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Shows that are coming up................
All of our shows are homegrown. What we mean by this is every band that performs here at Mamma Llama
plays their own original music. No cover tunes are allowed. So come on over and sit back and listen to some of the finest
bands around while they play their own original music. Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, World, Jazz, Folk... We have it all.
Saturday, February 11th @8pm Tix $8
or $10 at the door The Trouble http://thetrouble.weebly.com/music.html The Trouble brings a literate, lyrical edge to
their roots-rock foundation, fusing Americana sensibility with a visceral blend of driving rhythms, snarling guitars, sharp
melodic hooks, and intuitive country harmonies.
A collaboration between songwriters
Marc Jeffares (formerly of Blue Yonder) and Chris Parreira (The Lonesome Roses), with bassist Jeff Krider (formerly of The
Tao Jonesers) and drummer Sam Kaplan-Good (Blue Street Junction, The Small Axe), The Trouble is influenced by artists
such as Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The Band, Ryan Adams and Tom Waits.
Marc Jeffares
- lead guitar, vocals, lyrics, keyboard
Chris Parreira - rhythm guitar, vocals, lyrics, harmonica
Jeff
Krider - bass, vocals
Sam Kaplan-Good - drums, vocals
Saturday, February 18th @8pm Tix $12 or $15
at door David Jacobs-Strain w/Bob Beach
on Harmonica http://www.davidjacobs-strain.com/home/
Bending notes with a slide guitar elicits
the most invigorating, emotional sounds in popular music. Witness today’s slide explorations in songs by such contemporary
guitarists as Chris Whitley, Jack White and the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. Add to that list David Jacobs-Strain, the
twentysomething singer-songwriter who brilliantly brings the rich roots of slide guitar to the millennials generation with
his eclectic styling that melds the blues, folk, rock and indie pop into a tasty Americana brew inflected with pockets of
funk and reggae. “There’s a primal sound to the slide,” he says, “I like how I get the slide to sneak
around in my songs, showing up in unexpected places, from mellow tunes to hard rock.” In addition to his compelling
instrumental prowess, Jacobs-Strain also proves himself a literate lyricist, as evidenced on his latest album, Live From
the Left Coast, a duo date with harmonica ace Bob Beach. While Jacobs-Strain can’t
exactly put his finger on what style to call his singular music, he has jokingly named it “gangsta-grass” and
“one-man arena rock,” while also hazarding the term about himself as a “magical realist of the Delta blues.”
But he largely steers away from the “blues” label—otherwise, he says, “people would be disappointed
if they came to one of my shows, even if the blues does form one component of my music. I’m tired and not interested
in the clichés that pass for blues today where so often the songwriting is poor and the crowds are sedated by machismo
and cheap beer.” Indeed, Jacobs-Strain’s music breaks from today’s blues mainstream by being more playful,
hauntingly beautiful and self-revealing. Jacobs-Strain is well-versed in the slide guitar tradition
in roots music, country blues and folk, stretching back to Delta blues fathers such as Robert Johnson, Son House and Charley
Patton and later to next generation sliders such as Mississippi Fred McDowell with Taj Mahal continuing the practice today.
But he feels an equal affinity for the likes of Whitley, Ray LaMontagne, Steven Stills, and Steve Earle. “That’s
the kind of music I’m creating,” he says. “And I’m inspired by people like Taj Mahal and the Stones,
who have a playful sensuality in their music as well as a sense of nuance.” Today calling
himself a “homeless musician” who has moved among such geographic locales as Northern California, Nashville and
Portland, Ore., the 27-year-old Jacobs-Strain was born in New Haven, Conn., and moved to Eugene, Ore., with his parents when
he was young. “Eugene was such a hip town musically,” he says. “As a little kid I got to hear a lot of great
musicians, such as Peter Rowan at this folk festival five blocks from my house and when I was 10, Taj Mahal at the Woodsman
of the World Hall. I remember how he took his left hand off his guitar and told a story—one guy, one guitar and it sounded
huge and soulful.” Saturday, February 25th @8pm Tix $12 or $15
at door Blind Willies http://airplaydirect.com/music/blindwillies/ Biography Blind
Willies began at San Francisco’s High School of the Arts as a duo playing covers of American folk songs and Alexei’s
originals which he began writing when he was 15. After their professional debut at San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Festival, the band’s first two releases of all original songs, The Unkindness of Ravens[2007] and Everybody's Looking
for a Meal[2008], were highly praised. The albums defined their sound and provided them the opportunity to perform extensively
at eclectic venues, from New York's Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and San Francisco's Djangofest to Brooklyn's intimate back
room at Barbès. They shared stages with punk icon Penelope Houston(Avengers), “Dawg Music” innovator
David Grisman, and folk iconoclast Peter Stampfel (Holy Modal Rounders).
