January 2003 Vol. 2, No. 4 SSttaarrss eeaarrnn tthheeiirr ...and Mickey Ratt would eventually become Autograph and RATT, respec-tively. During the ‘70s, his songs “For the Rest

Alternative country, Americana, roots,folk, gospel, and bluegrass music news

ROUBADOURSAN DIEGO

January 2003 Vol. 2, No. 4

TFREE

Welcome Mat………3Mail BoxMission StatementContributors

Full Circle.. …………4Douglas FoxworthyLou Curtiss

Front Porch…………6Chuck SchieleEast County Performing

Arts CenterDizzy’sPeter Sprague

Parlor Showcase...…8American Folk Singers

Highway’s Song... …10Harvey Reid

Ramblin’...…………11José SinatraPaul Abbott

Of Note.……………12Chuck SchielePeter SpragueHatchet BrothersWill RayCarter Family

‘Round About .......…13Local YokelsJanuary Music CalendarTroubadour Holiday Party

The Local Seen……15Photo Page

what’sinside

SSttaarrss eeaarrnn tthheeiirr ssttrriippeessTHE AMERICAN FOLK SINGERS

Tom Brosseau and Gregory PageHappy New Year!

Troubadour Showcase at

DIZZY’SThursday. February 13

7:30 p.m.

FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY

Robin HenkelSteve WhiteThe 7th Day BuskersKitchenfireFowl PlaySPECIAL GUESTS

José SinatraThe Truckee BrothersDerek Duplessie

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Phil Harmonic

Dizzy’s344 7th Avenue (between J and K Streets)Downtown, San Diego$8 coverArtists subject to changeFor more information: DizzysSanDiego.com

Robin Henkel

Steve White

7th Day Buskers

Kitchenfire Fowl Play

Alternative country, Americana, roots,folk, gospel, and bluegrass music newsTROUBADOURSAN DIEGO

3

welcome matwelcome mat

San Diego Troubadour • January 2003

PUBLISHERSLyle DuplessieThom Vollenweider

EDITOREllen Duplessie

GRAPHIC DESIGNLiz Abbott

PHOTOGRAPHYMildred MorenoFred Buckley

DISTRIBUTIONKent Johnson

ADVERTISINGEllen DuplessieKent Johnson

WRITERSLiz AbbottPaul AbbottEd BurnsLou CurtissEmily DavidsonEllen DuplessieLyle DuplessieBrian EhrenpreisPhil HarmonicRandy HoffmanJosé SinatraGus WillikerRobert Woerheide

Cover photograph of TomBrosseau and Gregory Page by Thom Vollenweider

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.

For editorial inquiries, email [email protected]. Foradvertising info, [email protected]. You can alsowrite to San Diego Troubadour,P.O. Box 164, La Jolla, CA 92038.

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.

University Heights Book GardenSummer’s MarketTwiggsUrban Grind

Adams AvenueDouble EagleFolk Arts Rare RecordsKen CinemaKensington CoffeeLestats CoffeehouseThe Ould Sod

North & South ParkBig KitchenClaire de LuneControversial BooksHouse of StringsM-TheoryNorth Park CoffeeParas News StandRebecca’s CoffeeSantosSunshine FoodsTurf Club

HillcrestBen and JerrysBountiful BooksBuffalo Exchange

Café on ParkDavid’s CoffeeFifth Ave. BooksThe Living RoomOff the RecordMusic Trader

Mid-townBlue GuitarCaffe ItaliaThe CasbahGelato Vera

DowntownCafé BassamCafé LuluCiné CaféDizzy’sPannikin CoffeePokez CaféS.D. City CollegeWahrenbrachs Books

ClairemontFred’s Repair ZoneGuitar TraderMesa College

CoastalBelly Up TavernBuffalo BrothersBuffalo Exchange

The BuffAtomic RagCafé CremaCafé ZanzibarCow RecordsGrove Café (UCSD)La Paloma TheaterLou’s RecordsMiracles CaféMoonlight MusicO.B. Peoples MarketPannikin Coffee (all)Pasta EspressoTower Records (both)UCSD Price CenterThe Wherehouse

East CountyAlan’s MusicBlue Meanie RecordsGolden Goose CaféGrossmont CollegeGuitar CenterMoze GuitarValley Music

College AreaApex MusicFreedom GuitarThe Living Room

North County (Inland)Bailey’s BarbecueBlue Horse MusicDaphne’sJulian CoffeehouseMetaphor CaféMom’s Apple PiePackard’sSan Marcos Guitar CenterThe WherehouseWynola Pizza Express

South BayMusic TraderSouthwestern CollegeSteamed Bean

CoronadoBay BooksCafé 134

Alternative country, Americana, roots,folk, gospel, and bluegrass music newsTROUBADOURSAN DIEGO

XXTTRREEMMEE CCOOUUNNTTRRYY RRAADDIIOO SSHHOOWW 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

Phil Harmonic Sez:“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart.Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

— Carl Jung

PICK UP THE SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR AT THESE LOCATIONSThe San Diego Troubadour is delivered to more than 150 locations throughout San Diego County, including most coffee houses,

libraries, record stores, and the ones below by the first of each month. Email [email protected] for more info.

Dear Friends, Recently I was handed a San

Diego Troubadour with the storyabout Chris Hillman. I grew upwith Chris (he was a couple ofyears behind me at San DieguitoHigh School in Encinitas) andremember him well, learning to(begin) to play the mandolinwhen at the time he was still liv-ing in “Rancho.”

I am interested in how I canget a copy of your paper. I neversee them in the North Countyarea. Can I get on a mailing listto receive copies each month?

Also, why, I wonder, is all the“stuff” happening in San Diego,East San Diego, etc.? Aren‘tthere any folk places in Northcounty? I’ve never found one.

It seems that the only place inNorth county that has to dowith any kind of traditionalmusic is Lou’s Records. Whydoesn’t someone with vision andcash open a great, creative FolkHouse and book traditionalmusic acts.

Please let me know. Thank youvery much.

Jens MorrisonOceanside

Dear Jens,I wish we knew the answer. It

probably has something to dowith the ca$h. We’ll just put thatquestion out to our readers andhope someone responds with anew North County venue.

Refer to the list below for thelocations in North County thatwe deliver to. If you don’t seeany, that means they all getsnatched up so fast!

The Editor

MAILBOX -

full circle

January 2003 • San Diego Troubadour

4

full circle

Catching Up with Douglas Foxworthyby Lyle Duplessie

Ifirst ran across a refer-

ence to Douglas

Foxworthy many years

ago while reading John

Rogan’s Timeless Flight: The

Definitive Biography of the

Byrds. In Rogan’s review of

the 1980 McGuinn, Clark,

and Hillman album, City,

he referred to Foxworthy as

Hillman’s “La Jolla neigh-

bor” who had cowritten the

song “Deeper In” with the

former Byrd. Late that year

his name appeared again on

the album McGuinn-

Hillman, having cowritten

“Mean Streets” and “Angel”

with Hillman. I was

intrigued by the local con-

nection and somewhat

cryptic reference to

Foxworthy as a collabora-

tive artist with Hillman, the

musical legend. But alas,

that was at least 15 years

ago when I first ran across

Foxworthy’s name, long

before the San Diego

Troubadour provided a rea-

son for investigating and

writing about this personal-

ity. By the time this publi-

cation began, I figured that

my opportunities for meet-

ing this individual had long

ago expired.

Just recently, however,

the Troubadour received a

correspondence from

Dottye Foxworthy, Douglas’

wife (see “Mailbox” in the

Sept.-Oct. issue). Out of

nowhere the opportunity

had arisen for me to meet

this gentleman and I was

elated!

Though Douglas

Foxworthy may have been a

mystery person to me, he

has been a known entity

locally, nationally, and

internationally in the music

entertainment industry for

the better part of 30 years.

Foxworthy’s familymoved to San Diego whilehe was still an infant. Helater attended ClairemontHigh School and San DiegoState. Demonstrating a giftfor poetry as a teenager, hetoured extensively through-out California, giving read-ings of his published worksalong the coffeehouse cir-cuit. Though not a musi-cian himself, he wasencouraged to write songsfor established artists. Hisfirst success came fromcowriting the song “HisOther Woman” with KerryChater, bass player for SanDiego’s Gary Puckett andthe Union Gap. The songcharted and was includedon the band’s gold album,The Best of Gary Puckett.

From this point

on, Foxworthy

became totally

immersed in the

music business. He soon

became a staff writer for

Welk Music Groups, Inc.

His tenure with Welk Music

as a songwriter and produc-

er netted six gold albums,

two gold singles, and 38

record releases in more

than 32 countries. At last

count, Foxworthy’s writing

and production skills have

been heard on over 20 mil-

lion sold records and over

20 gold and platinum

releases. His songs have

been recorded by a diverse

group of performers as far

ranging as Jennifer Warnes

and Janie Frickie to the

Captain and Tenille.

The latter part of the

‘70s and early ‘80s saw

Foxworthy as director of

creative services for Peters

Productions. As such, he

became a force in bringing

video production to a mass

audience just as its poten-

tial was first being realized.

In addition, he managed

recording studios and pub-

lishing subsidiary compa-

nies for Peters Productions.

The late ‘70s and early

‘80s also found Foxworthy

managing local bands that

went on to become major

acts. Peter Rabbitt

and Mickey Ratt

would eventually

become Autograph

and RATT, respec-

tively. During the

‘70s, his songs “For

the Rest of My Life”

and “Song for

Everybody” were

recorded on the

second KGB

Homegrown

album.

Foxworthy is

open and con-

genial though

very mercurial.

A modern ren-

aissance man of sorts, he’s a

difficult subject to write

about because of his far-

flung talents and accom-

plishments, any one of

which would be worthy of

an in-depth article. He’s a

visionary whose modus

operandi has been to create,

then wait for the world to

catch up with him. His

resume and discography

reveal his complex nature

as poet, artist, hi-tech wiz-

ard, and business person.

With a varied background

ranging from physics to

esoteric lyricist, to

telecommunications and

the mass-media, from play-

wright to producer, he’s

equally at home in an inti-

mate coffeehouse or at a

stadium rock show. Just call

him a man for all seasons.

To bring us up to the

present, Foxworthy fills his

days as chairman and CEO

of The T Channel, a locally

based Internet telecommu-

nications company. He

recently finished produc-

tion and writing chores for

up-and-coming teenage

diva, Perri, on her new CD,

The Shape I’m In. He contin-

ues to collaborate with

playwrights and authors,

writing lyrics for numerous

musical/theatrical produc-

tions, such as the play La

Jolla DNA. Along with Gary

Hyde, a long-time partner

with whom Foxworthy has

worked on numerous proj-

ects, he’s helping to show-

case Naked Songwriters at

Humphrey’s Backstage

Lounge, which promotes

local songwriting talent.

As mentioned before,

Douglas Foxworthy is a

man way ahead of his time.

Indeed, it took me at least

15 years to catch up with

this creative dynamo. But

the wait was worth it.

Douglas Foxworthy

Phot

o: M

illi

e M

oren

o

Hillman and McGuinn

California ArtsCouncil NeglectsRoots Artists

Well, I got the new2003-2004 Performing ArtsTouring Artists Directoryfrom the California ArtsCouncil, and as it has beenfor all these many, manyyears, there isn’t an artistthat I would want to per-form at the Adams Ave.Roots Festival. Consideringthat so many Californiaartists have appeared at theRoots Festivals over the past29 years, I think Kenny Hallis the only one who did,but he isn’t listed in thedirectory any more.

It seems to me thatCalifornia has such a richtradition, ranging from jazzand blues, country music,western swing, and all thevarying kinds of music thatcame out of Hollywoodmovies and television aswell as radio that theCalifornia Arts Councilshould have a folk-life divi-sion that includes advisorslike Chris Strachwitz ofArhoolie Records, Bruce “U.Utah” Phillips, Sam Hinton,Faith Petric, Hightonerecords’ Bruce Bromberg,Mary Catherine Aldin, andpossibly even myself. Suchpeople could recommendold timers and traditionalperformers who don’t havethe hustle to get listed in adirectory because that’swhat it takes. You eitherhave to have supporters oryou have to know how toplay the game. No politi-cian is going to go out ofhis or her way to help rootsmusic even though as theold fiddler ClaytonMacMichen once said,“There’s a hundred pair ofoveralls sold for each tuxe-do suit.” It’s those suit-wearin’ folk that impresspoliticians or at leastimpress the Arts Council

people, and roots music isprobably always going tobe the step-child of the arts.

Some of the people thatought to be listed in a folk-life division of the TouringDirectory include:Faith Petric: SanFrancisco’s long-timeFolksong Society leader andsong collector.Kenny Hall: Fresno’s pre-mier old-time country musi-cian and singer of songs,regular Roots Festival artistsince 1969.Tom Tomcat Courtney:Since the early ‘70s Tomhas been Waco, Texas’ giftto the San Diego bluesscene. He has taught hun-dreds of young musicians toplay the blues, many ofwhom have gone on tomake lots more money thanTom ever makes. Hedeserves a little recognition.Fred Gerlach: Fred hascarried on the tradition ofthe great 12-string guitaristLeadbelly. He also has cus-tom-built 12-strings and isan exciting, much-over-looked performer.

I can see this is a list thatcould go on for severalpages and then I’d have leftmany folks out. I’d includeLalo Guererro, RobertLowery, Sam Hinton,Johnny Walker, Jon Adams,Abu Talib, Bernie Pearl, JudyHenske, Sam Necocea andhis Western Playboys, MarkSpoelstra, Wayne Brandonand Clark Powell, LosAlacranes, Larry Hanks, CurtBouterse, and a whole lotmore.

I’d be glad to sit downand talk about Californiaroots musicians with artsfolks any time if someonewould only bother to ask.I’m ashamed of thisCalifornia Touring ArtistsDirectory. I see directoriesfrom West Virginia, NorthCarolina, and other stateswith a lot smaller budgetsto work with that don’t giveshort shrift to their tradi-tional music artists. Theyregard their old timers asnational treasures and seethat they get the respectthat is their due. It’s timeCalifornia traditional androots artists get that samerespect. One way to do thatis with a Folk-Life Division inthe Touring ArtistsDirectory. If you agree withme, why not drop a line oran e-mail to the CaliforniaArts Council at 1300 IStreet, Suite 930,Sacramento, CA 95814 (e-mail: www.cac.ca.gov). Thedirector’s name is BarryHessenius and the chair isBarbara George. The gover-nor’s name is Gray Davis,and a letter to him mightnot hurt either.

We’re coming up on our30th Adams Avenue RootsFestival at the end of April,and we can go on and dothe research and digging tofind artists to bring in as wealways have, but it’d surebe nice for once to openthat touring directory andfind a couple of artists that Iwanted to bring to our festival.

Recordially,

Lou Curtiss

5

full circlefull circle


Recordially, Lou Curtiss

Lou Curtiss

Judy Henske

Sam Hinton

Mark Spoelstra

Curt Bouterse

Chris Strachwitz

Robert Lowery

Kenny Hall

front porch


6

front porch

by Ed Burns

Idon’t associate courage andmusic much anymore.Daring statements – be they

personal or political or musicalor lyrical – seem to belong toanother era. In a musical cul-ture that’s more interested incommerce than art, there does-n’t seem to be much room forrisky personal music anymore.

Just don’t tell ChuckSchiele.

Schiele doesn’t care aboutall that. He is making music forlisteners. He’s not taking pollsor conducting radio research.

He’s recording what’s in hisheart, what’s on his mind.When he sings about spirituali-ty, you believe him. When hesings about soul, you know hehas one.

