Down On The Corner
Out and about -- Rob Pickett over at Modern Music Outlet passed along these tidbits: Kingdom Come has a new album entitled In Your Face. Louisvillians James Kottak and Rick Steier play drums and guitar, respectively. The band, Sweet F.A., has signed a single-album deal with MCA. The group is based in Louisville and Indianapolis. John Huffman handles guitar chores and Steve DeLong wails. The two represent the Louisville connection.
At the L.A.S.C. Monday Night Open Stage, jazz guitarist Scott Henderson wandered through and reported that he would soon head for New York, then to London, where he is scheduled to do a seminar at Goldsmith's College, plus a few club dates about the Old City. Then it's on to Prague, Czechoslovakia, where he has been invited to play a concert, plus say a few words. Scott says he has been learning a little Czechoslovakian so that he can equate the universality of jazz with the universality of freedom. Hope they let you finish playing, guy.
Arcane Promotions owner and Shaking Family manager Stephen Brown dropped by the Rud to hear some of the Open Stagers, so I took the opportunity to check up on his hottest band. He reported that Shaking Family is busy cutting their first album with Elektra in Woodstock, N.Y., presumably at the Bearsville Studio there. Rumors of path-crossing with the Stones remain unconfirmed. Look for a release around October 9 or thereabouts.
Phil Wakeman Sr., Phil Jr., and Mark Rosenthal, three players with the Louisville Mandolin Orchestra, dropped by the Rud recently and performed as the Seedspitters. Hot licks on the mandolin, dontcha know. Phil Senior didn't have his argyle socks on, however.
Curtis Marlatt, of Curtis and the Kicks, reports that he is ready to cut a new album on Scott Mullins' new indie label, Rollin' and Tumblin' Records. Mullins will act as executive producer. The plan is to shop the album to larger blues labels. Marlatt has also agreed to produce a session for one of the winners of the L.A.S.C. contest. He has assembled a new band, The Silence, which will be the Wednesday band at the Rudyard. The group will play Brazilian / fusion / jazz / funk, and features Riley White on bass and keyboards, Bennett Higgins on sax, keys and lyricon, Earbie Johnson, percussion, and Marlatt on guitar.
Heard that the Turk has been cutting a new album on the north Sunny Side of Louisville. No confirmation on that yet, but word has it that he even has a newly-assembled band.
Send those rumors, stories, exposes and other chitchat to: Down on the Corner, c/o Louisville Music News, P.O. Box 148, Pewee Valley, KY 40056.