1) Craig King, Hard Rock Cafe, Dec. 2; 2) Fungus, LumberJam II, July 22; 3) Wino Riot, Club Cafe, Oct. 27; 4) Blind Date, Baltimore House, Dec. 23; 5) PEK,, Main Street Farmers Market, Oct. 13

1) Angel Blue & the Prophets, Hard Rock Cafe, Dec. 2; 2) Joey Murphy, Cefalo's, Oct. 22; 3) Boss Diablo, Otto's Pub, Oct. 15; 4) Boot Hill Gang, Greene County Fairgrounds, Oct. 8; 5) aBetter Yesterday, Hard Rock Cafe, July 29

1) Tom Breiding & American Son, Cefalo's, Oct. 22; 2) Neon Swing Xperience, Hard Rock Cafe, July 29; 3) Big With Seed, Club Cafe, Oct. 27; 4) The Basements, The Coffee Den, Dec. 3; 5) CK9 and the Old E Allstars, LumberJam II, July 22

1) Tony Janflone Jr., Blues Cafe, Nov. 13; 2) Bill Toms & Hard Rain, Cefalo's, Oct. 22; 3) Nini Camps, West Alexander, Nov. 18; 4) Doodis, Shadow Lounge, Nov. 5; 5) Social Coyotes, Cozumel, Aug. 18

1) Sugar Cane, Main Street North Stage, Oct. 16; 2) Tony Lee, La Casa Narcisi Winery, Oct. 1; 3) Further Down the Road, Mo'Joe, Nov. 5; 4) The Inconsiderate Few, Hard Rock Cafe, July 29; 5) Double-O, The Coffee Den, Dec. 16

They say the key to a successful song is if it has a good beat and you can dance to it.

By extension, a successful band is one that gets the audience out on the floor to move it and shake it.

That works for Blind Date, and works for the folks who have a good time when the four-piece unit starts cranking up its blend of country, Southern and classic rock, with some well-honed originals thrown in for good measure.

The band's show at the Baltimore House in Pleasant Hills just before Christmas was a prime example of the guys' ability to make people get up and dance. It took a few numbers to warm up the crowd, but covers of tunes by the likes of Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and Toby Keith brought 'em onto the floor. Then came a medley of songs that showed off Blind Date's versatility: the R&B of Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally," rock and roll by way of the Stones' "Honky Tonk Women," and a true dance tune in Cameo's funky "Word Up."

The set also featured a couple of the band's own tunes from "Restless," the CD released by Blind Date last year. A highlight was a rendition of "Step Inside This Heart," featuring a catchy keyboard intro by Rod Cregut and some exceptional slide playing by guitarist Dave Ursenbach, who composed the tune.

Blind Date has been around in various configurations for six years, with Rod and bassist BobbyG among the founding members. Dave came aboard shortly afterward, and drummer Pat Rush is the latest addition. The time they've played together has resulted in a tightly constructed sound, particuarly in regard to vocal harmonies. They take turns on lead vocals, which makes for some good variety (and helps reduce the strain on their respective vocal cords).

The band has some upcoming dates at the Red Fox Lodge in Hickory, where they perform on a fairly regular basis, and at some other venues. Check Blind Date's Web site for more details.

And get ready to dance.

The arrival of new compact discs always is an exciting event.

Especially when they have your name on them.

This week, Washington keyboardist Shawn Caldwell received the shipment of copies of his own instrumental CD, which he calls "Mind Control."

"The title comes from a sermon my pastor preached over the summer," he says, which in turn comes from Romans 8:6 - "The mind of a sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace."

The spiritual theme extends to Shawn's arrangements of two hymns, "It Is Well" and "Doxology." The rest of the 13 tracks are Shawn's original compositions, featuring a variety of styles showcasing his dexterity, inventiveness and ear for production.