In his debut solo release,Chuck Schiele and TheMysterious Ways, Schiele stepsout with a sincere collection ofcatchy, intimate art. He’s readyto talk turkey, ready to showyou where he’s been and whyhe’s proud of it.

After years spent on theSan Diego music scene,fronting his band ModernPeasants and surviving some

unfortunate personal turns,Schiele took to spending mostof two years in a room – takinga personal time out to write.Drawing on his experiencestraveling the world, he foundhimself collecting odds andends of the music he found. Heuses those tones like spicesthroughout his songs, never toexcess, but as trimming to sup-port the songwriting.

With this effort, he hascreated a melting pot of stylesand flavors. Swinging betweenlilting percussion-drivenrhythms and intimate acousticportraits, each track feels warm

and . . . strangely sad.Independent of thelyrics there is amelancholy that per-meates the materialand, in an unexpect-ed way, this world-weary hopefulnessis the charm ofChuck Schiele andthe MysteriousWays. The sadnessbinds together thewide range of styles and influ-ences, giving it all a humannessthat is irresistible.

It’s easy to imagine thematerial in the hands of a less-

ertalent sliding offinto the land of pretense. ButSchiele takes good care tomake sure that he’s not preach-ing or pontificating. Each expe-rience is anchored in a familiarplace, and for all his insight,most of the conclusions are leftup to the listener.

Of course, what’s great forthe ear is tough on the review-er. Finding Schiele’s handle is acertain challenge. With a nodto Elliot Smith and Gary Jules,he has expanded the instru-mental palette, bringing inhints of Michael Hedges andPaul Simon. In fact, whensearching for a place to fileChuck Schiele and theMysterious Ways, Simon’sGraceland may be a nice studyguide. Much like that work,Schiele is laying introspectivepop over persistent and com-pelling rhythms.

It’s not flawless. There arerare moments where Schielejust tries to do too much withthe space he’s got. But even so,you feel good about the over-reach. You can see where he’sheaded, even when the songwon’t tolerate the load. Usually,the ambition seems effortless,working the complex rhythmsand life poems into a simplecohesive experience. And whenit’s really working, the resultsare astoundingly moving.

Chuck Schiele and his Mysterious WaysDaring Statements and Risky Mixes Showcase Schiele’s Musical Courage

by Liz Abbott

I n the midst nowof its 2002-2003Silver anniversary

Season, the East CountyPerforming Arts Center hasalready seen a stellar roster ofperformers over the past fewmonths. On November 24, for-mer San Diego Padre and tal-ented singer-songwriter TimFlannery played host at thefirst “Arts and Athletes” pro-gram, which included perform-ances by such notables as JackTempchin, Steve Poltz, EveSelis, and Willie Nelson.Working with ECPAC on anumber of children’s outreachprograms, Arts and Athleteswas designed to help childrenbecome more aware of the artsand also to send them the mes-sage that the arts are equally asimportant as athletics. Alsoparticipating in the evening’sprogram were baseball players-turned-artists Shawn Green,Dave Hanson, and JackMcDowell. Already $300,000has been raised for the project,some of which went into pro-

duction costs for the show.One of the highlights

of the holiday season was aperformance by LindaRonstadt on December 9who, along with the MariachiLos Camperos de Nati Cano,brought Mexican Christmastraditions to the San Diegoaudience with Mariachi musicand folklorico dancing.

The January line-up fea-tures several performances thatSan Diego Troubadour readerswill enjoy, including TheBrothers Four, Kathy Mattea,and an International GuitarNight. February’s scheduleincludes appearances by TheAssociation, Al Wilson, and theShirelles on Wednesday,February 5; Tim Flannery andFriends on Saturday, February8; Paul Anka on Thursday,February 13; Shawn Colvin onTuesday, February 18; and theBoys Choir of Harlem onWednesday, February 19.

Subscription and TicketingOptions

Design your own season sub-scription to see only the showsYOU want and receive multiple

ticket dis-counts. The more you

buy, the more you save! Groupdiscounts are also available.For details, look for the 2002-2003 season brochure, or visitThe East County PerformingArts Center’s website at:www.ecpac.com. The BoxOffice, located at 210 EastMain Street in El Cajon (619-440-2277), is open Mondaythrough Saturday 11 a.m.-4p.m. and is open until curtainon show days.

More Convenient OnlineTicketing

For your convenience this sea-son, the East CountyPerforming Arts Center intro-duces online ticketing throughits web site at www.ecpac.com.With no costly processing fees,what could be easier? The web

site is the place to learn moreabout the arts education pro-grams as well.

East County PerformingArts Center’s 2002-2003Silver AnniversarySeason

Linda Ronstadt, Jack Tempchinwith local artists, and WillieNelson were among the manywho have appeared at the EastCounty Performing Arts Center.

Chuck Schiele

Photo: Fred Buckley

Photography: Thom Vollenweider

by Randy Hoffman

I t is spare, inexpensiveand comfortable. Insteadof talking, patrons listen.

And if it’s running on the idealisticfumes of his youth, Chuck Perrindoesn’t care. Dizzy’s, the perform-ance space he has operated sinceApril of 2000, has refocused SanDiego’s sputtering jazz scene andis fast becoming a destination fororiginal performance of all kinds.

Located at the southern tip ofSeventh Avenue, Dizzy’s restfulinterior counters the flux of its EastVillage surroundings. To the east,the ballpark expansion rages. Tothe west, the hustle of theGaslamp rules. But beneath theopen-beamed ceilings and withinthe aging brick walls of a formerwarehouse, Perrin has factored outalcohol, television, neon, andother distractions common to localmusic venues, creating an atmos-phere as friendly to the audienceas it is to the performer. “Peoplecome into Dizzy’s because it’s notlike anyplace else,” he says.

To Perrin, the concept ofDizzy’s is not a new one. His mid-western college education wasfunded by three different coffee-houses he established in the1960s. “They were basically whatDizzy’s is now, a collective forartists, musicians, film and theaterpeople, as well as gathering placesfor people who had opinionsabout things,” he says. “The feel-ing of empowerment that ranthrough that is what I’ve tried torecapture.”

With the systematic closurein recent months of clubs in theSan Diego area that supported ajazz policy, Perrin found his ownperforming career, as well as thoseof several of his friends in the jazzcommunity, in a stiffening down-ward spiral.

“I’m a guitar player and song-writer, and it’s always been myvision to have the spontaneity andimprovisation of jazz thrust in withfolk music,”Perrin says, “but therewas no longer a place to do thatkind of stuff. The only way was tofind a place and set it up so peo-ple could perform.”

Perrin contacted Fritz Ahern,a friend whose family owns severalolder commercial spaces in thedowntown area.”He loves to turnthese spaces into things that can

be creative,” Perrin says. Originallypursuing a location in Little Italy,Perrin instead struck a deal for adusty storage room downtown. “Istarted looking at it like it was aclub, and man, it just hit meover the head! I sawwhat it could beright away.”

For thenext severalweeks, Perrinworked byhimself,cleaning andshaping theroom until itcould serve hisvision. “A lot ofpeople offered theirhelp,” he laughs, “butnobody showed up.”

Anxious to take the stage in aclub advertised as having “no lim-its,” local jazzers like PeterSprague, Gilbert Castellanos, andJaime Valle quickly found spots onthe calendar. When Perrin mixedthe stinging blues of guitarist BillyThompson and the bluegrassimprovisations of Sean and SaraWatkins (Nickel Creek) with the

adventurous efforts of songwriterslike Cindy Lee Berryhill, BerkleyHart, and Dave Howard, the cul-tural stew began to boil. Thoughthe performances are diverse instyle, Perrin insists that it is all

“jazz.”“Jazz is a state

of mind, rather thana specific type ofmusic. A jazzmusician issomeone wholives and createsin the moment.Dizzy’s is my way

of expressing thatin a more ostenta-

tious way.”Perrin’s agree-

ment with Ahern allows ahigh percentage of the admissionfee to go to the performers eachnight. Fixed at eight dollars formost shows, it is the club’s solesource of revenue. Refreshments,served quietly by Brenda Villegas,are made available at nominalcost. By the time the evening’sexpenses are met, there is little inthe way of money for the propri-etors to take home.

