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Alternative country, Americana, roots,folk, gospel, and bluegrass music news
ROUBADOURSAN DIEGO
March 2003 Vol. 2, No. 6
TFREE
Welcome Mat………3Mail BoxMission StatementContributors
Full Circle.. …………4Jan TonnesenLou Curtiss
Front Porch…………6Kenny EdwardsSkelpin’Carlos OlmedaTruckee Brothers
Parlor Showcase...…8Lisa Sanders
Highway’s Song... …10Jim McInnes’ Radio DazeBluegrass Corner
Ramblin’...…………11José SinatraPaul Abbott
Of Note.……………12Lisa SandersRandy PhillipsBlues AnthologyTaylor Guitar’s new
Expression System
‘Round About .......…13Local YokelsMarch Music Calendar
The Local Seen……15Photo Page
what’sinside
Proves that Art is Good
Lisa Sanders
Tomorrow Yesterday
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT
on line at www.darlinandrose.com
See them live at InCahoots!March 13, 9 p.m.
Come see what the buzz is all about!
Darlin’ and RoseNewest Release!
Tomorrow Yesterday
COMING IN APRIL!
THE LONG-AWAITED REUNION OF THE
Scottsville
Squirrel Barkers
oChris Hillman, Bernie Leadon, Kenny Wertz, Ed Douglas, and Larry Murray
appearing in concert with
Chris Hillman&
Herb PedersenFriday, April 25 • 8pmCarlsbad Village Theater2822 State Street, Carlsbad
Tickets: $15 $18 at the door
available at Buffalo Brothers Guitars 760/431-9542
Carlbad Theater 760/729-0089or by email: [email protected]
Take the train! The Amtrak station is right across the street from the theater!
!EWEWEWEWe
Watch for details in the April issue of the San Diego Troubadour
Phil Harmonic Sez:
“There is no religion higherthan the truth.”
—Helena Petrovna BlavatskyAuthor and Founder, Theosophical Movement
The
PRESENTS
3
welcome matwelcome mat
San Diego Troubadour • March 2003
PUBLISHERSLyle DuplessieThom Vollenweider
EDITOREllen Duplessie
GRAPHIC DESIGNLiz Abbott
PHOTOGRAPHYMildred Moreno
DISTRIBUTIONKent Johnson
ADVERTISINGEllen DuplessieKent Johnson
WRITERSPaul AbbottLou CurtissPam DiehlEllen DuplessieLyle DuplessiePhil HarmonicJim McInnesLaura PrebleBritta Lee ShainJosé SinatraSteppin’ EddyJim WakefieldGus WillikerD. Dwight WordenJohn Philip Wyllie
SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR, thelocal source for alternativecountry, Americana, roots, folk,gospel, and bluegrass musicnews, is published monthly andis free of charge. Letters to theeditor must be signed and maybe edited for content. It is not,however, guaranteed that theywill appear.
All opinions expressed in SANDIEGO TROUBADOUR, unlessotherwise stated, are solely theopinion of the writer and do notrepresent the opinions of thestaff or management. All rightsreserved.
©2003 San Diego Troubadour.
E
CONTRIBUTORSMISSIONTo promote, encourage, and provide an alternative voice forthe great local music that isgenerally overlooked by themass media; namely the genresof folk, country, roots,Americana, gospel, and blue-grass. To entertain, educate, andbring together players, writers,and lovers of these forms; toexplore their foundations; and toexpand the audience for thesetypes of music.
To receive advertising rates andinformation, call 619/298-8488 or e-mail [email protected].
San Diego TroubadourP.O. Box 164La Jolla, CA 92038E-mail: [email protected].
WRITE TO US!We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments, feedback, or suggestions to:[email protected] or to San Diego Troubadour, P.O. Box 164, La Jolla, CA92038-0164.
Alternative country, Americana, roots,folk, gospel, and bluegrass music newsTROUBADOURSAN DIEGO
XTREME COUNTRY RADIO SHOW hosted by Mike Vlack
Americana, alternative country, and classicsSunday evenings, 7-10pm
Stay tuned for the Wayne Rice
Bluegrass Special at 10pm
KSON 97.3-FM
Dear TroubadourCelebrating music and the
people that make it is ourslogan at ShadowlightStudios. The Troubadourdoes a great job at doing justthat. Thanks for showcasingsuch a wealth of local talent.With love and music,
Jamie and John Paulshadowlightstudios.com
Hi there!First off, let me say thanks
for all the kind words pub-lished in the Troubadourregarding some of myrecordings (Darlin’ and Rose,Bruce Dale Betz, Dead RockWest, etc.). I really appreciateit, and I know the artists dotoo.
I noticed several errors inPaul Abbott’s column entitled“Recommended Listening”wherein he lists three record-ings he feels best representminimal mic-ing techniques,specifically with regard toMiles Davis’ remarkablealbum Kind of Blue.
Abbott states that it is “aclassic example of how tocapture a small ensemblewith just three mics — astereo mic for the band anda spot mic for the soloist.”This is totally incorrect.
In fact, this is a three-trackrecording, which at the time(early 1959) was the state ofthe art. The sessions for thealbum were recorded usingseven microphones, one foreach instrument and two forthe drums. The mics usedwere primarily Telefunken U-49-tube mics (which were abrand new item then, andstill amongst the sweetestsounding ever made) andsubsequently mixed amongstthe three tracks so that
instruments whose rangeswould not collide werepaired onto the differenttracks: tenor sax and pianoon track one, bass and trum-pet on two, and alto sax anddrums on the third. Althoughtwo mics were used on thedrums (one on the snare andan overhead for the cym-bals), they were not mixed instereo. However, due to thefact that there was consider-able “leakage” between allthe mics and the large spacein which they were recorded,the stereo mix of the result-ing three tracks does havequite a bit of dimension. Alsoproviding some added depthis subtle usage of an echochamber on some of thesolos, most apparently onColtrane’s. Due to the factthat stereo recordings werestill inching their way intothe marketplace and stereomic-ing techniques were intheir infancy at best, I doubtthat a workable stereo micwas even in existence at thattime.
Many of these facts wereculled from the book Kind ofBlue: The Making of the MilesDavis Masterpiece by AshleyKahn, an excellent compan-ion guide to this wonderfulalbum.
With regard to the sur-round sound version, I rec-ommend caution when lis-tening to any album that wasnot recorded with that as itsintended medium. Much likethe Beatles’ “simulatedstereo” releases, some thingsare better left as is.Thanks again for all you do,
Sven-Erik SeaholmArtist/ProducerKitsch & Sync Productionwww.kaspro.com
I appreciate Sven’s cross-ref-erencing. I was obviously mis-informed about the exact tech-niques for the Kind of Bluesession. However I still wouldconsider a seven-mic/three-channel recording to be mini-malist, especially by modernstandards.
Regarding the technical fea-sibility of a stereo mic: I usethe term “stereo mic” fairlygenerically to refer to either atrue stereo mic or a pair ofmono mics wired for stereo.However, for historical accura-cy, Neumann introduced itsSM2 in 1957.
Regarding the 5.1 surroundsound version of Kind of Blue,no recording (to date) is acompletely accurate dimen-sional representation of themusic performed, and listenersshould not be content toaccept a recording’s limitations“as is.” I believe this surround-sound version to be a veryengaging, viable experiencethat’s worth experiencing.
Paul Abbott
MAILBOX
The Lou Curtiss Sound Library Presents
Roots Music Video ShowcaseRare Country Music • Blues • Jazz • Cajun & Zydeco • Latin • Other • Roots • Rare Music on Film
The Lou Curtiss Sound Libraryat Folk Arts Rare Records3611 Adams AvenueSan Diego, CA 92116-2213Phone: 619/282-7833
LeStats Coffee house3343 Adams Avenuethird friday monthly7-10 p.m.
Cover photography by MarshallHarrington
full circle
March 2003 • San Diego Troubadour
4
full circle
Memoirs of a Local Teen Rock Starby Lyle Duplessie
Jan Tonnesen, better known tosome by his alter ego Troy Dante,is not just a premier guitar slinger
but a storehouse of knowledge on SanDiego’s music heritage from the early‘60s to the present. His ranch-stylespread in La Mesa is a virtual treasuretrove of classic vinyl, CDs, books, maga-zine, photo-graphs, andevery other typeof artifact thatdocuments theAmerican con-tribution tofolk, jazz,blues, androck. Butmoreimportant-ly for thisarticle,Tonnesenand hisprivate archives provide aprimary source record of our own localmusic scene for the past four decades.Furthermore, much of what is chroni-cled in the Tonnesen tomes was livedout by the man himself.
So much music history can begleaned from Tonnesen that it was diffi-cult to narrow the area of focus for thispiece. But being a product of the ‘60s, Ifelt a natural gravitational pull towardthat decade.
Tonnesen was born in Wisconsin andmoved to San Diego with his family in1959 when he was nine. Both his par-ents were music lovers, and as such hewas surrounded by music. Being thefirst in the neighborhoodto seethe ben-efits ofstereo, hisfolks pur-chased ahome unit.Moreover,unlike manyparents ofTonnesen’svintage whodisapproved ofpost-war musicaltrends and the effects it had on theirchildren, Tonnesen’s parents were hip.At a very early age they encouragedtheir son’s forays into the root sounds ofthe time.
