All the Bulk rate news US Postage that's fit paid permit to pitch no. 2419 c PITcn KCMO April 1984 Kansas City's free music and entertainment newspaper Issue 40 Street priest: Ronald Shannon Jackson Innovative jazz artist comes to KC tour of Asia. releases on Island's Antilles label. Man Dance (Antilles 1008, $8.98 list) and Barbeque sand a total thirst for (Antilles 1015, $8.98 list) have been Western music. It was a fair exchange. Usten­ acclaimed. And now adventurous promoter to the music of their countries played by Jon Urn is area residents the necessity musicians was a real treat. of traveling to York or to hear Q. When you play do dance? Jackson's music first hand. The City A. Oh yes, especially in Art Institute, 4415 Warwick, will be hosting where people haven't been the regional of the to certain rhythms. Here people have to on Sunday, 8. The loc.allv-based have a certain beat, like disco beat to really Crack Revue, or BCR, will be warming up the get off. But in those countries people have a proceedings. lot of going on in their own music, Jackson was born and raised in Fort Worth, which our music easier for them to ac- where his father was a juke box operator and cept. owner of two record stores. His music career Q. Is the response in Europe and Asia more Ronald Shannon Jackson performs in Kansas City on April 8. Tickets are began when he started working out with free and more open? available at PennyLane, as are his albums, including his latest, Barbeque Dog. pie in the Charles band, who were A. I would have said that a few years ago, but in the Worth area at that time. His now the is coming around more in soloist. In Ornette's situation he's the soloist because he was the United We just had a nice time and everything is constructed around him be­ rhythm and in Texas, and people were dancing and listen­ ing the soloist. The music I have is a group, a worked with I first to mg New York, friend mine, Charles Q. I saw you in Chicago in '82 at New Music Q. How do you relate your theory of har- had a record date he couldn't so he gave America. I talked with Rev. Bruce Johnson molodics to James Blood Ulmer's music? It me the date and I met them all at the and Vernon Reid, and I asked them about sounds like your ideas are similar. studio that night. So I recorded with them and Bowie and Oliver your compositional techniques. They told me A. Well, Ornette is a saxophone player and he after we got through this fellow came over and turned to Texas and then left again to attend what they had to do was learn to play in composes with the saxophone. Ulmer plays asked if I wanted to join his group. And that's the University of Ridgeport in Connecticut gnd Ronald Shannon Jackson time. What is guitar and he composes with the guitar. I com­ who it was, Albert Ayler. finally the New York College of Music. Ronald Shannon Jackson time? pose from rhythms. Q. You worked with Mingus too. Jackson has A. Well, baSically, I don't play in time. I play in Q. Ulmer's sound is similar to what you're say­ A. Yeah, I worked with Mingus not too long of our [![Tl<~S--Lrlanes rhythms as opposed to playing in time. Most ing about everyone being up front, but the after I got here too, about '67-'68. This was at man, Albert Ayler, Cecil and James drummers up until the '80s have been just sound you get is so different. the Five Spot. Albert wasn't working much at Blood Ulmer-to name a few. Each member time keepers. What I do is set a pulse as op­ A. That's because I'm composing basically the time, so I took the job with Mingus. That of the Decoding SOciety likewise has a story, posed to a set time, then I play different from what I hear. I don't just sit down and band had two drummers-Dannie Richmond but not as long as Jackson's only rhythms off that pulse. I compose in such a compose music. In going through my daily ac­ and myself. Then Albert got some work, so I (all under 28). Sax player Zane way that the players can feed off that, yet re­ tivities, I'll write something, and by trying to in­ quit Mingus and took the job with Albert. Massey was heard with his father, Calvin main distinctly within their own framework. terpret as clearly what I hear as possible and Working with Albert, it was a totally elated ex­ Massey, composer and collaborator with John Still retain their own identity, yet perform trying to transpose that to melodic instru­ perience every time