DNACA Performance - Pure Prarie League

The familiar lyrics and tight harmonies of the 1970s country rock hit "Amie" ("what you gonna do...") along with many other original tunes will fill Crescent Elk Auditorium on Sunday evening, when Pure Prairie League takes the stage as the DNACA season's grand finale.

"We are the 'National Guard' of the country rock world," quipped longtime Pure Prairie League front man and bassist Mike Reilly in a recent telephone interview.  "We are a weekend band.  We used to play up to 270 shows a year; now we go out only 40 to 50 times a year.  We all have day jobs."

Pure Prairie League (PPL) had its beginning in the "postage stamp-sized" town of Waverly, Ohio in the late 1960s, when a group of high school students started playing music together.  The original band included Craig Fuller (who penned many of the group's hits), George Powell, Tom McGrail and John David Call.  Their location informed the band's sound; as Reilly put it, "we were influenced by the rock 'n' roll of Ohio, the rhythm & blues and soul of Cincinnati, and the bluegrass and country music of northern Kentucky and southern Ohio."

Craig Fuller, George Powell, Tom McGrail and John David Call

In 1970, McGrail came up with the name for the band one night while watching a 1939 Errol Flynn movie, "Dodge City," in which Pure Prairie League was the town's temperance society.  The band's eponymous (self-titled) first album was released in March of 1972 on the RCA record label, and was hailed as a "major early influence in the emerging popularity of Country-Rock music." "Bustin' Out" (RCA, October 1972), which contained the hit songs "Falling In and Out of Love with You" and "Amie," went platinum and, due to popular demand, "Amie" was released as a single in late 1974. 

In the 42 years since then, the band has released 12 albums total, toured all over the United States and has had varying and sometimes revolving membership.  Case in point is founding member steel guitar player Call, who took 30 years off, and just returned full-time in 2010.  According to Reilly, Call is responsible for "one of the defining traits" of the PPL sound. "He doesn't play like other steel guitarists," noted Reilly, "he plays like a rock and roll player...it's visceral.  He is an icon for the group."

Another PPL icon starting with the first album is "Sad Luke," the charicature of a cowpoke created by Norman Rockwell.  Luke first appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in September 1927, and has appeared on the cover of all of Pure Prairie League's recordings.  "It was chosen by the staff artistic director at RCA, Acy Lehman," recalled Reilly. "We decided to stick with him [Luke] as a logo, so we licensed it from the Saturday Evening Post, along with the font of our name.  We visited Norman Rockwell in Stockbridge, Mass. once, in 1976," he continued with a chuckle, "and made him an official 'prairie dog.'"

Among many other past members, including Billy Hinds, Larry Goshorn and Tim Goshorn, luminaries have included Mike Hamilton and Al Garth (both from Kenny Loggins' band), and Vince Gill (1978 to 1982) and Gary Burr (both Country Hall of Famers).  The group's third album -- "Two Lane Highway" (1975) -- featured guest appearances by Chet Atkins, Don Felder of The Eagles and Emmylou Harris.

After a dormant decade (1988 -1989), PPL was back with a lineup of Fuller (who spent some time playing with Little Feat starting in 1987), Connor (who died of cancer in 2004), Reilly, Burr, Fats Kaplin, and Rick Schell (vocals, drums, percussion) who is part of the current foursome.  Fuller retired a year and a half ago, and Donnie Lee Clark (vocals, guitar), who joined the band in 2006 and is also in the current lineup, has taken over many of his lead vocals.

Day jobs amongst the present lineup are eclectic.  Reilly manages a bar and grill for a friend on the east end of Long Island.  In Nashville, Schell is a real estate agent, Clark works at the city's airport, and Call recently retired after a career in the biotech industry, tagging cancer cells for research.

"This year, we dug out some obscure tunes we haven't played since the early days, 1972-73-74," said Reilly.  "It's fun and keeps the band sharp, breathing new life into old tunes.  We're still cookin' with all 12 cylinders!"

Underwriters making possible the nonprofit DNACA's 29th season are Caldwell & Sund Family Trust, Lodolini Family, Bill & Kathy Maffett, Physicians of Sutter Coast Hospital Fund, Gene & Carol Schach, Smith River Rancheria, Sutter Coast Hospital, Wild Rivers Community Foundation and in-kind supporter Bicoastal Media, plus several Courtesy Seat sponsors.  

