Down On The Corner

By Paul Moffett

Nancy Johnson Barker has assembled a new band and recorded a new album. The group is called Nancy Johnson and Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Other players include Ken Baldwin on guitar, Alice Burton, hammered dulcimer and Jim Webb, mandolin. Nancy plays dulcimer and a little guitar. The group plans to work the festival circuit.

The new album, as I mentioned last month, is called Full Circle. More on it later.

• A belated congratulations to WHAS radio for their reception of the Marconi Award.

• Alan Rhody was in town with his wife and daughter to hear the Shufflin' Granddads do his "Louisville Loves the Blues" live for the New Louisville Tonight Show at the Garvin Gate Blues Festival. Rhody said he has been quite busy, out on the road a lot and not doing a lot of songwriting.

Foree Wells picked up the Sylvester Weaver Award for this year.

Gary Duesner from Triangle Talent reported that Louisville and Kentucky were well represented at the New South Music Showcase in Atlanta recently. Besides Duesner's client group, danny flanigan and the rain chorus, Spanky Lee was on the bill and did well, as did Lexington's Stranglemartin. Duesner also said that Layton Howerton performed as well. Howerton is now living in Nashville, but Gary said he encouraged Layton to come on back to town and play, as he has many fans.

• Speaking of Showcases, the Nashville Entertainment Association is working on their Extravaganza '92 showcase in Nashville. They're looking for acts to enter the Showcase. For information, call 615-327-4308.

• David La Duke, who must be Louisville's undisputed master of getting cuts on compilation albums, has another one. This time, "Master of Evil," is on a CD called "U.S. Rock & Roll Anthology," due out late this fall, on Mentor/Var.

• Friends of Hank Linderman will be pleased to know that he has a cut on the new "Wild Horses" debut album on Kore/Atlantic. Linderman co-wrote the tune, "Tougher Than Love" with Walker Igleheart.

• John Goodin called to say that three of his new compositions are going to be performed in concert at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Albany, Ind. on December 1 at 8 p.m. The performance is for a benefit for the church's Shepherd's Kitchen, which serves meals to the homeless.

Goodin, who composed the "Louisville Suite" for the Louisville Mandolin Orchestra, is arranging for a mandolin quartet for the concert at St. Paul's. Sections of the "Louisville Suite" so impressed noted classical mandolinist Keith Harris that he took copies of the scores with him to Germany.

Club News

Time for an update on the club scene in town. There are several changes worth noting.

Flaherty's Food, Fun and Spirits -formerly Flaherty's III, the Dupont Road establishment has been closed since October 5th for renovation.

The familiar place will be not so familiar, with hot pink and neo green interior colors replacing the black and dark reds. The menu has undergone some renovation as well, with an emphasis on "light" and healthy, fresh herbs, as well as an expanded lunch and dinner menu.

The entertainment will shift somewhat as well, with more national acts as well as the hottest of local bands. Stay tuned for schedules.

The doors reopen on October 28. Call 893-2563 for more information.

Johnnie Mack's – clubgoers in the South End have a new club in an old and familiar spot. Johnnie Mack's as opened in the room that was formerly Blinker's, in back of Bemie's, at 4028 South 3rd.

Johnnie Mack's manager Bruce Higgins is a familiar face to Blinker's customers he was the first manager of Blinker's. Higgins promises a club as exciting as the early Blinker's, with a variety of entertainment in the works.

There will be special concerts, a Hot Legs contest on Wednesdays, plus a male revue is in the works. Friday and Saturday nights will feature dance and variety bands. Already scheduled in November are the Napp Band, an R&B/Temptations style group and R.U.O.K., the popular cover group.

Next spring, Higgins has plans for a volleyball league, with five courts already under construction.

A call to 367-9282 will get you the current week's schedule.

Barry's -- A benefit for Barry's is scheduled for the Thanksgiving weekend. Scheduled to play are the creme de la creme of Louisville blues bands, including da Mudcats, Lamont Gillespie & the Homewreckers, MR2 Blues band, Lennie Adams & Toreezmo Cruise, the Rusty Spoon Band, Riley White and friends. No phone number is available for the schedule, so I guess you'll just have to drop by.