“These things are not donefor financial reasons,” the 56-year-old Perrin says, adding that hefinds ways to meet personalexpenses through various side ven-tures. Though he admits “heavinga sigh of relief each month whenevery bill gets paid,” he says thatlife as a musician has taught himto “live on that marginal fringe.”

“For me the sense of commu-nity among people, especiallymusicians and other artists, is real-ly important,” Perrin says. “Whatall musicians really want is some-one to say ‘I respect you.’ Whenthe musicians can be free, thenthe experience of the audiencecan be heightened enormously. It’sa magical situation.”

Dizzy’s is located downtownat 344 Seventh Avenue (betweenJ&K). Highlights for January andFebruary include:

Chris Stuart CD Release Party,January 12th, 7 p.m. (free).

Road Work Ahead, featuring JimPlank, Bob Magnusson, PeterSprague and Bill Mays. thereunion of one of San Diego’sgreat jazz adventures. January19th, 2 p.m.

Cool Club Quartet of San Diego,featuring Chris Vitas, BobMagnusson, Art Johnson and BobCartwright. Music in the traditionof Stephan Grappelli and DjangoReinhardt. Jan. 19th, 7 p.m.

Troubadour Showcase Night.Performers to be announced.February 13th.

CiCi Porter, February 19.

For a complete schedule and moreinformation, visitDizzysSanDiego.com. All ages arewelcome.

7

front porchfront porch


Artists Jazzed About Dizzy’s

“Jazzis a state of

mind, rather than aspecific type of music. .. . Dizzy’s is my way of

expressing that in amore ostentatious

way.”

by Robert Woerheide

Alot of musicians talk aboutfusing different styles ofmusic, about merging jazz

with folk, or new age forms withclassical ones. But guitarist PeterSprague is doing more than talk-ing, he’s succeeding—creatingand existing in the kind of musicaltemporality few ever achieve.

If you’ve got some time, Peterwill tell you all about his philoso-phies on life. The conversationmight begin with his most recentrelease, Blurring the Edges:Sombra, but before long it mightjust as easily evolve into a discus-sion of surfing, yoga, or Peter’slong and interesting musical jour-ney. Perhaps it is his friendly out-look on life that infuses his musicwith a distinctive passion, or per-haps it is his respect for the veryprocess of musical creation itself.Whatever special ingredient it isthat distinguishes his music, it’s aningredient of central importance—regardless of what narrow cate-gorization we might apply to hismusical style.

At his SpragueLand studioyou’ll find Peter fulfilling the dutiesof musician, producer, arranger,and engineer. He’s as busy creat-ing music today as he has beenfor all his adult life, and his list ofaccomplishments is anything butsparse: the five San Diego-basedawards he’s received over the last14 years include Best MainstreamJazz Artist at the 2000 San DiegoMusic Awards. With 14 albumsreleased, and having worked onmore than a hundred recordingsto date, it is clear that Peter isdriven to make music. And he’snot stopping there; instead he’scontinuing to redefine the role ofthe guitar in contemporary jazz.His technique is the result of hisinnovative guitar philosophies,developed in accord with saxo-phone, trumpet, and piano tech-niques that have long dominatedjazz. He’s got the credentials too,having taught guitarists at boththe Musicians Institute inHollywood and the CaliforniaInstitute of the Arts in LosAngeles.

Peter’s band, Blurring theEdges, is aptly named. Their mostrecent release continues the kind

of musical experimentation thatmarked their self-titled first album,an album that earned the awardfor Best Jazz Recording at the1994 San Diego Music Awards.Blurring the Edges draws inspira-tion from Flamenco, jazz, samba,pop, East Indian, and Latin stylesas if to say: these are places welove and these are places we letour sound travel. And travel itdoes, transporting listeners to amusical realm hitherto unexploredbut soon appreciated.

Today the music PeterSprague produces is released onhis SBE recording label, anacronym meaning Striving toBreak Even—a clue that to Peter,music is about more than makingmoney. Working hard in the studio,and continually performing at ven-ues throughout the greater SanDiego area, Peter Sprague is thekind of musician whose valuecan’t be ignored—a musical opti-mist at heart. This is what musicshould be about: creating andappreciating forms and styles;striving to give something back, toassist in the evolution of music;and ignoring preconceptions whileblurring boundaries.

Peter Sprague: Boundaries Blurred

Chuck Perrin

Phot

ogra

phy:

Ell

en D

uple

ssie

full circle

parlor showcase


8

parlor showcase

by Emily Davidson

pon moving to SanDiego in April of thisyear, I brought withme, among otherthings, a passion for

music and a desire for change. Myfirst days here were lonely andwhen I stumbled upon theAmerican Folk Singers, I foundsomething easily relatable that con-jured up a feeling of home. I satdown recently with Gregory Pageand Tom Brosseau to discuss theircollaborative efforts as theAmerican Folk Singers as well astheir solo work.

Emily Davidson (to TomBrosseau): I read recently that youmight move to Boston. Is this true?

TB: Yes, I’ll probably go there.Atthe time (when the article was writ-ten), I was thinking about differentplaces I could go where my musicmight be received a little betterbecause it seems that not a lot ofpeople out here care for the melan-choly stuff. I just said Bostonbecause it is the first and only placethat has really taken to some of mystuff.

For those of you who haven’theard,Tom just finished severalshows in the Boston area openingfor Juliana Hatfield. As an addedincentive, the American Folk Singershave been receiving airplay thereon local college radio stations andhave generated a number of CDsales. Says Tom,“There’s more folkmusic history and the singer-song-writer stuff in Boston.The collegeradio stations promote a lot of thesinger-songwriters and they’realways playing their stuff. People lis-ten to it. It’s a great tool.”

ED (to Gregory Page):You havesuch a strong musical history andso many records to your credit.What’s next?

GP: In general…recording.That’s apassion of mine as much as writingis. Playing live sort of feels like

penance. Sometimes, you go out andyou can tell it’s going to be a weirdsituation. I don’t really see myselfgoing out in residency and tryinghard to build a fan base at thispoint. I just see myself continuing torecord and release albums and even-tually I’d love to have somebodycome along and help support thelabel that I started in 1994 calledBedpan Recordings, which is hometo the Hatchet Brothers, JoséSinatra,Tom’s three albums, and mynine albums. It’s a catalog of inde-pendent releases.

ED: Are there plans for recordinganother American Folk Singersalbum?

TB/GP: Yes, volume II.And we’llprobably record it in the same fash-ion.

The American Folk Singersdebut album was recorded withintwo days in Gregory’s living roomthrough an old phonograph. SaysTom,“I think that works well for themusic that we’re doing, the musicformat.A lot of times you hear thesefolk albums, the new ones, andthey’re so clean and clear and it’s awhole studio thing.We’re comingfrom a different place.”

ED: Do you plan on recording morecovers or will there be more origi-nals by the two of you on the nextalbum, or both?

TB/GP: We’d like to be able to dosome more original stuff.Therewere ten songs on the first album;eight of them were old traditionalstandards. But we got a lot of com-ments on the original compositionsin particular. People asked us to doan album like those songs and thatfeedback was real promising.

Gregory stated,“It’s been a real-ly prolific year for both of us in thesense that by the end of the year,we will have each released fouralbums. If we were signed to a labelthere’s no way (that would hap-

pen).We’d be waiting for space,recording (time). Music shouldn’tbe confined to quarters, it shouldbe whenever you feel it.” In askinghow they choose their songs bothGregory and Tom gave homage toLou Curtiss who they consider tobe their musical advisor.

