Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 75

DETROIT FREE TRESS Sunday, Cannonball Left Us A Big, Soulful Musical Leslie Gay Leace plays Nell, one of the 16 talented ill UK. I ll-. kids who sing and dance to express "The Me Nobody BY TOM FERGUSON fW rTa am Hnlw Jazz giants have a way of leaving little surprises behind when they die, shifts in nuance or in choice of musical companions that pop up amid a flood of memorial albums. Cannonball Adderly, who died last month at 48, left behind a big surprise, called "Big Man." The alto saxophonist, one of three or four who were good enough even to invite comparison with Johnny Hodges and Charlie Parker, wrote the music for this surprising musical play, based on the legend of John Henry. CANNONBALL is listed on the album as playing alto, but I don't hear him.

Joe Williams, whose performance as John Henry is one of the best In a long and illustrious career, said: "That's probably true. All the while I was in the studio, Cannonball was in the control room." So it's as composer and guiding force that Cannonball takes his last choruses, with exciting results. And the results ought to reach much more than Just a Jazz audience. Cannonball, whose musical and human' interests were as wide as his girth, would have liked that. John Henry comes down from heaven where it was a question of who had the bigger ego: God or John Henry and Joins his people, who are working on the railroad.

"Anybody need a big man here?" he asks the straw boss with magnificent arrogance. From then until he loses his race with the steam drill, and wins Jerusalem for his people, there are ballads and there are laments and there are blues songs, with equal dollops of humor and beauty. Lyricist Diane Lampert has taken the soulful musical lines of the Adderlys wrote for the album, too) and somehow managed to eliminate any suggestion of this being merely a string of Cannonball's tunes set to words. JOHN HENRY'S woman, well sung by newcomer Randy Crawford, Is "Gonna Give Lovin' a Try." Both that and her "New Star Risin' are the best kind of show ballads Integral to the stroy line and still worthy of standing alone. There is serious talk of taking "Big Man" onto the stage.

It would take an imaginative expansion of the book, and a more imaginative set designer, to carry it off. Maybe it would work. Meanwhile, what's available is a musical play that works wonderfully on record. 3 mhtmmn Knows." Kids' High Spirits Rise from the Ghetto In Story and Song BY CHRISTINE BROWN FrPri Staff Wrttar hND HIS MR3IC LUMP A PAJUMOUNT MCTlMt Ifjl ltl IBPBO AfkKlIT BaT I I MAIlritto UNLT the late Cannonball Adderly's last work, a musical about John Henry, reflects artistic and human interests that were as wide as his girth. ENDING TODAY! at theatres all over town-check movie guide.

A little black girl in pajamas widens her eyes to the very edges of her face as she tells about the time she went to a funeral and her mama made her touch the corpse so she hit him and he said Hi, folks and scared them all to death. She's cute, and we laugh. A BLACK YOUTH, angry from the start, sings a song IT TAKES A RARE AND SPECIAL MOVIE called "Rejoice. The message is that we should be happy CHANNEL 62 TAKES TO THE AIR The Lineup: Some New, Mostly Old that rats crawled into his baby brother's crib and killed him, 'cause he was so black he never would have made it past high school THE ME NOBODY KNOWS The Theatre of Marygrove College Continued from Page 7F "The host will tell the viewing anyway. to each week attract larger audiences than in each preceding week.

"Mountain" is such a and everywhere it is playing. When you see it.we think youH agree with every wonderful word you've heard about it. 4THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN1 That's sobering, so we sit in silence until the next Nell Leslie audience what the stunt the team must perform is, and the husband will be required to do Sav Lae Schwever Irene bright moment. arias day, "The Green Thumb, a local garden show; Wednesday, "Soul-A-Scope," a local horoscope show; Thursday, "Consumer Spotlight;" Friday, "Creative Cooking." The station also bought several old first-run movies like "Viva Zapata," "Miracle on 34th Street," "Five Golden Dragons" and "The arole "The Me Nobody Kancfv Gianeni Johnson Wevman Thomoson Jeanetle Jones "Showcase Theater," a feature-length movie. Weekend schedules Lone Ranger Hour," for instance, will feature two 30-minute Lone Ranger shows.