As a boy Tonnesen’s musical tasteswere eclectic. He recalls that the firsttwo 45s he bought with his own moneywere Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “SixteenTons” and Peggy Lee’s “Fever.” His vistaswere again expanded when his babysit-ter introduced his innocent ears to Elvis.
By the time Tonnesen turned 13, hewas exploring American folk music.With his parents’ blessing he attendedhis first-ever concert at the Land ofOden, a coffeehouse music venue in LaMesa. The featured act for the eveningwas Hoyt Axton. So impressed was he
by Axton that Tonnesen set out tobecome a folk troubadour (as long as hecould come home at night for a hot,home-cooked meal). Among hismementos is an autographed handbillfrom that memorable evening.
Soon after, his parents bought him aGoya nylon-stringed guitar. In shortorder he was playing and performinglive at his father’s company picnics. Alsoas a testimony to enlightened parenting,
his folks encouraged his recordcollecting and
evenpur-chasedhimmem-bershipin theColombiaRecordsClub. thatgave himaccess to theworks ofDylan, Dave
Brubeck,Thelonious
Monk, and Carolyn Hester.Around the time Tonnesen turned
15, folk music gave way to surf twangand with it came the need to go electric.He was soon playing lead in a surf bandcalled the Avengers. When the BritishInvasion swept America in early 1964,the Avengers evolved into the Contrasts.Though just young junior high pups,the Contrasts became a very credible,polished working band.
Skinny Bolan, the Contrasts’ rhythmguitarist, had a father who was an
enthusiasticsupporter ofthe boys. Thefather, BillBolan,scoredthem localgigs play-ingschooldances,militaryenlisted
men’sclubs, and teenage night clubs
like the Cinnamon Cinder in the oldCommanche Bowl in La Mesa and BigSur on El Cajon Blvd. and 55th St.
Tonnesen recalls that Mr. Bolan gen-erally arranged gigs consisting of fourone-hour sets. Theband would getpaid $50, witheach member tak-ing home $8.08after taxes.Though it does-n’t sound likemuch now, inthose daysmaking thatkind ofmoney play-ing guitarsure beat the heck out of
other teenage job options like mowinglawns or delivering newspapers.
Though each bandmate owned theirown equipment, Mr. Bolan wouldarrange with local music stores to lendthe Contrasts amps and other soundapparatus. Having a hot young comboto sport a music store’s wares was asavvy business move during the heydayof neighborhood garage-rock rockbands. After all, between ‘64 and ‘67most red-blooded American male teenshad visions of becoming rock ‘n’ rollstars, and local music stores wanted apiece of that market.
During this time in the local spot-light, the Contrasts played on theSaturday afternoon television show, TV8 Dance Time with host Bob Howar.They also appeared a few times on theChannel 8 morning show Sun Up, withhost Bob Mills and channel 39’s KAAR àGo Go. Mr. Bolan was so optimisticabout the potential success of the bandthat he even footed the billfor aConstrastsrecording ses-sion at the leg-endary L.A. stu-dio GoldstarRecords andCapitol Records.Tonnesen has pos-session of thatacetate recordingwith the band’s orig-inal number, “SheDidn’t Care.” This1966 recording stillsounds very cool, with Tonnesen infus-ing a Jeff Beck/Yardbirds influence intoit. Alas, however, the song was neverpressed and sold as a single.
Tonnesen, an avid Rolling Stones fan,had a few interesting stories from thatera, revolving around the famed group.The first was in November 1964 whenthe Stones arrived to play at the StarliteBowl in Balboa Park. He related how,after being the first to call the RadioKDEO hotline, he won a “press pass”and the opportunity to meet Mick andthe boys. This was the Stones’ firstappearance in San Diego and of coursethere was much anticipation for theevent. Tonnesen recounts that he got toLindbergh Field in plenty of time andsaw the plane land. Then the bandmembers got off the plane—the timehad finally come to meet the RollingStones! In seconds a car drove up andwhisked the band away while “press
pass” holders were left abandonedat the terminal
gate.Somuchfor thattouted“pressconfer-ence.”
Nevertheless, Tonnesen was there to seethe Stones play thatevening.
Another RollingStones story tookplace on theevening of May 17,1965 in GoldenHall at theCommunityConcourse. Thiswas the date ofthe Stones’ sec-ond San Diegotour. Tonnesenand other
Contrasts band members,dressed in their matching rock ‘n’ rollband outfits, sat right on the front row.The show opened with the long-timelocal group, Sandy and the Accents fol-lowed by the Byrds, whose rendition ofthe Dylan classic, “Mr. TambourineMan,” was making its way up the charts.After playing their agreed-upon warm-
up set, the Byrds remained on stage.The Rolling Stones had been delayed intraffic and the Byrds were needed totake up the slack until they arrived.When the band ran out of Byrds songs,they took to playing Stones songs.According to Bill Wyman in his autobi-ography Stone Alone, when the Stonesfinally did arrive, they enjoyed seeingthe Byrds playing Stones music so muchthat they remained in the wings andwatched.
The Contrasts also went on to wintheir share of local “battle-of-the-bands”contests but despite their local notoriety,the group broke up when its members
went to different high schools. Tonnesenwas scheduled to go to Helix, while theother members went off to Crawford.Not much happened musically in highschool except for a short-lived stint witha local psychedelic band called the LuvChildren, whom some readers mightremember playing at the Sunday after-noon Presidio Park Love-Ins around thespring of 1967. Tonnesen was also halfof a folk duo specializing in Simon andGarfunkle covers and were regulars atthe Candy Company on El Cajon Blvd.
In 1969 Tonnesen went off toDenmark for a short time to attend col-lege. By the time he returned, he was afull-blown hippie. He pretty muchstayed out of bands until 1984 when hehooked up with local icon andTroubadour columnist José Sinatra. Forbetter or worse, and in both duo andband formats, he has maintained thisunholy alliance as Sinatra’s sizzling leadguitarist right up to the present.Unfortunately there is not enough room
here to document the adventures andmisadventures of Jan Tonnesen’s darkside: Troy Dante. That will have to waitfor another time.
The Byrds, 1964
The infamous press pass
The Contrasts l to r: Bill Keller, Skinny Bolan, Donny
Arnold, Jan Tonnesen, and Kenny Jiampa
The Contrasts with Bob Howar
José Sinatra and Jan at one of the first Comic
Conventions, El Cortez Hotel, 1975
A teenage Jan Tonnesen at the First National
Bank comapny picnic, 1964.
José Sinatra and the Troy Dante Inferno, l to r: Gregory Page (aka Justin Case), JanTonnesen (Troy Dante), José Sinatra, Miff Laracy, and Owen Burke (aka Buddy Pastel Jr.)
The 30th AnnualAdams Ave. RootsFestival is coming up
April 26-27 right here onAdams Ave. in the NormalHeights area of San Diego.Since it’s been call the RootsFestival these past 10 years(the first 20 were called theSan Diego Folk Festival), I fig-ure it’s about time that rootsmusic got a definition.Because I’ve booked the pre-vious 29 and I’m bookingthis one, I guess that I shouldbe the one to do that.
Well, we start with ourown traditions, ranging fromblues, jazz, country, gospel,cajun, tejaño, and zydeco,and add to that all the ethnicminorities that broughttheir music here. Now weadd to that the fact thatthis is “roots” music, sowhat we look for ismusic the way it wasand music that wasinfluenced by thatmusic. For instance,we book a bluegrassband for the old-timeycontent of their music.We book a singer-song-writer whose songs areinfluenced by old-timesongs and whose way ofplaying them sounds oldtimey.
The interesting thing isthat my concepts of “oldtime” and “roots” havechanged in the years I’vebeen doing this festival.There are people beingbooked today who play in astyle I didn’t consider oldtime 30 years ago. My tasteshave changed and the musicI consider old timey andworth preserving certainlyhave too. Add to that thefact that 30 years ago it wasstill possible to get artistswho were performing musicin the 1920s and ‘30s, butthat is mostly past us now.We need to locate the sur-vivors, but I’m seeing fewerand fewer of them everyyear. There is more old-timeroots music available todayon CD reissues, on theInternet, and on the radio.
You can find great old-timemusic on vintage 78s andLPs. Why do so many peoplewrite dismal songs with two-chord accompaniment andthink they are accomplishedperformers? Lots of the cof-fee houses hire such peopleand they develop a follow-ing, and some give me a badtime because I don’t hirethem to play at the RootsFestival. However, justbecause some misguidedpeople out there withlittle or notaste in
musictell youhow great youare doesn’t mean that youare. Learn five or six morechords, listen to songwriterslike Cole Porter, Bill Monroe,Bob Dylan, Mary McCaslin,Bob Nolan, or Lalo Guererro.Learn a couple of their songs.Learn a couple of new tun-ings on your guitar, man-dolin, accordion, or whatev-er. You might wind up at theRoots Festival.
I find that different kindsof roots music often tug oneach other. Cajun accordionguys learn stuff from tejañoaccordion guys. You’ll hearan old-time Blind LemonJefferson lick in a tune by BobWills and his Texas Playboys.
The best contemporary popmusic draws on roots musicfor lyric content and hotlicks. There’s nothing wrongwith that. To be a compleatperformer, you’ve got tohave all these things. To be aunique performer, you’ve gotto put them together withyour own stuff, whether it beinterpretive or original, to getwhat works right for you andfor those who want to hireyou. Listening to a wide
range of
musiccan do one of
two things. It can teach youhow stuff is done or it candiscourage you from wantingto perform. If the latter is thecase, then maybe you don’twant to be a performer.Maybe we’ll actually hearsome roots music in the cof-fee houses.
