thorough. Her distinctive guitar style has been sive, and happy as a crow in a cornfield. It co­ Joni Mitchell refined, yet she seems to have deleted the use of erces tired feet into movement and subverts a intermingled songs from his to broaden and enliven the Motor new Station to Station al­ City Music- the electric bass, playing it as an extension of the dulcimer-once a much-favored tool-from grimace into a relaxed smile. It is also the per­ scene received their first sell-out shot in the arm his very and the L.A. Express At Hill her show. Unfortunately bum with old favorites soul. You'll be hearing a lot more about | the reality of her per­ fect music to be cabaretin' to on a chilly Detroit the delicate "Introduction" last week with the appearance of Billy Cobham this talented bassist in the years to come. Auditorium, Friday, February 27th formance showed little of the romance for which Keifh Jarreff "Suffragette City," "Pan­ evening at the Light Guard Armory. and "Yaqui Indian Folk and George Duke's recently synthesized ensemble. Next to the guitar player, who didn't, it turn- | she has become known. From the opening "bah-doodle-dah-dwee" Song" off the same album. ic in Detroit," "Diamond For those who are close to the whole jazz- Joni Mitchell performed a low-key but enjoy­ -Joel Seigel And At The Power Center Dogs," "Five Years," ed out, really even need to be there, the biggest the Basie band swung and swung even harder A note of thanks should rock explosion, it was a good opportunity to sec disappointment was George able set at Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium February til' "Fame," and any number Duke. Duke used you thought they'd never come back. The Saturday, February 14 be paid to the Eclipse Jazz two of its leading proponents in aclion. Unfor­ the same riffs over and over again, reaching a 27th. Backed by the revamped version of the reeds were singing and the staff. They arc of others, demonstrating tunately, equipment L.A. Express, minus 'bones were growling, mostly foul-ups and sound prob­ feverish, transcendaiit peak only once or twice saxophonist Tom Scott, Ms. Dynamic the trumpets spit their sassy licks across the hall Keith Jarrett appeared at Ann Arbor's Hill young and "less experienc­ his theatrical bent by act­ lems left.the musicians without the full Mitchell's hour-and-a-half set centered on her lat­ ing out the more dramatic ability jluring the evening. Perhaps if he'd have concen­ and the Count, restrained and ambassadorial, Auditorium on St. Valentine's day and revealed ed" but were able to book to hear themselves, which certainly detracted trated on a couple fewer keyboards est album release, The Hissing of Summer Lawns. played his heart in song. Appearing features for his frenzied from the at once ... Only three or four tunes fuperiori minimally but soulfully in the back­ with his band of a great show in a great hall overall effect. Nonetheless, the even­ An enjoyable evening, then, but one left the dated back beyond her ground. some years-Charlie Haden. bass; Paul Motian, and pull it off with few has­ audience, a mob which ing had its high points. Court and Spark fame, and the new material re­ At the 20 Grand started to get out of hand Showcase rather under-satiated. The band is Native Detroiter Al Grey, still in the Count's drums; and Dewey Red man. saxophones-Jarrett sles. The Eclipse people Even if you feel, as does this reviewer, that new, of course, and the vealed a very tough, show biz-jaded Joni Mitchell, Playing before created during Bowie's urgent sound was a problem, so a stance which SRO crowds for two week­ trombone section after all these years, strutted some complex and intriguing music. The were responsible for bring­ "jazz-rock" frequently is swept under a tired perhaps we can be more enthusiastic about this failed to elicit a warm response ends at the 20 Grand, the Dynamic Superiors to the fore, plunger first half of the program was ing McCoy Tyner to town "Stay If You Want To." rug of monotony from an audience of die-hard fans-many of in hand, to engage the atten­ devoted, predomin­ and repetition, you have to group the next time they come through town. didn't take long to gain complete control over tive audience in a conversation-sermonizing-solo antly, to new material, except for a short take during the fall, and promise He reached out and took hand it to Billy Cobham-the cat has enough en­ a long-stemmed red rose It should be noted that the people at Probity their audience. Non-stop hand-clapping started on "I Don't Get Around Much Anymore." If from