THE INDEPENDENT WAY

Indie Groove

OI OH POI— It took a couple has not chucked it all; he is still in- hip Midwesterners to open volved in public-interest advocacy,

my eyes, but once I finally but his main priority for the last got over the name and seven years has been wrtiting and EDI NEVERLAND P LIVING IN PARADISE / 13 SUZANNE C1ANI (Private Music 2036)

FATTBURGER 1 listened to the new Pol Dog recording his politically-astute = 18 75 (Intlma 73334) 21 GENIUS + SOUL JAZZ RAY CHARLES Pondering album, I was hooked. songs and stories. Says Small, STATE OF THE ART 2 13 (Dunhlll 038) BOB FLORENCE I offered a chance “The law studies showed me how Then when was 27 5 i (USA Music Group 589) E3 EAST TO WES to see them open for my close excluded and routinely dis- EMILY REMLER 3 FACETS 3 17 (Concord CJ-356) personal friends They Might Be enfranchised people were. Folk DOC SEVERINSEN (Amherst AMH 3319) Bl HAVE A GOOD TIME 25 mmm RUTH BROWN (Fantasy 9661) Giants at a glamorous Hollwood music showed me the excitement of RAY CHARLES AND 5 15 a 24 DANCING IN THE DARK 24 l/f night spot, I remembered why I sharing music as a community BETTY CARTER SONNY ROLUNS (Milestone M-9155) (Dunhlll 039) went to the Rock Critic Institute in resource, and as a means to take 25 YOU’RE GONNA HEAR 26 A El SALSA MEETS JAZZ 6 13 the first place. As it turns out, Poi back the power ... Lawyers tend to TITO PUENTE AND HIS FROM ME LATIN ENSEMBLE BILL EVANS TRIO Dog Pondering stole the show, talk only to other lawyers. As a (Concord Plcante CJP-354) (Milestone 9164) DEEP BREAKFAST 28 7 which is saying quite a bit, since the musician, I interact with a great OPTICAL RACE 7 11 E3 B TANGERINE DREAM RAY LYNCH Giants are formidable showmen variety of people who are active at (Private Music 2042) (Music West MW- 102) E71 A REAL SWINGER and a relentless hit-making the grass-roots level doing very im- THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL 8 9 """ 30 ^ a CARLOS REYES FUP PHILLIPS machine. PDP’s brand of portant work that tends to be under- (TBA 240) (Concord CJ-358) world-beat stew was even fresher rated.” His new album is / Will Stand 8 THATA PLENTY 4 IS 28 7TH AVENUE 29 7 AL HIRT JONATHAN BUTLER (Projazz 675) it is Hotel debut, Fast. than on their Texas (Projazz/lntersound 659) PH REUNION 34 3 a happy-go-lucky blend of Irish, 9 BOLIVAR 9 9 MEL TORME AND THE JOHN BOLIVAR MARTY PACH DEK-TETTE Hawaiian, African and Anglo pop (Optimism 3204) (Concord CJ 360) elements that recalls Camper Van 10 THE FURTHER 10 9 30 KILIMANJARO 19 THE RIPPINGTONS Beethoven at their most accessible. ADVENTURES OF (Passport Jazz PJ 88042) On this night their floating line-up FLIM& THE BB’S Ffl ALL MY TOMORROWS 35 (DMP 462) GRANT GEISSMAN (TBA 241) featured six musicians (there are 11 ONLY TRUST YOUR HEART 11 11 32 BASIE AND FRIENDS 20 ten on the record) and such TOOTS THIELMANS COUNT BASIE (Concord CJ-355) (Pablo 25218-0925) instruments as penny whistle, KB PASSION FLOWER 16 7 33 JUMP START 31 accordion, vibes, fiddle, mandolin ALVIN HAYES (TBA 238) RICK STRAUSS 13 BLUES FOR FRED 12 11 (Projazz/lntersound 667) and a guitar that was hooked up to JOE PASS PI EVOLUTION DEBUT an electric amplification device. Poi (Poblo 2310-931) PHIL WOODS LITTLE BIG BAND 14 THE POWER OF 13 27 (Concord CJ-361) Dog Pondering is from Hawaii by SUGGESTION PH DREAMS OF LOVE DEBUT way of Austin, Tex., but tonight they FRED SMALL RICHARD ELLIOT TONY DAGRADI (Rounder 2071) (Intlma 73321) proved themselves citizens of a 36 NO LONGER ONE 32 15 THE CARMEN MCRAE - 15 15 TOM BROWN world without musical boundaries. LAST TRAIN TO (Malaco Jazz MJ 1500) BETTY CARTER DUETS 37 5TH 33 PLUGSVILLE—Frontier Records’ (Great American Music Hall/ GEAR MULLINS Fantasy GAMH 2706) ROB Thin White Rope finished their (Nova 8810) SOCA ME NICE 23 5 two-month European tour with a MONGO SANTIMARIA 38 SKYWALKERS 36 (Concord Plcante CJP-362) GEORGE SHAW & JETSTREAM Dec. 15 gig at a music festival in (TBA 234) 17 THE TRAVELER 17 9 Moscow. In fact, the band took their BRANDON FIELDS 39 FLYING HOME 37 2‘J (Nova 8811) TERRY GIBBS DREAM BAND desert-fried guitar psychedelia to (Contemporary C-7654) CHAMELEON DAYS 21 7 five different Soviet cities before YANNI (Private Music 2043) 40 MOSCOW NIGHT 38 DAVE BRUBECK capping off their tour at the Moscow 19 RIVER'S GONNA RISE 14 15 (Concord CJ 353) PATRICK O'HEARN festival. Thin White Rope is the first (Private Music 2029) American independent rock band to

