MUSIC

Bidding a Mournful Adieu

October 29, 2013 |

Nowhere Man & A Whiskey Girl
Derrick & Amy Ross
photo by Jimi Giannatti

Comprehending death is always difficult for the living. We know it is coming, we’ve experienced it deeply time and again, but it is nevertheless devastating and jarring with each cherished darling whose temporal, physical existence ends.

On Oct. 14, 2013, Amy Ross – the singer and pianist of Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl – died from complications of Systemic Lupus. Years of kidney dialysis, and a diagnosis that left the last few years of her life on the other side of the apex of that diagnosis, took its toll on her body. Her love, husband, and songwriting partner Derrick Ross, the duo’s guitarist, chose to join her.

The music communities from Bisbee to Flagstaff are bereaved by the loss of this open-hearted, talented couple whose charm, grace and acerbic wit will be missed by those who knew and loved them. Following their deaths, friends of Amy (40) and Derrick (39) began the cathartic process of coming together to build a float in their honor for the Nov. 3 All Souls Procession (ASP).

Over several weekends preceding ASP, musicians, photographers, artists and writers poured heart-broken energy into a beautiful homage to Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl. Big band letters, NMWG, were constructed to top a sixteen foot long and four foot wide float, end-capped by a piano for Amy with a guitar above it for Derrick.

Spearheaded by Keli Carpenter and Taylor Bungard of The Tryst, the construction’s rapid evolution blew everyone away. Over 40 thoughtful, competent and caring hands were on deck, driven by an urgency of time and emotion, and they deftly pulled it all together. As of Oct. 27, finishing touches such as lights, balloons, flowers and the float skirt were yet to be added, but with the vision of that amazing group of creatives, it is a float that will certainly stand out gorgeously in the All Souls Procession.

Local musician Stuart Oliver offered this quote, from The Healing Wisdom Of Africa by Malidoma Patrice Somé, as a reflection of their passing: “Death is not a separation but a different form of communion, a higher form of connectedness with the community, providing an opportunity for even greater service.”

On Nov. 23, local musicians will pay tribute to NMWG in a benefit show at Plush, 304 E. Sixth St. As of press time, the line up included: Buzz and the Soul Senders, Lonna Kelley, Dylan Charles, Dusty Buskers, Kiss the Killer and Fatigo. Check out the event on Facebook here. Other details forthcoming at PlushTucson.com.

 

Ephemera and Eccentricities

October 6, 2013 |

Tradition and a 40th Anniversary Spice Up Tucson Meet Yourself, October 11-13

Celebrations of Tucson’s ethnic cultures are the reason for Tucson Meet Yourself!
photo: Steven Meckler/courtesy Tucson Meet Yourself

Tuck in your sari; swallow that mouthful of paella and hang on to your delicate Ukrainian egg. Somewhere between the first spring roll and listening to the bagpipes – you’ll be swept away by an annual phenomenon that lies dormant in Tucson until the second weekend of October. But then, ethnic pride blooms into quite a feast, a meeting of yourself Downtown, a delicious celebration that mixes up shared cultures in the desert.

Authenticity is serious business at Tucson Meet Yourself (TMY), celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. So is the eating and learning about what is both exciting and everyday in a most remarkable cultural stew.

The giant of a man behind all this is hard to miss! Although now leaning on a walker or riding his scooter, Dr. Jim Griffith, practicing urban anthropologist, still looms large at the annual festival. Plucking his banjo, admiring a Mexican lady’s flowers, listening to and talking with Tohono O’odham and Turks and everyone else in between, this man of everyday people has made sharing the multi-cultures of the Arizona-Sonora region his life’s work, resulting in books, the past directorship of the Southwest Folklore Center at the University of Arizona, as well as the nation’s highest honor for folklorists from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Veterans of Big Jim will not be disappointed this year when his showcase of ourselves again covers every corner of the Presidio, Jácome Plaza and environs – a site selected 40 years ago as “neutral ground” for the city’s cultural collaboration. Like an old-fashioned, massive quilting circle, TMY activates Downtown as its own utopian community, a funky melting pot along the lines of what Big Jim and Loma Griffith, the founders of TMY, call “the fruitcake model” – full of textures and colors that stand on their own within a nutty cake.

Doing the 40th
Even if you’re not a fruitcake fan you’ll still enjoy this party of the people. The 2013 event has some new elements, including:

photo: Steven Meckler/courtesy TMY

The 40th Anniversary Cultural Kitchen foodway includes 25 food demonstrations from local cooking gurus, ranging from Ethiopian red lentil stew, to chiltepin chocolate ice cream and Swedish spritz cookies. Also expect prickly pear cheese cake, cholla bud/nopalito salad, Congolese lenga lenga (amaranth stew) and Russian beet vinaigrette salad. The kitchen runs until 7pm Saturday and all day Sunday, and of course the 50+ food booths are open until festival lights out.

The Lowrider Show and Shine returns to its original TMY location (Tucson Museum of Art), while nearby at La Cocina Old Town Artisans – there’ll be a satellite storytelling stage hosted by Pima County Library Foundation.

A new visual and educational exhibit on the Chinese in Tucson will be sponsored by the Chinese Cultural Center in a tent outside the main library at Jácome Plaza, while the Western History Association (conducting its annual meeting up in the Foothills) will host a panel discussion on one TMY stage, bringing scholars who study the history of the west Downtown to join the festival fusion.

Expect the 25th Annual AIDSWalk Tucson to traverse through the festival, kicking off Sunday’s program, beginning at 9am.

