The cover story in today’s Palo Alto Weekly raised more questions than it answered. For instance: Is there a relationship between the cluster of public art —murals and sculpture- on California Avenue and it’s so called music boom? I have to start with that one because I’m married to the former chair of the public art commission here.*
It was interesting to run into Randy Lutge at my Johnny A show; he posted three videos on his well received website; the website is also an archive for the Varsity theater at its heyday; he has more than 100 videos of people like Tuck & Patti, Michael Hedges, George Winston, Bobby McFerrin and Will Ackerman.
How do we explain the confluence of talent here 37 years ago?
The palo alto weekly had a disappointing article claiming that the decent local musicians who play in front of an Italian restaurant on California Avenue are comparable to the Varsity in its heyday.
I think the real question is can leadership in Palo Alto do something to sustain or encourage the music community; For instance what can be done with the fine arts theater, a stones throw from Mike and Maico?
Is there any way to approach Chop Keenan about converting the varsity back into a performance space?
Can Palo Alto do more with its music in the parks series?
Is there more Palo Alto as a community can do to benefit from Stanford‘s commitment to the arts which includes the Bing and the renovated frost?
Will the guild in Menlo Park encourage a similar effort in Palo Alto or displace such?
how many Palo Alto think of themselves as full-time musicians or artists?
What about a musicians’ village at Ventura?
Watching Patti Cathcart sing “time after time” in 1985 is almost a sad thing in that we as a community could’ve done more in these 37 years to encourage the arts. Does the development of trillions of dollars worth of new technology displace the arts? I sent a note to the city manager about six months ago —because I was producing a waybacks show —and I noticed a citation on the Internet that the Waybacks played in Palo Alto nooner series which is now defunct; I claimed that although the Dow has tripled in value in the last 20 years Palo Alto does only about one-third as much in its Civic music series.
My quixotic initiative has four more shows this year: Battle Trance, Monday at Lytton Plaza; Zoh Amba, November 9 at The Mitch; Zoh Amba November 16 at the art center; and Kristin Hersh, December 2 at The Mitch. The guild has about 10 more shows, plus multiple nights of social distortion. I admit that their appearance made me up my game, to a career high of 40 shows in 2022
* I went down to the avenue to refresh my memory and try to qualify my initial reactions; I actually met David Jansen; I noticed him as he was photographing one of the temporary murals, the giant stickers. He said he was featured in one of the photographs of Mike Annunzzi and Maico; He was one of the passersby who was invited to sit in. I too, as was described in the article, saw a fairly talented random person invited to the stage, in this case it was a grad student from Zimbabwe who I chased down and tried to contact. The music in front of the Italian restaurant is not a bad thing, but it is a bad thing when our leaders dodge the actual questions relevant to community; and the weekly lives in its own world: maybe they think glorifying the cover of “La Bamba” will make somebody pay $16m for a house a mile away, or four pages away from their cover story.
Howard Finster created this howling wolf (“at mating time”) on this date 31 years ago. I bought it from Andy his grandson up in Chatooga County, about three hours north of Atlanta*. I gave it to my father for his 67th birthday. I might bring it with as a prop for the concert tonite or this afternoon twilight at Lytton Plaza with Adriana Camacho Torres, Philip Greenlief and Scott Amendola. I have shows coming up with Matt Nelson, Liberty Ellman, Ben Goldberg, Lisa Morales, Kristin Hersh, Fred Abong, Shelley Doty, Vicki Randle and just added Zoh Amba.
*We are located at 200 North Lewis Street, Summerville, GA 30747, which is about 3 miles north of downtown Summerville and 2 blocks south of the Walmart in Trion, GA. A common problem with using Google maps is that it may take you to the northern part of Lewis Street in Summerville. A safe way to know you are on the right path to finding Paradise Garden is by checking the mile markers. We are just past mile marker 13 on Hwy 27. After you reach mile marker 13, turn right onto Rena Street and go 3 blocks to the dead end of Lewis Street, not to be confused with a previous entrance at Knox Street, and you are entering Paradise. If you get turned around, give us a call at 706-808-0800!
I noticed an operatic soprano singing, two tables away, at Blue Bottle coffee also known as HANAhouse but for music community this will always be the courtyard of the new varsity theater. She said her name is Julia and is a masters in music science technology at CCRMA Stanford formerly of UC San Diego. A scientist who sings or a singer who is supersmart hopefully one day she can do a recital here at 456.
“Acordada” by Jose Clemente Orozco which I saw at the DeYoung Museum and I believe depicts Zapatistas being marched to their execution
Trio Pais sometimes known as Trio Paz are playing a free concert Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. at Lytton Plaza, presented by Earthwise Productions of Palo Alto.
Trio Pais sometimes known as Trio Paz are slightly better known individually as Philip Greenlief, saxophones, Adriana Camacho Torres bass and Scott Amendola drums.
Philip and Scott have performed collectively or individually several times for Earthwise; Adriana Camacho Torres, sometimes known as Loope, will, I think, be making her Palo Alto debut.
She is in the Bay Area for a few weeks playing a handful of shows.
I saw the above Orozco at the DeYoung where it has lived for about 15 years. It’s from 1941.
I also thought, in preparation for the jazz concert Thursday, about Diego Rivera. Here is a unique example of his work:
Diego Rivera in the MUNAL : it says” Zapatista Landscape aka The Guerrilla”, 1915
This lithograph by Rodolfo Morales of Oaxaca, 1925-2001, hangs in the Palo Alto City Hall lobby: “My Heart Looks Out to Life”
Lee Frank sent me some notes to help me prepare for my first visit to New Orleans since Katrina. I sometimes say I was briefly a world expert at New Orleans music based on the fact that for six months in 2002 and 2003 I was Henry Butler‘s manager. I went down there once as John Ellis is manager.
this time I’m going to medical conference but if I either discover a new band or run into one of the 10 or so people I still know down there I can deduct the trip as a business expense. I’m not really a doctor but I play one on the Internet. I also formed a branch of my own religion and I would ordain people as Rabbi.
And completing the square I book the New Orleans klezmer all stars twice, booked Glenn Hartman on Casey SU radio, and introduce Glenn to Beth Custer for the short-lived supergroup drone and bone.
Tipitina’s: Uptown. Tchoupitoulas on the river. Classic large music venue. Me: Named for a song by Professor Longhair and look for the bust of Fess and inscription on the pavement it says “when you go to New Orleans check out THE Mardi Gras”.
Maple Leaf Bar: Way Uptown on Oak Street. Rebirth on a Tuesday night is a must. Starts at 11pm-ish. He notes elsewhere that it is next to a good restaurant called Jachues-Emo.
Le Bon Temps Roulet: Funky Uptown bar. Good to catch a brass band. Don’t think I’ve been there but certainly no the phrase.
Chickie Wah Wah: Little joint in Mid-City various styles. Likewise.
d.b.a: Frenchman Street. Full Bar, good drinks. Often has free local music. Seen the listing don’t think I’ve been there.
R Bar: After hours bar on Royal Street. News to me.
One Eyed Jacks: Rock, Rockabilly club on Toulouse Street in the FQ. (French Quarter, not Yat way to say “fuck you”. That’s actually a Neil Simon “Odd Couple” joke. “Yat” Is a derogatory term for lower middle class and working class New Orleans people who did not go to Newman lake my freshman roommate who apparently greet each other with “where you at?”)
3 Muses: Sit down venue with nice cocktails and food. My three muses are “weed wine and song” although I have left New Orleans and I am near Texarkana. Oh that’s a joke I’ll settle for a Barq or Abita.
Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss 