The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 41

I SECTION Horoscope2 Comics4 TV Listings 10 Thursday, August 16, 1984 Tribute to Lennv Breau 4, Guitarists Will Hold Wake for Picker at Bluebird Cafe tiiiiwic 8t Vf By ROBERT K. OERMANN The guitar greats Of Music City will gather this weekend to pay a final homage to the late Lenny Breau, the Nashville-recorded jazz legend who died in Los Angeles Sunday. 5 Chet Atkins, John Knowles, Richard Cot-ten, Buddy Emmons, Jim Ferguson and Beegie Billy Adair are gathering with other jazz lovers at The Bluebird Cafe Sunday night for a benefit show to raise money for Breau's funeral expenses. It will also serve as an informal musicians' wake: One of their number has fallen and the pickers want to send him put in style. Breau recorded on Music Row begin- -ning in 1968 and lived in Nashville from 1 1976 until last year.

Although never famous with the general public, few guitar lovers are unaware of his genius. "He was one of a kind unique," says David Hungate, the former Toto rock bassist who moved here last year to forge a Nashville career as a studio musician. "Nobody has ever been able to duplicate him. In Japan, people like him are called 'Living National "I used to go to a guitar seminar he gave in LA" Knowles, who is Nashville's best-known guitar instructor adds, "Lenny Breau put the guitar in new dimensions. He's one of those people who are going to sell lots of records after their death as more people discover him." "Mr.

Guitar," Chet Atkins, is the one who discovered him first and remains Breau's biggest champion. first met him when he was 11," Atkins recalls. "I did a tour with his parents, Lone Pine Betty Cody. They were on RCA and he was their son. "I didn't know he could play guitar then.

I heard him again in 1967 or 1968 when he sent me a tape. It was the greatest thing I'd ever heard." Breau was born Aug. 5, 1 94 1 in Auburn, Maine. Country singer Hal "Lone Pine' Breau and yodeler Betty Cody, his parents, had him performing with them from the time he was a tot. The youngster went from playing, on Wheeling Jamboree and Qpry tours to performing in a jazz combo as a teenager.

He came of age in jazz in Winnipeg, Ontario. Hungate says that Breau, "was to the guitar what Art Tatum was td the piano;" and Breau, in fact, usually cited a jazz pianist Bill Evans as his principle musical inspiration besides guitarists Atkins and Les Paul. He imitated the complex keyboard textures of Evans, the multiple melodic combinations of Paul's electric guitar overdub-bing, and the dazzling acoustic guitar fingering of Atkins to form his style. When Atkins released Breau's first two LPs in 1969, both became underground jazz classics. Guitar Sounds of Lenny Breau and The Velvet Touch of Lenny Breau Live! remained his only available recordings for several years thereafter, however.

He vanished from sight for five years in the 1970s: Breau became a heroin addict. When he reappeared in Nashville in 1976, he had overcome his habit, and he imme diately recommenced his recording ca- reer. Country-jazz steel guitar guru Buddy Emmons teamed up with Breau on Minors Aloud on Flying Fish Records in 1978. Lenny Breau, a direct-to-disc audiophile LP, appeared in 1979. Atkins recorded with him again, too.

'Standard Brands, an album that paired the gifted guitarists, was released by RCA in 1981. "He was always kind of a gypsy, but he spent a good part of his time here during those days," Knowles recalls. In recent years Breau performed in such Nashville clubs as Mississippi Whiskers and the Bluebird. Breau, 43, had been appearing at the jazz club Donte's in Los Angeles after leaving Nashville about 10 months ago. He also wrote a monthly "Fingerstyle Jazz" in- structional column for "Guitar Player" magazine.

That periodical published a siz-' able interview with him in 1974. The innovative stylist was found at the bottom of his apartment building swim-ming pool Sunday morning by his wife Jewel (who sang under the name Joanne Glasscock) when she returned from church. For Sunday night's benefit, organizers are asking for $10 donations at the door. The music at The Bluebird Cafe will begin at 8 p.m. Those wishing to make other donations to defray, funeral costs should contact Richard Cotten at Cotten Music Center in Hillsboro Village (383-8947).

Photo by Herb Burnette The late jazz guitar great Lenny Breau, left, will be eulogized in melody by Chet Atkins and the other members of Music City's instrumental community this weekend. The pickers are gathering to raise money for Breau's funeral. Dennis Weaver Albu New TV romofes on for Weaver, his fine acting career dates back to 1950, when he made his Broadway debut and went on tour with Come Back Little Sheba. Although he first gained national fame portraying the drawling, limping Chester to James Arness' Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," his abundant talent shines in dramatic roles such as that of a wife beater in "Intimate Strangers," which co-starred Sally Struthers.Then there was his portrayal of a cocaine addict in Cocaine: One Mdn's Seduction, for which he had to do tons of research, never having been a drug user himself. A Weaver, who has starred in no less than six television series, was disappointed over the cancelation of last year's "Emerald Point, N.A.S." "It didn't get the ratings they hoped it would," he said.

"It was in a difficult time slot, almost doomed before it ever went on the air." To order Comin' Home to You, fans may call toll-free 1-800-336-5151. coached me in the sense of being my strongest supporter and offering constructive criticism," he said. "With singing, with music, if you weren't born with a God-given gift, you have to work at it You need guidance and she furnishes that." Weaver is something of an oddity in the fast-paced, flamboyant world Of show business. He doesn't drink, smoke or take drugs, and he's a vegetarian who's been happily wed to his childhood sweetheart for almost four decades. The key to his marriage, he said, is friendship: "The secret it, we love each other, and we've always been real good friends.

I think friendship is the most important thing in a relationship. To make a marriage work, you have to be serious about it and work at it You've got to give each other a little space to get away from each othenThe worst thing in the world in a relationship is a feeling of possession. That's destructive. We don't have that kind of thing." While singing is a relatively new venture By SANDY NEESE Dennis Weaver, having already tried the normal routes to expose his music, is taking his case to the public with his latest Pacific International Records album, Com-in' Home to You. "We're going to merchandise it on TV," Weaver said yesterday.

"I had very little luck going through what you call 'normal' channels of distribution and trying to get my records played on radio. It's difficult for a new artist and I am considered a new artist to crack into that top 30 to 35 people or whatever it is that radio stations are naturally leaning Weaver said he will use television cause of its power. "We figured, 'Why not go to the public he said, "We know the power of TV, and I've been fortunate in the medium, so we decided to take advantage of that I don't think I've ever had as much attention or the kind of game plan that they've put together," he said of Pacific International's Larry Gregg and Paul Wieber. "They're direct-marketing over television and through TV Guide." Relaxing during a blitz of Nashville to promote this new musical effort, the slim aftd trim Weaver stretched his long, jean- clad legs practically across the room and 1 discussed his hopes for the LP. With a twinkle in his eye and a smile on, his lips, he described Comin' Home to You as "sensational, absolutely super.

There's four songs on it that I wrote. They're posi- tive kinds of songs, not cheating songs, lets-, go-get-drunk songs, the-train-ran-over-me-songs. Even the slow ballads have a nice, feel. "Then I've got some novelty songs and two I do with my wife, Gerry. She's a real good singer and used to sing with bands when she was in college.

She's the one who gave our family all the musical talent," he said, referring to his three musically gifted sons. In fact, it was Gerry who encouraged her husband to pursue his singing. "She's the one who's pushed me into this and 'I Dennis Weaver Takes latest album to the public Channels 2, 5 Revise News; Nia tl i hef Ret Urns to Town I 7 1 TV Column iilliiiHIl iiltiill By DIANE BARTLEY There are changes in the air for Nashville news viewers as both WKRN-Channel 2 and WTVF-Chan-nel 5 revise their news programming next month. Channel 2, the station that has already tried an "alternative newscast" at 5:30 p.m., again is repositioning its newscast, this time to 5 p.m. "ABC World News Tonight" will follow at 5:30 p.m., and in the conventional local news slot of 6 p.m., you'll be invited to "come on down" with "Let's Make a Deal." And beginning Sept 17, the station returns ABCs "Nightline" to the 1 1:30 p.m.

