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CARLTONE'S CORNER

February 4, 2010

Welcome to the 110th edition of Carltone's Corner!

It is Groundhog Day here at Carltone World Headquarters, for more reasons than one. In a replay of last month’s editions, this issue is late again, and the hope here is that we don’t keep up this trend. We don’t know about you, but the staff at CWH on the 2nd just couldn’t get enough of the moronic mass media coverage the other day of the recalcitrant hirsute underground denizen of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This, combined with media frenzy behind the Grammy Awards and the Oscar nominations, has kept the interns mightily distracted and way beyond deadline. Throw in a contagious virus – and no, we’re not talking the cyber variety here – that waylaid the staff for three straight days (talk about a “lost weekend”!) – and there are ample reasons for the lateness of this edition.

Late night yuck fest. And we are not talking “yuks,” as in laughing at jokes. Does anyone really care about what comedian is on TV at what time after 11:30 p.m.? One carrot-topped mirth maker hosted his last show recently on NBC after getting paid a paltry $45 million dollars to go away (at least until September). Meanwhile the lantern-jawed jokester will be moving back to his old slot in March. Off to the side the erstwhile-red-headed wisecracker on CBS is having a grand old time making light of the situation. If your life revolves around watching any one of these vidiots every night, a life is something you need to get. Try reading a book to fall asleep. Better yet, wander off to dreamland listening to some good old-fashioned bluegrass or other kind of music on your iPod or CD player…

Speaking of yuks and the other “Groundhog Day” – the movie – it won’t be long now until weather-beaten tweed-jacket-wearing sportswriters from the SF Chronicle are chasing actor/comedian Bill “Har-dee-har-har” Murray around some golf course in the rain in SF for the annual golfing event that is known more for the ageing yukster’s presence than the actual pro players that play in the tournament. And each year, as with Phil the groundhog, the story is the same, over and over…

Winter music camp update. The CBA Winter Music Camp will be taking place near Petaluma in western Marin County on the 15th-18th, and there is still time for you fence sitters to get off and into the camp. Go to the web page above more info.

Get out your handkerchiefs. The annual Grammy Awards were handed out the other night, and some of the winners in the Best Album category were Levon Helm for Best Americana, Steve Martin for Best Bluegrass, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott for Best Traditional Blues, Loudon Wainwright III for Best Traditional Folk, Steve Earle for Best Contemporary Folk, and Bela Fleck for Best Contemporary World Music. Unhappy with the results? Start your kvetching now or, better yet, fork out the money to join NARAS and become a voter yourself…

Music television. The KQED-TV project titled Freeway Philharmonic is a documentary about seven Bay Area classical musicians who all play in various orchestras around Northern California. They all make their living playing music, but without having permanent slots in major orchestras they have to travel miles and miles from performance to performance just to make ends meet. It is a very well-crafted look at the life of struggling musicians, and this could just as easily have been a tale of many bluegrass, blues, R&B, etc., players around the bay. Speaking of which, but which is not mentioned in the documentary, trombone player Bruce Crisp also picks the banjo in his spare time! The show aired a few times over the weekend on KQED. Check the station listings for any future airings.

The soloist goes solo. There was a movie out last year titled The Soloist, with starred Jamie Foxx as homeless cello player Nathaniel Ayers and Robert Downey Jr. as newspaper writer Steve Lopez. Lopez befriended Ayers, who was once a student at Julliard. Ayers is about to put out his first recording with the help of Michael Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers along with members of the LA Philharmonic. The recording will be titled Putting On Ayers, and you can read the story about it here.

