Down On The Corner
· Local folkie and host of the radio program Homefront, John Gage, is feeling better after undergoing angioplasty early in February. By the following Saturday, he was out listening to NoZmo King at Mr. G's. Ah, the miracle of modern medicine.
· Speaking of NoZmo King, the reunited group ripped it up during the February Homefront show. Fiddler Rusty May, who is living in the Yukon these days and working steadily in country bands, has improved because of the steady work. On the Homefront show, the group performed songs that they had written as recently as the week prior to the show. The following week at Mr. G's, they did cover tunes, including such fiddle standards as "Minor Swing" and "Orange Blossom Special." It brought down the house. Sorry you missed it.
· The International Bluegrass Music Association has moved to establish a Hall of Honor, in tribute to the pioneers of bluegrass music. The IBMA is located in Owensboro, Ky. If you want more information, contact Dan Hays, Executive Director, at (502) 684-9025.
· Billy Edd Wheeler wrote to let us know that he's going to run the Great Smokies Song Chase and Performing Artists Workshops again this year, despite some comments that he might not. Song Chase #3 is scheduled to run from July 30 to August 4, 1991, at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C. Once again, Debbie Hupp is on the staff, along with Lisa Palas, Muriel Anderson, Danny Arena, Chuck Neese, Niles Borop and Dennis Burnside.
This year, Ewel Cornett, founder of Actors Theater of Louisville, will direct the newly added Performing Artists category. Cornett will help with vocals, stage presence, and performing.
Several Louisville songwriters (besides Debbie Hupp) have made the trek to Swannanoa and their reactions have generally been positive. Karen Le Van has attended both sessions and raves about it. LASC Secretary Diana Black also was impressed.
If you're interested, call Billy Edd at (704) 686-5009 or write him at: POB 7, Swannanoa, N.C. 28778. To save those LD charges, call Ewel Cornett at (502) 896-4836.
· Listen up, Deadheads. At the last-minute, a CD and tape arrived in the mail from a Cleveland band called Oroboros. The group, which mines the same musical vein as the Grateful Dead, is big on the East Coast. For their first venture into Louisville, they are scheduled to play at Snagilwet on March 8. After listening to the CD, I hope it's not their last visit. Of course, bands which take their name from arcane mythological figures are not your run-of-the-mill groups and won't appeal to your run-of-Bardstown Road audience. Go see 'em and you, too, can be hipper than just about everybody else. Admission is $5.
· WLSY FM has gone dark. The station, which has had a series of format as well as management changes, never achieved profitability. The last format was easy listening.
· One of the bennies of being in this business is that occasionally I get to hear recordings that aren't commercially available. In this case, it's the project that Steve Ferguson has been working on, Jack Salmon and Derby Sauce. We've been listening to it here in the office - mmm, mmm, good, tasty, and other stuff like that. let's hope it gets picked up by a major label soon.
· Debbie Hupp has a single that's going to appear on Billboard's country charts in the next issue. The tune, "Just Like Me," was co-written by Hupp and Bob Morrison and was recorded by Lee Greenwood.