Shawn - who teaches piano in Washington and in St. Clairsville, Ohio - plays a Yamaha MOTIF music production synthesizer, an instrument that integrates fully with his computer-based home studio. And the results are of professional grade, with multiple layers of sound coming through clearly for the listener, especially through a good pair of headphones.

Stylistically, the songs range from relaxed compositions to those that integrate more experimental synthesizer work, without going too far off on a tangent. The title track is probably the most adventurous, featuring a variety of electronic sounds taking off in different directions over a steady percussion track. A couple of other tunes, "How Long" and "Come On," are constructed somewhat along the same lines and sound like it theywould receive a good response as ambient dance numbers.

Many of the songs feature more traditional piano sounds, as Shawn flashes the keyboard abilities he started honing at age 3, when his grandfather bought him a small organ. An example is on "Not of This World," which he calls his favorite on the album. The composition is in three sections: Shawn says he composed the middle first, then brought in the opening section from the outro of another song, and finally wrapped it up with the high-energy closing sequence.

If the disc sounds like Shawn worked on it for a long while, that's because it did.

"I've been doing the CD for 10 years," he says, admitting to such interruptions as concentrating on his family. "In earnest, I started last July."

Shawn is joined by accompanists on a couple of songs: Kelly Jones on acoustic guitar and Erika Thompson on soprano saxophone. The three perform on "It Is Well," a hymn written by Horatio G. Spafford and Phillip P. Bliss. "Doxology," credited to Louis Bourgeois, is a piano performance in 6/8, an arrangement Shawn says he arrived upon accidentally. But he's performed his version for the offertory at his church, to a good response.

Hear Shawn's music live when he performs from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Gospel Treasures in Washington Crown Center. And visit his Web site for more information.

PHOTO CREDIT: Philip M. McCullough (Shawn's brother-in-law)

Craig King never met a gig he didn't like.

And judging by the reaction at the Hard Rock Cafe at Station Square last weekend, the Pittsburgh singer-guitarist never met an audience that didn't like him.

Craig appeared that night in his guitar-and-rhythm-section configuration, backed by Max Woodhall on bass and Jim Holzpahel on drums as he tore into a blues-oriented set highlighted by some high-energy Hendrix covers and a couple of Craig's originals.

But that was just one stop on a performance schedule that rarely grinds to a halt. Craig's regularly scheduled events include an open stage he hosts each Monday at the Thunderbird Cafe in Lawrenceville; a similar gig every other Tuesday in Aspinwall; and Happy Hour from 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays at the Funny Bone in Station Square, as guitarist for blues stalwarts the Mystic Knights (in which Max is a bandmate). And he's been playing parties with the MVP Band, in a little bit of a more laid-back manner.

"I've always been a workaholic," Craig told me in what sounds like an understatement, considering he puts a lot of time and effort into his day job along with performing.

And he also finds time to record. His solo CD "The Blues Come a Knockin'" is just that: he, himself and Craig, writing the tunes and playing and singing all the parts. (He'll concede that the drums are programmed, but you have to listen closely.)

He played one of the songs off the disc, the admittedly autobiographical "I'm Bad" at the Hard Rock, opening with a John Lee Hooker-style vamp and building up to some blistering 12-bar guitar runs that left audience members shouting out their enthusiasm. (Who says people don't like originals.)

Craig ended his set - opening for Angel Blue & the Prophets in a celebration of their new CD, "Bottom of the Bottle Blues" - with his own "I Can't Stop Cryin'," a slow, intense song that's going on the album he's in the process of recording.

He also wowed the audience with his work from the catalogue of Jimi, following a blistering opener of Freddie King's "Goin' Down" with a relatively obscure but very funky Hendrix number, "Who Knows." Then came Craig's take on the classic "Little Wing," which segued into a trippy Stratocaster workout on "Third Stone from the Sun."

Not only did he do a stellar job of replicating Jimi's trademark tone and fretwork, but he also pulled from the old Hendrix bag of trick such techniques as playing behind his back and with his teeth.

