University of Virginia Library

Sophisticated Sound

Toves Back With New Talent, Ideas

By Fred Heblich
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Students who gathered on the
Lawn one Sunday evening last
spring may have thought they
witnessed the "farewell" performance
of the Slithy Toves — the
University's premier rock group of
the previous two years.

However, they were saying
"goodbye," not to the Slithy
Toves, but to just the first era of
the Toves. The group is still
together, and is back with new
faces, now talent, and new ideas
about what music is and how it is
performed.

Forming the nucleus of the
groups are organist-arranger-vocalist-song-writer
Lou Gordera,
guitarist-writer Barry Smith, and
bassist-vocalist Kent Beyer. Performing
the drumming chores is
Miles Harrigan, who has played
with several other groups before
joining up with the Toves. Giving
the group a bigger sound, and an
added musical dimension is a
three-piece horn section, composed
of Tom Bibb on trumpet, Kimo
Poister on saxophone, and Peter
Frienberg, who plays flugelhorn,
flute, and contributes vocals.

The only way to describe the
sound of the Slithy Toves is
"original."

Guitarist Smith says the group is
striving for a "more sophisticated"
sound. They have mixed jazz
chordings and harmonies with early
blues in recent experimentation to
come up with a sound in which can
be found the flavors of Blood,
Sweat, and Tears, Traffic, the
Procol Harum, BB King, maybe
even a hint of Harry James.

One thing that can be said in
certainty, is that the Toves are
"anti-noise." Reviews of the Toves
two years ago classified them as the
"University's experimental psychedelic
rock group." The only term
still applicable to the Toves is
"experimental."

They experimented themselves
out of the psychedelic phase, threw
away fuzz-tines and wa wa pedals,
and now have pure, clean sound in
their music.

Original Material

At the present approximately
half of the Toves' material is
original. Most of the writing is done
by organist Cordera, who is an
accomplished musician, with Smith
and Beyer contributing ideas. The
material that they didn't write is
arranged by them, almost to the
point where all that remains of the
original song is the words. The
Toves have delved back into the
1920's and come up with two songs
in particular that demonstrate the

group's creative talent: "Wine," and
"Black Magic Woman."

By the end of this year, The
Slithy Toves expect to be performing
only original material.

The Toves material is very
complex. They may change
rhythms three or four times during
one song, producing intricate tempo
patterns, or break into organ or
guitar solos with professional fluidly
and tightness that many groups
have spent years trying to achieve.

The variety in their music is
impressive. They feel that their
music offers something for every
musical taste whether it be jazz,
rock, blues, or even soul. They
believe they have combined the
best of all musical worlds into a
new, dynamic sound, which is pure
and clean.

The addition of Frienberg will
enable the Toves to offer more in
the way of vocals. Cordera does a
major part of the singing, including
harmonies, and Beyer sings most of
blues-type songs. Between the three
the Toves should be able to balance
their fine instrumental work with
adequate singing, something they
had trouble doing in the past.

Made A Name

In the past two years the Toves
made quite a name for themselves
in music circles in Virginia, North
Carolina, and New York. They have
played at several of the Friday
night dances on big weekends, on
the same bill with "name" groups,
and last winter they were featured
at New York's "Electric Circus."

Also last winter they played a
two-hour concert before a University
audience which jammed into
Old Cabell Hall Auditorium. Perhaps
the highlight of the Toves
career, at least in terms of personal
satisfaction, was the concert on the
Lawn last spring which drew over
2,000 students to the steps of
Cabell Hall to watch drummer Don
Smith, and bassist Bruce Brandfonn
give their last performances as
Slithy Toves.

Because of the enthusiastic response
to the Lawn concert, the
Slithy Toves plan to follow up with
more lawn performances. It is this
kind of environment that they feel
is most comfortable, and this kind
of audience that they most enjoy
playing for.

Both Columbia Records and the
National General Corporation have
expressed interest in the Slithy
Toves, and taping sessions are in the
planning stage at present. By late
next summer the group hopes to
have an album released featuring all
original material.

One thing that Slithy Toves have
proved to audiences in the last two
years is that creativity can exist in
Charlottesville. The Toves, unlike
many groups, are not copiers. To be
sure they listen to other musicians
and are influenced, but somehow
when they do a song it comes out
being theirs. They also proved that
a group can be a commercial
success playing its own music.
While other groups still mimic Jimi
Hendrix and Ginger Baker, the
Toves sit around and play things for
each other and ask each other if
they like it and somehow put it all
together and everybody likes it, and
it's theirs.

Aren't Satisfied Yet

The Toves aren't satisfied yet
with their music; they probably
never will be. They are still
searching, experimenting with new
ideas and new sounds. They have a
lot of talent and it will be a long
time before they run out of new
ways to use it.

If you saw the Slithy Toves last
year you will be surprised with the
new Toves. If you never saw the
Slithy Toves before you will be
surprised they are still in Charlottesville.
If you never see the
Slithy Toves don't be surprised to
learn what you've missed when you
hear everyone talking about them.