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CARLTONE'S CORNER

March 2, 2010

Welcome to the 111th edition of Carltone's Corner!

Okay, we’ve turned the page into March: the Olympics are over, spring training for baseball has begun, it is getting close to that time for shillelaghs, leprechauns and green beer, and it is also way past time to start getting out to see some live music. Fortunately the Carltone staff is on top on things in Marin and Sonoma, if only a day late or so. This is much better than the previous two first-of-the-month issues. This edition would have been done and sent out on the 1st, but we got distracted with the return of old lantern jaw to the late night gab-fest show lineup. We knew that Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn was going to be on Leno’s new/old/tired show, and the unofficial word on the street was that she would be wearing one of the bikinis from her recent spread in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Alas, this was one rumor that turned out to be false! Uh, and why does the media care about skier Vonn, who only won one gold medal, as opposed to some of the dudes that won multiple golds? Could it have anything to do with her being young, cute, and looking hot in a bikini? Nah, NBC would never do such a thing…

All roads lead to the Sonoma County Bluegrass & Folk Festival when it convenes at the Sebastopol Community Center on Saturday the 13th from 1-9 p.m. The featured performers will be Dr. Elmo & Wild Blue, Evo Bluestein, Blue & Lonesome, The Kathy Kallick Band, 49 Special, Rita Hosking & Cousin Jack, and the cowboy band Lone Prairie. For more information call (707) 829-8012, (707) 542-3798 or go to the link above.

Smokin’ hot Philly Sound. Philadelphia International Records, the studio where the Grammy-winning songwriting team Gamble and Huff scored dozens of hits for stars including Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, Lou Rawls and The O'Jays, suffered fire, smoke and water damage from a blaze that ruined 40 percent of the memorabilia at the location. A drunk supposedly lit fire to the joint. Read the sad story here.

East Bay singer/songwriter Claudia Russell and her husband Bruce Kaplan were interviewed about Claudia’s late father and singer Val Rosing on National Public Radio recently, and you can listen to the story here.

A**hole no more! John Mayer comes clean! Last month we reported here on guitarist John Mayer’s lewd and racist comments in Playboy magazine. But now he has decided to come clean. In a bit of irony, he said at a recent concert that "I hate to come off like an a**hole ever, and thank you guys for believing that I am not an a**hole. Never, ever in my entire life did I ever think that it would be a good idea to be an a**hole.” But being an a**hole sure helped sell the magazine and get his name in the news. Let’s see a show of hands here of how many people had ever even heard of this guy before this incident? Right. Ah, the ugliness of public relations…

He’s so vain! Or isn’t he? And who really cares? The word first went out last week that the “vain one” in Carly Simon’s hit song “You’re So Vain” from almost 40 years ago was media mogul David Geffen. Then, just as quick as the news hit the fan, Simon denied that she ever said this. You can read the stories here and here. Again, just more free publicity for a once-popular singer trying to resuscitate her recording career…

New George’s coming back. The longtime shuttered New George’s rock nightclub in downtown San Rafael is, according to a story in the Marin IJ, on its way back. Look for it to reopen in May or June. Can you feel the excitement yet?

After this, all we need is for Sweetwater to reopen in Mill Valley. Any Hellman-esque zillionaires out there with some extra TARP or bank bonus money to burn? If so, call ASAP…

Petaluma singer/songwriter Larry Potts was selected by the International Acoustic Music Awards as a finalist for Best Male Artist for his song and performance of "Hear Me Out" which is on his new album Close to Home. You can also watch a half-hour webcast at Live From Bay 6 featuring him doing four original songs accompanied by George Merrill on keyboards, Kevin Harris on guitar, and Bruce Kurnow on harmonica. The webcast includes an interview with Larry on songwriting. The Harwood Podcast Productions have over 300,000 downloads for their programs, and this webcast is the first of a series featuring singer-songwriters in affiliation with West Coast Songwriters.

Woody Guthrie coming to Marin. Plan ahead and buy tickets now for the upcoming Marin Theatre Company’s production of Woody Guthrie’s American Song that will run from May 20th-June 20th. Local singers Misner & Smith will be part of the cast.

Journey to Appalachia without leaving your computer! Appalachian Journey is a film from 1991 by Alan Lomax, and you can watch it on the web by clicking on the link. Thanks to Morgan Cowin for this tip.

