Down On The Corner

By Paul Moffett

• If This Is April, Then It Must Be Festivals Dept. Time to make announcements, anyway. Here are some upcoming events:

• Otter Creek Park Bluegrass Festival. We've plugged this one already, but too much is not enough. Gary Loeser has put together a lineup to remind fans of the "goodle days" of the downtown Louisville Bluegrass Festival. Ralph Stanley, Carl Story, Laurie Lewis and Grant Street, John Hartford, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Eastbound, The Reno Brothers, The Charlie Sizemore Band, Northern Lights, and more and more – three whole days worth. The dates are May 26, 27 and 28 and if you order now, you might still get a break on the tickets. Cali 502-583-3577 for more information.

• The 18th Annual Appalachian Family Folk Week is scheduled for June 11-17, at the Hindman Settlement School in Hindman, Ky. Staff for the event include Jean Ritchie, Ray Sloan, Marion Sumner, Lee and Phil Sexton, Cari Norris, Sonny Houston and Randy Wilson, among others. The event is for folks who want to dance and sing, make crafts, tell stories and generally reconnect with traditional Appalachian activities. Call 606-785-5475 for more information.

• Maifest 95, Covington, Ky.'s annual celebration of German tradition, will happen on May 19-21 in the Mainstrasse Village. Go have fun. Call Cindy Scheidt at 606-491-0458.

• The Kerrville Folk Festival runs from May 25 to June 11, in Kerrville, Texas. It's a mite fur piece to go for folk music but there are fans and it should be mentioned. Call 210-257-3600 for information.

• Planet Bluegrass. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival is June 15-18 way out in Colorado. The lineup there reads more like a West Coast folk list with bluegrass mixed in than a straight bluegrass show. As in Mary-Chapin Carpenter, James Taylor and Bruce Cockburn.

• The Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, N. C., runs for a month, from July 9 to August 5. The Gathering is all about musical instruction and is in parts: Celtic Week, Performance Lab Week, Old-Time Music and Dance Week, Dulcimer Week and Contemporary Folk Week. The instructors are too many to mention, but maybe names like David Wilcox and Maura O'Connell ring a bell? Call 704-298-3325, Ext. 426, for information, but don't dawdle – slots are limited.

• The folks at Illinois Benedictine College in Lisle, Ill., have been running the Janice Borla Jazz Camp and Concert Series for seven years now. Number seven is set for July 16-21. If you are interested in improving your jazz vocalizations, this is probably your cup of tea. Call Jack Mouse at 708-960-1500 for information.

• Coals to Newcastle Dept. Kelly Richey got the word that her band is set to play at Memphis Crossroads. The gig will be at B. B. King's on Friday, April 7, at 1 a.m., said to be a primo slot. Now everybody'll know about Kelly and the next thing you know they'll want her to move to L. A. and dye her hair purple.

• When You're Hot Dept. Kelly sent a note that her new CD is due out on May 1. The CD was produced by Sam "Shake" Anderson of lovesauce & soulbones. Writing credits include Anderson, Tim Krekel, Vince Emmett and Kelly Richey.

• Was Produced by Was Dept. Look for a new album by Louisville native Jonell Mosser, produced by no less than the acclaimed Don Was. 'Bout time!

• Jimmy Raney Update. Jazz legend Jimmy Raney, who had a stroke in December of 1993, remains in stable condition at Parkway Medical Center, according to his long-time companion Ola Miracle. Ola says that he is not comatose, but cannot speak. Cards and occasional visitors would be welcomed. Cards can be sent to: Jimmy Raney, c/o Parkway Medical Center, Rm. 401, 1155 Eastern Pkwy., Louisville, KY 40217. Visitors should check with Parkway Medical before going, as Jimmy has spent some time in the hospital.

• Homefront Performances has new officers. The new chairperson is Dara Myers, replacing outgoing Chair John Grant; Allen Furr is Vice-Chair; Jim Boklage takes over the Secretary slot and Steve Imhoff remains as Treasurer. Joe Ford and Tom Flood were elected to the Board.

• Congrats to Goodnight Maxine for their win in the Bud Ice band contest at Butchertown Pub in March. Good show Maxine!

