bass and Gordon Brisker on tenor and flute) posed in a field of corn Record World and holding gardening tools. "Outstanding inHis Field" -get it? Nothing silly about the music, though; the band is tight, while also managing to sound relaxed and thoroughly swinging, and the mate- rialis first rate. Definitely worth a listen . . . Big band lovers should enjoy the new "Super Chicken" by the Dallas Jazz Orchestra, an outfit led by trumpeter Galen Jeter. The double album features colorful, lively charts, great dynamics, capable (often better) soloing and en- semble work -all the right elements for this type of gathering. The By SAMUEL GRAHAM DJO has other records out; for info about all of them, contact Jeter ALL CLEAR: Weather Report's live appearances are often revelatory, at 4305 Pineridge Dr., Garland, Texas 75042 (214-272-2326). but their March 1 gig in Santa Monica was especially so, as the group Bob Thomas, Jr. VERSATILITY: About a year and a half ago, not long after six new -once again a five -piece (with new percussionist sessions were recorded, Versatile Records chief Mike Gusic decided joining drummer Peter Erskine) after a period as a quartet -unveiled his company could no longer foot the manufacturing, marketing and new elements both musical and visual. Their long setconsisted largely studio promotion bills incurred by an independent label. "I thought it would of new, unrecorded work; aside from the four pieces from the be suicide to release the product that was in the can," Gusic says, side of "8:30," the only real concession to familiarity was the inevit- "because I couldn't sustain it. So I consolidated the whole operation, able "Birdland" (which, to these ears,haslosta good deal of the reduced the staff and so on, and looked for the right distribution the fire and drive of the "Heavy Weather" version ever since deal." Versatile now has that deal, through Buddah (which in turn straight -up rhythms of the original gave way to the current, more is handled by Arista), and by month's end four of those six '78 ses- swinging approach). The several new compositions, it seemed, are a sions will have been released, including LPs by Carmen McRae, Buster bit more straight -ahead themselves, while lacking none of the classic Williams, Jon Faddis, and Hank Crawford with Calvin Newborne. The Weather Report elements, notably the dense, furious rhythmic back- final two, by Jorge Dalto and Johnny Hammond, will also see the ing for Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter and Taco Pastorius' remarkable light of day this year, and new sessions are planned. The McRae and melodic and harmonic ideas, and the sometimes mercurial, usually Williams albums, at least, are lushly orchestrated and produced - unpredictable blend of composition and improvisation -one is never over produced, you might say -but Gusic points out that this is the quite sure which is which -that laces all of their tunes. choice of the producer (Vic Chirumbolo on both), artists and arrang- Visually, this band has always had a curious demeanor onstage, what with the implacable Shorter looking out of place amidst all the ers, not the result of some edict from on high. For that very reason, they don't necessarily define Versatile's style; but whatever happens, madness (but not sounding that way, even if one wishes he had more Gusic says, Versatile's output will be "contemporary jazz, melodic, to do), Pastorius scurrying about in his utterly eccentric mannerand Zawinul lording over the whole affair from behind his battery ofnot taking a free -form direction. Ours will be crossover music, a lot keyboards. Now they've added a genuine -and genuinely interesting of it funk -oriented, but it will also have a variety, because we'll be -light show, as well as a triple -screen photo montage of various jazz using different independent producers." Duke NOTES: A new 24 -hour jazz station in Vancouver, B.C., C-JAZ, went greats shown during the one non -original piece of the show, on the air March 1 with 100,000 watts, and is looking to be added to Ellington's "Rockin' in Rhythm." There is nothing like Weather Re- the proper label mailing