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"I sweat more than any man I know,’ Magnapop guitarist
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ticle, and you better know I believe it. Magnapop has both the
power and the melody. See ’em at the Watt tonight, loser.
The Red and Black Weakand » Friday, May 21, 1991 » 3
A&E
‘Mirrors of Embarrassment’ reflects Unit’s brilliance
Col. Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit.
By BRIAN GERBER
Staff Writer
Col. Bruce Hampton has been
widely regarded as an icon of alter
native music for the last twenty
years. His latest album with The
Aquarium Rescue Unit, “Mirrors Of
Embarrassment,” is a perfect reflec
tion of his eccentric and bizarre psy
che that continually pushes the lim
its of one of the most talented and
diverse collection of musicians ever
assembled.
The shining brilliance exhibited
on “Mirrors Of Embarrassment"
comes from a musical melting pot of
every conceivable and inconceivable
American style of jazz, bluegrass,
country, blues and soul from which
Bruce Hampton has long been in
dulging.
The song structure of the Rescue
Unit’s first ever studio album does
sacrifice some of the improvisation-
al aspects of the bands’ renowned
live performance.
However, the musical innovation
is astounding on cuts like the post-
bluegrass “Dead Presidents” and the
frenzied “Too Many Guitars,” (cour
tesy of guitarist Jimmy Herring.)
Producer Johnny Sandlin, who
also produced the groups last album,
is on board again, arranging in
tensely clear depth to the music.
Hampton also brought in a dazzling
array of special guests, including
■ ALBUM REVIEW
banjo wizard Bela Fleck, Chuck
Lea veil on keyboards, and harmoni
ca maestro John Popper.
Their added instrumental super
chops infuse an authentic roots feel
into the contemporary mix of the al
ready unique Aquarium Rescue
Unit sound.
The driving and powerful open
ing number, “No Ego’s Under
Water” highlights the outstanding
rhythmic work of drummer
Apartment Q258 and percussionist
Count Mbutu, which is also highly
evident throughout the record.
Additionally, the familiar synco
pated bass/scat solo of Egyptian
bassist Oteil Burbridge stands out
on “It’s Not The Same Old Thing.”
Fortunately, the songwriting and
singing talents of electric mandolin-
ist Matt Mundy are utilized to a
S ’eater extent on “Mirrors Of
mbarrassment” than on the live al
bum.
The fiery mandolin solos are also
more apparent, showing Mund/s
maturation into a full fledged all
around all-star on songs such as
“Lost My Mule In Texas.” He should
certainly be a force to be reckoned
with in the future.
Combining the best of elements
of casual jazz and warped blues has
worked for The Aquarium Rescue
Unit before, and the extra musical
textures added to their road-tested
tunes take them in an even newer
and unpredictable direction.
Col. Bruce Hampton and The
Aquarium Rescue Unit will be open-
ing for Widespread Panic at the Fox
Theatre tonight in Atlanta. The
show is sold out. For those without
tickets, Col. Bruce and ARU will
also be appearing Saturday night
here in Athens at the Georgia
Theatre with Both Sides opening.
Tickets are $5.
? plays free show tonight, no questions asked
By JEFF YORK
Staff Writer
Way back in the fall of this
school year, back when I actually
would get excited about the rumor
of free keg beer, I was invited to
attend a gala celebration of life at
a friends “bungalow,” a ten foot by
ten foot shack constructed entire
ly of yellow cinder blocks.
Much to my surprise, not only
was there the promised booze, but
a band had set up to play. Their
equipment took up most of the
house, forcing the spectators up
against the wall as if they were in
a police line up.
What band would brave the
confines of this tiny space to blast
us with their jazz-fusion, impro
vised, yet tight, musical embel
lishments? The band was none
other than ?.
Who? ?, pronounced “question
mark”. In the summer of last year,
Charles Simpson, Andy Svoboda,
and Richard Young, (bass, drums,
guitar respectively), decided that
since they all lived together and
were all music students here at
the University, they might as well
escape from the rigidity and stress
of their studies by playing what
they felt on their own time.
“When we play as a band, it
gives us the chance to throw away
our musical training,” said Young.
“Musical training helps on a tech
nical level, but it doesn’t help on
an emotional level.”
Emotional is a good word to de
scribe ?’s sound. They have no
song titles, singer or set list.
Their music is a compelling
blend of everything from funk to
classical that stimulates the brain
into thought, rather than blud
geoning it into submission.
Among their influences they
sight Frank Zappa, James Brown,
King Crimson, Cuban music and
the birds that surround their
porch when they play outside.