A breath of fresh air. The National Public Radio show Fresh Air With Terry Gross is by far the best arts radio interview show anywhere. It is a nationally broadcast show that can be heard on most NPR stations, and in the SF area you can hear it multiple times a day (KQED, KRCB and KALW). Even better, if you miss a show you can always listen to archived interviews and reviews on your computer. Here are some recent examples: interviews with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Johnny Cash, and a review of Josh Thompson’s new CD.

Fishwrap roundup. In the Marin IJ there was a story about the Turtle Island String Quartet, and a father-son unified by their love of the Dead. In the SF Chronicle read about singer Pascal Toussaint. In the Pacific Sun there was, uh…oops, no one here reads the Sun since the great Matt Kramer retired as the music writer…

Get out your handkerchiefs/police log. Not sure in which category the following item belongs, so we’ve opted to combine the two for this one time only: Dwayne Carter, a.k.a. rapper Lil Wayne, today was all set to go to the slammer to start his one-year sentence for gun possession, but had to be told to “come back tomorrow, please” because there was a fire at the courthouse in New York City that caused the building to be evacuated. And wouldn’t you know it – if he goes back on Wednesday, he just may see Jeff Akins, a.k.a. rapper Ja Rule, who is set to appear in the same courtroom on the same charge for being caught with a gun after the same concert as Lil last fall. But Ja, unlike Lil, is pleading “not guilty.” No word on whether or not they planned to shoot at each other after last October’s concert. Now if the Supreme Court would only extend gun rights to citizens (as it is currently considering), maybe these two artists can be set free and go back to being the artists that they are…

Band scramble. The Bay Area bluegrass band once known as the Mighty Crows has decided to fly off in different directions. You can read the details on their website. And Robert Dowdy, of the Bluegrass Brothers band, apparently has left the band that he formed with his brother Victor many years back. The band will forge on with a new banjo player to be named soon. Will they now have to change the name of the band?

Life’s railway to heaven. Rohnert Park guitar maker Taku Sakashta was murdered outside of his shop on the morning of February 12th. A suspect has been arrested, and neither motive nor cause of death has been released to the public. Sakashta was only 34. Doug Fieger, lead singer of the band The Knack who had a hit with a song called “My Sharona” in 1979, died in Los Angeles on February 14th from cancer. He was 57. David Soyer, the founding cellist of the Guarneri String Quartet and a link to the legendary cellists Pablo Casals and Emanuel Feuermann, died at his home in New York City on February 25th. He was 87.

Coming attractions. Milk Drive & Joy Kills Sorrow at The Acoustic Church show in Pt. Reyes Station 4/2; Second Annual Night at The Opry with Danny Montana & The Bar Association, Rusty Evans & Ring of Fire, and Alex Call & The Holy Cows at Peri's 4/10; Kenny Blacklock at the Discovery Museum in Sausalito 4/10; Joy Kills Sorrow at Redwood Bluegrass Associates in Mountain View 4/10; Peppino D'Agostino at Schoenberg Guitars in Tiburon 4/16; Audrey Auld with Walter Strauss at the Stinson Beach Chapel 4/16, at Studio E in Sebastopol 4/17; The Kathy Kallick Band at Redwood Bluegrass Associates in Mountain View 5/1; Doug Adamz CD release show at The Acoustic Vortex in Larkspur 5/1; the 35th Annual CBA Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley 6/17-20.

Onward to the calendar…

The Vasco Tuesday Music Series in Mill Valley with Matt Lax and Joe Kyle continues this month with David T. Carter on the 2nd, Lisa Kindred on the 9th, Adam Beach (penny whistle master) on the 16th, Matt & Nearly Beloved on the 23rd, and Dore Coller on the 30th. Starts at 9 p.m., no cover. Location is 106 Throckmorton at Miller.

The Crossroads Irish-American Festival, an annual, cultural arts, and literary event in San Francisco that explores and celebrates the history of the Irish Diaspora throughout the Americas in creative performance with vibrant conversation and debate, music, film, readings, storytelling, theater, and more, runs from the 2nd-14th. Go to the site for complete info.

Wailin’ Jennys in state. The fabulous all-female trio known as The Wailin' Jennys is all over California this week, and you can see them at the Freight in Berkeley on the 2nd and 5th, at the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico on the 3rd, in Grass Valley on the 4th, at the Napa Valley Opera House on the 6th, and at the Cotton Auditorium in Ft. Bragg 7th.

