Weekend music news and notes

By Art Shimko
shimko_7@hotmail.com

-- Music news and notes from the last few days...

-- After being hospitalized Thursday in Galveston for a low grade fever and flu-like symptoms, 81-year-old blues legend B.B. King was discharged Saturday and said to be feeling better. King will be rescheduling dates he missed early this week in June and plans on performing a show in Fort Worth on Tuesday.

-- The Police will be rehearsing for their upcoming reunion tour at Vancouver's Lions Gate Studios as reported by local classic rock station CFMI this past week, there's even a rumor of the band performing at the Grammys on 2/11 in L.A. Sting (accompanied by lutenist Edin Karamazov) will be touring from 2/18-3/12 in Europe supporting his lute album "Songs From the Labryinth".

-- Exclusive: Van Halen Reuniting With Roth For Tour

-- Line-up & ticket info for this year's New Orleans Jazz Fesitval: New Orleans, LA (January 25, 2007)—Harry Connick Jr., Rod Stewart, Steely Dan, Norah Jones, ZZ Top, John Legend, Van Morrison, Brad Paisley, Jill Scott, Ludacris, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, New Edition, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Irma Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis, Counting Crows, Allman Brothers Band, Allen Toussaint, George Benson, Pharoah Sanders, George Thorogood, Stephen Marley featuring Jr. Gong, Better Than Ezra, Joss Stone, Banda el Recodo, Calexico, Taj Mahal, Johnny Rivers, Lucinda Williams, Branford Marsalis, Richie Havens, Soulive, Cowboy Mouth, Percy Sledge, Tony Joe White, Gillian Welch, Bobby Jones & the Nashville Super Choir, T-Bone Burnett, Rebirth Brass Band, Galactic, Mose Allison, Marcia Ball, Roy Hargrove, Chuck Leavell, Arturo Sandoval, The Holmes Brothers, Snooks Eaglin, Dr. Lonnie Smith, The New Orleans Social Club, James Carter, The Radiators, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lucky Peterson, Darrell McFadden, Sonny Landreth, Danilo Perez, Ivan Neville, Dottie Peoples, Davell Crawford, Ba Cissoko of Guinea, George Porter, Jr., Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste, Tab Benoit, Les Amazones of Guinea, World Saxophone Group, John Mooney & Bluesiana, Buckwheat Zydeco, Anders Osborne, Elder Baab & the Madison Bumble Bees of Winnsboro, Eddie Bo, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Rosie Ledet, Amanda Shaw, The Iguanas, Marva Wright, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Deacon John, Donald Harrison, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews & Orleans Avenue, Bob French, Elysian Fieldz, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Ellis Marsalis and over 500 more groups will gather in New Orleans for the 38th annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, April 27-29 and May 4-6, Festival organizers announced today [January 25th].

Tickets to the 2007 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell go on sale today at www.nojazzfest.com and www.ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling (800) 488-5252 (outside Louisiana) and (504) 522-5555 (New Orleans). Tickets can be purchased in person at the Jazz Fest ticket office located at New Orleans Arena, 1501 Girod Street. Tickets to Jazz Fest are on sale by specific weekend, with each ticket valid for a single day’s attendance. Prices are $35 in advance, $45 at the gate. Children’s tickets (ages 2 - 11) are only $5 in advance or at the gate. A limited number of Jazz Fest’s popular Big Chief VIP Experience packages featuring a full weekend pass and VIP amenities is available for $600 per weekend, $700 with parking. Additional ticket and VIP information is available at www.nojazzfest.com.

-- Tom Waits and GM Motors German division settled a lawsuit filed by the singer after the auto company and the McCann Erickson agency released commercials featuring a singer who eerily sounded just like Waits. The money Waits received in the suit will be donated to charity, and also this isn't the first time Waits has chased after companies producing ads using singers mimicking his vocal style. In 1992 Waits sued Frito-Lay for a Dortios commercial featuring a vocalist also mimicking a singing voice like his winning $2.5 million and also has sued Audi and Italian carmaker Lancia for similar reasons.

-- In an interview on BBC Radio 4's "Front Row" Brian Eno said that he has been drafted to produce Coldplay's upcoming fourth album.

-- From the Smashing Pumpkins' Myspace blog: The Smashing Pumpkins have made their first official announcement of an appearance in 2007. The band will headline both Rock am Ring (6/2/07) and Rock im Park (6/3/07) Festivals in Germany. Tickets are available beginning on Saturday, January 27, 2007. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.tickets-per-post.de/tickets-per-post/Main.php. Check out the festival website for more information http://www.rock-am-ring.com. Stay tuned for many more announcements…

-- Deicide drummer Steve Asheim was detained earlier this week in Innsbruck, Austria where the band is on tour after attempting to deposit merch money at a local bank. The bank staff was suspicious when some of the money was colored in a red dye, the police were contacted and Asheim was questioned for hours before police released him with no charge.

-- Pearl Jam have released European concert dates on their website:
6/8-Lisbon, Portugal (Passeio Maritimo Alges)
6/9-Madrid, Spain (Festimad)
6/12-Munich, Germany (Olympichalle)
6/13-Katowice, Poland (Chorzow Stadion Slaski)
6/15-Italy TBA
6/16-Vienna, Austria (Nova Rock Festivval)
6/18-London, England (Wembley Arena)
6/21-Dusseldorf, Germany (Ltu Arena)
6/23-Tuttlingen, Germany (Southside Festival)
6/24-Scheebel, Germany (Hurricane Festival)
6/26-Copenhagen, Denmark (Forum)
6/28-Nijmegen, Holland (Goeffert Park)
6/29-Werchter, Belgium (Werchter Festival)

-- Thrash-metal veterans Testament are getting back together for an upcoming tour featuring original members Alex Skolnick, Greg Christian, Eric Peterson, Chuck Billy and drummer Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth). The band plays tonight at Independent in their hometown San Francisco and then heads to Australia and Europe for more tour dates:
AUSTRALIA
2/7 - Prince of Wales Hotel - Melbourne
2/8 - The Manning Bar - Sydney
2/9 - The Waterloo Hotel - Brisbane

EUROPE
3/23 - Almassy MK Hall - Budapest, HUNGARY
3/24 - Hala Spodek - Katowice, POLAND
7/26 - Hellwood Fest - Subotica, SERBIA
8/25 - Up from the Ground Open Air Fest - Gemunden, GERMANY

-- In case you're confused which bands are "gay" and which are "safe" the kind folks at www.lovegodsway.org can "straighten things" out for you:
"Gay" bands include: The Spores (endorse suicide); The Grateful Dead (AIDS); Morrissey(?questionable?); George Michael (texan); Ted Nugent (loincloth) - the Nuge sure would LOVE that one... Metallica; Jay-Z; Motorhead and plenty more. This ministry is so fucking dumb... "Safe" bands include the usual bunch of idiots: UnderOath; Cyndi Lauper (I thought she was a lesbian); Falling Up; Flyleaf; THE TURNING; Disciple; P.O.D; Evanescence; By The Tree; Scott Reed; Michael W. Smith; Jars of Clay; DC Talk.

-- AP: Michael Jackson Returns to the U.S.

-- EMI to Merge Capitol and Virgin Labels

-- Rapper Young Buck arrested in Nashville

-- Singer-actress Brandy involved in fatal traffic crash

-- Beastie Boys Working On "Different" New Album

-- Scott Ian Announces Anthrax "Reunion is Over."
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