New Releases

• The Four Bitchin' Babes (Debi Smith, Megon McDonough, Sally Fingerett, and Camille West) recently celebrated the release of their new CD, Gabby Road (Shanachie Records).
• WAMA member Ben Sturgis, along with local vocalist and co-writer Sam Toder have just recorded six original songs with the Nashville-based Walton Record label. Recorded at Comanche Sound Studio in Nashville with Ben Sturgis as co-producer and arranged by Tom Wild, the album has some of the hottest studio musicians in Nashville. Walton Records will be distributing the finished product.
• Steve McWilliams released his second CD, Fool (Astoria Records), a collection of ten songs written by McWilliams. Joining him on the CD are Rich Nagel, Jeff Grounds, Paul Frields, and others. Produced by Todd Wright and Heidi Gerber, the CD was recorded at Bias Recording and Locness Dachshund studios.
• Eric Brace, our Weekend guidemaster, released his new CD, Last Train Home recorded by Rich Krentz at EOP Studios in Bethesda. The album was mixed by Doug Derryberry at Bias. The City Paper said, "filled will well crafted songs brought to life by Eric Brace's polished lead vocals and the precise harmonies of brother Alan Brace and Bill Williams."
• Colleen Shanley released her new CD, Let's Go For That Ride, with a party at Starland Cafe. Playing to a packed house, Shanley and her husband Casey O'Neal brought along musical guests (and players on the CD) Granger Helvey on bass and Kirby Yarbrough on drums. Also making a special appearance was Michael Fath on guitar. Recorded at Walton Recording, ESM Productions, and Secret Sound Studios, the CD was produced by Shanley with assistance from Casey O'Neal and Michael Fath and is available by calling 703-525-6089.
• Help Wanted (a DC/VA-based original rock band) released its second CD, The Return of Monkeyface. The album was produced by the band and recorded at SsoundS Studio in Fairfax, VA. You can visit the Help Wanted web page at http://www.logicalalt.com/loki/hwindex.htm or SsoundS Studio at http://www.logicalalt.com/ssounds.
• Robin & Linda Williams announced the release of their new CD, Devil Of A Dream (Sugar Hill Records). Co-produced with the Williams and Kevin McNoldy, the CD was recorded and mixed at McNoldy's studio and Bobby Read's studio, both in Charlottesville, VA.
• The Kingdom of Leisure released This Is The New America.
• Randy Thompson celebrated the release of his new CD, Wearin' Blue (Jackpot Records), at Bad Habits Grille. Wearin' Blue was recorded mostly in Nashville and was produced by Rick West and Garrick Alden.
• The new emmet swimming CD Big Night Without You gets released in stores nationwide June 16. The first single, Sunblock, goes to radio May 26.
• Adelphi Records and Genes CD Company reissued the CD Songs That Made America Famous by Patrick Sky. For more information, call Adelphi Records at 301-434-6958 or e-mail adelphi@erols.com.
• Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women recently released Live & Uppity (Alligator Records). Recorded life over three straight nights in October of 1997 at The Barns Of Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA, the album features seven previously unrecorded tracks.
• Richard Dahl has been receiving very warm reviews for his debut CD, Jealous Muse. Though adventuring far beyond folk, Jealous Muse is built on a strong foundation of artful acoustic guitar and emotional, contemplative vocals. Mike Joyce of the Washington Post says, "The music he creates draws on a worldly palette of colors and rhythms...both intimate and intelligent." Produced by Tom Espinola, guest vocalists include Vyktoria Pratt Keating, Jennifer Fentress, and Cletus M. Kennelly. Info is available at http://www.oasiscd.com/www/dahl.html.
• The band Gum! has released its debut album Chew. This contains both music and multimedia content. The multimedia session contains a full-length music video, interviews with band members (songwriters), and a multimedia game, among other things. People can also connect to Gum!'s web site directly from the multimedia presentation. Each copy of Chew also comes with a packet of Tiny Size Chiclets, with the gum packet wrapped on the back of the CD. So chew is the first interactive multimedia experience that excites the sense of taste,along with sight and sound. Check out their web site, at: http://www.gum-music.com. You can check out some sound clips at his website at www.musicreations.com.
• Boogie-Woogie queen Deanna Bogart is currently working with Robert Cray's producer, Dennis Walker, on a new CD. A release date is set for May of 1998.
• John Guernsey has released a video of his song Sykesville by the 70s Washington group Claude Jones from their self-titled album. The video was shot and produced by Chris Belcher.
• Boud Deun has released their third CD, A General Observation: The Live Album, on EHP Productions label, recorded live in Baltimore at Orion. The band is currently at work on a next Cuneiform release, tentatively called Churches and being recorded at Sterling Sound in Sterling, VA, set for release this coming September. The group has also been included on the upcoming Shanachie compilation CD, working title, The Gobi Compilation. Produced by Richard Gehr and Henry Kaiser, this is a collection of 8 bands dedicated to improvisational rock music. For info call EHP Produtions at 540-349-3320.