Following their sophomore release, and
in search of a larger canvas, Alexei assembled a full band of experienced, young musicians, accomplished across diverse
genres including rock, jazz, classical, world, and hip-hop. Now five musicians strong—Alexei Wajchman(vocal, guitar,
harmonica), Misha Khalikulov(cello), Daniel Riera(bass), Max Miller-Loran(keys, trumpet), and Adam Coopersmith(drums)—the
band recorded the new album, Needle, Feather, and a Rope, at Tiny Telephone, indie engineer/producer/performer John Vanderslice's
all-analog studio in San Francisco's Mission District.
Judging by the rich landscapes Alexei’s songs travel,
the band has used the various gifts of its new members to forge a dynamic and unique sound that reflects the deeply resonant
American musical traditions they each brought to the table. The music is sincere, raw, and poignant, and the band’s
integrity is reflected in the 14 tracks of Needle, Feather, and a Rope, as well as in the recording process. “We wanted
to record in the manner of our favorite classic albums,” Alexei explains, “the band all together in the studio,
live to 2” analog tape, with minimal overdubs. We felt this approach not only gives the album superior sonics, but
is a more honest representation of our musicianship and soul. We punched it out in 4 days, 10 hours each day, and I think
you can hear the pleasure of the experience and the fun we had.”
Needle, Feather, and a Rope was produced
by Blind Willies and Lemon DeGeorge(Jolie Holland, film Genghis Blues), recorded by Jay Pellicci(Deerhoof), mixed analog
by Justin Phelps(Dresden Dolls, Chuck Prophet, Neville Brothers, Cake) and Gabriel Shepard(Peter Case, Frank Black) at Hyde
Street Studios, and mastered by Paul Stubblebine(Ry Cooder, John Lee Hooker, Jerry Garcia & David Grisman, Santana).
Alexei's songs have been played on over 200 radio stations around the world. Confirmed radio play includes Better
Days Radio, Vancouver, BC; Pirate Cat Radio, SF; KPIG, KRSH, WXPN, WFUV Woody's Children, KPFA, WFDU, KALW, KZSC, KUSP,
KYOU, KQED, KDVS, KKUP, WOBC, WTJU, WTSR, WDVX Writer's Block, WCOM Taproot Radio, Americana Roots, WWUH, KZSU, KRCB, KSCL,
WBGU, KAOS, WTUL, WCBN, KBCS, WEFT, WMBR, KCBX, KBGA, WSDP, WDCB, KXCI, WRKF, KACI, WLRN, KCSC, WFHB, WMUD, KAFM, Thayrone's
The Bone Conduction Music Show(syndicated), WRFL, WDBX, KGLP, Radio Marabu/Europe/No Pigeonholes, Hanx/Netherlands, Crossroads/NL,
Arjen Dekker's Blue Wednesday/NL, Dutch Roots Radio's Landslide, Gerrit Casper's Goodnoise/NL, Thomas Kaldijk's Blueprint/NL,
Rootsrevival, Michel Penard's ISA Radio
American Roots Music/France, Friedrich Hog's Radio Free FM/Germany,
Heart of the Night and TransAtlantic Acoustic indieheart.com podcasts, indieSF.com, Todd Mack's Off the Beat-n-Track, Suffolk
'n Cool/UK, CKUA Tom Coxworth's Folk Routes/Canada, WYEP, WGDR, CJLX, CKHA, WHAY, WBSD, WKZE, WHDD, NHPR, KRCC, KLOI,CHES
Erin Radio, CJTR,Progressive Roots/WSJF, WHJX, WFJO, KFOK, WMRD-AM, WLIS, WMPG, WXIN, KVMR, WMUC, WPSU, 2 MAX/Australia,
Triplej/Australia, 3 INR/Australia, 2AIR/Australia, 4RED/Australia, Radio Upper Galilee/Israel, Highway 61 Radio Voce Spazio/Italy,
Radio EVW/Germany, Radio ZuSa/Germany, Radio Shalom/Canada.