At any rate, festival num-ber 30 is coming up. Alongwith that are several otheranniversaries for me. Festivalnumber one took place 35years ago, which was thesame year I opened Folk ArtsRare Records, and for 25years Folk Arts has beenlocated on Adams Avenue
(3611 Adams Avenue:shameless plug). I also didmy first radio show in 1967for KPRI. Along the way, I’vebeen on KGB and KDEO
(remember Radio Kay-Dee-Oh). For the past
16 years I’ve done“Jazz Roots” on
KSDS (now onSundaynights, 8-10p.m.) andfor the pastthree yearsI’ve bendoing“TheMeltingPot” on
World MusicWebcast
(www.world-musicweb-
caset.com),which runs about
four times a week(Saturday, 8-9:30 a.m.;
Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m.;Thursday, 5-6:30 p.m.; plusa floating show that mightwind up anywhere). This win-ter and spring “The MeltingPot” has been rebroadcastingtapes of some of the earlyFolk Festivals we did. There’sgreat stuff here from suchartists as Jean Ritchie, Rayand Ina Patterson, RoscoeHolcomb, Mike Seeger, U. Utah Phillips, Wilbur Ball
and Cliff Carlisle, FrankieArmstrong, Kenny Hall,Robert Pete Williams, LydiaMendoza, Joel Sonnier, andso many more. It’s been abig kick for me to revisit somany of these fine peoplewe’ve had at festivals overthe years. I’m trying not totalk too much but I’m hopingthe occasional story putssome of this music in con-text. Listen in if you can. Andyou musicians/performers, lis-ten to what these people aredoing. This is the best of thebest in roots music. I find somany wannabe performerswho don’t know how to lis-ten. I spend most of my life(whether by selling records,playing music on the radio,or presenting music at festi-vals and concerts) giving youopportunities to listen. Mostof these opportunities don’tcost you anything, and therewards are what ever youmake of them. As the oldharmonica player said: “Gothou and blow now.” Goodluck.
Recordially,
Lou Curtiss
5
full circlefull circle
San Diego Troubadour • March 2003
Recordially, Lou Curtiss
Lou Curtiss
front porch
March 2003 • San Diego Troubadour
6
front porch
by Britta Lee Shain and Jim Wakefield
In case the name doesnot immediately cometo mind, behind-the-
scenes player KennyEdwards has long been aninfluential force in theAmerican folk-rock move-ment. A native Californian,who early on developed apassion for blues,Appalachian music, blue-grass, rock, and all kinds ofethnic and roots music,Kenny Edwards, along withLinda Ronstadt and BobbyKimmel, co-founded theStone Poneys. A superb gui-tarist, mandolin player, bassplayer, lyricist, composer,singer, and arranger, Kennywent on to perform and co-write with Ronstadt formany years, playing on herrecords and touring exten-sively. He is often credited,along with Andrew Gold, asthe backbone of the Ronstadt sound.
During L.A.’s“Troubadour days,” a timethat solidified theCalifornia country-rocksound forever, Kenny metKarla Bonoff. Together withAndrew and WendyWaldman they formed theband Bryndle. Kenny, whois responsible for supplyingLinda Ronstadt with severalof Karla Bonoff’s songs,then went on to producethree classic Bonoff albums,Karla Bonoff, Restless Nights,and Wild Heart of the Young.
Later he produced otherrecords too and was fre-quently called upon as asession musician for manygreat artists, a practice thatcontinues to this day. A par-tial list of Kenny’s sessioncredits includes the namesDon Henley, Brian Wilson,Stevie Nicks, Warren Zevon,Art Garfunkel, Vince Gill,Mac McAnally, David LeeMurphy, Jennifer Warnes,Danny Kortchmar, BonnieRaitt, and Lowell George.
Now, Kenny has comeinto his own with thereuniting of Bryndle, whosecritically acclaimed albumsare almost entirely co-writ-ten within the group andthe recent release of his firstsolo CD. Released in thesummer of 2002, Kenny’sself-titled album, whichdelves deep into his bluesand folk roots, was pro-duced by Freddie Koella,musical director for WillyDeville and mastered byGavin Lurssen who alsomastered the O’ Brother,Where Art Thou? sound-track. “Its pretty intimateand homey sounding and Ilike that after all the bandoriented music I’ve beeninvolved with over theyears.”
In an interview inPerforming Songwriter lastDecember, Kenny laments,“At the peak of LindaRonstadt’s career when wewere playing these hugearenas, we never had muchcontact with the audience.I’m trying to have thisexperience now of touringon my own, getting in thevan and playing some cool-er little places.”
Kenny Edwards is aremarkable, articulate person—passionate and knowl-edgeable about music.Audiences don’t know howvery familiar they are withthe sound of Edwards’ voice
and his wonderful musi-cianship.
Kenny Edwards will beperforming at Wynola PizzaExpress (3.5 miles west ofJulian) on Friday, March 21,6-9 p.m. For more informa-tion, call 760/765-1004.Join Kenny on Saturday,March 22, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. atthe Bayou Bar and Grill, at329 Market Street in the
Gaslamp Quarter, whereyou can eat the finest cajunand creole food west of theGulf Coast. Try the croco-
dile or the soup! Yummy.There is no cover charge.For dinner reservations call619/696-8747.
Kenny Edwards: A Rock of American Folk-Rock
Kenny Edwards
Kenny Edwards (left) with LindaRonstadt and Andrew Gold in the ‘70s
Who, or More Likely, What Is Skelpin’?Skelpin’: Gaelic for a spanking; to thrash about wildly; or the sudden chill that sweeps over a body unexpectedlydue to a disembodied spirit having just passed through you. Of course, then there’s the other translation ofSkelpin’ — a form of hanky-panky involving the back seat of a car.
by Pam Diehl
P art of the fun of seeingSkelpin’, one of the region’sbest-known Irish bands, is a
tossup — just which one of these defi-nitions is the right one? Fiddler PatricPetrie, the band’s own high-energy“Wild Irish Rose,” is quick to shrugher shoulders and claim that Irishmusic has a life of its own — andwhat happens once the band kicksinto a tune is nothing but magic. “It’seasily the most fun you can have . . .and still get paid for it,” Petrie chor-tles. Not to say there isn’t a seriousside to what Skelpin’ plays, but thisisn’t your father’s “Danny Boy.”
“Traditional music isn’t a museumpiece nor a fly stuck in amber,” sheexplains. “What Skelpin’ does is makethe music come alive again. Everypiece we play takes on the characterof the musician performing it. Andwhen you love the music, that comesthrough as well. What could be moreoriginal than that?” she asks.
Skelpin’ has been performingaround Southern California for severalyears and has been the featuredhouse band at Dublin Square Irish Pubin San Diego’s Gaslamp District for thepast year and a half.
Part of the beauty of Skelpin’ iswatching the band members do amusical version of a Vulcan mind-meld—Steve, a guitar virtuoso equallyat home laying down a driving rhythmor amazing the audience with his deli-cate fingerwork; Richard, the band’smusical cut-up who suddenly launch-es into the theme song of Leave It toBeaver or “Locomotive Breath” whilein the middle of polka set; Harold, bolddisciplinarian of pub songs and T-shirtphilosopher whose credo is Benjamin
Franklin’s saying “Beer is proof thatGod loves us and wants us to behappy”; and Patric, lilting singer ofromantic songs with an Irish twist,who says, “I don’t care. It doesn’tcount as a love song unless someonedies.”
Besides multiple gigs clusteredaround Saint Patrick’s Day in March,the band is often showcased with theworld’s best-known Irish band, theChieftains, who visit San Diego severaltimes a year.
“My family is from Achill Island,”Petrie explains. “And when I go back,the cousins and I drive down the coastto Westport where Matt Malloy (theChieftain’s flute player) has a pub. It’sa great place for picking up a session.Almost all the musicians on the WestCoast [of Ireland] seem to stop by on aregular basis and you just never knowwho’ll turn up for a tune.”
Back here in the States the bandseems to be equally at ease on eitherside of the border. “Just over the holi-days we played a concert in Mexico toraise money for the orphanage inRosarito,” Petrie said. “It was a first
for Skelpin’. I don’t think we’ve everplayed in a place where people wereout on the street scalping tickets forour concert.”
On a lighter note, Skelpin’ hasjust finished its CD, Whiskey BeforeBreakfast and has high hopes it will dowell. Petrie smiles as she explainsabout the title, “While it is a well-established fact that the band hasbeen known to enjoy a drop or two—for medicinal reasons only—it is sheercoincidence entirely that one of ourfavorite tunes is the aforementionedwhiskey title.”
Other Skelpin’ favorites include“Whiskey in the Jar,” “Whiskey, You’rethe Devil,” “Patric’s Farewell toWhiskey,” and not to show prejudiceor favoritism, the band has decided tocall its next CD Beer: Not Just forBreakfast Anymore.
Petrie points out that sometimesyou have to give credit where credit’sdue. After all, talent will only get youso far.