Help for Haiti. There will be a fundraiser on the 5th at Integrated Design Studio at 2129 Shoreline Highway in Mill Valley from 6-10 p.m. Music will be provided by Close Enough and Marble Party. Iron Springs Pub & Brewery in Fairfax will be donating and pouring their award winning ales and hand crafted soda at the event, and every cent raised goes to the Red Cross to help out Haiti. $20-100 donation suggested. RSVP to amtrapp@yahoo.com. Also on the 5th at 8 p.m. at The 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley there will be the Comedy and Concert Fundraiser for Haiti, with local performers uniting for the relief effort. Music by Mostly Dylan, comedy by Mark Pitta and Friends and entertainment by Frank Olivier. This is a benefit for Doctors Without Borders. $35 general admission. At The Mystic in Petaluma on the 18th at 7 p.m. there will be the To Haiti With Love: A Free Benefit Concert for Haiti with members of Hot Buttered Rum and Poor Man’s Whiskey, Tim Eschliman, Bonnie Hayes, Jesse De Natale, Arann Harris & The Sonoma winter Roots Band (members of Brothers Comatose), Mr. December, The Easy Leaves, Toast Machine and Green String Farm Band. Proceeds benefit Doctors Without Borders.

The House of Lester. Three decades after his passing, Lester Flatt is still making news. He was honored by the House of Representatives last week when its members voted unanimously to officially honor the bluegrass legend. You can read and listen here to a segment on National Public Radio. Some may grumble about the need for congress to be attending to more serious matters than this, but national radio and press coverage of bluegrass doesn’t happen that often, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Bluegrass star of tomorrow! Congratulations to young bluegrass pickers Angelica Grim and TJ Doerful, who are now proud parents to Jakob Doerful, who entered the bluegrass world picking and screaming on January 19th. Read the CBA Message Board thread here and look at photos here.

Copyright rumble down under. Remember the pop hit from the ‘80s titled “Down Under” by the Australian band Men at Work? Turns out that, according to a law suit that ruled in favor of the plaintiff, the flute solo from the tune was lifted from a decades-old children’s song titled "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree." Read the details here. The long gone band may now have to go back to work in order to pay out what could be millions in royalties…

Cloverdale news. Although the official results have yet to be posted on the Cloverdale Old-Time Fiddle Contest web site, some partial news has arrived over the transom here at Carltone World Headquarters. Keystone Station and Wild Blue fiddler Kenny Blacklock and his wife Katy Bridges came in first in the twin fiddle division, he came in second in the old-time category (behind Paul Shelasky), and she came in fourth in Texas-style; their nine-year-old daughter Marika Blacklock came in ninth in the junior-junior category, while Tim Elson placed first; South Bay fiddler Danita Rast came in first in the waltz and Texas-style, and Tessa Schwartz came in fourth in the peewee group. Congrats to all!

Stars all out for Norton. Many music all-stars came out to honor the late Bay Area musician Norton Buffalo two weekends back. Read the story in the SF Chronicle.

New CD, new beginning. Longtime San Francisco North Beach resident and musician Doug Blumer and his designer wife Nancy Irish have pulled up roots and moved to Sebastopol as of the first of the year. Doug was in the popular trio called The Westerleys some time back, and he also played with a few other bands besides also carving out a solo career. He recently released a greatest hits compilation called Doug Blumer Sounds Like This, a career retrospective from 1995-2009, culling material from different bands and albums. Go to his web site to get your copy.

Peter Feldmann in the news. Longtime bluegrass musician Peter Feldmann was featured last week in a story in the Santa Ynez Valley Journal. He has a band called The Very Lonesome Boys.

Portland Old-Time photos. If you missed the Portland Old-Time Music Gathering in January or if you did happen to make it up to the event, there is a wonderful photo slide show of the fest that you can enjoy looking at here.

More live music at a bar in downtown Mill Valley. Last month it was erroneously reported here that – short a produced show at the 142 Throckmorton and Mill Valley Masonic – there was no live music in downtown Mill Valley since Sweetwater closed over two years ago. It has been pointed out that restaurants Bungalow 44 and The Balboa Cafe have live music on some nights of the week. Mill Valley musician Matt Lax and bass man Joe Kyle (The Waybacks) started up a weekly Tuesday night series on January 26th at the Italian restaurant Vasco (former site of The Old Mill from days of yore), located at 106 Throckmorton, from 9-11 p.m. Special guests will perform, with Dore Coller on the 9th (who will then be joining Matt and Joe in following weeks), Lisa Kindred on the 16th, Erik Pearson & Sonya Hunter on the 23rd, and David T. Carter (The Trailer Park Rangers) due in on March 2nd. Go on by and support this new series. No cover.

