Irish, Scottish and Norwegian folk Tempest tunes it up for beach faithful

Virginia Beach has long been a favorite port of call for Lief Sorbye, and this year it is a must-stop.

A tall pirate of a man with his long hair and cavalierlike goatee, Sorbye wields a double-necked electric mandolin and sings for Tempest, the San Francisco-area band that's touring America and Northern Europe for two reasons: to support "Prime Cuts," a best-of compilation, and to celebrate its 20th anniversary as a band.

"Starting in the mid-'90s we got a regular home in Virginia Beach at the White Horse Pub," Sorbye says. "It became a tradition for us that whenever we toured the East Coast we'd play an intimate show for our regular following, until it fell apart two years ago when the owner, Larry Mercieca, sold the venue and moved away."

Tempest, which mixes elements of traditional Irish, Scottish and Norwegian folk music with 1970s prog rock a la Jethro Tull, will perform a free concert Tuesday at Murphy's Irish Pub (2914 Pacific Ave., Virginia Beach, 9 p.m.).

Sorbye says he has received an outpouring of e-mails and calls from fans in Virginia Beach asking for Tempest's return.

"I always looked at Virginia Beach as a place I wanted to come back and play. The audiences there are really sympathetic and enthusiastic about folk music. It's important to us that we do play to the people of Virginia Beach."

In memoriam

In his 20 years as director of choral activities and professor of music at Old Dominion University, John Davye was viewed as a pioneer, laying the foundation for the choir and establishing the music composition major. As a result, the university has a mission to be actively engaged in the performance of recently composed music.

"That's because of John Davye," says Dr. Nancy Klein, ODU's director of choral activities and graduate program director in the music department.

Davye, who died Sept. 25, composed numerous works. His "Missa Brevis" mass was of notable importance.

"It's really a work worthy of awareness and study because he's using all of the different techniques that are typical of the late 20th century," says Klein. "He takes the music he wrote for one vocal part and actually turns it upside-down, and it creates a new melodic phrase that's still connected to the original."

A memoriam concert featuring several of his works, including "Fanfare for Trumpet and Timpani" and "Elegiac Air and Dance for Strings," is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. at ODU's Chandler Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

The kids are all right

Tomorrow's Hero, featuring Norfolk teens Casey White (drums, 13), Eric Armstead (guitar, 18), Chris Deguzman (guitar, 16) and TJ Murnane (singer, 18), played its first official public show April 6 at the 40th Street Stage, a venue in Norfolk that more commonly hosts theater and comedy performances. About 40 people - a mix of girls and boys, mostly teenagers - were in attendance.

The all-ages show also included Arbitrary Thoughts (from Virginia Beach), A Loss for Words (from Boston) and Barely Blind (from Texas).

Josh Coplon, a 15-year-old 10th-grader at Maury High School in Norfolk, promoted the event and says he plans to present two concerts per month at the venue.

Grown up

Now that Carl Parker Jr. is getting older - he's 15 now - the positive-voiced Hampton hip-hop artist, who began his music career at age 5, has changed his stage name from Lil' Old C to L.O.C. He will release an autobiography and CD this year titled "The Story of a Young Rapper."

"We want people to know that there are different paths to the music business," said Parker Sr., his father and manager.

"We've been successful being independent. I do not spend my day trying to get my son signed. I spend my day trying to help him write, produce and promote the best music possible."

Guitar meets flute

Former Norfolk resident Paul Renz has released a contemporary jazz CD titled "ReBop."

Renz, a guitarist, composed six of the album's seven tracks, but the songs feature something new for a Renz album: the virtuoso flute playing of Anders Bostrom.

"Anders and I attended Berklee College of Music together in the '80s," says Renz, "and reunited for this project after not seeing each other for over 20 years."

It's available at www.paulrenz.com.

Jeff Maisey, (757) 222-3934, jmaisey@pilotonline.com