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The Coat Puller 9-24-1976

The Coat Puller 9-24-1976 image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
September
Year
1976
OCR Text

THE COAT PULLER

BIG NEWS: Your favorite newspaper has just entered into agreements with Probity Productions -- producers of the knock-out shows at the Showcase Theatre on the east side -- and Ron Milner's Midtown Theatre (Third and Canfield on the near west side) whereby The Detroit Sun will sponsor the musical and theatrical offerings at both Motor City venues. Thus, starting with this issue of The Sun, you'll see an ad every week for the two community arts palaces, whose programs will hereafter be presented "in association with The Detroit Sun." Look for nothing but the best and later for the rest, as Detroit's own Ernie Durham used to say, and please join us in our support for these excellent alternative arts institutions. Oh yes, don 't forget that Roy Brooks' MUSIC Station now holds forth at the Midtown from midnight to dawn every Friday and Saturday night, with Sam Sanders & Visions this weekend and the mighty Tribe coming in next week . . . The Probity people have an ear-burning line-up set for the fall, with Gil Scott-Heron and the Midnight Band in on October 3; the Horizon Tour sets down at the Showcase Oct. 22, featuring the incredible musics of Dave Leibman & Richie Bierach, the Revolutionary Ensemble, and ace guitarist Jim Hall; and the ECM Records Festival unfolds Oct. 27, starring Gary Burton, Ralph Towner, Jack DeJohnette's Directions with John Abercrombie, and Eberhard Weber's Colours with Jon Christiansen . . . Look for a new venue, the Ramona Theatre at Six Mile & Gratiot, to open its doors next month, with the Probity people deeply involved in an ambitious concert program. You can bet that The Sun will be there too -- the east side is one of our favorite places in the world!

REGGAE GOT SOUL: The hottest radio news of the week comes from New York City, where radio station WLIB has become the first All-Reggae radio outlet in the U.S. Yes, the popular soul station made the decision to program Caribbean music after one reggae show started generating unusually high listener response. Besides the occasional soul hits, now all they'll be playing on WLIB's reggae, calypso, and spouge (a new hybrid from Barbados). Does it pay? Program director Al Gee says "advertisers are pouring in five times faster than we expected. Our number of listeners has jumped. We've tapped into a market that no one but us had noticed was there." . . .

THE COATPULLER WANTS TO KNOW: If you've got any news, rumors, or hot tips, please lay them on Kulchur Editor Frank Bach (961-3555) so we can let the rest of our faithful readers in on what's going down. One current search for information centers on the campus communities of southern Michigan, where The Sun is now being distributed by the thousands (35,000 copies per week, to be exact!). Calendar Editor Barbara Quarles tells us that she is in the process of locating representatives at each of the out-state campuses (particularly MSU and Central) to pass on cultural and news info to her for listing in The Sun. If you're interested in helping, call 313-961-3555 . . . Also, all organizations that sponsor events are encouraged to put The Sun on your mailing list -- we'll try to use everything you send us some way or another . . .

Speaking of info, folks have been pulling our coat so hard this week it almost feil apart at the seams. No gripes about that, though -- the more you tell us, the better we feel! ...

We had to put out the fire in our mailbox again last week and, just as we suspected, in the middle of the smoldering stacks of letters was the new calendar from Baker's Keyboard Lounge -- it's so hot we're lucky the whole post office didn't go up this time! Dig: Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Sept. 21-26; Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Sept. 28-Oct. 3; Grant Green, Oct. 5-10; Yusef Lateef, Oct. 14-24; Ron Carter, Oct. 27-31; Les McCann, Nov. 5-14; Kenny Burrell, Nov. 19-28; Dizzy Gillespie, Nov. 30-Dec. 5; and Earl Klugh, Dec. 10-19. Now that's what you cali scheduling, folks . . .

IN THE WORLD OF TV, we hear that Ann Arbor residents can now subscribe to an Adult Theatre Channel as part of the regular cable TV service available there. The channel will feature "R-rated and soft-core X-rated films -- the so-called 'Blue Midnight' fare . . . As far as the regular stations are concerned, we should be seeing all the new network programs in the next couple of weeks, with a full report coming up in Kulchur in the near future . . .

THEATRE: Auditions happening soon in the Detroit area include the Peddy Players' tryouts at the Considine Rec Center Sept. 25 {call 875-5278), and auditions for the Group Theatre's production of Golden Boy at Considine in November (call 823-5176) . . . Workshops in theatrical production will be held at WSU starting Oct. 9. Directed by Dean Coffin, they'll cost only $15 for members of existing theatre groups and $37.50 for others . . . "Black Theatre as a Liberating Force" is the theme for the Midwest Conference on Black Theatre held Oct. 21-24 at Chicago State University. Get the full schedule of events and performances from the MCBT at 1512 Pulaski, Chi., Ill. 60623 or call (312)277-9582 . . .

DANCING IN DETROIT gets the spotlight this week with that big show at the foot of Woodward Sept. 28 (see our cover) . . . Other haps include the start up of a new series of dance classes at the Detroit Community Music School (former home of the Harbinger company) led by former Harbinger stars Mitzi Carol and Lynn Crimando . . . Harbinger, in the meantime, is still going strong under the direction of Lisa Nowak. Their own school, called the Dance Factory, opened Sept. 13 at the new headquarters at 75 Victor near Woodward in Highland Park. Classes begin Oct. 4, so call TO5-9200 now . . . Mothers of the American Stew, a production of Harriet Berg's Festival Dancers of Metropolitan Detroit, will go off Friday, Oct. 15 at the Women's City Club Ballroom in downtown Detroit . . .

ON THE SET: Eclipse Jazz (The Sun, Sept. 10) starts their season in Ann Arbor with Chick Corea and Gary Burton at Hill Auditorium Sept. 25 (763-1107) . . . Vocalist Joe Lee Wilson was absolutely exciting sitting in with Roy Brooks and the Artistic Truth at Dummy George's last Friday. He just returned from a tour of England and is heading back to New York, where his "jazz loft" club, Ladies Fort, is one of the hotter spots on the Big Apple music scene. Wilson is best known for his vocal work on record with Archie Shepp ("Things Have Got to Change," etc., etc.) . . . Drummer/radio star ("Full Circle," Mondays at 9 on WDET-FM) Leonard King is beating the skins with the Leonard McDonald Quartet at the Alpine club this week. Next week he joins Dennis Rowland's Luv at Dummy George's . . . bassist Shoo-Bee-Doo completed a beautiful little series of concerts in convalescent homes in Detroit last Saturday when he played free of charge at Sun Haven Manor over on the Boulevard. The Shoob will probably be on the big Oregon shows presented by Showcase Jazz at MSU in East Lansing Oct. 2 and 3 . . . If you're throwing a party, dance, concert or anything else you need a band for, be elated that the Tribe organization has added a booking agency to its wide range of cultural services. Tribe has an incredible list of local bands and musicians of almost every description and head booking man "Ram" Tom Simmons is ready to supply you with one of 'em whenever you need it. Call Ram at 875-6977 . . .

PSSST: Contrary to the rumor going around these days, this column is not written by Iffy the Dopester. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it . . . o

Photo captions: Gil Scott-Heron -- Joe Lee Wilson