May 2016 - Big News

Big news indeed!! I just bought a house in Santa Rosa.  The months of searching high and low paid off.  Here are views of the front and side looking out at the view.  Very pretty spot, and almost a third of an acre with room for a croquet court, garden, orchard, racoons, wild turkeys and no doubt, gophers.

It is a fixer, so you know what I'll be doing over the next year to forever.  Painting and re-carpeting is going on now in the bedrooms, but the big project is to open up the kitchen, dining and living rooms into a space for music gatherings and house concerts.  And that will take awhile.  Feeling frustrated about Trump or Hillary?  Come visit.  I'll give you a big hammer to knock down a couple of walls.

More big news: My mini-tour with Susan Marie Reeves is coming up in a couple of weeks. I am thrilled to be playing with Susan, a super fine songwriter with a lovely voice.  Don't take my word for it; listen here. We call our duo Reeves 'N Zat and our first show is in Berkeley at the Monkey House, sharing the bill with Sugartown.

From Berkeley we head to Monterey with Kiki Wow, and then to California's Central Coast for a couple of dates with Steve Key's Songwriters At Play, and we finish up on Wednesday the 25th, in South Pasadena at Brad Colerick's Wine & Song.   All the details are here.

Last month, I was back in Washington DC checking up on my grandson and his parents. He will celebrate his first birthday at the end of this month, and is showing great potential as a drummer. He likes to bang on things.   His parents are a bit sleep deprived but otherwise coping very well

Hope you are doing well too, and if you have a minute to let me know what you are up to, I always enjoy that.

Very best,

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

 

PS   you may have noticed the new email address: john@royzat.com   Mail Chimp made me do it for this newsletter.

April 2016 -- Bad News No Fooling

Studio 55 is closing and my unnamed songwriter series is homeless.  Damn!! Running a venue is very much a labor of love, and Ken Frankel and his family put a lot of heart and not a little money into it. Ken has contributed much to the Bay Area music community over the years; and you can read a bit about that, and hear his music and see some fine videos too, here.  What will he do next?

So, my songwriter series is on hold for now. Big thanks to all the people who sent in name suggestions -- over 50 in all.  I am keeping them and will rekindle the contest when I have a place.  To be continued . . .

To find that place where I can hold house concerts and control my own destiny (hah!!), I am busy house hunting in the greater Santa Rosa area.  Add hosting music to my other criteria -- quiet location, aesthetic surroundings, good neighbors not too close, not hard to find or get to, commutable to SF and Bodega, and affordable -- and it is quite a challenge.  I have looked at a lot of places, and the perfect spot has not shown up yet. Something like this maybe?  Wish me luck and send me leads if you have any.

I was down in Santa Barbara a few weeks ago rehearsing with Susan Marie Reeves for our May mini-tour.  Her CD "Young Heart" is a well worth some of your ear time (here) and she has many fine songs that are not yet recorded. (I have a few myself :-)  Please check out our show dates and if we are coming to a town near you, hope you can join us.

That's May, and this is April and I'll be playing with my good pal, Floyd Latimer on the 23rd at the Cloverdale Ale Company (formerly known as Ruth McGowan's and still the same great place).  Floyd and I have been picking and grinning together since 1972 and we just step right into the groove whenever we get a chance to play together.   Here is our version of "Midnight On The Water", with Floyd on mandolin and harmony vocal.  (The mighty fine Doug Wilcox played guitar with us.)  

Hope life is good over your way, and I always enjoy hearing what you are up to.

Very best,

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

March 2016 - "Help Me With A Name" Contest

I mentioned briefly in my last newsletter that I am starting a songwriter series at Studio 55 in San Rafael.   I need a descriptive, engaging, and yes, even enticing name for this series.  So, let's have a contest !!  The winner gets four free tickets to the inaugural show, plus a big thank you from the stage, and in my newsletter.

The idea of the series is to provide a comfortable place for our local community to discover great music from both established and up-and-coming songwriters.  I am passionate about this scene and want to share the richness of what is being created by stand-out singer songwriters who are often below most people's radar.   In terms of format, we will have two main acts, and allow time for a few drop-in musicians to play a song or two also.   We'll start with shows every other month or so, and if you are interested in more, we'll have more.

A little more information to help you with naming ideas:  Studio 55 is one of the best listening rooms I know of in the SF Bay Area.  Sort of an updated version of the old Freight & Salvage; about the same size; intimate and with exquisite sound run by the same folks who do the new Freight's sound.   Wine, beer, tea, coffee and snacks are available.  Easy to get to and easy parking.  In short, it is a fine place to go out to for live acoustic music.  

Now that I have your idea machine starting to churn, I have to tell you that some really good names are taken: Steve Key's Songwriters At Play and Brad Colerick's Wine & Song Concert Series to mention two, and who wouldn't want to come out for play, wine and song!?   