Seminars, Workshops, Conferences, Showcases, Grants, Awards & Contests

AFIM Convention

AFIM (Association For Independent Music, formerly NAIRD) announced the schedule for the 1998 AFIM Convention. The Convention will be held at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Denver, CO May 13-17, 1998. For more information, contact AFIM at 1-800-607-6526 or e-mail. Information is also available on the AFIM website.

Cable Guys

Montgomery Community Television (MCT) is seeking local dancers, singers, actors, musicians, etc. to appear on Montgomery's Most Talented, a variety show that is cablecast on the Montgomery Channel, cable channel 21. For more information, contact MCT's Marketing Department at 301-424-1730.

Jingle Producers Bootcamp

The Fifth Annual Guerrilla Jingle Producers Bootcamp will be held on April 27, 28, 29 & 30 in Las Vegas, NV. The Bootcamp will teach musicians how to get into jingle production, voice-over productions, arranging and producing, video production, marketing, and marketing your music on the internet. For more information, contact Betty Guzman at 702-898-7070 or visit the website.

The Blues Wars

The DC Blues Society is soliciting area blues performers to sign up for a local blues contest -- a classic "battle of the bands". The preliminary rounds will be held at the Twist & Shout Club, Bethesda, on three Monday nights: May 11, May 18, and June 1. The public is invited to these events (there will be a modest cover charge).

The semi-finalists will compete at the National Capital Barbecue Battle (a big outdoor street-fest with lots of music and food) on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, downtown DC,Sunday June 21. The winner goes on to the Blues Foundation's International Blues Talent Contest in Memphis this September. For more information, or to sign up to perform, contact Steve Hoffman of the DC Blues Society at 301-270-8520 or Steve Hoffman

Songwriting Camp

Nashville Acoustic Music & Songwriting Camp (NashCamp '98) will take place June 7-12, 1998 at Montgomery Bell State Park outside Nashville, TN. Songwriting teachers include Rick Carnes, Paul Craft, and Casey Kelly. Cost for tuition, room and board is $550. Enrollment is open to the first 60 songwriters and 60 instrumentalists. For more information, visit the website or call 615-292-0967.

Swannanoa Gathering

The annual Swannanoa Gathering has been set for July 5-August 1, 1998 at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC. For more information, contact 704-298-3434 or 704-298-3325 ext. 426. You can also e-mail them or visit the website.

Association of African-American Music

The International Association of African-American Music (IAAAM) announces its IAAAM '98 Celebration to be held in Philadelphia, PA June 5-7, 1998. For information on registration, please contact IAAAM at 215-732-7744.

Bias Recording

Bias Recording has begun the new year with a flurry of activity. Engineer Jim Robeson continued worth with Congressman Joseph Scarborough on his band's ongoing recording projects. Producer John Jennings and engineer Bob Dawson mixed two live cuts from the recent Danny Gatton Tribute Album. One cut features Albert Lee and the other Vince Gill. John McCutcheon continued work with co-producer Bob Dawson on an upcoming family record — Autumn Songs (Rounder). The previous three family record collaborations between Dawson and McCutcheon: Summer Songs, Winter Songs, and Bigger Than Yourself have all garnered Grammy nominations for the duo. Sweet Honey In The Rock, produced by Ysaye Barnwell and engineered by Jim Robeson, is recording their 25th Anniversary project, slated for a fall release.