Carltube. Check out these three whimsical musical videos here, here and here. Belly dancing to “Dueling Banjos”? Works for us! Also, here is a video of Glen Hansard (from the movie Once) performing on the street.

Coming attractions. The Dry Branch Fire Squad in Berkeley 3/4, at Sausalito Presbyterian Church 3/5, Redwood Bluegrass Associates in Mountain View 3/6; Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival 3/5-7; Sonoma County Bluegrass & Folk Festival 3/13; Bluegrass On Broadway in Redwood City 3/11-14; Nell Robinson & Red Level at the Noe Valley Ministry in SF 3/19; Joy Kills Sorrow at Redwood Bluegrass Associates in Mountain View 4/10; 11th Annual SFJAZZ Spring Season presents The Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile at the Herbst Theatre in SF on 4/18; 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…

Enjoy a fabulous evening out and a dinner set with the music of Lorin Rowan (guitar/vocals) and Doug Harman (cello) on the 4th at Panama Hotel Restaurant in San Rafael from 7-10 p.m.

Maurice Tani of the band 77 El Deora has some gigs this month. On the 4th he and Deora band mates Mike Anderson and Christopher Fisher will be joined by pedal steel whiz David Phillips for an early set at Hotel Utah in SF. They're followed by Grand National and Luke Franks. On the 20th Deora plays the Californicana benefit for BADRAP and Pinups for Pitbulls, which will be held at Autobody Fine Art Gallery in Alameda from 7 p.m. until midnight. Live music with special guests and live burlesque. Raffle, silent auction, scrumptious food, calendar signing booth and special appearances by Pinups for Pitbulls Calendar models. All proceeds will go to BADRAP and Pinups for Pitbulls, organizations dedicated to improving the lives of American Pit Bull Terriers. BADRAP, founded in 1999, has gained acclaim for its work in evaluating and rescuing the dogs seized from Michael Vick’s property, where a dog-fighting operation was shut down. Pinups for Pitbulls produces an annual pinup-themed calendar to raise awareness about breed bans and breed-specific abuse, and to raise money for bully-breed rescue groups throughout the country. And then on the 25th The Country Squires (Maurice, Misisipi Mike Wolf, Doug Blumer and Christopher Fisher) will take part in a Tribute to Johnny Cash at The Knockout in SF.

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 David Thom Band on the 4th, Revolver on the 5th, The Gas Men on the 6th, 49 Special on the 9th, finger-style showcase on the 10th with Adam Traum and Teja Gerken, Jerry Hannan on the 13th, Brindl on the 16th, Jack Irving’s Showcase on the 17th, The David Thom Bluegrass All-Stars on the 18th, Culann’s Hounds on the 19th, Drew Pearce Presents on the 24th, Lumanation on the 27th, Namely Us on the 28th, plus others.

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 Solid Air on the 4th, The Sonoma Mountain Band on the 5th, the Celtic jam on the 7th, Kith & Kin on the 12th, High Country on the 13th, Misner & Smith on the 18th, The Cork Pullers on the 19th, Green String Farm Band on the 21st, The Lonesome Holler String Band on the 26th, Under the Radar on the 27th, the Greenhouse CD release party on the 28th, and lots more good stuff.

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.

The 142 Throckmorton Theatre has a variety of entertainment on the calendar. Besides Mark Pitta’s comedy night every Tuesday see the Haiti Fundraiser on the 5th, Sammy Hagar on the 6th, International Guitar Night on the 7th, Linda Tillery on the 12th, Maria Muldaur on the 14th, Robben Ford on the 20th, and more.