Tall Tales
While for many TMY is all about the food, others are interested in the peculiar folklore that has grown up around the festival over four decades. If you haven’t heard the storytelling, here are a few tales:

  • Setting for miracles: The worst tropical storm in Arizona’s history occurred in 1983, with this 100-year flood reporting the highest crests in the Rillito and the Santa Cruz. Campbell Avenue was a river and Grant Road a lake, and distraught festival planners worked out contingency plans with the city and Pima County, so that the cultural clubs who relied on TMY food sales wouldn’t be devastated by the downpours. As it turned out, that year the rains abruptly ceased the Friday of the festival, opening a circle of blue sky over TMY Friday through Sunday – whereupon the rains began again all over Tucson. Or so the folklore goes.
  • The Name Game: The first “Tucson, Meet Yourself” (an intentional comma provided a grammatically correct invitation) was a two-day affair, kicked off by a Friday night “Fandango” (animated dance party) at a newly built La Placita Village. In 1975, the name changed to “TMY and Friends,” to allow all the ethnic you’d ever want from other parts of the country to join in the Tucson party. That year, TMY hosted national recording artist and first lady of Tejano Lydia Mendoza, among other national artists. The name returned to “Tucson Meet Yourself”(without the comma) in 1976, and that name stuck (except for a 1995-2000 hiatus, when the festival was called “THE Tucson Heritage Experience,” and not run by Jim and Loma).
  • Experimentation: Although the mission remained the same over 40 years, Jim often looked for ways to keep the festival fresh. Some ideas, like the Liar’s Contest, which had as its top prize a bronzed cow pie on a plaque, came in 1979 and stayed for a few years. Others, like the corrido contest, begun in 1982, remain an important part of the festival.
  • Supper breaks: In the early years, TMY employed a very-extended supper break on Saturdays to allow tradition bearers to eat and refresh before the evening program. Back in 1974, the festival needed a way to let folks know the festival was starting up again after the supper break. Someone suggested that the pipers process from their courtyard practice area to the city hall stage, bellowing away to herald the program restart. The tradition stuck (even after supper breaks ended in the mid-1990s).
  • Paseo: In the 1980s, when one group wanted to do a fashion show onstage, Jim and team responded by asking all groups to participate in a traditional Show and Tell called the Paseo. For many years, promenades of ethnic costumes were the de rigueur of the Saturday programs. Women and men wearing traditional and contemporary styles of dress proudly displayed their outfits while an emcee explained the intricacies as well as the meaning of the colors and the ornamentation.  The Paseo continued off and on but in a minimal way after the formal supper breaks ended.
  • Gang of Five: What started as a gathering put together by Jim and Loma’s close friends evolved even in the early years as a complex undertaking requiring hundreds of volunteers. The beginning core volunteer group was called the Gang of Five (a nod to the Mao Zedong era and his revolutionary political group known as the Gang of Four). The Tucson gang that planned and ran the festival from the late 1970s until 1995 actually never numbered five. Started after strong urgings from Loma, the group always numbered somewhere between four and 15. Mike and Frieda Stafford, who met doing garbage detail at the festival, and celebrated their honeymoon hauling a white garbage cart through the park with “Just Married” written on it, were part of the early Gang of Five. They’re still married and still attend TMY.

Inevitably, as you lick the last remnants of fry bread from your fingers, someone asks a question about the origins of the treat, or how to spell how to spell chivichanga. And that leads to an exchange at the heart of Jim and Loma’s festival vision: The more we appreciate, the more we’ll respect, increasing the chances of understanding and working together.

The generosity of simple people allowing strangers into their cultures for 40 years is something to remember as we eat or dance or touch that priceless traditional artwork. After the TMY blitz of culture overload that hits the sweet spot this month, ordinary life will seem that much more extraordinary to you.

The free festivities take place at the main library plaza, El Presidio Park, and surrounding streets from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Oct 11-12 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Oct 13. Schedule and parking information is available at TucsonMeetYourself.org.

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TMY Time Capsule
If you want a head start (or a follow up) to the festival, be sure to visit Special Collections, UA Main Library, where a rich repository of TMY folklore is on display, in an exhibit that crisscrosses culture with historical documents and enough visual ephemera to call up festival fun.

“Big Jim” Griffith with his banjo, likely sharing a story before playing a song.
photo courtesy TMY/date unknown

This time capsule of posters, t-shirts, music, leaflets, tickets, albums and all sorts of Big Jim memorabilia was assembled by UA associate librarian Bob Diaz (who also is Library coordinator of exhibits and events and curator of the Library’s Performing Arts collection).

The exhibit is organized by eras and themes, which unfold into unique TMY snapshots, past and present. Each display case, panel or kiosk feels like its own treasure chest, worthy of pleasurable browsing. Adding to the complexity and fun is a music kiosk, containing audio from the festival’s early years. Another large monitor gives great pictorial punch and, sometimes, emotion, to the exhibit via a photographic faces of the festival display.

The overall history itself comes alive through material that tells a different side of the well-known story: for example, there are Jim’s 1974 handwritten and typed notes that show ideas and budget for the 1974 event. In another case, the first corrido contest is brought to life by its printed ephemera. Dog eared old photos provide a connection with the past in ways that today’s digital images cannot – illuminating TMY history to new generations.

An hour before what turned out to be a packed opening-night reception in mid-September, Big Jim and Loma were seen surveying the cases with apparent delight. All told, the exhibition presents hundreds of items from a collection Jim donated to the archives several years ago. Fascinating and even a little weird (the bronzed Liar’s Contest cow pie plaque is on display), this Big Jim exhibition is worth a trip.

“40 Years of Tucson Meet Yourself” is on view at Special Collections, UA Main Library, 1510 E. University Blvd., through January 12, 2014. Hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry is free, as is use of the vast and interesting Special Collections archives, where anyone is allowed to research priceless documents and memorabilia on subjects as varied as mining, Gabrielle Giffords or Stewart Udall archives, and an oddly wonderful vaudeville collection. All that is required is to complete some paperwork. A professional band of archivists and librarians are always available to help you discover something interesting about the Southwest. Learn more at: SpecColl.Library.Arizona.edu.

