Music News & Notes

Clint Ballard Jr. Passes Away

We are all just learning now that legendary songwriter Clint Ballard, Jr. passed away on December 23 at his Denton, Texas home. He was 77.

Ballard's songs include Game of Love (Wayne Fontanna & the Mindbenders), You're No Good (Dee Dee Warwick, Linda Ronstadt), Gingerbread (Frankie Avalon), Good Timin' (Jimmy Jones) and I'm Alive (Hollies).

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Nick Drake Tribute

A number of current artists are coming together to record a tribute album to English singer/songwriter Nick Drake. Included in the project are Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, Norah Jones and Jack Johnson. Also on the album will be a version of Drake's Black Eyed Dog recorded by Heath Ledger in late 2007.

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Blind Pig January 2009 Releases

On January 27, 2009 Blind Pig Records will release new studio CDs from a pair of up-and-coming blues stars as well as LP reissues from two blues legends.

The label will release new recordings from vocalist/harmonica player John Nemeth (Love Me Tonight) and guitar phenom Damon Fowler (Sugar Shack), and audiophile quality vinyl records from Walter Horton (Fine Cuts) and Otis Rush (Tops).

John Nemeth burst on the scene last year with his dazzling debut album, winning acclaim as one of the most gifted artists on the modern blues scene. He skillfully blends retro and modern blues and soul into compelling music that is simultaneously old and new. Brimming with energy, his new CD is tougher and edgier. Nemeth re-visits the inspired sounds of the 50's and 60's when Chicago blues was adding funk and rock to the mix. By reinvigorating the sound of vintage American R&B with his spine-tingling vocals and considerable songwriting skills, John has crafted a timeless slice of American music. Frequent collaborator Elvin Bishop guests on two tracks.

Damon Fowler, another fast-rising blues star, has made a name for himself with his guitar expertise and fusion of roots, rock, blues, and sacred steel. He's been compared to Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck, while his slide guitar has a hint of Ry Cooder and the late Duane Allman. He can play fiery runs with the best of them, but it's his lyrical work on lap steel and Dobro that sets him apart from legions of guitar players. Sugar Shack is pure Southern Americana - a skillful blend of swamp, blues, and Southern rock.

Big Walter Horton, whom Willie Dixon called "the best harmonica player I ever heard," was a highly influential harp master who combined a unique, fluid style, a genius for tone, and a rare emotional intensity. Fine Cuts, released in 1978, was one of the first recordings from the fledgling Blind Pig label, when the company was still headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Otis Rush, another blues giant and one of the premier Chicago blues guitarists, is captured live in a searing, soulful performance at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1985. This fired-up, imaginative program showcases Rush's prodigious skills, immaculate chops, stinging, vibrato-drenched guitar and tortured, intense vocals.

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Ringo Not Mute Anymore

Ringo Starr is back, sort of. A number of months ago, he announced on his website that he would no longer be signing autograph requests. He's backtracked slightly on that declaration, signing a drum head for a contestant winner.

The ex-Beatle has also been silent up until the now, writing on his website "I don't feel blue any more. It's 2009 and I feel fine. Couldn't get any better, could it? Peace and love to Ricardo, hope you have a great life. Peace and love everybody."

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Patty Smyth & Scandal Reunion Update

Over six months ago, a story of how Patty Smyth and Scandal were ready to go the reunion route. They had done an episode of VH1's Band Reunited and said it felt so good that they were ready to try it full time again.

Now, a half year later, new information has surfaced from a conversation that Smyth had with Spinner.com. The new group with original members Smyth, Keith Mack (guitar) and Benjy King (keyboards) and new members Tom Welsch (bass) and Eran Asias (drums) originally went into the studio and recorded an EP of fresh material.

Originally set for release in late-2008, what the group heard made them so excited that they decided to hold off and record a full-length album. Now set for a release sometime this year, Smyth is excited. We did a bunch of gigs and that's all I heard at every show, 'Are you gonna make a new record?' I really felt compelled to do it. I figured, 'Why not?'

"It doesn't sound retro at all. Keith just really evolved, just as I like to think I have as a songwriter and singer. That's kind of what you want...to be different but still us."