The Sleeping Lady in Fairfax has a traditional Irish session every Sunday afternoon, jazz every Sunday night, and an open mic every Monday night. See The Rousers on the 2nd, The David Thom Band on the 4th, Red Hot Chachkas on the 6th, Finger-style Guitar Showcase on the 10th, Kyle Alden on the 11th, Amy Wigton and Tracy Blackman on the 13th, The Shots on the 17th, Revolver on the 19th, Leena Culhane on the 26th, Lumanation on the 27th, String Sessions on the 31st, plus others.

New slow jam class. Ran Bush will be hosting another Slow Jam Class Level I and Level II starting on the 2nd and running for six Tuesday evenings at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley. Guest instructors Bill Evans and Jim Nunally. Go to the link now to sign up.

The Craig Caffall Band (CCB) plays every Wednesday at Miss Pearl’s Jam House in the Waterfront Hotel at Jack London Square in Oakland. No cover charge and they play from 7-10 p.m. When not leading his own band, San Anselmo’s Caffall is Maria Muldaur’s guitarist.

Music is brewing at the Iron Springs Pub & Brewery in Fairfax. Bands play on Wednesdays starting at 8 p.m. No cover, and great beer, food and music. See Pink Sabbath on the 3rd, Dead Set on the 10th, Jack Pribble on the 17th, Matt Eakle on the 24th, and 49 Special on the 31st. The Saturday afternoon cozy and casual winter music series takes place every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. See the Snake Oil Bones on the 6th and the Pat Echol Experience on the 20th

The Lagunitas Brewing Company Tap Room and Beer Sanctuary presents acoustic alt-country, Americana, bluegrass, and old timey stuff as well as acoustic Latin/jazz and World beat. Music start times are 4:20 p.m. during the week and 3 p.m. on weekends. See The Rivereens on the 3rd, Doug Adamz & Chris Goddard on the 4th, Dream Farmers on the 5th (and 19th), Dynamo Jones on the 6th, Disorderly House Band on the 7th, Incubators on the 10th, Tom Freund on the 11th, The Courtney Janes on the 12th, Hicktown Homeboys on the 13th, Jaydub & Dino on the 14th, Poitin on the 17th, Jenny Kerr on the 18th, Wilson Hukill Blues on the 20th, Jeb Brady on the 21st, Incubators on the 24th, Michael Bloch on the 25th, JimBo Trout and the Fish People on the 26th, Jigsaw on the 27th, Three at Last on the 28th, and The Rivereens again on the 31st.

Jammin’ in SF. The first Wednesday of the month bluegrass/country jam is hosted by Jeanie & Chuck Poling at the Plough & Stars in SF on the 3rd, starting at 8:30 p.m. There is no cover but you must be 21 to attend.

Good things are happening at Peri’s in Fairfax. Every Monday is acoustic open mic night hosted by Billy D of The Billy Boys, and every Wednesday for $10 per participant there are professional swing dance lessons from 7:30-9 p.m. See Whiskey Pills Fiasco on the 3rd (and 17th), Royal Deuces on the 5th, Rusty Evans & Ring of Fire on the 6th, Peri's Blues Jam on the 7th, Misner & Smith on the 9th, Breakin' Bread on the 12th, Sexy Sunday women who rock on the 14th, Brindl on the 16th, Rahman's Songwriters in the Round on the 18th, Vinyl on the 20th, Andre & Friends on the 21st, Hi Rhythm Hustlers on the 24th, The Holdouts on the 26th, Novachord on the 27th (Benefit for San Anselmo Preschool Co-op), Peri's Songwriters' Night on the 28th, (W+T)J2 on the 31st, and more.

The North Bay bluegrass band Blue & Lonesome will be singing for their escargot at Le Bateau Ivre in Berkeley on the 3rd at 7 p.m., and then at the Sebastopol Bluegrass Festival on the 13th.

The always entertaining band The Dry Branch Fire Squad will be playing a series of shows around the bay this month. See them at the Freight in Berkeley on the 4th, at the Sausalito Presbyterian Church (with special guest Heidi Clare on fiddle)(call 415-383-8716 for tickets and info) on the 5th, and at the Redwood Bluegrass Associates show in Mountain View on the 6th.