 

Live Music Listings October 2013

October 1, 2013 |

2ND SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN Congress Street, 2ndSaturdaysDowntown.com
Sat 12: Dan Green & The Dive Bombers, Belly Dance Tucson, The Mission Creeps, The Swigs on Scott Avenue stage;
Mitzi Cowell & The Valiants at T.O.P (top of Pennington garage)

The Mission Creeps
@ 2nd Saturdays
photo: Dominic Boncelli

AVA AMPHITHEATER Casino Del Sol 5655 W. Valencia Rd. CasinoDelSol.com
Fri 11: Vince Neil
Sat 12: Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Ramon Ayala & Pancho Barraza
Thu 24: Pitbull
Sat 25: Desert Bluegrass Festival

Pitbull @ AVA

BORDERLANDS BREWING 119 E. Toole Ave. 261-8773, BorderlandsBrewing.com
Wed 2: David Rose
Thu 3: JMC & His Wooden Hearts
Fri 4: Tortolita Gutpluckers
Sat 5: Mustang Corners
Wed 9: Tesoro Duo
Fri 11: The Tryst
Sat 12: The Long Wait
Sun 13: V Lundon and Tell Me Something Good & Roll Acosta
Wed 16: Tommy Tucker
Thu 17: The Determined Luddites
Fri 18: The Sundowners
Sat 19: Chris Black
Wed 23: Kyle Bronsdon
Thu 24: The HypnoGogs and Sock!Fight
Fri 25: Joe Novelli
Sat 26: Bob Einweck & Amos Tompkins
Wed 30: Nicolas Moog

Sundowners @ Borderlands
Photo by Jimi Giannatti

BOONDOCKS LOUNGE 3306 N. 1st Ave. 690-0991, BoondocksLounge.com
Mondays: The Bryan Dean Trio
Tuesdays: Lonny’s Lucky Poker Night
Wednesdays in July: Titan Valley Warheads
Thursdays: Ed Delucia Trio
Sundays: Lonny’s Lucky Poker Night
Fri 4: Live music with Neon Prophet
Sat 5: Equinox
Sun 6: Lonny’s Lucky Poker, Heather Hardy & Lil’ Mama Band
Sat 12: The Coolers
Sun 13: Lonny’s Lucker Poker
Fri 18: Live music with Neon Prophet
Sat 19: Wayback Machine
Sun 20: Annual Post Blues Festival, Lonny’s Lucky Poker Night
Sun 27: Last Call Girls, Lonny’s Luckey Poker Night

CAFE PASSE 415 N. 4th Ave. 624-4411, CafePasse.com
Wednesdays: Jazz Wednesday w/Matt Mitchell
Thursdays: Songwriter Thursdays w/ Lori LeChain
Fridays: Blues Fridays w/ Tom Walbank and Roman Barten Sherman
Saturdays: Country Saturdays
Fri 11: Jimmy Carr & The Awkward Moments
Sat 12: Bouncing Czechs
Fri 18: Jimmy Carr & The Awkward Moments
Sat 19: Bouncing Czechs

CLUB CONGRESS 311 E. Congress St. 622-8848, HotelCongress.com/club
Tue 1: Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers
Wed 2: Fuzz
Thu 3: He’s My Brother She’s My Sister
Tue 8: HoundMouth
Wed 9: Pure X
Tue 15: Burgerama Caravan of Stars Tour
Tue 22: Holy Ghost
Wed 23: Tim Kasher of Cursive
Thu 24: Stephane Wrembel
Tue 29: Mellowhigh
Wed 30: Golden Youth
Thu 31: Werewolf Bar Mitzvah

FOX TUCSON THEATRE 17 W. Congress St. 624-1515, FoxTucsonTheatre.org
Sun 6: Sittin’ with Jim Messina and Friends
Sat 12: World Blues with Taj Mahal
Sat 19: Arturo Sandoval
Sun 20: Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder
Thu 24: Paul Rodriguez

LA COCINA 201 N. Court Ave. 622-0351, LaCocinaTucson.com
Wednesdays: Miss Lana Rebel w/ Kevin Michael Mayfield
Thursdays (except Thu, Oct 24 and 31): Mitzi Cowell
Fridays: The Greg Morton Band
Sat 5: Key Ingredients of African Soul, DJ Herm
Thu 10: 567 Wax, Jazz Telephone
Sat 12: The Clam Tostada, The Tryst, Southbound Pilot
Sat 19: DJ Herm
Sat 26: Black Cat Bones

MONTEREY COURT 505 W. Miracle Mile, MontereyCourtAZ.com
Tue 1: The Littlest Birds
Wed 2: Peter McLaughlin and Alvin Blaine
Thu 3: Jim St. James
Wed 9: Nashville Songwriters Showcase

PLAYGROUND BAR AND LOUNGE 278 E. Congress. 396-3691. PlaygroundTucson.com
Mondays: Spelling Bee
Tuesdays: Dinner & A Movie
Wednesdays: REWIND: Old School Hip Hop
Fridays: Merry Go Round :: 4 rotating DJs

PLUSH 340 E. 6th St. 798-1298,  PlushTucson.com
Wed 2: The Helio Sequence with Menomena
Thu 3: Carlos Arzate and The Kind Souls
Fri 4: D. Bess with Santa Pachita
Sat 5: Texas Trash and the Trainwrecks, Justin Valdez y Los Guapos, The Sterling 202’s
Tue 8: Austin Lucas, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Ronstadt Generations
Thu 10: Honor Roll Gang
Fri 11: The Mission Creeps
Sat 12: The Holy Rolling Empire, Kid Puto, Of the Painted Quire
Wed 16: Gringo Star, Berwanger
Sat 19: Super Happy Funtime Burlesque
Fri 25: Copper and Congress
Sat 26: Eken is Dead, Race To The Bottom, The Living Breathing
Sun 27: Calabrese
Tue 29: The Cliks, Steff Koeppen and the Articles, Hot Peach