Debi Smith, working with engineer Heidi Gerber, recorded and mixed two songs for her soon-to-be-released CD tentatively titled More Than Once (Shanachie Records). Bernice Johnson Reagon is continuing her project Africans in America for WGBH. The four 90 minute shows will be televised on PBS in the fall of 1998. There will be accompanying CD releases as well. Jim Robeson is recording and mixing. Vaughn Nark has just completed his next release with Bob Dawson engineering. Among the outstanding players contributing are Tim Eyermann, Saul Miller, and Peter Fraize.

Engineers John Alagia and Doug Derryberry have been working on a Ben Folds Five project for Sony. The band was filmed at Gaston Hall in December, and this live recording will be added to the film. Doug Derryberry is also continuing work on a release for the Peter Fraize Trio. Balkan brass band, Zlatne Uste, is in the final mixing stages of their upcoming release, In The Center Of The Village. Charlie Pilzer is producer and Heidi Gerber is mixing engineer. Heidi Gerber has recently engineered a number of other projects including those for jazz artist William Knowles with Soul Service, jazz artist Tony Whitfield and classical pianist Ai Uki.

Lynn Morris is midway through the recording of her next release on Rounder, with Jim Robeson engineering. Jim has also been working with the production team of Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer on a children's theater release for DinoRock Productions. Other projects keeping Bob Dawson busy are those of blues guitarist Tom Principato, blues singer Cathy Jean and Juanita Williams. The Williams CD is produced by Keith Killgo and Mike Crotty, with Bobby Black acting as executive producer. Crotty is also producing the first release for Crotty and O'Neill, Turning Point. The project will highlight vocalist Deater O'Neill performing contemporary jazz standards.

Big Bear Productions

Big Bear Productions, Ltd., is building a new studio facility located at 200 Little Falls Street in Falls Church, VA. After many delays, the build out is completed. An open house and studio opening reception was held in February.

Cue Recording

Once Hush has begun recording their third CD, Superior Machines, at Cue Recording Studio. Engineered by Jeff Juliano at Cue, the project will be mixed and mastered in New York by Jon Altschiller, assistant to John Alagia on the Once Hush project Say It Anyway. Five cuts from Say It Anyway can be heard on MTV's Road Rules and the Real World this year, and has recently been licensed by ABC for an upcoming pilot to air in May of '98.

Airshow Mastering

David Glasser and Charlie Pilzer at Airshow Mastering received for a Grammy Award for restoration and mastering services on the Smithsonian/Folkways re-release The Anthology of American Folk Music. Airshow announced its recent mastering work as including the release of a compilation of new recordings from Pete Seeger, entitled Where Have All The Flowers Gone? The Songs of Pete Seeger. Released on the Appleseed Recordings label, the album is a 2-CD set of Pete Seeger tunes as interpreted by 38 artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Roger McGuinn, Ani DiFranco, John Gorka, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, and The Weavers. The CD was mastered by Dave Glasser of Airshow in their new studios in Boulder, CO. Mastered by Charlie Pilzer in the Springfield, VA studio is Angels Watching Over Me, the NPR Classics recording by Denyce Graves. Also in Airshow news, the popular radio music/variety show, E-Town, has selected Airshow to provide post-production work on the series.

Shuman Recording Studios

Shuman Recording Studios is proud to announce the addition of their "Studer H-80 MK II 2" tape recorder. Having renovated and upgraded in late 1997, the studio is happy to be rolling tape again. For a limited time they are offering a Block Rate of $45 per hour. Call 703-237-5677. Legendary bluesman Henry Townsend will return to the Falls Church studio in March to complete his CD project. The St. Louis blues artist is known for his work with Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson and Roosevelt Sykes. At age 89, he is still breaking new ground in the blues arena. The celtic group Iona recently started their third CD recording project. Myron Bretholz will be producing. Work continues on Michael Maye's studio project after his death in October. Producer Bill Hancock will be on hand to mix down. The studio partners are busy establishing Amber Records, Inc. The label plans national distribution of its first release in the Summer of 1998.

• Wyoming singer/songwriter Judd Grossman recently released his self-titled alternative/folk CD. Joining Grossman on the album are Sugar Hill Records recording artists Tim and Mollie O'Brien, and Sally Van Meter.
• Singer\Songwriter John Russo and his NYC -based band has just released their new CD entitled Two Weeks From Tuesday a CD of 11original songs (acoustic-rock) that has been receiving great reviews all around the Country!
• Steve Sparks reports that his latest release is in the top 10 on radio in Hawaii.

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