Sunday mornings will be dominated by religious-oriented programs. Daily, the 10:30 a.m. time slot will differ: Monday, "Tell Terry;" Tues the stunt within the time guessed by his wife." Knows is a forceful, exu Dlllte Mae Based on the boo "The Me berant musical that keeps its audience on an emo The winning time for each Live," a soap opera about blacks with local actors filling the nine roles; 12:30, "Galaxy Theater," a feature-length movie. At 3, "The Candy Store," a show; 3:30, "Kimba," a cartoon show; 4, Abbott and Costello; 4:30, "Get Smart;" 5, "The Scene," a dance show hosted by WGPR-FM disc jockeys Ray Henderson and Nat Morris; 6, "I Spy;" 7, "Speaking of Sports," a local sports show; 7:30, "Big City News;" 8, a repeat of the daily soap opera; 8:30, "Rawhide;" 9:30, stunt will get the team a prize. THE OTHIf SIDI Of THE MOUNTAIN" S.rf.

MARILYN HASSITT MIKmmom t-dttW BRIDGES 0l Surt NobodV Knows, eflited.DV siepnen M. Joseph: music bv Gary William Friedman; Ivrics bv Will Holt; directed bv David Reoal. At The Theatre. Mervsrove Colleae cemous. Fridays and Saturdays, through Oct.

11, A grand prize will be awarded at the end of the show to the team which took the least tional teeter-totter through 19 songs and countless child's-eye vignettes of ghetto life. But in the end, IELINDA I MONTGOMERY NAN MARTIN DABNEV COLEMAN BILL VINT WILLIAM BRYANT A FILM WAYSLARRY PEEKCI PRODUCTION Scrtftir fry DAVID SEIT2EI lwU ihf book "A LQNG WAY UP" Kv VALENS Muw bv CHARLES FOX Dirttteii by LAUBY PtEKCI ftaJutttltoyEDWAKDS FELDMAN TECHNICOLOR' A UNIVERSAL PICTURE "r.o.-u(l,tiflHtWTOiM I Ifciw iwi irntu i emus ui amount of total time to do the stunts, Grosscup explained. the positive aspects of the play carry the greater weight. The Theatre production of the 1970 award-winning "We have over $90,000 in Special Return musical vibrates with the talent of 16 young people who fulfill the highest expectations of an audience they give it 1 small prizes," Grosscup said. LIMITED ENGAGEMENT-THRU THURSDAY! First Time at Popular Prices and Regular Performances American Film Theatre Presentations That show and others will a living, emotional experience for two hours.

Five Detroit children ranging in age from II to 14 were not be aired until Oct. 13 when the station begins its full-time recruited for the show, and they are its special joy: self-conscious to the point that they turn serious when they must programming. When the full schedule be sing solos, natural in the purity of their unschooled talent. While every member of the cast performs well, one gins, the viewing day will start at 9:30 a.m. with an hour-long talk show, CHECK DIRECTORY FOR SHOWTIMES stands out.

Jeanetta Jones, a little Detroit girl who plays Lillie Mae, keeps a poker face most of the time, but when she belts out the gospel tune "Take Hold the Crutch," she sounds almost womanly in the strength of her voice. With. "Morning Party." This is a COLOR by Movteiatj An American imetnaiiooii Release typical day's lineup: At 9:30 a.m., "Morning training, she could really go places professionally. rm- "SHEBA BABY ecu rW' I diiwpu iimv Paul Norrenbrock's set is stark but powerful. His metal-.

Maple (15 Mile) i Party;" 10:30, "Tell Terry," a problem-solving show; 11, "Countdown;" 11:30, "Big E2J QUO YAOIS Warren Wayne Roads 425-7700 EXCLUSIVE ENDS TUES. unuii a juu i Kercheval at Fisher Road TU. 5-7010 lie rectangles serve as ghetto cages for children whose irrepressible spirits can take them at will into the starry night that filters in through tiny windows. Coolidge 643-8888 City News;" noon, "A Time to It's a bit like "Godspell" or "Hair," but "The Me Nobody Knows," perhaps because of the little false starts, the few off-key notes, the energetic games mixed with melancholy, carries its own child-like charm. The stage attraction of the decade becomes the greatest entertainment event in history! A.