Friday, March 2nd @8pm Tix $12 or $15 at door Alice DiMicele w/ Jeff Pevar http://www.alicedimicele.com/ The first thing
you'll notice about Alice DiMicele is her voice. With a five-octave range that
is intense, sensual, rich and soulful,
DiMicele has been known to turn a noisy bar silent within
a few notes. Her warm presence and humor disarms and creates
a rare intimacy between
audience and performer. Whether singing a jazzy-folk number, belting a sassy blues, or
rocking
out on one of her trademark rhythmic earthy grooves, Alice is a vocalist that moves
people. She is also a kick-ass guitarist,
whether playing solo or with a band, and her acoustic
guitar conjures percussive poly-rhythms, bass lines, and melodies
that perfectly frame her
vocals.
With ten solo recordings to her credit her songwriting has covered a lot of ground.
Inspired
by activists and folks doing good things for the earth, her songs reflect the beauty of this
planet with
a voice that reminds some people of Phoebe Snow, others of blues musician
Rory Block or a female Ben Harper. It's no
surprise that her influences include Delta Blues
artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Robert Johnson, but she also
grew up listening to
classic rock like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin. Folk singers Odetta
and Kate Wolf were instrumental in shaping her performance but her biggest vocal and
songwriting inspirations are Stevie
Wonder and jazz singer Abbey Lincoln.
The 2007 release "by ebb & by flow" is her first studio recording
in 9 years. After a five year
sabbatical spent whitewater kayaking and raft guiding in the Oregon Wilderness, Alice
returns with an album steeped in her love for life in the natural world. For 15 years DiMicele
played festivals such
as The Strawberry Music Festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Berkeley
Earth Day, and the Oregon Country Fair, and venues
such as the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in
Santa Cruz, the Roseland Theater in Portland, and the Fineline Music Cafe in Minneapolis.
Her percussive guitar style and compelling voice is enough, though her band is making a
splash on the festival and
jamband circuit. She has shared billings with Bonnie Raitt, Joan
Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Janis Ian, David Grisman, Steve
Winwood, Michael Franti, Holly Near, Ani
DiFranco, Mickey Hart, Bob Weir and Ratdog, Bill Kreutzman, Zero, KVHW, Zen
Tricksters,
String Cheese Incident and many more. A true Independent musician, she has sold over
25,000 recordings,
gained critical acclaim from press, public and community radio, a dedicated
fan-base, and her contemporaries, all the
without the help of a record contract,
agency, or management. Saturday, March 10th @8pm Tix $15 or $18
at door Earl Thomas & Eddie Angel
(the Coffeehouse Show)
http://www.earlthomasmusic.com/ He is just one of the most entertaining
people youll ever meet. Ill tell you something I really believe: I think that this guy is going to make it, not even if
hes given half a chance; hell make it if he only gets a bitty spot of a chance and that aint no bullshit.
- from Ike Turner’s liner notes to Intersection
His songs have been recorded by Etta James, Solomon Burke, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Fleetwood Mac founder Peter
Green. His dynamic stage show described as one part Sam Cooke, one part Otis Redding, one part Al Green, and ten parts Earl
Thomas has been impressing audiences around the world for over a decade. His direct approach and engaging personality has
seen him opening shows for Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Etta James, B. B. King, India.Arie and Ike Turner. He’s performed
at top music festivals including the renowned Montreux Jazz Festival, has released eleven critically acclaimed cds, and
has songs currently in two feature films. He is a singer, songwriter, producer, and world class entertainer. He is EARL THOMAS. The die was cast long ago for Earl Thomas who, born into a musical family in east
Tennessee grew up surrounded by music. “Ours was your typical musical family,” he says. “All of us either
sang or played an instrument.” His mother, was a gospel singer and his father, a blues guitarist. He was raised with
a wealth of blues, rock & roll, and gospel music, from Muddy Waters to Otis Redding and Clara Ward, Mahalia Jackson,
Aretha, Tina, Gladys, and all the Stax Records; the artists and repertoire that he refers to as “the language of our
people". He was also turned on to rock & roll. Artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, and led Zeppelin also
helped shape his musical personality. “I actually started out wanting to be a rock singer like Mick Jagger,”
says the artist known around the world as The Blues Ambassador, “and I think that this is what makes my sound so unique.”