Steff Koeppen and the Articles at Plush

RIALTO THEATRE 318 E. Congress St. 740-1000, RialtoTheatre.com
Tue 1: Vampire Weekend with Sky Ferreira
Wed 2: Toro Y Moi with Vinyl Williams
Fri 4: Red Baraat
Thu 10: City and Colour
Fri 11: Yo Gotti: I Am Tour
Sat 12: Steve Earle
Sun 13: Jimmie Van Zant
Tue 15: Walk The Moon
Thu 17: Julieta Venegas
Fri 18: Clannad
Sun 20: Michael Franti and Spearhead with Serena Ryder
Tue 22: Steve Vai
Wed 23: Tim Kasher of Cursive with Laura Stevenson, The Green with Shwayze and Kimie

Kimie
photo: Brooke-Dombroski

Fri 25: Buddy Guy
Mon 28: Suicide Girls: Blackheart Burlesque
Wed 30: Rusted Root with Goodnight, Texas and Spirit Familia

SEA OF GLASS 330 E. 7th Street, 398-2542. SeaOfGlass.org
Sat 19: Dustbowl Revival

Dustbowl Revival
at Sea of Glass

SKY BAR 536 N. 4th Ave. 622-4300, SkyBarTucson.com
Mondays: Team Trivia
Tuesdays: Jazz
Wednesdays: Open Mic
Thursdays: Live Music

SOLAR CULTURE 31 E. Toole Ave. 884-0874, SolarCulture.org
Tue 8: Radiation City
Sat 12: Pure Bathing Culture
Sat 19: SLV with Tryst
Sun 20: Cave with Languas Largas and Horse Lords

SURLY WENCH PUB 424 N. 4th Ave., 882-0009, SurlyWenchPub.com
Wed 2: Bricktop, Chosen Ones
Fri 4: Black Cherry Burlesque
Sat 5: Blackout Mind Over Metal
Fri 11: Club Sanctuary
Sat 12: Fineline Revisited
Fri 18: Black Cherry Raw
Sat 19: Zombie Prom
Fri 25: The Manly Manlesque Show
Sat 26: Fineline Revisited

TAP & BOTTLE 403 N. 6th Ave.
Sun, 13: Gabriel Sullivan & Billy Sedlmayr, Kaia Chesney, Joe Novelli & Marvin The Cloud Wall

 

Honoring Tucson Musicians

September 23, 2013 |

Tucson Musicians Museum Hosts Its Annual Induction Ceremony & Fundraiser Sept. 29

Gabriel Ayala (left) and George Hawke (right) are two of this year’s inductees.
photo: George Howard

“All of our inductees are uniquely special and it’s our goal to educate the Tucson community on the amazing talent that we have in this town,” explains Tucson Musicians Museum co-founder and president George Howard.

“Our mantra is to cultivate, preserve and perpetuate Tucson’s rich musical heritage. Everybody that plays folk or rock or jazz or classical is contributing to this scene that provides such a diversity of music. Where else can you go that in one night you’ll hear classical music and mariachi music from some of the best people doing it in the world.”

Sunday, Sept. 29 marks the Tucson Musicians Museum’s 2013 inductee ceremony – the Celebration of Music & Culture –  taking place at the Tucson Convention Center’s Leo Rich Theatre, 260 S. Church Ave. Now in its seventh year, the ceremony will honor Tucson’s most talented local musicians from all genres that have impacted their community as well as the music industry with their skill and dedication to their craft.

This year’s diverse range of musical talent covers every genre from rock to mariachi to country. Among those being honored are Rich Hopkins, JD Daniel, George Hawke, Ann Iverson, Bob Meighan, Duan Suarez, Peter McLaughlin, Robert Thames, Gabriel Ayala, John Coinman and posthumous honors will be given to Tombstone Slim and Bobby Smith. Each inductee will be given their award at the ceremony and will get a chance to play two songs for the attendees.

“It’s a big celebration of the artists, so it’s such a great thing to have them perform their music for the audience and the shows have always been just spectacular,” says Howard. “Bud Foster from KOLD 13 is our emcee and we have some comedians who will be performing throughout the show and overall it is just such a wonderful musical environment. Our mariachi kids will be performing at the event as well. Really it is a very special evening for the arts scene of Tucson.”

Howard and co-founder Susan French created the Tucson Musicians Museum in 2006 as a way to honor the tremendous musical talent of Tucson by creating an online presence that would shine light on the artists of this town. Howard and French’s efforts have since made a big impact on the community with their music education programs that provide instruments and lessons for kids who can’t afford an opportunity to explore music. Now TMM offers various programs including classical musical training for children, and a heralded mariachi program run by Ruben Moreno.

“The Tucson Musicians Museum is so diverse and that’s what makes it so special. It’s great that they don’t highlight just one genre and it’s a very multicultural organization,” says 2013 TMM inductee Gabriel Ayala. “The programs they have for kids are really inspiring because not every child has the opportunity to study music even if they have the desire to. Music education is such a huge part of what I do and it’s so important that we pass the torch to the next generation.”

No stranger to awards or accolades, Ayala’s career as a guitarist and songwriter has taken him to heights few musicians experience including world tours, playing for the Pope and even playing for the President of the United States. The guitar virtuoso has even created his own genre of music mixing jazz and flamingo fusion that he calls “JazzMenco.” While Ayala is honored frequently for his work with Native Americans and educating youth, the TMM is a big honor that he is grateful to receive.

“As a musician, it seems like you’re never really respected by your own community. It’s the old story that you have to travel all over the world to be acknowledged for what you do,” says Ayala. “So the fact that my home community loves what I’m doing and accepts me for it is an incredible thing. I’ve won awards all across North America, I’ve traveled all over the world, but it’s so meaningful to me to get this award from my home town.”

Tickets for the event are $20 and the proceeds go to the TMM Youth Mentorship Program. For more information about the event and TMM, visit TucsonMusiciansMuseum.org.

