We in the Midwest have heard a lot about New York's "downtown"music scene - about the bold, interdisciplinary work of such artistsas Wayne Horvitz, Bobby Previte, John Zorn and Tim Berne. But wedon't often get a chance to see them perform, which is one reason whythe April 29 Park West show by Horvitz's band, the President, is aneagerly anticipated event.
I look forward to this installment in the 1989 New Music Series,sponsored by Jam Productions and the Goodman Theatre, in spite ofmixed feelings about "Bring Yr Camera" (Elektra/Musician), thePresident's new album. Though a press release places their soundbetween Indonesian gamelan music and New Orleans soul, it strikes meas catchy art rock at best and faceless filler at worst.
Keyboardist/drum programmer Horvitz simply isn't as rewarding acomposer or shaper of musical effects as Previte, his drummer andlongtime collaborator. Though guitarists Elliott Sharpe and DaveTronzo and tenor saxophonist Doug Wieselman have their moments ofcheery abandon, the music - on record, at least - is more abouttechnical truths than emotional ones.
In a way, "Bring Yr Camera" comes off as a modernist updating of"Super Session," the late-1960s jam by Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield andSteven Stills. Horvitz certainly knows his way around the blues, andSharpe can wail with the best of them. (The guitarist will appearthis Saturday at Randolph Street Gallery, 756 N. Milwaukee, where he also will conduct workshopstonight and Sunday.) One hopes a live situation will bring out theirkiller instincts, which are missing in the studio.
A far more substantial musical sampling of lower Manhattan is"Before We Were Born" (Elektra/ Musician) by the prolific guitaristand writer, Bill Frisell. Even more so than Horvitz, Frisell is adyed-in-the-wool eclectic who moves effortlessly across a terrain ofrock and bop, blues and bluegrass, swing and tango.
What distinguishes Frisell's eclecticism, in addition to itswit, is its singularity of purpose and vision. Even at his mostabandoned, he strives after introspective depth and dream-worldlyricism.
A master of texture, Frisell has arrived at a point, afterstints with such groups as Power Tools, Marc Johnson's Bass Desiresand the Julius Hemphill Big Band, of maximum expressiveness withminimal flourish.
"Before We Were Born" is divided between Frisell's working band(including cellist Hank Roberts, bassist Kermit Driscoll and drummerJoey Baron) and collaborations with guitarist Arto Lindsay andkeyboardist Peter Scherer (otherwise known as the Ambitious Lovers)and Baron. Hemphill and two other saxophonists appear on thefunky/wistful suite, "Some Song and Dance."
The entertaining centerpiece is the Zorn-arranged "Hard PlainsDrifter," a helter-skelter interpretation of Ambrose Bierce's story,"Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" - best known as an episode of "TheTwilight Zone." In it, a man about to be hanged sees his lifeflashing before his eyes, an experience conveyed via Frisell's edgysuccession of styles.
In the end, the album leaves little doubt that Frisell will bein the forefront of modern music for a long time to come. If, thatis, he isn't short-circuited by overexposure.
RATINGS: "Bring Yr Camera" (STAR) (STAR) 1/2 and "Before We WereBorn" (STAR) (STAR) (STAR) 1/2
WHINY WYNTON: If there was any doubt that Wynton Marsalis is inlove with the sound of his own whine, his one-nighter at George'sMonday removed that doubt. Leading into "The Death of Jazz" with along, sarcastic and, finally, smug attack on his critics, Marsalisseemed oblivious to the fact that the club was packed with ardentadmirers - few of them "hardcore" fans familiar with the charges ofimitation and detachment that have been leveled at him.
An elder statesman before his time, the 27-year-old trumpetermay have taken on this churlish attitude out of guilt for all themoney he has made - and all the money his neglected heroes didn'tmake. Whatever the case, his monologue had more bite than the music,which came most alive when Todd Williams paid a soprano sax tributeto John Coltrane, with Marsalis sitting out.
Well, that's not entirely fair. The early set, performed by ayoung sextet including alto saxophonist Wess Anderson, pianist EricReed (filling in for Marcus Roberts), bassist Reginald Veal anddrummer Herlin Riley, had some daunting soloing by the leader. Buthis virtuosity wasn't lifted by emotion. Though you can't argue withMarsalis when he says refining one's craft is admirable, it's anempty goal in the absence of feeling.
RECORDINGS: THE DUKE ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA, "Music Is My Mistress"(Musicmasters) (STAR) (STAR) 1/2
This is certainly a more challenging effort than theghost-ridden "Digital Duke," on which Mercer Ellington, Duke'stalented son, led a hand-picked ensemble through a selection ofEllington classics. But for all the freshness Mercer and orchestrainject here into such standbys as "Black and Tan Fantasy" and"Azure," his own compositions are not up to snuff.
The 25-minute suite, "Music Is My Mistress" (with its titletaken from Duke's autobiography), meanders about without ever makingan impression. And "Queenie Pie Reggae" is a disastrous attempt tointroduce fusion music into the big-band mix. Best to stick with theold man, newly represented by Columbia's reissue of "EllingtonIndigos" and the American Composers Orchestra's "Four Symphonic Worksby Duke Ellington" (Musicmasters).
ENDNOTES: Johnny Griffin and his quintet are back at the JazzShowcase, 636 S. Michigan, through Sunday. Also through Sunday,sleek saxophonist Gerald Albright is at George's, 230 W. Kinzie.
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