S
Skelpin’, l to r: Steve Peavey, Richard Tibbitts, Harold Southworth, and Patric Petrie
by John Philip Wyllie
For Puerto Rican-born CarlosOlmeda, music was a con-stant feature of life from the
time he could sit up in his crib.The wide variety of music he wasexposed to at an early age made aprofound impression. Blessedwith an acute sense of hearingand a desire to absorb all that heheard and regurgitate most of it,the die was cast that one dayOlmeda would be a musician.
“Ever since I was a little kid,if I’d hear a sound enough times, Icould mimic it. I guess I’m kindof a mockingbird by nature,” headmits.
“My Mom had us listening toeverything as kids,” Olmedarecalled following his regular firstFriday of the month gig at Lestat’sCoffeehouse on Adams Avenue.
“My ears have always paid atten-tion to good songs whether theywere simple or complex. It maysound very P.C. [politically cor-rect], but I didn’t have one specif-ic [musical] hero. Every goodsongwriter and performer madean impression on me. From ElvisCostello to Pearl Jam to TheyMight be Giants to Cat Stevens toFrank Sinatra to Billy Holiday andGlen Miller, there was alwayssomething special about a goodsong when it came along. They[good songs] are what my earshave always been attuned to.”
Olmeda’s critically acclaimed1999 release Sensitive Groove, likehis more current music, drawsupon a number of sources forinspiration, but his meticulousattention to detail, the warmth inhis voice, his vocal range, and hisstylish guitar playing enhance his
unique brand of folk-pop. “Everybody I have ever
brought to hear Carlos performhas told me that he has the mostamazing voice,” says percussionistScott Lee. “So it is not only hissongwriting, but also his amazingsinging style that people findattractive.”
Olmeda believes there aretwo things that set him apart. “Mymusic is pretty syncopated and itis not genre specific. I don’t writeonly one style of songs. If peoplewant to hear a series of songs thatare not going to sound the sameform beginning to end, theyshould come out and hear meplay. They will come away saying,you don’t hear that every day.”
Olmeda’s February 7th per-formance at Lestats found him insubstantial pain, still recoveringfor a recent motorcycle accident,
but his discomfort did not preventhim from putting together a thor-oughly enjoyable show.Accompanying himself on guitar,the highly personable Olmeda hadthe intimate coffeehouse crowdeating out of his hand by night’send.
Displaying his amusing senseof humor, Olmeda threw in aslightly bawdy audience participa-tion Irish pub song entitled “MikeRotch” at one point and playfullychastised an unsuspecting latearriving patron by bellowing,“close the door and sit down!”midway through a song in his bestMarine Drill Instructor voice.Later on after doing another Irishsong, Olmeda slipped into a dead-on Irish brogue and facetiouslyexplained to his audience thatPuerto Ricans back in his home-land often sit beside their camp-fires and sing songs in Gaelic.
Using a gravelly Cat Stevensvoice on one tune and crystalclear falsetto reminiscent of DanFogelberg on several others,Olmeda provided something foreverybody. While he sings prima-rily in English, Olmeda acknowl-edged his Hispanic roots on sever-al occasions including a sloweddown version of the old time clas-sic “Besame Mucho.”
While he has no immediateplans to return the recording stu-dio, Olmeda is currently workingwith local bluesman Richie Blueon some songs he hopes to per-form with a couple of new rock ‘n’roll bands he is putting together.
“I don’t expect the bands tobe ready for another six months,
[but when they are] we’ll do origi-nals with a lot of jazz-blueschords in them and some coolvocal harmonies. The genre weare working in is just pure fun,”Olmeda says.
Having abandoned at leasttemporarily what was once a hec-tic travel schedule of playing clubsthroughout California andbeyond, Olmeda now relies onseveral of his many talents to paythe bills.
“I’m doing voiceovers andwriting voiceovers for TV com-mercials for a group called L-7Creative,” he explained. “I sup-ported myself totally throughmusic for many years, but I justgot tired. Now I do a number ofthings like writing music for com-mercials.”
“Right now, I’m just chillin’.Up until a couple of years ago Ispent a lot of time on the roadtouring with Jason Mraz and TocaRivera. We had a lot of fun, butright now I’m just chillin’ andwriting songs.”
Fortunately for his San Diegoaudience, Olmeda performs thosesongs live on the first Friday ofevery month at Lestats.
7
front porchfront porch
San Diego Troubadour • March 2003
Carlos Olmeda FindsVariety the Spice of Life
Carlos Olmeda
Truckee Brothers in Overdriveby Ellen Duplessie
The unique, edgy duoknown as the TruckeeBrothers are making
their presence known in the SanDiego music scene. PatrickDennis and Christopher Hoffeebring together a mix of originalstyle, soul, and honesty that isrefreshing in these days of over-produced, pre-packaged sound.
With an undeniable magnet-ic stage presence, these two singtheir original songs either togeth-er with a Byrds-esque harmony,or solo backing each other withtheir added instrumentation. Themusic is perhaps best categorizedas alternative rock, but played onolder style acoustic instruments,namely guitar and mandolinamong others.
Patrick Dennis’ new EP,Atlantic, his third solo release, isjust that—a solo release in thepurest form. All six songs arewritten, performed, and pro-duced by Patrick, showing off anedge to his multi-instrumentalabilities to match the energy ofhis songwriting. Joined by hisfellow Truckee Brother, Atlanticdelivers a powerful combinationof bombastic attack and intimateconfessions.
Cutting his teeth while play-ing in old school punk bands,Patrick soon joined the Byrds-inspired Homer Gunns, and alsotoured as band leader for DaveSharp (the Alarm). He then
wrote and recorded his first soloalbum Spun for indie label CargoMusic. Patrick has also per-formed with acts like Clem Snideand Luka Bloom.
Christopher Hoffee has cre-ated a solo music personaknown as Atom Orr. His firstalbum Wake, along withhis second album Noir, are bothcomplete originals, with allsongs written, performed, engi-neered, mixed, and produced byhim. Christopher describesWake’s music as “Pock,” whilethe music from Noir he describesas “Left-of-center Pock.” Bothrecords are due out this month.That’s right . . . two releases inone month! Hoffee is also amember of the local alternativerock band, Fivecrown.
An appealing aspect of theTruckee Brothers is the combina-tion of their intimate yet power-ful music mixed with a self-effac-ing sense of humor that displaystheir pure enjoyment of themusic just for the sake of the
music. It’s clearly not aboutthem, but rather it’s about theircreative musical endeavors. Anexample of this can be seen onthe www.atomorr.com website,under biography, where thedescription reads: “Christopherhas been in bands since 1990,and has opened for such acts asRadiohead, Oasis, Blur, Cracker,Cake, blah, blah, blah.”
Not only do the TruckeeBrother create their own music,but they also work together inthe role of producer. Their mostrecent work is none other thanthat of Lisa Sander’s new album,Hold On Tightly, due out forrelease on April 12 (see CDreview on page 12).
This creative duo has thecuriosity to experiment, whileretaining the roots and longetivi-ty of the musical heritage thathas preceded them. My hope isthat these Truckee Brothers willcontinue to “keep on truckin’”for a long, long time.
The Truckee Brothers in concert
But describ-
ing what Lisa
Sanders does
as ‘cowboy
music’ isn’t quite
right either. Hold
on Tightly is a valen-
tine to a time when
radio was good, when you
could actually click on an FM
station and hear innovative,
cross-genre tunes.“I set out to
make a retro record in modern
times. I wanted it to have a sum-
mertime flavor, with things that
meant a lot to me musically.” It
does have that quality — it
careens from the title track, a
full circle
parlor showcase
March 2003 • San Diego Troubadour
8
parlor showcase
by Laura Preble
I t’s an unseasonably hot
day, even for California
winter, and Lisa Sanders
sits in the window of a coffee-
house sporting sunglasses and a
short-sleeved shirt. Under a
water-beaded glass of iced tea,
the hand-painted table where
she sits displays a motto that fits
the San Diego singer-songwriter:
ART IS GOOD.
Lisa isn’t in it for the money,
although that would be nice.
She’s not in it for the fame,
which she deserves.After a
recent split with her small
record label, Cargo, the self-
described creator of Black
Cowgirl Pop music is in it for
herself, making art the way she
wants to, despite an industry
geared toward indifferent teens,
disposable tunes and the
almighty quick buck.
“Grownups don’t buy
records because the record com-
panies don’t give them anything
to buy,” she says.“But all of a sud-
den you have Steve Earle, Bonnie
Raitt, James Taylor,
and thousands
upon thousands of
people are in the
audience for their
shows.”
Like those
stars packing
arena shows, Lisa
Sanders can’t be
easily pigeon-
holed. Her music
is tinged with
blues, folk, coun-
try, pop and rock — pretty much
anything she finds interesting.“I
need a little variety.Wherever my
mind and heart is, that’s how
music comes at the time.”
Lisa was drawn to the street
corners of Philadephia in her
early years where her brother
Tyrone
sang
Motown
hits on
summer
nights with
a group of
seven or eight
friends. She says she
wrote her first song at
age nine. Lately, she’s been lis-
tening to a lot of Aretha Franklin,
Etta James and Billie Holiday,
women who have
always been
influences but
who now res-
onate even more
with her new
direction.When
she performed
at the last Lilith
Fair with the
likes of Sheryl
Crow, Sarah
MacLachlan, and
the Dixie Chicks
in front of 17,000
screaming fans, she knew her
direction was the right one
Her latest effort, Hold on
Tightly, was “an exercise in step-
ping outside the bubble. I still
can’t figure out why it hurt. I
wanted to stretch out, and it was
painful.” In her typically low-key
way, she smiles, arches an eye-
brow and says “I’m one uptight
chick.”
