October 11, 1984
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 6
The University Daily KANSAN
Jazz jams more into Murphy
By P.M. LEWIS Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
Not many events have had the effect that the creation of jazz had. People have been infatuated with it since its birth in the early 1920s.
"You can't go anywhere without hearing it. In everything from Dixieland to punk rock you can hear the influence of jazz," said Ron McCurdy, assistant professor of music.
That pervasiveness has helped the KU jazz program flourish, says McCurdy, who is also coordinator for the KU iazz department.
"THEE HAS BEEN a consistent increase in the number of students involved in the program," said McCurey, who came to the University as a graduate student. "The music we work with is the music of their age."
McCurdy said KU got a late start in jazz music. When the program began in 1971, KU had only one ensemble, but this semester, it has three ensembles, four combos and a jazz choir.
Classes are offered in improvisation and jazz history. In addition, two levels of arranging are taught Each class is offered by the School of Fine Arts for one hour credit.
"If one's of the strongest programs in state schools," said Thomas Lipscomb, Baytown Tx., graduate student, Lipscomb, also alo sayx. He is in Jazz Ensemble One and has been in the KU program for seven years.
THE ENSEMBLES ARE arranged in a traditional big band structure and contain at least 22 pieces while the combs are smaller with seven to nine players. Both groups and the 22 members choose all by auditions on August 11 and January. Students, however, don't have to be in the school to audition.
In fact, McCurdy said, some of his best students are engineers and business majors. Lydia Kelley, New Richmond, Ohio, sophomore, is singing in the choir for her second year of high school. She's music Kelley, who lists her major as undecided, has been singing in choirs since the fifth grade.
"It's a really good choir, one of the most demanding choirs I've been in." Kelley said. "We do all kinds of jazz standards. Right now we're working on 'Georgia On My Mind.'"
THE BANDS SCHEDULE three concerts each semester but also play for civic organizations and University groups. McCurdy said they were kept very busy around Christmas and after that, he said the concerts helped "spread the gospel of jazz," and that he was pleased to be in such demand.
EACH SPRING, Jazz Ensemble One and the jazz choir go on tour. Last spring, they traveled to Dallas where they played nine shows in four days for high schools and junior colleges
"It helps to receive the kind of support we have," he said. "The more educated the public is, the more popular jazz is."
These tours allow the students to gain experience while acting as a recruiting device for the program, McCurdy said. This spring's tour is scheduled for four days at Greeley, Colo., in April.
Mike Tyler, top, and Rick Barth,
above, are both members of Jazz
Ensemble One. Tyler plays the
trumpet in the ensemble, and
Barth plays the tenor saxophone.
Jazz program was started in
1971.
Getz's smooth style to come to Jazzhaus
The soft and hot licks of jazz will fill downtown Lawrence this weekend as Stan Getz, world renowned tenor saxophone player, brings his music to The Jazzhaus, 926 Massachusetts St.
The show, which begins at 10 p.m. on Saturday, will be broadcast live on KANU's "Live At The Jazzhaus" series. The show is sold out, said music manager Lil Andersen but cancellations open up a new seat. Tickets cost $15.
Getz, 57, has been playing professionally since he was 16. The child prodigy turned down a full scholarship to the Juilliard School and opted to play with the Jack Teagarden Band, instead.
When his family moved to California a year later, Getz began playing with Jimmy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. By the time he was twenty, Gotz was a cornerstone in jazz history. Theerman played THE WAY I PLAYED with some of the greatest names in jazz history including J.J. Johnson, Charlie
Parker, Count Basie, Duke Ellington,
Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Corea.
Later, he formed some of his own
groups.
Getz, who was dubbed "The Sound" for his smoody style, can take some credit for several innovations in jazz and popular music. During the 1950s, he and Miles Davis helped start the "colour" school of Jazz and Aria. His work included an infusion of Latin elements into popular music. The resulting bassa nova gave Getz his biggest hit, "The Girl From Ipanema."
THE STOP IN Lawrence is part of a small Midwest tour. Getz will attend workshops in Topcka and Kansas City. The performance is made possible by door receipts and the KANU series.
KANU uses a grant from the Kansas Arts Commission to pay for the technical costs of producing the broadcast and to provide a performance pool to help bring talent to the area.
Festival to mark Chinese holiday
By CHRISSY CLEARY
Staff Reporter
What July 4 means to U.S. citizens, Oct. 10
means to the Chinese
Oct. 10 is like America's Independence Day because it was on this day, 73 years ago, that the Manchus dynasty was overthrown and China became democratic.
