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Strawberry jam -- Your intrepid Almost Daily News reporter is off at the Strawberry Music Festival by Yosemite, and this is a hastily dictated, six-day column. Apologies in advance if your gig news did not make it in here. There are only so many hours in the day, and this week there were less than usual for writing about bluegrass. The fest still has tickets available, and it is always a good time. Go to their site for ticket info, or, better yet, check out the ticket exchange list here. The lineup includes four Bay Area acts – Nell Robinson & Red Level, Rita Hosking & Cousin Jack, Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands, and The Tuttles w/AJ Lee – plus lots more great stuff such as Arlo Guthrie, The Travelin' McCourys, and Tommy Emmanuel. If you do make it up to the festival, stop by the mess hall some morning for the live Breakfast Club show. Yours truly is the host in the bathrobe, red slippers and strawberry pajamas. Or tune into the show on the Hog in-camp radio station. Country music week on Fresh Air -- The National Public Radio arts show Fresh Air w/Terry Gross is featuring interviews with and stories about various country artists all this week. Monday had pieces on Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Patsy Cline, and Charlie Haden, and on Tuesday it was interviews with Merle Haggard and George Jones. You can also listen to the shows online the day after they are broadcast. Consult your local public radio listings for the times of the show. South Bay bluegrass barbeque -- Sidesaddle & Company will be pickin’ some hot bluegrass to go along with the spicy barbeque at Sam’s Bar-B-Que in San Jose on the 1st from 6-9 p.m. Reserve a table at (408) 297-9151. Blue & Lonesome in Berkeley -- The North Bay bluegrass band Blue & Lonesome will be playing some tunes on the 1st at Le Bateau Ivre in Berkeley starting at 7 p.m. Jammin’ in SF -- The first Wednesday of the month bluegrass/country jam on the 1st is normally hosted by Jeanie & Chuck Poling at the Plough & Stars in SF, starting at 8:30 p.m. But on the 1st Ted and Patti Garber will be guest-hosting. There is no cover but you must be 21 to attend. The Brombies in Burbank -- The Brombies play bluegrass on the first, third, and occasionally the fifth Wednesday nights at Viva Cantina in Burbank starting at 8 p.m. Brothers in Berkeley -- The Whiskey Brothers will be playing their twice monthly gig at the Albatross Pub in Berkeley on the 1st starting at 9 p.m. They play classic Western swing, bluegrass and original music, featuring great vocal harmonies. The band includes local music-scene veterans Jeff Ward on mandolin, Dave Courchaine, guitar, John MacFarlane on fiddle, Bruce Campbell on bass, and Craig Fletcher on banjo. No cover. Jammin’ in Palo Alto -- There is a bluegrass jam every Wednesday night at Fandango Pizza in Palo Alto starting at 7 p.m. Jammin’ in Morgan Hill -- In Morgan Hill the CBA sponsored jam takes place on Thursdays from 6-10 p.m. at the Morgan Hill Grange, located at 40 E. 4th Street. For info contact Dick Simunic at (408) 316-4745 or jrsimunic@hotmail.com. Teen jam in Berkeley -- The next teen bluegrass jam will be happening at Liz Hackney’s home in Berkeley on the 2nd from 5:30-7 p.m. and she would love to have more players. If you know of any teen that might want to play with other bluegrass instruments (mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass, dobro), this is the perfect way to get into it. It's casual, fun, low key, and all levels of players are welcome. If you're interested, email Liz here and she will send you directions and the song list. Jammin' in Marin -- The Marin Bluegrass Jam takes place on the first and third Thursdays of every month. On the 2nd you can join in at the 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. For more info email Pat Palmer at everevolving@earthlink.net or call (415) 892-6020. Jammin’ in Berkeley -- Thursday night is beginners jam night at the 5th String Music Store, 3051 Adeline Street, in Berkeley, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Pickin’ in Petaluma -- Ed Neff and Friends play 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 mandolin, Mike Wilhoyte on guitar, Jeff King on bass, Paul Shelasky on fiddle, and banjoist Larry Cohea. The address is 3600 Petaluma Boulevard North. Call (707) 775-4232 for more info. Jammin’ in Sacto -- Every Thursday folks gather to jam from 7-10 p.m. at the Fifth String Music Store, located at Alhambra & J Streets in Sacramento. You are invited to attend. Jammin’ in Redwood City -- The weekly bluegrass and old-time jam "Peninsula Bluegrass Crossing" (PBC) takes place at a coffee shop called Café Sportivo, 965 Brewster Avenue