When asked about local per-formers they admire, both Tom andGregory mentioned Carlos Olmeda.Another name cited was Lilla

Downs. Says Gregory:“My favoriteshow to date is one that I saw thisyear at the Adams Avenue Street Fairby this woman named Lilla Downs.It was so mesmerizing, so indescrib-able. I wanted to leave half waythrough the show so I could writebecause I was so filled with inspira-tion.Very rarely have I ever left ashow wanting to write.”

ED: What would like you like to seehappen in music the next year?

The American Folk Singers: Tom Brosseau and Gregory Page

U

30th Annual Adams Avenue Roots Festival

9

parlor showcaseparlor showcase


SSttaarrss eeaarrnn tthheeiirr ssttrriippeessTHE AMERICAN FOLK SINGERSTB: I always want to say that I wishpeople would get involved and sup-port local music but that soundsvery arrogant. I just think it shouldbe on people’s minds to providelocal support, not just in music.There’s a lot of talent out there andto progress as an artist it takes peo-ple coming out to see you.

GP: The thing that I’ve always saidto myself at the start of a show is Iwish there were 20 more peoplehere. It’s almost like a mantra.Youalways want 20 more people in theroom.

I’ve been in San Diego since 1976and I’ve seen lots of different scenescome in and out. I would like to seefewer DJs and disco techs and more

by Liz Abbott

Thanks to the tireless efforts of

John and Alan Lomax, who traveled to

the far corners of the United States

during the 1920s and 1930s to collect

songs, the genre of American Folk

Music was born, making its way into

the mainstream, where it gained an

appreciative audience. Armed with just

a tape recorder, the Lomaxes went to

work camps, honky tonks, peniten-

tiaries, railroad gangs, churches, and

hundreds of homes around the country

to interview and record men and

women who shared the music, songs,

and stories they grew up with.

Although such music may have existed

within a particular part of the country

for a long time, chances are the songs

would have faded into oblivion. As pri-

marily an oral tradition, folk music had

been handed down from generation to

generation, and with each retelling a

song might morph into something

entirely different to reflect a new cir-

cumstance or replace something out-

dated. Radio was just becoming popu-

lar when the Lomax embarked on their

mission, which helped the music later

reach the masses. Folk music is by def-

inition music of the people and

American Folk Music is a living testa-

ment to the travails of the common

man. It not only celebrates the rich cul-

tural heritage of our forefathers, but

folk music also depicts a way of life as

told in hundreds of songs collected

from people of many walks of life,

social strata, and occupations. Within

the vast body of American Folk Music,

you’ll find a large number of subcate-

gories. There are the cowboy songs that

tell of trail driving, hard living, and

loneliness; sea shanties describing the

power of the sea, the hunt for whales,

and drunken sailors; songs of the

working man engaged in backbreaking

and sometimes dangerous physical

labor; religious spirituals meant to

bring comfort in a punishing world,

healing to the sick and hurting, or joy

in praising God; love songs; songs

about heroes and brave men; and bal-

lads of soldiers gone off to war.

Regardless of what kind of folk

song it is, the commonality of human

experience described in the lyrics

makes this kind of music appealing to

most everyone. And it is good to know

that the American Folk Singers contin-

ue to carry on the tradition.

What Is American Folk Music?

Alan Lomax, 1942

live music. But that sounds like I’mliving in a cave because that’swhere the money is. Some of thebiggest nights that the Casbah orLive Wire has, or downtown wherethey’re lining up outside of clubs,are to listen to records to dance to.

Tom’s thoughts on finding youraudience and folk music:“They’reout there somewhere. Maybe it’s

just the notion of you have to findyour audience. Sometimes youraudience finds you and sometimesyou just have to find your audience.I think a lot of times when peoplehear the word folk music they thinkof Pete Seeger or maybe Bob Dylanand Joan Baez and that’s as far astheir knowledge goes back. But itgoes past Woody Guthrie. It’s beenaround a long time.And it’sAmerican. It tells a great story and Ithink that anybody who comes tosee us could identify with thesongs.”

If you’ve never seen the AmericanFolk Singers and you’re interested inlearning more about folk music,come out to Twigg’s on January 24for their CD release party. Both indi-vidually and as a duo,Tom Brosseauand Gregory Page represent thebest of what good local music isabout.

www.tombrosseau.com

www.gregorypage.com

-- SSAAVVEE TTHHEE DDAATTEE!! AAPPRRIILL 2266--2277,, 22000033Mark your calendars for the 30th Annual Roots Festival.Lou Curtiss and the Roots Festival planners are planning a special festival thisyear to mark its 30th anniversary. A celebration of our musical heritage, thefestival features a diverse range of traditional music, including bluegrass, folk,country, cowboy, and blues, performed by more than 30 local and nationalartists on six stages on Adams Ave. in the heart of Normal Heights.

the highway’s songthe highway’s song


10

by Ellen Duplessie

So often when we readthe bio of an artist, welearn about the many

musical influences fromfamily and friends duringthe early years of life. Rarelydo we hear of someone likeHarvey Reid who had verylittle musical direction fromhome. However, he wasobviously born with aninnate musical gene thatwould propel him through-out his life into thatinescapable vocation thatwe call “musician.”

In fact, Reid proved tobe even more than a musi-cian, according to our gen-eral understanding of theterm, as basically “one whoplays music.” Coming froman academic family, he wasexpected to go to college,and so he did, studyingabstract mathematics and

French. Reid graduatedMagna cum Laude, honinghis left-brain intellectualskills, which, combinedwith his love of music,would lead to his inventionof the partial capo. Movingto Nashville in 1979,Harvey Reid founded theThird Hand Capo Companyand published A NewFrontier in Guitar, a bookthat is the first documentedwork on the partial capo.

Up until this point,from his birth in 1954 inthe high desert of ruralCalifornia, during his earlychildhood years in NewMexico and Michigan, andinto those formative yearsas a teen in the singer/song-writer-rich WashingtonD.C. area, music hadalready cast its spell uponhim. Though he came froma non-musical family, his

mother’s love of folk andclassical music and themusic playing on the radioduring the ‘60s exposedhim to sounds that becamean unavoidable part of hislife.

Takingup folkguitar atage 14,he beganwritingfrom thestart,playingandsingingwithfriendsyet withno planswhatso-ever tobecome amusician. Things changedhowever when the now-leg-endary WHFS radio inBethesda, Maryland, intro-duced him to Americanroots music. He recalls lis-tening to hours and hoursof music on this station,absorbing the music andeven researching Americanacoustic music at the locallibrary and record stores.

His course was was set.Harvey Reid was destined towrite, play, sing, and per-form music for the rest ofhis life. He has supportedhimself as a musician eversince college. Reid played

the blue-color folkcircuit inNewHampshire,formed hisown HarveyReid band,and playedwith a coun-try-rockgroup calledthe RainbowRiders inNorthVirginia. Heis the authorof the 320-

page book,Modern Folk Guitar, whichbecame the first collegetextbook on folk guitar.After winning the 1981National Finger PickingGuitar Competition, he hadthe opportunity to recordhis first LP, Nothing ButGuitar.

Since 1984 Reid hasreleased a series of record-ings that have brought him

increased attention in theacoustic music world. The1989 release of his CD SoloGuitar Sketchbook haslaunched his career as anational artist.

He now travels through-

out the U.S. and abroad,

performing at concerts and

festivals. We are most fortu-

nate that he has made San

Diego one of his stops this

month. Be sure to catch his

show on January 10 at the

charming Carlsbad Village

Theater. Phone (760) 729-

0089 for ticket information.

Harvey Reid: Traveling TroubadourMakes the Trek to San Diego

Harvey Reid

“[Reid] is the

author of the

320-page book,

Modern Folk

Guitar, which

became the first

college textbook

on folk guitar.”

!

