Denton Record-Chronicle from Denton, Texas • Page 19

ThurwUy, Dwemlxr 1977 TIIK New 1 O'Clock LP a first-rate release By BOB DARDEN Contributing Writer The 1 O'Clock Lab Band of North Texas State University has been called the greatest college jazz group in the world. Far be it from me to dispute such a lofty title. "Lab '77: All Cows Eat Grass," this year's album, should convert any remaining Doubting Thomases (or Doubting Thomasinas, for that matter). After a decade of releasing top-quality jazz albums, the 1 finally received just recognition when it garnered a Grammy Award nomination (the music industry's equivalent of the Oscar) for "Lab '75." Last year's fine "Lab '76" was recorded too late to be considered for the award (the band was returning from a U.S. State Department tour of the Soviet Union).

But hopes are high for "Lab '77." "All Cows Eat Grass" is a quality LP and a distinguished follow-up to previous 1 O'Clock releases. Although it won't go into full production until after Jan. 1, letters about the record are already coming in. Several dozen copies have been requested in Sweden and Denmark alone and a big promotional push hasn't really begun. If there are any highlights in "Lab '77," they may well be the tunes that end each side.

Side 1 closes with "Quantas," composed by Steve Owen and arranged by his brother, Chuck. "Quantas" was the only song off the album that was performed at the band's superb fall concert just before Thanksgiving. The number catchy a song as the band has played in recent years without being commercial. The music bops along in a most intriguing flight pattern. Of special interest is the clean guitar work Of James Chirillo and bassist Bruce Lett.

In fact, Lett's work shines throughout the release. For once, the engineer has tracked the in- strument loud enough to be heard correctly. revteoi The song that closes the album is also the shortest: a version of Sonny Rollins' "Airegin." What makes "Airegin" so memorable is the adaptation of Phil Woods' famous solo passages for the saxes in the three-minute tune. The number is short, bright, snappy and sassy. Three of the remaining four selections are also of considerable merit: Paul Holderbaum's "Nobody Feels the Tears of a Dying Star," Dan Higgins' and Brad Gregory's "Germination" and the longest piece, Chuck Owen's "To Be There." The songs swirl and dance and generally cook along with the best jazz being released in America today.

What is also evident from these tunes is the wide diversity of soloists who play. There are more different soloists on "All Cows Eat Grass" than on any lab band album yet released. The only number that may not appeal to all listeners is Mark Taylor's "(Jutland Express." The song has moments of almost free-form jazz and an array of difficult changes that are often hard to follow. But again, this is one first-rate release. Even the cover (once again done by an NTSU art student) is highly professional: And at this point, "Lab 77" ranks right up there with Jean-Luc Ponty's "Enigmatic Ocean" as the best jazz album of the year.

(EDITOR'S NOTEt "Lab '77: All Cows Eat Grass" costs 15.50 and can be obtained at most Denton record stores or by contacting North Texas Lab Bands, P.O. Box 5038, NT Station, Denton, 76203. Proceeds from sales of the album go to the NTSU Educational Foundation.) World's greatest drummer': Rich is his own competition NEW YORK (AP) Buddy Rich bounded in the door, wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap and a silver racing-driver's jacket. He looked like a trim high school coach. Rich was taking the field.

Not to play a game but to record an album with his 14- member band, which occasionally calls itself the "Killer Force." Meanwhile, the band members began drifting into the studio, kibitzing with each other and Rich and getting their instruments set up. Eventually at one point Rich sat on a stool in the middle of the studio and read a favorable newspaper review the band settled down to concentrate on the music. After cutting the first side, Rich and the band members went to the control room to listen to what the longtime jazz drummer calls the "best big band I've ever worked with." The informally dressed jury foreman Rich was wearing jeans, a short- sleeved black shirt with a Ferrari logo and jogging shoes reviewed its own work and pronounced itself satisfied. After the break, the band went back into the studio to finish the session. "Was that as great as I thought it was?" Rich, wiping the perspiration off his face with a white towel, asked at the end.

The scene in the control room, with Rich in the middle concentrating on the performance, was repeated. The result a swinging, cohesive sound met the coach's approval. With a "Good night, folks," he dismissed his team. At 60, Buddy Rich, whom some critics have called the "world's greatest drummer," radiates energy. He is his own greatest competition.

"Buddy demands the best. He demands a high level of concentration. That's why I like this band," said Greg Smith, a baritone saxophone player from Scituate, R.I. Rich's attitude toward his players is simple. "I'm their coach.

I'm their friend. I try to instill pride in them," said Rich, with a hint in his voice of the U.S. Marine Corps he served.in during World War II. "If I can do it at 60, so can they I sure don't want to hear any bad notes. I don't care what they do until 8 at night, but from 8 p.m.

until whenever we finish they belong to me." Typically, the band members have played with other bands before. DIC 01 A Handel's DCNTON COUNTY music MOCIdTION messiah An Oratorio about Jesus Christ Sunday December 1 1 1 9 7 7 4:00 P.M. Strickland Junior High School Adults 12 Years Under $1.00 Tickets Available At: Entertainment Ticket Agency 608 N. Locust 387-5597 Four Seasons Or DCMA Member Alto At The Door Before Performance MOVIE TITLES NOW IN STOCK eBobbyDierfield- Fawcett Pentimtnto The Turning Point- SifMt FULTZ NEWS AGENCY Eoif Side of Square SIDNEY POfTItt MIL COSBY FEATS: APicaor TIC ACTION No one will be admitted until the last 10 minutes. Public TV National Geographic wins 'freedom' By JERRY BUCK AP Ttkviiion Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) After nine years on commercial television, "The a i a a i Special" has achieved a freedom on public television it has never enjoyed before.