time slot, a move which should please late-night news viewers. Across town at Channel 5, news director Mike Cohen said yesterday that the station will drop its successful "Midday Report" at 1 1 am, effective "mid-September," to make room for an expanded and relocated version of the locally produced "Talk of the Town" am) The format of "Midday" will not disappear, however. Cohen said that tion's annual "summer cleaning" in preparation for the important fall ratings season, but also reflect the massive changes underway in Nashville's TV community. Channel 2, once the home of casts at both 5 and 6 p.m., is now starting to behave more and more like an independent station. Like -Channels 17, 30 and 39, Channel 2 -will now offer entertainment at 6 1 p.m.

rather than news. And when Channels 4 and 5 offer laughs at 5 pm, Channel 2's Anne Holt and George Jones will be reporting early news. "Let's face it," said news director Mike Sullivan. "This isn't the dominant station in town, and we need to put our product somewhere where people can be exposed to it We believe there's a news audience at 5 pm and we think we'll satisfy a need." Sullivan admitted that the number of viewers at 5 pm is approximately 20 to 25 below the number at 6 pm, and 10 to 12 below the 5:30 audience, but said he is not dis- (Turn to page 3-D) a new morning news show has been scheduled for am as a re- placement for "Midday" and will feature the same anchors John Meagley and Nancy Mathis. Weath-ercaster Phil Stanley, on the other hand, will not be staying with the new morning news; he and weekend weatherman Ron Kaiser will shift positions.

Cohen added that a weather and news break anchored by current reporter Frank Turner will be included in the new "Talk of the Town" (co-hosted by Debbie Allen and former Channel 5 anchorman Harry Chapman). In addition to the new morning show and the expanded "Talk of the Town," Cohen said the station also will add monthly prime-time news specials hosted by a variety of reporters and anchors. Although a premiere date has not been set, Cohen said two projects are already in the works. The changes at both Channel 2 and Channel 5 are part of each sta Photo by Beth Gwirm Poverty Rock "Captured Live," an exhibit of rock 'n' roll photographs by Beth Gwinn in and around Nashville in the decade to 1983, may be seen in the lobby at Poverty Theater, 1 703 Church through Aug. 3 1 Gwinn's work has been published in Rolling Stone, People, Billboard.and Country Rhythms.

New Tax Law Threatens Travel, Entertainment Deduction For The Consumer The business use of your car must be for the convenience of your employer; and The car must be required to do your job properly. If you do not meet both tests, you automatically fail the 50 test Say you flunk the 50 test Are you out of luck? No. In some areas for instance, the business entertainment deduction for country club dues you get no deduction if you By SYLVIA PORTER This is the third part of a six-part series on the consequences to taxpayers of the new tax legislation passed into law on July 18. The biggest changes in travel and entertainment deductions in 22 years have been made by the 1984 tax law. In fact, the new law actually represents a triple threat to deductions.

One change may limit the tax benefits if a business car is used for law's crackdown on deductions, with the aid of Eli J. Warach, divisional editor-in-chief at Prentice- 1 HalL On the personal use of business cars, for instance, for years the self-employed, partners and owners of closely held corporations have treated the company car as a valuable fringe benefit But the new test is that if the car isn't used more than 50 for business, the car owner gets no investment tax credit and no fast write-off either. Say that early in '84 your company provided you with a car you use 40 for business. The company claims a 6 investment credit a dollar-for-dollar reduction in itslax bill for 1984, the year the car is put into service. It writes off the car under the accelerated cost recovery system (ACRS), deducting 25 the first year, 38 the second year, and the remaining 37 the third year.

All this changes under the new law if a car is placed in service after June 18, 1984. Your company cannot claim the investment credit or use the three-year write-off setup. Reason: The car is used only 40 for business. Your company does not meet the new law's 50 business use test Special rule for employee-owned cars: If you use your own car on company business, you must also meet the 50 test to claim fast depreciation and an investment credit on your tax return. You, as an employee, must also meet two other new requirements: personal travel; Another change imposes a new dollar cap on the annual write-off for a business car, even if it is used 100 for business; And the new law sets up much more stringent recordkeeping requirements for deductions; In this column, I'll try to give you hints on how to minimize the new (Turn to page 9-D).