So email me your suggestions, as many as you want.  If two or more people suggest the same winning name, the first one to me gets the prize, the other will get a bottle of wine and honorable mention.  We'll make a decision by May 1st and we'll have our first show June 18th -- mark your calendar.

Other news:   I have a show with Keith Alan Mitchell and Amber Ikeman at the Octopus Literary Salon in Oakland on March 19th. Both are fine writers and talented singers; and it is an honor to be sharing the evening with them. Listen to a couple of songs (here & here) to whet your appetite, and join us if you can.  After that, I am headed down to Santa Barbara to rehearse with Susan Marie Reeves for our May Reeves 'n Zat tour.   Check out my website for more show info and news.

A BIG THANKS to Ken Frankel and the folks at Studio 55 for their support of my new songwriter series.  I am excited and looking forward to everyone's ideas for a great title for the series !!

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

February 2016

People ask me what I do with my time now that I am retired.   Well apart from the usual day to day, and the settling in from moving to Sonoma County, I work on shows.  I play twice a month or so and it is amazing how much time goes into putting shows together, practicing and playing them.  It is a lot of work, but the money I pull in makes it all worthwhile -- hah !!   It is the amazing musicians I get to hear and hang with. 

Discovered a really fine place to hear singer songwriters in San Francisco, the Bazaar Cafe.  (I know I am slow sometimes.)  On the first Saturday of this month, Michael Hanna and I opened a show for Valerie Jay, and I then had the fun of sitting in with Valerie during her set. The following Tuesday, I crashed the Keller Sisters songwriter residency at the Bazaar, and had the pleasure of hearing and playing with them (sister harmonies!!), and with Aireene Espiritu and with Michael McNevin.   It was hat night and Michael Torrey's picture here gives you an idea of the fun we had.  If you don't know these folks' music, check out the links.   They are good !!

Michael Hanna and I were joined by Dennis Calloway this last Sunday at the Kensington Market.  What a lot of fun that is !!  Families hang out and picnic, and we get to sing "Wheels On The Bus" in addition to our usual folk, country and original repertoire.   Best run farmers market I know of, and if you live anywhere close by you should check it out.   

Coming up this Friday the 27th, Trevor McSpadden will be in Pt. Reyes Station at the Old Western Saloon.   Trevor is genuine old school country and just great.  It may be a bit of drive for you, but it will be worth it.   Trevor comes from Texas and spent a lot of time in Chicago, a good combination based on what I hear.  I'll be opening with a half hour set and then joining Trevor and his band for the rest of the evening.  Honky Tonkin' Baby !!

Got a number of shows in the works: with Keith Alan Mitchell and Amber Ikeman in March, with Floyd Latimer in April and with Susan Marie Reeves in May.   Always more info on my website, www.royzat.com

Saving the best big news for last.   I am going to be starting a singer songwriter series at Studio 55 Marin.   This is a wonderful place to hear live music, and I am very excited to be working with Ken Frankel and Olga Kapustina on this project.   You'll be hearing a lot more about it.

That is a bit of my news and I always like hearing yours.

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

January 2016

Well if I am going to get a January newsletter out, it is now or never.   I have been packing and moving out of my place in El Cerrito.  Ugh!!  One more trip to haul stuff and I am done, and I can focus on discovering the Sonoma County music scene from my perch in Graton.

I attended two songwriting workshops the first half of January, and I have a lot of music to tell you about. The first was the Listening Room International Songwriter Retreat, held in the Santa Cruz mountains.   Brett Perkins runs these retreats, no songwriting slouch himself; and he has a new partnership, Michaut/Perkins with some fine new songs.  Here is one. 

This was my second year at the retreat, and it was again excellent.  There were sixteen of us, about a third from Europe.  My writing partner on the second day was Lisen Elwin and we wrote two songs together.  I don't have recordings of them yet to share, but here is a video of Lisen with her Stockholm band -- rock on!!   Other folks I wrote with include Dennis Russell, Midyne Spear and

Nina Engstrom, and on Friday, I wrote with Mette Halling.  Mette's website has some nice pictures of the retreat to give you an idea of the group.  What a pleasure to share time and music with these talented folks !!   

After the retreat, Brett had arranged a mini-tour and I tagged along and played on a couple of the dates, Kiki Wow's show in Monterey and at Steve Key's Songwriters At Play in Paso Robles.  I had the pleasure of playing the song I co-wrote with Steve at the retreat last year.

The second gathering I attended, Wintersong, was quite different.  It was much larger, about sixty five folks, and had workshops on voice, writing, and creativity.  Penny Nichols runs the camp and teaches, and I got some great input on vocal technique from her.   And of course, I heard a lot of fine music.   I wish I could put up links to everyone, but here are a very few to tantalize:   Susan Reeves, Ed Tree, Tom Kimmel, Nina Jo Smith & Penny Nichols, Rachel Garlin, and Dale LaDuke.

