The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 124

rf f1 FLOniOi FloridaMetro The Tampa Tribune, Thursday, July 14, 1994 Ellis pays does playing blues Li I TTTHiiMilVTJ fl' 4wikA UiUtt au.iM defends network Guitar Player magazine calls Tinsley Ellis a "legitimate guitar hero (who) delivers the blues alive, lucking and drenched in sweat" Well, good thing this guy doesn't mind sweat he's playing St Pete tonight But hell be at Pockets Billiards and Sports Bar, so maybe well hear the coot version of this red-hot player. One thing's for sure. Ellis can rip it up. He has been compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter, and on his 1992 "Trouble Time" album, he simmers with shades of Jimi Hendrix. Growing up in South Florida.

Ellis says he mostly listened to rock 'n' roll His first exposure to the blues, he said, came from such British Invasion groups as the Rolling Stones and the Animals, who had put their own spins on the classic tunes of John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley and Willie Dixon. Like many youngsters, Ellis dreamed of becoming a rock star. But to this day, he recalls the exact moment when he decided to go for the blues. He was 14, and he had front-row seals to see B.B. King in Miami Beach.

During the show, B.B. broke a string on his beloved Lucille, and he handed it to Ellis in the front row. The teenager was so excited that he made an on-the-spot decision he would be a bluesman. In fact he still has that string, he said. Ellis kicked off his career in the late 70s with an Atlanta band called the Alley Cats, which included bassist Preston Hubbard, now with the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

The men later formed the Heartfixers. a blues band that issued four albums between 1981 and 1986. By the time the Heartfixers released their last effort, "Cool On It" In 1986, Ellis' reputation as a guitar wizard was widespread, particularly in the South, where he toured relentlessly. A year later, in 1987, Ellis recorded his first solo album for Alligator Records, a Chicago blues label "It wasnt just his raw power that got to me it was his taste and maturity," said Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer. "He didnt just play a bunch of fast licks.

His music was full of emotion." Ellis has three compact discs under his belt now, and blues fans across the country are taking notice. No doubt he'll be cookin' tonight Tinsley Mis, 9 p.m.; Pocfeets Billiards, 6220 Fourth St. St. Petersburg; (813) 5224214. LIKE A ROLLING STONE: With all the media hype surrounding the Rolling Stones' new disc, you'd think the band had just been knighted.

But "Voodoo Lounge" got a run-of-the-mill reception when it was released to record stores on Tuesday. "There's been a lot of press about it but record buyers haven't been beating down the doors," said Dennis Cummings, store director Blues guitarist Tinsley Ellis performs 7" K. I I Si nun i owners of CBS, NBC and ABC stations to switch affiliation to Fox. "I think we've increased the value of not only our own stations but of our former stations who are now joining the other networks," he said. Murdoch said that even though Fox has added a lot of stations (such as Channel 13) with large cores of older viewers, Fox will continue to make programs that appeal to younger viewers.

"It's all right for CBS to brag about having the largest number of households, but it's just an ego thing," he said. "We can make more money by selling advertisers our 18- to 49-year-old audience." Murdoch mentioned three new programming successes from this past season: "The X-Files," "Living Single" and "Melrose Place." He said Fox is moving "Melrose" to Mondays this fall to try to improve ratings Fox has failed miserably on Mondays. He said he is worried about airing a program with adult sexual themes at 8 p.m. but will wait to gauge audience reaction. Walt Belcher's front-line dispatches tram the press tour also appear in BayLife.

By PHILIP BOOTH Tribune Staff Writer TAMPA Past big winners Aerosmith and R.E.M., along with the Beastie Boys, Nirvana and Icelandic alternative-rock singer Bjork grabbed the most nominations for honors at this year's MTV Video Music Awards. The 11th annual ceremonies will team first-time host Roseanne with performers ranging from Florida-bred rocker Tom Petty to controversial rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. The nominations were announced Wednesday at City Hall in New York, with the I) mm -M ft I III III I I muLLim Fox owner his upstart HOLLYWOOD Rupert Murdoch had a puzzled look on his face. The billionaire had just been asked Wednesday if he were going to "Foxify" the National Football League. He said he didnt know what that meant Come on, Rupe baby.