Event to be held @ 7:30 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012, at the Crescent Elk Auditorium.

Tickets cost $20 each and are available at Del Norte Office Supply in Crescent City, Wright's Custom Framing in Brookings and at the door beginning at 6:45 p.m. For more information, contact DNACA at (707) 464-1336.   # 

DNACA Performance - Tlen-Huicani

The bright, ringing tones of the Latin folk harp, or "harpa jarocha" and harmonizing voices will fill Crescent Elk Auditorium when Tlen-Huicani performs on Thursday evening as DNACA's fourth concert of the 2012 season.  

Tlen-Huicani (pronounced tlen wee KAH nee) is an Aztec word that means "the singers."  Since its formation in 1973, the group has been dedicated to preserving and promoting the musical heritage of Veracruz.  Its members, natives from the different regions of that state in Mexico, have learned in its purest style the different musical expressions of the area, searching for both forgotten forms and new creations.     

Artistic director Alberto de la Rosa is respected for his musicianship on the "harpa jarocha," which is smaller than the orchestral harp and has a more metallic, brighter sound.  Under his direction the group has mastered many types of Latin music, including that of Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina and Ecuador, as well as that of Veracruz.

Along with the traditional costumes and instruments, a concert with Tlen-Huicani is like taking a journey through Mexico's music and history.  For their Crescent City performance, this folkloric ensemble will appear in a quartet format.

"Veracruz's traditional music...gets a particularly glorious treatment from Tlen-Huicani...rich-throated vocalists harmonize on lushly melodic motifs," noted the Chicago Reader. 

Underwriters making possible the nonprofit Del Norte Association for Cultural Awareness'es (sp?) 29th season are Caldwell & Sund Family Trust, Lodolini Family, Bill & Kathy Maffett, Physicians of Sutter Coast Hospital Fund, Gene & Carol Schach, Smith River Rancheria, Sutter Coast Hospital, Wild Rivers Community Foundation and in-kind supporter Bicoastal Media, plus several Courtesy Seat sponsors.  

Event to be held @ 7:30pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012.

Tickets cost $18 for general, $15 for seniors (65 and over), and $12 for students (K-college, full-time) and are available at Del Norte Office Supply in Crescent City, Wright's Custom Framing in Brookings and at the door beginning at 6:45 p.m.  For more information, contact DNACA at (707) 464-1336. 

DNACA Performance - Eric Bibb

A performance by Eric Bibb is "an enriching experience, both musically and spiritually," said Concord Music Group.  This accomplished singer/songwriter/guitarist will take the Crescent Elk stage on Tuesday as the DNACA's third performance of the season, playing his unique brand of soulful and gospel-infused folk-blues. 

For more than four decades, Bibb has been blending various musical genres,  melding a traditional "rootsy" American style with a contemporary sensibility.  His assured fingerpicking technique provides a perfect balance to rich, well-realized vocals and lyrics.  His songwriting just gets better and better. "You are what the blues in the new century should be about," said Elwood Blues of the House of Blues Radio Hour.

  

Born in 1951, Bibb is a native New Yorker with deep roots in the American blues and folk traditions.  He is the son of 1960s folk- and musical theater singer/television personality Leon Bibb. His uncle was jazz pianist and composer John Lewis, a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet, and his godfather was singer/actor/activist Paul Robeson.  

He received his first guitar at age seven, and by the time he entered middle school he was consumed by his music.  Surrounded by major musical figures of the day, Bibb was inspired and influenced by Odetta, Ritchie Havens, Pete Seeger, Earl Robinson, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Judy Collins, to name a few.  When he was 16, his father invited him to play in the house band for his television show, "Someone New."  He left for Paris when he was 19, playing in restaurants there, and then headed for Sweden where he settled in the 1970s.

In the early 1980s, Bibb was signed to BMG/Sweden as a songwriter.  He later received a contract with the independent Swedish label Opus 3, where he produced several albums.  Two of them -- "Spirit & the Blues" and "Good Stuff" -- were later released in the USA, expanding his international audience.  During a five-year stint in New York City during this decade, Bibb continued to write music and opened for headliners such as The Persuasions, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Tania Maria and Etta James. 

