The Coat Puller

The Coat Puller

On top of all its other problems (see our lead feature in the last issue of the Sun), Detroit's public radio station WDET-FM (101.9) is presently trying to raise $40,000 in cash to make possible the installation of their new transmission and production equipment, which was purchased with the aid of a $103,000 grant from the Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare. A pledge for the matching funds (WDET has to come up with $1 for every $3 the government throws in) fell through after the equipment was ordered, and now the station is forced to turn once again to its faithful listeners for the bucks. Pledges in any amount ($20.00 makes you a member of the Friends of WDET) can be made by calling WDET at 577-4146, and if you want to send $5 or $10 in the mail, address it to WDET, School Center Building, Woodward & Putnam, Detroit, MI 48202 . . . If you were listening last week you heard the return of radio drama on WDET as Mike McCoy, Paula Pawlowski, Paul Grzebik, and station manager John Buckstaff acted out the tear-jerking scripts of Judy Adams and Paula P., pointing out the sad plight of the equipment and casting for cash to replace it with . . . Another excellent reason to support WDET is its superb community-oriented programming, particularly its delightful jazz broadcasts by Bud Spangler, Geoffrey Jacques, Jim Gallert, and Judy Adams. Bud Spangler's "Jazz Today" program, heard every Monday night from 9 p.m. till 1 a.m. in the morning, will be featuring jazz highlights from the 1975 Detroit Afro-American Festival, a three-day free bash on the waterfront which spotlighted Motor City music talent including Tribe, the Jimmy Wilkins Orchestra, Lyman Woodard Organization, Sam Sanders & Visions, Griot Galaxy, LaVerna Mason, Carolyn Crawford, the Rod Rodgers Dance Company, Betty Lavette with Rudy Robinson and his Hungry 5, Marcus Belgrave's New Detroit Jazz Ensemble, Fito, Amalgamated Funk Co., and the Detroit Blues Club Revue (Little Junior Cannady, Joe L., Jesse Williams, Bobo Jenkins, Odessa Harris, Howlin' Wolf Jr., Charlene Newkirt, Little Mack Collins, Mr. Bo, and many others). The music for the Festival was produced by the Allied Artists Association of America (AAAA) and the Metro-Arts Complex, with the support of the Michigan Council for the Arts, and Bud and the WDET crew taped the proceedings to be heard at a later date. Well, this, dear friends, is that later date, and if you tune in to "Jazz Today" March 22nd you can hear a full hour of the Jimmy Wilkins Band, Detroit's answer to the Basie Orchestra, featuring Louis Smith's mellow flugelhorn, Billy Holliday's trumpet, Miller Brisker's hot tenor, the piano of Ms. Terry Pollard, and the roaring power of this excellent ensemble. The March 29th program promises the exciting Griot Galaxy, Detroit's premier avant-garde collective, with special guests Phil Ranelin(trombone) and David Murray (saxophones), and two numbers from Tribe with the two-bass team of Rod Hicks and Shoo-Be-Doo. The third program, April 5th, presents the Lyman Woodard Organization with Norma Bell, plus Sam Sanders & Visions (John Katalanic, keyboards; Ed Pickens, bass; Jimmy Allen, drums; Muruga, percussion) doing two of Sam 's original works. Each show begins at 10:00 p.m. and runs for a solid hour – and we do mean solid . . .

Speaking of jazz, it was a gas to see an almost-full house at Music Hall for the Keith Jarrett Quartet concert March 8th, even tho the young pianist failed to interest your eager correspondent with his bloodless pianistics and incredibly boring compositions. Many find delight in Jarrett's visually arousing performances, but he gets our vote for the Dave Brubeck of the 70's Award, and that's no joke. Sure is nice to see Charlie Haden, Paul Motian and Dewey Redman in town once in a while, though, but someone should let them bring their own band! . . . Now that the audience has shown itself (full houses for Billy Cobham/George Duke at the Showcase, and for Jarrett at Music Hall) maybe it's time for the real thing: Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Now that would be some fun . . . Our hometown equivalents of the real thing are getting ready to set it out for spring, with a lot of activity centering on the Langston Hughes Theatre, Livernois at Davison, where Marcus Belgrave's Jazz Development Workshop is presenting a series of four three-night concerts, on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday nights, featuring the New Detroit Jazz Ensemble (March 15-16-17), Sam Sanders & Visions (March 22-23-24), Tribe (March 29-30-31), and Airtight (April 5-6-7). The Top of the Week jazz series goes at a measly 2 bucks a show, with performances at 8:15 and 10:15, and you can call 571-4217, 875-0289, or 922-8787 for more information . . . There'll also be a Jazz Development Workshop cabaret at the Local 5, American Federation of Musicians Hall, at Schaeffer and 7 Mile, Saturday April 3 . . . And another Tribe-affiliated venture, Time Is Now Productions, will stage a Jazz Tribute Concert at the Langston Hughes Sunday, March 21, from 4:30 to 7:30 pm, with Phil Ranelin and Tribe, Griot Galaxy, the dynamic Kim Weston, and the Sharon Evans Dancers. WJZZ's Bobby Dawson is the M.C., and you can get more info by calling 871-5661 or 832-4154 . . . Farther out on the west side the Northwest Activities Center, following up on its Mercer Ellington concert, has Count Basie (March 17) and Dizzy Gillespie after that, with Jack Broderick and Herman Haines of WJZZ at the mike. The former Jewish Community Center now owned and operated by the City of Detroit, is at 18100 Meyers, corner of Curtis – call 345-4825 for more information . . .