lists. Call program manager Harry Boon at port -virtually no one else is so consciously and constantly moving (604) 684-2111 for info . . . Bookings for Old and New Dreams - things forward. Since "8:30" is mostly previously -recorded work, they Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell, Dewey Redman and Dan Cherry -for must be about ready to hit the studio again -and that's something to their March/April tour are available through Nancy Swingle or Theresa look forward to. Del Pozzo at (212) 674-4760 . . . TheCapp/Pierce Juggernaut, the Bill NEW STUFF:It'sa lucky thing that a record can't, or atleast shouldn't, be judged by its cover, or else two new Inner City releases Berry Big Band and others will be featured soon on National Public Radio's "Jazz Alive!" special. Local airings include March 31 at 3 p.m. might be dismissed out of hand. One of them, Ray Wilkes' "Dark Blue Man," shows guitarist Wilkes with Les Paul in hand and cigarette in on KCSN, 88.5 FM. mouth on both sides of the jacket -guessing merely by the title and Wilkes' casual rock star pose, you'd think this is some heavy electric mayhem. Actually, though, it's mostly a lovely acoustic record, with Wilkes and co-producer/violinist Gene Elder leading the way through Roberta Flack Honored in D. C. what might be described as a lighter, less frantic version of John McLaughlin's Shakti-a few lightning -quick unison lines, but tasteful and restrained. Wilkes is featured on four solo tracks .. . Trumpeter Bobby Shew's new Inner City LP is also superb, but you sure wouldn't think so to look atit. Called "Outstanding in His Field,"it shows Shew (and, on the back, his killer band, including Bob Magnusson on C The Jazz LP Chart MARCH 22, 1980 15. CATCHING THE SUN SPYRO GYRA/MCA 5108 1. FUN AND GAMES CHUCK MANGIONE/A&M SP 3715 16. A TASTE FOR PASSION JEAN-LUC PONTY/Atlantic SD 19253 2. EVERY GENERATION RONNIE LAWS/United Artists LT 1001 17. BEST OF FRIENDS TWENNYNINE FEATURING LENNY 3. SKYLARKIN' WHITE/Elektra 6E 223 GROVER WASHINGTON, JR./Motown 18. THE DANCE OF LIFE M7 933R1 NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN/Atlantic 4. ANGEL OF THE NIGHT SD 19259 ANGELA BOFILL/Arista/GRP GRP 5501 19. PRESSURE 5. PIZZAZZ MCA 3195 PATRICE RUSHEN/Elektra 6E 243 20. PICK -EM 6. HIROSHIMA RON CARTER/Milestone M 9092 Arista AB 4252 (Fantasy) 7. ONE ON ONE 21. THE WORLD WITHIN BOB JAMES 8. EARL KLUGH/Columbia/ STIX HOPPER/MCA 3180 Tappan Zee FC 36241 22. STRUTTIN' 8. HIDEAWAY DR. STRUT/Motown M7 931R1 DAVID SANBORN/Warner Bros. BSK 23. 8 FOR THE '80s 3379 WEBSTER LEWIS/Epic JE 36197 9. 1980 24. MASTER OF THE GAME GIL SCOTT -HERON & BRIAN JACKSON/ Washington,D.C., Arista AL 9514 GEORGE DUKE/Epic JE 36263 Atlantic recordingartistRoberta Flack was recently honoredin 10. NO STRANGER TO LOVE 25. THE HAWK where Mayor Marion Berry declared February 11"Roberta Flack Day." Flack began ROY AYERS/Polydor PD 1 6246 DAVE VALENTIN/Arista/GRP GRP 5006 the day with a live appearance on the television show "10 AM Washington," followed 11. AMERCAN GARAGE 26. WATER SIGN by an interview for the National Public Radio syndicated program "Horizon." She PAT METHENY/ECM 11155 (WB) JEFF LORBER FUSION/Arista AB 4234 27. STREET BEAT also fielded a series of press interviews. During a visit to the Mayor's Office, she was 12. GENETIC WALK presented by him with an officialcity proclamation declaring "Roberta Flack Day." AHMAD JAMAL/20th Century Fox TOM SCOTT/Columbia JC 36137 1600 (RCA) 28. SOUNDSCAPES Later that evening, Flack appeared live on WHUR, the radio station of Howard Uni- 13. WITH ALL MY LOVE CEDAR WALTON/Columbia JC 36285 versity, her alma mater. Atlantic has just released "Roberta Flack Featuring Donny WILBERT LONGMIRE/Columbia/Tappan 29. NOMAD Hathaway," Flack's ninth album. Shown at the Mayor's Officein Washington, D.C. Zee JC 36342 CHICO HAMILTON/Elektra 6E 257 are, from left: Mayor Marion Berry, Roberta Flack, Cotillion Records president Henry 14. RISE 30. BROWNE SUGAR HERB ALPERT/A&M SP 4790 TOM BROWNE/Arista/GRP GRP 5003 Allen, Flack's associate Mervyn Dash, and co -producer Eric Mercury.

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