New music venue in Bolinas not named Smiley’s! The Coast Café now has live music every Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. See Dale Polisser and Bart Hopkin playing jazz on the 4th, Gary Bauman and Jack Pribble pickin' and singin' guitar tunes on the 11th, Danny Montana and Tim Bush playing country, Americana and folk on the 18th, and Eric Vaughn tickling the ivories on the 25th. Look for wine and beer specials and beverage-only seating available during music.

Jammin' in Marin. The Marin Bluegrass Jam takes place on the first and third Thursdays of every month. The dates for this month will be 4th and the 18th. The address is Marin Lutheran Church at 649 Meadowsweet in Corte Madera, just off the Corte Madera exit of Highway 101. The time is 7:30-10 p.m.

At the Last Day Saloon in Santa Rosa some of the acts on the calendar are The Subdudes on the 4th, The Young Dubliners on the 19th, and Elvin Bishop on the 27th.

Twang Ditty will be playing both country and western music on the 4th at Chrome Lotus in Santa Rosa, at the Druid Hall on the 12th in Santa Rosa, and on the 20th at the Blackthorn Tavern in San Francisco.

Murphy’s Irish Pub in the town of Sonoma is the place to go for good music in Sonoma County, with no cover charge. See Four Shillings Short on the 4th, The Sonoma Mountain Band on the 5th, the Celtic jam on the 7th, The Brothers Comatose on the 14th, Dockside and The Carrtunes on the 17th, John Kelly & Greengrass on the 18th, Elaine Dempsey on the 20th, The David Thom Band on the 26th, and lots more good stuff.

Saylor’s Restaurant in Sausalito has live music in the restaurant from 7:30-10:30 p.m. on Fridays, and 7-10 on most Saturdays. See Lilan Kane on the 5th, Alex Markels & Tina Marzell on the 6th, Joe Tate on the 12th, Dale Polissar & Bart Hopkin on the 13th, Lauralee Brown & Company on the 19th, Jazz Philosophy on the 20th, Eugene Huggins on the 26th, and Jef Labes on the 27th.

The Marin Civic Center has the Band of the Irish Guards and Royal Regiment of Scotland on the 5th, Kiri Te Kanawa on the 20th, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez on the 26th, and more fine shows.

Larkspur singer/songwriter Corinne West can be seen playing as a duo with Kelly Joe Phelps at a house concert at Casa De Linda in Berkeley on the 5th, at Mamma Llama Coffeehouse in Weaverville on the 6th, at Don Quixote's in Felton on the 9th, and at Joe’s Garage in San Mateo on the 14th.

At the Black Rose Pub in Santa Rosa see Greenhouse on the 5th, Old Jawbone on the 13th, The Farallons on the 26th, and The Tonewoods on the 27th. There is an international jam on the first Wednesday of the month, and Celtic jams on the second and third Wednesdays.

North Bay singer/songwriter Moss Henry will be singing at The French Garden in Sebastopol on the 5th from 7-9 p.m.

Great food and drink, and no cover.

Head on down to the indoor fest on the 5th-7th called the Boulder Creek Bluegrass & Old Timey Festival with Mike McKinley & Quack Grass, Faux Renwah's Spur of the Moment, Stoney Mountain Ramblers, Mountain Drive, 49 Special, The West County Professional Tea Sippers and others.

Swing Tonic delivers an eclectic mix of swing, folk, country, jazz, 'round-the-world delicacies and just about anything in between. Drawing from their varied musical background, the four members blend vocal harmony with the surprisingly un-clashing sounds of accordion, trumpet, guitar, mandolin and bass. They play at the Spice Monkey Café in downtown Oakland on the first Friday of every month starting at 7:30 p.m., so see them on the 5th. No cover charge and kids are welcome.

The 142 Throckmorton Theatre has a variety of entertainment on the calendar. Besides Mark Pitta’s comedy night every Tuesday see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Marin Youth Performers) on the 5th-7th and 12th-14th, Marin Primary School Production of Into the Woods on the 19th-21st, Savoy Brown on the 27th, and more.

Out at the Dance Palace in Point Reyes Station you can see The Aux Cajunals on the 5th, Keola and Moana Beamer on the 13th, Patrick Ball on the 20th, Turtle Island String Quartet on the 27th, and others.

The Magic Juju Concert Series in San Rafael will host Jill Knight on the 5th starting at 8 p.m. Call (415) 785-4530 for more info and reservations.

