THE SCENE FEB. 21-27, 1974) interplay and piano duos were her set, which included several, great melodically) gee oormg. very effective. terribly embarrassing jokes, was The concert was ·As far ~s material performed, her version of Rick Roberts' well-arranged. Mitchell's band, I wasn't able to recognize any of "Colorado." Tom Scott & The L.A. Express, the numbers from Soft Machine "Take It Easy" set the pace opened the show with half an albums. The compositions, for Jackson Browne's dynamic hour of their own fine jazz/rock. 'unfortunate1y, weren't much, set. It showed the talented David Then Mitchell emerged from the but the sensitive presentations of · Lindley (who would eventually wings to join them for a half them by the band made up for play guitar, piano, dobro and hour of her light rock tunes. their structural weakness. slide guitar) on elecqic fiddle After intermission, Mitchell Oh, yeah, guitarist Bill and Doug Haywood on bass and returned and did 50 minutes of DeArango and his trio (Skip vo'cals. Jackson's drummer, solo things (accompanying Hadden on drums and Ernie obviously not one of the herself on piano, dulcimer and Krivda on reeds) opened the musicians who were FOR· guitars) and the finale again SOFT MACHINE aadea guitar player (whose n~ e show with their music that EVERYMAN (as were Haywood featured her and the band. Smiling Dog Saloon I didn't catch) who supplied the DeArango claims no one will and Lindley), fell behind on a together. February 18 show. Both Marshall and understand for awhile. I didn't' few parts, but eventually caught It was only during that long Babbington created infectious understand it. up and held his own. "17hought solo period that Mitchell's music Soft Machine were very good rhythms, and with equal ease Mark Kmetzko I was A Child" and • Jamaica, wore thin. A near-hour of her in_ concert at the Smiling Dog, turned out fine solos. Even when JACKSON BROWNE Say You Will" were absolutely introspective, and somewhat but it was not quite the show I Babbington fed his bass through LINDA RONSTADT beautiful.- monotonous, songs was a bit had expected. Most of the Ratledge's synthesizer, the result John Carroll Gym - Jackson managed to babble band's· records (and especially was not the i!immicky type you Feb. 15th between several songs, often the latest one, from which I might expect. Linda Ronstadt opened the explaining himself in to silliness thought the band would draw its That guitar player was show, commenting that 'lhis is and finally just ·resorting to material) feature keyboardist astounding. He was unbelievably the third time I've been to playing· tJ\e song when his logic Mike Ratledge and reed fast and very clean at the same Cleveland since this fall. "Her set failed. Other than that, his music player/pianist Karl Jenkins. But time. From the first few bars of was tight, but hardly as effective was mostly handled with in their first set Monday night, his solo in the band's first tune, as Browne's exceptionally reverence. those two were far from the it was clear that he was going to well-balanced material and Toward the end of the set, focal points of the group. dominate the show. Occasionally dynamic performance. Linda Ronstadt's guitarist and It was drummer John his leads became monotonous in Linda Ronstadt, in a short drummer were called in to Marshall, bassist Roy their speed, and I longed to hear blue dress, did her best, but had augment his band. Now, with Babbington and a very recently him play a simple lick, but most to blow her nose between several two drummers and an extra of the time I was captivated. numbers. A,s usual, things like piano and guitar player available, The remaining two "Love HaS No Pride" and the band launc hed into members, Ratledge and Jenkins "Don't Cry Now" prove that her " Redneck Friend," his rousing both soloed, but seemed to be newer material suits her much and rocking tribute to Greg content to simply provide the better than the hit-an'a-miss Allman. He closed the show with backbone of the band. Their styles she tampered with in the Chuck Berry's " Sweet Little soprano sax/synthesizer past. Probably the highlight of Sixteen," as if to prove that even o ld , serious~looking Jackson Fri.-JASPER Browne can rock and roll - Sat.-FRESH AIR which he can. Sun.-,DYNAMITE & Two encores were all he could BEER BLAST handle, but "These Days" Joni Mitchell Tues.-JASPER ~~ finished things up perfectly. A much for me. Wed.-RAINBOW .942-4510 - 37415 EUCLID AVE. totally enthralled audience and a Saxophonist Tom Scott and CANYON very tired band seemed to thank company should be greatly each other as cheers calmed commended. Although they THIS SUNDAY down and the stage was emptied. were not much when it came to Jim Girard soloing (except at times for JONI MITCHELL, TOM SCOTT gyitarist Robin For~y were & THE"L.A:. -EXPR:ES super-funky as an ensemble and Music Hall a joy to experience. Their work D NAMITE February 13 behind Mitchell was excellent; in • !FORMERLY RASPBERRIES & FREEPORTI fact I wonder if she would have Despite her egotistical been anywhere near as good had attitude, Joni Mitchell managed they not been there. BEER BLAST to put on a pretty damned good A comment about the earlier GET BLASTED ON DYNAMITE AT 8 P.M. show last week at Music Hall. reference to Mitchell's attitude. I When one is a "legend," (as is resented the horrible MAR: 4 GET THERE EARLY BECAUSE OF Mitchell) it's often hard to live snobbishness she exhibited BADFINGER THE SUNDAY CROWD up to a critic's expectations, but. during the first half of the show STATUS QUO .the lady's 'performance was all I ("thank you's" were had hoped for. , MAR: 11 , EVERY TUESDAY non-existent) but I guess I can Although she touched on forgive her in light of her fine NAZARETH GIRLS ADMiTTED FREE some earlier material ("The overall performance. FULLY ASSEMBLED COMING SOON BY POPULAR DEMAND Cactus Tree," ·HFor. Free" and others), most of Mitchell's SWEETLEAF EVERY WED. 90-plus minute concert was huilt around her "new period" stuff, STARTING MARCH 13 that is, her last three albums. (~ Most of the time she was wise to Circulation 65,ooO intersperse the new songs with Copyright 1974 Utopia Will Soon Be older ones, lest the former's by Northeast ScOne dryness (let's face it, they aren't Office ••....•••..••... 1314 Huron (below Publix Book Mort) Open Every Thursday Cleveland, Ohio 44115 Phone: 241-7550 Pub ............. Richard J. Kabat Starting March 14th Assoc. Pub. .. Danial M. Kabat Editor .................. Jim Girard Ass't Ed . ........ Mark Kmatzko Thursday Will Sales Mgr ............... Val Kaiser Circ Mgr•••• Lawrance Marecki Dean Kulhanek Be 50's and DEPARTMENTS Music .................. Jim Ginud, &O's Nostalgia Mark Kmetzko, G.R. Ulmer, Robert Flaming, Nite With 1 ~~f5us Behemoth, Charles Theatre ...............Jeff Russell Such Groups as Films ................ Mike Rogers Photography Gayne Petraniik Happenings ...... eonnie Kabat TEEN ANGEL AND THE CHEVY 3 Girt Everyday ....................... - BOnefle Howarth Art& Layout ....................... Tom '"CoWboy'" Schmidt TEEN ANGEL, London CorrespondWtt .....•... DeDe Gandrup· GREASE BAU ADVERTISING Valerie Kaiser Dan Mickshaw BOOGIE BAND, SUBSCRIPTIONS $9.50 one year, $5.50 six months. Send name, address RUBEN I THE and zip code with c heck or mpney.order to Subscriptions JETS Dept., The Scene, 1314 Hur· GREASE BALL IOOIGIE BAND on Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44115. FllEE ADMISSION THURSDAY, MARCH. 14th WITH THIS AD .... ... ,,., . , ... , ........ ......... ..................... .