But anyone
who’s seen Lisa Sanders perform
knows that her self image isn’t
exactly what her fans see.A
dynamic guitarist and singer, Lisa
has the ability to connect with
an audience in an intimate way
— almost as if she were your
best friend and the two of you
were sharing stories over a bottle
of wine. Combine that with the
accessibility of her songs and
you have anything but uptight.
What you have is Black Cowgirl
Pop.
“I’m a woman and I’m black
and I’m singing cowboy music
and that is not usual,” she laughs
when asked the origin of BCP
and the cool but quirky image of
a dark Dale Evans diva.“I mean,
I’m from Poway, what do you
want me to play?! I finally came
up with this. I like to let my
music speak for itself.”
LisaSanders Proves that
“I’m a
woman and I’m
black and I’m
singing cowboy
music and that is
not usual.”
Lisa at the Adams Ave. Street Fair last year
Phot
o: M
illie
Mor
eno
Phot
o: T
hom
Vol
lenw
eide
r
9
parlor showcaseparlor showcase
San Diego Troubadour • March 2003
radio rock tune, to “Ever Find a
Way” with its
George Harrison-
esque guitar
work (done by
Sanders herself)
to “Crumble,” a
cross between
flower power
Simon and
Garfunkel and
punk Pretenders.
Listening to the
album is like tak-
ing a long car
trip cross coun-
try, punching
those radio but-
tons and finding
that each new
station is playing something cool
that makes you do that front seat
shimmy.
Despite the sunny tone of
the record, Sanders says it threw
her into one of the deepest
depressions of her life.“It was a
mix of nostalgia and my feelings
about how the world’s been
changing,” she
says, her mega-
watt smile
dimmed for a
moment by
the unspoken
sadness that
seems embroi-
dered at the
hem of every-
one’s con-
sciousness
today.Who
wouldn’t want
to go back to
those days
before —
before terror-
ists, before cor-
porate scandals,
before suicide bombings and
anthrax mail? “I want people to
be boppin’ down the highway,
reminiscing, having the same
feeling they’d have if they were
kids again.”
Maybe one of the biggest
achievements to come from
Hold on Tightly is the fact that
she gave a copy to her 23-year-
old daughter “and she flipped.All
these young women are freaking
for the record. It’s nice that the
kids like it too, and for the first
time I’m getting feedback from
kids in a positive way.”
Young people who’ve grown
up musically in a stilted corpo-
rate radio environment have
missed out on some of the best
and most innovative artists
around.
“I wanted to do something
that has the flavors of the things
they’ve missed,” she says.
“Because a lot of the kids missed
out on Marvin Gaye and all that
stuff.The rappers talk about it
but I don’t think they really
know.”
And this is the first record
she’s done on her own after
departing her record label and
starting Pathfinder Records,
named for a farm owned by a
friend. Plunging into the cold
and calculating world of music
without the backing of a label is
scary, but Sanders relishes the
chance to let people hear what
she wants to say. She’s primarily
marketing her music through the
internet, at LisaSanders.com, and
she’s hoping to work up a tour-
ing schedule in the near future,
maybe opening for some nation-
al acts.
At the time of this writing,
she’s getting ready to hit
Nashville for the national Folk
Alliance, where her music will
get a well-deserved listen.Who
knows, maybe the world is ready
for some Black Cowgirl Pop and
a return to music that doesn’t fit
into someone else’s narrow defi-
nition of what’s “marketable.”
After all, art is good.
Hold on Tightly will be offi-
cially released on April 12, with a
release party at the Seaside
Church in Encinitas at 8 pm.
Tickets are $12 in advance, $15
at the door.An artist’s reception
begins at 7 p.m. with wine and
light hors d’oeuvres. Reception
and concert tickets are $20. Call
760/598-3996 or email
[email protected]. The
Seaside Church is located at
1613 Lake Dr., Encinitas.
Li
saSanders Proves that
ArtIs Good
“Hold On Tightly
is a valentine to a
time when radio
was good, when
you could actually
click on an FM
station and hear
innovative,
cross-genre tunes.”
Lisa with drummer Nucci at the Whistle Stop
Lisa and Sarah McLachlan at Lillith Fair
Phot
o: T
hom
Vol
lenw
eide
r
Phot
o: M
illie
Mor
eno
ramblin’ramblin’
March 2003 • San Diego Troubadour
10
by Jim McInnes
Travels with Jimmy
My career in broadcast-ing has enabled me todo things I’d have
never thought possible…likegoing to the good old U.S.S.R.
By way of introduction, whydon’t I backtrack? Good!
In high school (during theCold War) the U.S.S.R. was the“enemy,” so I chose to learn notonly the Russian language, butalso an entirely new (Cyrillic)alphabet. I carried on with myRussian studies through my thirdyear at Lawrence University inupstate Wisconsin. The coolestthing about Lawrence was that ithad a REAL10,000-watt FM radiostation…the place where I gotmy REAL education! The mainproblem was that I was a mathe-matics major, so when I flunkedout of Lawrence, I went toSouthern Illinois University,earned my B.S. in communica-tions, and began my dreamcareer in radio and television.Fast forward to 1990…
Twenty years after leavingcollege, the good people atBudweiser offered to fly me,KGB’s Promo guy ScottChatfield, and 138 others fromaround the U.S. to see theRolling Stones perform inMoscow. San Diego’s KGB wasgoing to Moscow to be tailed bythe other KGB! Alas, after a yak-load of wrangling, the Sovietsdenied the permits for theStones concert in Moscow, so all140 of us had to settle for their
show in Copenhagen, Denmark(a fantastic city!). The day afterthe concert, which reminded usof life-sized wax Stones man-nequins with remote-servo-oper-ated life-like movements tryingto appear like they gave a shit,we all went to Moscow anyway.We were gonna PARTY with theRusskis! And a party it was! TheRussians somehow stole 75 per-cent of the gazillion cases of Budwe had brought from the Statesand, within an hour of ourarrival, were selling the beer onthe street outside our hotel. Thatwas when we realized thatVODKA was now our beverageof choice!
We listened to a few Russianrock bands. They all wanted tobe The Scorpions.We saw many beautiful Russianwomen. They were for hire.We visited many drab monu-ments honoring many drabcommie functionaries.
Ho-hum.BUT the regular Russians we
met were terrific people whoknew how to PARTY! When wewere ready to head home, weput KGB radio stickers on thewalls of the Moscow airport.And sure enough, the otherKGB was on our tail, removingthose stickers as quickly as wehad stuck ‘em up. Luckily nopolitical incident occurred andwe all lived to tell about it.
I’ll never forget that trip. Iwish you had been there, comrades.
Call me nostalgic, but,given the current world situa-tion, I kind of wish the Cold Warand the USSR were still around.
Radio DazeF I R S T I N A S E R I E S
Jim McInnes and KGB’s then promotions manager Scott Chatfield in Moscow
by D. Dwight Worden
Mixed Company Steals theAudience Award at the SanDiego Bluegrass Society’s“Jamuary Bandscramble”
On January 14 the SDBSBandscramble was held atFuddruckers in La Mesa wheremore than 30 names were drawnfrom a hat and formed into six“instant bands.” The drawing ran-domly mixed seasoned pros fromnationally recognized bands with avariety of other players ranging fromserious amateurs to beginners andyoung people. The bands weregiven 15-30 minutes to meet eachother and work up a few songsbefore performing them on stage toa packed house. Competition wasfierce for the coveted AudienceAward, to be determined by the vol-ume and raucousness of the audi-ence’s response to each band asjudged by SDBS’s respected andexperienced audience professionalsEmma and Deedee Radcliffe. SDBScertificates of participation weregiven to all entrants.
First out the box was the bandMixed Company, featuring JohnCherry on mandolin, Bill Paul onbanjo, Bob Cool (and was he ever!)on fiddle, the evening’s Master ofCeremonies Gary (“I’m open tobribes”) Kennedy on guitar,Nashville visitor John Bellar onbass, and Ida Denny on dobro. Theyset the standard in generating wildaudience applause.
Next up was Partial Deck, whopresented a powerhouse line-up,
including Kenny Wertz (of CountryGazette and Down the Road fame)on banjo, Jim Murphy on mandolin,Dan Sankey (of Silverado) on fiddle,Michael O’Malley on guitar, MaryBirkitt on bass, and Mr. SpecialtyJohn Deckard (leader of Full Deck)on jaw harp. These two hot bandsgot everything off to a great start,and the judges were seen huddlingcarefully in contemplation.
The Complete Strangers werenext up, sweaty palms and all, feel-ing the pressure. Keeping the actionhot were Phil “Doc” Levy on banjo,Jim Blakemore on mandolin, DwightWorden (of Bigger Fish and the 7thDay Buskers) on fiddle, BobArsenaught on guitar, and MikePhillips on bass. Rumor has it thatbribes to the judges were passed byother competitors after they heardthis hot group!
Charging up next was O’Brother; the Green Tatars, sportingSDBS president Mike Tatar (of theVirtual Strangers) on banjo; BobCool (back for more!) on fiddle; Mr.Denny on specialty; Becky Green (ofDown the Road fame) on bass; andLes and Lou Ann (“you can’t sepa-rate us”) Preston on guitar andvocals. Great job and great vocals!