Earl Thomas recorded his first album Blue ... Not Blues for Bizarre Records in 1991
which included an original song, “I Sing the Blues”. The tune, described by Earl as “my autobiography”
I caught the attention of Montreux Jazz Festival impresario and founder Claude Nabs who passed it on to Jerry Wexler who
proceeded to cut it with Etta James who kicked off her 1994 Elektra Records release, The Right Time with the track.
It didn’t dawn on Earl just how monumental this was until sometime later when he saw Etta
perform the song on a CNN profile. He was in a hotel room in Norway when he exclaimed out loud “Oh my God, Etta James
is singing my song on CNN!” Later the song was used in an episode of the hit TV series E.R. This was confirmation
for him that he, Earl Thomas was a bonafide songwriter. “When someone like Etta James does your song, it legitimizes
you as an artist.” He got even more legit as Solomon Burke sang three Earl Thomas songs on his Homeland cd.
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins recorded Earl’s “I Am The Cool” and Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green and
Shamekia Copeland have also covered “I Sing The Blues.” Song writing represents
validation for Earl but performing and singing is at the core of his being. He really has no choice in this, explaining,
“The writer has to write, the painter has to paint and the singer has to sing. It’s proven to me time and time
again that this is what God wants me to do,” adding, “musicians and artists are like mediums, we connect people
with the Divine.” With his tight band, Earl Thomas creates an atmosphere of fun and playfulness on stage. “I
am singing the blues as a celebration, as a healing. To me that is what the blues is about and that is why everyone can
relate to it. After all is said and done life is a party.” Earl Thomas has most
recently been opening shows for Etta James. With only an acoustic guitarist and himself, he sets the tone for the evening
and showcases a magnificent voice in a set called “La Casa Di Caffe Calabria” (The Coffeehouse Show) which encompasses
his dynamic style and talent. He brings down the house when he injects the Rolling Stone’s classic “Brown Sugar”
with his own brand of energy and delta blues style, bridging the divide between rock ’n’ roll and the blues.
“I always felt like blues, rock, soul, funk were somehow interconnected and I want to try and find the connection,”
says the Tennessee born, Northern California based singer. On this latest cd for Memphis International Records, Intersection,
he did just that.
Saturday, March 31st @8pm Tix $10 or $12
at door D Henry Fenton & the Elizabethans with American Bloomers
http://www.myspace.com/dhenryfenton http://www.myspace.com/americanbloomers D Henry Fenton is a music artist who
was born
in New Zealand and is now based in Los Angeles,
California.
He has opened shows for John Mayer, Colbie Caillat,
Lissie, Govt Mule and
the Corrs and says his sound is a mix of Americana, Rock and Folk.
Henry’s last
album Autumn Sweet which was recorded with former REM
producer, Mitch Easter in North Carolina, received great college
airplay throughout Australia and some fine reviews internationally.
‘a strange and magical album’
Sydney Morning Herald
‘pop rock winner’ Rolling Stone
He spent the last few years traveling and
is now finishing
up on his new album with engineer/producer Steve Holroyd
(Paul McCartney/Tom Petty)
Henry
cites Celtic Music, Van Morrison, Neil Young and The Smiths as
influences on his writing and sound.
He and his LA
live band The Elizabethans play regularly in Southern
California.
Kelsey Collins on percussion and vocals, and Mary Beth
Kedzior on bass guitar.
The new album called Turnin' will be released March 2012
American Bloomers is the union of three Los Angeles
singer/songwriters who own their craft, creating a new
sound that’s steeped in classic rock. The Bloomers harvest
a style of authentic pop music that’s all theirs, written
and performed by real musicians, who know how to write
and
sing.
The Bloomers debut EP “Part One” just arrived, and it has
been well received by their
fans waiting, and new ears
hearing for the first time. Tracked to two-inch tape,
keeping live takes, first takes,
and adding thoughtful
overdubs, “Part One” puts a crafty musical stake in the
ground.
The Bloomers’
songs echo of love, heartbreak, and
heartwake, and the vocals swerve from intimate to soaring,
punctuated by three-part
harmonies. The founders of
American Bloomers are Jaime Wyatt, Jane Sheldon, and
Jonathan Sheldon.
