Billy's News: Feb 2000
Dave Alvin Plans New Album
LATEST NEWS From February 2000- Dave Alvin's Seattle Center New Year's Eve
show was cancelled by the city of Seattle only 48 hours before the event due
to threats of terrorism. Supposedly the man who was caught bringing
explosives over the Canadian border, had a room booked at a hotel near the
Seattle Center - The Blasters have been holding weekly rehearsals for a
possible April recording session. - The Knitters had a very successful
reunion tour and rumors have circulated of a possible album. No official
confirmation of that has surfaced. - While the Knitters were in Santa Rosa,
bass player Jonny Ray had to be rushed to the hospital in Dave Alvin's van to
have his appendix removed. Jonny Ray missed the Petaluma CA show. The band
played minus any bass sounds that night. -- Guilty Man Bobby Lloyd Hicks is
out on tour with Steve Forbert in February, playing the mid-south and east
coast dates. Steve Forbert is promoting his new EVERGREEN BOY CD. -- Dave
has played on a bunch of sessions this winter including guitar on Candye
Kane's album, due out in June on Rounder. Dave played on Victor
Krumenmenacher's new album. He was the bass player in Camper Van Beethoven.
Dave played on a new record for Biercen L.A. Dave played on his first CD
years ago and on the new one with Chris Gaffney. - Dave played a last minute
gig at Jack's Sugar Shack in L.A. in January. Dave played with Rick Shea,
Brantley Kearns, Steve Van Gelder on fiddle, David Jackson on bass, and Steve
Duncan (Sugar Shack house drummer). Dave: "Bill Bateman got up and we played
a very long version of MARIE MARIE with a fiddle battle and a Gaffney
accordion battle. It was fun." -- The long awaited L.A. Times magazine cover
story, "On the Road with Dave Alvin." may be out in February or March. -
Dave just finished producing Christy McWilson's (lead singer of the Picketts)
solo album. Gaffney plays accordion, Peter Buck from REM played guitar as
well as Rick Shea and Greg Leisz. Brett Miller from the Old 97's did some
harmony vocals. These sessions, along with sessions from last year, will come
out on a yet-to-be-announced label. - Dave is shooting for July to submit his
writings for publication of his new book of Poetry. Dave says, "Hopefully it
will be out in the fall." It will not be titled The Crazy Ones.- Dave Alvin
recently got a computer and is now online surfing the Web. Watch the official
web site WWW. DAVE ALVIN.COM for Dave's frequent contributions and answers to
fans' questions. Chris Gaffney is following right along and says, "I'm
getting a computer because everyone else has one. I'm going online baby! I'll
be swimming with Alvin." - James Intveld will have a new album out on March
1. He will be playing SXSW in Austin in March. - Keith Wyatt has a new video
out entitled Getting the Sounds: Jump, Jive and Swing on Warner Bros. Video.
Keith, Jerry Angel, and John Bazz play on the video. Call Note Service Music
at 1800 628-1528 to order the video. Keith reports, "I've been writing a
series of profiles for Guitar World magazine. So far, I've done Robert
Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Albert King, and I
just finished one on Freddie King. Also, I wrote a review of BB King's latest
record of Louis Jordan tunes, a short review of Luther Allison's live CD and
I'm currently working on a profile of Eric Clapton: Unplugged." -- Rick Shea
released his second full-length CD called Shakey Ground. The CD includes all
of Rick's 1991 (and out-of-print) album Outside of Nashville, along with five
recently recorded tracks. The CD is a limited release and is available by
mail-order by sending $16 post paid to Rick Shea, PO Box 294, Covina, CA
91723 - Rick Shea and Brantley Kearns are featured on a new CD from Cowgirl
records titled, Hillbilly Down: To Roy Nichols with Love, Vol. 2. Singer
Kathy Robertson put this CD as well as a first volume 1n 1997 called, To Roy
Nichols with Love. Merle Haggard plays as well as other California
musicians. To mail-order send $15 to Kathy Robertson c/o Cowgirl Records,
1977 Yale St., Ontario, CA. 91764. - The Mike Eldred Trio have struck a
distribution deal with Virgin records France. No word yet on its official
release.
Dave Alvin report: "Countdown to the Black Jack David Follow-up Album" Here
is what is percolating in my brain. I have come to the realization that I'm
not gonna live forever (laughs). There is stuff that I wanna do--that I have
been putting off for years. In March or April, I'd like to go in the studio
and make the 'traditional song/folk music' record and put that out in
September. Then I'll go into the studio in September and October and have the
official Black Jack David follow-up out in January (2001). I look forward to
the folk record because it would be fun and I've always wanted to do it. Some
obvious songs would be RAILROAD BILL, WHAT DID THE DEEP SEA SAY, and then
some pretty obscure stuff. Maybe some rockabilly tracks like GREENBACK
DOLLAR. Then maybe some Chicago Blues beside the regular folk songs. I'm 99%
sure I'm gonna do this.