Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 107

rockin review By Ka Stair 'Chicago' Is a Listenable Album it L. if MM Chicago will play the War Memorial at 8 who is the strength of th album. Miles has I behind some big-name guitarists before, Mike Bloom-field with Flee trie Flag and Jimi Hendrix on some of his early album. Couple-1 with a fine bas. Miles provides the most solid found t-tion for all the songs this album.

Hi thrashing, fmu drumming i-; the constant from which and against which Santan.t can It ill an ail or Iladley aliman c.tti do some fine sax work. The first three "Lava" an I "Kvil Ways" set the album off at a fever pace with a frenetic madness that never sputters off to waste, but it always perfec tly harnessed. The whole weight of it piles on Miles who at the sam-5 time handles the lead voeat-j comfortably. The only real disappointment on the alburn is ths second side when they do "Free From Funkafids Filth," the obligatory twenty minute plus jam. It starts off with a great light jazz intro with Caliman now on flute.

By the time, tha rock part leads in the crowd goes justifiably wild witu excitement. The problem with the jam is the vast middto which only succeeded in making me cloze off. It's a shame because by the tima it gets to Miles' vocal, tha jam is exciting again and leads to a wild guitar-wading, drum-driving finish. A supei filial listen to Chi cago's newest album coul I prove disappointing. There's not Inns on the album th.it will blow you out of your chair, no titanic musical majesty that leaps out at and overwhelms you.

Hut don't make the mistake Of relegating Chicago's fifth album effort to the rack. What vou do pet on Chicago (Columbia KC3I102) is a very mature effort. The musicianship is first-rate throughout the album, a CUt-to-cut consistency that is rare on the rock scene. Most simply, it is an eminently listenable album. Two tuts do stand out.

Saturdav in the Park" and All Is Well," both written by keyboard man Robert Lamm, are beautiful and simple mood songs. Saturday, which is getting a lot of air play now, begins with Lamm's ow happy, humpy keyboard intro that picks lip some drums and trumpet and captures that sheer benevolent joy of Saturday's freedom. -All Is Well" is an even simpler song of recovery from a bad love and the relish that comes with feeling -free and easy" again. The song best typifies the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young-type vocals that punctuate the album. Lamm, ho wrote seven Of the nine cuts on this album, fates best on the simpler mood songs that when he ventures into a 4- The two groups never were really that dose, Chicago with more of a total seven -man group sound, Blood, Sweat and Tears with its big up-front rat-a-tat-tat brass.

Chicago's nuisic increasingly seems to be working on two lcvel. The top layer is velveteen throughout, a kind of blurry smoothness. Underneath there are frantic interludes of jazz and rock interplay that even at their most dissonant seem glove-fitted to the musical overlay. Individual group members do stand out on certain cuts like Loughnane's trumpet on "A Hit Varese" or Seraphine's drums on -Dialogue," but the beauty of this album is that while p.m. Saturday.

you can recognize the individual ability of each of the group members, it's the group effort directed toward a. light seven-man sound that comes through. The album portends good things for Chicago's concert appearance here. wiiion two i.ignamu rock stars get together for a performance, the result is often a few highs, numerous lows and a lot of tedium in between. That is not the case with Carlos Santana and Buddy Mills Live! (Columbia KC31308), also called Fncrgy For the Universe From the Center of a Volcano.

While Santana gets" first billing and plays some great guitar, it's Buddy Miles Lid 3 Nazareth Plans A New Season political or social commentary framework. Lyrical simplicity complements mood songs, but that same simplicity often appears adolescent in songs like "Dialogues" and of the Union." The former is an exchange between a worried committed person and a stoned oblivious one. It ends with an optimistic chant that almost duplicates the Graham Nash refrain from his song, titled oddly enough, "Chicago." Chicago has always deserved a better fate than the constant, and often des-paraging. comparisons with Blood, Sweat arul.Tears, the other major jazz-rock band of the past few years. Nov.

18 New Phoenix Repertory Company in "The Great God Brow Dec. 9 "Mrs. Bones," minstrel show. Feb. 2, 3 "A Night at the Palac Feb.

21 Vivcca Lindfors in "I Am a Woman." March KP-Paul Sills' -Story Theater." April 13, 11 Alvin Alley's American Dance Theater. The conceit schedule includes Nov. 12 Frank Glazer in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. Jan.

28 Alan Harris in the Cello Conc erto by Schumann. Feb. 25 Lore ne Field and Anastsis Jempelis in Concerto for two voilins in minor by Bach. April 8 Millard Taylor in Violin Concerto by Barber. The accent is on comedy for the new season at Nazareth Arts Center.

Among scheduled events are the a a i a Mime Theater, an old-time minstrel show, a vaudeville performance called -A Night at the Palace," the Canadian Mime Theater and the play, "The Ft feet of Gamma Hays on Man-in-the-Mooa Marigolds." The season will open Saturday. Sept. 23 with the touring company of "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris." The show began its tour last Spring in Geneseo. Repertory Dance Theater of Utah will appear Oct. 13 and 14.

The Canadian Mime Theater will close the season on Saturday, May 4. Also scheduled are: Nov. 3 and 4 Touring production of "The Effect of Gamma Kays." At Playhouse Sandy Dennis stars in "And Miss Bear-don Drinks a Little" this week at Town and Country Playhouse. Performances are 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 5 ajid 9 p.m.

Saturday and 2 p.m. Wednes- day. She plays a slightly oddbuJl science teacher who has disgraced herself by making love to a difficult student. She's in a pickle with her sisters who meet to decide hat to do with her..