In 1996, he appeared at the London Blues Festival, and has toured the world many times since then.  Bibb last performed in Crescent City almost exactly twelve years ago for a DNACA fundraiser.  He also appeared at the former Crescent City Blues Festival in 1997, where he created a stir amongst those who saw him.

2004 was a year collaborative efforts for Bibb.  He joined Telarc International, a division of Concord Music Group as one-third of "Sisters & Brothers," a gospel-flavored blues project that included musical soulmates Maria Mauldar and Rory Block.  He also recorded "Friends," a solo effort with guest appearances by longtime friends/collaborators Taj Mahal, Odetta, Guy Davis and Charlie Musselwhite.  The following year, Bibb released "A Ship Called Love," followed by "Diamond Days" (2006 in the UK; 2007 in the U.S.) and "Get Onboard" (2008), a 12-track set that features guest appearances by Bonnie Raitt and Ruthie Foster.

"Booker's Guitar," Bibb's 2010 CD, was inspired by the discovery of a 1930s vintage Resophonic national steel body guitar that had belonged to Delta blues legend Booker White -- an older cousin to B.B. King.  "Booker's Guitar" hit No. 1 on "Billboard's" Blues Albums Chart and won the 2010 "DownBeat's" Critic's poll of Best Blues Album.  

Bibb's latest album "Troubadour Live" was released last spring.  Featuring Swedish guitarist Staffan Astner and gospel trio Psalm4, the disc was recorded in December 2010 at two locations in Uppsala, Sweden.  "After many ambitious studio albums, I really wanted to document and share with a wider audience what I'd been doing live on stage," said Bibb. 

>Underwriters making possible the nonprofit local arts agency's 29th season are Caldwell & Sund Family Trust, Lodolini Family, Bill & Kathy Maffett, Physicians of Sutter Coast Hospital Fund, Gene & Carol Schach, Smith River Rancheria, Sutter Coast Hospital, Wild Rivers Community Foundation and in-kind supporter Bicoastal Media, plus several Courtesy Seat sponsors.  

Event to be held at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

Tickets cost $18 for general, $15 for seniors (65 and over), and $12 for students (K-college, full-time) and are available at Del Norte Office Supply in Crescent City, Wright's Custom Framing in Brookings and at the door beginning at 6:45 p.m.  Crescent Elk Auditorium is at 994 G Street in Crescent City.  For more information, contact DNACA at (707) 464-1336.

DNACA Performance - Crooked Still

After ten years of constant touring, the string band with a banjo called Crooked Still will take a much-needed year off in 2012. Before they do, the group is making a sweep down the west coast, from Seattle to Berkeley. Monday, Nov. 7 finds them taking the stage in Crescent Elk Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., as DNACA's first performance of the 2011-12 season.

Formed a decade ago in Boston, Crooked Still's first gig "was a one-song performance in a New England Conservatory recital back in the fall of 2001. We worked up our version of 'Darling Corey,' and that arrangement is still one of our favorites to play," said guitarist/vocalist Aiofe (Eee fah) O'Donovan. Their musical style has been variously referred to as nontraditional bluegrass, new folk (or nu-folk), and old time American traditional music with an unexpected approach. The group's reputation as a vibrantly energetic live band has earned it invitations to large events such as the historic Newport Folk and Telluride festivals.

"Repertoire-wise, most of the material is kind of old traditional music, old public domain songs...we dig them up from old source (archival) recordings and rework them to fit the voice of the band," said double-bass player Corey DiMario in an interview on PBS NewHour.

Other band members include Gregory Liszt (banjo), Brittany Haas (fiddle) — sister of the talented cellist Natalie who appeared last year with Alasdair Fraser — and Tristan Clarridge (cello). The unusual instrumentation, arrangements and the five unique musical voices improvising with each other makes for an original sound. Besides the styles already mentioned, their songs have elements of classical music and Celtic ballads.

"What we all have in common is a love of bluegrass and old-time American traditional music," said cellist Clarridge in an interview conducted at the Arts Northwest Booking Conference in October. However, all five of them listen to and are influenced by a diverse range of musical styles. For instance, "I love baroque music," Clarridge noted "and have Bach on my iPod."

Born and raised in rural Humbol

dt and Trinity counties, Clarridge originally played the fiddle and participated in competitions and festivals all around the western United States. He even performed in Crescent City as part of the Old Time Fiddlers Contest, sponsored for several years by Soroptimist International of Crescent City.