His Hendrix tributes come as no surprise to anyone who remembers him from his work with Windowpane, which specialized in the heavy music of the late '60s (or, as it was so bluntly known back then, acid rock). Drummer Jim remembers well, as he served the same role in the 'Pane, which recorded a CD called "A Brand New Dream" that features Craig's originals. The band had the opportunity to debut that album opening for Southern Rock legend Molly Hatchet.

And there's plenty more in Craig's resume when it comes to bands. He had his own King's Ransom band playing rock and blues in the '90s, until he discovered another band had the same name and changed his to Montage. He also has fronted Craig King's Contenders and has played with Mo's Black Magic featuring Andrea Pearl.

One particularly notable gig was a Pittsburgh concert by a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"I had the pleasure of opening up for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and I was her guitarist for the evening."

He also opened for another Hall of Famers and one of his big guitar influences, Buddy Guy.

Craig is a guitarist in demand, but he actually started his musical career as a trumpeter, making all-city on that instrument as a student (and as a vocalist, too). He got serious about the guitar a few years later and started playing in bands in his 20s.

"I still pick up my trumpet every now and then," he says. And from what his mother has told him, that's something she'd prefer to hear more often!

As for guitar fans, they prefer for Craig to strap on his Strat and go to town, no matter who he's playing with or where the gig might be.

Lo-fi recordings have their charms. Listening to Robert Johnson, for example, just wouldn't be the same without the tinny sound and the scratches.

But it's the 21st century now, and the average listener would much prefer a sonically pristine recording. As is the case with Heather Kropf's new album, "What Else Is Love" (Reverie Records).

"That's exactly what I was going for, a good sound. I made all my decisions in the beginning to go for that," says Heather. The Pittsburgh singer-songwriter-pianist will celebrate the completed project with a CD release party at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at Cefalo's Restaurant & Nightclub in Carnegie.

The exceptional production - Heather was involved throughout the process - goes a long way toward conveying the album's focal point: her lyrics, as expressed through a clear, honest singing voice. Each of the 11 songs tells a story about relationships and the various emotions thereof, and each does so while avoiding any of the standard "love song" motifs we've come to know all too well.

Here's an example from "One Good Day," a song featuring a sparse, percussion-free arrangement to accentuate a theme of hopelessness:

"There are many ways of leaving/a mask, a hero, a war
I'm just an ordinary woman/I don't know what any of that stuff is for
I just want one good day/I want one good day"

And on "String," in what Heather calls her only attempt at humor on the album:

"If I told you I wanted to rip off your head/it's only because I care
The dishes pile up by the sink/The light in your eyes has gone dull after too many drinks."

Her early inspirations for her songwriting were the likes of Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush, although it's difficult to detect hints of any of their somewhat quirky styles within Heather's music. Instead, she says it was the "personal expressions" in their writing that encouraged her to follow a similar course.

Also, Heather says, "Here are women who are out there writing songs and singing them for a living. I found out it was actually an option for me."

By way of background, Heather started performing publicly at Goshen College in Indiana, where she was a fine arts major with a minor in communications. She came to Pittsburgh through a program that landed her an internship with WYEP-FM's music director. She recorded her debut album, "Sky," in 2000, and the critics were extremely kind.

"What Else Is Love" is actually the culmination of a three-year process, a reflection of her goal of focusing on the sound quality. One decision was for her to play a vintage Steinway piano: "We wanted a real open sound on everything."

Some folks on her long list of collaborators include engineer Dino Distefano and Grammy-winning producer Scott Hull of New York City, who did the mastering. (He's also worked with the likes of John Mayer, Steely Dan, Ani DiFranco and the Corrs.) The cast of musicians includes her regular working band members, Randall Venturini (a co-producer) on bass, Joe Waslousky on drums and John Purse on electric guitar. Another contributor is Jenna Nicholls, a talented vocalists who sings harmony with Heather on two songs.

