University of South Carolina Libraries
entertainment Coliseum swii Photography by Jeff Am berg By BILL DOUGLAS Gamecock Staff Writer A crowd of more than 5,000 USC students and guests turned out at the Carolina Coliseum last Thursday night to experience a free evening of jazz performed by Grover Washington Jr. and Dexter Wansel. T nplfcmifh t Vir> KanH konlririrf nrt U/ncKinritnn nnnnnrl (Un uu\.nuiiuvii, vnv uunu uuvniiig up >f aoillllgiuii, U|;C11CU IIIC set of tunes with an appealing instrumental called "Sausalito." Midway through the song, Washington came onstage and joined the band on his tenor saxophone. Locksmith features drummer Pete Benson, keyboardist James Simmons, lead guitarist Richard Lee Steaker, James Blake on keyboards and electric violin and the famous Dr. Gibbs on various percussion instruments. Gibbs was the most flamboyant of all the band members, as he played several instruments from a party whistle to congas and bells on one song alone. WASHINGTON PICKED up the beat of the show by performing one of the funkier tunes from his "Live at the Bijou" album called "Lock it In the Pocket," a song in which all the band members get a chance to solo. Washington and Locksmith slowed down once again with a jazzy tune, "Stolen Moments," featuring Tyrone Brown on the large acoustic bass and John Blake on the electric violin. Both Blake and Brown gave devastating solos on their respective instruments, particularly Blake as he rocked furiously while playing his violin. Both Washington and his band played throughout the concert with a great deal of high energy and sincerity. It ^^^^looKecnlmi they wanted the crowd to enjoy the music rather 'Z^rS^'^uf. ^7', MKm.'^I^HIH Dexter Wansel . . . doing a little bit of everything Gamecock Interview Wash ington: us irtg By BILL DOUGLAS anywhere," Was Gamecock Staff Writer audience sort of looking for their Jazz performer Grover Washington they wanted to gel Jr. is not new to the world of music. He around in cycles has been playing professionally for 23 years. When jazz years. And after 23 years, Washington sounded different has achieved wide acclaim because of years ago the jaz the success of his recent "Live at the use rock in a jazz Bijou" album, and particularly the tune anything and evi "Mr. Magic." considered comf Washington said he is happy with the any because U rocnnncp frnm thn rppnrrl hn\;ir?c* mi . >i x/??? V?'V > vvwi v? "WJ ,ub pwwuv ICail/Xd lllcu uvci to his "Bijou" album. "It's sort of to say and they I surprising with the fact that we didn't plements to say l have any record company support Washington sai (Kudu record label), but the band got does not really out there and worked just as hard as I category. "I don't did and we promoted the album by to keep it as low ourselves, Washington said. "It ought said. "We try to ( to be platinum in a month or so," audience by plaj It is not just Washington's jazz that is trum of music | selling well but a great deal of other down to our audic jazz artists like George Benson and what they want t Chuck Mangione. Is jazz making a we want to play comeoacKinai tney can tm work because the I FKEL jazz never really went much hipper." igs with W ash than just play their set and go home which has been done by some bands in the past at the Coliseum. I The crowd really began to come alive later in Washington's set when he and the group played another lively jazz number, "Funkfoot." Persons who were sitting in the upper levels of the Coliseumbeganto move down to the floor level to watch and dance to the music. It appeared that the happier the crowd got, the better the band played. UPON COMPLETION of the tune "AVSV," Washington, Steacker, Brown and Blake left the stage, leaving drummer Pete Benson and percussionist Dr. Gibbs to "play with their assorted foolishness" as Washington put it. And play they did. Benson immediately went into a long drum solo later to be joined by Dr. Gibbs on an African shake-away, an instrument that looks like a large urn. Dr. Gibbs took to ceneter stage with the instrument and placed it up to the microphone, where it produced a loud moaning sound. Gibbs then went to his set of timbales and played them along with Benson on drums. Washington and the rest of Locksmith returned to the stage for what they thought would be the final song in the set, the hit tune "Mr. Magic." All of the crowd stood up for the tune. The Coliseum turned into a virtual dance hall with one corner of the arena becoming a 'freak' contest. After the tune was finished Washington thanked the 1! 1 " * " ' auuience ana wanted onstage to the chants of "More!" and "Grover, Grover, Grover!" Washington and the band returned for one more number, thanked the audience again and walked off. Again, the crowd wanted more . . . and again the crowd got more. "YOU DON'T want us to leave," Washington said to the crowd as he came onstage for his second encore. He and the band performed a new number called "Do Dat." The audience remained standing up to the time the band walked off for a final time. Opening the concert wa s jazz keyboardist Dexter Wansel and his band Mars. Wansel was in the uncomfortable situation of not being well known by a majority of the audience, but that was soon to be changed. Wansel and Mars played a very tightly knit and impressive set, starting with "Flight to Mars." Wansel's music placed emphasis on the cohesiveness of his group, especcially that of bass guitarist Derek Graves. "We're a group that likes to do a little of everything," said Wansel to the audience. He and the band did display a variety of songs from Wansel's past three albums. The songs ranged from "Together Again," featuring Terry Welles on vocals, to the soulful instrumental "Disco Lights." tiir" inr.ui ir.iiT nf u/o?n?i?o - f - * mi natisci a sui wits> a irannc arum jazz to say somethh hington said. "The WASHINGTON ANI) his bar grew away from it Locksmith started out originally ; own kinds of things players. "I started out as a cli . into. 1 think things go player but about three years ago v of maybe five or ten started playing concerts, just straig came back around it concerts," Washington said. "Th because unlike 10, 15 goeS from playing three sets a nigh z purists said 'I can't fjve or sjx nights a week in one plac tune.' Now you can do you get to know the place, you get erything and it's not feej an(j gej kn0w the audience ar >romising the music f0 ^ry ie{ the audience in an hour ar le audience finally fifteen minutes, know what you're ? -ybody has something about. So you have to deal in th ;ry to use all the im- framework you're in." id his style of music *1!S in any particular ?*c i t- ^unig iu iry 10 aiversi t like categories, I like Just a little bit more on the next albui key as possible," he *ry to stretch out a little bit more. It :ommunicate with our composite album like 'Live at T ^ing the widest spec- Bijou.' All the guys in the group wrc possible; not playing at least one tune in the album and we' ;nce but trying to play ??'ng to try to keep that cooperati o hear and play what effort happening, and I'm going to stf , and play something writing more." nk on. It's starting to Washington said he would like audiences are getting come back to Columbia befo Christmas break 1978. ington's j azz Grover Washington plays on . . . the crowd loved it solo by Pete Rutt that lasted at least 12 minutes. Midway through the solo, Rutt stopped his assault on his drums and fvumhals si ' ?'??1 VJ 11MU1U, OVUUU ujj diiu spoKe. 1 ve done this all around the world .... and they loved me in Detroit," Rutt said. "Now I'm going to sit back down and try it one more time and see if you love it." The crowd loved it. Like Washington, Wansel was called back by the crowd for an encore performance. Wansel and Mars came back to perform a song written by the bassist called "Latin Love." The fantastic free evening of jazz, sponsored by Con temporary Sounds and Cultural Series of the RHUU, proved that if a good quality band that can appeal to the majority of university students can be obtained, the concert can be a success. Hjfflg? to re r<>ver Washington