MUSIC plans for public affairs include name. Bougainvillea is a type Mitchell Medford’s inviting feminist males to speak ’s voice remains as quiet. In 1979 she released her of creeping vine with magenta cool and breezy as ever. Her first album, Right or Wrong. and expanding this portion of flowers whose strength can Feminist Radio the show by a half hour. vocal dexterity is most evident She followed that by having a break down walls. Yet, it is a when she breaks into jazz baby. Recently, with her hus­ “Something About the Wom­ relatively unknown vine whose by Wendy Ledger phrasing. There are stunning band and producer, Rodney en” is valuable to the women’s power is only recognized after moments here, among them community in the Boston area Crowell, she went back into the walls have crumbled. Al­ “Coyote,” the incredible half- the studio for what was to When used with a discrimi­ for several reasons. This pro­ though this quintet is steadily nating ear, a radio can provide sung, half-spoken love story. become Seven Year Ache. gram provides both a contem­ gaining more recognition, Bou­ an inexpensive, accesible look And in “Goodbye Pork Pie The result is a really fine porary and retrospective look gainvillea’s musical strengths at women’s music. Unfortu­ Hat,” when she counsels, record. Rosanne’s approach is at women’s music. The public should be acknowledged by a “love is never easy . . . now we nately, a survey of Boston’s affairs slot helps illuminate a tad countrified, recalling her wider jazz audience. This are black and white/embracing well-known dad, Johnny commercial stations will quickly women’s achievements in this women’s jazz quintet frequently reveal that the heavy metal in the New York night/ very Cash. Though there are songs area, while also pointing out plays in the San Francisco Bay likely we’ll be driven out of machismo of a Pat Benatar the serious problems we face that reinforce the “I’ll do any­ Area. Their performances town.” thing to keep you” image of or the mindless croonings of here. All in all, “Something should not be missed. a Juice Newton generally satis­ There is a spirited, kick-ass women’s popular love songs, About the Women” is highly rendering of the Frankie fies the corporate idea of wom­ recommended as an enjoyable, they are few. And there are en’s music. However, there are Lymon classic, “Why Do welcome innovations like educational way to start off As Cool Fools Fall in Love” with the alternatives on the radio that any weekend. Cash’s own “Blue Moon with can and should be sought. As Ever Persuasions singing backup, Heartache,” in which she Women’s radio is flourishing and the delicate power chant sings, “oh how can it all look at, of all places, a small radio The Secret “Shadows and Light.” My so right and feel so wrong/ I’ll station in Medford. At WMFO Shadows and Light, by Joni personal favorite is the delici­ play the victim for you honey, (91.5 FM), Dawn Paul, Laurie Mitchell. Elektra/Asylum, ously percussive “Dreamland.” but not for long.” Life of Plants 1980. Pleshar, Jan Kruse, Marilyn And some early works like Cash also redresses modern “Free Man in Paris” and McCrory, and Susan Bernstein Bougainvillea, at Studio Red standards like Steve Forbert’s collectively program and broad­ by Holly Cara “Woodstock” are here as “What Kinda Girl?” and Tom Top, Boston, MA, August 7, well. cast “Something About the 1981. Petty’s “Hometown Blues.” Women.” Aired every Saturday Her report cards used to Commercial acceptance She sings the supremely weepy from 10am-2pm, “Something read, “Joan does not relate rarely is a hallmark of quality, Merle Haggard ballad, “You by Wendy Ledger so if this record has not been About the Women” not only well.” She flunked out of high Don’t Have Very Far to Go.” school in twelfth grade, widely noticed that’s probably She is joined by Rosemary has the longest time slot of any On August 7, Bougainvillea entered into an early marriage why. But then, Joni Mitchell is Butler and Emmylou Harris women’s radio program in the performed at Studio Red Top and divorce, and delved into probably used to that. She has for the tongue-in-cheek “My Boston area, it is also the only before an enthusiastic audience. folk singing. Soon after that, always remained honest to Baby Thinks He’s a Train.” show that combines women’s Featuring Jeanette Muzima on Joni Mitchell became a song­ herself and for that she On “Where Will the Words music with public affairs. vibes, Gwen Delbaugh on tenor deserves respect. Songs broadcast during writer of some reknown when Come From?” in which the saxophone, Maggie Rizzi on Judy Collins had a top ten hit singer tries to tell her lover “Something About the Wom­ bass, Paula Gallitano on piano en” are chosen for both their in 1968 with her song, “Both that she doesn’t love him any­ and Sharon Eldridge on drums, Sides Now.” more, Emmylou Harris joins philosophical and musical Bougainvillea is yet another Cash merits. The staff of “Some­ Mitchell made successful Cash for a splendid duet. The example of the vital force of albums which featured her album’s closer, “I Can’t thing About the Women” strives women in jazz today. Bonus to find music that is non-sexist, dreamy, ethereal portraits ac­ Resist,” is pure schmaltz but it Bougainvillea showed exper­ companied by acoustic guitar. non-racist, and non-homo­ Seven Year Ache, by Rosanne works. And two of