by Monica Tsai
Staff Writer
Whistling high and wee above the green, wind-swept hills of Scotland is the sound of traditional Celtic music. That sound is what the production company of McLew Entertainment is betting will strike a chord in Northeast Florida.
The name McLew is a combination of the proprietors’ names, John McCallum and Ray Lewis. McCallum is an investigator with the State Attorney’s Office and husband of Circuit Court Judge Linda McCallum. Lewis is a title abstracter for First American Title Insurance Company.
“We’re two guys who love live music,” said McCallum. “We think there’s room for, and interest in, these genres.”
Traditional, Celtic and Blues music are the types of music he and his business partner are promoting throughout the state. Three venues, the Wilson Center for the Arts on Florida Community College at Jacksonville’s South Campus, the University Auditorium at the University of Florida and the Ormond Beach Center for the Performing Arts, are receiving the full attention of the company. They hope to one day fill a hall the size of Florida Theatre with folks wanting to “dance to the beat of a different drummer.”
“We’re not looking to fill up the coliseum,” said Lewis. “Our dream is to present this music in an intimate setting. Smaller venues are better for who we’re booking.”
So far, McLew has lined up three concerts and two acts, the Tannahill Weavers from Scotland and Tammerlin, a folksy, experimental duo of local musicians. They are in discussions to add a female singer/songwriter to their lineup, anchored by regional and national acts, to host a benefit.
Appearing Saturday at the Wilson Center, Tannahill Weavers is a five-man group with 15 albums to their credit. To add some color from the homeland, the St. Andrews Scottish Culture Society will be present at the concert dressed in kilts.
The Weavers are versed in a plethora of musical instruments including keyboards, whistles, guitars, fiddles, cellos, violas, Highland bagpipes, Scottish small pipes, flutes, the bodhran and the bouzouki. The band formed in Paisley, Scotland. They take their name from what was once the main industry there, weaving, and after the town’s namesake and poet laureate, Robert Tannahill.
“After their [Tannahill] concerts in the 1980s and the early 1990s here, there has been a resurgence of interest in folk and Celtic music,” said Lewis of why the company chose that niche. McCallum has a personal interest in the sounds of the Emerald Isle — his family immigrated to the United States from Scotland.
No stranger to the business, Lewis has dabbled in music promotions since 1976. AppleJax, now San Marco 1402, is where he gained his earliest experience in the industry. He also organized performances at the University of North Florida and for an Earth Day celebration locally.
In 1990, Lewis first worked with the Tannahill Weavers on a four-city tour of Florida with positive results. Later, financial difficulties drove him out of the music business for several years, but when he crossed paths again with his friend McCallum, the pair began to formulate plans for a new venture.
“John was there for most of the shows I was doing,” recalled Lewis. “He liked the music and often volunteered to help.”
Just like any enterprise, the business of promoting music involves risk. According to Lewis, production costs for lesser-known bands can be pricey. To lessen some of their expenses, they are selling their tickets through Ticketmaster.
“We would like to bring in regional and national acts, using locals to open and give them new exposure,” said McCallum. “Most locals have to play in bars or outdoor festivals.”