Joe Tate and Lonnie Walter play every Saturday at the No Name Bar in Sausalito at 6 p.m., and on the 6th they will be joined by Chris Goddard, who brings the guitar to life in a unique blend of jazz and blues with an old world flavor that sticks in your mind.

Mill Valley gitpicker Dore Coller is busy as usual. He will be with the Hot Club of Marin on the 6th at the Napa Valley Mustard Festival in downtown Calistoga from 2-6 pm, pickin’ bluegrass with Savannah Blu at Smiley's in Bolinas on the 13th, with Caribbean R&B at Smiley's on the 19th, doing a rare solo performance in Napa for a benefit on the 21st, back with the Hot Club of Marin at the monthly Gypsy jazz jam at Taste of Rome in Sausalito on the 29th, and he’ll be sittin’ in with Matt Lacques and Joe Kyle at Vasco's on the 30th.

Jammin’ in Sebastopol. The place to be for pickin’ bluegrass on Saturdays is the Coffee Catz from 2-5 p.m.

Bay Area singer/songwriter Cyndi Harvell has been invited to perform at a special show at 8 p.m. at the Café du Nord in San Francisco on the 6th, opening for up and coming Americana artist Elliott Randall. Cyndi is about to record a new CD that will be produced by local producer Jim Greer of Fortune Records, who wrote the new single by New Orleans group Galactic called “Heart of Steel,” and is otherwise involved a slew of projects with local and national artists.

Bay Area bluegrass guitarist, singer and producer Jim Nunally, who plays with John Reischman & The Jaybirds and in the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, on the 6th will be giving a three-hour rhythm guitar workshop at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. This is geared to all guitarists who would like insight into country, bluegrass, and folk rhythm guitar styles.

Murphy Productions at the Mill Valley Masonic Hall will feature Sonic Strut on the 6th and Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers on the 13th, and the Blame Sally show will be at The Lark in Larkspur on the 20th.

North Bay Live present Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen on the 6th at Studio E in Sebastopol, and on the 20th it will be Kenny White having a CD release party there.

March is a busy month for San Anselmo’s Kyle Alden. In addition to his usual shows at the San Gregorio General Store on the 6th (he plays solo from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and at 3 p.m. with the Mild Colonial Boys), he’s playing on the 9th at Club Waziema in SF, and hosting a Songwriter Night on the 11th at the Sleeping Lady if Fairfax featuring Garrin Benfield and others. Then the St. Patrick’s Day season is in full swing with a string of appearances by the traditional Irish band The Gas Men. On the 13th at 11a.m. they’ll be in Civic Center Plaza in SF and at 9 p.m. that same evening at the Great American Music Hall in SF. On St. Patrick’s Day itself see them (if you can get in!) at the Plough and Stars in SF.

The Mystic in Petaluma has Sons of Champlin on the 6th, David Wilcox on the 11th, The Del McCoury Band on the 12th, Ray Manzarek & Roy Rogers plus special guest Country Joe McDonald on the 20th, Pride & Joy on the 26th, and others.

19 Broadway in Fairfax has an open mic with Derek Smith every Monday, and the Uzilevsky/Korty Duo every Tuesday. Also, see Old Jaw Bone, Ali Weiss Band, Ellen Elizabeth, and The Courtney Janes on the 6th, Jazz Search West on the 11th, Moonalice on the 13th, The Tommy Castro Band on the 20th, Lone Star Retrobates on the 21st, Johnny Vegas & The High Rollers on the 26th, Crashlanding and The Dogtown Rambler on the 27th, and more.

The Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival will present a special bluegrass program on the 7th that will feature the two outstanding films “Waiting for a Train” and “Always Been A Rambler” as well as music.

The Scottish group known as The Battlefield Band will be playing at the Raven Theatre in Healdsburg on the 7th.

Mill Valley artist and musician Kimrea plays with her band Dreamdogs play every Monday night at the no name in Sausalito, and players are invited to sit in with the band.

Misner & Smith will be playing a handful of Bay Area shows this month, beginning at Peri's Silver Dollar Saloon in Fairfax on the 9th at 9 p.m. They'll be at Finnegan’s in Novato on the 18th at 9 p.m., Drew Pearce's House Concert Series in Stinson Beach on the 21st at 4 p.m., and at Celebrating Songwriter's in Berkeley on the 27th at 8 p.m.