The musicians take center stage on an outro jam to wrap up the title track, which features a rhythmic, jazzy arrangement highlighted by James Moore's trumpet. The song actually took shape about a year into the sessions for the album, and it represents something of a stylistic shift.

"I became really aware of how my songs are lyric-focused, and I wanted to wrote songs that are more music-oriented, and have the lyrics fit in around that," Heather says.

Either way, Heather Kropf comes across as a talented songwriter, not to mention singer and musician. And, if you give "What Else Is Love" a close listen, she has a heck of an ear for production, too.

Countless musical types get together for the sole intent of having some fun while making some sounds.

In the beginning (2003), that pretty much described the Basements: three guys who jammed fairly regularly, honing their chops, not worrying so much about the vocals, and not worrying about doing much more than playing in the basement, so to speak.

All that started to change last spring.

The Basements - it was supposed to be Bassments, as in bass guitar, but no one pronounced it correctly - generally rehearse at the Upper St. Clair home of founder and drummer Rob Green and his wife, Joan. A friend of theirs, Doreen Barkowitz, visited one day to hear the band, and she joined in on vocals. The guys asked her to come back the next week and sing again, and soon she was on board as the Fourth Basement.

"Of course, any time you add a good woman to a good-old-boy situation, things and going to change, and this wasn't an exception," says guitarist Ray Margiotta, who actually met Rob (and a soon-to-depart guitar player) through one of those fliers you see hanging on something.

The big change in this case was encouragement by Doreen and Joan to start working toward playing live, something the Basements are doing nowadays to enthusiastic audiences who enjoy their classic-rock repertoire.

Another change, Ray says, was in the band's presentation once Doreen joined: "She put the emphasis on singing, doing harmony and listening to that part of it."

That has come in handy, given the band members' shared affinity for the Beatles, a band featuring exceptionally stellar vocalists. In fact, the first song they ever played, Ray says, was the Fab Four's 1964 hit "I Feel Fine" (which also is the tune that leads off the Basements' first demo disc).

Such material represented a new direction for bass player Brian Washington, who's a mite younger than the other members.

"The Beatles' music was Muzak to him," Ray says. But Brian - who also plays with rootsy band Boss Diablo - proved eager to hear and learn the bass lines, as well as the three-part harmonies as a singer.

Members of the Basements have diverse musical backgrounds and interests. Doreen has a background as a folk singer, while Ray comes from more of a country direction. Rob enjoys Motown and R&B, and Brian likes the pop side. In fact, he suggested the band add the Turtles' "Happy Together" to the repertoire.

Along those lines, a recent influence on the Basements has been Sugar Cane, the '60s-oriented band that includes Guitar Gallery co-owners Vic DaPra and Tim Matyas, and Vic's brother Val (who gives drum lessons to Rob).

"The perspective we got from them is that they put their emphasis on singing," Rays says. "They sang songs people knew, and there was a connection with the audience."

The result is an audience-friendly group that plays time-tested material from such artists as The Band, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, the Eagles and, from a few years later, the Police. And of course, four guys from Liverpool.

Some highlights of the Basements' repertoire include a very tight guitar-bass duet on the classic riff in Roy Orbison's classic "Oh, Pretty Woman" and Doreen's vocal on Little Feat's "Willin'," by way of Linda Ronstadt's arrangement.

As a note for the musicians in the audience, Rob plays Singerland drums; Brian plays a Musicman Stingray five-string bass; Doreen plays Yahama acoustic guitar and keyboards; and Ray plays a Fender Nashville Telecaster: "I love the twangy sounds I can get from that instrument." By the way, he says his musical idol is Clarence White, the guitarist best known for his work with the Byrds but also an acclaimed bluegrass flatpicker. (He died at age 29, the victim of a drunken driver, struck while loading equipment into a car after a gig in Palmdale, Calif.)

Now that they're out of the basement, look for the Basements to bring their well-honed classic rock sounds to a venue near you.

PHOTO: From left are Rob, Brian, Doreen and Ray.