Of course, she's also been touring with the Crickets, Buddy Holly's old band, which her people say has been a great experience for both parties. The average show goes like this: Griffith plays for a while with the orchestra, then the Crickets will come out and join her, and then just the Crickets, and then just Griffith, and... you get the idea. Evidently, the Lubbock group has been receiving standing o's every night for renditions of old hits like "That'll Be the Day." And Griffith has been teaming up with Crickets front man, Sonny Curtis, on the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which Curtis wrote.

Griffith's future remains undetermined as rumors fly: maybe a move to more rock-and-roll styled music, maybe a stint with broadway show tunes, or maybe she'll venture out on a solo acoustic tour with John Prine.

Airwave to heaven: A new radio network hits the air next month. Headed by Dain Schult, a 29-year radio industry veteran, and based out of Bryan/College Station, the Texrock radio network is going to cater to non-metropolitan Texas with an ever-growing tally of stations (soon to be up to 34 if all his deals go through). Schult says that the incipient network won't attempt to challenge large-market networks like Capstar -- the Texas-based national radio conglomerate -- in the big markets of Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, but hopes to make significant inroads in smaller areas. Their first five stations will be heard in Burnet, Horseshoe Bay, and Bryan/College Station. Texrock, named by train enthusiast Schult after the old Rock Island Line (aka the Texas Rocket, which sped between Houston and Dallas), will encompass four formats on its stations: adult-contemporary, tejano, country, and big band/nostalgia.

All Texrock programming will originate from the one location in College Station, but will be heard in various small markets across the state. "The beauty of it," Schult says, "is that we can customize our satellite broadcast because we're staying in one state." He also says that with this modest and provincial approach, Texrock will try to promote Texas-made music as much as possible. The network should be a boon to small-market areas and hopefully to Texas artists as well.

See Jordan's previous column.

On the Record: People are starting to sit up and take notice of Austin's Reckless Kelly. Their first CD, a lively affair called Millican (Cold Spring Records), came out this month. Self-described as "hick rock," Reckless Kelly falls under the alternative country order. For five guys in their early twenties, the group has admirably achieved a gritty, experienced sound laden with tight vocal harmonies and country-rock instrumental tropes. I like their enthusiasm and sincerity very much, but can't help but think that for this music to really ring with the authenticity to take it to a higher level, these kids are going to have to live a few more years. You know, get married and have their wives leave them, and then come back, etc. They have two things going for them: they're good now and time is on their side. Hopefully the passage of years will enable their music to deepen in hue and texture and eventually Reckless Kelly will be really good.

Texas music news, comments, suggestions or recommendations? E-mail the author at jmackay@texasmonthly.com