Sara and friends in Sebastopol. See Sara Winge and Bart Hopkin at the French Garden Bistro in Sebastopol on the 10th playing eclectic jazz and pop starting at 7:30 p.m. No cover. On the 27th it will be Sara, Carlo Calabi, and Bill Foss at the Pinecone Café in Sebastopol playing old-time and classic country duets from 7-9 p.m. No cover.

The Del McCoury Band plays the finest in bluegrass at the Mystic in Petaluma on the 12th, at the Nugget in Sparks, NV, on the 13th, at The Great American Music Hall in SF on the 14th, and at the Studio Theatre in Davis on the 16th.

San Rafael guitarist/singer/songwriter Kurt Huget marches into the new month with an assortment of gigs around the county. On the 10th you can find him on the bandstand at the Corte Madera Rec Center with the Ray Simpson Big Band. His jazz quintet, Namely Us, appears at the Two Bird Café in San Geronimo on the 13th, San Rafael’s Panama Hotel on St. Patrick’s Day, and at the Sleeping Lady in Fairfax on the 28th. And the Moonlight Rodeo band springs into action with original roots-rock and Americana music out west at the Old Western Saloon in Pt. Reyes Station on the 20th.

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. This and the bluegrass music is why folks will be gathering in Redwood City on the 11th-14th for the Bluegrass On Broadway festival.

At the Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa see Celtic Legends on the 12th, Indigo Girls on the 25th, and Chicago on the 30th.

Jesse Kincaid & New Rising Sons with singer Boudeeka will be performing at the Presidio Yacht Club in Sausalito on the 13th and the Sausalito Cruising Club on the 19th.

Three At Last will be playing two private house concerts on the weekend of the 13th-14th, one in Fairfax and one in Santa Rosa. Anyone interested in coming to one of these shows can email Velvy and he'll give you the lowdown. The band will also be playing the San Diego Indie Fest on the 27th, and the Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma on the 28th.

Brewfest. The 15th Annual Fairfax Brewfest will be happening at the Fairfax Pavilion on the 13th from 1-5 p.m. The fest has more than a dozen breweries presenting their best beers. Brewmasters pour the beers themselves, so patrons can critique, ask questions, and swap beer stories with the experts. Great pub food, and music by Tom Rigney & Flambeau.

Novato singer/songwriter Amy Wigton and her band will be celebrating the brand new EP titled Go on the 13th at the Sleeping Lady in Fairfax. Tracy Blackman with Don Zimmer will be opening the show. Go for dinner and stay for the fine music. Dinner reservations are encouraged.

Go green! The 159th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be taking place in downtown SF on Saturday the 13th, so grab your shillelagh, put on your favorite green shirt or jacket, and join the fun. The festival after the parade provides a great opportunity for attendees to learn more about Irish history and culture while having a great time experiencing the day. A full day of activity is planned at the Civic Center Plaza.

Mandolin gathering. On Sunday the 14th the annual Inverness Mandolin Gathering will be taking place in a private home out in West Marin in the town of Inverness. It goes from noon until the music stops. For more info contact host David Crummey at (530) 739-3183 or dcrummey@snowcrest.net. The Gathering is open to everyone who owns a mandolin, plays a mandolin or just enjoys mandolin music.

Paul Knight & Friends will be pickin’ out at the Station House in Point Reyes Station on the 14th (with guest Avram Siegel) and again on the 21st, starting at 5 p.m.

The Marin Jamvitational bluegrass showcase now takes place at Whipper Snapper (1613 4th Street, between F and G Streets) in downtown San Rafael. The restaurant offers “Cal-Caribe” food that blends Latin flavors with local farm fresh ingredients. The music now runs from 7:30-9:30 instead of starting at the later hour of 9 p.m. Go check it out on the 16th. See Calvin Murasaki, Belle Monroe, Larry Goldfield, and Duncan Draper.

Here’s to the fiddle that plays the tune! Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with The Shots playing Irish/old-time/country/Cajun and more at The Sleeping Lady in Fairfax on the 17th starting at 9 p.m.