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 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. See Music start times are 4:20 p.m. during the week and 3 p.m. on weekends. See Dream Farmers on the 5th (and 19th), Rusty Evans & Ring of Fire on the 7th, Sons of Emperor Norton on the 10th, Jenny Kerr on the 11th, Brothers Comatose on the 13th, West County Professional Tea Sippers on the 14th, Grandpa Banana on the 20th, California Honeydrops on the 24th, Pink Sabbath on the 25th, Misner & Smith on the 26th, Elliot Randall on the 28th, and others.

19 Broadway in Fairfax is back from the ashes! Last year a fire damaged part of the building, and on the 5th they will be having a special concert called “19 Broadway Rises From the Ashes” with performances by Momma’s Cookin’ and Hillside Fire. Otherwise, there is an open mic with Derek Smith every Monday, the Uzilevsky/Korty Duo every Tuesday, Diamond Ortiz on the 10th (and 24th), Michael Rose on the 13th, Jules Broussard at 5 p.m. on the second Sunday of every month (the 14th), Wonderbread 5 on the 19th, the Lonestar Retrobates on the 21st at 3 p.m. and local musicians night at 8 p.m., Elvin Bishop on the 26th, Melvin Seals on the 27th, and lots more.

Roundup time in SF. The Atlas Cafe in San Francisco presents the best in live bluegrass and old-time music every Thursday night from 8-10 p.m. On the 4th you can enjoy the finest in honky-tonk and bluegrass with Jeanie & Chuck’s Country Roundup. No cover charge.

Experienced duo. Jim Nunally and Keith Little, who also play in the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, on the 4th will be playing at The First Street Café, located at 440 First Street in Benicia, from 7-10 p.m. Bring an appetite with you as the café has an extensive appetizer and dessert menu, and beer and wine are offered as well.

Patsy Cline in Half Moon Bay. Novato bass man Pat Campbell is playing bass in the production of Always…Patsy Cline at the Coastal Repertory Theatre in Half Moon Bay on the 5th-27th. The lineup of musicians includes Steve Shufton on piano, Mark Holzinger on guitar, Charlie Wallace on steel, Tim Seifert on drums, Brantley Kearns on fiddle, Ross Dankin on guitar and Catie Chase as Patsy.

Murphy Productions at the Mill Valley Masonic Hall will feature the Midnite Reggae Dance Party on the 5th, the Tommy Castro Blues Band on the 12th, The Tim Hockenberry Band on the 13th, and The David Nelson Band on the 14th.

North Bay Live has two fine shows this month. On the 5th it will be the LA band I See Hawks in LA with Susan James opening, and on the 13th legendary Texas singer/songwriter Butch Hancock. Shows start 8 p.m. at Studio E in Sebastopol.

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 Honeydust on the 5th, Rusty Evans & Ring of Fire on the 6th, Peri's Blues Jam on the 7th, Trever Jones on the 9th, Dr Mojo on the 11th, Jon Korty and Friends on the 13th, Sexy Sunday - Women Who Rock on the 14th, Michael D on the 16th, Whiskey Pills Fiasco on the 17th, Rahman's Songwriters in the Round on the 18th, Pine Hill Haints and Brothers Comatose on the 19th (San Francisco Old Time and Bluegrass Festival), Andre and Friends on the 21st, Royal Deuces on the 24th, The Rev Tones on the 25th, Tom Finch Group on the 26th, Buxter Hoot'n on the 27th, Songwriter Night on the 28th, and others.  

The Mystic in Petaluma has The Mother Hips on the 5th, The David Rawlings Machine on the 8th, Loudon Wainwright III on the 12th, To Haiti With Love: A Free Benefit concert for Haiti relief on the 18th, Gallagher on the 20th, Jorma Kaukonen and GE Smith on the 24th, Benefit for Sadie's Haven Horse Rescue with music by The Jeremy Bauman Band on the 27th, and others.