Following was the evening’sclassical wannabe entry of Isaacand the Stearns comprised of ayoung and daring Isaac Finklesteinon guitar, an only slightly older AndyLohr on mandolin, veteran DonHickox (of the 7th Day Buskers) onfiddle, Bob Pearson on bass, andDan Sankey (Silverado) again, thistime on banjo. Quite a show!
Last but not least was the aptlynamed Last Chance, showcasingCorey Miller on mandolin, veteranKen Tagame on bass, pro-YukonJack on guitar, Don Hickox (7th DayBuskers) in his second appearanceon fiddle, and Bob Arsenaught backfor more on guitar. They closed thecompetition with a rousing bang!
Tension mounted as the judgeshuddled in final consultation. Thencame the announcement: MixedCompany was declared the winnerby a narrow five-point margin, whoplayed out a couple of “winnertunes” to end the evening. As thehappy but exhausted playerspacked up and headed for home,murmurs were heard calling for a“rematch” and “I’ll bring my wholefamily, including the dog, to makenoise next time.”
Ron Spears and Within TraditionBrings National Bluegrass Bandto San Diego
February 7th saw a successfulconcert by nationally recognizedRon Spears and Within Tradition,which was held at the PowayCommunity Center. More than 100happy bluegrass fans enjoyed thegreat vocals and instrumentation ofthis outstanding group. (See theFebruary issue of the San DiegoTroubadour for more information onthis band.) The show opened withSan Diego’s own Down the Road,who put on a stellar show.
Stay tuned for upcoming issuesof the San Diego Troubadour, whichwill feature more reviews of localperformances, including dates andwho’s coming.
Jim McInnes
BluegrassCORNERF I R S T I N A S E R I E S
The
Ron Spears and Within Tradition
11
ramblin’ramblin’
San Diego Troubadour • March 2003
by Paul Abbott
About 12 years ago a friend ofmine was working as a tech for aSan Diego-based electronicsrepair company. His job was toput broken equipment backtogether. So, he had the rawmaterials needed to do work onall manner of electronic equip-ment.
At the same time I was doinga lot of experimenting withacoustic guitar amplification aswell as a lot of coffeehouse per-forming. Since I was using veryhigh-impedance pickups for myacoustic guitar, I noticed a lot ofinterference and noise when Iamplified it. I inquired with himabout custom-building me somecables, using higher-quality com-ponents to see what the differ-ence would be. I was amazed atthe improvement. Quality cablehad better shielding and thickergauge wire that translated intobetter frequency response and amore open sound. I was hooked.
Cables are just as important asany other piece of equipment inyour recording or performanceenvironment. Amazingly though,many people – even professionals– use fairly cheap off-the-rackcable to connect their equip-ment.
For a lot of people, it’s anissue of cost. However, if youknow how to put cable togetherfrom bulk supplies, you can cutyour expenses in half. Companieslike Canare and Neutrik sell bulkcable and connectors (respective-ly) that are as good as one canask for. After you’ve procured the
bulk supplies, it’s just a questionof finding an electronics-savvyfriend who is handy with a sol-dering iron to wire up the cablesfor you. As a bonus, the cablescan easily be made to lengthsthat fit your specific needs.
If you have deeper pocketsand want to go with pre-config-ured cables, there are a plethoraof choices. Some companies aresold on utilizing silver, others onoxygen-free copper. The conduc-tive materials and specific trendsof cable creation evolve as ourunderstanding of perceivingsound expands.
Today I use the best qualitycable I can afford to connect mymastering studio, and I’m alwayson the lookout for better stuff.What quality cable offers is apurer, more accurate transferenceof an electronic signal that ulti-mately ends up vibrating a speak-er and moving air molecules intosound. Pretty important, huh?
DeliveryInfrastructure
Paul Abbott
Hosing Downby José Sinatra
Any true artist must beprepared to admit beingwrong when he/she is inerror. Personally, I’m sure Iwould own up to any incor-rect statement or action Imight instigate should thatabsurd day somehow eventu-ally dawn. So I’ll still wait forpigs to fly, sustained perfect-ly by my rigid self-awarenessthat continues to guide myhumility, bravery, and hon-esty.
Oh, there still are pitfalls.My reputation as fashionablestud—one, I might add, that Iacquired after years of train-ing, study, practice in soli-tude—came into questionone evening not too long ago,and it still rather annoys me.My feelings have been hurt,and occasionally my well-known sensual pout involun-tarily engorges itself to thepoint of absurdity. I must dis-charge the truth now in orderto reclaim my reputation andmy beauty. The Truth, theerror-free gist of that incidentis the perhaps-unfashionablefact that intergender group“scenes” (as swingers usedto call them) have never beenmy bag. And I truly meant nodisrespect to any of theOsmonds or their guests. Infact, but for their unfortunateexpectation, I generallyenjoyed my half-hour or so attheir winter solstice “gather-ing.” Chacun à son goo asCasanova might have said,had he been French andblessed with my enviablevoice.
In troubled times the sen-sitive soul feels his heartdrifting backward to less
daunting days, and this sea-son my left ventricle has beenleaning toward memories ofthe unsurpassed joys felt by adefenseless world during azealous cultural assault yearsback. Think British Invasion. Itwasn’t really so long ago.Here was proof of music’spower to unite, to change, tointoxicate.
I’ve never put myself forthas a learned historian ofmusic and its several forms(although I am one) nor have Iever claimed to chronically,consensually finger the pulseof societal trends when thecandles of common reasonhave nearly burned out(though again, I do so happi-ly). Still, I state without fearthat Time itself can be a bas-tard. And Time both gilds anddims the emotions thatEngland’s musical messen-gers so blessedly engen-dered. For a moment, itseemed, we were one. God, Imiss the Spice Girls.
Their absence as a group(the group!) continues topoke and probe the heart inour intestines like an inadver-tently swallowed crack pipe.They enriched us; now with-out them, we are impover-ished. Or were they ever real-ly here?
No Tiny Spice to imagineplaying daddy with. No RastaSpice and her soulful jive. NoUgly Spice to console, no OldSpice to keep us feelingyoung. No Goth Spice to learnstudied myteriousness from(okay, head tilts down, eyesway up…got it. Gimme more!)
That I haven’t heard aword from any of the “chickpower” girls since theirbreakup is understandable,
since my phone number isunlisted. But if even one ofthem is now reading thesewords, then these last coupleminutes I’ve invested in themwill not have been in vain.She’ll know that there is oneromantic American male whohasn’t forgotten them, at leasttoday… one sensitive loungemetal god who truly lovedthem in ways some wouldconsider selfish… or adoles-cent… or deviant. One manwho yearns for even a partialreunion, who himself is willingto fill any opening within thegroup. Any time. But time’s abastard, isn’t it?
When the Spice Girlsinvaded, we truly witnessed amiracle: a five-faced pile oftripe that talked. Time hassweetened the aroma, and Iget tingly sniffing it out.
Oh, I miss leg warmerstoo, truth be told. Real posingHose; absurd fashion, littleshame; real posing Hose.
The inimitable Mr. Sinatra
12
March 2003 • San Diego Troubadour
of noteof note
RandyPhillipsWild Horsesby Phil Harmonic
Randy Phillips’ latest CD, WildHorses, combines different stylesof music in her eclectic 12-songselections. Most songs are writ-ten by Phillips and/or in collabo-ration with Peter Sprague, whoco-produced with Phillips, JohnKatchur, and others. On the titletrack “Wild Horses,” side manDennis Caplinger goes frombanjo to mandolin to fiddle toadd his skillful, gourmet flavor.Katchur’s harmonies blend fulland mesh well into Phillips poet-ry. Sprague’s acoustic guitarhighlight a South Americansamba flavor on “Down to theBone.” On the beautiful “FarAway,” less is more. The simplic-ity of voice and guitar give youchills as this song becomes aprayer. The entire band showsoff musicianship of the highestlevel. In my opinion, Spragueand Caplinger are two of thefinest musicians on the entireplanet. Their contribution isimmense. Phillips vocals arepleasant as she moves from bal-lads to blues to rock, but hervoice, more suited to the slowertunes, really shines on songs like“Far Away,” Gypsy,” and “FallingStar,” her voice in the latterreflecting a folkier sound of JoanBaez purity against Caplinger’sDobro. The song title“Troubadour,” which I like forsome reason, was written forKatchur. Richard Tibbitts adds a“Middle Ages” feel withrecorder, flute, and krumhorn.Phillips has written lyrics wellworth experiencing. Good songsdeserve many listenings to fullyappreciate them.
So, what are you waiting for?
Lisa SandersHold on Tightlyby Phil Harmonic
All of us have had specialmoments in our lives. Whatmakes a moment special to oneis different for another. As musi-cians gathered at Java Joe’s topay tribute to their favoritevenue on the last evening beforeclosing its doors, the mood wasmelancholy. “Lisa, play a song,”rang out Joe’s voice, like an invis-ible boom box. Lisa Sanders,who emits talent from everypore of her body, said softly,“Here’s a song I just wrote.” As Ilistened, the room became quiet.Paralyzed, I closed my eyes andfelt the goose bumps rise. Thatfeeling spoke to me: This is whatlife is all about.
