34 -— Friday. Decemner 4 1998 - North Shore fh.

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Janis Joplin keyboardist cultivating local talent

RICHARD Bell spells.out the obvious when pressed about his storied career in the entertainment business.

“EO frourke oxpression phan musk sure beats doing divwall” save the man whe plaved sone rolheking plane as a member of Janis Jophin’s Full Nit Boowte Band in LYTO 1 youve gota copy ot Joplin’s tinteless chisstc Peard woul find that he’s the teow standing: re the fort in the groun shoron the bask of th, album.

urally he's a Rock and Real Hall or Fame Bell is also the kevboard plaver with dl econ fuuration af the Bang.

He was in North

(neauver recently to help hone the talents of tw arusts inthe throes or reahzing their respect cdisey wrth Sarcourer based Umeda Switho, president space entertainments CBO, connected Bell carh erthis veer with Michael Brows, a voung Burnaby musician and Janet Liiian Russell a smger songwriter whe 2 ree snuch of her career as a vocalist sith the

iduetee,

MicHaet Becker

NEWS EDITOR

tule playing kevbourds on recent ts represe itl —- John sand Tinda ny with Beil as a producer of excited. [ve been looking rd to this tor sa long.”

She's tiindirg her recording with a Factor loar Factor isa government body that supplies finds to promote Canadian content in the recording art

“It's really an honour to have been awarded that, and it also makes a difference between mak: ing a product and not.” Russell MVS.

Michael Bzowy has ready recorded a three - song demo with Bell.

Browy's grandfather lent him the money tor the pro- ject. Bell recently signed an artistic management deal with the voung musician.

“s Bell of Baowy, Unt in the process of helping to refine his talents. We're trving to guide him and help him achieve his goals. His Ivrics have some depth and I'm quite impressed with him.

Janet has refined hers already. She has st wonderful voice and she’s many steps ahead ofa lot of people.

Bell sees the music business as more challenging than ever.

erybody and his brother aan put out a CD now. somuch good music out th The problem Ss getting it toa listener’s That's what I would say is

Bell brings a wealth oF expe ence to any project. Russell and Bzowy are betring on Bell’s par- thopation to : 98.

“My dad always told me there are only owo kinds of musi good and bad,” says Bell.

He has made a long career of making good music.

Earlier in the 1960s he hitched up with Ronnie Hawkins atter the Hawks --- Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson and Garth tdudson — split with Hawkins to launch The Band.

In the late 1900s Bell appeared with Has kine at the Fillmore

East. The band was opening for Joe Cocker and Mad Pogs and Englishmen. Janis Joplin was forming a new band at the time. Her manager Albert Grossman noticed Bell and invited him to uv out.

Bell, “I was from Canada. the time Canadians weren't

that aware of her. Sh phenomenon in the State i ing thar hap- pened in the States would happen siv or eight months later here. When [went down, that whole social scructure was in place, It was like bringing a rein- deer down to meer sodzilla in Japan or something. There was a bit of cul- ture shack, but boy, once T understood it T jumped right in, head first. Phad a good time,” he says, Bell tound himself among four Canadians in the band. lasting impressions of his briet! time with Janis Joplin? “Tt was justa giant bubble, It was antazing- wonderful, T.don’t think anybody ever real: s what's occurring when vou're doing it I'm sure like all of us, looking back on things, we probably embroider a bit, [enjoyed it very much. r m really happy 1 had her in my lite.

: privitewed to mect fant.” {

Aficr Joplin died thy band moved to Voodstock, New York, and soon dissolved. Bell remained in Woodstock and did a lot of session work, primarily with Paul Butterfield

and John Schastian, From there he went on to live in Gee and Alabama, working asa studio mu Bel! eventually re! ito his native Canada. He now lives i Intarie. “Pd been away for 20 or so 4 and my mother and father were get- ting on and [ was missing my sister’s children growing up.” Musical triend Colin Linden helped re-establish Bell in Toronto, Bell plaved a lot with Linden and together they worked with Bruce Cockburn. Bell later joined The Band. There was natural affinity thanks to his stint with Hawkins. Bell continued to play with Linden’s band as well. : He remains much in demand as a session plaver, recording recendy with Bill Morgantield, the son of Muddy Wate: Vhen he is on stage with The Band, Bell finds that he to a wide demographic spectrum. “We have a scope of peop!

RICHARD Bell is working with Burnaby musi flesh out Bzowy’s first CD.

NEWS pheto Terry Peters

ANET Lillian Russell feels lucky to have Richard Beil on board to refine her debut disc. Bell was a member of one of Janis Joplin’s bands {album cover below) and is presently with The Band (circular publicity photo below).

Photo e.space entertainment

n Michael Bzowy to

that come to see us that TP swear is tram Eto 60 vears old, and E don’t ever remember sezing that spread when Twas vounger. “It’s very gratifving to know thar vour ousic can attece younger peaple,” Bell say He remembers the advent of music videos and the attendant emphasis on image over lyrical content as a bleak period. “Anybody that comes from that era, the 1960s onward, has the propensity for lyrics and melody. Some bands coming up now, ¢ the Wallflow have a lyric content and melody that was sadly missing. Content really suffered. TU think that’s settled