Down On The Corner

By Paul Moffett

Will Cary dropped a line saying that his left hand is slowly improving following surgery. He says he's playing well in first position and is almost able to play barre chords again.

Chaz Rough has announced the details of the 1997 Harvest Showcase Concert and CD, proceeds from which go to benefit Kentucky Harvest. This year, there are three categories: rock, country and singer/songwriter.

Interested performers may submit one song, category specified, on a cassette to: Primitive Entertainment, c/o Harvest Showcase, 806 Fountain Ave. Louisville, KY 40222. The deadline is July 20, 1997.

The concerts, which help pay for the CD, are scheduled for September 26-27 at the Butchertown Pub.

The Days of the New boys will have their first CD out May 20 on Outpost Records. The album was produced by Scott Litt of R.E.M. fame.

Rick DeBow called to say he just got back from a month-long tour with James Peterson, playing saxophone and singing harmony vocals. Peterson has moved to Louisville and it has benefited Rick. They're scheduled to play at the Nashville and Toronto Blues Festival.

Tom & Gary should be busy over Derby peddling their new Tom & Gary CD. The CD has four of their very favorite tunes, including "Lillies for the Fillies." They are available at Disc Jockey Records, Shively Records and HMV Records. Call 502-587-7687 if you can't find 'em there.

Michael Fitzpatrick dropped a note saying that Third Millennium Music, Inc. has recently released a CD, Stations, which is described as eclectic, with a variety of performers (including Fitzpatrick) and instrumentation. Among Fitzpatrick's bragging points is his performance for the Dalai Lama at Gethsemani Abbey in 1996. Call 606-255-4152 to order.

Gil Fish of the Juggernaut Jug Band dropped LMN a note about their recent trip to Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest Music Conference. They made the cut from the 4,300 applications for the 750 slots and had a fine old time smoozing with the music industry types and listening to as much of the other acts as their ears and budgets could stand.

Michael Boehnlein, songwriter, publisher and a former member of the Louisville Area Songwriters' Cooperative sent us e-mail recently. It seems he had to undergo a triple bypass for blockage. Fortunately, the docs caught the problem in time and he is in good shape. Best wishes to Mike and we hope for a speedy recovery.

The Pride of Kentucky Chorus of the Sweet Adelines International competed in the regional competition in Columbus, Ohio in April. Four quartets out of the group placed in the top ten. Swinglish Mix took the first place medal, earning an automatic qualification to go to the international competition to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah in October.

The Pride if Kentucky Chorus placed second in the chorus division.

As always, if you have an interest in barbershop singing, the choruses all always looking for more singers. PoK holds rehearsals on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Clifton Center.

The Blues Diva, Beverly Howell, has won the W. C. Handy 1997 "Keeping the Blues Alive" Award in the category of "Blues on the Internet" for her "Blues Chat" site. She will be receiving the award in Memphis, TN on May 2, 1997.

Her site can be found at http://www.BluesChat.com.

Help the Band. The Louisville Male High Marching Band will sponsor a community yard sale on the Gheens parking lot at 4409 Preston Highway on Saturday, May 10, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. You can rent a space if you have something to sell. Call 964-2253 for info and to sign up.

Got a $100 you're willing to risk on a lottery ticket to win a 1997 Porsche Boxster, which retails for a tidy $58,000. The Kentucky Opera is raffling exactly that Porsche off at Churchill Downs on May 17. Unlike those other gambling 'opportunities' you can take advantage off at any gas station or quickie food mart, the odds are not too bad for this drawing – there will be only 2,500 tickets printed. Call the Kentucky Opera at 561-7934 for tickets.

Some ideas never die. An item in the April 25 Courier-Journal reported that the Kentucky Theater on 4th at Broadway has been bought by a group that includes David Barhorst and Mose Putney. The group is planning to turn the theater into a live music venue in conjunction with a plan to develop a "music district" in the block bounded by Broadway, Fourth Avenue, Chestnut and Third Streets. If the "music district" plan sounds familiar, it is. Marvin Maxwell of Mom's Musician's General Store offered a similar proposal in 1992 and this new plan contains many of the same elements.

Barhorst and Putney are familiar to Louisville music fans for their past ventures, which included, either separately or together, the Oertel's 92 Brewery and Pegasus Restaurant Project in Butchertown; the Diner, which still sits on Lexington Road and a brief period of owning the business which was called Tewligans Tavern.

http://www.sparksplug.com/elaine

Key Changes

Elliott Kathleen Grantz was born April 23 to John Grantz of Media Events and Kirby Adams, co-host of "Louisville Tonight Live." She weighed in at 6 lbs., 9 oz. Mom and daughter are both fine.