The Coat Puller

The interview with Godfather producer-director Francis Ford Coppola which takes up the rest of this issue of KULCHUR was lifted from Coppola's interesting publishing venture, CITY of San Francisco, a weekly slick-format magazine which is put together by a group of veteran media hotshots including Coppola, former Ramparts editors Warren Hinckle and Bob Scheer, Susan Lyne and none other than our special pal Ken Kelley, who has just taken over the Back of the Book' (or journalese for Ahts and Kulchah)section at CITY. Kelley was in Detroit for most of the last half of 1975 gathering heavy material for his major work in progress, a chilling book-length account of the Howard Kohn Detroit Free Press affair and the sordid narcotics scene uncovered by Kohn during his investigation into the police heroin conspiracy which resulted in the just-concluded l0th Precinct trial. While here in town Kelley contributed mightily to the SUN's editorial and physical move into Detroit, starting with his interview of ex-convict Detroit Tiger star Ron LeFlore last July, and all of us here wish him everything good in his new job at CITY. Our humble KULCHUR editor will be lending Ken a hand as a weekly record reviewer for CITY with a regular column called ''SIDES", starting next week. Subscriptions can be had from CITY, 531 Pacific Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94133.

Speaking of our beloved editor, it should be noted that the Detroit -focused features originally scheduled for this issue of the SUN were held over till next time due to an unfortunate and untimely illness which struck our hard-working media czar just as he was sitting down for the bi-weekly rewrite marathon, necessitating the quick chop job on the Coppola interview (originally scheduled for next issue) so you wouldn't have to look at a bunch of blank pages this time. Therefore be warned that our hot February 19th issue, out February 12th, will pull your coat to the real story behind the rumors that Motown Records is on its way back into Detroit, with Frank Bach's feature on Prodigal Records and their fast-breaking new star Ronnie McNeir; David Weiss, a regular contributor to the Kulchur section will introduce you to Probity Productions and their delightful designs on the minds of music-loving Detroiters; and our editor himself will profile the incredible Clifford Fears Dance Theatre, ably assisted by Associate Editor Edwenna Edwards and with photographs by Art Director Barbara Weinberg.

And speaking of Probity, our heartiest congratulations to the fledgling production team on their Anthony Braxton concert last weekend, which was a definite high point for the city's creative music fiends. But there's more to come: Probity's first Detroit Showcase, featuring the Lyman Woodard Organization and the ever-dangerous Tribe will be mounted on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14th, a true expression of love for the city Probity has set out to serve. Stanley Turrentine follows Feb. 21st, Gil Scott-Heron and the Midnight Band are set for Feb. 25th, a Roy Ayers/Dick Gregory double bill will hit Feb. 28th, and Mose Allison/Kenny Rankin are promised for March 7th. Whew! All at the Showcase Theatre, Harper & Van Dyke, on Detroit's jumpin' east side ...

ANCESTOR WORSHIP: We mark with deep sorrow the passing of pioneer black athlete, actor, singer, and social activist Paul Robeson, who left the planet January 23rd at the age of 77. A review of Dr. Charles Wright's book: Robeson: Labor's Forgotten Champion appears in our VORTEX section this issue . . ., One of our most prominent living ancestors, Mr. Dizzy Gillespie, visited the Detroit área last week for a beautiful concert at Birmingham Groves High School with his current quartet-Diz on trumpet, Earl May (bass), Mickey Roker (drums), and guitarist Alex Gaffa. The irrepressible Dr. Gillespie, togged out in leather pants and earth shoes and playing his veritable ass off, took the microphone on one occasion to remark, "It'' nice to be 58 years old and still have all this energy!" Diz has been recently engaged by the San Francisco School Board to produce a series of student workshops "designed to develop the reading and math curriculum through jazz"-certainly a noble venture, and one from which our local schools might well benefit . . . .Another of our leading living ancestors, Professor Muddy Waters, can be seen in your living rooms again Feb. 6th when Channel 56 repeats the "Soundstage" tribute to the great urban blues pioneer (8:30 p.m.); Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Pinetop Perkins, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Dr. John, Johnny Winter, Mike Bloomfield, and Buddy Miles all join Muddy to pay homage to his profound musical legacy All of February is Black History Month in the U.S. of A., and Ch. 56's "Black Journal" program Feb. 5th (8:30 p.m.) will feature a special tribute to the historic contributions of black people in America, including host Billy Taylor's homage to the late Duke Ellington, the seminal genius of modern music. During this gaudy Bicentennial year, it is both instructive and inspirational to study the history and cultural achievement of the black and other non-white peoples of North America, particularly since most of the white history of this place is so god damn disgusting...Here it must be noted that John Sinclair's "Ancestor Worship" program, formerly heard on Sunday nights on Ann Arbor's WCBN-FM, has been expelled from the air. The program formally billed as the Story of Jazz series on the Jazz Around Midnight show with Sinclair serving as "guest scholar in residence" for the Campus Broadcast Network-ran from May to January and featured a number of special four-hour shows on the music of a single artist, including Charlie Parker (12 hours), John Coltrane (20 hours), Jackie McLean (8 hours), Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Yusef Lateef, Cannonball  Adderley, the Classic Miles Davis Quintet, the Orchestral Works of Miles Davis, and others (4 hours each). The "Ancestor Worship" program is now looking for a new home in the Detroit area-inquiries may be directed in care of this newspaper...

