November 2016 - Still Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving. Well actually, not very happy about the election results, but I still have a lot to be thankful for. Like all the music I heard at the October Folk Alliance gathering in Seattle. Let me tell you about some of that.

Scott Cook is a Canadian troubadour well worth some of your ear time. Here and hear. And listen to the Otter Creek duo, hear and here. Now listen to Nathan and Jessie.  Here and Hear.  That is just a tiny tidbit of all the great music that was happening at the conference.  You can check out the full line up on the FAR West Folk Alliance website.   

In addition to the official showcase performers in the concert hall, there were late night showcases in the hotel rooms, from 10:30pm to 2am (who needs sleep!)  I hosted a showcase room with my pal, Keith Alan Mitchell, and yes we had a quite a time. Nathan and Jessie, who I have already told you about, played our room.  Other folks who joined us include

Terry Holder, Judi Jaeger & Bob Reid, Amber Ikeman (this video is with Keith), Severin Browne, Magali Michaut, and Aireene Espiritu.  So many talented players, wish I could mention them all.  Again check out the FAR West website to find more.

I had the pleasure of driving north to Seattle with Susan Reeves, and Reeves 'n Zat played a couple of shows on our way up to FAR West.  And of course, we did some showcasing at the conference too.  Here ye, here ye.

I played a couple of dates in November, but mostly I have been consumed by my house remodel.   It is very exciting to see it starting to take shape, and we still have a ways to go before the music parties can start.   A big thank you to Wolfgang Dilger at Bauhaus Construction and his skilled and hardworking crew.   No way I could do this on my own.

No gigs on the calendar for December, but January will be busy.   I'll be joining the Listening Room Retreats tour for a bunch of dates from Monterey to LA. After the LLR tour, I will play a set at J.C. Hyke's Songwriter Serenade on the 24th, and the next night drop in on Brad Colerick's Wine & Song.  At the end of the month, I'll be at the Wintersong Songwriter Camp. Show info is on my website, www.royzat.com, as usual.  At my current newsletter pace, I will be back to you February-ish with music to share from these adventures.

Hope your wrap up of 2016 is positive, and that 2017 brings good things for us all.

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

August 2016 -- Did You Miss Me?

Last month was the first month I missed putting out a newsletter since I started back in February of 2012.   I have been moving and remodeling and I suppose that is an excuse, but it really isn't.  Just having too much fun carpentering and too tired by the end of the day, I guess.  At any rate, I am back in the saddle with Music News You Can Use.

First up is to tell you about the 2016 Kate Wolf Music festival, which was amazing as usual.  (And no, it was not too hot.)  The line-up was phenomenal and I did not see all the acts - with four stages going, that was impossible.

Saw the Brothers Comatose for the first time.  I had heard about them for years and they are a stand out; good songs, great arrangements, blazing musicianship and a lot of fun.  Enjoy this and put them on your must-see list.  

Put Las Cafeteras on it also; exuberant show, infectious grooves and inspiring lyrics. And also, John Craigie a quintessential solo singer songwriter story teller.   I am so impressed by someone who can hold an audience all by themselves.  Like this.  And finally, I got to see Linda Tillery in person.  Wonderful !!

Folks I had seen before, who deserve your attention include:  The Wood Brothers, absolutely unique, finely crafted music;  Ruthie Foster, gorgeous voice, such charm and authenticity; and Chris Smither, master song smither indeed.

 

Right here in Santa Rosa and in step with the political season, I saw Roy Zimmerman at Robin Pressman's house concert.  He is funny, with a brutal wit.   Here and hear.

 

And please SAVE THE DATE !!  I am very excited to tell you that Susan Reeves is coming  up from Santa Barbara, and on September 23rd, Reeves 'n Zat will be playing with the Quake City Jug Band at the Monkey House in Berkeley.  Here is one of my favorite Susan songs. Susan's daughter Sierra, a fine singer in her own right (here), will be coming up also, and I am hoping that she will join in on a few songs.  Hope you can join us. 

More shows on my website, of course:  www.royzat.com

So what is up on your side of the fence?

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

June 2016 -- Propecting the North Country

I am looking for performance dates along the road from San Francisco to Seattle. Any of you Northerners interested in having a house concert? Know of any nice folk clubs or coffee houses that might be interested in some California hillbilly music?

I'll be driving north in mid-October to attend the FARWest Folk Alliance conference. Susan Reeves will be traveling with two of her Honeysuckle Possum bandmates, and we are all hoping to play some shows together on the way. Here and here are a couple of videos from my recent mini-tour with Susan, and you can see the rest at  www.reevesnzat.com.    You can see the Honeysuckle Possums in action here.  Good times guaranteed :-)

We are very excited about the possibility of doing some performances together.   Thanks for any leads, ideas or suggestions you might have.

Here on the new homestead in Santa Rosa, I am mostly a construction worker these days.   But, I have gotten out and done a little exploring of the Sonoma County music scene, too.  Last Saturday, I saw Arann Harris at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma.   What a fun show!!  I couldn't find any live videos that captured the energy he delivered on stage, but here and here are a couple to show you how much fun he is -- and how good his band is.   Sean Hayes opened the night with his fine songs -- what a very soulful guy!!  Here.  

The Mystic is a rock club and you can have a good time if you bring your ear plugs.   About an hour into the show, I went up and asked the sound man to turn down the sub-bass which he had gradually pushed up to the point of beating my chest in and covering up too much of the rest of the mix, IMHO. He frowned at me but he did it; and just to annoy him further, I went back in about 10 minutes, after I had time to appreciate how much better it sounded, and I interrupted him again,  I told him thanks and gave him a $20.   I enjoyed that.

Went to a music party last Sunday, hosted by Peg and Gary Grubb in their back yard.   A few us sat in, but mostly it was a concert by Gary and his red hot country picking buddies in the Hot Grubb band.  Like here and here.  These guys are so tight; I was grinning ear to ear, for the pleasure of sitting in with them.  Thought you had to go to Nashville to hear pickers and singers like that.

Born Lucky, my band with Michael Hanna, has a show next Sunday at the Kensington Market, near Berkeley.   This is one of our favorite outdoor venues; quality produce and fine lunch fare, with lots of seating in front of the band -- much more than your average farmer's market.   We'll have some fun.

Public Service Announcement:  Construction and music is a dangerous combination.  I sliced the index finger on my left hand real well, about ten days ago, and had a date to play at the Hopmonk Sonoma.  Playing with a band-aid holding your finger together is not conducive to good fiddling, but I did okay and there was no blood on the strings.  You carpenter pickers be careful out there and I will too.

Other construction news: the bedrooms are painted and carpeted, bathrooms just about done.  Linda and I are hoping to move in at the end of June.  The major remodel of the living and dining rooms and kitchen is a few months away.  I have an architect and structural engineer working with me on that.  We'll have to get the City of Santa Rosa's blessing, and then I'll need to find a contractor to work with.  To be continued.  

That's a bit of my news.   Hope you are doing well too;  I always like hearing what you are up to.  And again, any gig ideas or suggestions for the North Country will be greatly appreciated.

love and hugs,

John

Roy Zat

Croizat

Whatever

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