3/5 Compromise returns to LC for fourth show

by Joe Sixta

The garage band: an American pastime for millions of adolescents across the nation. Though most bands never go anywhere, many look back with nostalgia on those days: at first many play poor imitations of Green Day, Nirvana, or whatever else is cool at the time. Then, in high school, these bands might start to write their own songs, many with little success. Graduation then comes and the band falls apart, like so many other bands before them have and so many after them will.

Except for the enigmas. Every once in a while, there’s a group that defies the laws of garage bands and stays together. 3/5 Compromise is one of these bands. Not only have they continued to play together, but they have also continued to diversify their sound and skills. 3/5 Compromise is a solid jazz band composed of 5 college-age musicians (three black and two white; hence the reference to the law regarding the status of slaves established at the Constitutional Convention). Like many jazz bands today they’re good, they’re dedicated, and they keep improving.

3/5 Compromise began playing together in high school. In January of 2000 drummer Andrew Shoals and sax player Chris Hardin, along with guitarist George Mandis formed a band and quickly recruited bassist Aaron Landau, a Lewis and Clark student. The quartet began practicing in Mandis’s basement and performed first for Lewis & Clark in April of 2000. The band continued rehearsing and went on to win a citywide competition later that summer. After six months of being together they played in the Annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival--the biggest jazz festival in Portland--and played there again the following year. In order to really floor their audiences they recruited pianist Harrold Roberts, and since then they have continued to play gigs throughout Portland and the Northwest. They released their first CD (simultaneously entitled "Gang Music" and "A Circle of Fists") in July of 2002, though they were featured on many other compilation CDs prior to their own debut and were even included on a nationally released CD.

In the summer of 2002 the band decided to get serious about their music and tried to break into Portland’s music scene. Playing one or two gigs a week they learned first-hand how difficult it can be to make it as professional musicians. In planning for the upcoming summer they feel better prepared for how much work it will take and know which mistakes to avoid.

Today jazz bands are good; they have to be. Since jazz—unlike many genres—generally doesn’t have the force of radio behind it, jazz musicians work hard to attract a wide range of audiences. In the process of adapting these different types of music, many have ended up creating a wonderful sound. The styles of John Coltrane and James Brown are often blended together like they were one and the same and some bands have added rap lyrics to compliment their pieces. While radios blast away simple chord structured songs by one hit wonders, jazz musicians play sounds that are leaving audiences blown away by their funk.

3/5 Compromise has a great sound and is enjoyable for any listener regardless of their preferences. There is a lot of skill and musical know-how in this band, and it comes through on their pieces. They play a wide range of styles including, funk, atomic jazz, a little soul, and the ever classic elevator music. The band has a solid instrumental base and saxophonist Chris Hardin overlays with ease everything they play.

Kevin Kline's "Emperor's Club" not worth joining

by Nicholas M. Sola

Teachers not only teach students, but are taught by the students. In the new movie, "The Emperor's Club", William Hundert (played by Kevin Kline) is a classics teacher at a boy's boarding school who learns a valuable lesson from a 25-year conflict with a student: some people, no matter how promising they might be, are real jerks. This is a good lesson. Only thing is that most people don't take 25 years to find this out.

This is a refreshing message from a prep-school film that tries to be a mix between two superior films: the feel-good "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" and the darker "Dead Poets Society". The mix of films doesn't work. "The Emperor's Club" is unoriginal and derivative of the two films mentioned above.

This is not surprising that the script is a problem considering that scriptwriter Neil Tolkin's previous screenwriting efforts have been the terrible Macaulay Culkin vehicle, "Richie Rich", and the stupidly fun Pauly Shore film, "Jury Duty". It's amazing that anyone in Hollywood allowed this guy to write a serious screenplay.

The script is clichéd. Enough with the visual jokes about old people not being able to work basic modern technology. Enough with the scene where someone is making fun of another guy, not realizing the other guy is right behind him/her. It's amazing that audiences put up with this.

Also, it is unclear what the film is supposed to be about. At times, it's about Hundert, similar to "Goodbye, Mr. Chips". At times, it's about the students, who have hijinks similar to Dead Poets Society. At times, it's about both the students and Hundert, once again, similar to "Dead Poets Society". This might not be such a problem if it wasn't for Hundert's irregular voiceover. Since Hundert narrates the action in flashback, one would expect him to remember only what he was present at. Yet, the audience sees things that Hundert wasn't present at, therefore, there would be now way he would know it. Once again, it's amazing that audiences put up with these illogical narratives.

Director Michael Hoffman does the best he can with the script. Hoffman finds a way to add suspense to both Julius Caesar scenes, which could have been as boring as the rest of the film if not for a competent director.

Kline, who had previously worked with Hoffman in "Soapdish" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream", just goes through the motions, making one suspect that he's doing Hoffman a favor by acting in this movie. Although Kline is an overrated actor, he could have done a much better job on this movie.

If it wasn't for the fact that this movie was unoriginal, it might be worth watching. Maybe it's a good thing for the audience that there are at least two superior boarding school dramas out there. Skipping "The Emperor's Club" would give the audience to a chance to catch up on classic movie watching.