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2013 Inductees

Gabriel Ayala (guitar) – Jazz/Flamingo Fusion
John Coinman (guitar) Rock
JD Daniel (keyboard) – Jazz
George Hawke (bass, acoustic guitar) – Country Swing
Rich Hopkins (guitar) – Rock
Ann Iverson – Classical
Peter McLaughlin (guitar)  – Bluegrass
Bob Meighan (guitar) Rock

Daun Suarez (steel guitar) – Country
Robert Thames – Pop

-Posthumous-
Bobby Smith
Tombstone Slim

Guitar Competition Heats Up Flamenco Fest

September 9, 2013 |

Guitarist Misael Barraza is a performer at this year’s Tucson Flamenco Festival.
photo: Pablo Martinez

If you ask classical guitarist and local music teacher Michael Lich what is unique about Tucson’s guitar community, he will tell you that it is “arguably the best guitar city in the world.” Between having one of the highest rated university guitar programs in the country, being home to the Tucson Guitar Society and having a specialized outreach program for struggling public school students, there is a tremendous amount of passion and local talent here in the Old Pueblo.

It is with those elements in mind that the Tucson Flamenco Festival decided to establish an annual Spanish and Flamenco Guitar Competition this year. The festival’s competition features an open category for musicians of all ages specializing in flamenco and/or Spanish classical guitar and two separate divisions for youth contestants. The finalists will face off on the festival’s Sept. 19 opening night,  vying for over $2,000 in prizes.

In terms of authenticity, there is no better place for this competition to be born than at the Tucson Flamenco Festival, organized by local Spanish restaurant Casa Vicente, the Spanish Club of Tucson and the Flamenco del Pueblo Viejo dance studio. Every September, part of Casa Vicente’s parking lot is blocked off, glimmering lights are strung up, and the sound of flamenco footwork emanates from this intimate outdoor affair as international and local artists alike take the stage for a uniquely Spanish experience. The four-day festival, now in its fifth year, showcases up and coming flamenco fashion designers and becomes home to exceptionally talented dancers, singers and musicians.

These artists captivate the audience by exuding the sort of passionate drama that flamenco is known for.  It is just this sort of connection between artist and audience that Misael Barraza says keeps him playing and improving. Barraza, who has been playing for over 10 years and is one of the performers at this year’s festival, explains that the guitar is “a very intimate and expressive instrument” that allows for an artist to musically “expand to many different horizons.”

He believes part of the reason a guitar competition such as this is so important in promoting Tucson’s guitar community is because it allows artists to perform for a new audience, who in turn “might be inspired to hire them or simply go hear them at a different occasion.”

Michael Lich, a classical guitarist, banjo-player, arranger, composer and a faculty member at the Academy of Music and Dance of Tucson/Oro Valley, points out that it also gives some of the younger students a chance to “fine tune their skills” and “meet, jam, and exchange ideas.” He explains that “there are a lot of distractions for young musicians and this gives them something to really focus on.”

Barraza, an experienced competitive guitarist who has been one of the competition’s planning consultants, agrees that in a competitive setting musicians will spend more time preparing and the preparation “will raise the level of the performance.” In addition, he points out, by witnessing a live competition such as this, audience members may be inspired to pick up a guitar and start learning for themselves.

So what exactly will the judges be looking for at this year’s inaugural competition? Barraza would look for “a solid technical ability, but also for a good understanding of the music and its inflections.” He says it is possible to produce great music without necessarily being great technically, but “a balance between these two aspects is always present in the best guitarist.” Apart from that, he feels competitions are an excellent place to “show your personality” and would therefore value originality in any performance.

Integrating originality and dedication is what makes the guitar competition a wonderful addition, and one which will no doubt  become an integral part of the festival experience. So whether you plan on discovering brand new talent, learning about Spanish culture, or are simply out to enjoy an evening downtown, the 1st Annual Spanish Classical Guitar Competition is an excellent place to start. Who knows, you might even feel inspired to start making music of your very own.

The Tucson Flamenco Festival runs from Thur, Sept. 19-Sun, Sept. 22 at Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Ave. Prices, times and activities vary. Details are at TucsonFlamencoFestival.com or by calling 884-5253.

The four-day festival, now in its fifth year, showcases up and coming flamenco fashion designers and becomes home to exceptionally talented dancers, singers and musicians.
From left to right, Misael Barraza, Carmen Pivlick and Milagra Weiss.
photo: Lorraine DarConte


Carlos Arzate’s Musical Evolution

July 30, 2013 |

“I feel so liberated to be able to sing what I feel – soul, R&B, country – none of it is deliberate, it just comes out.”

Carlos Arzate is explaining the artistic shift from the loud rock he sang in his previous band American Andriod to the more upbeat, accessible, positive songs of Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls, self-described as Sonoran Soul.

“I was stuck in a rock mode (with American Android). This is an avenue to tap into all the influences I grew up on. With American Android, I was listening to a lot of Radiohead and Tool. That band formed at the time of The Patriot Act during the (George W.) Bush administration. I got involved with guys who wanted to preach anti-establishment. It was hard to listen to because it was so loud and had a lot of anger and self-righteousness. I was preaching from a soap box, for people to not be androids.

“In 2008, the steam went out (of American Android) with the Obama winning the presidency.”

Cut to 2011.

“I was learning to play guitar and wanted to be more hopeful. I talked to Ryan Alfred after Gabby (Giffords and others) got shot, asking him, ‘How can we be the change we want to see in the world?’

“Ryan encouraged me to keep playing guitar and writing songs that weren’t American Android.”

Ryan Alfred, who is also Calexico’s current bassist, is credited by Arzate as being a major catalyst in Arzate’s musical evolution.

“I met him through Cameron Hood (of Ryanhood), and he played a few American Android shows on bass.” Alfred also produced and mixed the forthcoming Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls EP, Fly Away.

By the end of 2011, Arzate had scribed 10 songs on guitar; fueled by the knowledge he had gained from people like Taylor Bungard (of The Tryst) teaching him chords and from a desire to honor his sister.

“My older sister Anna was a real champion of me performing and she told me I had to keep learning.” When Anna passed away, Arzate penned “My Darling Dear,” a song he describes as “singing to our loved ones beyond the grave.

“And (all of this) helped me become more confident as a songwriter and to be known as a songwriter.”

