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Jazz '75

Jazz '75 image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
December
Year
1975
OCR Text

Jazz '75 At Masonic Auditorium, Nov. 23

"Jazz '75" was like WJZZ-FM transmuted into the realm of light and color. 3-D radio, jazzy to the bone. At Masonic Auditorium, where you needed an oxygen mask to go home in the same state of mind that you arrived. The evening was wrapped in smoke.

Warm-up acts aren't designed to kill anybody, but Roy Ayers was a little too kind to the audience. His was a gentle set of ditties with a few welcome moments of soul and grime. "The Detroit Growl," which asked the audience to roar at certain points in the song, got the spark across with the help of Calvin Brown's searing guitar work. Roy did stretch out on his vibes during "Life is but a Moment," over a soaring vocal by Chicas, who sings nearly half of his program.

Marlena Shaw followed and had her intimate approach gobbled up by cavernous Masonic. She opens her tunes with stories and small bits of advice about handling men and such stuff. I'm sure this is getting over to the first ten rows, but loses its presence further back. She was backed solidly by a quintet which featured Detroiter Earl Klugh on guitar. "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" opened up some ears, as Marlena reached into her chops and started to wail a little bit.

George Benson arrived to take care of some very urgent business. That man can play! He began with his well-known version of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," in a minor mode with a Latin feel and totally in orbit. Ronnie Foster was featured on various keyboards in his own composition "Heartless," where he showed some of the talent to be found on his Blue Note album, "Cheshire Cat." Benson was thoroughly bad and played some very spirited music.

But the people were really waiting for Grover Washington Jr. and he did no less than crucify them. The curtain went up and without a beat the first notes of "Mister Magic" hit the air. Spontaneous applause and warmth as Grover's band had the same force and tightness that they achieve on wax with former Ann Arborite Bob James producing. His tenor playing was mercilessly soulful and backed by a Gibraltar-like rhythm section that includes Tyrone Brown on bass and Grover's brother Darrell playing drums. James Simmons found room for some funky keyboard work on "Black Frost," another very familiar Washington tune. All in all, an evening that cooked in a well-worn, though exciting, groove. -- David Weiss