11

ramblin’ramblin’


Every year technologymakes new things possible.In the world of music thisis most evident in therecording sector of theindustry. In the early 1980sdigital recording startedmaking its way into profes-sional studios, and by theearly 1990s it had becomeaffordable enough forhome-based studios.Today, with a few thou-sand dollars it’s possible tomake recordings at yourhome that rival profession-al studios: if you knowhow to use the equipment.The problem is, most peo-ple don’t.

When I listen to record-ings, the thing that almostalways gives away amateurefforts is the overuse ofreverb. Reverb as anabused effect has lead tothe degradation of morerecordings than I care (oram able) to list. When I satdown to think about whythis is, only one answercame to my mind: insecu-rity.

We’re all insecure (yes,even artists). And we usedifferent means to hidethis fact. Small dogs barkloud, middle-aged mendrive fast sports cars, andmusicians give everythinga healthy lacquer ofreverb. Like dogs and mid-dle-aged men, a musician’sdesire to appear largerthan life isn’t necessarily a

bad thing. However, afaçade doesn’t change theintegrity of a structure . . .only temporarily hides it.

Regardless of how onechooses to record, thepoint is to communicate amessage through sound. Ifaudio is not well recorded,no amount of processingcan make it good. An anal-ogy I like to use is cooking.Salt can do a lot to bringout the flavor of a well-cooked meal. But noamount of spice can makebad food taste good.

A new year is upon us.And about this time mostpeople start puttingtogether a list of resolu-tions. Well go ahead, scrib-ble away: 99 percent of uswon’t make it past March.But if you’re a musicianand are really looking for aresolution to make a differ-ence in your recordings,I’ve got a challenge foryou: quit abusing technol-ogy.

Resolution forthe New Year

Paul Abbott

by Paul Abbott

Hosing Downby José Sinatra

While researching myproposed biography of the“forgotten” Osmond brother,Dwanell, I became struck bythe unbending decency anddecorum the mysterioussuperstar has always exhib-ited amid all that dazzlingfame. My admiration, how-ever, became punctured byan annoying sliver of sad-ness: as time booty-dancesby, show business seems tocontain fewer and fewerstars who possess thevirtues and integrity thatcelebrities like Dwanell andmyself have always embod-ied. In fact, at no time inhuman history have somany celebrities dishonoredtheir lofty positions asthey’ve done in just the pastcentury or so.

The cultural gods andgoddesses of our societytoo frequently forget that analmost supernatural dignityis even more important arequirement of the job thanshielded narcissism. Whenicons debase themselvesand behave like most aver-age people, the truly decentfew of us remaining hurry tothe communal celebritypond to gaze at our reflec-tions and try to will awaythoughts of a fearfuldrought, with public wor-ship and jealousy of us dry-ing up—our two mostessential vitamins blowingaway in the winds of aworld that might neverknow how much we cher-ished presiding over it. Orhow much we sometimesreally cared.

Forgive me. I must take amoment to compose myself.

Thank you.What follows now is

intended for chicks only.

Sorry guys, it’s a v-thing.You wouldn’t understand.(Go out and cheat on yourlady again like you told meyou always love to do. Later,dude.)

Darling, I’d like to putinto words how torturouslygrateful I am nearly everyhour of most days for beingable to share my integrity,my sensitivity with you. Yes,you. I’d love to make youunderstand how importantyou have become in my life .. . What it really means tofeel your eyes gliding alongmy paragraphs, seeking theclimax and release of thefinal words. But, sweet dar-ling honeydew, I simplyhaven’t the space.

Oh, you’re blushing. Do Iembarrass you? Or is it thatother unique and rosybloom that sometimesappears like a halo on theskin of one who yearns tocouple with me? How lovely— the fiery glow of thoseelegant embers that areyour cheeks, your lips, yourshoulders, your naughtybits. I blush as well now, atmy delicately poetic frank-ness. But since I know did-dly squat about your history,allow me to retreat to theoriginal freaking point ofthis month’s column.

Far too many robes offame are being stained byhot shots who forget theirstation in life and begin tomimic the absurd behaviorpatterns to which averagepeople are genetically pre-disposed.

Item: Seattle is not inMontana. Axel Rose (BillBaily): Won’t you comehome to Paradise City? Finda school and take a fifth-grade geography course.And have your teachershow you what wrist watch-

es and clocks are for. Goodluck with the tour.

Fight ‘em: Diversionarytactics. They’re so not new.Sean (Sue Ann) Penn’sabsurd flirtation with globaldiplomacy is simply amoronic attempt to have usforget the fact that he is astrung-out pot head (a sadfact, irrefutably proven inthe still-popular 20-year-olddocumentary filmed atRidgemont High when hehappened to be a studentthere).

Bite ‘em: In researchingher role for that eagerlyawaited (and as yet uncon-ceived) movie, everythingWynona Ryder (Horowitz)needed to learn about drug-addled thieves she couldhave gleaned during a sim-ple phone chat with the CEOof just about any recordcompany, movie studio, orradio station in America.

So as I appeal to fellowstars to look up the word“pride” somewhere, I findmy own begin to swellanew, and a tingling sunsettickles my celebrity skin.Even Dwanell Osmond can’ttouch the blush of my ownembarrassed arousal . . .the ruddy rose of the Hose . . . which I surrenderto only you.

The inimitable Mr. Sinatra

12


of noteof note

ChuckSchieleChuck Schiele andthe MysteriousWaysby Phil Harmonic

There are many distinct char-acteristics that define a greatsongwriter — some who writeclever lyrics with catchy riffs andmelodies (Ric Ocasek of TheCars) and some who have acommand of the vernacular,along with a deep, heart-feltdesire to send a message tomankind through meaningful,thoughtful, spiritual lyrics of life’sexperiences (Cat Stevens).Chuck Schiele falls into the lattercategory. On his new self-titledCD, Chuck Schiele and theMysterious Ways, his lyrics, com-bined with an up-beat eclecticmusical style, beget qualitysongs for the thinking man. Youread the lyrics simultaneouslyalong with the song. You do thisa few times as you would apoem to get the full meaningand impact of the song. Qualitymusic requires many listeningsto fully appreciate it. Schiele’smessage is clear in songs such as“Naked” and “I Remain” andalso “Higher Ground.” He tookthe road to find out.

There are also four instrumen-tals interlaced throughout theCD that allow the listener tobetter absorb the lyrics from theprevious track. Besides the mes-sage, profound and human, themusic bounces and jumps out atyou. It contains an essence thatis pleasant and very listenable.To quote Chuck Schiele, “Itkeeps me reaching for higherground.”

PeterSprague andBlurring theEdgesSombraby Phil Harmonic

Back in the late ‘70s, the jazzscene in San Diego was smallbut on the verge of a comeback.Joe Marillo initiated shows at theCatamaran in Pacific Beach,which brought many jazz greatsto town. You might have beenlucky enough to catch DanielJackson at the Crossroads (cor-ner of Fourth and MarketStreets). Or, if you preferred gui-tarists, I recall three who wereincredible: Bill Coleman, PatKelly, and Peter Sprague. Ofthose three, Peter Sprague stilldelights local audiences with hisvirtuosity. It used to amaze methat I could go to a little NorthPark coffee shop, DrowsyMaggie’s, and hear, for free bythe way, Peter Sprague perform-ing quality jazz of the highestlevel compared to anyone I hadheard up to that time. Lucky forus, Sprague has remained alocal, and along with friends andfamily, has put together thegroup Blurring the Edges. Theirlatest CD, titled Samba meaning“shade” in Spanish, has an inter-national feel that is created bymeshing together the musicalcharacteristics of jazz, pop,samba, flamenco, and celtic. Thefusion is truly eclectic.

Sprague is joined by FredBenedetti also on guitar; TrippSprague on flute, reeds, har-monica, and synthesizers; andHall Sprague on percussion. I lis-ten with the sound turned uphigh as I clean and putz aroundthe house, and to my astonish-ment, I’m doing the bossa novaand I don’t even know how todance!