"We had a very good relationship with CBS," said Dennis Kane, the Geographic's executive producer for the series. "However, as the case would be with any outside packager you have a bit of pressure. They make certain But the main problem when the show was on CBS, and on ABC in its final year on commercial television, was time. "The networks renewed the specials on a year-to- year basis, which gave ui only eight to nine months to plan and film four specials a year," Kane said. "That was not the best way to operate.

We didn't have enough time to develop the special. You really need about two years with a documentary." After ABC canceled the series the National Geographic turned to public television and station WQEE in Pittsburgh. Next, they went to the Gulf Oil Corp. "Gulf gave us an unprecedented grant to do the serlet for three years. We got $1.3 million up front for each year and it was hands off from both Gulf and the Public Broadcasting Service," he said.

The Geognphic's first special for the yew, "Yukon Passage," Is showing this week on public television. In many areas the first airing was Monday night. Next up, in the second week of January, will be "The Legacy of L.S.B. Leakey." Other shows this season will be "The Great Whales" and "The Living Sands of Namib." The Geographic's first special for PBS, "The Incredible Machine," on the human body, broke all viewing records for public television. In tact, all of its shows last year finished in the top four in the ratings for public television.

Kane estimates that on CBS and ABC the specials drew an audience of 22 million to 23 million. On PBS, estimates they reach 18 million to 20 million people over the course of two or three airings within a week. Kane said, "In the beginning in the 1960s we were very much Into animals. No one had done that before, but then other producers began doing animal shows. We're mainly Into people stories now.

We will do animal stories, such as the whales and the desert of Namib. "But our animal stories arc now about animals with problem. There's a good chance the whale could become extinct. Wo give people a feeling about whales, we get close to them, but we show what It would mean If they do Indeed become extinct. The Namib story is about animals you see nowhere else and how they have adapted to the desert over millions of years." Shows in the works ire on gold and man's Involvement and fascination with the metal; the human mind and Its powers; the list of the great steamships; Hong Kong; and the problems facing the elephant, particularly in Africa where It may become extinct by the end of the century.

tDtng Bet. REQUEST FORM FOR LIVING CHRISTMAS TREE RESERVATION CARDS No. Address. -Zip. Please indicate In column No.

1 the you with to attend In order of preference. In column No. 2, indicate the number of Reservation Cards you want. Note that there are two presentations on Sunday, December 18. Pleate do not requeit more Cards than needed.

PRESENTATION SCHEDULE No. 1-Date Preference No. 2 Tickets No. 1-Date Preference No. 2 Tickets Needed Needed Sunday, Dec.

18,5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, 8:00 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18,8:00 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 22, 8:00 P.M. Monday, Dec. 19, 8:00 P.M. Friday, Dec.

23, 8:00 P.M. Tuesday, Dee. 20, 8:00 P.M. Saturday, Dec. 24, 8:00 P.M.

Doors will open each evening at 7:00 (4:30 on Sunday, DecemberU for those with Reservation Cards. Those without Roservation Cards will be admitted at 7:30 (5:00 on Sunday, DecemberlS.) Mail orders only--or pick up at the church office Mon-Fri. No Phone All reservation Card Request Forms must be mailed with self-addressed, stamped envelope to: THE LIVING TREE, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 1100 MALONE DENTON, TEXAS 76201. Town Country Twin Drive In Theatre i THE MAN, THE HERO, THE LEGEND IS BACK! NOW together on one program the complete life story of the man America has taken to its heart! 10:45 WALKING TALL OFFICE OPENS 5:45 SHOW! 7:00 The Sweetest, Sexiest You've Ever Seen! mm HIGH SCHOOL GIRL -IN A CLASS BY HERSELF! ll inn Pom G'Ms I nl AMMAN COL.GM TLCHNISCQPf; 7:00 1 10:1 5 NURSES FOR SALE 508 SOUTH ELM EITIHO IN PtICS PHONE 387-8109 LADIES NIGHT THURSDAY I walked Into the Golden Nugget In Lei Vegai one night and Woylon Jennmg't voice wai coming from the except when I walked over closer, I could tee that wet net 01' Woylon, but Wendel Adklm, a young men with an Idee get their attention one way and then ley me reel Wendel en them. I stey ed for two or three Uttenln' end enjoy In' Wendel Atfdns' mutk-- sometimes leyed beck, kkkln', olweyi Into.

mutk. After hearing me veke el Weneel doing tenet of hit own and by pee- ele ether then Wevten I knew new itar wet bom. I told Wendel te "come en down te Tenet," because I knew del reedy for Texas. Wendel AofclHi HMMI FRI. SAT.

DEC. 8, 9 10 COM! KM GUARANTHD SIATINO SILVIR DOLLAR NIW TIAR'S IVI PARTY TEX AS MOON rfUPtlttOW. INCLUDB NOISIMAKERS, MATS, ITC..