In the fall of 2011, Arzate opened for Sweet Ghosts (a project of Ryan Alfred and Katherine Byrnes), and he admits: “I was scared to take the plunge. It was a real watershed moment for me because people liked it. I was able to say the same things, but people can groove to this. I still feel relevant in social commentary, but it is not as polarizing.”

As we talk about his background and the new EP, I feel honored to sit with a man who is real about his desire to bring positivity to the world. The five songs on Fly Away capture that mission. Arzate’s tunes have the heart-warming, and political, poignancy of Ziggy Marly and Michael Franti with a southwestern bent.

“It is a backlash against the brutality of humanity,” Arzate says. “Being tired of being angry and trying to be more hopeful.”

Opening the EP is the title track, a sweet, soaring sing-along song with percussion that reminds me of the beach. Carlos says it is about “shaking off adversity and the things that hold us down.” The next tune, Love Letter Missile, is darker with an edgier feel – it has that desert rock vibe and great lines like: “I don’t need to take no lip from the mouths of hypocrites who don’t see it my way. I don’t need to waste my cares on what other people say; they don’t matter anyway.”

The third song, On The Fence, features Arzate’s heart-searing howling and Jon Villa’s trumpet playing, with Carlos singing about the border and its militarization. “There’s no dialogue anymore, it’s just a one-sided conversation,” Carlos intones during the interview. Following is A Little, about finding common ground and “working it out,” Arzate says. “Turn down the hyperbole; we’re all generally in the same boat.”

Dear Liberty, the EP’s final track, is a gorgeous piece stripped down to Arzate’s voice and acoustic guitar. His vocals crackle with wisdom and pragmatic optimism that is genuine about embracing a humanitarian world view.

Overall, the directive is to “be more positive with a message of community. Be kind in your everyday walk!”

Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls perform an EP release show on Saturday, August 3 at Plush, 340 E. 6th Ave. Details are at www.CarlosArzateMusic.com. CDs of “Fly Away” will be available for sale at the show. There is also a Phoenix gig on Friday, August 2 at Last Exit Live, 717 S. Central Ave.

So, who are the Kind Souls? On the “Fly Away” EP, the Kind Souls include: Ryan Alfred (bass, acoustic guitar, backing vox, synthesizers), Collin Shook (piano, organ, vibraphone), Nadim Shehab (drums), Aaron Hulstrand (acoustic/electric guitar), Katherine Byrnes (backing vox), Jon Villa (trumpets), Jason Urman (accordion), Han Hutchinson (pedal steel), Efren Cruz Chavez (congas, shaker, tambourine).

photo by Jimi Giannatti

 

A Townie’s Guide to Summer in Tucson

July 3, 2013 |

Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl

The dog days of summer in sweltering Southern Arizona separate the meek from the mighty like no other natural phenomena. Many quickly depart for cooler climes. The rest of us adopt adaptive techniques like nocturnal workouts and midday siestas. For those who stick around through triple-digit temps, the dramatic population reduction is a boon. No lines to get in anywhere on Fourth Avenue. Quiet neighborhoods with apartments on hold until fall.

Let the snowbirds and students flee to San Diego. Get going? In this town when the going gets tough, the tough stay put. Since we can stand the heat, we don’t have to get out of the kitchen. Here’s what’s cooking in Tucson this season.

At the Tucson Botanical Gardens, summer means the return of their Twilight Third Thursdays series showcasing visual art alongside complimentary live musical performance. On July 18 from 5-8 pm the work of Tucson artists David Kish and Holly Swangtu will be displayed, with the tunes provided by Bisbee indie folk duo Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl. August 15 sees local rockers The Cordials and painter/printmaker C.J. Shane featured in the idyllic outdoor oasis at 2150 N. Alvernon Way. Admission is $9 for adults and $5 for children; food, face painting, Isabella’s Ice Cream and a cash bar will all be available. See membership discounts and details at TucsonBotanical.org.

For the younger set, summer brings free entertainment in the form of Loft Kids Fest (the event formerly known as the Tucson International Children’s Film Festival). Kickoff festivities at Trail Dust Town on Friday, July 19 at 5:30 pm include trick roping by lariat artist Loop Rawlins, followed by a screening of his short The Adventures of Loop & Rhett. Trail Dust Town’s homage to the Old West can be found at 6541 E. Tanque Verde Rd.

Then each day at 10 am from July 20 to 28, family favorites such as Matilda and Shrek will grace nonprofit The Loft Cinema’s big screen at 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Arrive early for groovy giveaways, super surprises and pre-show hijinks hosted by Mildred & Dildred Toy Store! LoftCinema.com has the full Loft Kids Fest film schedule. Crave more air-conditioned independent arthouse goodness? Catch the award-winning Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home for free at The Loft on Tuesday, July 23 at 7 pm.

For over a decade we heard the calls for revitalization and watched as downtown struggled to get started. Fast forward to today, and Congress Street is humming with activity any night of the week. At the Historic Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St., check out New Jersey third wave ska band Streetlight Manifesto on July 3, finely-aged punkers Rancid on July 23 or LA indie rock outfit Cold War Kids on August 18. Club Congress across the street welcomes 1980s alternative rock icons Camper Van Beethoven on July 23. Eateries such as Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery, 266 E. Congress St., and Empire Pizza & Pub at 137 E. Congress St. have rightfully become popular enough that reservations may be advisable even during the slow summer months. Both of these establishments’ excellent reputations are well-earned.

From August 14 to 18, the Tucson Audubon Society invites any and all birders to investigate our sky islands and riparian zones for ornithological rarities. The third annual Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival is an opportunity for nature lovers nationwide to participate in workshops, programs and field trips all celebrating the Sonoran Desert region’s astonishing biodiversity. Festival headquarters will be at the Arizona Riverpark Inn, 350 S. Freeway. Register online at TucsonAudubon.org.

