The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, May 01, 1978, Page Page 20, Image 20
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.
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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
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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
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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."
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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
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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.
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