It's right here in the TV Critic's Dictionary: FOXIFY vt. 1. To make something sassy, funky, sexy, flashy, lowbrow or sometimes crass and superficial, like the programs on the Fox network. "I'm proud of our programs," he said. "And the NFL will be a wonderful addition that is already paying off for us." Anyway, what harm could Fox do to a game in which a blabbermouth like John Madden is considered an expert? We might worry about the Foxification of hews if and when Fox gets into the news business.

But Murdoch told 150 visiting TV critics that he believes strong local news programs are more successful and profitable than network newscasts. There are no immediate plans to launch an evening newscast, he said. That should come as a relief to WTVT, Channel 13, which is to become a Fox affiliate as part of the largest network realignment in TV history. Wednesday marked the first time in the seven-year history of Fox that Murdoch had appeared before the annual Television Critics Association's fall tour. And even though the founder of the Fox network didn't say anything worthy of the front page, we all took notes and marveled at a little guy from Australia who owns newspapers, magazines, TV stations and networks, and who has turned the television industry on its ear.

First, he snatched professional football from CBS by outbidding the rival network to the tune of $385 million a year for four years. Then he opened his checkbook and shook up the whole country by getting MTV names music award nominees Today Thirsty Ear Poetry Series, 7:30 p.m.; weekly poetry series; scheduled readers this week: Cindy Wheeler, Brad Morewood, Jenny Juristo and Mark McManus; acoustic music by Multi-Color House; Silver Ring, 1831 E. Seventh Tampa; (813) 237-6302. Ybor City guided walking tour, 10:30 a.m.; tour of historic Ybor City (approximately 90 minutes), conducted by Ybor City Museum Society docents; every Saturday and Thursday; begins at Ybor Square, 1901 N. 13th Tampa; (813) 248-3712 or (813) 247-6323.

Friday Morbid Angel, Crowbar and Headlock, 9 p.m.; $9.50 advance, $13 day of show; Ritz Theatre, 1503 E. Seventh Tampa; (813) 247-3319. Author, 7 p.m.; writer John Dufresne Power Light" and "The Way Water Enters This is to pick Piatt p.m. Day wine p.m.; signs No one was camped out in front of the store awaiting the precious first copy, he said. In fact at Peaches in North Tampa, a store employee said the response to the album so far has been "mediocre." There's certainly been enough hype.

The album, the band's 38th, has been called its best in more than a decade. And a wave of publicity has surrounded both the disc and the group, partly because the Stones have embarked on their first tour since 1989. compete with R.E.M. for video of the year honors, along with Nirvana, the Seattle trio whose lead singer, Kurt Cobain, committed suicide in April. Nirvana received three additional nominations, for "Heart-Shaped Box." Among the old MTV favorites nominated were Petty, for "Mary Jane's Last Bruce Springsteen, for "Streets of Madonna, for "I'll Peter Gabriel, for "Kiss That and U2, for "Stay (Faraway, So Close)." Tony Bennett Generation X's favorite jazz crooner, was nominated for "Steppin Out With My Baby," while critics' favorite for Music Revolution in Tampa.

mm awards scheduled for Sept 8 at 8 p.m., live on MTV from Radio City Music Hall. "Everybody Hurts," the arty R.E.M. clip that takes viewers inside the heads of automobile passengers stuck in a downtown traffic jam, nailed six nominations for the Athens, band, including those for video of the year and best direction. Boston hard-rockers Aerosmith were nominated eight times, for "Cryin and "Amazing," while Bjork landed six bids for "Human Behaviour" and the Beastie Boys were showered with four for "Sabotage." Aerosmith and the Beastie Boys will tonight in SL Petersburg. But the people who seem most Intrigued by the new disc besides rock writers are record collectors, said Ron Jackson, owner of Rock Island, a Tampa record store specializing' in rare and imported CDs, records and tapes, "They issued two singles off it in England (on a special collector's CD) that arent on the new album," he said.

"We were selling them for $15. We got six of 'em in Friday morning and they were gone by noon." "Storm" and "So Young" are two of the songs that appear on the British collector's disc, Jackson said, along with two versions of I "Love is Strong," which appears on "Voodoo Lounge." "The Stones are like the Beatles in that they're real strong among collectors," Jackson said. "Whenever a new product comes out it tends to spark interest in their other albums. We've sold a lot of their older albums just on the anticipation of this one." "I'm real interested in hearing it" he said. I Tve heard a lot of feedback from people who have bought it and they're very impressed by it Someone said it reminded them of 'Sticky so it goes back to some of their good stuff.