Will RayMojo Bluesby Brian R. Ehrenpreis

So I’m driving out to Vegas,with my long-time companionBelinda Carioca at my side. LittleFeat was on the rack, singingabout shady characters andsleazy women, and Belinda, asusual, was in a bad mood andwanted to share it with me.

Belinda decided to put theseat back and pretended tosleep, her silver loop earringstwinkling in the moonlight.

I’m already sick of the Feat, soI crank in a new CD I’d pickedup called Mojo Blues by Will Ray,a brilliant guitarist andHellecaster mainstay. I’d heardthis guy play many times, butnever in a blues context andnever as a solo act. I slipped itinto the CD player and settledback for the long drive toNevada.

First song is called “Wait aMinute.” There’s nothing like ahot blues shuffle to wake you upand get the juices flowing, it isperfect road music. I wasinstantly energized, and Inoticed Belinda stirring next tome. The guitar was blazing, aswas the harp. The next song,“Santa Cruzin’,” finished me off.Man, does it swing. In additionto Ray’s guitar, the song featuressome hot playing by Emmet RayJr., Will’s cousin or sister or both.Belinda was now awake and seatdancing, her bad mood gone.The third song, called “Bad BadDay,” is a sensuous minor-keyslow blues and did nothing tohurt the mood in my car.

The songs on this record arevaried and interesting, with dif-ferent rhythms and tones thatkeep it fresh. And the guitarplaying is sensational, an eclecticcombination of straight blues,jazz, swing, and a little RoyBuchanan thrown in for goodmeasure.

“I Hate My Day Job” featuresa solo by John Jorgenson, anoth-er Hellecaster guitarist who playsin Elton John’s band now. Thetraditional “Shenandoah” ishighlighted by a soulful lead gui-tar by Ray and an odd acousticrhythm by tee-shirt maven BillHerzog. “Oh Me, Oh My” is areggae-flavored tune in whichWill shows off his vocal chops.

When we arrived, the musicwas humming in my brain andhas been ever since.

The HatchetBrothersLove Hurtsby Lyle Duplessie

What a great band theHatchet Brothers are! After lis-tening to Love Hurts, it just con-firms again that we in San Diegohave something very special inthese guys.

The Hatchet Brothers have gotall the basics of the concept of“roots” covered. The impressionone gets from listening to this11-song CD is that the HatchetBrothers are rooted in roots.They’ll take you to Bakersfieldwith Haggard’s “The Bottle LetMe Down” and Buck’s “Streetsof Bakersfield.” Then they’ll takeyou across the great pond witha very angry “Pair of BrownEyes.” They’ve got the neo-folkbase covered with Neil Young’s“Albuquerque.” They reach backa ways with the F.&B. Bryantclassic “Brand New Heartache.”Ol’ G.P. would be proud of themwith their renditions of “You’reStill on My Mind.” They’ve gotthe the traditional “When WillWe Be Married?” souped up andsmoking.

Yes, there are a lot of coversongs on this CD, but that’s allright, particularly if you’re aHatchet Brothers fan.

True to the West Coast tradi-tion of brash and in-your-facecow punk, the band certainlycaptures that attitude. TheHatchet Brothers are also a fun,enjoyable band. This is whatmakes them and this CD socool.

Carter Familyby Lou Curtiss

This Has Been a Year forCarter Family Collectors

In the Shadow of ClinchMountain

First Bear Family gave us Inthe Shadow of Clinch Mountain, a12-CD box set with a 220-pagebook that includes well over 300recordings, reflecting thegroup’s influence on Americanmusic. Featured are the Victor,ARC, and Decca recordings andtheir 1939 Associated Radiotranscriptions plus interviewswith Maybelle and Sara from the1960s. The book, which is price-less, contains snapshots, wordsto every song, a discography,and notes on all the sessions.The amount of work that wentinto this set is mind-boggling,and its release is truly a majormusical event.

Will You Miss Me When I’mGone?

If that isn’t enough, you surehave to have Mark Zwenitzer’sbook Will You Miss Me When I’mGone? (Simon & Schuster,2002), a fascinating work withlots of first-hand research on allthe members of the CarterFamily. This book covers thefamily from their discovery byRalph Peer in 1927 to their finalefforts in the 1950s, and on intothe various efforts of Maybelleand her daughters. The bookgets a little more into the per-sonal life of A.P. and Sara as theydiscuss the strange forces thatled to their divorce. It also dis-cusses A.P.’s friendship withblack guitarist Leslie Riddle andlater bluegrass musician BillClifton. This is fine reading in abook that Carter family fans willfind hard to put down.

Advertise your new CDs orCD Release Parties in theTroubadour! It’s a way toget the word out and it’scheap! Only $35 for a busi-ness card size. Email: [email protected] toreserve a space and formore info.

HEYKIDS!

13


‘round about‘round about

by Gus T. Williker

The year is comin’ to a close,but did ya enjoy my purdy prose? Wus it good fer you,or ya thunk it blew?

I’m not the resolution sortaguy, but I do see the value insum year-end feedback. I NEEDit. Does “Local Yokels” suck?Should I stick to arousin’ peoplethru extremely erotic fotos ofmyself posted on the WorldWide Web? Are you a regularreader who can’t make it thruthe month without Metamuciland MY column? Or, could yatake it or leave it like a free canof Koozie (from K-mart? If I don’tgit any e-mail, I’ll assume thatyou’d rather watch Anna eatcupcakes. [email protected]

Begin the new year with thebizarre. Unknown Hinson isplayin’ the Belly Up Tavern onThursday, January 2, and he’s

crazier than crashin’ a PETAparty wearin’ a platypus pelt.He’s sum cracked country to beshore, but he’s damn, damnfunny. Reverend Horton Heatheadlines.

InCahoots launches its ThursdayRock-A-Billy and BluegrassMusic Nite this month. They’replannin’ to have live music too. Isay it’s a “two-step” in the rightdirection! (uh...are my bad jokesgonna affect yer year-endappraisal?!)

Hot Rod Lincoln’s played TioLeo’s Lounge so much, I can’tpicture ‘em without a tortilla chipin my hand. I better git ready ferbeer nuts when they play theKensington Club on Friday,January 3. Ghost Town is giggin’thar that nite too.

Devil Doll is comin’ to town,mid-town ta be precise, onFriday, January 10. This hot ‘nsassy gal does more than just

swing; her band really bouncesfrom style to style, but alwayskeeps it tight. She’s got a CD out,called Queen of Pain, and youcan find out more by goin’ towww.devil-doll.com. She’ll beappearin’ alongside Deadboltand Red Eye Gravy at theCasbah.

From the queen of pain to thequeen of rockabilly...WandaJackson will be at Tio Leo’sLounge on Thursday, January 23.The Cadillac Angels, and theever-present Hot Rod Lincolnare also on the bill.

The American Folk Singers —Gregory Page and Tom Brosseau... whut’s the chance you didn’tkno’ that? — have a CD outcalled Music from the Bad OldDays. They cover standards like“Mule Skinner Blues” and“Tennessee Waltz.” Pick up acopy at thar Twiggs Tea &Coffee show on Friday, January

24 (Mail it to: Gus, po box 90233,San Diego, CA, 92169).

And finally, the Paladins, JesseDayton and Mike Barfield are atthe Casbah on Thursday,January 30. This is all-star talenthere, so I really expect ya to go,but if yer po’, stand outside thedo’, but don’t git slammed on thetoe.*

xoxo,Gu$www.WhiteHotTrash.com

*The San Diego Troubadourdoes NOT support the use of fla-grantly awful rhymes and/orpoetry. The author takes fullcredit for this crap. We hadnothing to do with it.

Local YokelsA HAYSEED’S MUSIC PICKS FOR JANUARY

Gus Williker, the “Sexiest Man Alive,”according to the media.

