Down On The Corner

By Paul Moffett

With Derby Day early in the month of May, May will no doubt seem much longer for most Louisvillians, with many more chances to get out and hear live music. Given that the current state of the industry is such that everybody whose royalty checks have dried up is on the road (and a good many of them are stopping here), it's only a question of when one of your favorites will be here. Keep a sharp eye out.

Then there are the festivals, large and small, with more on the docket every year, as festivals seem to be the most economically viable method for presenting live music on both a national and a local level. You had best enjoy being in the middle of a crowd, if you go.

And, oh, yes, there's all that Louisville music that you can hear every night of the week and for cheap. I encourage you to bestir yourself and go. Dance if you can.

The news that Jim Porter's will be sold to MSD and torn down is not good news, though in truth, business are the Lexington Road club has been pretty slow the last few times I've been there. It was one of the few places in town with a decent-sized dance floor, too.

Last month was terrible for the musician community, with five players passing on, including two from the Lamont Gillispie and 100 Proof Blues band. Read Sue O'Neil's blues column for her take on that.

Your editor has been pounding away on past issues of LMN, getting them formatted and uploaded online. To date, this includes several issues from 2000, all of 1999 and 1998 back to April. Click the "Archives" button to find them by year.

That's it for this issue. Happy Derby and may the month of May bring you merriment.

Codas

Breasher, Timothy "Tim", 57. Died in Louisville on April 1, 2015, He was the longtime keyboardist for the band City Lights.

Davies, Byron, 63, died in Louisville on April 25, 2015. He was the longtime bassist with Lamont Gillispie & the 100 Proof Blues Band.

Gillispie, Lamont Joey, 62, died in Louisville on April 10, 2015. He was a harmonica player, leader of Lamont Gillispie and the 100 Proof Blues Band and longtime Louisville blues figure.

Helm, Freddy H. Sr., died in New Albany on April 7, 2015. He was a saxophonist who played with The Sultans, The Wulfe Brothers, Dave Stahl Duo, King Louie Knight, Allen McCory (at the Doo-Drop Inn) and many others.

Raikes, Wiliam "Billy", died in Louisville on April 9, 2015. He was a guitarist.