in Redwood City from 7-10 p.m. For more info contact Mark at rwcbluegrass@gmail. Square dance in Oakland -- Another installment of the every-first-Friday monthly square dance will take place at the Niebyl-Proctor Library (6501 Telegraph Avenue) on the 3rd at 8 p.m. with the Squirrelly Stringband and caller Jordan Ruyle. $5 or whatever you can pay. No prior experience necessary, and all dances will be taught. Bluegrass in the park in Clovis -- The Bluegrass Kids will be playing the Bluegrass in the Park series on the 3rd in the Clovis Veteran's Memorial Square from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This is a free event. Bluegrass invitational jam -- The invitational jam on the first Friday of every month at Bacheeso's Mediterranean Restaurant, 2501 San Pablo Avenue, at the corner of Dwight Way, in Berkeley takes place from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The players will be Tom Sours on bass, Jerry Barush on banjo, Dane Miller on fiddle, Rick Horlick on guitar, and Scott Thompson on mandolin. Bacheeso's is a major supporter of all kinds of acoustic music, and it is great that they have now added bluegrass to their mix. Kitchen Help in Alameda -- At McGrath’s Pub in Alameda at 8 p.m. on the 4th enjoy the bluegrass sounds of Kitchen Help. Turn your radio on -- Tune into Peter Thompson’s Bluegrass Signal radio show on KALW (91.7 FM) in SF on the 4th from 6:30-8 p.m. The show this weekend is titled I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow, and it will feature bluegrass songs for Labor Day. You can listen online on the KALW web site, and the first hour of the show is also broadcast five times each week on BluegrassCountry.org. Jammin’ in Sebastopol -- The place for bluegrass pickin' on Saturdays is the Coffee Catz, 6761 Sebastopol Ave, from 2-5 p.m. Dusty Shoes in Grover Beach -- Every Saturday from 5-7 p.m. the Dusty Shoes Gospel Band plays bluegrass at the Station Grill, 170 W. Grand Avenue, in Grover Beach. This is a free event. Jammin’ in Modesto -- There is a jam in Modesto taking place at Ingram and Braun’s Musik Shoppe on Saturdays from 3-5 p.m. at their location at 503 Bangs Avenue. Go on by to join the fun! Upper crust jam -- On the 4th from 2-5 p.m. the Butte Folk Music Society sponsors a free acoustic jam at the Upper Crust Bakery, located at 130 Main Street in Chico. Everyone is welcome (including children) to go and play music, share songs, sing-along and get acquainted with others who love folk music and Americana. Brunch with the Spillit Quikkers -- On the first Saturday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. you can have a late breakfast or early lunch in Sacramento with the Spillit Quikkers at the Hoppy Brewing Company, 6300 Folsom Boulevard. No cover. Blue Ridge Pickin’ -- The Blue Ridge Pickin’ Parlor in Granada Hills has a pickin’ session on the first Saturday of every month from 6-10:30 p.m. The beginner’s jam goes from 6-7:30 in the main store, followed by an open jam there from 7:30-10:30. An intermediate jam takes place from 7:30-10:30 p.m. two doors down at their additional space. Go and strut your musical expertise, pick and sing the night away, meet-up with old friends and make new ones. Everyone is welcome – listener, singer, beginning player and the seasoned picker. For more info email info@pickinparlor.com. Mountaineers in Oak Glen -- On the first Saturday of the month Riley's at Los Rios Rancho puts on an old-time music variety show, just like those great old radio and TV shows of the 40s and 50s. There’s one difference – they throw in a hearty family-style dinner! On the 1st join Riley’s Mountaineers for dinner and a show starting at 6 p.m. The Bluegrass Mix -- The site called The Bluegrass Mix streams bluegrass online 24/7. Sky Powers has a show called Pacifically Bluegrass, and it airs every Saturday evening from 4-8 p.m. out here in CA. He plays a fine mix of bluegrass, both old and new, with an emphasis on new releases and he also devotes a portion of his show to playing and promoting the bluegrass bands of the Pacific West and Rockies. He also welcomes requests, so email him at sky@bluegrassmix.com. Jammin’ in Clovis -- There will be a bluegrass, old-time and gospel music jam on the 4th at the Clovis Senior Center, 850 4th Street. Jams take place there on the first and third Saturdays. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate will be available. The time is 7-11 p.m. Each attendee is asked to contribute $1 to cover the rent. Grateful Dudes -- The Grateful Dudes will be playing bluegrass on the 4th at Vincenzo’s Pizza in Newhall from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Band members Bill Bryson, Dennis Fetchet, Scott Micale and Rodger Phillips have been playing at Vincenzo’s for over 20 years now. Scott Gates in Altadena -- Scott Gates along with Nathan McEuen will be playing a show on the 4th at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena starting at 7 p.m. Santa Clara Fiddlers -- The Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of traditional types of American music such as old-time, bluegrass and gospel music, as played on the fiddle and other acoustic stringed instruments. On the first Sunday of every month they hold their open jams at the Hoover Middle School in San Jose from 1-5 p.m. Jammin’ in Marysville -- The 5th is the first Sunday of the month, so from 3-6 p.m. there will be jamming going on at the Brick Coffee House Café, 316 D Street, in Marysville. All skill levels welcome. For info call (530) 743-5283. Jammin' in Altadena -- On Sunday the 5th from 12:30-3:30 p.m. there will be a bluegrass jam at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena, which is connected to the coffee house and seats 49, so there is plenty of room for players as well as spectators. Players tend to be intermediate to advanced. This is an acoustic event without amplifiers or microphones. The coffee house offers a wide selection of drinks and pastries. For info contact David at french10@pacbell.net. Monroe tribute at Amnesia -- On Monday the 6th, one month before the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, the Amnesia bar in SF will be hosting a Bill Monroe Tribute Night, a truly strictly bluegrass night in honor of the 99th birthday of Bill Monroe. Three acts will be playing all Monroe songs all night long, followed by a jam onstage. The Monroe Tribute Band will feature Butch Waller, Larry Cohea, Paul Shelasky, Chris Smith, and Matt Dudman. Matt and George and Their Pleasant Valley Boys will also play a set. The event is free, and Eric Embry & Nicole Solis will be playing some Monroe Brothers duets during happy hour. Happy hour specials from 6-8 p.m., with duets at 7:30, and the bands start at 8:30. B. Judd, Bluegrass Philosopher -- “Civility costs nothing.” The Almost Daily News is updated almost daily. Please consult venues to confirm band bookings and times. If you have news that you would like to share with our bluegrass community, let me know and I’ll spread the word. Info that is sent to this column may not, on rare occasions, be 100% accurate. E-mail me here. |
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For the BOCD'ers in our group (you know who you are) here's more…. CBA Regional Newsletters Cybergrass, The Internet's Bluegrass Magazine Bluegrass World Bluegrass Music Profiles-Bluegrass News The Bluegrass Blog The Bluegrass Works And for our mandolin playing friends, we recommend you check out what's going on over at Mandolin Cafe. 
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Mentors Today's column from Nancy Zuniga Thursday, September 2, 2010 This coming Sunday, I'm looking forward to a visit with one of the greatest people I've ever been privileged to know. Flossie Lewis was my English teacher during my sophomore year at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco. As the classic nerd, I wasn't a happy kid in high school, but Mrs. Lewis' class was the one bright spot in my otherwise gloomy school days. A gifted writer, Mrs. Lewis encouraged her students to stretch the boundaries of their imaginations, often through methods as non-traditional as climbing atop her desk to make a point, or lacing her speech with pithy Yiddish aphorisms. This tireless educator was in her seventies when she returned to school to earn a doctorate degree. Whatever pleasure or inspiration I've ever had in writing anything, be it a letter, song, or CBA welcome column, I have my old teacher to thank for her acceptance of my sometimes unorthodox means of self-expression. I was especially fortunate in that Mrs. Lewis (or “Flossie”, as she asked me to call her in later years), became a family friend, which made it possible for us to keep in touch through the years. Now in her mid-eighties, Flossie still writes short stories for publication in magazines. She always looks forward with delight to hearing my newest original songs, and, since meeting Henry, she has embraced him as if he had also been one of her students. In a sense, we both continue to be disciples of this remarkable woman. The boundless fountain of inspiration and creativity that is Flossie Lewis has nurtured generations of students and enriched countless lives. So why am I talking about Flossie Lewis in a bluegrass welcome column? Flossie was and continues to be my mentor, someone who believed in and encouraged me even when others were less than enthused with my endeavors. I've witnessed this |
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