EDIT ORIA L
O ne special point of interest on this December program is the Portrait devoted to Sheila Jordan, who is guest- teaching at the jazz department of the Muskihochschule in Graz this month. Drawing on her rich vocal resources, Jordan will run the gambit from Charlie Parker to Mingus and onto Harvie Swartz, with the support of her long- time accompanist Steve Kuhn, as well as with Fritz Pauer, the father figure of the local piano scene. On Wednesday, instead of the usual session, she'll be sharing the stage with her vocal class from Graz.

In addition, the Vienna Art Orchestra will be turning the spotlight back onto Eric Dolphy to wind up the series of six concerts (each proceeded by an intensive period of rehearsals during which an over-proportional increase in the dart-throwing skill of the musicians was evidenced) in which the orchestra has been presenting new versions of some of their former programs. For this evening of "Nine Immortal Nonevergreens For Eric Dolphy" the VAO will once again be functioning as a stageband, this time nearly in their original line-up.

Patrons of the Backstage Bar will not be the only ones indulging in melancholy remembrances of times past... This month's Tribute goes to Bing Crosby with his musical articulation of the classic wish for a "White Christmas" (which you can probably only still count on having at such places as Greenland or the South Pole). The following is a short list of people who have declined our invitation, for a wide variety of reasons (sore throat, presents yet to buy, no babysitter, Christmas cards still to write, bad for the image...): Mo, Ludwig Hirsch, Leo Lukas, Gerhard Bronner, Georg Danzer, Franz Morak, Wolfgang Ambros, Frank Sinatra and David Bowie.

In the Midnight Specials this month, Alegre Corrêa and her Sextet will provide a guaranteed prescription-free musical upper against December depression! Christmas Eve will also have a Latin feel with Cuban musicians (led by Günther Brück) giving welcome relief -- under the motto "Cuban Christmas" -- to all those who are vexed by the "White Christmas" stereotype. To avoid conflict with family responsibilities, we have scheduled this event for 22:00. Could there be a better way to cap a day of presents (which you never expect but are still happy to receive!) and feasting on Christmas goose?

This month we will also be welcoming back Phil Minton, Lew Soloff, Bill Evans, Danny Gottlieb and Marc Egan, as well as Steve Swallow and Peter Brötzmann with their new bands... a line-up of international heavyweights whose visits are always a great pleasure. At the end of this month, note that the PianoNightLine will change into a VocalNightLine, until February when the NightLine will espouse the guitar.

As in the past, the series Unstolen Moments will be good for some surprises (what are ruby-throats such as Heintje and Heino in his sunglasses doing in this dark & smoky jazz-orgiastic den?). These surprises are guaranteed to be worthwhile whereas some we've recently had weren't nearly so pleasant... like when the state- run composers' and musicians' copyright institution AKM turned down our request for financial support because we weren't able to supply a detailed program for the season at the time. Naturally, in recompense, they couldn't even offer any solutions for our dilemma; namely how to produce programs a full season in advance and still keep the club current and spontaneous.

Despite this financial setback, we are continuing to look optimistically towards the future and hope we can continue to enlist your enthusiastic support. Your Renald Deppe, Christoph Huber and mathias rüegg

PORGY & BESS, SPIEGELGASSE 2, 1010 WIEN, TEL: 512 84 38