Fort Worth Star-Telegram

February 4, 1996

Section: ARTS

Edition: FINAL AM

Dave Ferman Star-Telegram Writer

Subject: Jerry Hudson, 43-year-old Fort Worth native who owns Pantego Sound - where bands from Pantera to Vince Vance & the Valiants have recorded - and works as a sound engineer for numerous shows at Caravan of Dreams and various corporate or country-club events.

He also operates the board every Saturday night for the Grapevine Opry and runs Pantego Entertainment, a

management/production/booking company. And he and local bluesman Kenny Traylor recently formed Hardtop Records, which just put out Born With the Blues, Traylor's debut CD.

On what it takes to be a good engineer: "Common sense, a lot of patience and of course a good ear - and 25 years of practice."

On shows at the Caravan: "In this room, loud rock 'n' roll bands are the hardest to do and instrumental jazz is the easiest - there's no open mikes and you can really get good clarity and definition in the system."

On shows at the Grapevine Opry: "It's a get-started place for country folks - and it's a good change of pace for me, because it's a different singer every two songs so you don't set your sound and leave it by any means. You're trying to make every singer sound good by the end of the first verse. I really like it - it's a family deal and you get off at 10 p.m. and get to do what you want to do."

Favorite shows he's worked: "I did Merle Haggard at the TCCC Tarrant County Convention Center in the '70s and my mom got to come and she's a huge Merle fan. To me that's as good as it gets."

Favorite performer he's never worked with: "Stevie Wonder. He's one of my all-time favorites."

His advice to bands that want to sound good: "The sound starts at the source - if your equipment sounds good and the guy out front doesn't mess you up, you'll sound good. It's garbage in, garbage out.

"The thing is to make sure your drums or rack or guitar sound as good as they can. I don't mess with what already sounds good. We always kid about the `talent enhancer knob' and the `wrong note filter' - I don't have a magic switch."

On Hardtop Records: "Hardtop was something Kenny and I decided to do - we wanted to put out his CD and do it right. If we could get something going, we could help other bands out."

But his first love will always be: "I like doing shows - I like doing live shows and that's why I like the Caravan. This is show business, you know."

"Thumbnail Sketches," profiles of people in the local arts and entertainment community, appears Sunday. To suggest a subject, write Thumbnail Sketches, Arts Editor, Star-Telegram, 400 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth 76102. Or fax 390-7257.

PHOTO(S): Dale Blackwell