"Every year the celebration is around Oct. 10 because that is a very special day for us," said Mei-Chi Chen, secretary of the Chinese Student Association.
A variety show, a dinner and a movie are scheduled as part of the Chinese festival beginning at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Kansas Union
DURING THE LAST part of the 19th century, the Manchus dynasty had been declining. When the widowed empress died, no member of the family could wear the crown and no one else emperor was only an infant and no one else the regime was capable of guiding the nation.
On Oct. 10, 1911, mutiny broke out in the town of Wuchang. That was regarded as the beginning of the revolution that ousted the Manchus dynasty
Although the People's Republic of China is communist ruled today, the people still enjoy a good life.
"It's a national day for the People's Republic of China," Chen said "Taiwanes and Chinese from everywhere celebrate. The people are very interested in the world and anyone interested in the Chinese."
SHE ESTIMATED THAT at the University of Kansas there are 200 Chinese students from Taiwan, 100 from China and between 60 and 70 from Hong Kong, Malasia and Indonesia And, Chen said, many of them were involved in putting the festival to
dancing. Some students will wear traditional costumes.
To kick off the festival, Chinese students will demonstrate martial arts, singing and
Sweet and sour pork, fried rice and a beef dish will be among the foods served at the dinner, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Union cafeteria. Chen said
"The students have spent a lot of time practicing since the semester started," Chen said. "They borrowed costumes from a place they visited and into planing and organizing the festival."
movie are free, dinner costs $6 for members of the Chinese Student Association and $6.50 for non-members. Students can buy dinner tickets at the Student Union Activities office in the lobby of the Union or at the cafeteria before dinner.
ALTHOUGH THE VARIETY show and the
Following the dinner at 7:30 p.m., a Chinese movie, "The Green, Green Grass of Home," with English subtitles will be shown in the Ballroom of the Union.
Chen said that she thought it was important for all students, not just Chinese, to participate.
Chau-Jiann Shie, Tai Pei City, Taiwan, graduate student, practices his flute in preparation for the upcoming China Day festival. He is playing a bon flute, which is commonly used in northern China and is noted for its high pitch
Philharmonia sees classics as the jazz of 18th century
By PEGGY HELSEL
Staff Reporter
The University of Kansas Concert Series opens its 1984-35 season Saturday with a performance by the New York-based Philharmonic Virtuosi at 8:30 p.m.
Richard Kapp is conductor and musical director of the orchestra.
"WE FIND A LOT of people feel the music is very foreign and alien to them, because they don't know enough about it. People don't really know anything about movies, but when you don't know how they liked a movie, they don't say 'I'm not qualified to answer that.' I don't know how to answer that," Kappa said. People should look at classical music the same way, he said.
Until Beethoven began writing, 18th century classical music was much like the music of the Renaissance.
"The composers were just poor slobs trying to make a living. They were working stiffs doing what they did because it was their job. They weren't out to create music. They left 10 years later we say that music is a classic, that didn't their fault," he said.
LIKE MODERN JAZZ, 18th century music was much more improvisational. Kapp said, "The composers only wrote melodies and rhythmic material. They had a lot more freedom."
But when composers began writing for more instruments around the 19th century, they had to start writing it down. They lost the improvisation.
Kadd. 47. founded the Philharmonia
Virtuus in 1968. The following year he was appointed to an administrative position on the Ford Foundation, "Because the Foundation gives money to the arts and to prevent any conflict of interest. I wasn't allowed to conduct in the United States. So we next five years, I flew to Europe on the weekends to conduct and record Kapp said."
The ensemble has recorded several albums, including 'Greatest Hits of 1720' and 'Mini-Masterpieces'.
THE GROUP IS NOT composed of the traditional, old-fashioned players, but is a "young, hip group," Kapp said. "We play with them in the court and surely and simply for the joy of making music."
"In the New York music scene, the one trademark of this group is the amiability. We are a very happy group, we like to together. It's a real team," he said.
The group is not a stepping stone into the larger orchestra's. "Players don't go on to bigger and better things." When musicians like you are playing with the group they want to play with. Kapp said.
THE ENSEMBLE TRAVELS extensively and has been to the Far East seven times in the past six years. Most of their travel is confined to weekends because the musicians also play with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera or New York City Ballet orchestras during the week
Kapp, his wife, Barbara, and two daughters live in Hastings on the Hudson, N.Y., a town Kapp says is "just north of Manhattan and similar in size to Tori." They are married. Mr. Kapp received her bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree in music theory here