Saturday, April 14th @8pm Tix $10 or $12
at door Northstar Session http://www.thenorthstarsession.com/ It’s all about
songs, and harmony.TThis rock trio came together much
like any other – three musicians who wrote well together, and valued voice as the integral instrument. Matt Szlachetka
began writing songs with Kane McGee in 2007, after working on a recording session together for another artist. When the two
began to really like what was coming out of their writing sessions, through mutual friends they met Dave Basaraba, and asked
him to join on keyboards. “It’s no wonder this metro-sexual threesome earned a spot performing
on NBC’s Parenthood, as they’ve devised the most perfect pop country-jam formula for 30-something romantics
ever.” Music Connection magazine (Los Angeles,
CA)
Saturday, April 21st @8pm Tix $15 or $18
at door Kim Angelis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9EazuzBkV8
In the best of Gypsy fashion, Kim Angelis can change before your
eyes. This internationally acclaimed composer and violin virtuoso is often described as “transforming herself from
a soft-spoken, modest and spiritual person into a wild creature of the violin with flying skirts and hair, a few broken
bowstrings and stomping heals. She is the composer and performer of an international range of pieces written for specific
stories and, like Vivaldi, paints the story with surprising color and detail. While her roots are from the University of
California, Irvine, her violin plays like Paganini.” (Clancy Hughes, Inflection Point)
You may have heard the passionate, gypsy-inspired music of Kim Angelis on Network TV,
PBS,NPR, or during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, when world champion gymnast Kui Yuanyuan of China used music
by Kim Angelis for her floor exercise. NBC gave Kui Yuanyuan's performance prime-time coverage, exposing Kim’s music
to the “world’s largest audience”. The independent film, Sweet Nothings, released in Feb. 2001,
exclusively features music by Kim Angelis, which was nominated for Best Original Score by the California Independent Film
Society; the same film was also nominated for Best Score by the International Independent Film Tour. Recently, Kim Angelis
signed an exclusive publishing agreement with DSM Producers, one of the entertainment industry’s top placers of music
in major films and network television - a deal that certainly validates Kim’s exceptional compositional gifts. Her
1996 CD, Esperanza, was selected as a “Choice Recording” by prestigious Strings magazine, and it received
a nomination by Just Plain Folks for Best Instrumental Album! Kim’s most recent CD, Gypsy’s Odyssey,
has increased her international fan base with radio airplay in Europe and Australia. This same CD has made “Top Ten”
lists in places as diverse as Santa Cruz, CA, and Herford, Germany!
Kim Angelis
has enthralled concert audiences from Ancud, Chile, to Alaska and over the seas to Asia with her dazzling virtuosity and
exuberant stage presence. Some of the violinist’s most memorable experiences took place on foreign soil; Kim treasures
her two concert tours of Taiwan - replete with humorous situations - which culminated in multiple-encore appearances at
Taipei’s prestigious National Concert Hall. A pair of extended concert engagements in Chile, which included performances
at Universities, Galleries, and the spectacular Palacio Vergado, provided fertile ground for the composer’s
imagination.
Friday, May 4th @8pm Tix $12 or
$15 at the door Susie Glaze & the HiLonsome
Band Folkworks Magazine voted Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band into the top 10 of "Folkworks'
Top Ten Live Acoustic Bands in Southern California for 2008" writing "Susie is justifiably endorsed by Appalachian
music legend Jean Ritchie, and the band has a fine repertoire of beyond-bluegrass originals from its chief songwreiter,
Rob Carlson. They can take you up in the hollars, or sound like a female-fronted Asleep at the Wheel." (Larry
Wines for Folkworks). This is the best in New Bluegrass to Appalachia Folks Roots Fusion,
an experience of gorgeous eclectic blends of mountain folk and exciting new bluegrass-inspired originals, all with the remarkable
voice of Susie Glaze. Winner of the Just Plain Folks 2006 Music Award for Best Roots Album, and Folkwors
Magazine's Pick for Best Bluegrass Album of 2005 for "Blue Eyed Darlin'", Susie's
Hilonesome Band is Steve Rannkin on mandolin, Rob Carlson on guitar and dobro, Mark Indictor on fiddle and Fred Sanders
on bass, a band formed to showcase the original songwriting of lead guiartist Rob Carlson. Their show features work
from their critically-acclaimed "Green Kentucky Blues" (produced by Bluegrass favorite Laurie Lewis),
award-winning "Blue Eyed Darlin'" and classics from Susie's debut solo album "Home On the Hill," along
with mountain standares from the Jean Ritchie collection, favorites from Gillian Welch and Steve Earl. Marvin O'Nell
of Classicheartland.com writes: "Susie Glaze does something with a song that only great singers
can do...she grabs hold of song's deepest emotion and purpose and wraps it tightly around your soul" and Bluegrass
Unlimited calls her "an important voice on the California Bluegrass scene." "Susie Glaze
has one of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today. She performs a song straight from ehr heart
and soul." (KPFK's FolkScene).