we played. I've been Coltrane in the '60s. Vernon Reid, guitarist, within that realm. ments, I get the sound I want. It's not that I'm blessed in a lot of ways from working with has been featured in top-notch Q. When I play your records for people they trying to create a different sound from what these people. When I got to New York, some such as DownBeat and Musician, he say, "Wow, the drums are like a lead instru­ everybody else is doing. That's just the way I of the connections just naturally fell together. was hailed as one of the greatest players since ment." hear it. But th~n I've paid my dues, too, because I've Hendrix. The lineup also includes Henry Scott A. Right, because everything is equal in the Q. What was it like working with Cecil Taylor? been here a long time. on trumpet, Melvin Gibbs and Rev. Bruce music. There is no actual lead. A lot of the A. I learned a lot, not so much technically, but Q. What is your goal as a musician? Johnson on electric bass and the Decoding melodies come from rhythms I'm playing. structurally. Playing with him was a gas A. What I'm trying to do is just bring happiness SOciety's latest addition, extraordinary violinist That's what I write the melodies from, as op- because he baSically plays in rhythmic phrases to people. That's what I want the people to Akba Ali. to the drums, basses and guitar being also. See, I play in melodic rhythmic phrases. I feel: the joy of living and the joy of life at this background instruments. We're as guess the closest example I can give you is time. Interview melodically up front as the horns. Instead of when you listen to African rhythms. They can playing time by playing rhythm, everyone can easily swing from a five to a six rhythm very Tickets to the show are available at Pen­ Q. When you're playing, what are some of the be equal because our rhythm and melody is subtly without you really knowing it, but you as are albums by Ronald Shannon you're trying to reach the same. feel the effect of it. That's basically what I do, Besides the albums mentioned A. of all I want you to that when Q. Your approach is similar to Ornette Cole- but on a much wider scale. above, Jackson's releases include Street Priest you listen to my music, whether there's one man's of harmolodics. What effect did Q. SO, it's this kind of modulating or expand­ (Moers Music 01096, $10.98 list), Nasty melody or two or three complex working Ornette have on your music? ing rhythm? (Moers Music 01086, $9.98 list) and Eye on combined, that you're not alone. I A. I learned a lot from working with Ornette, A. The first word is correct: modulating You (About Time 1003, $8.98 list) grew up out in the midwest and I know what it for sure. But a difference is with rhythms. That's what I been on is to wander around in the fields and just be everyone is when I met Cecil Taylor. We hit well April Is Dance Month 20 % Off All Dance Music 4128 Broadway Uermont Kansas City Lawrence P.a_ge_2 ________________________________________ ~K~C~PI~--C-I1------------------------------ ___________A_pr_il_19 __ 84 NO APRIL FOOLS KC PITcn 4128 BROADWAY, KANSAS CITY, MO 64111 (816) 561-2744 HERE PUBLISHER by PennyLane EDITOR Kansas City. MO ADVERTISING 64111. at 817 Vermont, (913) 749-4211. TYPESETTING Records. All CONTRIBUTORS: reserved. Subscription for one year or $8.50 for two Send check or LeRoF"! money order 10 4128 William Kansas City. MO 64111. Vaughn, Dear LeRoi® , umn, slamming radio in Kansas City. I agree completely and wholeheartedly with First of all, don't give up on KLZR. Despite your sentiments Kansas City "rock" the "All Hits" slogan, they still play more new radio stations. follows profit in the cor- music than any other station. No one else porate '80s. Profit is ensured by appealing to the current new releases from Simple the masses, and the masses are less than Modern English, Tracey Ullman, discriminating. UB40 and Thomas Dolby. It was their New In the March 8 edition of the Kansas City Star, TV-radio critic Barry Garron explained that the general manager of a local "rock" sta- tion had success in the station around Letters because he "scrapped the of playing new and unusual rock songs not heard on other Music Revue show that first introduced Kansas stations in favor of rock songs that were City to Eddy Grant, Nena, Cyndi Lauper, popular in Kansas City." Pretty progressive Culture Club and numerous others.