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BY DOROTHY WHITMOREThe spirit of the late Benny Goodman, via the Big Band sound, will be much alive and kicking up a blast when the Musicians of Brooklyn Initiative (MOBI) perform at the Prospect Park bandshell on July 5th as part of the %u201cCelebrate Brooklyn%u201d series.MOBI, as it is generally called, is a oneyear-old professional musicians%u2019 collective of about 275 jazzmen playing in various ensembles %u2014 quartets, trios and octets.When leader, Earl MacIntyre, calls out %u201cone, two, three,%u201d for the downbeat at this weekend festivity, MOBI%u2019s big band will attack in full force with a combination of Brazilian jazz rhythms and oldtime, blues favorites, such as %u201cSentimental Mood.%u201dLeading this attack under MacIntyre%u2019s baton are four trombones, five saxophones, three trumpets and a french horn. The woodwinds will be interpreted by an electric guitar, and percussion handled by an electric piano. Drummer Vinnie Johnson will hit the skins of a four drum set.The big band is only one component at this concert. Marty Ehrlich, who piays alto sax in the big band, will lead his own trio. This trio consists of a base and drums with Ehrlich leading on either alto or tenor sax in his own original compositions. The 31-year-old Ehrlich, who%u2019s resided for seven years in Boerum Hill, characterizes his harmonies as %u201coriginal compositions in many different moods which resist labelling.%u201dLabelled as %u201cManhattan Transfer%u201d types though, are the vocal trio, %u201cOver Easy,%u201d who will sing acappella. But, needing the big band%u2019s back-up will be vocalist Renee Manning, who%u2019s been singing professionally for 15 years. The 31-year-old Manning, who is also Earl MacIntyre%u2019s wife, however, has only sang jazz for a little over two years. Before that she sang funk%u2014 a rhythm and blues variation%u2014and fell into jazz accidentally when jazz great Mel Lewis asked her to sit in. She performs regularly with Lewis at the Village Vanguard. This is only her second MOBI concert. The first was an April 18th fund raiser at Cooper Union.The fundraiser, though, only %u201cpaid a few bills, like electricity and rent at St. Ann%u2019s on Montague Street,%u201d where the groups regularly perform, according to StephenThe musicians of MOBI in rehearsal last week at St. Ann%u2019s Church in Brooklyn Heights.(Phoenix Photos by Cheech Barber)The c o lle c tiv e 's biggest p ro b le m a t pre sen t is g e ttin gincreased fu n d in g to c o n tin u e its c o n c e rt series. E arlM a c In ty re , th e tro m b o n is ts says th e g ro u p is to o young.Haynes, a MOBI board director and a big band trumpeter. Haynes, who has a BFA from Bennington and hails from the midwest, is presently living with his family in Fort Greene. He%u2019s dedicated to MOBI%u2019s concept, %u201cto provide a positive work situation for all the musicians to grow anddevelop in the Brooklyn community.%u201d Haynes is involved in all aspects of MOBI: fund-raising, advertising, organizing and playing.The collective%u2019s biggest problem, at present, is getting increased funding to conContinued on Page 10. . . Followed by Two-Week Series of Jazz and GospelBY ROBERT COHENOn Sunday evening, July 5th, the MOBI (Musicians of Brooklyn Initiative) Big Band is scheduled to begin the second series in the Celebrate Brooklyn summer performing arts festival in the Prospect Park Band Shell. A two-week dance series kicked off the season.The MOBI Big Band, now in its second year, will be conducted by trombone player, Earl McIntyre and will feature the talents of pianist, John Hicks; vocalist, Renee Manning; trombone player, Steve Turre; and a dazzling young guitarist, Kevin Eubanks. Also performing will be the Marty Ehrlich Trio and %u201cOver Easy.%u201dThe series will continue through the rest of that week with a concert on Mondaym rnnm n T%u00ab%u00abl%u00abr Cfk K%u00bbi o n u m %u25ba 1 o rr r * m icians in a tribute to, and celebration of, the life and music of the late trumpet player,Cal Massey. Massey lived in Brooklyn for many years and composed and arranged compositions for John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, among others.Steve Turre%u2019s Sea Shell Choir and %u201cCity Spirits,%u201d featuring Tim Moran and Tony Vacca will play on Friday, July 11th. On July 12th, Lester Bowie%u2019s Brass Fantasy, a Celebrate Brooklyn favorite, will return to the bandshell. Bowie, a noted trumpet player, was instrumental in organizing his fellow Brooklyn jazz artists into the MOBI group. He will be accompanied by five other musicians including two not-sounknowns, saxophonist, Oliver Lake, and keyboardist, Cecil Taylor. Following Brass Fantasy will be the %u201cWilliamsburg AllStars.%u201dT K o o o rio c w ill o n lm in a tfi nn J n l v 13th in afirst for Celebrate Brooklyn, a full evening devoted to gospel and spiritual music. Onhand will be four gospel groups: %u201cThe No Name Gospel Singers,%u201d %u201cTemple Beth-El A Cappella Choir,%u201d %u201cLittle Wonder Boy and the Spiritual Voices,%u201d and %u201cDedication.%u201d All four groups hail from Brooklyn. The BethEl Choir, interestingly enough, features the singing voices of a Jewish synagogue in East New York. The same choir also does some %u201cnon-spiritual material.%u201dThis summer%u2019s jazz and gospel line-up promises to deliver memorable performances. Says Burl Hash, Celebrate Brooklyn%u2019s producer, %u201cI%u2019m always on the lookout for new talent %u2014 I like to mix it up every year to keep it exciting.%u201dHash believes the festival%u2019s growing popularity stems from the fact that of all the summer arts festivals in New York City,P p lp h r a t p R ro n lrlv n ic th e m n c t o p lo n tin __as well as the most prolific. It has grown to 37 shows over 12 weeks with a $300,000budget from the more modest 20 shows it did in a five-week period in 1979 for an equally modest $30,000.Last year, about 100,000 people flocked to the summer-long festival of free music, dance and theater at the bandsheii and the winter concerts in the Picnic House. The same number is expected this year %u2014 and the audience, no longer composed exclusively of Brooklynites, is expected to continue to diversify geographically. According to Hash, about 20 percent of the crowd will be out-of-towners, mainly from New Jersey and Long Island.Celebrate Brooklyn%u2019s Jazz and Gospel series Includes concerts on July 5, 6,11,12 and 13 at 8pm in the Prospect Park BandCKoIl Porlnmionnoo ora (vao Hit# t l oah.tribution is asked .M O B I G iv e s W h a le o f S h o wJuly 3,1986, THE PH OENIX, P a g * 9