play in the U.S.S.R, ... Profile Records has released an indispen- LABEL BREAKDOWN: sible compilation album to docu- THIS WEEK’S #1 DEBUT: Each Label is followed by the num- ment the biggest year in rap history. LIVING IN PARADISE ber of albums that appear on this POI DOG PONDERING The double album is Mr. Magic’s week’s Indie Jazz Chart. Rap Attack, Vol. 4 and features per- FANTASY 7 FATTBURGER THE BLUEST OF THE BLUE- formances by Public Enemy, Milestone 2 The annual W.C. Handy Awards for EPMD, Run-D.M.C., Sa!t-N-Pepa ( ) Contemporary 1 the best blues performers was a and many others who have made ( ) GAMH 1 coup for Alligator Records, the this year so hip-hoppin’ ... Our ( ) THIS #1 DEBUT: Pablo 2 WEEK’S roots-conscious Chicago indy. favorite garage rockers, the Fuz- ( ) EVOLUTION 8 Koko Taylor was named Female ztones, have scored a big endorse- CONCORD Picante 2 Phil little big ban Blues Entertainer of the Year for the ment contract with Rickenbacker ( ) Woods' PRIVATE MUSIC 4 tenth time. And Alligator’s Albert guitars, the company whose beauti- TBA 4 Collins was named Instrumentalist ful instruments gave the Beatles PROJAZZ/INTERSOUND 3 of the Year. It was Collins’ eighth iheir sheen and the Byrds their DUNHILL 2 Handy award. Collins also has a jangle. The big winner in the deal INTIMA 2 Grammy Award on his mantel to go was Fuzztone John Carlucci, who 2 with the priceless memories of film- bagged a special bass with flashing NOVA ing a wine-cooler commercial with lights, of which only two were made. AMHERST 1 Bruce Willis. The other such instrument belongs OPTIMISM 1 LOVE IS THE LAW—Flying Fish to Who bassist John Entwistle, and DMP 1 MALACO 1 recording artist Fred Small says if that’s not an endorsement, I don’t that a lot of of his publicity starts know what is. MUSIC WEST 1 1 with the angle ‘‘lawyer chucks it all Keep the Faith PASSPORT *o become folk singer.” In fact, he Joe Williams ROUNDER 1 Phil Woods Little Big Band USA MUSIC 1