Changes in Wammies Nominating

The WAMA Board has made several changes to the Wammies voting and nominating process which take effect this year.

A group, artist or a recording may not be nominated for more than one subcategory in the following genre categories: Folk, Jazz, Rock. In other words, if you nominate a group, artist or recording in Folk-Contemporary you cannot also nominate them in Folk-Traditional. Likewise, if you nominate a group, artist or recording in Rock-Rock/Pop you cannot also nominate them in Rock-Alternative Rock, Rock-Roots Rock/Traditional R&B, Rock-Metal/Hard Rock, Rock-Techno/Ambient/Electronic/Industrial and Rock-Underground/Hardcore/Punk. The same rule applies in Jazz-Contemporary and Jazz-Traditional.

While an argument can be made that some artists, groups and recordings qualify in both Contemporary and Traditional or in several of the subcategories of Rock, comments from the membership have indicated that too many artists hae been nominated in categories in which they do not belong.

Think out your choices. Artistic excellence should be your first consideration. The WAMA Board strongly requests that members refrain from nominating the same artist, group or recording in more than two genre categories overall (except General Awards). If in doubt whether to nominate in a particular genre, ask yourself if the group, artist or recording predominantly performs material of that genre.

Since the inception of the Wammie Awards, the Board has been reluctant to alter the nominations submitted by the membership. In order to achieve a more accurate representation of the Washington area's music community, WAMA has solicited Expert Nominations from music business professionals outside the board and lobbied the membership to nominate more than one artist, group and recording in each line item. A special advisory panel comprised of the Voting and Nominating Committee and the WAMA Board will make the final determination of eligibility of nominees in any category.

The issue of whether nationally ranked Washington area artists should be separated or retired from competition in individual genre categories was discussed at length; as some tend to dominate in their area. Eliminating these artists from competition would only serve to "water down" the importance of the Wammie Award rather than open up the field. Therefore, no changes were made.

A new General Award, "Executive of the Year" has been added to the ballot. This award is to acknowledge the efforts of those in the music community who work in a more professional and business capacity. A nominee may be a lawyer, accountant, association executive, a Capitol Hill staff executive, a state or local government staff executive or person holding a similar job.

Suggestions for Special Achievement, and Community Service awards, are being accepted. Each suggestion should be accompanied by a statement explaining why the person or entity is deserving of the award.

WAMA / DC101 CD Compilation

The Results Are In

Eighteen cuts and one bonus cut were selected for DCCD7, the WAMA / DC101 compilation CD. The bonus is a song titled "Hear" written and performed by Eva Cassidy and Mary Ann Redmond. The music was written and produced by Chris Biondo. Chris played all of the parts except for a guest appearance by Gary Grainger on slap-bass.

DCCD 7 Selected Artists:

• Daisyhaze / Lucifer
• Darkangeles / Sweet Little Psycho
• Colleen Shanley / Let's Go For That Ride
• Soul Purpose / Blindside
• Smartbomb / Wouldn't You Like To Know
• Marge Calhoun / Somebody Else's Tune
• Sour / Gray
• Under The Sun / What Gives You The Right
• D&F / Coming Home
• Bloodlover / Bat Her Up
• Zipp / Who'll Follow Me
• Blue Yard Garden / We Are
• Mr. Peter's Pets / Willing To Die
• Mudcat Jones / Swing
• Sonorous / Chicken
• Pat McGee Band / Passion
• Genghis Angus / Teaching Her
• The Huge / Freddy - Action Hero
• Eva Cassidy & Mary Ann Redmond / Hear

The CD will be released Rocktober 4th at the Hard Rock Cafe. The first 101 people will receive a free copy of the CD. The admission is free.

Epiphone Guitar Raffle

The evening will include a raffle for a new Epiphone guitar. There will be door prizes including 20 recent CDs from SONY Music, movie tickets, concert tickets, t-shirts, a six month membership at Gold's Gym and dinners for two.

NARAS News

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) has named Darryl Freedman the executive director for the newly formed Washington Branch. No further details were available at press time.

WAMA President Mike Schreibman said, "I'm gratified that our continuous efforts over the past several years have paid off and that the Washington area is gaining further recognition as a music center."