MUSIC CITY USA: If it isn't a renaissance that's going on in this town, then please tell us what it is .... Leon Thomas and his band at Baker's thru Feb. 1, followed by Ahmad Jamal (Feb. 6-15) Lou Donaldson at the Pretzel Bowl thru Feb. 11, followed by Grant Green (Feb. 18 - March 3) Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee at the Raven Gallery thru the 31st, followed by the Blue Labor Revue: Louisiana Red, Peg-leg Sam and Sugar Blue (Feb. 3-7), and Tommy Makem (Feb. 10-14)  Johnny Taylor at the 20 Grand thru this weekend, with the Dynamic Superiors coming in Feb. 2-7 .... Bette Midler plays five nights at Masonic, ending Feb. 1 .... Detroit Symphony Orchestra at Ford Auditorium, Jan. 29th and 31st . . . . Sam Sanders and Visions, with Jeamel on vocals, at Cranbrook's Academy of Art Museum, Sunday, Feb. lst Billy Paul, MFSB, and the Miracles at Masonic, Feb. 7 .... the O'Jays, Blue Magic, and the Commodores at Cobo, Feb. 15 Count Basie vs. Supersax at the Michigan Light Guard Armory. Feb. 27-28, sponsored by The Men Who Dare, Inc. . . . Otis Clay at Ethel's Feb 6-8 .... Lightnin' at the A Train, Feb. 5-7 . . . . Griot Galaxy in the "Community Music for Community People" series at the First Unitarian Church, Cass at Forest, Tuesday, Feb. 3 .... Vivían and Michael Nance and Tonk at Al George's Someplace Else, James Couzens just north of Schaeffer.Sun.- Thurs. .... Fito and his Salsa-Hustle outfit with Charles Moore and Ronnie Johnson at Dirty Helen's, Cass & Bagley, thru Feb. 5 .... The Fantastic Four at Phelps' Lounge, on the east side, with Ben E. King on the way - a Curtís Hopkins Production .... Rufus featuring Chaka Khan at Masonic, Feb. 5 . . . . Dionne Warwick was in town for a rare show at Masonic Jan 23 .... Cleo Laine at Music Hall thru Feb. 1st with her production of the Brecht/Weill "Seven Deadly Sins," featuring Detroiters Dennis Rowland, Conwell Carrington, Gene Wabeke, and Davis Gloff in supporting roles, and guitarist Ron English in the orchestra pit, playing banjo... The Kuumba Singers, from Harvard's Afro-American Cultural Center, at Mercy College's McAuley Auditorium, Feb. 7 .... and for your basic " white rock music fan, the lowest-common-denominator element in today's big-bucks music industry, teen-age heart-throbs Queen, Kiss, BTO, Peter Frampton, Deep Purple, Sweet, Cat Stevens and any number of others are scheduled to take a lot of money out of town during the same period .... Finally, TV's "Midnight Special" sets out a two-night tribute to Motown, "Detroit Music," Feb. 13-14 on Channel 4...

ANN ARBOR & OUTSTATE: Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band make a triumphant stand at Crisler Arena Feb. 11th headlining over Foghat for the expected 14,000 hometown fans. . . . Chances Are has some scintillating music on tap for February, including the Mojo Boogie Band. (22) Sky King (Feb. 10-14), the dynamic Sam & Dave (2/16), and Detroit's hard-rocking Brainstorm (Feb. 17-21) the Mojos packed 'em in at the Red Carpet last weekend, even with the heavy weather-which kept your correspondent from the scene Sunday night, in violation of a solemn promise. Sorry, dear friends. . . . Back in Treetown, the Ark Coffeehouse is hosting a benefit for SING OUT magazine Feb. 2nd, featuring Tom Paxton and any number of local lights. Folk fans would do well to visit this historic musical hotspot, almost any night of the week. ... All Directions now at the Spaghetti Bender in Ypsilanti, Sunday nights from 8-11 .... the Andrae Crouch and the Disciples gospel concert set for last Sunday at Hill Auditorium has been postponed indefinitely .... In East Lansing, Showcase Jazz at MSU brought in Dizzy Gillespie for two nights following his Birmingham concert Jan. 23rd. . . . Lizard's has Chicago guitarist Jimmy Dawkins in for two days, Feb. 6-7. . . . Mike Bloomfield played the Silver Dollar, also in East Lansing, last weekend, with saxophonist Joe Farrell's unit coming up there Feb. 28th. . . . FINALLY, belated congratulations to Chicago blues guitarist Fenton Robinson ("Somebody Loan Me a Dime") who was released from the penitentiary at Joliet, Illinois (where the late saxophonist Gene Ammons did several bits) recently, and to the beautiful jazz vocalist Flora Purim,who just finished up a three-year sentence at Terminal Island penitentiary in California and is ready to release a new LP, "Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly" .... Now for Bro. Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, still trying to get out of prison in New Jersey after nine years, and whose chances should be somewhat better these days thanks to Bob Dylan & Co., who grossed over $200, 000 at a benefit in Madison Square Garden (NYC) and another $500,000 at another extravaganza for the Hurricane in Houston, Texas, last weekend, where our man was joined by Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, and any number of fellow artists with the requisite social consciousness. Wake up. everybody! ....