Down On The Corner

By Paul Moffett

• Screamin' John Hawkins called to say he's assembled a group to gig some between jobs with Maxwell. The new group, called the Predators, features, besides John, former Hammerheads lead singer Jimi V, Billy Burke from Mere Mortals, Max Maxwell on drums, and Jeff Crane on bass. Their first job is set for Wednesday, March 10, at Tewligans. They'll be doing rock covers and bluesy originals. Should be a crowd of fans there.

• Attention, blues players: If you're interested in auditioning for the 1993 Waterside Arts and Blues Festival, send your tape to: WSBF, c/o Media Events, P.O. Box 4121, Louisville, KY. 40204. If you want in back, send an SASE.

• Well, one of the hazards of newspapering is getting called to account for mistakes. I got two calls about the R.U.O.K? story. First of all, Joe Shaw, not Ron Brunton, went to school with Jerry and Tony. As for who was in the band Nuthouse (not Nuthoused), I think I'm just lost. Rick Steier and James Kottack are in Los Angeles these days. Kottack was a drummer, not a guitarist, in Kingdom Come and Steier was a guitarist with the band Wild Horses (not the Louisville country band, but a rock group). The band Sweet F. A. is defunct, according to John Huffman, who was in Sweet F. A. Got all that? There'll be a test later.

• Jazz fans take note: Glenn Fisher, jazz pianist and composer, has composed six new works for jazz trio and full orchestra, on a commission from the Louisville Youth Orchestra. These new works will be performed on Sunday, February 28, 7:00, p.m. at St. Stephens Baptist Church, 1008 S. 15th St., as part of Louisville's African-American Celebration Concert.

The jazz trio assembled for the new works consists of Ron Jones, alto saxophone; Tyrone Wheeler; bass and Darryel Cotton, drums. In addition, you will hear the St. Stephens Temple Choir and the Louisville Youth Orchestra Percussion Ensemble. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2.50 for senior citizens and free for students 21 and under.

• Chaz Rough and Speaking in Tongues are scheduled to perform at the Louie Awards on March 4 at the Hyatt Regency. Rough submitted the video of his band for consideration. The awards are sponsored by the Advertising Club of Louisville, and the event is open to the public. Tickets are $45, including dinner, cocktails and an Academy Award-style show. There will be a dance with Chequee. Students Organized for Somalia will also perform, as will the Blues Brothers. For more information, call the Advertising Club at 895-5454.

• On March 6, there will a Rap-A-Mania, featuring some of the best of Louisville's rappers, at the Broadway Roller Rink, 2210 W. Broadway. Get down wid it.

• A note from last month: the Hula Hoop guys took a trip to jolly old England to be on John Peel's BBC radio show. Peel is noted for having discovered a number of hot groups.

• You Never Know Dept. Whilst station-hopping recently, I ran across a station that was playing alternative music! In Louisville! WHAT!! Yep, it's true. The station is WNAS at 88.1 on the FM dial. It's the radio station at New Albany (Ind.) High School, operating from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The on-air personalities are all junior and senior students. According to NAHS spokeman Lee Kelly, the station is basically rock-oriented. The kids have considerable influence in the choice of music, often bringing in their own records. Otherwise, the school either buys records or receives comp copies from record labels. The school screens the songs for suitability, i.e., no dirty words or anthems to unlawful activity.

The station, founded in 1949, has a 3,000-watt transmitter with a range of 40-50 miles, which pretty much takes in the Louisville area. Famous alumni include NPR's Bob Edwards. Record companies, take note: WNAS, 120 Vincennes St., New Albany, IN 47150. Send 'em some records.

• The Rough Diamond Network continues to open up opportunities for local musicians to get their stuff heard. Starting in mid-March, on Sundays from 10 to 11 p.m. on WQMF, RDNW will sponsor an hour of local music. Interested bands should submit one song on a cassette for airplay. Bands are encouraged to pick their best tune, and bands will be required to cut twelve-second spots plugging WQMF.

• Tim Chewning, former drummer for Shaking Family, has gotten a gig with John Michael Montgomery. He'll be in town on March 5 at Freedom Hall for a show featuring Alabama, Diamond Rio and Montgomery.

• This is a little late, but worth noting anyway. Dallas Embry has turned over his host duties for the Wednesday Artist Night at Uncle Pleasant's to Rick Wagner. Wagner is also hosting a Thursday-night sit-in/jam/songwriter night at Uncle P's.

• Are you interested in Shape Note singing? The Louisville Dulcimer Society will have Ron Penn at their April 25 meeting, presumably to teach the harmony method. Call Betty Hansel at 451-6953 for information.

• South By Southwest '93 is set for March 17-21 in Austin, Texas. Lotsa stuff to do there. Call (512) 467-7979 for info.

• Repair Dept. Dave Bowling, currently with Uncle Pecos, called to say that he's gotten so busy with the band that he's giving up commuting to Nashville to do session work. That leaves his days free, however, and since his expertise is repairing and tuning studio equipment, including tape machines, he thought he might find a Tascam four-track or two that needed repair. Call him at 968-0250 after noon if your tape machine needs some TLC.

• Kenny Aronoff, drummer for the John Mellencamp band, will be teaching graduate and undergraduate classes in applied percussion at Indiana University School of Music. Can you say "in-state tuition?"

• Louisvillian Kenny White has joined New Tradition as guitarist. He joined just in time to help them accept their award for "Best Bluegrass Gospel Band of the Year." White played with New Horizon for a couple of years.

The Ohio Valley Spring Gathering

The Louisville Dulcimer Society is staging its annual spring gathering at General Butler State Park Inn in Carrollton, Ky. They bill it as a traditional music weekend with instruments, voices, smiles, toeTappers and friends, plus jams, workshops, openstage and singin'.

For information, contact Maureen Sellers, (812) 945-9094.

Basketball and Ballet

Derek Smith and five male members of the Louisville Ballet will present a series of programs in six community centers. The series is called "On the Ball with the Louisville Ballet," and is sponsored by the Louisville Ballet and the Board of Aldermen.

Smith will explain how ballet training can improve athletic performance. The dancers will perform an excerpt of "A Men's Concerto," an all-male soccer ballet, complete with soccer balls.

The schedule is: March 6, 10:00 a.m., Dumeyer Recreation Center; March 6, noon, California Community Center; March 13, 11:00 a.m., Parkland Boys and Girls Club; March 20, 10:30 a.m., Portland Community Center; March 20, noon, Parkhill Recreation Center.

Admission is free, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Really Brand New Music

The UofL Association of Student Composers has scheduled a pair of recitals for new compositions by association members.

The contemporary compositions will be performed on classical instruments, according to President Andy Bonacci. The recitals will feature about six pieces and will last approximately an hour and a half.

The recitals will be held in the North Recital Hall at the UofL School of Music at 7 p.m. The March recital will be on Thursday, March 4.

Call 588-6907 for more information.