Tag: california music

Sebastiani Winery wraps up music season with a bang

The popular local music series at Sebastiani Winery and Vineyards wraps up tonight, Dec. 10, with an appearance in the tasting room by local blues aficionados the Hellhounds. Saturday, Dec. 11, the Sonoma Valley Jazz Society will be hosting a special dinner show that will feature the Wild Women of Song, but tonight, it’s all about the blues. Be it Chicago or delta style, the Hellhounds can lay it down with strong rhythm and smoking guitar from Phil Ajoka and smooth blues grooves from Dave Chavoya on harmonica. There is no cover for tonights show. Saturdays show should be an interesting night, when Pamela Rose will present “Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era.” The night will be a showpiece, celebrating the lives, times and music of the often-invisible women songwriters of the Tin Pan Alley era. Images from collected photo archives will be projected while Rose tells the stories of these women, and brings her vast musical experience to the evening, showcasing many songs from the Great American Songbook. Rose’s band includes Tammy Hall on piano, Ruth Davieson bass, Jess Massanari on guitar, Kristen Strom on saxophone and Kent Bryson holding down the drums. Tickets for the evening range in price from $25 for Jazz Society members, to $35 for non-members and include a no-host bar and available dinner options. Tickets are available through the Society’s website, www.sonomavalleyjazzsociety.org.

Another venue in town, also brought to us by the Sebastiani Family years ago, the historic Sebastiani Theatre will host the Hometown Band as they present ”Christmas Joy” on Saturday, Dec. 11, for a 10 a.m. show. The show will feature Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Symphonic Suite,” selections from “Phantom of the Opera,” “Carol of the Bells,” and more. The show is free and all ages are welcome.

The Sonoma Valley Chorale is also in the holiday spirit this weekend at the Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Building for shows all weekend. The show, called “Carols of the Bells, will feature such “bell” songs as “Jingle Bells,” “Ding, Dong!,” “Merrily on High,” “Silver Bells” and more. The first of three shows gets underway Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, has a matinee at 2 p.m. and another that evening at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets, which are recommended, can be purchased at Pharmaca, or by calling 935-1576, or at the door, if any are still available.

They’ll be mixing it up at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art tonight, Dec.10. The “Mix”is the Museum’s popular series of after-hours parties, and features art, music and cocktails. It is also an opportunity to join the Museum at a discounted rate, as the price of admission includes a one year membership to the museum. Tonights musical entertainment will be from the Easy Leaves, who have drawn comparisons to the Devil Makes Three and the Avett Brothers. The evening gets underway at 8 p.m. and tickets will be available at the door.

Local picker and grinner Pete Olson decided to up and get married and has invited the whole town to Little Switzerland on Saturday, Dec. 11, to help him celebrate. He is also celebrating his birthday, sounds like he got the best present ever. With Olson that night will be some Bay Area Cajun and zydeco legends like Billy Wilson, Dana Mandell, Tim Orr and Woody Vermeire. Showtime is 8 p.m. and there is a cover, but Olson wants you to know that’s not part of the wedding present, it’s to pay the band.

Landmark Winery and Vineyards presents an afternoon of seasonal music with the Sonoma Bach Holiday Singers, on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m. The winery is all decorated for the holidays and even boasts a 12-foot tree in the tasting room. Children are welcome at the no cover event.

Olive & Vine in Glen Ellen will welcome Sean Carscadden and Friends for what we believe to be his debut performance at the venue tonight, Dec.10, for a 7 p.m. show.

Mondo American Beer Garden will have Vitamin Girl for a show on Saturday, Dec. 11, and the band will be featuring their original bas player, Bill Bindewald, who will be sitting in for the evening.

EZ Kewl will play an afternoon set at Imagery Estate Winery on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 1:30 p.m.

The Sonoma Mission Inn will have the Brazilian piano vibes of Stephanie Ozer tonight, Dec. 10, in the lounge for a 6:30 p.m. solo performance.

Murphy’s Irish Pub will have the Courtney Janes tonight Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, has High Country for a night of bluegrass, also at 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, has Marty O’Reilly and Sean Carscadden for an early show, kicking off at 6 p.m.

The Plaza Bistro has popular local jazz cats the John Kalleen Group tonight, Dec. 10, for a 7 p.m. show in the back room. The group pays tribute to the hard bop and post-bop eras of the ‘50s and ‘60s, yet infused with a modern, dynamic spark. There is no cover for the show.

In case you miss the Hellhounds tonight, you can catch them at Uva Trattoria in Napa on Saturday, Dec. 11, for an 8:30 p.m. show.

The same goes for Stephanie Ozer, who will also be in Napa on Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Villagio Inn and Spa for a 6:30 p.m. show.

Jon Popenoe and Corey Jennings will be doing a double-header in Petaluma on Saturday, Dec. 11, kicking the day off at Aqus Cafe for a morning show that starts at 10:30 a.m. Then the duo heads east to the Tap Room at Lagunitas Brewery for a 4:30 show.

