Music News & Notes

Grandmaster Flash Readies First New Album in 20 Years

Rock & Roll Hall member Grandmaster Flash is ready to put out his first album of new material since 1987 with "The Bridge." The album is due for release on March 3 on Adrenaline City Entertainment via Strut.

According to antimusic.com, Flash stated "As a DJ, I've been blessed to see many different people, places and styles. The album title represents all the bridges I've crossed worldwide. The bridges of time, cultures and color, the bridges of hip hop, funk, pop, rock, jazz, punk, disco and R&B."

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Seminal Folkster Donovan Receives French Honor

Donovan has been honored in France as an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters. Awarded at the annual MIDEM convention in Cannes, the honor acknowledges those who have made a significant contribution to the arts.

Accepting the award, Donovan stated: "I take it for all the work I've done over the years to bring poetry back to popular culture. To get an honour like this confirmed to me that it was successful, that my work was accepted on my terms, rather than becoming an entertainer. I wanted to be entertaining, but to bring to the world a sense of meaning again."

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Truth In Advertising

Ohio is the 27th state to pass some form of the Truth in Music bill that makes it illegal for groups to dupe the promoters or the public into believing that a touring act is the real thing even when there are no original members taking part in a performance.

Under the new Ohio law, going into effect on April 6, at least one member of the touring group has to have recorded under the group's name. Fines can be up to $15,000.

John "Bowzer" Bowman of Sha Na Na has spearheaded the effort across the country and says “The public is entitled to know what it’s going to see. You have to have a legitimate link to the group itself,” he said. “If the federal trademark laws worked effectively, we wouldn’t need these state laws.”

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Fore!

A number of veteran artists have been announced as participants in next weeks Bob Hope Classic golf tournament, including Stephen Stills, Huey Lewis, Alice Cooper and Don Felder.

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No Reunion of Jeff Beck Group

Jeff Beck has stated not to expect a reunion of the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. "Reformation of bands is never my idea of a good idea. Leave well enough alone, especially 35 years after it happened.

"It usually indicates there isn't anything else happening in someone else’s career, otherwise you wouldn't entertain it - let’s face it. We weren't together in the heyday of money. We were playing small clubs and dives and broke up just before Woodstock, so we never had any big money gigs."