St. Paddy’s Day Bash for Strand. On the 17th at 6:30 p.m. at Pete's 881 Club in San Rafael the musical friends of the late Rick Strand – Jim Strand, John McConnell, Mike Schwab, Pat Campbell, Bill Abright, Steve Farzan, Willow van den Hoek, Dore Coller, Peter & Charlie Harris, Bob Goldstein, Michael Foley, Jeff Potter, Kit Eakle, John Lefler, Chris Lockheed and other special surprise guests – will be singing for their corned beef and cabbage. Food is at 5, music starts at 6:30 p.m. No cover, all ages welcome. Donation tip jar. For info email Pat at 65jazz@comcast.net

Bluegrass and country singer Nell Robinson with The Jaybirds will be releasing CDs by the dozens at the Noe Valley Ministry in San Francisco on the 19th. Speaking of the Nell, read about her in the SF Chronicle. Her wonderful new CD is titled Nell Robinson in Loango.

Schoenberg Guitars. Besides being a wonderful acoustic guitar shop on Ark Row in Tiburon, Eric Schoenberg also has concerts and workshops there from time to time. See Peter Finger on the 19th, the German finger-style player who's considered among the best in the world, starting at 8 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended, as space is limited. Call (415) 789-0846 for more info.

Check out the Sublime Spring Singout on the 19th at the Velo Rouge Café in SF from 7-9:30 p.m. Jeanie & Chuck Poling present another showcase of the best local Americana talent. Featured artists are Matt Lax and Toshio Hirano, along with performances by Jeanie & Chuck, Misisipi Mike Wolf, special guest Smelley Kelley, and more.

The Acoustic Vortex house concert series in Larkspur is presenting The Rhythm Angels at 7 p.m. on the 19th.

The Celtic band Altan will be playing a show at the Sebastopol Community Center on the 21st.

For a rip roarin’ good time join The Lonestar Retrobates when they play on the third Sunday of every month starting at 3 p.m. at 19 Broadway in Fairfax. On the 21st they’ll be playing barnyard bebop and swingin’ cowboy jazz. Johnny Cuviello, Bob Wills' drummer at 94 years young, lives in Milpitas and he often sits in on a few songs about every other month.

Caren Armstrong hosts the Celebrating Songwriters on the 27th with Misner & Smith and Austin Willacy at the Left Coast Cyclery in Berkeley starting at 8 p.m.

There will be pickin’ of gospel, bluegrass and old-time music as usual up in Sebastopol on the fourth Sunday of this month, and the date is the 28th. It takes place from 2-5 p.m. at the Sebastopol Christian Church, 7433 Bodega Avenue, in Sebastopol. Bring acoustic instruments and your favorite gospel songs to sing.

Andrew Freeman, besides normally performing solo on the first Saturday of every month at Murphy’s in Sonoma, continues to play Tuesday evenings at Giordano's (Columbus and Broadway) in SF at 7 p.m.

Ed Neff and Friends are playing bluegrass every Thursday at the Willowbrook Ale House in Petaluma from 6:30-9:30 p.m. There is no cover, and you get to hear some of the finest traditional bluegrass in the North Bay. The regular pickers are Ed Neff on fiddle, Mike Wilhoyte on guitar, Jeff King on bass, Paul Shelasky on fiddle, and Larry Cohea on banjo. The address is 3600 Petaluma Boulevard North. Call (707) 775-4232 for more info.

 For up to date state-wide bluegrass news three times a week, read my Almost Daily News column on the California Bluegrass Association web site.

As always, shows, dates and times are subject to change. Please contact any venue listed above to confirm appearances.

Cheers!

Larry

Resources

Marin Bluegrass Jam, Northern California Bluegrass Society, California Bluegrass Association, Murphy Productions, Hicks With Sticks Twang Newsletter, North Bay Music Listings, North Bay Concerts, Schoenberg Guitars, Murphy’s Irish Pub, Country Music Television, Rancho Nicasio, The Alpha Acoustic Concert Series,The Black Rose, San Francisco Folk Club, SF Bay Area Radio Stations, SF Celtic Music, 19 Broadway, Peri’s Silver Dollar Saloon, Iron Springs Pub, Rocker Oysterfeller’s, Marin Local Music Scene

Links

Dave Wellhausen Recording, Allen Lam/Professional Audio, Sound Reinforcement and Location Recording, Lou Judson Intuitive Audio Live Sound and Recording Perfection, Hot Buttered Rum, Kimrea, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Amazing Grace Music, Bay Area Bluegrass Radio Shows, Lauralee Brown & Company, Bread and Roses