More From Morris

For those who can't wait for his next national release, R.B. Morris has announced he's cutting a CD called The Knoxville Sessions, featuring several recordings he made with Hector Qirko and the Irregulars before last year's nationally praised Oh Boy Records CD, Take That Ride. He admits it's a "strange" collection, mixing several familiar songs, with spoken-word poetry accompanied with music ranging from funk to polka. People who knew his live shows of several years ago may recognize classics like "Atlantic Avenue" and "I Live in a Toy Room," previously unavailable on record. Also included will be earlier versions of two songs that ended up on Take That Ride, including "The World Owes Me" and "They Say There's a Time."

Originally intended as a follow-up to his 1992 local release, Local Man, Morris recorded most of the songs at the old Southern Sound Studios and worked with Qirko to re-mix them at the new Southern Sound Studios. Its title suits it well. "It's entirely a Knoxville project," Morris says, adding that newly local artist Kevin Bradley, well known in Nashville for his music posters, is doing the cover. The faux-bootleg record should be available at local stores by the end of the month. To shove the long-nurtured baby out of the nest, Morris and the Irregulars will play a show at the Laurel Theater on Dec. 4.

We Just Got Over the Hangover

Those who spent Halloween at another costume party full of Monica lookalikes probably missed the low-profile, little-advertised reunion of one of Knoxville's favorite holiday bands, Jacqui and the Tumble Kings, at the Tomato Head. It was as close to the original lineup as we've seen in several years, with Jacqui Alexander on vocals, Jaimie Cameron (erstwhile frontman for Slow Blind Hill) on guitar, and—the surprise—the one and only Bobby Alexander on drums. During his four-year absence, his trademark sideburns have only gotten longer. When he was backing popular downtown bands like the Blue Rockers, the House Rockers, the Curb Feelers, and the Relentless Blues Band in the '80s, Alexander was one of the strongest rock 'n' roll drummers in town. He says he's been traveling with carnivals, but he seems to be in fine form, as did the rest of the band. He's back in town, so we might expect to see him again soon.

Local CD Review

The Best of Sassy Ann's Blue Jam
Various Artists

Okay, so Knoxville's more the home of bluegrass than the blues—that doesn't mean we have to go to Memphis just to hear some first-class stompin' and moanin'. As this sharp new compilation attests, Knoxville's blues scene is one to treasure.

Recorded over the course of several weekly blues jams at Sassy Ann's—the 4th and Gill restaurant/bar that has made itself a local blues Mecca—the CD features most of the leading lights of the local scene aided and abetted by a host of professionals and amateurs. Blue Jam emcee LaBron Lazenby shows up on a couple of tracks, as do most of his fellow travelers in local blues-groove outfit The Boogeymen. Sara Jordan—who's been called Knoxville's Queen of the Blues so many times she's probably tired of it—is on hand, singing a stormy composition of her own ("33 Days, 32 Nights"). Other local notables include Big Daddy Rick Rouse, Joe King, and Billy Valentine.

But this is more than a showcase for individual talents. Like the free-form Blue Jams themselves, the album celebrates the spontaneous interplay of musicians having a good time. Although the recordings naturally lean on the more proficient of the Blue Jam regulars, the selections are reasonably democratic. A total of 31 musicians show up on the 11 tracks. The songs range from standards like "Shake Your Boogie" to Jimi Hendrix's "Red House," but they all share a convincing, loose-limbed swing.

Michael James and the Knoxville Blues Society recorded and produced the project, and they deserve special kudos for a trio of nice touches: one, the photos of nearly everyone who plays on the CD, which help personalize the music; two, a track featuring teen wonderkid Danny Lee Michel, who's fun to hear; and three, putting the proceeds toward the Blues Society's worthy "Blues in the Schools" program.

Le Grand (Entertainment) Tour

Some of you—and you know who you are—have been griping about the sheer amount of listings we at Metro Pulse pump out in any given week. It's hard to sift through it all without a little help. So let this little Zippy be your guide. While these may not be the "best" events based on some obscure scale, they are the ones that caught my admittedly quirky eye. Full location and ticket information is located in the Calendar.

Thursday: Celtic Music Session at Patrick Sullivan's. Yes, it's local. Yes, you could see them any Thursday. But there's just something about the damp November chill that makes me think of Eire and pine for an Irish Coffee with a mandolin chaser.

Friday: Chamberlain. They're from Indiana, home state of John Cougar and Jane Pauley, and this band springs from its roots-rock corn-fed soils.

Saturday: Lone Rangers, the Sam Shepard one-acts by Actors Co-op, performed at Jackson Avenue Antiques. You say you don't like theater, but have you really tried it?

Sunday: Ivory's jazz line-up, with Rick Simerly, Donald Brown, and Bill Scarlett—a veritable who's who of the Knox scene will be there. Take notes.

Monday: Lyle Lovett, dad gummit.

Tuesday: Catch the rumble between young redneck Korn fans and old redneck Journey fans at the Civic Coliseum/Auditorium

Wednesday: The Dub Narcotic Sound System, who hypnotizes with their odd blend of loud, propulsive, R&B electronica, will be at Tomato Head, who hypnotizes with their unique blend of tofu and meatloaf.

—Zippy "Line Forms to the Rear" McDuff