Indulging oneself for a good cause is always a win-win; thus the 2013 Salsa & Tequila Challenge. A $40/person ticket price benefits the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance as well as the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. The question is, are you up for it? There’ll be as many as fifty tequila-based mixed drink and menu pairings presented by area chefs with bragging rights at stake, plus creative salsa concoctions galore, so you may want to begin training. The competition takes place at La Encantada shopping center, 2905 E. Skyline Dr., on Saturday, August 24 at 5:30 pm with winning tequilas and salsa announced the same evening. Purchase tickets online at SAACA.org or by telephone at (520) 797-3959 ext. 1.

At Main Gate Square near the University of Arizona, the annual summer exodus leaves behind only the most determinedly heat-resistant portion of the student body. This sturdiest of breeds knows that Irish pub and restaurant The Auld Dubliner, 800 E. University Blvd., continues their happy hour drink specials even during the hottest months. Entertainment at Geronimo Plaza next door comes courtesy of the Friday Night Live! concert series, which on July 5 features the jazzy Butch Diggs & Friends and on July 19 cabaret crooner Heather O’Day. MainGateSquare.com lists current merchant specials.

Longtime residents are familiar with Mt. Lemmon’s charms; day trips to the Catalinas have cooled many a hyperthermic Tucsonan over years past. During recent summers a pleasant scene emerged, with smiling and dancing folk flocking to a big white tent each weekend to simultaneously appreciate local bands and the Coronado National Forest. Music on the Mountain, as it was called, brought thousands of visitors following 2003’s destructive Aspen Fire. Following a year off, the tradition now continues with Top Dead Center on July 27 and Stefan George on August 17 among others. Bring a chair and enjoy the fresh air free of charge! Find the fun each Saturday afternoon from 12:30-4:30 pm at 12901 N. Sabino Canyon Parkway up in Summerhaven (so named for good reason).

De Anza Drive-In may be history, but Tucson’s love affair with watching movies outdoors continues. Cinema La Placita’s longest-running classic-movies-under-the-stars series screens an older Hollywood gem for $3 admission each Thursday evening at 7:30 pm through August. That price includes popcorn, and the courtyard setting at 110 S. Church Ave. is ideal for canoodling. Cinema La Placita will also show a film at 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 13 as part of the month’s Second Saturdays Downtown celebration. Visit CinemaLaPlacita.com for more information.

That’s not all that’s afoot in Tucson this summer. Science Sundays at the Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. 6th Ave., are a chance for the little ones to explore hands-on educational exhibits at a discount. Admission is only $2 every Sunday through August; plan your visit at ChildrensMuseumTucson.org. For a flashback, try Flandrau Planetarium’s “Dark Side of the Moon” laser light show on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 pm. The on-campus facility at 1601 E. University Blvd. also offers educational programs like “Exploring Saturn’s Mysteries” and “Tucson Sky Tonight.” Flandrau.org has details.

Above ground kiddie pool: $11.99. Ten-pound bag of ice: $1.79. Summer in Tucson: priceless.

The Chords You Need

May 11, 2013 |

It’s a beautiful spring Saturday in the Sonoran Desert; birds are chirping, fruit blossoms are fragrantly blooming and “Electric Caribou” is dancing forth from the speakers.

This is an afternoon with The Modeens; singer/guitarist/songwriter Jamie Laboz, bassist/singer/songwriter Cristina Williams and drummer Jeff Diday. Missing is keyboardist/harmonica/contributing singer/songwriter Dave Prival as the herpetologist is in Cali tracking a reptile. Prival’s genius is evoked throughout the album and the interview. Laboz describes Prival as a “reserved guy, a quiet scientist, but, you wouldn’t know that seeing him onstage. The first time I saw him play, he did a keyboard solo with his head!”

The conversation bounces around from chatting about the desert’s biodiversity to the stylistic diversity of the band’s third release and second full length, “Electric Caribou.”

Laboz and Williams laugh when asked about the album name, and the story goes like this: “I was playing in a blues band in LA, and this guy came in with cooked caribou on a platter,” Laboz starts, “he looked like a lumberjack.”  Williams adds, “a Santa Claus lumberjack but huge!” The surreal experience had the couple saying caribou aloud over and over that night.

“I was loading gear out of the car after the show,” Laboz remembers, “and in this stream-of-consciousness moment, I said ‘Electric Caribou!’ and Cristina laughed.”

The words stuck with the couple, they knew they had to use it somehow, somewhere, and as Laboz says, “a good song or good title keeps coming back.”

With this 10-track release the band has songs that were in its live repertoire for years but not recorded, others were recorded for previous projects; but the songs all come together seamlessly – even with the divergent styles (overall, a 60s vibe that channels classic rock sounds, punk, country and even a ballad).

“Fen (Ikner, who mastered the album) helped us sequence the order of the songs,” Laboz explains, “and we realized he put it in order of a story, in order by key, and it drew a narrative.”

As the album listening party progresses, Laboz, Williams and Diday give the inside scoop on the tracks. Track one, “Modeens Theme” is a groovy rock-romp party song, beginning with the sound of a beer can opening and Williams’ sultry, “Ah yeahhhh.” Prival’s mad genius keys are front and center, with hand clapping and the rhythm section rocking the beats. Then there’s a smattering of beer bottles clinking together, courtesy of Diday, “I do all the weird things besides playing drums. On the last album, I played pots and pans.”

The rock continues with a Laboz penned tune, “Drinkin’ Is A Full Time Job.” He explains: “I wrote that song at Parkside Lounge in NYC, I was on unemployment and drinking.” As we listen, Laboz says, “Fen said this sounds like the Stones and Steve Miller. But, the bridge is Bob Seger.” Cristina seconds that, “Yeah, it is totally Bob Seger!”

The conversation jumps around, as conversations customarily do, so not every song is talked about, but what is shared is songwriting contributions were split between Laboz, Williams and Prival, with Laboz crediting Prival as “the real rocker, he is always the jilted lover in his songs.” Prival’s tunes, “Caroline” and “Not About Me” definitely cull from punk sensibilities – hard driving, intense and fast. Beyond that, Laboz stresses, “Dave is such a sick harp player, he’s so crazy, and there’s so much harp on the record!” It is true, and Prival’s powerful harmonica parts add fantastic depth to the tunes.