Even though these guys are in their 50s, it doesn't look like they're washed up yet" TALK runs Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Me'Shell Ndege'Ocello was saluted twice, for "If That's Your Boyfriend." Best new artist nominees, in addition to Bjork and Ndege'Ocello, included Beck Counting Crows Green Day and Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories Last year's MTV Video Music Awards show was watched by an estimated 4 million U.S. viewers, who were offered such highlights as a raging "Rockin' in the Free World" that had Neil Young backed by Pearl Jam, stellar performances by R.E.M. and U2's the Edge, and funny repartee between presenter Milton Berie and transvestite dance diva Rupaul. Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N.

Maclnnes Place, Tampa; (813)221-1045. Writer, 7 p.m.; mystery writer Kathy Trocheck appears; Inkwood Books, 216 W. Armenia Tampa; (813) 253-2638. Wednesday Yellowman, 10 p.m.; $5 advance, $7 day of show; Ritz Theatre, 1503 E. Seventh Tampa; (813) 247-3319.

"The Poet's Corner," 7 p.m.; Smokey Combs reads his poetry; followed by open poetry session; Barnes Noble, 213 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa; (813) 871-2228. Line dancing, 2-3 p.m.; country line dancing; Come Dancing, 3802-B S. Dale Mabry Highway, Britton Plaza, Tampa; (813) 839-2725. Compiled by MIKE O'NEILL 3753 our 100 ntowta of Xf JVK CftftPOKATirM Series," 3 p.m.; "An Affair to Remember" (1957); Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin downtown Tampa; (813) 274-8981.

Monday Line dancing, 7-8 p.m.; country and Western line dancing, every Monday; Come Dancing, 3802-B S. Dale Mabry Highway, Britton Plaza, Tampa; (813) 839-2725. Tuesday Concert, 5 and 8 p.m.; International Society for Music Education concert series; 5 p.m.: Youth Choir of Kokkoia (Finland), Granite Youth Symphony Orchestra (USA), Percussion Workshop (Canada), Francois Bru and Cort Lipp (France) and Orcheatra Nova (USA); 8 p.m.: NSW Public Schools Wind Ensemble (Australia), Churchlands High School Choir (Australia), Niagra Children's Choir (Canada) and Musica Choir (Finland); appears; Inkwood Books, Street and Armenia Avenue, Tampa; (813) 253-2638. Thirsty Ear Poetry Slam, 11 at Off Center Theater; admission is Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. Maclnnes Place, Tampa; (813) 221-1045.

Wine tasting, 7-9 p.m.; "Bastille stand-up French tasting; $8 (call for reservations); Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Tampa; (813)879-2931. Saturday The Scorpions with the Poor, 8 $20 advance, $22.50 day of show; USF Sun Dome, 4202 E. Fowler Tampa; (813) 974-3002. Writer, 2-4 p.m.; Phyliss Phipps copies of "The Relationship Revolution: The Baby Boomer's Guide to Finding Inkwood Books, 216 W. Armenia Tampa; (813)253-2638.

through late August; Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive St. Petersburg; (813) 896-2667. Concert, 7 p.m.; the International Society for Music Education concert series; USF Wind Ensemble, USF Chamber Singers, Senemai Performers (Papua, New Guinea), Seiha Koto Ensemble (Japan) and cornet soloist Alan Morrison (UK); $15; Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. Maclnnes Place, Tampa; (813)221-1045. "Summer Classics Movie "Comet Watch," sundown-1 1 p.m.; free telescope viewings of Jupiter and Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet; Science Center of Pinellas County, 7701 22nd Ave.

St. Petersburg; (813) 384-0027. Sunday Foreigner, The Doobie Brothers and Gary Hoey Power Trio, 7:30 p.m.; $19.50 and USF Sun Dome, 4202 E. Fowler Tampa; (813) 974-3002. Concert, 3 p.m.; clarinetist Todd Palmer and pianist Carol Archer perform; series continues how much you have up a new copier.

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