Local instrumental act Points North, featuring guitarist Eric Barnett is on the road this weekend, tonight, Dec. 10, in Livermore at the Sapphire Lounge supporting guitar legend Gary Hoey for a show that goes off at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, the band is at Vinnie’s Bar in Concord for their annual “Merry Axe-mas” guitar show, featuring many local guitar shredders. That show kicks off at 9 p.m.

Bon Temps King Daddy Murr

Yea, I had to look it up too, so I’ll save you the trouble. Bon Temps is French for “Good Times,” as in “Let the Good Times Roll.” New Orleans can certainly count on it, as that’s where Johnn Murphy, known as “King Daddy Murr” is relocating to after a long career at the Sonoma Developmental Center and as the reigning king of Sonoma Valley music. The list of local acts Murphy has played in over the years is way too long for this space, but many of those that played with him over the years are throwing a going away party for him, and in true ‘King Daddy” fashion, it is a benefit for F.I.S.H. as well. On the bill is the Whiskey Thieves, Ten Foot Tone, the Jami Jamison Band, BackTrax and, of course, EZ Kewl. As we write this, folks are already coming out of the woodwork to sit in at the show to be held at the Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Building, including the children from Sonoma Music Arts School, who will play a couple tunes. There are rumbles of a possible harmonica blow-out. The Saturday, Oct. 23, event is no cover, with donations at the door. There will be food from Meadowbrooke Catering and Beer from Olde Sonoma Public House and wine donated from many Valley wineries. All will be donating a portion of the proceeds to F.I.S.H. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. and is family friendly; even Popo the Clown may show up.

BackTrax will be laying down three sets of Tom Petty songs electric -style tonight, Oct. 22, at Steiners Tavern. Rumor has it that Sue Albano will be doing a duo of the Stevie Nicks-Tom Petty song “Stop Dragging my Heart Around” with yours truly. That alone ought to be worth the price of admission, oh, wait. There’s no cover.

The event is called ‘Howl” but it has nothing to do with Halloween. That is the sound of the wolf, the mascot of Altimira Middle School and there will be howling at Little Switzerland on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m., when Flash Fiction takes the stage as a fundraiser for the school. Also on the bill will be DJ Bubba. The evening includes appetizers, a silent auction, buffet dinner, Texas hold ‘em and dancing. Tickets can be purchased in advance in the Altimira school office and picked up at will call the night of the event for $35 each, or at the door for $40 each.

Cornerstone Gardens in Carneros will have Blame Sally for a one night show tonight, Oct. 22, at the outdoor pavilion on the property. Doors are 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Stephanie Ozer will be performing at the Jewish winemakers event called “Kugel, Knishes and Cabernet” on Sunday, Oct 24, at Burlingame Hall. This will be the first in what they are hoping to be an annual event that showcases the 5,000 year history of Jewish winemaking. The event kicks off at 1:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online at www.shir-shalom.org/winemakers or at Readers Books and Tiddle E. Winks for $30 in advance $40 at the door.

Sonoma Springs Brewery will have the sounds of Tony Gibson and Dawn Angelosante tonight, Oct. 22, for a 7 p.m. show.

The Plaza Bistro will have Will Sellenraad in the back room tonight, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. Sellenraad has earned a fast growing reputation of being at the forefront of a new generation of jazz musicians, known for his brilliant improvisations and his compelling, emotive compositions. There is no cover for the show

Jess Petty and Ken Chambers will be at the Ledson Lounge on the Plaza tonight, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m.

Sebastiani Winery and Vineyards will have Adam Traun and the Traumatics tonight, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m.

The Lodge at Sonoma has Terry Disley in the piano lounge tonight, Oct. 22, for a 7 p.m. show. Saturday, Oct. 23 brings Mike Greensill to the lounge, also for a 7 p.m. show. There is no cover for either show.

Murphy’s Irish Pub will have Misner & Smith tonight, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. for an evening of Americana music. Saturday, Oct. 23, brings in High Country for a night of bluegrass. Both those shows start at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, has Greenhouse playing Celtic classics for an early evening show, kicking off at 6 p.m. There is no cover for any of the shows.

The Schellville Grill has EZ Kewl tonight, Oct. 22, for a dinner set starting at 7 p.m.

The Cork Pullers are doing the winery circuit this weekend, starting Saturday, Oct. 23, at Ravenswood Winery for a 1 p.m. show. Sunday, Oct. 24, has the boys in Glen Ellen at Imagery Estate Winery, also for a 1 p.m. show.

The long-awaited CD release of the live recording of the Joe Chaplain Band from the April 17 show earlier this year at the Barking Dog in Boyes Hot Springs, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23, at, where else, the Barking Dog in Boyes. The band will be laying down all the tracks from the live album as well as some originals. Showtime is 6 p.m. and donations are accepted.

The Hellhounds are on the road this weekend, starting Saturday, Oct. 23, for a show at Uva Trattoria in Napa that kicks off at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, has the band on Treasure Island for the Blues by the Bay show. The band has a 2 p.m. set time.