When track six starts, “Favorite Shoes,” Diday says, “I googled funtry, it’s not out there.” Funtry, as a music style described by Diday, is “a fun version of country, using all of the clichés of country…” Williams adds, “Yes, but delightfully so!” It’s no disrespect to country; it shares a light-hearted twist on this song, highlighted by Prival’s rag time/honky tonk piano and Aaron Gilmartin’s banjo.

Fun is certainly what we need these days, with all of the craziness of the world torn apart by misunderstanding and fear-based hate. The Modeens offer an album to lose yourself in, a place to let the chords take your mind out of time, to relax and dance. As my husband says, “Baby, I need to get some chords,” and as my father once told me, “Jamie, never underestimate the power of entertainment.”

Have rockin’ fun at The Modeens’ CD release on Saturday, May 18 at Barrio Brewing, 800 E. 16th St. Shrimp Chaperone opens, St. Maybe closes. More info at TheModeens.com.

2nd Saturdays Celebrates 3 Years

May 11, 2013 |

Aztral Folk

Since May 2010, 2nd Saturdays Downtown has consistently entertained event attendees with quality Tucson bands, street performers, acoustic acts and more. Local arts non-profits like Odaiko Sonora and Tucson Circus Arts have lent their talents over the years; Cinema La Placita has provided the free, outdoor film screenings since the event’s inception.

While hiccups in Tucson’s normally temperate weather have affected the crowds, the populace always came back to the event upon clear climes. Summertime typically sees throngs of people coming out to take in what downtown has to offer.

It has been about a year that Congress Street was off limits to vehicular traffic for the modern streetcar construction. Now that those days are (mostly) behind us, the travel paths are open to the masses to enjoy the local restaurants, bars, coffee shops, retail outlets and Downtown’s unique, historic performance venues.

For its 3rd Anniversary, the free event is featuring wide-ranging genres on the Scott Avenue stage. Opening at 6:30 p.m. is ethno-psychedelic fusion band Aztral Folk; following is Kevin Pakulis and The Coyote Supper Club (8 p.m.-9:15 p.m.). In-between acts, is the alluring Belly Dance Tucson with Atom Heart Mother, a Pink Floyd tribute band, gracing the stage from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The event is introducing a new venue, T.O.P., located on the roof of the Pennington Street Garage at 110 E. Pennington St. with classic rock band Five Way Street performing up there between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Borderlands Brewery will be selling beer on the roof.

Get more information at 2ndSaturdays.com and follow the event at Ffacebook.com/2ndSaturdaysDowntown.

A Beautiful Coalescence

April 10, 2013 |

It’s not often a band jumps from being relatively unknown locally to playing on a national stage.

But it does happen and it happened this year when bluegrass quintet Run Boy Run (RBR) performed in January and again in February on syndicated public radio show “A Prairie Home Companion.”

To hear, for the first time, such a wonderfully tight and talented local band broadcasted on Garrison Keillor’s popular program was mind-blowing.

As upright bassist Jesse Allen explains, RBR’s five 20somethings met at UA and formed the band in 2009 but most of its “serious time as a band has happened since we were split between two cities.”

When asked where the band had been playing before heard by 4 million listeners on Keillor’s show twice, Allen says, “Frankly, we haven’t been.

“We didn’t play Tucson much because we were split between Tucson and Phoenix, and our Phoenix half was keeping us busy up there. It really wasn’t until we played the Tucson Folk Festival where we met Nowhere Man and Whiskey Girl that we started booking shows in Tucson; even our resident Sun Devil started falling in love with the Old Pueblo.”

The Old Pueblo is falling in love with RBR, as evinced by the packed back room at Plush for the band’s March 21 album release of So Sang the Whippoorwill. As Derek Ross of Nowhere Man and Whiskey Girl, that night’s show opener, said from the stage – “Run Boy Run is going to bluegrass your balls off.” And that they did.

The musicians played many of the songs featured on the album, which is comprised of 12 tracks, mostly penned by the members. It also includes three traditional songs and a cover of The Band’s “Get Up Jake.” Front and center are the sweet soaring harmonies by the gals – Grace, Jen and Bekah – surrounded by a beautiful coalescence of bass, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and cello. RBR’s musical aptitude shines through on this gorgeous release that is very technically clean – a result of hours and hours spent in the Jim Brady Recording Studios.

Fiddler Matt Rolland says, “The clarity is a testament to the fact that our co-producer and engineer, Jim, has great mics and knows how to use them well for acoustic instruments and voices. I’m proud to say there is no auto tune or pitch adjustment on the album; we wanted this to be clean and acoustic, like you’d hear in real life.

“We spent about 85 hours in the studio tracking, from November to March. We generally played songs all together until we got a take that we liked.  Mixing and mastering took about a third of the time to track (about 35 hours).”

This attention to time, detail and arrangement inform their impressive chops. Those qualities landed the band a chance to open the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2012. That was a result of winning the 2011 Telluride Band Contest – a competition with strict guidelines.

The musicians seem up to any challenge, even with all the crew working full time jobs, they make time to make it happen. Flipping through the band’s blog, this striking entry by Allen seems to sum up how the group functions on a deep level of friendship to create a breathtaking ensemble.

“There is one factor in all of our work putting together the tunes we play that I feel is more important than any other: trust. We trust each other, and we do what we can to make sure we honor that trust in one another. This trust allows us to take risks, to listen critically, and to speak freely. Because we trust each other, we can play with freedom, and produce something we can all be proud of. A creation is always precious to the creator, so being able to put your creation into the hands of people you trust is a magnificent thing.”

Run Boy Run perform locally this month at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., April 7 and at the Marana Bluegrass Festival on April 13 & 14. Details at RunBoyRunBand.com.