WRITERS WANTED!

Do you know about agood artist, musician,or band? Write about

them for the S.D. Troubadour and

get the word out! Email us at

[email protected]

Thom Vollenweider with RobertWoerheide and fiancee

Patrick Dennis, Jim McInnes, Jeff Berkley

Mark Jackson, Laurie and Peter Bolland,Chuck Schiele

14


JANUARY MUSIC CALENDAR

thursday • 2Bitty Bums/Tom Bowles, Twiggs,8:30pm.

friday • 3Tom Bowles/3 Simple Words,Twiggs, 8:30pm.

Carlos Olmeda, Lestats, 9pm.

Blue Rockit, Tio Leos, 9pm.

Berkley Hart, Whistle Stop,South Park, 9pm.

Bluegrass Open Mic, KaraokeStyle, Round Table Pizza, 1161 E.Washington, Escondido. Call 760/726-8380 for more info.

saturday • 4The Enchanted, Lestats, 9pm.

Tom Corley, Twiggs, 8:30pm.

friday • 10Kerrie Caldwell/Robert Spencer,Twiggs, 8:30pm.

Carlos Olmeda, Lestats, 9pm.

Kitchenfire, The Field, 9pm.

saturday • 11Kev, Lestats, 8pm.

Louise Taylor, San DieguitoUnited Methodist Church,7:30pm. Reservations: 858/566-4040.

Patrick Dennis/Lisa Lander/Adam Orr, Twiggs, 8:30pm.

Gregory Page & Guests, Millie’sHouse Concert, 8pm. Call858/531-1357.

Blue Rockit, Seaport Village, 1-4pm.

sunday • 12Chris Stuart & Back Country CDRelease, Dizzy’s, 5pm.

tuesday • 14Muriel Anderson, Twiggs,8:30pm.

wednesday • 15Andrew Beacock, Lestats, 8pm.

thursday • 16Bitty Bums/Tom Bowles/ Noonie& the Nictones, Twiggs, 8:30pm.

friday• 17Peter Sprague & Friends,Dizzy’s, 8:30pm.

Lou Curtiss’ Roots Showcase,Lestats, 7pm.

Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo,Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge,7pm.

The Prince Myshkins, Twiggs,8:30pm.

saturday • 18Celia Lawley, Breakfast Show atIndian Wells RV Park, 47-340Jefferson St., Indio, CA, 9:15-10am. Call 760/347-0895 for info.

Middle Earth, Twiggs, 8:30pm.

Celia Lawley, Happy WandererRV Park, 84-250 Indian SpringsDr., Indio, CA, 9:15-10am. Call760/342-2159 for info.

The Brothers Four, East CountyPerforming Arts Center, El Cajon.Call for info.

sunday • 19The Prince Myshkins, Twiggs,8:30pm.

John McCutcheon, San DieguitoUnited Methodist Church,7:30pm. Reservations: 858/566-4040

The Hank Show, A tribute toHank Williams, Cask & CleaverRestaurant, 3757 S. Mission Rd.,Fallbrook. Call 760/728-2818 forreservations.

monday • 20Edgar Cruz/Christopher Dean,Valley Music, El Cajon, 7:30pm.Call 444-3161 for info.

tuesday • 21Jason & Jane, Twiggs, 8:30pm.

thursday • 23Bitty Bums/Tom Bowles/ JimBianco, Twiggs, 8:30pm.

friday • 24Carlos Olmeda, Lestats, 9pm.

The American Folk Singers,Twiggs, 8:30pm.

The Chieftans, California Centerfor the Arts, Escondido. Call forinfo.

saturday • 25Saba/Tom Corley, Twiggs,8:30pm.

Phil Christie, San DieguitoUnited Methodist Church,7:30pm. Reservations: 858/566-4040

Kathy Mattea, East CountyPerforming Arts Center, El Cajon.Call for info.

thursday • 30Bitty Bums/Tom Bowles/ JimBianco, Twiggs, 8:30pm.

saturday • 31Kevin Tinkle/BeckyHammett/Angela Corea, Twiggs,8:30pm.

The Decendants, Lestats, 9pm.

Berkley Hart, Croce’s Top Hat,

9pm.

‘round about‘round about

NOTE: Times and dates are subject to change. Please check with venues for information.

WEEKLY

every sunday7th Day Buskers, Hillcrest Farmer’sMarket/DMV parking lot, 10am-1pm.

Celtic Ensemble, Twiggs, 4pm.

Extreme Country, hosted by MikeVlack, 7-10pm, KSON (97.3 FM).

Jazz Roots, hosted by Lou Curtiss,9-10:30pm, KSDS (88.3 FM).

The Bluegrass Special, hosted byWayne Rice, 10-midnight, KSON(97.3 FM).

every mondayOpen Mic Night, Lestats. Call619/282-0437 for info.

Open Poetry Reading, Twiggs, 8pm.

every tuesdayComedy Experiment, Lestats, 9pm.

every wednesdayOpen Mic Night, Twiggs. Sign-ups at 6:30pm.

The Hatchet Brothers, The OuldSod, 9pm.

every thursdayWill Edwards’ Music Show,Twiggs, 8:30pm.

Owen Burke, Jon Edwards, Frank Mannella

Bright Spirits and Good Cheer at the S.D. Troubadour Holiday Party

Randy Hoffman & Owen Burke “drum”in the kitchen

Photo: Liz AbbottPh

oto:

Liz

Abb

ott

Phot

o: E

llen

Dup

less

ie

Phot

o: L

iz A

bbot

t

Phot

o: E

llen

Dup

less

ie

Chris Hoffee, Marcia Staub, Chuck Schiele

Photo: Ellen D

uplessie

Christopher Dean with wife and Suzie Reed

Photo: Ellen D

uplessie

the local seen


the local seen

15

Anya Marina at M-Theory Billy Midnight at

M-Theory

Lisa Sanders at Troubadour party

Phot

o: E

llen

Dup

less

ie

Lyle Duplessie, Jim Wakefield, Suzie Reed at Troubadour party

Joe Mendoza at Troubadour party

Patrick Dennis and Chris Hoffee at Troubadour party

Chuck Schiele and Marcia Staub at Dizzy’s

Peter Bolland & Broken Hills at Dizzy’s

Danielle LoPresti at Dizzy’s

Photo: Fr ed B

uckley

Photo: Millie M

oreno

Phot

o: T

hom

Vol

lenw

eide

r

Photo: Millie M

oreno

Phot

o: E

llen

Dup

less

ie

Phot

o: T

hom

Vol

lenw

eide

rPh

oto:

Fre

d B

uckl

ey Phot

o: E

llen

Dup

less

ie

Jose Sinatra, Liz Abbott, Phil Harmonic at Troubadour party

Photo: Ellen duplessie

Jack Tempchin with Rocket Science in Encinitas

Photo: Ellen D

uplessie

DARK-THIRTY PRODUCTIONSwww.darkthirty.com presents

DeborahLiv

Johnson

January 12, 20037:30 p.m. • $15

JoeRathburn

February 2, 20037:30 p.m. • $15

MichaelSmith

March 2, 20037:30 p.m. • $15

ChrisSmither

March 16, 20037:30 p.m. • $15

Phot

o: M

arc

Tule

Phot

o: P

arag

on L

ight

Canadian Juno Award Winner

BillBourne

April 13, 20037:30 p.m. • $15

RayBonneville

May 18, 20037:30 p.m. • $15

JohnStewart

June Date TBA, 20037:30 p.m. • $20

Dan Connorand Friends

July 6, 20037:30 p.m. • $15

Reservations and Information: 619/443-9622

Photo: Ellen D

uplessie

Documents

January 2003 Vol. 2, No. 4 SSttaarrss eeaarrnn tthheeiirr ...and Mickey Ratt would eventually become Autograph and RATT, respec-tively. During the ‘70s, his songs “For the Rest