McCabe and Mrs. Miller at Cornerstone Gardens

No, we’re not talking about the 1971 film starring Warren Beatty, but a new musical duo that features Alison Levy, formerly of the Sippy Cups and Victor Krumenacher, from Camper Van Beethoven, who will be making their Sonoma debut on Saturday, May 1. Levy and Krumenacher have known and played with each other for years and the time seemed right to put a project together. The duo has a real Americana/folk vibe to them, not the new singer-songwriter thing we hear a lot of these days, but a Gillian Welch-David Rawlings vibe. This is the third in a series of shows being put on at Cornerstone by music writer Drew Pearce, founder of Bay Area House Concerts. Also on the bill that night will be Chris Von Sneidern. The show kicks off at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. For tickets and more info, call Pearce at (415) 706-3800.

There is plenty of music at this years Cinco de Mayo celebration on Sunday, May 2, in the Grinstead Ampitheater in the Sonoma Plaza. Amongst all the other festivities, at noon La Rondalla Patzcuarense of Patzcuaro take the stage. 2:30 p.m. brings the Robert Ramirez Conga Bobby Drum Ensemble, followed by the Carlos Herrera band at 3 p.m. and Plan Be wraps it all up with a set that starts at 4:15 p.m. There is no cover for the days festivities.

Local Violin Virtuoso Nigel Armstrong picked up a new honor this last week, having picked up the Silver Medal in the senior division at the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition in Oslo, Norway. Armstrong also won the Ole Bull and Arne Nordheim prizes. You can welcome Armstrong home at the Sonoma Classical Music Society concert on Sunday, May 9, at Jacuzzi Family Winery, where Armstrongs quartet will be performing. For more info, point your browser to www.sonomaclassical.org.

Larry Vukovich and his trio will be at the Plaza Bistro tonight, April 30. Vuckovich has won acclaim from critics and jazz audiences for his hard-swinging bebop, post-bop, contemporary jazz, and down-home blues. With him tonight will be Chuck McPherson on drums and Michael Zisman on bass. Showtime is 7 p.m. and there is no cover.

The Lodge at Sonoma has jazz in the piano lounge with Mike Greensil tonight, April 30 and Saturday, May 1, with Jonathan Alford. Showtime both nights is 7 p.m. and there is no cover.

Mondo American Beer Garden will have Vitamin Girl on Saturday, May 1, for a 7 p.m. show. The band features Ralph Cetola on guitar and his daughter Aria on vocals.

Imagery Estate Winery will have Jon Popenoe and his blues band on Saturday, May 1, for a 1 p.m. show.

Rue Manoche will be doing a double-header on Saturday, May 1, first at Landmark Winery and Vineyards for a 1 p.m. show then later that evening at the El Dorado Kitchen for a 6:30 p.m. show. That nights show will be the last for the EDK for the season.

Jess Petty and Ken Chambers will be starting their season at the Ledson Lounge on Friday, April 30. Petty sings and plays trumpet while Chambers holds down the piano duties. The duo focuses on jazz and the Las Vegas nightclub sounds of Sinatra and Bennett. They also take requests. Showtime is 6 p.m. and there is no cover.

Sonoma Springs Brewery will have Dan Martin on acoustic guitar tonight, April 30, for an evening of music that kicks off at 7 p.m.

The Maldonado Brothers will be providing the tunes at the gazebo in the Sonoma Marketplace on Saturday, May 1, as part of a benefit for the Relay for Life called “Paint the Town Purple.” The brothers will be laying down blues and classic rock from 1 to 4 p.m. The festivities will continue at Steiners Tavern later that evening at 7 p.m. with the Glenn Carter band.

Jewel Matheson will be back at the Park Point club on Sunday, May 2, for her class called “Sweat Your Prayers.” The class is focused on the 5Rythyms method of expression and movement. Her band the Rhythm Ride will be with her that day. To join the class and more info, call Jewel at 480-5639.

Murphy’s Irish Pub has the Whiskey Thieves tonight, April 30, for a 7 p.m. show. Saturday, May 1, brings in the sizzling licks of Andrew Freeman for a 7 p.m. start. Sunday, May 2, the pub has a classic Celtic pub jam that starts at 6 p.m. There is no cover for any of the shows.

Showcase the Band will on the road to Calistoga on Saturday, May 1, for the Tamale Festival starting at noon. They are back in town on Sunday, May 2, at Little Switzerland for a 5 p.m. show.

Tudo Bem will be on the road to Napa at the Oxbow Public Market tonight, April 30, to entertain the shopping crowd starting at 6 p.m.

The Jami Jamison band will be at the Redwood Cafe in Cotati tonight, April 30, for a 8 p.m. show. There is no cover.

David Thom will be laying down tunes with the rock legend Banana in San Rafael on Sunday, May 2, in the evening at the downtown plaza at 6 p.m. Banana is one of the founding members of the Youngbloods, along with Jesse Colin Young.

Natasha James is on the road to the Presidio Yacht club in Sausalito tonight, April 30, for an 8 p.m. show.