Saturday, May 12th @8pm Tix $15 or
$18 at the door Gypsy Soul Back In 1990,
Cilette Swann and Roman Morykit were both searching for something.
Imagine being an American in Paris learning to sing in French, phonetically. That’s
how Cilette began her career, singing in Paris jazz clubs. Imagine living in London, being signed to major recording contract
with A&M Records, and watching it fall out from under you, mid-recording. That’s how Roman found himself needing
a change.
Both were feeling creatively stifled and through a series of life’s coincidences, they found
each other in Edinburgh, Scotland. Recognizing a musical kinship, they started writing songs together and Gypsy Soul was
born. Their musical relationship blossomed into love and the two got married in November 1991.
Earlier that year, on a flight back to Scotland after visiting Cilette’s family in the US,
the pair met a Los Angeles movie producer. After chatting about the industry, they ended up buying her a train ticket as
she had no local currency. Little did they know that this gesture would result in her setting up numerous meetings with
Cannon Pictures and others, which inspired a move to LA. For the next few years they wrote more songs and cultivated their sound
playing in LA venues such as The Troubadour and Luna Park. Then with the financial support of friends and family, they decided
to record their debut CD, “Test Of Time” in 1995. While in the studio, Cilette was working for the French camera company, Aaton who were so
impressed with the music, that they offered equipment - free of charge - to produce a music video. With 14 volunteers and
donations from other LA production companies, Cilette’s assistant, a budding filmmaker, directed the band’s first
video for the single, Silent Tears.
Inspired by the duo’s passion, a friend, Michael Eames of PEN Music Group, Inc., financed the pressing of the first
1000 CDs.
Armed with their audio and visual wares, the duo started to tour and attracted the attention of a small
independent record company. They released the CD nationally and Silent Tears hit the Top 40 AC radio charts with artists such as Celine Dion and Brian Adams. However, just as
the single was taking off, the record company ran out of money and the duo’s career was stalled.
Again,
friends and family supported the band as they sat out the remainder of their contract for a year and wrote more songs.
Roman and Cilette then made the decision to start their own record company, marking the birth of Off The Beaten Track Recordings. They secured national
distribution and released their sophomore effort, “Sanctuary.”
Since that time, Gypsy Soul has released ten albums along with a live
DVD recorded at the Triple Door in Seattle. They have sold over 1.5 million
downloads worldwide as well as over 120,000
CDs in the US alone. Michael Eames, who has now been their publisher for
over 15 years, has licensed their music in TV shows and movies which have aired over all over the world. Besides worldwide
digital release and physical release in the US, the duo's recordings have also been physically issued in Korea, South
Africa and Japan, (where Silent Tears was chosen as the theme to a popular TV show).
In 2008, Gypsy Soul’s fans donated over $27,000 in funding
for the duo’s 9th CD, “Wanderlust.” Roman and Cilette continue to tour the Western States and Europe, playing venues from coffee
houses to art and wine festivals and theaters that seat anywhere from 200 to 2000 people. Despite their unique, multicultural
sound, the duo has managed to earn a Top 40 hit at AC
Radio, a Top 5 hit
in the International New
Age charts and a Top 10 hit
on the Folk DJ charts winning numerous independent music awards (including, Lilith Fair and Just
Plain Folks) along the way.