IN AND OUT: Lyman Woodard Organization at the Boogie Down on the far west side, Mondays and Tuesdays thru March . . . Mighty Clouds of Joy at Cobo Hall, March 28 . . . INTI-ILLIMANI, the exiled Chilean folkloric group that was a favorite of murdered president Salvador Allende, perform at St. Pauls' Cathedral, 4800 Woodward, on March 13, presented by the Latin American Task Force of the Office for Justice and Peace, Archdiocese of Detroit. Songs by Víctor Jara and music by Violeta Parra will be featured, it starts at 8:00 p.m., and you can call 237-5907 for more . . . Diana Ross, the Four Tops, Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Stevie Wonder and many more were in town for the Florence Ballard funeral at Rev. C.L. Franklin's New Bethel Church, on Linwood, and it was certainly the least Motown could do to pick up the costs of the funeral . . . Elvin Jones participated in a drum clinic at the Aboriginal Percussion Center, 16140 James Couzens, while he was in town for his stay at Baker's. The Center is operated by drummers Roy Brooks, Bert Myrick, and their associates, and offers professional instruction on all percussion instruments . . . Ella Fitzgerald and the Ellington Orchestra will be at Masonic March 21st . . . Albert King charges into the Showcase March 27th (a Probity Production), while Aretha Franklin socks out two shows the same night at Masonic . . . Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers at Baker's, March 19-28 . . . Doug Hammond, David Durrah and the Sea of Nurnen sail into Ann

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Arbor for two nights at the Blind Pig (March 19-20) and Sunday afternoon at the Del Rio (21). The Tribe Records group will be heard around Detroit after that – keep your ears open . . . Luther Allison at Ann Arbor's Chances Are, March 16th, for three big sets . . . Mojo Boogie Band, now managed by former Commander Cody helmsman Joe Kerr and his Mill Valley-based Pyramid Associates, swung over into Illinois last month for dates at Mothers (Chicago) and the Champaign version of Chances Are. The Mojos have a hot new demo tape, produced by former CBS San Francisco A&R head George Daly, and we should be hearing some good things on it soon . . . Mickey's Pulsating Unit now at the Money Tree, downtown, Monday and Tuesday nights. Guitarist Mickey Stein and his throbbing Unit can also be heard at the Delta Lady, Nine Mile and Woodward, Wed.-Sat . . . The Ron Shaull Shakedown; a cooking dance band from Jackson, is getting some Detroit radio action on their new Point Blank lp, Makin' Ya Feel Good . . . DMA, the Detroit (actually St. Clair Shores)-based booking agency, reports so much success with their rejuvenated Michigan Division that they're looking for two new agents to join their popular team. DMA is handling Ted Nugent, Mike Quattro, Salem Witchcraft, Holy Smoke, Ruby Jones, Sweet Crystal, Blackfoot, Lighthouse, and a host of others, and if you qualify, contact Dave Leone or Nick Caris at 773-6800 . . . Mary Roberts and Julie Jensen of the Grand Circus Exchange theatre company, based downtown at 47 E. Adams, have been in and out of several downtown office buildings lately, performing free theatre at lunch time for local workers with the support of a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts . . . The all-around Michael Henderson, a six-year veteran of the Miles Davis band, has been in the local studios lately putting together a dynamite set for his first Buddah LP as a leader. Michael wrote, arranged, sings, plays bass, and produced the sessions, and he used a galaxy of Detroit-based musicians to bring it off. More on this one later . . . Watch for the new Ann Arbor-area club, The Roadhouse (formerly The Hill), out on US-23 and Territorial Road. Run by Pete Andrews and a gang of Ann Arbor music veterans, the Roadhouse will have the music folks love to dance to, all the time . . . And the exciting Treetown radio program we told you about last time, Jim Dulzo's all-night jazz show on WAAM, was doused by the station's owner before the dauntless Dulzo could get on the air. Won't somebody please put this man on the radio?! . . . Finally, a personal note to Bob Talbert: if you think it's far out that your 9-year-old boy is up on the latest pop hits, Bob, you should realize that those nice people at the record companies spend a lot of money making sure that their records will appeal to nine-year-olds. Now if they'd just give the rest of us a break . . .