Santa Rosa singer Rory McNamara on Saturday the 6th at 2:30 p.m. will be at the San Gregorio Store with The Mild Colonial Boys.

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 Al Chan on the 5th, Macy Blackman on the 6th, Connie Ducey & Judy Hall on the 12th, Eugene Shilin on the 13th, Lauralee Brown & Company on the 19th, Eugene Huggins on the 20th, Mindy Canter on the 26th, and Schuster Bay on the 27th.

The bluegrass band Redwing can be seen pickin’ bluegrass on the 6th at McGrath’s in Alameda starting at 8 p.m.

San Rafael guitarist/singer/songwriter Kurt Huget will be crossing county lines for gigs this month. Namely Us, his five-piece jazz band, returns to the Two Bird Cafe in San Geronimo on the 6th and the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax on the 28th. He'll be on the bandstand with the Ray Simpson Big Band at their monthly dance concert on the 10th at the Corte Madera Recreation Center. And on the 13th will find him performing solo at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma.

Larry Potts, award-winning Petaluma singer/songwriter, has a new album out entitled Close To Home. It is acoustic/folk with blends of Americana, country, jazz, pop, blues, and rock. He collaborated with George Merrill of the Boy Meets Girl pop duo, who wrote Whitney Houston hits "I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “How Will I Know.” There are also many local artists on this album such Gus Garelick, Bruce Kurnow, Charlie Moller Gary Grubb, John Morton, the late Michael Whitwell, and the multi-talented multi-instrumentalist/producer and engineer Kevin Harris, with Merrill on keyboards. The CD is available on Larry’s site, at CDBaby and on iTunes. He will be having a CD release party on the 6th at the Petaluma Art Center. Call (707) 781-3272 or email babsjoj@hotmail.com for advance tickets.

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

Adam Traum and his band The Traumatics will be at Iron Springs on the 6th at 2 p.m., he’ll play solo at the Sleeping Lady in Fairfax on the 10th for Teja Gerken's Acoustic Guitar, on the 13th he’ll play solo at Landmark Vineyards in Kenwood from 1-4 p.m., on the 21st at Steiner's Tavern in Sonoma with The Traumatics at 6 p.m., and on the 26th at the Black Rose Pub in Santa Rosa at 9 p.m.

The Marin duo Barbwyre (Jon Mitguard and Dana Rath) will be sneaking across the bridge to play at the Bazaar Café in SF on the 6th starting at 7 p.m. Also on the bill is West Marin musician Tim Weed, so there will be some serious picking to accompany your café treats. Where else are you going to go to hear pedal steel and classical banjo on the same bill?

Sebastopol’s Riggy Rackin & Jon Berger perform together again on the 6th at 7 pm at The Pinecone in Sebastopol. The Pinecone offers fine food from the Himalayas and live music. Enjoy a meal or a drink and savor tasty tunes played on English concertina and fiddle. Free admission.

Twang Ditty will be playing both country and western music at The Blackthorn Tavern in San Francisco on the 6th, at the Druid Hall in Santa Rosa on the 12th, and at The Twin Oaks Tavern in Penngrove on the 26th.

Front Porch Blues, featuring Ed Hance on acoustic guitar and vocals and Allen Goldberg on harmonica, will be playing two big Sunday shows this month. The first one is Super Bowl Sunday the 7th at the Blue Wing Saloon in Upper Lake from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The second one is on Valentine's Day the 14th at Imagery Winery in Glen Ellen, from 1:30- 4:30 p.m.  This will be a special event with gourmet food and wine tasting, tickets $30.

The Acoustic Vortex house concert series in Larkspur will be presenting the Spirit of the Amazon (with Marin singer/songwriter Tracy Blackman, Lucia Comnes and Bittersweet) concert on the 6th and Ian Dogle on the 27th.