Coming up in February, I am looking forward to playing in SF at the Bazaar Cafe on Friday the 6th with Valerie Jay and Michael Hanna.   Born Lucky (Michael and I) will be at the Kensington Farmers Market on Sunday the 21st.   At the end of the month, I will be at the Old Western Saloon in Pt. Reyes Station, opening for and then playing fiddle with Trevor McSpadden and his band.   Trevor is real deal country singer (watch) and a road veteran, and I am honored to be part of his show.   More into and dates on my website -- www.royzat.com -- of course.

Hope your 2016 is off to a great start too.   Always love to hear what you are up to.

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

December 2015

Happy December, and Yuletide (and everything else) is a comin'.

Hope your Thanksgiving was tasty and heart warming.   I was in Washington DC with family and met the younger daughter of my Durham cousins.   She is a pro DJ and I went to hear her work at RedRocks, a 3 story downtown dance club and a very different scene than I usually circulate in.   She is into African and Latin and it was a treat hearing her put together the grooves.   Here is a video of her in action, a bit different than what I saw her spinning for the dance crowd, and what a wild child!!  (Start at 30 seconds to skip the slow intro, and if you skip around make sure you see 3:20 on.  Whee !! )

Closer to home and earlier in the month, I caught Darol Anger's show at Studio 55 Marin, a fine place to hear acoustic music.   It had been awhile since I had heard Darol live, and my first time hearing him play with Emy Phelps -- lovely!!   Darol's fiddle and octave mandolin was wonderful, and Tristan Clarridge on cello was a treat.  The interplay between all the instruments and the vocals was major league.  Unfortunately no videos of that show, but here and here are two to give you an idea.  Tristan plays with Crooked Still and with the Bee Eaters -- so check out those videos too.

Also saw two shows at the Monkey House in Berkeley, another favorite venue.   Moonshine Jelly is a "celtic, gypsy, bluegrass, folk" trio of uber talented folks including Lee White, Justine Lucas and Kent Kessinger.  They play in SF a lot and are well worth your time and ears.   Here is a sample and one more a bit different.   

The other show I saw at the Monkey House was Chappell and Dave Holt with Carlos Reyes  I've posted their videos before and you can check them out on YT.  Carlos is a virtuoso violinist and harpist but played mostly Paraguayan harp that evening.  Heaven!!  Okay, I can't resist, here's one more.

And what am I up to you ask?  These days mostly moving north to my old haunts in Sonoma County.   So beautiful up here !!    And if any of you West County folks are looking for a good place to be this Friday, the 4th, join Floyd Latimer and me at Ruth McGowan's in Cloverdale.   We play 7:30 to 10:30pm for your listening pleasure.

Hope you holidays are joyous.   Merry and Happy Ho Ho Ho to all.

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

  

November 2015

November and recovery from the October FARWest conference has been going well.  It was four days of musical bliss and little sleep, and three weeks later I am still buzzing and have so much music to tell you about !!   

Things started on Wednesday, October 14th with a showcase at the Freight & Salvage, where over twenty-five FARWest attendees each presented a song.   So much talent and variety, ranging from traditional folk music like Bay Area SEA, to powerhouse vocalist Kristin Shey visiting from Germany.   Thursday night's concert featured artists nominated by five different California venues, including newcomer Jody Mulgrew and veterans Cascada De Flores.   The music at FARWest goes into the way wee hours, and later that evening I had the pleasure of hosting Jody and his fiddler friend, John Nowel, in my hotel showcase room.   And a whole bunch of others!!

So much wonderful music over the rest of that week and weekend, how do I choose what to share with you ?!   I'll try.   If you don't know him already, listen to Severin Brown.   A couple of official showcase winners for you:  Jalan Crossland and  Berkeley Hart.  And additional discoveries from my own showcase room:  Mark & Cindy Lemaire, Ynana Rose, and for something completely different, Grego Dana !!  

And if all that weren't enough, I won the grand raffle prize, a beautiful F style mandolin by M. David McClaskey.   Wow !!   Guess I'll be looking up Sharon Gilchrist for some lessons.

This weekend, I am playing a kids party on Saturday with Michael Hanna; and on Sunday, he and I will be joined by Dennis Calloway at the Kensington Market.   The Kensington Market is such a fun place to play with quality produce, tasty prepared foods, and lots of chairs to sit and picnic while we play our hearts out for you.

Saving the best for last, amazing fiddler Darol Anger is coming to town this weekend, in Berkeley on Saturday and San Rafael on Sunday.   Don't miss him !!  

That's the news.  Hope you have your crops in for the winter, and that your coming Thanksgiving gatherings are joyous.   I'll be heading to Washington DC for pumpkin pie with my grandson and his parents.   Yummm !!

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever