "Red Card"-Streetwalker CMercpry" . By Elias Lieberman Peterson (Pablo Records) sound. The band's eight members have Records) , ..... collectively mastered over twenty in­ Chalk It up to detente or whatever you "Streetwalker" is a British group which The school year grinds to a halt but the struments ranging from synthesizers to wish, but when a jazz giant like Oscar electric cello. The heart and mastermind swears by the power chord, the thundering record industry keeps churning out a Peterson plays a concert in the Soviet bass line and a lead singer who gargles steady stream of new releases. It's time to of the group is Garfield French who writes Union the results are bound to be elec­ the group's songs and handles the lead with steel wool. "Red Card" will appeal to try and catch up on the backlog of new those of you addicted to electrical energy releases by means of a quick paragraph or trifying. Provided with a jazz-starved vocals. His high, unusual voice takes some audience, Peterson was inspired to fill up getting used to but stylistically the group in high dosages with just a trace of melody two on each. A number of these albums are lingering in the background. Roger worthy of closer scrutiny but at least you two records' worth of beautiful jazz piano. invites comparison to the music of Harry Working among classics by Gershwin, Chapin. Shifting textures of in­ Chapman's vocals are about the most can plan your vacation listening from a distinctive this side of Robert Plant. Pure, wide assortment of possibilities. Cole Porter and Duke Ellington, and in­ strumentation and careful production by terspersing his own compositions, veteran producer Elliot Mazer make for unadulterated raunch n' roll, replete with Peterson flashes the improvisational skills an ear worthy debut album. apocolyptic lyrics. "Here And There"-Elton John (MCA Records) "Here" is Madison Square Garden, Sedaka's Back Again With Tops in Pops "There" is Royal Festival Hall in London, and" Here And There" is the name of the By Glenn Issacson California, and while Lambert and Pot­ they release it. "No.1 With A Heartache" live Elton John album to tide us over until I approached this collection guardedly, ter's song at least makes some attempt to is a cute song about a rock superstar we're the next studio release. I must admit that determined to resist the irresistably appease the people it is attacking, supposed to feel sorry for because he lost this is a well put together collection, catchy tunes that Neil Sedaka has been Greenfield's "Cardboard California" rips his girlfriend. It's a good idea, but like I almost a "greatest hits" album. Side one known to write. I lost. After two listens, I right in with no apologies: "Lost in a city said, it comes off cute, not sad. "Here We includes "Skyline Pigeon" (the first Elton was hooked. Sedaka's back ... again. of little tin gods-Cold plastic people with Are Falling In Love Again" is an excellent John-Bernie Taupin composition), as well Working with lyricists Howard phony facades-How can you win when you uptempo pop song with a damn good Cody as good renditions of "Border Song", Greenfield and Phil Cody, Sedaka has look at the odds?" This is Greenfield at his lyric. Cody's best lyric on the LP is "Honky Cat", and "Crocodile Rock". Only 'produced an album of absolutely superb razor-edged best. The music on this song is "Perfect Strangers," a gentle ballad. "Love Song" fails to recapture the spirit of pop songs, possibly his best LP yet nice, with subtle strings by Jimmie the original. (although Sedaka's Back is hard to beat, Haskell, gentle percussion by Gary Sedaka is at .bis vocal b~t ~q < :'Ba<;l'Jm9 " . The London crowd is restrainedly en­ considering that it contained the cream of Coleman. Beautiful," a rocker where. Sepala_B 4Q.~ .. ' thusiastic but Side Two erupts with all of three of his British LPs.) Sedaka's voice is both lead and background vocals .. ~nd ~ us rowdy Americans at Madison Square well suited to the type of material he "Summer Nights" is an exquisite mid­ excels at both. James Newton Howar<i'is . Garden. The side includes . "Funeral For writes,and, although I don't particularly tempo piece. Behind Neil singing Phil great here on electric piano, synthesizer, A Friend", "Love Lies Bleeding", like his high pitched sound, I feel that he Cody's marvelous lyric is a tasty and clavinet. "ROckey Man", "Bennie and the Jets" makes up in singing spirit for what he arrangement featuring & delectable bass . It appears there's no stopping Neil and "Take Me To the Pilot". With ticket lacks in voice tone. He is solidly backed on part by Lee Sklar, scrumptious percussion £edaka, and who would want to? As long as prices the way they are, this is the next this album by a group of the finest and best by Russ Kunkel, savory strings by Artie he ,keeps writing top quality melodies to best thing to Elton in the flesh. A good known studio musicians in the world, in­ Butler, a delicous born solo by Jim Horn, which Greenfield and _Cody set their. top collection well-recorded, with lots of cluding Jim Horn, Nigel Olssen, Davey and luscious drums by Nigel Olssen. Other quality lyrics, Sedaka's going to stay on . energy output from the man with all those Johnstone, and Dean Parks. highlights include "You Gotta Make Your top. There are still a dwindling few,.Song f: " everuasses. Arrangements are provided by music Own Sunshine," a Sedaka-Greenfield song writers and performers' who - cGntribut-e ~r,l : consistently good art to Top 40 music. Neil-. -, veterans Jim Horn, Artie Butler, and that is essentially the new "Love Will Keep Jimmie Haskell. Us Together" and is a sure-fire hit single if Sedaka is definately one of them. , , Inspired perhaps by the success of his single "Bad Blood," Sedaka has included more rockers than usual. The title track, "Steppin' Out," will invite inevitable comparison to ' 'Bad Blood" because it has Elton John as background vocalist. But "Bad Blood" was simply a classic (largely . because it was classically simple) and somehow "Steppin' Out" doesn't'measure up. But it is a good song on its own terms: a rollicking number with a lot of honky-tonk "Firefall"-Firefall (Atlantic Records) piano, a good Cody lyric, and a delightfully raunchy vocal backup by Elton John. "Firefall" is my nomination for best The current single is "Love In The new group and album of 1976. This five­ Shadows/' the most elaborate production man group was founded by ex-Burrito on the album. This song has a disco feel to Brother Rick Roberts and includes it, and a rather unusal mood to fit its original Byrds drummer Michael Clarke rather strange words. Sedaka and all the . and ex-Spirit member Mark Andes. What musicians, singers, and arrangers shine Neal'Sedaka, 'Steppin Out': they've created is a fantastically clean on this cut. Really a weird song, though. 'Sedaka has produced an Rocky Mountain sound. Sounding at times "Cardboard California," with a lyric by album of absolutely superb like Manassas and the Souther Hillman Howard Greenfield, is a New Yorker's Furray Band, Firefall surpasses the best attack on California, reminding me of two pop songs ... ' efforts of those groups, largely through similar song lyrics, "I Am . .! Said" by Neil Robert's skills as a singer and songwriter. Diamond, and "I Didn't Sing (In The New Lots of crisp acoustic guitar work and York Subway)" by Dennis Lambert and lilting harmonies all impeccably Brian Potter. But while Diamond's song engineered and mixed. A superb album skirts the reasons he doesn't like that will win you oxer 9':llirst list~H~~ .