the best tise in their selection and She carved an image for her­ songs are Cash’s own “Seven phobic. If there is an upcoming organization of material. Their Cash. CBS, 1981. women’s event in Boston, such self and when she wanted to Year Ache” and the afore­ well-paced performance seemed step out of it, in 1975, she mentioned “Blue Moon with as a “Take Back the Night” to flow continually into dif­ by Holly Cara rally, topical songs reflecting found that it was not going to Heartache.” This is one ferent jazz veins. For example, be easy. reviewer who is definitely im­ this event might be played in in the opening set, the quintet Unlike her wild, sequins- The media and the public and-satin clad stepsister pressed, and looking forward order to promote greater aware­ began with balladic, mainstream ness of these issues. In addition, were used to the Joni Mitchell Carlene, who has married the to Rosanne Cash’s next work jazz but gradually shifted gears of the late sixties, and that’s with anticipation. musical specials, spotlighting successful new wave producer/ to build up to the climatic final what they wanted. Therefore, one specific genre of women’s singer Nick Lowe, Rosanne song of this set—an upbeat, when she released the avant- music, were introduced several Cash has been for the most wonderfully irreverent version garde weeks ago with a look at women and unexpected Hissing part, rather reserved and of the “I Love Lucy” theme of Summer Lawns with its jazz in jazz. These specials will be song. influences, critics lambasted periodically featured in the In the second set, this pro­ her work. Mitchell learned to future. However, the music on gression continued as Bougain­ ignore them and go the way “Something About the Wom­ villea began with Latin-flavored she felt she had to progress. en” is generally freeform. A jazz and ended their perform­ Hejira followed the next year, variety of women’s music is ance with progressive, spacier Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, explored from rock to country compositions. Although Bou­ and then Mingus. None of these to blues to jazz to soul. Fortu­ gainvillea’s repertoire included approximated the success of nately, within this collective, compositions by Bobby Hutch­ her earlier albums. each member has her favorite erson, Horace Silver, and Thel­ In 1978, she had been con­ kind of music, thus ensuring a onius Monk, three songs of tacted by Charles Mingus to certain balance to each show. this evening’s performance collaborate on what would be In addition, listeners’ requests were by members of the group. his last work. After his death, are welcomed; the listening In fact, Jeanette Muzima’s Mitchell released an album audience is encouraged to haunting “Blue Breeze” was (Mingus) which contained participate in this programming one of the more memorable these collaborations, complet­ collective. songs of the evening. ing her eventual move toward Broadcast from 11-11:30 a.m. Bougainvillea not only chose jazz, and thoroughly shaking public affairs on “Some­ challenging material, they dis­ the music world. thing About the Women” played the talent to success­ Shadows and Light was re­ ranges from the Girl Scouts to fully cover the musical diver­ corded live in Santa Barbara, the Gay Pride marchers. sity of their repertoire. The in late 1979, and contains in­ Woody Simmons, Lynn Stephen group seemed to relax as the terpretations of Mitchell’s from Women against Registra­ evening progressed. Their play­ later works, many from the tion and the Draft, the Wall­ ing grew tighter, and the rhy­ Mingus album. Her band in­ flower Order, and representa­ thm section was increasingly cludes Jaco Pastorius on bass, tives from the Somerville Safe funkier. In addition, during Don Alias on drums, Pat House and the Boston Walk the second set, whistles, wood­ Metheny on lead guitar, and for Hunger are among the blocks, and bells provided an Michael Brecker on saxophone. guests that have recently ap­ extra exotic tinge to the overall The Persuasions assist on peared on the show. Yet, despite sound. Although each member vocals. the diversity of issues covered, of Bougainvillea should be ap­ The album opens with a Sarah Gonzales, Cuban folk singer and leader of that country’s the coordinators of “Some­ plauded for her musicianship, brief, tender collage which New Song Movement, performed July 24 before an enthus­ thing About the Women” aim tenor saxophonist Gwen Del­ melts some dialogue from iastic crowd at Boston University’s Morse Auditorium. Ac­ to make every interview in­ baugh should be singled out “Rebel Without A Cause” companying herself on the acoustic guitar, Gonzales performed formational rather than ad­ for her consistent excellence (Father: You can’t be idealistic her own music in Spanish with an English interpreter. Her versarial. Guests on the program throughout the performance. all your life”; Son: “Except to spirited, passionate music spoke of the politics and culture of would ideally have an open Halfway through the second yourself”) into Frankie her homeland and evoked a powerful, emotional response forum to express their views set, Jeanette Muzima explained Lymon singing, “No no no, from her audience. Be sure to catch her next time around. \^on a given subject. Future the meaning of the group’s I’m not a juvenile delinquent.” by K.K. Wilber______—photo by Susan Wilson