Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 152

AMUMMENT AMUSEMENT AMUSEMENT Record briefs This week's listening lineup fl CHOWS UK Laine: Emotionless. Pop, rocfr Cleo Laine CLEO LAINE is a widely respected, but her new album, "Return to Carnegie Hall" (RCA), leaves me unmoved when it doesn't seem actively re-pellant. Even though Laine The Yma Sumac of pop music has a voice that ranges from a near baritone to a coloratura shriek, her singing is emotionless. She approaches songs from the outside, doesn't have much flair for improvisation (which might have made up for the lack of feeling), and generally gives the impression that one is listening to an extravagant and extravagantly misused instrument. Accompanied by a large orchestra led by her husband, reedman Johnny Dankworth, Laine camps things up more than usual, especially on "By Strauss" and "Direction." High-note freaks should be thrilled, though, by her glass-shattering exercises.

Larry Karl Earth, Wind Fire WITH SUCH past productions as "That's the Way of the World," "Open Our Eyes," "Head to the Sky," and "Spirit," one would have thought Earth Wind Fire would have been hard pressed to come up with an equally impressive work. Obviously, they were, not. The soul group's latest album release, "AH alt" (Columbia), is a rare blend of poetry, passion, and artistic progression. Except for the cut, "Serpentine Fire," which was released as a single before the rest of the album, all of the songs on the LP are good music instead of mere catchy disco tunes. In fact, the inclusion of compositions by Brazilian artist Milton Nascimento on both sides of "All -'N All" is a nice indication that is trying to expose its fans to other forms of American music and take them across international and cultural borders.

Monroe Anderson Lol Creme, Kevin Godley LOL CREME AND Kevin Godley, formerly half of rock group lOcc, have turned out an ambitious work in "Consequences" (Mercury) a three-record set featuring their pet project, the gizmo (a small box that attaches to the bridge of an electric guitar and vibrates the strings, simulating, among other things, a string section). Unfortunately, ambitious is not necessarily synonomous with entertaining, or even interesting. There is little reminiscent of the old lOcc sound. Instead, the album revolves around an ill-defined theme (nature's revenge on man, according to the accompanying self-congratulatory booklet) and consists mainly of gizmo instrumental and interminable "comic" dialog by Peter Cook. Plenty of sound and fury, but in the end it all signifies not much of anything except boredom.

Lynn Van Matrs Various artists SOME TIME BACK, in a burst of musical civic spirit, the folks at radio station WKQX-FM invited any and all local contemporary musicmakers to send in a tape of one of their songs for possible inclusion on a Chicago pop scene sampler album. Morethan 1,900. tapes poured in. Eventually, these were winnowed down to 11, and the winning performers were asked to record their song again at Mantra Studios. The results may be heard on "Hometown Album," available in local record stores at $1.50.

Selections are diverse, including hard rock, soft pop, country rock, and rhythmic funk. Most of the groups are almost unknown; the point was to give exposure to budding or struggling talent. While none of the cuts is outstandingly great, most of them are decent, and it's good music for the money. L.V.M. A PREMIERE PERFORMANCE OF A CHORUS LINE BENEFITTIHG THE BEHABILITA TIOH INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1978 See Chicago's first premiere performance of the long-awaited, Tony award-winning musical "A Chorus Line." The performance will benefit The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, a hospital dedicated to helping the physically disabled.

4 Mail to: Chorus Line, Women's Board, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 East Superior, Chicago, Illinois 60611 Please make checks payable to: Woman's Board, RIC Tickets will be issued in order in which checks are received. Tickets: $30.00 per person (all seats orchestra and mezzanine); includes tax deductible charity donation Namo Address Creme: Features gizmo. Telephone number ADDITIONAL INFO Ticket price: $30.00 (orchestra and mezzanine) Shubert Theatre, 8:00 P.M. If If 1 1 i 'I Earth, Wind Fire: Poetry, passion, and artistic progression. V7 4V 1 XT AMUSEMENT AMUSEMENT To check snow BEN-SNOVL Chicago Phitharmonie M' YOU ARE II CORDIALLY INVITED I II! FOR CHRISTMAS AT THE RITZ.

A 11 if A Christmas Brunch in The Cafe A 7' If 11a.m. to 5 p.m. i $8.75 for adults II A Christmas Feast in The Dining Room 1 I to 7:30 p.m. I I I V. I $15foradults $8forchildren 1 if Holiday Music on The Terrace 2 p.m.

to 8 p.m. XV THE R1TZ-CARLTON Iff 160 East Pearson Street fl 'V AT WATER TOWER PLACE jjf Venture snow reports updated every Thursday. Orchestra Call 312- 236-7669 Orchestra Concert i Dec. 16, at 8:15 Jamet Paul, Conductor David Shamban, cello Joyous Holiday Program Friday December 16, 8 P.M. Auditorium Theatre 70 East Congress J.

C. Bach: Sinfonla In Op. 18, No. 4 Dvorak: Cello Concerto i Wagner: Excerpts from DerRingaesNiDeiungen Tickets Students-Sr. Citizens S1.00 Fred Lewis, Conductor Call Now For Reservations 863-1468 Tickets from $1 to $12 Student, Senior Citizen Group Discounts Available Wagner Siegfried Idyll Moiarl Sinlonia Concerlanle tor Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon Corelll "Christmas" Concerto Haydn "Clock" Symphony 101 lumtolhe I (Chicago I i i Page 10 Section 6 CHICAGO TRIBUNE Arts Fun-December 11, 1977.