San Anselmo’s The Craig Caffall Band (CCB) plays every Wednesday at Miss Pearl's Jam House in the Waterfront Hotel at Jack London Square in Oakland from 7-10 p.m., with an added special Mardi Gras show on the 16th from 8:30-midnight. They also we have a gig at the Presidio Yacht Club in Sausalito on the 27th starting at 8:30. Craig also plays guitar with Maria Muldaur.

Music is brewing at the Iron Springs Pub & Brewery in Fairfax. The Saturday afternoon cozy and casual winter music series takes place every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. See the Adam Traum on the 6th, Pat Nevins on the 20th, and the Courtney Janes on the 27th. Bands play on Wednesdays starting at 8 p.m. No cover, and great beer, food and music. See Aaron Redner & Friends on the 10th, Viper Central on the 17th, and Elliott Randall on the 24th.

Help send the Analy High School Theater in Sebastopol to Carnegie Hall! The Choir will perform there on April 17th, and they are trying to raise money for their travels. A big benefit show will take place on the 11th at the high school. Joe Craven will be the Master of Ceremonies. See The Ragtime Skedaddalers, The West County Professional Tea Sippers, The Tri Tip Trio, and The Analy Honor Choir. 

The SF Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival will be taking place at various venues around the bay from to the 12th-21st, with too many acts to mention here, so go to the site for complete info.

Missy Raines & The New Hip will be appearing on the 12th at 8 p.m. at the Petaluma Church Concerts at First Church of Christ Scientist, 522 B St. (corner of B & 6th). Missy was seven-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) bass player of the year, and her band, The New Hip, play an energetic mix of newgrass and jazz. The band consists of dobro player Michael Witcher, mandolin and guitarist Ethan Ballinger, Dillon Hodges on guitar, and Doug Belote and Tommy Giampietro on percussion.

Laura Lee Brown & Company will be playing jazz and beyond on the 12th at The Pleasure is Mine in Mill Valley from 7-10 p.m., and they also have their regular show Saylor's on the 19th.

The San Geronimo Cultural Center presents Cindy Kallet & Greg Larsen on the 12th.

Sweethearts of the Radio. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an evening of musical pairings at KWMR’s annual Sweethearts of the Radio concert on the 13th at The Dance Palace in Point Reyes Station. The evening includes folk, bluegrass and swing from Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, and Eric & Suzy Thompson, Keith Terry & Evie Ladin, and Deep Elem. Proceeds from the event benefit KWMR, West Marin’s community radio station. Doors open at 7 p.m. for pre-show enjoyment and the concert beginning at 8 p.m. Seating is general admission. For more info contact Lance Walker at (707) 542-8995 or eclecticstage@yahoo.com.

The dark side of Poor Man’s. The Sonoma County band Poor Man’s Whiskey will be presenting their Dark Side of the Moonshine show at the Sebastopol Community Center on the 13th. Then on the 20h they’ll be playing their normal show at the Fillmore in SF, opening for a band called ALO.

The Marin Civic Center has Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo on the 13th, The Chieftains on the 19th, and the Marin Symphony on the 28th.

Misner & Smith have a busy month in February. They'll start out at the Heartbreak Hootenanny put on by the SF Folk Club and the SF Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival on the 13th. On the 14th they'll be up in Santa Rosa at Aroma Roasters, on the 18th they'll be playing at Murphy's Irish Pub in Sonoma. Tune in to KKUP in Cupertino at 3 p.m. on the 20th to hear them on the airwaves with Sleepy John. They'll be heading over to Alameda to play at McGrath's as part of the SF Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival on the 21st. On the 26th they'll be up in Petaluma at the Lagunitas Brewing Company and then they will finish the month off at the Bazaar Cafe in San Francisco as a part of the 2nd Annual Bazaar-Stock, a full day of music with some of the best local musicians in an intimate cafe setting.

The Nashville Bluegrass Band doesn’t get out here that much, so see them at the Redwood Bluegrass Associates in Mountain View on the 13th or at the Freight in Berkeley on the 14th.

