University of Virginia Library

MUSIC

Mark-Almond Loses To Big Tee

By BILL RICHARDS

The turnout for the
Mark-Almond concert was
expectedly poor but
nonetheless ironic. If the
"University Musical Tastes"
were to be gummed together,
chewed on for a while and
blown into a composite
musical genre, it would most
likely be a rock-jazz combo
that could be left on the stereo
when the grandparents
dropped in. It would probably
have a good acoustical sound
and probably use lots of horns,
but most important of all, it
must have a name. The Jon
Mark-Johnny Almond Band
most of this plus an
overdose of virtuosity, but
unfortunately, they weren't
named after the "Windy City."

Let me take another tack. I
was out visiting friends this
weekend and we had a choice
in cuisines between the Big Tee
Burger and the Fitzhugh Grill.
Neither of them a Carrot Cafe,
but nonetheless, there existed
the dichotomy between a
neon-lighted, quick-service,
media-concerned operation
versus a non-pressure, "come in
and sit a spell" type of service
with a rapport all its own.

C-villers faced a similar
decision Sunday night with the
"No-Shows" evidently feeling
musically uncomfortable with
a group that didn't use "neon
lights."

Mark and Almond brought
with them three new people.
Bobby Torres on congas,
Wolfgang Meltz (replacing
Colin Gibson) on bass, and a
surprise guest, Alun Davies (of
Cat Stevens, and for that
matter of Alun Davies fame).
Ken Craddock's keyboard job
was usurped in part by both
the multi-talented Johnny
Almond (who tripled on tenor
sax and alto flute) and Geoff
Condon (who doubled on
horns).

The Jamaican-shirted
Torres played with as much
expertise as "Flaco" Falcon,
who has jammed with Dave
Mason and Joe Cocker. The
faded "Cocker Power" sticker
on Torres congas was an
ill-reminder of Cocker's most
recent tour, where, during a
guest appearance, Jon Mark
had an accident which
necessitated a finger
amputation. This is Mark's first
tour since the accident and he
remains an acoustic finger style
guitarist of the finest order and
an author of a majority of the
Mark-Almond tunes.

What about Dannie
Richmond? Richmond has
been a favorite drummer of
mine since his early Charlie
Mingus days. His footwork is
not as strong as, say, a Ginger
Baker but he more than makes
up for it with introspective
drumming patterns that make
me anticipate the further
infiltration of jazz drummers
into the Rock World. I like to
compare Richmond's style to
another favorite of mine, Elvin
Jones; and moreover
Richmond's handwork (his
forte) is every bit as quick as
Buddy Rich's.

In closing, Jon Mark said he
would bring some back-up
groups to U.Va. next year that
would not cancel and they
would then fill the house. I say
let them all cancel; after all it
would leave more time for the
Mark-Almond Band.

***

The hors-d'oeuvre group,
Tranquility, put me off at first
when I noticed half the group
was wearing un-ecological,
reptilian, knee-high boots.
(After all, Jim Morrison is
dead). But I was very quickly
won over by the group's
affability. Their three
rhythm-lead guitar setup was
well coordinated and Terry
Shaddick (the group leader) is
not only a good guitarist,
vocalist and songwriter but he
also has the most efficacious
smile in Rock and Roll.

Their style is vocally
oriented in the footsteps of
such fine English groups as
Genesis and Capability Brown.
By the way, the won Melody
Maker's "most promising"
group of 1972–which is as
good a point as any to stop
with.