ENTERTAINMENT Page 17 Technique • Friday, March 24, 2000 • 17
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ENTERTAINMENT page 17 Technique • Friday, March 24, 2000 • 17 Fu Manchu on the road On shoulders of giants ENTERTAINMENT The next time you head off down the Oasis returns after some troubling highway and are looking for some years with a new release and new hope tunes, try King of the Road. Page 19 for the future of the band. Page 21 Technique • Friday, March 24, 2000 Passion from the mouthpiece all the way to the back row By Alan Back Havana, Cuba, in 1949, Sandoval of jazz, classical idioms, and Living at a 15-degree tilt began studying classical trumpet traditional Cuban styles. at the age of 12, and his early During a 1977 visit to Cuba, Spend five minutes, or even experience included a three-year bebop master and Latin music five seconds, talking with enrollment at the Cuba National enthusiast Dizzy Gillespie heard trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and the young upstart performing you get an idea of just how with Irakere and decided to be- dedicated he is to his art. Whether “I don’t have to ask gin mentoring him. In the fol- working as a recording artist, lowing years, Sandoval left the composer, professor, or amateur permission to group in order to tour with both actor, he knows full well where anybody to do Gillespie’s United Nation Or- his inspiration comes from and chestra and an ensemble of his does everything in his power to what I have to.” own. The two formed a friend- pass that spark along to anyone Arturo Sandoval ship that lasted until the older who will listen. Jazz Trumpeter man’s death in 1993. It’s been nearly four decades “He helped me so much, and since he first picked up a horn, it’s unbelievable how good he decades that have seen him leave was to me. He was like my behind one successful career and School of the Arts. However, spiritual father, and I was very begin another in a new country. jazz would prove to be a stronger lucky because we were very good The story shows no signs of end- calling, and in 1973 he helped friends. It’s a privilege, an honor ing soon though, and fans all start what would ultimately and a privilege, to meet your Courtesy of Katie O’Connor / FERST CENTER FOR THE ARTS over the world are glad for it. become Irakere, a band that won Arturo Sandoval was a longtime collaborator with Dizzy Gillespie, expanding his Born on the outskirts of worldwide renown for its melding See Sandoval, page 18 mentor’s visions for fusing bebop and Latin jazz. At the Ferst Center on March 29. ‘Romeo’ full of fast, furious fights By Will Raiman for some innovative computer ef- they would have had an excuse for Romeo fects, unusual fight locales, great not being original. As Han searches improvised weapons (including the for his brother’s murderer, he stum- MPAA Rating: R occasional person being slung bles upon a subplot involving the Starring: Jet Li, Isaiah around), and blinding speed. use of scare tactics by the gangs to Washington, Russel Wong, Having established that Romeo acquire real estate. Delroy Lindo, Aaliyah Must Die is a great action movie, He also becomes involved with Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak let’s look at where it falls short. The the daughter (Aaliyah) of the leader Studio: Warner Brothers acting isn’t bad, but that’s because of the black gang. Whether there is Running Time: 120 minutes there is very little of it going on. romance between the Romeo and Rating: yyyy The characters are fairly shallow ste- Juliet characters is never quite clear. reotypes, with straightforward goals They seem to get along pretty well, Romeo Must Die is the latest re- and motivations. After seeing Del- and some romantic tension was prob- telling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and roy Lindo shine in The Cider House ably intended, but it just never seems Juliet, with enough changes to avoid Rules, I would have expected him to to happen. offending any English professors. put a bit more into his character, Of course, all these bad things I As tensions grow between the Chi- the leader of the black gang. In- just told you about the movie are nese and African-American gangs stead, the character turns out to just completely irrelevant. Romeo Must in Oakland, the younger son of the another gangster trying to make good, Die is a masterful action movie. As Chinese gang leader is killed, and but instead tripping over his own any good action fan knows, plot, the elder son (Han, played by Jet pride. characterization and acting all take Li) arrives