Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Taj Mahal i By De?n Foster Staff Writer Before two packed houses at the Quarter Moon Wednesday night a musical rarity was KcwvLr a llfn fho KlllDC duilliuuiicu uavn iu mv iiiv wiuvo. In his first appearance in his mother's home state of South Carolina, Taj Mahal revived the timeless traditional Black music with his subtle, yet innovative style that leads you back to the roots. Taj quickly infused an old gospel "church style" blues number from an earlier album "The Natoh'l Blues" that had the audience singing and clapping soon after he stepped on stage. His rapport with his listeners was immediate and enduring throughout the evening. "I WENT FROM jazz to blues instead of from blues to jazz like most," said Taj as he flinched and strummed out the beginnings of "Stagger Lee". His four man band then took their cue and blended intimately witr bass, trap drum, congas, and woodwinds. Deep religious undertones which spawned the first gospel and blues melodies are prevalent in all of Taj's works, even as he became more diverse with West Indies and Jamaican reggae and an Eric Clapton style blues-rock. Through this diversity Taj has become known as a "musicologist" who has intensely studied the culture and world of blues. Taj presented the evolution of blues to Abeles' art 1 By Joyce Rogers wjL Art Critic * 1 The graphic work of V '*** ' Sigmund Abeles is now o; display in the galleries ol McKissick Museums. His a work makes an open statement about the nature . * t of human beings. Sexuality is a recurring theme in his \iir\rlr onH in rtono??ol Uni'n is passion in everything he ? expresses. The subject matter varies with the kind of people he portrays. In his words, "the psychological k portrait pierces the objective picture plane with insight." Abeles* show includes etchings, woodcuts. offset lithography and intaglio as well as pencil, As a form charcoal and crayon Abeles studi drawings. Yaghjian, ai Abeles' unique style is time, rec< demonstrated bv the control department he has over seemingly limited, an haphazard lines. This classes wen technique involves a bare getting a B. line which indicates what is 1955. Abe to be completed by the imagination. Vast white m spaces provide a balance for the more detailed areas. This is demonstrated in his \/Q|0r self portraits. There are "dlcT specific areas of focused !, I Gifts attention on his face. In "Sell Kg Th^f portrait with White Cap." ||| '"l the eyes and surrounding Last crinkled skin are em- Bra phasized, while the rest of his features are summed up with a few simple lines. In "Measuring Up," the eyes are direct, yet the nose is most specific, giving a feeling of power. I I k Abeles portrays men and I |V|^ women differently. The g i^iC; women are languid and , relaxed, as if they were Receiv f tranquilized. In the portraits Davina of men the gaze is steady. X directed and composed, in a 3 W( his view, women lack con- com trol. They stare blank y into the distance (Roberta), or i their eyelids droop (Am), or their eyes are simply obscured by shadow (Philosnnhv StuHpnt I In th<? i portrait "John Kelly" it |j looks as if Kelly is ready to h stand up and introduce || himself. Men are I] i represented as more S j ^ energetic and intelligent. B HOUTS' One peculiar exception to I _ . . ' this is "The Sculptress." B rTIUdy Most of the features of her I wedm face are obscured by a dust I j^. ^ mask, but her gaze, directed I 1*6 W U toward the viewer, is very I \ pm. disturbing as to whether she ::;i can actually see or not. sings blues rock-and-roll in a powerful rendition of "Good Morning Miss Brown". Then it was on to more profound blues in a gentle number entitled "Baby You're My Destiny" which allied Taj and saxophonist Rudolph Beecher Coster in an assertive effort to the extreme delight of the audience. FOR THE MOST part Taj stuck to the blues using his own rhythm with a smile. With guitar in hand, tie finger-picked his way around the Caribbean culture of reggae music, and as an encore he performed "Giant Step" from the album by the same name. The past has seen Taj Mahal in many facets of music but his first love is strictly the blues. After playing with a