Too Slim’s Tail Should Be Wagging Now
Get a load of this album review, written by Associated Press writer Ralph Siegel and distributed to hundreds of newspapers and broadcast outlets nationwide:
“They play with freshness, skill, and, as needed, stage-stomping power … ‘Swamp Opera” is a total package, with sparkling guest appearances by Charlie Musselwhite and organ-player Jimmie Pugh, and some masterfully varied guitar lessons from Slim Tim.”
He’s writing about the newest album “Swamp Opera” (Burnside Records) by Spokane’s own Too Slim and the Taildraggers.
We’ve known for years how good these guys are, and now maybe the rest of the country will figure it out.
Our only quibble with the review is in the following passage: “Tim ‘Too Slim’ Langford and his band hail from the Northwest, the Seattle-Portland circuit that has produced the heartbeat of rock.”
Seattle-Portland? Hey, these guys are from Spokane, buddy, the blues capital of the world. (OK, the blues capital of the Inland Northwest).
Gorge-ous Steely Dan
Speaking of local exposure, have you seen the cover of that new Steely Dan live album, “Alive in America”?
There, on the back cover, is a gorgeous panorama shot of The Gorge. You can see the stage, the cliffs and the Columbia River stretching off in the distance.
This was apparently shot during the Steely Dan appearance at The Gorge on Sept. 10, 1994.
Local Christmas exposure
One more local exposure item and then I’ll quit: Spokane was piped into millions of households Monday night as “Benny and Joon” was chosen as NBC’s primetime Christmas movie.
Nielsen musings
Here are just a few more Nielsen ratings musings from the November sweeps, with help from Dave Zack of Z Media, a local advertising agency.
Both KREM-2’s news at noon and KHQ-6’s news at 4:30 p.m. are slipping just a bit, but nothing to be alarmed about.
Last week I reported a tie between KHQ and KXLY at 11 p.m. The newly released computerized ratings list includes decimal points, which shows KHQ with a 6 rating, 25.9 share, barely ahead of KXLY’s 5.9 rating, 25.4 share. KREM is not far behind with a 5.4 rating, 23.3 share. The margin between all three stations is hardly enough to be statistically significant.
‘Daved and Kenfused’
That “Daved and Kenfused” benefit album featuring the KZZU-FM Breakfast Boys’ on-air shtick was a sell-out hit over the holidays. It generated over $7,000 for Spokane Child Abuse and Neglect.
One mammoth ‘Messiah’
Here it comes again, the biggest “Messiah” in town.
The Messiah Project is once again planning a mass community choir version of Handel’s “Messiah” to be performed by hundreds of voices on March 16 and 17 at the Masonic Temple. The accompaniment will be by the Washington-Idaho Symphony Orchestra.
Rehearsals begin the week of Jan. 8, and any singers who want to participate can simply show up at one of the weekly rehearsals in their area. Those are: Mondays, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 3909 W. Rowan Street; Mondays, Horizon Junior High School, 3915 S. Pines; Tuesdays, Manito United Methodist Church, 3220 S. Grand. Times for all of these are 7 p.m.
Singers who are already experienced and familiar with the “Messiah” can simply join the dress rehearsals in March.
All proceeds go to Anna Ogden Hall, a shelter for homeless women and children. Last year’s concerts raised over $10,000. For information, call the Messiah Project at 536-9315. , DataTimes MEMO: Spotlight appears Sunday on Entertainment. To leave a message on Jim Kershner’s voice-mail, call 459-5493. Or send e-mail to jimk@spokesman.com, or regular mail to The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA. 99210.