Lonesome Pine Specials Spring Series Announced

By Paul Moffett

The Winter/Spring 2000 BankOne Lonesome Pine Special line-up has been released. This is the last series booked by Dick Van Kleeck.

On February 18, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones will share the stage with the world's greatest (and only) git-steel player, Junior Brown. With the number of fans of both acts in Louisville, this show is likely to be a sell-out, if it hasn't already sold out.

On Friday, March 3, the Celtic band that sets the standards for all other Celtic acts, the Chieftains, will appear on the Whitney Stage. Formed in 1963 by a group of Ireland's best musicians, the Chieftains have nearly single-handed changed the image of Celtic music from that of Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers to the kind of complex and sophisticated music that backed Riverdance.

The next week, on March 1, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band will be the musical guest for the 7th Annual "Fat Friday" Party. In case you didn't know, Carrier is carrying on his family's Zydeco / Cajun musical tradition. After a stint with Terrance Simien and the Mallet Playboys, he formed his own group, mining his family for players. The Bayou Swamp Band backs his accordion playing with a fervor and heat usually reserved for the Cajun hot sauces. Likewise the party will be hot.

Triple A favorite and New Blues proponent Susan Tedeschi will show off her chops in the Bomhard. Tedeschi is a wailer in the style of Bonnie Raitt, mixing R&B and original tunes into the blues mix. She gets regular airplay on WFPK, so you've probably already heard her if you listen to Radio Louisville.

On March 25, the will grace the Bomhard's stage. This tour reflects the Newport Jazz Festival.

The series will close on Wednesday, May 3 with Cubanismo!, an all-star Afro-Cuban jazz combo led by London-based trumpeter Jesús Alemañy and featuring pianist Alfredo Rodríguez. Founded in 1996, the group has released two albums, Cubanismo! and Malembe; Reencarnacion

Call 584-7777 or 1-800-775-7777 for tickets and information.