The Coat Puller

THE COAT PULLER

Sorry to leave you in the lurch like that the last couple of issues, but your old pal just had to get out of here for a couple of weeks and let the northern Michigan air waft through his head . . . Hope you dug the little treats we left behind, and be warned that we're working up to Bill Hutton's Bicentennial masterpiece, "The Declaration of Independence," just two issues from now . . . And please, if you will, help us welcome aboard one Frank Bach, who will be serving as the Managing Editor for this bi-weekly slice of Motor City Kulchur from now on, taking a heavy load off of our Editor's sagging shoulders. Bach, a graduate of U of D High on Detroit's northwest side, began his journalistic career covering music for the old Fifth Estate (remember them?) back in the summer of 1966, just before the opening of the Grande Ballroom, where he graduated from his position as the original manager of the Grande to lead singer of the Up for five years. In Ann Arbor from 1968-75, he wrote for the old Sun/Dance newspaper and for the Ann Arbor Sun, which he served as distribution manager since 1973. Readers of this section of the Detroit Sun will be familiar with Frank's features and reviews – they've been a regular feature since last fall – and now you’ll be getting his re-writes and edits as well. Thanks, Frank, we needed this! . . .

And speaking of what we need, the M.U.S.I.C. benefit at the Showcase Theatre last Saturday night (reviewed by Herb Boyd in the Vortex this issue) was one of the most inspirational events of the past few years, with a star-studded cast of contributors and a typically exciting Motor City audience, most of whom hung in there until 2:30 a.m., when the festivities finally soared to a climax and went on out. Among the Musicians Supporting Indigenous Culture (and amply demonstrating the strength and beauty of that culture) were ex-Four Tops musical director Dr. Beans Bowles, Supremes musical director Teddy Harris, James Lockett of the New Detroit Jazz Ensemble, led by Marcus Belgrave – who filled out a trumpet section including UM jazz program director Louis Smith and Oakland University professor Herbie Williams plus all the members of Tribe, the great Will Austin on bass, George Davidson (of the Lyman Woodard Organization) on drums, eight percussionists, and a gang of young drummers from the Aboriginal Percussion Choir, led by Detroit's prodigal son Roy Brooks, who organized the entire event with the help of the M.U.S.I.C. steering committee (Harold McKinney, Clifford Sykes, Robert Cox, Tommy Glover and Ed Nelson) and Larry Nevels' new production company, Bantu Productions. The operators of the Showcase, the east side's Probity Productions (Chris Jaszczak and Gary MacDonald), were just as happy as everyone else, since this is one of the reasons they opened the facility in the first place – to serve as a focal point for indigenous musical and cultural activity. Let's make it just the first in a long series of exciting events produced by the indigenous talents active in the Motor City music community – we've got a long way to go, but this was one hell of a great start! . . .

It's particularly fitting at this point to mark the departure of one of Detroit's most active spirits and a central figure in the Motor City music community tor the past ten years or so – brother Bud Spangler, who has packed up and moved to the San Francisco Bay area with his friend Cindy Felong, the former WABX-FM newswoman. Bud, who held down the drum chair in Tribe up to his departure, has been perhaps best known for his work at WDET-FM, where he inaugurated the "Jazz Today" show in 1967, served as Program Director from 1970 to 1974, began the popular "New Jazz in Review" show heard Friday nights at 10:00 p.m., and generally served as a driving force behind the programming of community- based and community-oriented music at the Public Radio station which still devotes more than half its programming time to European classical music. Both Bud and Cindy will be sorely missed here in the Big D, but our loss is the Bay area’s gain, as it’s been so many times in the past. Bud will join Lansing/Ann Arbor drummer Danny Spencer, who moved to the Bay area last year, and we hope he'll be reporting back regularly and often. Good luck, dear friends! . . .

AROUND TOWN: WDET will show off its new transmitter, purchased with the help of the station's last major fund-raising drive, at an open house June 12, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. WDET is located on the 15th Floor of the Schools Center Building, 5057 Woodward, corner of Putnam . . . A tip of the hat to the folks at the Roadhouse, Ann Arbor's newest and hottest spot for music, where the Mojo Boogie Band, Fito, Carolyn Crawford, the Friends Roadshow, the Lyman Woodard Organization and any number of other top area groups have been featured lately. Keep it up, old pals . . . The east side has been rocking with action lately as well, with Tom Powers at the Peppermill Lounge (and when is that first Arista album coming out, Tom?), regular happenings at the Red Carpet (where Johnny Bee, Jim McCarty, Dennis Robbins, and John Fraga-Honeyboy- make their home), J.C.'s Rock Saloon, the Union Street, and bands like Holy Smoke, Catch, Badge, Stonebridge, Katzenjammer, Elfstone. and even more are kicking them out for the dancing crowds . . . Meanwhile, Ethel's (also on the east side) has Albert King (June 4-6), the Fantastic Four (June 11-13), Joe Tex (June 18-20), and Laura Lee (June 25-27) coming up this month . . . And the Four Tops hit the Roostertail for six days (June 15-20), cover charge only $5.50, . . .

On the west side, Candy Staton opens at the newly remodeled Watts' Club Mozambique June 4, followed by Marlena Shaw (Who Is This Bitch, Anyway?) on June 18 . . . Detroit’s own Earl Klugh, the guitarist whose first Blue Note album has just been released, is at Baker's Keyboard June 15-20, followed by Pharoah Sanders (June 21-27) and Lonnie Liston Smith (June 29-July 4) . . . Bill Heid and his piano trio (Jan "Prince" Moorehead and Martin Gross) are at the Bonfire Bar-B-Q after hours Wednesday thru Saturdays from midnight to 4 a.m., and you'll probably see the Coat Puller there as well….Sorry there can't be more this time, but we'll try to make up for it next ish....