This humble singer-songwriter,who has shared the stage withmany well-known musicians,manifests her inspirations intolyric and melody. Her latest CD,Hold on Tightly, is due out April12. Producers Patrick Dennis andChristopher Hoffee (aka theTruckee Brothers) capture theessence that Sanders emulateswhen performing live and bringsit along as you stroll through this12-song tour de force. Dennisand Hoffee provide all the back-up instrumentation, whichblends beautifully with Sanders’vocals. Her remarkable voicewails and cries, quivers, thenroars, bending notes and toneswhile caressing the lyrics. Hersound is crisp, and the richnessand purity of her voice allowsthe emotion and feel of the songto penetrate and transfer thefeeling to you.
My favorites, “All About Love,”Ever find a Way,” Blind to You,Baby,” and Cry Me a River” haveslow, beautiful melodies thatmesmerize, juxtaposed with lyricsand go deep. They contrast wellwith the more upbeat “Skywalk,”“Crumble,” “Astronaut” (a trib-ute to Steve Poltz), and the driv-ing title song “Hold On Tightly.”
The effective use of vocal har-monies, from subtle to powerful,contributes greatly to these top-notch arrangements. Sanderscombines all styles of music tocreate her own unique style, andshe sits at the top of the ladderwith the other local great song-writers, namely Poltz, Page,Berkley Hart, and Dolan to namea few. Just listen for yourself and Ithink you will discover that LisaSanders is one “special” moment.
VariousArtistsDrunk & Nutty:Hillbillies Foolin’with the Bluesby Lou Curtiss
Anthologies of country andold-timey artists who play theblues have been around a longtime, and they always seem toappeal to blues fans who mightnot otherwise buy an old-timeyalbum. This 50-track double CDis as good a bet as any, featuringall the greats, from Charlie Poolethrough Darby and Tarlton,Frank Hutchison, and even theCarter Family and Bob Wills.Some good instrumental music,such as Narmor and Smith’smaterpiece of Mississippi fiddle,“Carroll County Blues.” Somegreat harmonnica, like TomAshley’s “Haunted House,” BillCox and Cliff Hobbs’ “OozlinDaddy Blues,” and the PrairieRamblers’ “Jug Rag.” Lot of slideguitar too, with Cliff Carlisle andthe Allen Brothers along withJimmie Tarlton. There’s also somegreat blues picking by LarryHensley who’s been slicing blindlemons into his moonshine. Weget a little into the birth of coun-try boogie, and hence rockabilly,with Al Dexter’s “New Jelly RollBlues” and even into the rock erawith Prince Albert Hunt, whose“Blues in the Bottle” providedraw material for the Lovin’Spoonful many years later.
This kind of anthology is fre-quently cited as conclusive repu-diation to those who insist thatwhite men and women can’tsing the blues. Certainly it’s evi-dent that they have always doneso, although it’s also evident thateven when they’re as close tothe original as it’s possible to be,what they’re doing is alwayssomething signicantly different.This is the blues and it isn’t atthe same time, which to me isjust what is so great about it.
With well-designed packagingand substantial and reliablenotes by Neil Slaven, this is agenerous package well worthinvestigation, especially if hillbillyblues is something unfamiliar toyou.
by Steppin’ Eddy
My dear brother and sisterguitarists, it has been my verygood fortune to be (peripherally)involved with the developmentof the Taylor Expression Seriespickup system for guitars,designed by the R&D boys atTaylor and spearheaded by DaveHosler with the assistance ofRupert Neve. A year ago I wasgiven a guitar equipped withone, but I had to return itbecause it was so sensitive, I waspicking up radio stations! A yearlater, however, all I can say isWOW! What Dave and the boyshave done is reinvent theacoustic pickup, thus raising thebar so high that there is nothingelse on the market today thatbetter captures the amplifiedsound of an acoustic guitar. I’vehad friends tell me, “it’s too sen-sitive; all my mistakes comethrough now,” and true enough,if you chose to, you can play thepick guard or the tuning pegsfor that matter. But fear not,brothers and sisters. It does notchange, color, or modify theacoustic sound of your guitar. Ifyou love the warm responsivesound of an unplugged wooden-bodied guitar, then I suggest youcheck these out. There are basi-cally two sensors in the bodythat pick up the vibration of thebody (not just up and down, butside to side) and a magnetichumbucker pickup buried in theneck to get the string vibra-tions… many leading artistsinsist that the best way toenhance the sound of anacoustic guitar is with a magnet-ic sound-hole pickup and a high-quality external mic. This setupaccomplishes that and more,since you don’t have theunsightly slab of plastic blockingyour sound hole or the nuisanceof being glued to an externalmic. (If you’ve ever bumped into
one during a performance orhad to deal with the feedbackproblems, you know what Imean).
Although these pickups areahead of their time, many peo-ple expect them to sound likeand behave like everything elseon the market. As a matter offact, many people don’t evenhear what they’re hearing andit’s only when they compare thesounds from their old setup withthe new Taylor system that theyhear the difference and, believeme, I was one of them. The dif-ference is like night and day.
People get used to hearingthings a certain way. For exam-ple, in the old days folks gotused to using crappy vocal micsand when Shure came out withthe SM57 (a vast improvement)they set about trying to getthem to sound like the mics theywere used to. In other words,there is a learning curve involvedwith any new technology. Peoplescoffed at the first automobile,the first airplane, the first steamengine, but they quickly becamethe standard. Now it’s up to themanufacturers of acoustic ampsto catch up with Taylor to beable to capture all the harmonicsand range that an acoustic guitaris capable of producing.
The New Taylor GuitarPickup System: You Won’tBelieve Your Ears (at first)
Report from the NAMM Show
13
San Diego Troubadour • March 2003
‘round about‘round about
by Gus T. Williker
Free Bird ain’t just ferSkynard no more. Yer favoritdouble-wide deejay has bustedloose like a rabid goose anddropped his last gig like seag-ull doo on a day-tripper fromDes Moines. I’ve got a ton o’music, and no place ta use it!
If you run a club/coffee-house/bar . . . whutever, andyou wanna have a country/roots/rockabilly sorta nite atyer spot, give me the proverbholler. I can git a mess o’ pressfer yer joint, and if ya give mesum time, I’ll make ya proudand bring out a crowd (okay…so proud don’t pay the bills, butI can make this thang worth-while fer ya).
E-mail me at:[email protected]
Now ‘bout that musicstuff…
If you were my lil’ love lem-ming, I’d steer ya toward TioLeo’s Lounge on Saturday,March 1. Cowboy Nation, the
Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash
and the Ghost Town Deputies
are playin’ that night, and that’sa damn good bill. Cowboy
Nation is at the top of my list,with a unique, lonesome soundthat seeps deep into ya likeClinique moisturing lotion intomy desperately dry pores. I luv‘em.
Rise up early on Monday,March 3 and tune the boobtube to channel 9 (uhh…guessthat’s 51 fer you poor slobswho don’t got cable). Anywho,the Bayou Brothers are gonnabe on the KUSI Morrning Newsdoin’ a Mardi Gras tune-up.Zydeco only goes so far withme, but I’ll sling a foot this timeof year fer shore. San Diego’sMardi Gras celebration gitsgoin’ on the followin’ nite in theGaslamp Quarter.
Buddy Blue is playin’ Friday,March 7 at Tio Leo’s Lounge.Okay, yes, um, well I do pimpthis fellar just ‘bout every col-umn, but good is good, right isright (‘cept Blue leans a bitmore left, but let’s not git allpolitikal rite now … who knows
when the Homeland CorporateNazi Whores are gonna trackme down fer expressin’ a view-point that don’t mesh wit’ tharmass consumption, money-makes-right, piss-on-the-poormentality!)
They don’t play out toooften, so I recommend headin’over to Incahoots on Thursday,March 1 to see Darlin’ and
Rose. These two sweetheartspour themselves into tharmusic, and it shows. You’ll feeltheir luvin’ vibe and will have agood time (am I soundin’ likesum kinda smoked out hip-pie…err…whut?)
You got two options on St.Patrick’s Day (Monday, March17) . . . go down to the Gaslampand drink over-priced greenbeer and listen to bad bluesbands, or pack into the Casbahfer the Downs Family,
Deadbolt, the Scotch Greens,
Red Eye Gravy ‘n more! If youlike the Pogues, Flogging
Molly, and the like, then justthink of the Downs Family asthar bumpkin cousins! They
mix traditional Irish music withpunk and hillbilly stylings, andit kicks big time bootie!
The 7th Day Buskers will beat the Whistle Stop on Friday,March 21. This billygrass bandjust simply nails the traditionalstuff, and wit’ Robin Henkel onDobro and slide, it don’t comeas a surprise.
You might wanna callahead to check, but the Weary
Boys are supposed to be atIncahoots on Thursday, March20. They didn’t make it to SanDiego the last time they wusbooked, so I’d call first to con-firm.
Finally, our own José
Sinatra will be makin’ anappearance with the Troy
Dante Inferno at Tio Leo’sLounge on Saturday, March 29.Now, you might not think muchof José, whut with him down-playin’ his skills ‘n all, but trustme . . . this man is a phenome-nal talent! I hear that Brit fromAmerican Idol just ooed andawed over his CD (which canbe purchased online
at www.gregorypage.com/
josesinatra/), but José refusedto lower himself. He’s a tony talent, that one.
xoxo,Gu$
www.WhiteHotTrash.com
Local YokelsA HAYSEED’S MUSIC PICKS FOR MARCH
Gus Williker, the “Sexiest Man Alive,”according to the media.