San Anselmo singer/songwriter David Maloney will be performing solo again at the Bazaar Cafe on California Street in SF on the 13th at 7 p.m., playing all original material and with no cover. David is also one-half of the fabulous longtime popular duo Reilly & Maloney.

At the Black Rose Pub in Santa Rosa see Marshall, Bolt, & Harr on the 13th, Four Shillings Short on the 20th, The Traumatics 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.

Mill Valley gitpicker Dore Coller is busy as usual. He has been spending time in the studio on the long awaited Bermudagrass CD, on Tuesdays he will be at Vasco in downtown Mill Valley with Matt Lacques and Joe Kyle Jr., and he can be seen playing bluegrass at Amnesia in SF with Savannah Blu on the 15th for the SFBOT.

Jamvitational has moved. The Marin Jamvitational bluegrass showcase relocated last month from the Sleeping Lady in Fairfax to 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 good news is that the music will now run from 7:30-9:30 instead of starting at the later hour of 9 p.m. Go check it out on the 16th, with Chris Caputo on banjo, Jerry Barush on guitar, Tom Lucas on fiddle, Dan Large on mandolin, and Bruce Campbell on bass.

Sara Winge and Bart Hopkin sing eclectic jazz and pop at the French Garden Bistro in Sebastopol on the 17th from 7-9:30 p.m. No cover.

Three At Last has a few gigs this month. They will be playing a Bread & Roses event in Novato on the 17th, at Café Flo in Chico on the 20th, at The Blue Heron in Duncan's Mills on the 27th, and at the Pine Cone in Sebastopol on the 28th.

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 Jim Hurst on the 18th and Corinne West and Kelly Joe Phelps on the 26th starting at 8 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended, as space is limited. Call (415) 789-0846 for more info.

Jim Hurst will also be playing in Sebastopol on the 19th at 7:30 p.m. The International Bluegrass Association Guitar Player of the year (2001, 2002) will do a solo performance at Subud Hall (234 Hutchins Ave., Sebastopol). He is an award-winning flat-picking guitarist but also a fabulous finger-style player in the Chet Atkins/Jerry Reed vein. Tickets are $20 general admission, and reservations and tickets can be purchases by contacting Kevin at (707) 824-1858 or krussellmft@aol.com.

Paul Knight and Friends. In a special SFBOT Friday edition of Paul Knight & Friends at the Station House in Pt. Reyes Station on the 19th at 7 p.m., Kathy Kallick & Richard Brandenburg will be teaming up for the first time in public. Both talented singer-songwriters have met up at pickin’ parties and festivals in the past and enjoyed singing together, so they decided to try it out for the SFBOT. They’ll be joined by some special guest soloists as well. The night's lineup includes Kathy Kallick (Good Old Persons), Richard Brandenburg (Last Call Quartet), Annie Staninec (Deep Elem, Kathy Kallick Band), Dave Keenan (Downtown Mt. Boys, Ranch Romance), and Paul Knight (Peter Rowan, Kleptograss).

Houston Jones plays the finest high-octane American around, and you can see them at McGrath's Alameda on the 19th, at Rancho Nicasio on the 21st, and at the San Gregorio Country Store on the 28th.

Caren Armstrong hosts the Celebrating Songwriters on the 20th with Storm Session and James Hurley at the Left Coast Cyclery in Berkeley starting at 8 p.m.

For a rip roarin’ good time join The Lonestar Retrobates when they play on the third Sunday of the month. See them on the 21st starting at 3 p.m. at 19 Broadway in Fairfax. They play 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.

Sonoma County-based singer-guitarist Kevin Russell’s acoustic group Under the Radar will play acoustic folk/country/blues/bluegrass on the 27th at Murphy’s in Sonoma. The band is Kevin, Markie Sanders, Layne Bowen and Michael Capella.

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.

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.

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