from China to find the The other problem with the film a back seat to a great fight scene. By Theo Fridlizius culprit. Soon Han is caught in the is the rather thin plot. Perhaps they There are even a few guns, as well as If you didn’t see John Hammond (above), Charlie Musselwhite, and middle of things, and becomes a should have stuck more closely with a great car chase. This is one you Booker T. Jones sing the blues at the Ferst Center, you really missed out. target for both sides. Shakespeare’s version—at least then must see on the big screen. Jet Li will be familiar to Ameri- can fans who recognize him as the martial arts dynamo who beat the Can’t beat these ‘Blues’ hell out of Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 4. Before his American de- By John Parmer and Nick mond’s wailing was reminiscent but, Li had starred in nearly 30 ac- Kelling of the legendary Robert Johnson. tion movies in China, including the The original Blues Brothers Charlie Musselwhite followed up popular Once Upon a Time in Chi- with a heavily harmonica-based na movies, and Fist of Legend. If you What do the Blues have to do sound. Accompanying Mussel- have seen Jet Li fight, you know with St. Patty’s day? Well, noth- white’s harmonica and voice were that he is like Jackie Chan on speed, ing, but those who escaped the a piano player that got hearts without a sense of humor. If you hangover bite of the Irish holi- racing, and a guitarist that shook haven’t seen Jet Li fight, then you day and caught Blues Night Out the soul of everyone listening. should. last Saturday evening were privy Blues classics touched up with One of the producers of Romeo to some incredible music. The a guitarist that could both pa- Must Die is Joel Silver, who has a show at the Robert Ferst The- tiently bend out the notes like double-handful of producer’s cred- atre was a collage of blues rang- B.B. and rip into an all out rock- its under his belt for movies such as ing from the classic Mississippi and-roll sound made for a lethal The Matrix, and many of the Die delta blues to the fusion of soul combo. Charlie Musselwhite, Hard, Lethal Weapon and Predator and blues emerging out of Mem- with his sound and demeanor, films. I put The Matrix first because phis, Tennessee. John Ham- would make the likes of B.B. the fights in this movie will no doubt mond, Charlie Musselwhite, and King and Muddy Waters proud remind you of the high-flying bouts Booker T. Jones hammered out to be associated with the blues. in that film. a solid three and a half hours of Musselwhite, a true blues mas- In fact, the characters spend as pure American blues. ter, was backed by a great band much time flying through the air John Hammond opened the that was capable of interpreting and kicking as they can without the show up with an enthusiastic per- classic delta blues with a unique benefit of living in the computer formance. With a mixture of slow rock sound. generated world of The Matrix. Delta blues and honky-tonk slide Obviously, this is a fight-driven By Kharen Hill / WARNER BROTHERS guitar and harmonica, Ham- See Blues, page 20 movie, and it brings a lot of new Leathal Weapon 4 dynamo Jet Li is back to chop, kick, and flip his way flavor to the martial arts genre. Look through Warner Brothers’ Romeo Must Die, a movie with action to spare! 18 • Friday, March 24, 2000 • Technique ENTERTAINMENT all my heart.” may both come as a surprise to those but not Sandoval. For him, the music and rehearsals. Having a top-cali- Sandoval from page 17 Even without a boost from radio who only know the man for his comes first. ber jazz performer as an instructor play, Sandoval has a respectable stack devastating, rapid-fire playing that “People and critics in general are is bound to put stars in a few stu- of laurels to rest on—if he ever does often soars into the uppermost always going to have something to dents’ eyes, but in Sandoval’s opin- hero and become good friends with rest, that is. In his professional career, reaches of his instrument’s range. say, which is okay. I respect your ion, dedication is the key to bridging him,” Sandoval said. he has received 13 Grammy opinion, but when you have yours, the gap between them and himself. While the orchestra was touring nominations and won four times, I’m going to have mine as well. Mine “It depends on the student and Italy in 1990, he decided to defect including honors for his work with is, whatever I like that sounds good how much you respect what you’re to the United States—and the hero Irakere and the United Nation “[Dizzy Gillespie] to me, I have to record it.