the recent Death and the Flower album. Cecil Taylor for an April ergy to raise the roof, pounding at his skins with were victimized by things off 15th from an admirer during an associate producer on the with a pulsating "On and On," and you weren't looking you'd swear someone was up Although somewhat conservative compared to dateatjhe Power Cent­ unmatched intensity. Of course, drummers like show who tailed to provide an adequate sound at the set's midway point the Superiors dipped there his previous performances, er-some great music for a "Diamond Dogs," and on laughing and scolding, crying and flying the compositions 'Wham-Bam-A-Lam" Bow­ David Bowie Elvin Jones are far more sophisticated in their system by showtime, which caused the capacity into the classic bag for their impressions of the with a rhythmic vocabulary unknown to most were quite colorful and Jarrett displayed his town that has long been de­ approach, but Cobham gives it a hell of a work- ie offered his Little Richard crowd to be kept out in the cold while Probity- Marcels' "Blue Moon," Lloyd Price's "Mr. Per­ players. And if that wasn't enough, tenor magic­ ever-growing ability to play the soprano sax, nied. impression complete out. pulled -Joel Seigel ., .... .. with unbuttoned shirt. torn-otT cufflinks and vest. together what equipment they could sonality," the Chantels' "Maybe," and others. ian Jimmy Forrest stretched out on "Body and playing melodic lines in unison with Redman as Keith Jarrett Some of the more interesting moments of the come up with. Probity has asked us to apologize Tony Washington, the falsetto lead of the group, Soul" in an unaccompanied cadenza that told the rhythm section provided a tight foundation. Bowie's band Tony Kay, keyboards; George evening came with the bass solos of Alphonzo Murray, bass; Dennis Davis, drums; Stacey for their problems that night, and promises it'll was in excellent form, adding sprinkles of spok­ the history of soul in three fiery minutes. After a brief intermission Jarrett returned Hagen Johnson, formerly of Weather Report. Alphonzo never happen again. Nuf 'sed. en humor to his and Carlos Alomar, guitars- turned in a work­ dynamic interpretations of the Butch Miles, boy-wonder of the big-band alone on stage, performing a half hour piano has a completely unique and lyrical approach to -Robert Parker group's material throughout the show. His broth­ skins, played with a sureness and excitement solo. This was what many folks in the audience David Bowie manlike backing performance, with Davis espe­ er Maurice, the man with the deeeeep deep voice, mindful of his predecessor, Sonny Payne, a tougli had come to hear, and they were not let down At Olympia Stadium, Feb. 29-March 1 cially outstanding, and Bowie built his way sent tremors through the room, while the other pair of shoes to fill. Freddie Green still bran­ as Jarrett exhibited magnificently the gifts he through a crowd-pleasing set which culminated in the two members of the five-man unit did equally well dishes a near-lethal rhythm guitar and a Buddha- was blessed with, continually weaving colors The unexpected storm in Detroit March 1st Iggy Pop-identified numbers "Sister while sharing the leads. The group's choreo­ like facial expression that reads "I've seen and and moods in what appeared to be a spontan­ only seemed Midnight" (very funky) and the well-known to heighten the excitement around "Jean Genie," graphy, rivalled only by more time and perfec­ heard it all before." And when he wasn't smiling eous outburst of creative emotion. It is in this Olympia Stadium, where David Bowie drew up­ both played as encores for the tion, shows that the Superiors have been doing and waving to an admirer on the floor, trombon­ vein that he reveals his true genius, and for many wards of 10,000 people into the rain for his still-raving fans. Waving kisses, Bowie danced whom had waited overnight in the miserable their homework for some time, and their rendi- ist Curtis Fuller was adding his strong and person­ it was the most moving portion of the program. second night at the giant ice arena. The undis­ off-stage and back into his main career as a Michigan weather to get tickets for the show. al blowing to the affair, especially The rest of the band rejoined him and they puted king of glitter rock and roll brought his movie star well assured of a turnout for his first Joni MitchelPs last visit to Ann Arbor two on a relaxed "I Can't Stop Lov­ finished what was more than two hours of in­ 1976 touring company to the Motor City with­ film, The Man Who Fell To Earth.