band called the Rising Sons in 1965 he became noted as a solo artist. He's recorded nine albums since 1967 with his latest being "Mo' Roots". After i more than a year of touring abroad at various Jazz Festivals from Montreux to Sao Paulo, Brazil, Taj is now caught up in the iniddle of a,campus and nightclub tour of the United States. Taj is to music what history is to man, for he is the reminder of the very basis of rhythm. In these times when most music fe produced rather than created it is comforting to know there is also Taj Mahal, streamlining a culture that has laid the foundation for music. lumanistic Abe/es' "Dwarf Sobbing" er USC student, Columbia University where ed drawing. Ed he studied graphics and *t director at the received an M.F.A. in 1957. ills that the was small and Abeles will be in Columbia d no printing for the Southeastern Print ~ f tt_ - 11 c uiicicu. /mt'i v^uniciciice. rit* will A. from USC, in give a lecture February Hat les went to McKissick. itine ( cold j At Prices \diamonds^/ Afford^ I THE JEWELRY WAREHOUSE "It s more than Just another Jewelry store" | j 2909 Piatt Springs Rd. w. Cola. JBB jed Extra Cash? I e $ 10 for donating plasma. Now 1 a bonus of $5 for 5 donations in j ?ek period. Call for appointment ? Hyland Donor Center 1 620 Gervais Street 254-2280 : Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 7:30 am to 5:15 pm. Closed i lonoi^ A bluesy Tai Mahal A/r i^iurfu^cr running ( By Valerie C. Washington There is a real talent to booking entertainment, says Greenstreet's manager Doug Goolsby. "It'll almost give you ulcers hoping you make a profit." Goolsby, 31, has been managing Greenstreet's for almost two years. He says the club caters to the art of music. He wants to make it appealing to customers who appreciate music and tries to vary the bands that perform at Greenstreet's. "YOU HAVE to deve!oo an atmosphere and attract Italian Pas All you e Every Monc 20 varieties of Pi2 Lasagna, ar 5:30 - 8:30 20<t per year for children under 12 on all buffets Airport Blvd. weat Columbia 796-0564 nr V/ilnnt ino'c \A// - v'. ? \?iv i IVII IV. V V V I Larts & f~lo\ Valentine's Day is Sal A beautiful bouquet created especially for the day. . -'f&d*\ Call or visit/)//* ^ ' US "today" ?-**r Iffiel: c v <?jd i i ^ I 1< I[ in ) i)< ii drew crowds at the Quarter /! discussei 3reenstret people who like it," Goolsby vt said. "With more clubs open F you have to keep what you pi have better. Entertainment d< is a very important factor h? because of competition." "Only a few clubs, such as er Dundee's and Twilight, ju entertain likp (irnpnstrppt's If the entertainment isn't [71 good, you lose money so we're taking a big risk." Running a club isn't as easy as people sometimes think it is, he added. "Columbia is a pretty small town and most people don't support clubs here. The' ta Night I 1 m EAT i ^ ] lay Night :za, Spaghetti, TdSalad >ek send our FT!) ] VI I S [3( U( |IIi t. turday, February 14. You'll be sure to V )n capture the . heart of your special V a len ti ne. x ) ossom ;hop 2001 Devi ne St. j ja&c, I 799-3730 ill v>'| it ii )iit. y / \ ' V * "**' . /loon Wednesday. s music, et's bar )lume is incredible on ridays and Happy Hour is *etty popular, but a lot spends on the bands you ave nightly." "YOU MUST plan the itertainment you have, not st doit." Jock finanfi nvpr vp vyjl Valentine gift. 3ear Ann: Athletically I'm an All\merican. Romantically 'm a nerd. I'm in love vith a fox. But the com _i_ \4ri .mi i Jt'lllMMI IJ? lOU^Il. VVIiai II 1 ;ive her lor Valentine's Day? Nervously Yours, Chicken Hunk Dear Chicken: Don't punt. Send her [lowers. It's probably the >est play you ever made. \nd the easiest. Just go to /our nearest F I D Florist. [ k* has the perfect Valentine till. A beamii ul xniquct thai tomes in a >pecial bud vast*. Kven setter, yt)u t an afford it. Remember, when in y loubt, rely on the magic of lowers. It's the only way a flit ken t an catch a fox. (>ood hunting. 'M Helping you say it right. T !>i> f TD Valentine Bud Vase is usually available for W'ss than $10 00 As at\ independent businessman each F TO Tlonst sets his own prices Service charges and cJehvery may be additional 1981 f lonsts Winsworld Delivery