Recognizing the generous support they
have received, Cilette and Roman pay it forward at every opportunity. They continue to produce annual fundraisers for food
banks, bereavement centers, alcohol recovery centers and AIDs clinics as well as music career workshops at colleges. Is
this a rags to riches story? Not at all, but it is a story of perseverance, belief and loving support from their friends,
family and fans. A true American story. ”Four
stars.” “...Catchy, folk-based pop/rock songs with inventive arrangements suggested what a second Buckingham
Nicks LP might have sounded like if Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had not joined Fleetwood Mac.” - ALL MUSIC
GUIDE "Cilette Swann's voice is haunting and Roman Morykit's musicianship is superb. Their
music stirs the soul and moves the spirit." - Monica Rizzo, PEOPLE Magazine
"Gypsy
Soul is one of the most brilliantly instrumented and vocally adept bands alive and kicking. The most original material in
the folk-rock scene today, totally unique and captivating." - Orange County WEEKLY
Friday, June 1st @8pm Tix $15 or $18
at door Houston Jones http://www.houstonjones.com/default.htm PETER TUCKER
Percussionist extraordinaire, who has worked with the latest, the greatest and the oldest, from THE MONKS
to THE WAYBACKS and everything in between.
GLENN HOUSTON
Winner of Northern California Bluegrass Society's "Best Guitarist" award for 2009, a Bammie award winner,
and co-founder of THE WAYBACKS and HEARTS ON FIRE.
HENRY SALVIA
Wizard of the keyboard, who has worked with artists such as Bo Diddley, Rickie Lee Jones, Johnny Colla (of Huey
Lewis and the News), Big Jay McNeeley, Jessica Mitford, Tommy Ridgely, Al Kooper, Peter Coyote, Big Lou the Accordion
Princess, Jan Fanucci, and (his favorite) Johnny Adams.
TRAVIS JONES
Popular blue-eyed Bay Area singer and guitarist, seen in many venues with bands such as LARGE AND IN
THE WAY and who has worked closely over the years with leading Bay Area musicians.
CHRIS KEE
A classically trained cellist with a degree
in ethnomusicology, Chris is a busy Bay Area bassist, having recorded and performed with, among others, Peter Rowan,
Norah Jones and Jim Lauderdale, as well as being an original member of the Waybacks. From The San Francisco Chronicle November 11, 2011:
Houston Jones: Queen of Yesterday
CD Review By David Wiegand RATING: (WILD APPLAUSE)
"You may not think a band
with traditional bluegrass instrumentation and guys who've been around the musical block more than a few times could remain
fresh, much less grow even better with each new CD. But when it comes to the Bay Area band Houston Jones, think it. I first
got turned on to the band with "Calico Heart" two CDs ago, but the group's new one, "Queen of Yesterday,"
is in a class by itself. The band includes Travis Jones on lead vocals and guitar; Glenn Houston on lead guitar and background
vocals; Chris Kee on bass, guitar, cello and background vocals; Peter Tucker, percussion and background vocals; and Henry
Salvia, keyboards, accordion and vocals. Houston Jones will celebrate the release of "Queen" on Saturday at Freight
& Salvage. And it's a CD worth celebrating."
"What's amazing about the band is its incredible
versatility, From the bluesy swing of "Angels on the Ridgepole" to the urban jazz sound of the streets of Oakland
embodied in "Calamity Jane" to the gentle acoustic ballad "I Found a Heart," the electric and electrifying
title track and the bar-at-closing-time sad classicism of "Lost in the Crowd," this is a confluence of sublime
talent."
From Dirty Linen Magazine March/April
2009:
Houston Jones: Calico Heart
CD Review By Jim Lee "No
one delivers the goods quite like Houston Jones. The band's infectious mix of acoustic rock, bluegrass, folk, and country,
driven along by the drumming of Peter Tucker, the guitar of Glenn Houston, and the soulful vocals of Travis Jones, are in
ample supply on their latest effort, Calico Heart. It is more focused than the group's last release, probably because acoustic
bass player Chris Kee wrote nine of the 11 songs. While the members have always been virtuoso players and arrangers, it's the depth of Kee's songs
that adds a defining element to the band. It has expanded the sound somewhat with some down-home honky-tonk on "Born
in the Moonshine," some funk on "Mighty Red," and the experimental 11-minute "Roads to Dominion"
which adds some middle eastern influences to a basic Texas rhythm. As always, Houston Jones remains one of the West Coast's
most talented and entertaining bands."
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