ft A The terrifying motion picture from the terrifying No.l best seller lip OWL prmott JAMES WHZTMORE os Horry S. Truman in GIVE 'EM HELL, HARRY? Technicolor' -MAY TOO PTTBGl FOK 1CUNCO OtJMSf NOW PLAYING pm MUAIID BY 1 III XV V. II I I II I i i HELD OVER -THRU TUESDAY! mm wmm A fomilyf ilm by jo ramp Mulberry Squort Productions. Inc. in j.i j.i CHECK DIRECTORY FOR SHOWTIMES MUM MOVIUl EXCLUSIVE 1 AREA WJ SHOWING STARTS M')-Ui I WEDNESDAY CHECK MOVIE GUIDE FOR PERFORMANCE TIMES AT EACH THEA TRE BARRY WHITE and his men are out to win and stop the Man from calling them 401'H(iiK iitw I'itTw nnoi oho ffliBDXOiH From the writer-director who aave vou "FRITZ THE lis 50500 WOODWARD 2 Blocks north of Fairgrounds CAT" and "HEAVY TRAFFIC!" wmm Daily 9 A.M.

892-9801 Techrkolof A Bryanston Release 0 NOW SHOWING IN ACTIONSCOPE ANO EASTHAJCOIOR ALSO 1R mm "HANDS OF DEATH" THI LIAN, MIAN SO's, WHIN AMIRICA KIEP PROM CRYINOI an? NOW SHOWING! RESTRICTIpql 51 33ft ii ii 1 1 ill i nin inn ii i i JULICl I VHLLO asleicB MLnARU JnPOViN isD.mitri The EVIL GROWS at these Theatres Drive-ins! Cj i mil ii mm! jar fiD cso ana "SPELLBINDINGr am Check Movie Guide for Program Detailsl HAltS CHAMRltN A KMtt Exclusive! Ml DlfVfNSION POUfiES RIom mm PG CS I97S by D'fnsfnuen Inc. I nmm NOWSHOWINGI ujiiiiwn UMMR Happy Ads are for those who enjoy life Call 222-6800 gin.l.'llllMinril.'irlWIII-IJ.I.IT'.VJ mm LiaMiAB kdMUliiUilU i STARRING K.l'Tld tnmlmr Showing' ALL-MALE CAST HOT! WILD! UVEI ALL GIRL 1 TORRID -s 'YOUNG CHECK DIRECTORY FOR PROGRAM DETAILS Strot STARS: SAVAGES" i Plut fKRlMII SUPER THE PRODUCT OF SOMEONE FASCINATED BY EROTICISM AND JTFILWX" SECOND FEATURE "A certain playfulness that eliminates seamy overtones fUtwCiihtvYMwi. attendant upon so many dour hardcore variety HIW riLM IVRRV WID. ATMOSPHERIC 'evil unmix wis" Doyouremember your first time- I I I VM 1 w.v.v.-.a FMks: A BEAUTIFUL THING TO LirriiiiiiiiTi -i i- T-i-t i i -i rTTTTTWWW WW IT TTWTin mm L00KATIv jarring' LORRAINE AtRAUNE IN A dif fERENT kiNdof lovE "VIRCIN AND THE LOVER" SS.ARTMC "BREAKING BOX OFFICE RECORDS Featuring GEORGINA SPEIVIN, i is MARY MONROE RATED XXX COLOR SARAH'S CINDY west; ARLANABLUE as the o) A "GOOD GUY" JOE O'BRIEN JOVCT AlAN SONNY LANDHAW I BARSAffA SCHWARTZ Rock Roll by ROUANO DtSOTO THf STUDBAKS AMMbvKEMAlHoRub OWGINAl SOUNOTKACIC ALBUM ON FUNKY RECORDS EYES '29 Du Fover feature, (title CENSORED) IS IMPOSSIBLE Girl IN COLOR ADULTS ONLY Intimite It I Cov Jl fOLINKA Cover PIUS 2m) X-WTED HIT (PLUS -2ND BIG HIT!) PODAiMY PARK Penlhouse .22575 WEST ART1 31 NORTH WASHINGTON YPSILANTI X-CLUSIVELYatthe 1580 FORT 8TJ RjSsYCfff KRIM 16750 WOODWARD rELECRAPHRCj HIGHLAND PK ART 2 31 NORTH WASHINGTON YPSILANTI 8MILERD. SIX MILE THEATRE LINCOLN PARKJ.