18 - Wednesday, July 11, 1990 - North Shore News Uzume Taiko serves up sushi plate of drum sound IG DRUMS speak: jazz forces are unleashed; jeff is def. Uzume Taiko — Chirashi, Aural Tradition 1990 If you have lived in Vancouver for some time and haven't been spending most of that time buried in a hole, chances are you have heard the mighty big drum sound of Katari Taiko at a festival. The sansei (third generation Jap- anese-North Americans) have taken up the traditional drumming once heard performed in Japanese villages for the benefit of the Higher Force. Uzume Taiko is a three-member offshoot of Katari Taiko. The pure spectacle of witnessing the grace- ful percussive dance of taiko drummers in action is regrettably lost while ensconced in one's car or living room. Uzume Taiko takes up the challenge of rattling the nest by widening the aural palette to include shakuhachi Japanese bamboo flute), pipa (four-stringed Chinese lute), saxophone and bass. The resultant chirashi (mixed sushi platter), as served up by Eileen Kage, Leslie Komori and John Greenaway, makes for some flavoriul nibbling. The ensembie makes the most of the balance to be had when combining the pow- erful voice of the drums with often delicate instrumentation. And if that isn’t enough, there are always the bonus words of wisdom as anecdotally offered on The Secret Life: rudderless wretch pay heed. Jack DeJohnette — Parallel Realities, MCA Records 1990 Jazz drummer/composer De- Johnette, whose track record lists gigs with jazz greats Sun Ra, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, has assembled a weil-oiled swing machine. Herbie Hancock and Pat MICHAEL BECKER record review Metheny join him to provide the integral bits. But the musicians don't take many risks or smash borders here, so don’t look for explosive play- ing. The compositions aim for upbeat accessibility and maintain a complex and controlled interplay between Hancock, Metheny and Dejohnette. Metheny’s glittering guitar play stands out particularly on this release. Jeff Lynne — Armchair Theatre, Reprise Records 1990 Look! Up there! It's a Travelling Wilbury. It’s George Harrison. It's Eleciric Light Orchestra. No, wait, this go-around Jeff Lynne takes the spot centre stage and claims for himself the trademark sound he has brought to so many other re- cording projects. And well, Lynne sort of sounds like a Wilbury-Harrison-ELO hybrid, in a Beatlesque kind of way, So to speak, | still can’t decide whether he is pop genius or charlatan. And gorhaps therein lies the key to the man’s bankable success — he is a bit of both. The huckster trots out a chestnut like Stormy Weather and gives us only the polished shell. The genius leaves us feeling gooey comforta- ble when we should be reeling and gasping for a brain-grating hit of speed metal-thrash-rap-reggae- hip house-funky symphonics. In the end we are pop-addled fans, stuck with hooks and heavily rotated through Adult Contem- porary radio land. | love this guy. Helsinki Chorus performs THE HELSINKI University Chorus from Finland conducted by Matti Hyokki performs at Centennial Theatre on July 11th at 8 p.m. The Helsinki University Chorus, founded in 1883, is recognized as one of the leading male choirs in the world. It has gained an inter- national reputation on many con- cert tours to Europe, Asia, and North America. The choir's present repertoire is extensive, ranging from medieval music to the works of many con- temporary composers. tt has won numerous interna- tionally renowned competitions - Adventure in Dining! Our Bouillabaisse as featured in the New York Times Cook Book Cream filled Chocolate Carolines bine Talk about adventure “Team up with B.C.’s Team” We support the Lions 445-13th Street, West Vancouver 926-8922 up us and summer if you’ve got a summer sale planned, you'll want to advertise it in our special sale feature, HOT SUMMER - SAVINGS on July 22 (deadline July 13). Advance promotion will make sure your ad gets seen by North Shore readers. Plus, we’ll supply you with ‘‘special’’ tags and window signage to promote your sale. | north shore fo: : : : SUNDAY + WEONESDAY + FRIDAY . . DISPLAY ADVERTISING boost sales!