February 24, 1969 The N.C. Essay Page 4 RECORD REVIEW BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS by Robert Lingelback If you had the chance to watch been added to replace the two dis- of which is quite beautiful. The Ed Sullivan Sunday night, you saw joined members, and the group had second movement is arranged for the most refreshing group of music­ neither lead singer nor solid foot­ tenor sax, trombkone, and two trum­ ians to appear in the new scene of ing. pets; it is a variation on the same progressive blues-rock-jazz. I The entire group of eight was theme. "Smiling Phases", a song by have to include almost all idioms determined to get a good lead sing­ Traffic (BS&T performed it on Ed of musical expression in describing er who would not "lead" the group, Sullivan), is really moving blues- them, for they drav; upon every kind but who would fit in as an integral soul, lapsing into a purely jazz of music and musician. part and not take the spotlight piano solo by Fred Lipsius halfway Five of them studied at away for himself. They considered through— the brass then have a Berklee School of Music (a conser­ getting Laura Nyro, but she would grandiose chorale introduction back vatory in Boston), which most de­ certainly have led the group by into the main theme. "God Bless the finitely is "the" jazz school in trowing her compositions at them by Child", an ancient Billie Holiday this country. Lew Soloff, the the bundle. The eight musicians tune, also has a chorale introduct­ first trumpet player, studied at picked David Clayton-Thomas, a big, ion. When the horns are playing the Eastman School of Music, grad­ brawny Canadian, who had been sing­ alone they show very plainly a lot uating in 1964 (my sister was in ing with his own group in Montreal. of classical influence. his class; she says of him "he was Their choice has proven to be Jim Fielder (the tall Texan) undoubtedly the most accomplished excellent. does quite a bit of stunning bass musician in the brass department." work on the album; his playing is They are all versatile; Dick ORIGINAL MLJSIC so adept I can compare him only to Halligan, usually at the organ, Roy Estrada of the Mothers. He plays the organ, plays valve trom­ Blood, Sweat, and Tears is now plays individual notes so fast it bone occasionally; Fred Lipsius, an turning on its individual talent sounds almost as if he is strumm­ ece]lent tenor and alto sax player, full blast, deluging jazz, rock, ing, yet every note is clear and studied keyboard at Berklee and blues, and soul lovers with beauti­ precise. does some great piano solos on ful, original music. They prove "And When I Die" is Laura their new album. Their bassist, their excellence on their most re­ Nyro’s composition, and is arranged Jim Fielder, is one of the few most cent album, about two months old very well. It gives a feeling of experienced electric bassists in now; it is the most diverse record discontinuous unity, for the meter the world of rock today. He played I have ever listened to. changes ofte. If there is any with both The Mothers of Invention Among the many musicians from "Country and Western" influence on and the Buffalo Springfield before whom they have drawn their style the album, it is in this arrange­ joining forces A1 Dooper, Bobby are Buddy Rich, Dave Brubeck, Paul ment there is a short lapse into Colomby (drummer; studied at Berk­ Butterfield, t h e one-time jazz a country theme featuring trumpet, lee), and Steve Katz to form Blood, great Billie Holiday, Doc Steverin- woodblock, and Clayton-Thomas’s Sweat, and Tears. sin. Ramsey Lewis, Paul Desmond "yee-hah!" Kooper, Katz, Colomby and Bud Shank, Lou Rawls, and Cannon­ Fielder were jemming at the Cafe au ball Adderly, not to mention quite A m u s i c i a n 's m u s i c i a n Go Go in New York when they decided quite a few rock greats and classi­ to add a horn section. Kooper had cal composers. been an organist for both Bob Dylan I have one criticism to voice One is amazed by Lew Soloff and The Blues Project before, Steve about the group. Steve Katz, who frequently on tl'.e album,. He makes Katz had played guitar for the plays guitar when he isn’t adulat­ use of lip trills, wide Rllssandos, Blues Project (frustratededly; ing himself, is a rotten guitarist and tries to hit somf; very high Danny Kalb was overshadowing him considering who they could get if notes sharply and clearly, meaning constantly). The horn section they they searched for one. I saw BS&T he uses perforninncos .unj recording picked was stupendous— Randy Breck- perform at the Fillmore East before sessions to le.-irn more about his er and Jerry Weiss on trumpet, who coming down here, and Katz who instrument— a musician’s musician! have both since left the group looked as if he was enclosed in an Bobby Colomby's drumming is (Brecker studied at Indiana U.), egoballon. I read somewhere that tight, precise, and accurate— per­ and Fred Lipsius, saxophonist. after each performance he takes a fect for establishing order coher­ cab up to Steve Paul's Scene for ence through BS&T’s inevitable some praise BS 8 t 's f i r s t a l b u m from the public. His inprovisations. playing is like so many other rock Blood, Sweat, and Tear’s new guitarists; inexperienced, a lousy album is so phenomenal I must let It seems that when A1 Kooper vibrato, and too much of a crude it speak for itself and invite you formed the group, he was on a bit style, which does not befit the to hear it— a combination and cul­ of an ego trip in that he consider­ group. However, he has tried com­ mination of a variety of musical ed the group "his" and acted posing a few sonjs— one is on their expression. accordingly. This situation shows new album— and although he couldn’t up clearly on BS&T’s first album, arrange them, they are beautiful ^.MOTHER COUf?AGE oon't from pg. i) "Child is Father to the Man." Koop­ melodically. faculty artist in residence; Sam er sings on almost all the cuts and the selections are almost all his Barcelona of Joliet, 111.; Stephen compositions. Randy Brecker and THE.ME BY ERIC SATIE Bordner of Fort Myer, Va.; Randall Rickman of Raleigh, Neal Bell of Jerry Weiss left when they realized Wallace, Christopher Goan of their versatility was being repres­ Winston-Salem, Susan Weiner of Tuc­ sed. Kooper must have started The first cut on their new al­ son, Ariz.; Tom Cavano of Fayette­ noticing a bit of agitation-he quit bum is "Variations on a theme by ville, Jeffrey Haynes of Jamaica, the group, leaving them teetering Erik Satie." Dick Halligan took N.Y.; Gary Enck of Atlanta, Ga.; on the edge of breaking up-Lew theme from the first of Satie’s Tina Menzies of Upper Snadusky, 0- Soloff, Jerry Hyman (trombone) and Trois G}minopedies" and arranged hio; Gregg Wilson of McLean, Va.; Chuck Winfield (trumpet) had just and arranged a first movement for Robert Leh of Madison, Ronald Dortch three flutes and guitar, the result of Goldsboro, Kenneth Wyrtch of Greeasboro, Rae Randall of Durham. Jean Kuclar of Kenmore, N.Y, and Michael Mulliv.s of Salem, Va..