The Times from San Mateo, California • Page 34

PpCrmer Grateful Dead Revived To Back Up a Colleague Peter J. Barsocchini one with some friends. piece of music England's Yes have produced. Side two contains two tunes. The first is an interesting meshing of acoustic and electronic music, and it, like the majority of Yes' music, is tightly, integrally produced.

The album's final piece, "Si berian Khatru," sounds like the Yes of the "Fragile1 al bum, and does not extend their sound as do the previous two tracks. The album "Closer to the Edge" certainly shows Yes to be a consistently enjoyable group, and the title cut of this LP indicates that in the future they could even be an important group. Tim Wcisbcrg, "Hurtwood Edge" SP 4352). Tim Weisberg, on the basis of this and his previous album, now joins Paul Horn and the Herbbie Mann in my catalogue of avorite flutists. Weisberg is not a jazz flutist or a rock flutist, his sound seeming to be somewhere in between the two styles.

But whatever the classification of the style might be, if any, the most significantly emergent, factor is the fluid, any joy inherent in so much of his music, "Hurtwood Edge" flows and ebbs in mood and mo "The Chase (Progress)," 'and a general majority of foot lapping stuff, "The Main Ten," "Young Man," "Pump Song," and "Blind John." Hart wrote most of the music for the album, but his style seems to be drawn heavily from the group's basic sound. Bob Weir and Robert Hunter assist Hart in the writing, The album is another in a series of Dead and Friends efforts, and, it offers more of Mickey Hart than you'll probably hear anyplace else. "Yes Closer to the Edge" (Atlantic SD 7244). This album is good in concept and performance, and comes very close to being quite unique. The uniqueness lies within the integrity of the LP's title, cut, "Closer to the Edge," which comprises the entirety of side one and is as well constructed a lengthy tune as any tiling previously released this year.

The musical theme of "Closer to the Edge" is simple, yet not bare in its simplicity. A range of moods and meanings is presented in a structurally circular fashion which begins, rises, and descends within a context of fine, exploratory rock music. It is quite likely the best The Grateful Dead is a polymorphous compilation of very talented musicians and their equally talented friends. So when one of the band members makes an album on his own, there is little doubt that he will'Jiave a veritable surfeit of gifted assistance. That's the reason you will find Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Web (all of the Grateful Dead) Grace Slick, Paul Kanter, Stephen Stills, Barry Mellon, John Cippolina, and the Tower of Power horn section, among others, all stopping by to lay down tracks on the album "Rolling Tonder" (Warner Bros.

Records BS 2635), which is ostensibly a Nickey Hart solo album. Hart, of course, used to be one of the drummers for the Dead, then, following a financial mess involving hisTather and the band, he stepped out for a while. Since that time he's been working on this album and other projects. And, not surprisingly, the album is more a reflection of the Dead community, so to speak, than of Mickey Hart. And this is the very reason that Grateful Dead fans will find the album enjoyable.

There are a couple of fine instrumental tracks, "Deep, Wide and Frequent" and Mickey Hart tries ment, softly soaring and sustaining notes mantra like in their evocation. The album works so well as a whole that it would seem unnecessary to speak of inei vidual tracks, rather it seems belter to approach the album as a unified experience, one of many characters and both sad and joyful, and always well Tim Weinberg's second album for Records is as fine as his first and sometimes better; hopefully there will be many more. NOTES: Attention Creed enee Clearwater fans: anyone wanting a promotional The GamcsmaB In Search of Elusive Mah Jong Players pair of Creedence drummer Doug Clifford's drum sticks, for free, write me care of The Times, before October 15. I have only one pair to give away, so the letter or card carrying the earliest postmark will win. There will be a drawing in case of a tie.

Make sure to include your address and phone number with the request the Original Glenn Miller Orchestra will present a dance concert on Sunday, October 15, at the Airport Plaza Hotel. The dance concert begins at 9 p.m., tickets are available through Macy's and Tickelron. Ricliartt V. Moon tain sets of tiles. The winner is the first player to hold a complete hand four sets and a pair of like tiles.

Anyway, we would like very much to include the Mah Jong groups in the game club listing so, if you are out there, let us hear from you. GAME NOTES: The Bur lingame Chess Club is starting one of the largest chess tournaments ever held in this area. Over 100 players are entered with strengths represented. If you want more information, the club meets Thursday nights at 7 o'clock at the Burlingame Recreation Center, 850 Burlingame Avenue. played only by people of discerning arid analytical minds, that it was a game of skill withjjcertaih elements of chance and; therefore, above the abilities of the peasant classes.

In 1911, when China became a republic, the game was introduced to the masses and instantly became the most popular pastime in the Orient. The name "MAH JONG" was copyrighted by one Joseph Babeock, a U.S. citizen living in Shanghai, and he is credited with introducing it into this country right after World War I. The spelling of the game varied because of the copyright, and different versions have been marketed. The game became a great fad in this country and in En gland durihg the 1920s and, in the United Statesj there existed a National Mah Jong league with thousands of members.

Just why the game fell from favor is somewhat cf a mystery. It is a fascinating game akin to dominoes but with more skill involved iii its playing. Modern Ma Johg sets are usually made of plastic instead of bone or ivory. A full set consists of 136 or 144 tiles depending oh whether "flowers" or "seasons" are used. The game, is for four, each playing for himself (there are no partners).

The object of play, similar to that of rummy card games, is to ob of Ma Jong and also gave us the opportunity to look at their very old set. Ma Jong was originally called "Sparrows" and originated, as the name might imply, in China. The game had many different Chinese names such as Ma Cheuck, Mah Dio, Pung Chose, Lee Ping, and other translations of the'different dialects. A game of antiquity, it was first played by the Mandarins or the ruling class of Chi na. The Mandarins believed the game to be distinctly the property of their class and they confined its playing to their members and refused permission to the common people of the country to enjoy its pleasures.

The Mandarins thought the game could be Saturday, Otlober 7, 9J2 We have been working on a directory of game clubs in area which we hope to publish in a forthcoming issue of Weekend. "So far the only response, has been from the chess clubs. We think you are out there so how about letting us know who you are. We know, for instance, that' there are some Mah Jong groups that meet regularly and we would like to include them in the directory. Mah Jong is very popular and, we were very surprised a year or so ago when a column on the game produced more mail from readers than any other game we have covered.

Mr. and Mre. Roy Skickra even sent us a booklet printed in 1923 giving the history Page 4A THE TIMES WEEKEND.