Local Notes

Compiled by Maria Villafana

• Drummer Jerome "Big Foot" Brailey recently performed at the House of Blues in Los Angeles with the group Third Rail, which includes fellow P-Funk alumn, keyboardist Bernie Worrell. On tour with Third Rail are Bill Laswell on bass, Amina Claudine Myers on organ and James Blood Ulmer on guitar and vocals. The group is scheduled to play club dates on both coasts.
• emmet swimming performed on the MTV stage at the American Music Festival in Virginia Beach on Sept. 1. Segments from the show will air on MTV News throughout the Fall as part of the music channel's summer beach party coverage.
• Dale Patton founder and longtime president of the Baltimore Blues Society (BBS) was recently succeeded by Marcia Selko. "It was time to release a little stress" said Patton who still writes for the BBS's newsletter and books its events such as Alonzo 's Memorial Picnic.
• Jeff Aug, former lead guitarist for Sorry About Your Daughter, is currently touring the local coffeehouse and bookstore circuit in support of his second solo acoustic CD, In the Breezeway.
• The Excentrics hosted producer Bill Halverson when they performed at Bad Habits in July. The legendary producer has worked with Eric Clapton, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and 1996 Grammy winner Flaco Jiminez. Halverson flew in to catch the band's performance and discuss the possibility of producing the follow-up to their 1995 release, Insult to Injury. The Excentrics have already met with producers Tom Morris (Seven Mary Three) and Gary Rindfuss (Dinosaur Jr.).
• Listen for music by Baltimore's Once Hush on upcoming episodes of MTV's The Real World and Road Rules. MTV licensed the band's CD, Say It Anyway. Three songs have already been featured, and MTV plans to use more material from the CD throughout the season.
• Black B.A.T.Z. Of Akwan performed on the second stage at Jamizon 1997 at the Nissan Pavilion in August.
• Carey Colvin is now hosting the Luna Park Grille Songwriter's Showcase on the first Thursday of each month. Performing songwriters interested in playing should send a press kit to Carey Colvin, P.O. Box 734, Fairfax, VA 22030-0734. For more information, e-mail Sngrt@aol.com.

Hightone Records of Oakland, CA has announced its signing of guitarist Bill Kirchen. The label will debut his live album, Hot Rod Lincoln, on September 16. Recorded at the Globe Theater in Maryland, Hot Rod Lincoln features a rollicking mix of honky-tonk, rock'n'roll, blues, swing, and country music. Larry Sloven of Hightone Records calls Kirchen "a true roots-rock pioneer, who helped lay the groundwork for today's Americana and alternative country movements."

C-Span to Buy WDCU

Now that leading religious broadcaster Salem Communications abandoned its plans to purchase WDCU, C-Span has arranged to buy the station and convert it into the area's first 24-hour public affairs radio channel. FM frequencies below 92 are reserved for educational, non-commercial programming. Unlike the question of whether programming offerered by Salem Communications would meet this requirement, C-Span's public affairs offerings clearly do. While FCC approval is pending, The Save Jazz 90 Committee, who opposed the sale of WDCU to Salem, is hoping to persuade C-Span to include jazz in its programming.

Levine School in Arlington

The Levine School of Music opens new Virginia branch. The facility will featue a classical curriculum in piano, voice, strings, brass and woodwinds. Call branch director Jeanne Kelly at 703/ 237-5655 for more information.

Rabble-Rouser with Causes

Tom Wheeler drummer of the hardcore with a sense of humor band Dick Army and general rabble-rouser is out and about "encouraging a healthy disrespect for authority." Wheeler is publishing a quarterly zine titled "Rabble Review" which promises to document the provocative and sometimes precarious world of whistleblowers, community activists, disgruntled workers, corporate resistors, dissident thinkers and other assorted malcontents. Last September, Wheeler uncovered that Contributions Watch an organization that described itself as an independent campaign watchdog group was actually funded by primarily by Philip Morris and the tobacco lobby. His sluething led to news stories in the Washington Post. Regular features in "Rabble Review" promise to chronicle the "most offensive uses of modern behavioral modification methods in the workplace" and "crass examples of lobbyists and public relations flacks engaging in deceptive efforts to reshape reality." If you wish to join Tom either by writting for the publication, contributing tips or subscribing contact him at 703/ 553-2945 or by email twbounds@erols.com.

Washington area artists currently making the Billboard charts include Born Jamericans placing on the Hot R&B and Rap Singles charts plus on the Top Reggae Albums with Yardcore. Songwriters John Jennings and Mary Chapin Carpenter placed with Keeping the Faith on the Hot Country Singles and Carpenter continues on the Top Country Catalog Albums with Come On Come On which enters its 243 consecutive week on that chart. DC Talk appears on the Top Contemporary Christian chart as well as on Billboard's Top Music Videos. Vocalist Yolanda Adams' Yolanda Live In Washington enters its 56 consecutive week on the Top Gospel Albums chart. Dance diva Crystal Waters' release featuring Dennis Rodman enters its 12th week on the Hot Dance Music-Club Play. Go-Go/rapper/hip hoper hybrid DJ Kool has a second single I Got Dat Feelin' sneaking up the Bubbling Under Hot R&B Singles chart and his album title cut Let Me Clear My Throat has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry of Association of America (RIAA). Crash from the Dave Matthews Band is now certified triple Platinum. Last but kicking ass are Toni Braxton, Dru Hill and Kenny Lattimore who appear on multiple charts including Billboard's Top R&B Albums and received RIAA certifications for their landmarks; Dru Hill's self-titled album was certified Platinum in June, Kenny Lattimore's self-titled album was certified Gold in July and Toni Braxton strikes Gold again with the single I Don't Want To.

On Gavin's Americana chart (Billboard does not chart this genre) Ruthie and the Wranglers appears with its latest release Wrangler City.