“Birds have rhythm, they feel
time through instinct,and we try
to feel time instinctively also,”
said Svoboda. “We just play what
we feel.”
After providing an excellent
soundtrack for the never-ending
series of parties that take place
around the Classic City, they have
acquired somewhat of a following
amongst seekers of free beer.
“There’s this one guy that al
ways wants us to play ‘Einekeine
Nachtmusic’ by Mozart over ‘Ice,
Ice Baby.’ There’s another one
that likes to conduct us while he
hoots and hollers,” said Simpson.
“It’s kind of weird.* 1
The only problems the band
has encountered with playing par
ties is the fact that Svoboda is a
allergic to cats, a condition that
provokes him to drum louder
when he is around them.
“Our better shows are at peo
ple’s houses with cats,” says
Simpson.
Although they aren’t in this for
the money, the band has recorded
a demo tape and is planning to
tour in the near future.
“We see music as a sharing ex
perience,” said Young, “and tour
ing would allow us to share our
music with more people.”
? has currently found a niche to
express themselves at Frijoleros,
where they will play this
Saturday.
The show, as always, is free.
Check it out, and bring all pet
birds. They'll dig it.
Classic ballet leaps
into dance program
By STEVE H. HALL
Staff Writer
Following in the steps of the
University dance department’s
CORE Concert Dance Company
is an all-new group focusing on
the more traditional art of ballet.
The UGA Ballet Ensemble.is
a pre-professional/training com
pany dedicated to presenting
classical ballet performances.
The ensemble also plans to de
velop an educational outreach
program to the University, local
and statewide community audi
ences.
In recent auditions open to
males and females, ei^ht mem
bers were chosen to join the en
semble in varying capacities.
Finalists were Pamela Andre,
Becca Brown, Amanda Dean,
Laura Hart, Gwendolyn Holden,
Kristen Manion, Deidra Simon
and Jennifer Tharp.
The ensemble will also hold
auditions in the fall for incoming
freshmen and other interested
students. It will ultimately in
clude seven to eight full-company
members and six to seven ap
prentice members.
Director Joan Buttram, assis
tant dance professor, said the en
semble is an idea whose time has
come.
“I was hired two years ago to
create a ballet component to com
plement an already-exi sting
modem dance component, so bal
let is a very young aspect of the
department,” she said. “We have
a growing ballet component due
to students coming in with Drevi-
ous training in ballet, ana they
need a performance outlet.”
Buttram said UGA Ballet
Ensemble members will perform
in CDC concerts in addition to in
dividual presentations. She
hopes to stage a classic recon
struction of “La Grand Pas de
Quatre," a plotless ballet chore
ographed by Jules Perrot around
1845 which displayed the four
reigning ballerinas of that era.
“Right now, the classics are
very popular, (especially) story
ballets. There’s been a prolific
use of abstract ballets, but I
think the audience enjoys having
a story to escape with, as well as
the scenery, costumes and all the
glitz that goes along with full-act
story ballets,” she said. “We will
be doing a variety of things; the
scope and depth of the company
at this time has not been defined.
But I hope to be able to bring a
variety of classical ballet to the
University."
Buttram said during audi
tions, she was looking for
dancers that displayed a “perfor
mance quality.”
“I’m very excited about the
group that came to audition,” she
said. “(The dancers had to show)
that they have been able to take
their techniques and further
them with a sense of artistry, a
polished expressiveness through
out the classic medium.”
Kristen Manion, a freshman
from Stone Mountain, joined the
ensemble to continue her lifelong
training in classical ballet.
“Joan’s training is a little dif
ferent from any other teacher
I’ve had," she said. “It’s more
stylistic; she likes a lot of the
classics, especially the Spanish
ones. It’s good to be trained in
the classics, because that’s where
the neoclassical movement and
George Balanchine’s works come
from. So, she’s given us a good
background."
“Everybody’s going to have to
work together to pull this off, be
cause since we’re the first ballet
company at UGA, we have to
make a good impression to keep
(the ensemble)," said Wendy
Holden, a junior from
Murfreesboro, Tenn. “I think it’s
going to be something that UGA
and the whole dance department
can really be proud of.”
The dance department will
present a classical pas de deux
seminar (partnering male and fe
male dancers) with Guest
Teacher and Coach Craig H.C.
Fehr on Tues., May 25 from 3:30
to 5:30 p.m. in Studio 247 of the
Women's P.E. Building. All inter
ested males who wish to enroll
should contact Joan Buttram at
542-4415.
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