14
March 2003 • San Diego Troubadour
MARCH MUSIC CALENDAR
‘round about‘round about
saturday • 1Cowboy Nation/Bastard Sons ofJohnny Cash/Ghost Town Deputies,Tio Leos. Call for info.
Lafayette & the LeaseBreakers, FatKatz. Call for info.
Cedar Mill (bluegrass), WynolaPizza Express, Julian, 6-9pm.
Across the Room/Tim Corely/MaliaAndagan, Café Crema, PacificBeach, 7pm.
Katherine Cleary, San DieguitoUnited Methodist Church, 170 CalleMagdalena, Encinitas, 7:30pm. Call858/566-4040 for info.
Peter Bolland/Katie Strand/KerrieCaldwell/Robert Spencer, Twiggs,8:30pm.
The Uprights, Lestats, 8:30pm.
sunday • 2Michael Smith, Dark ThirtyProductions, Lakeside, 7:30pm. Call619/463-9622 for reservations.
Antie Em, Lestats, 8:30pm.
monday • 3Bayou Brothers, KUSI-RV morningnews show, 7-9am.
California Guitar Trio/TomGriesgrager, Dizzy’s, 8pm.
tuesday • 4Comedy Experiment, Lestats, 9-11pm.
wednesday • 5San Diego Songwriters Guild,Lestats, 8:30pm.
thursday • 6Neville Brothers, Belly Up Tavern,Solana Beach, 8pm.
Bitty Bums Showcase, Lestats,8:30pm.
friday • 7Buddy Blue, Tio Leos. Call for info.
Robin Henkel Band, Coyote Bar &Grill, 300 Carlsbad Village Dr.,Carlsbad, 6:30-10:30pm.
David Orvics/The Prince Myshkins,Twggs, 8:30pm.
Carlos Olmeda, Lestats, 8:30pm.
Earl Thomas, Hard Rock Café, LaJolla, 10pm.
Sue Palmer, Bookworks, Flower HillShopping Center, Del Mar, 8-10pm.
saturday • 8Joan Berry, Golden Goose Cafe,Lakeside, 8pm.
Tom Brosseau, Twiggs, 8:30pm.
Mark Jackson Band, Wynola PizzaExpress, Julian, 6-9pm.
Prince Myshkins, Lestats, 8:30pm.
Richard Greene, Valley Music, 530 E.Main St., El Cajon. Fiddle Workshop:2pm. Concert: 7:30pm. Call 619/444-3161 for further information.
sunday • 9Earl Thomas, Humphrey’s BackstageLounge. Call for info.
Andrew Beacock, Lestats, 8:30pm.
wednesday • 12Nathan Hubbard, Lestats, 8:30pm.
thursday • 13Darlin’ and Rose, In Cahoots,Mission Valley, 9pm.
friday • 14Ricky Scaggs, East CountyPerforming Arts Center, 7:30pm.
Kevin Tinkle/Matthew Foster,Twiggs, 8:30pm.
Sue Palmer, Croce’s Top Hat, 9pm.
saturday • 15Kinney Reynolds Project, WynolaPizza Express, Julian, 6-9pm.
Django Reinhardt/Stephen GrapelliTribute, East County Performing ArtsCenter, 7:30pm.
Tim Corley/Saba/Jason Yamaoka/3Simple Words/Jenn Grinels, Twiggs,8:30pm.
Bayou Brothers, Gallery at theMarina, 6-10pm.
sunday • 16Chris Smither, Dark ThirtyProductions, Lakeside, 7:30pm. Call619/463-9622 for reservations.
monday • 17Bayou Brothers, Patricks II, 9pm.
wednesday • 19Great Big Sea, Belly Up Tavern,Solana Beach, 8pm.
friday• 21Kenny Edwards, Wynola PizzaExpress, Julian, 6-9pm.
Mark Jackson Band, Golden GooseCafe, Lakeside, 8pm.
Atom Orr/Chuck Schiele and theMysterious Ways/Patrick Dennis,Twiggs, 8:30pm.
Berkley Hart, Dizzy’s, 8pm.
7th Day Buskers, Whistle Stop, 2236Fern St., 9-11pm.
saturday • 22Billy Walson w/ Robin Henkel,Coyote Bar & Grill, 300 CarlsbadVillage Dr., Carlsbad, 2:30-5pm.
Stamets Family Singers, WynolaPizza Express, Julian, 6-9pm.
Kahuna Cowboys Jug Band,Templar’s Hall, 14134 Midland Rd.,Poway, 7:30pm. Call 858/566-4040 forinfo.
Mary Black, East County PerformingArts Center, 7:30pm.
Peter Bolland & Broken Hills/MarkJackson Band, Claire de Lune, 2906University Ave., 8pm.
Kenny Edwards, Bayou Bar & Grill,329 Market St., San Diego, 9pm.
friday • 28Young Dubliners, Belly Up Tavern,Solana Beach, 8pm.
Berkley Hart, Croce’s, 9pm.
saturday • 29José Sinatra & Troy Dante Inferno,Tio Leos. Call for info.
Berkley Hart/Eve Selis/HatchetBrothers, Casbah. Call for info.
Bruce Dale Betz, Wynola PizzaExpress, Julian, 6-9pm.
Bayou Brothers, Gallery at theMarina, 6-10pm.
Deborah Liv Johnson/PeggyWatson, First Lutheran Church, 1420Third Ave., San Diego, 7:30pm. Call858/566-4040 for info.
Cindy Lee Berryhill & RandyHoffman/Kim Fox & Friends, Dizzy’s,7:30pm.
Young Dubliners, Belly Up Tavern,Solana Beach, 8pm.
sunday • 30Zydeco Spring Fling w/ the BayouBrothers & Friends—music andcajun food, Dizzy’s, 7pm.
monday • 31Bayou Brothers, Patricks II, 9pm.
WEEKLY
every sunday7th Day Buskers, HillcrestFarmer’s Market/DMV parkinglot, 10am-1pm.
Steve White, Elijah’s, La Jolla,11:30am.
Celtic Ensemble, Twiggs, 4pm.
Extreme Country, hosted byMike Vlack, 7-10pm, KSON(97.3 FM).
Jazz Roots, hosted by LouCurtiss, 9-10:30pm, KSDS (88.3FM).
The Bluegrass Special, hostedby Wayne Rice, 10-midnight,KSON (97.3 FM).
every mondaySwing Dancing, Tio Leos, 5302Napa St., 6-8pm.
Tango Dancing, Tio Leos, 5302Napa St., 8pm.
Open Mic Night, Lestats. Call619/282-0437 for info.
Open Poetry Reading, Twiggs,8pm.
every tuesdayComedy Experiment, Lestats,9pm.
Zydeco Tuesdays, Tio Leos,5302 Napa St., 6:30pm.
every wednesdayOpen Mic Night, Twiggs. Sign-ups at 6:30pm.
Hatchet Brothers, The OuldSod, 9pm.
Sue Palmer Trio, Bayou Bar &Grill, 329 Market St., 6-8pm.
Bayou Brothers, Sassafras Bar& Grill, 3667 India St., 6-9pm.
every thursdayWill Edwards’ Music ShowTwiggs, 8:30pm.
Hep Cat Hoedown w/ GusWilliker, Incahoots, 9pm.
Hot Rod Lincoln, Tio Leos, 5302Napa St., Call for info.
the local seen
San Diego Troubadour • March 2003
the local seen
15
Robin Henkel
Kitchenfire w/ David Page
Truckee Brothers
The amazing Steve White
The audience loved it!
A Stunning Troubadour Showcase
Photography byMillie Moreno
Phil Harmonic and Jose Sinatra
Derek Duplessie
7th Day Buskers
30TH ANNUAL
Music • Arts • Crafts • Food • Workshops •
Beer Garden • 7 Stages
April 26-27Saturday, 10am-9pm and
Sunday, 10am-6pmAdams Ave. & Adams Park
34th to 35th Streets, Normal Heights • San Diego, CA
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The
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• Scottsville Squirrel Barkersfeaturing Chris Hillman, Bernie Leadon,Larry Murray, Kenny Wertz, Ed Douglas,& Herb Pedersen
• 7th Day Buskers• Jon Adams• Connie Allen & Bill Dempsey• American Folk Singers• Bayou Seco
Ken Keppler & Jennie McLerie
• Curt Bouterse• Budapest Brothers• Roy Ruiz Clayton• Kenny Hall• Robin Henkel• Merritt Herring• Stu & Gloria Jamison• Frannie Leopold• Los Californios• New Lost Melody Boys
• New Smokey Mountain BoysClark Powell & Wayne Brandon
• W.B. Reid• Tanya Rose• Mark Spoelstra• Chris Stuart• The Tatters• Steve White• Mimi Wright• AND MANY MORE!
Friday Night PreviewApril 25, 7-10pm @ Lestats
www.GoThere.com/AdamsAve
HO
ldTim
e Music HTraditional Folk H Appalachian H Bluegrass H Country H Celtic H Cowboy Music H Conjunto
The Adams Ave. Business Association Presents
The Adams Avenue Business Association is partially funded by the Cityof San Diego’s Small Business Enhancement Program.
Music produced by Lou Curtiss and Folk Arts Rare RecordsMusic information: 619/282-7833 • Booth rentals: 619/282-7329
e. abbott / March 2003