• Bizianes Music holding a free clinic and concert on April 18, featuring Corey Allen, who writes charts for Manhattan Transfer and other well-known players. Allen will demonstrate Kurzweil keyboard products at 10 a.m. At 7 p.m., Allen will perform a concert with help from guitarist Jack Brengle. The concert is also free. For more information, call Larry Bizianes at 459-4686. (Ask him about his three new grandchildren.)

• Winston Hardy's long-awaited multimedia project is at last beginning to come to fruition. An album release party for the CD Mumbo-Jumbo is set for April 15 at Blondie's Blue Diamond on 7th Street Road. Check Winston's ad in the blues section for more details.

• Local indie label Derby City Records is sponsoring a "Tribute to Marvin Gaye," set for April 2 at the Ramada Inn, Jeffersonville.

• Movin', Movin', Movin' Division. Yes, ear X-tacy is changing locations again, this time into the Worth Plaza space recently vacated by Pier 1 Imports. In case you didn't know (& I bet you prolly dint), Worth Plaza is in the 1500 block of Bardstown Road. The move is to be done on April 12. Good luck, John Timmons.

• completely lower case dept. local archy & mehitabel emulator danny flanigan is giving up his monkey night at anthony's by the bridge, effective march 28. five years is a long time, isn't it, danny, but there's a dance or two left in the old dame yet.

• Gone But Not Forgotten Dept. Paul McGarry said that Blonde Johnson is defunct, although the band will play a Derby Show. While we're at it, for those of you who didn t know, the J. D. Black Band called it quits a while back.

• Michael Murphy was recovered enough from his recent mugging to get up and do some mugging of his own with the bands playing at his benefit, held at the Silo Microbrewery on March 22.

• Alms, alms for the Orchestra. If you missed the story about the Whitney Fund to aid the Orchestra, here's the scoop: Mrs. Robert Whitney and Maestro Lawrence Leighton Smith have established a fund to aid the Orchestra. You can pledge by calling 502-429-5753 or by sending a check to: The Robert & Clarita Whitney Fund/Stock Yards Bank and Trust Co., 214 S. 5th St., Louisville, KY 40202. Act now.

• Not Since Steal This Book Dept. American Recordings is "bragging" that Danzig4, the new recording by the band of the same name, is the most stolen CD of all time, leaving record stores via the five-finger discount at the rate of 15% (contrasted with the normal 1% pilferage rate.) The company has changed the packaging so that it won't be as easy to steal, but, gosh, it all seems so ... appropriate.

• Congressmen, Spare That Writer Dept. BMI Nashville urges all songwriters and composers to write to their congressmen urging them not to support H. R. 789, The Fairness in Musical Licensing Act of 1995.

H. R. 789 provides that any commercial establishment that plays a radio or TV (including cable) would no longer be required to pay for the use of the music on radio or TV, unless the establishment charges admission for that specific purpose.

Space does not permit further discussion of H. R. 789 here, but we feel sure BMI Nashville would be happy to provide additional info.

Club News

• Cello's has been open out in Hikes Point for three months. They're booking live music on the weekends. There is a karaoke contest on Wednesday with a $50 prize attached. Cello's is at 2931 Richland Ave. The phone is 458-7183.

• Jake & Elwood's Pizza Bar & Grill opened March 3 in the site last occupied by Chicago Rob's, at 131 Breckinridge. J&E's will be open Monday – Wednesday, 11 a. m. – midnight; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11 a. m. – late. According to manager/owner Richard Garrison, there will be solo/duos on Thursday, from 8 till 12 and bands on Friday and Saturday, 9:30 – 1:30. The phone number is 899-1020 for more info.

• The Flashback has opened in the building that was formerly Uncle Pleasant's, 2127 Preston St. New owners Kirk and Beth Logsdon have completely repainted the interior, which is now quite bright. They plan to book "goodtime rock n' roll," mining the rock genre all the way back to rockabilly. Open since March 4, the club is moving to book weekends, with Tuesdays set for dart and pool leagues and Wednesdays loosely centered around "transcendental music." Thursday activities are "under discussion." The phone is 635-5050.

• Twice Told Coffeehouse is changing owners as of April 6. New owner Frances Longo says things will stay pretty much the same, with perhaps a bit more Italian food and pastries added to supplement the vegetarian menu. The entertainment for which Twice Told is known will continue apace. Check the calendar for April's lineup and wish them best of luck when you stop by.