How he came to play cello is attributed to a "lucky accident." "When I was seven I broke my left wrist," Clarridge recounted. "I attended a competition in Weiser, Idaho and couldn't hold the fiddle in my hand, so I played it like cello and still placed in the top five of my division." After seeing that, a family friend offered to rent him a cello, and his current career was born.

Though Clarridge has had no classical training as a cellist, he did study with a mentor in Humboldt County, baroque and jazz musician Rob Diggins. "Britanny and I hung out at festivals all over the country, including in Washington, Nashville, New York City, San Francisco, and the Strawberry Music Festival at Camp Mather, bordering Yosemite National Park. In 2007," Clarridge continued, "the other Crooked Still members called up Britanny and I and asked us if we wanted to audition in Boston." The rest is history, and now, four years later, Clarridge has toured with the band around the United Sates, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, England and Germany.

Crooked Still has four full-length CDs to its credit, the most recent being "Some Strange Country" (2010, Signature Sounds), which can be previewed at www.somestrangecountry.com. In September, they released an EP titled "Friends of Fall" which showcases the group’s compelling approach to contemporary and original music. The seven-song collection features covers of the Beatles, Paul Simon and John Hartford, a musical adaptation of a Wendell Berry poem, and other original pieces.

"Your expectations of how bluegrass and old-time classics should be performed will be turned on its ear," wrote Vintage Guitar magazine. "No one captures the eerie, gorgeous menace of classic Anglo-American folk ballads like this Boston band," commented USA Today.

Season underwriters making it possible for the nonprofit Del Norte Association for Cultural Awareness to bring performing artists of this caliber to Del Norte County include Caldwell & Sund Family Trust, Lodolini Family, Bill & Kathy Maffett, Physicians of Sutter Coast Hospital Fund, Gene & Carol Schach, Smith River Rancheria, Sutter Coast Hospital, Wild Rivers Community Foundation and in-kind supporter Bicoastal Media. In addition, DNACA is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For if you go: Tickets for Crooked Still cost $18 for general, $15 for seniors (65 and over), and $12 for students (K-college, full-time) and are available at Del Norte Office Supply in Crescent City, Wright's Custom Framing in Brookings and at the door, as are DNACA season tickets. For more information, contact DNACA at (707) 464-1336.

Crescent City Art Walk

The first Crescent City Art Walk of 2011 will occur from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 6, in both the downtown and harbor areas. The participating venues will have unique art work on display and complimentary refreshments, and some will feature musical entertainment as well.

Sites include:

Del Norte Realty

Evermore Jewelry and Art Gallery

The Daily Triplicate

Community Assistance Network (at 343 G Street location)

The Gallery of Arts & Culture

Redwoods Mural Society Maquette Museum (at Edward Jones and former Daly's building)

BID's Tsunami Photos (at former Daly's)

Johnston's Gift

Garden & Home

Del Norte County Library & Recology Del Norte (4-6 pm only)

Wild Rivers Community Foundation

Good Harvest Cafe (upstairs lounge)

Crescent Harbor Gallery

Talking Crow Studio

In addition, artists in action will be featured at Crescent Harbor Gallery (watercolor demo at 4 p.m.) and upstairs at the Good Harvest Cafe (Lena Hurd, basketmaker).

For more information, call DNACA at 464-1336 or the participating sites.

DNACA Performance - Soul Street Dance

When they take the stage on tomorrow evening, four youthful dancers known as Soul Street Dance will perform their newest production "Breakin' Backwards," in which "bustin' moves take on decades past."

This means they perform high energy, hip-hop style dancing set to music written predominantly in the 1920s to 90s. Composers are as varied as Count Basie, Elvis Presley, The Temptations, Aerosmith and Michael Jackson, and the show even includes a couple of classical pieces, by Vivaldi and Debussy.

Soul Street Dance from Houston, TX is comprised of Javier Garcia, Rock Williams, Cedrick D. ("Ced") Hicks and Roy Ramirez. "We are all self-taught (dancers)," said cofounder/director Garcia in a recent interview. "Two of us do 'breaking' and two of us specialize in 'popping.'" When asked for a description, "breaking (break dancing) is flashy, with lots of headstands, flips and windmills," he elucidated, "and popping (and locking) refers to robotic movements."

Garcia -- known for tricks, power moves and blowups -- also portrays a witty comedic side, off- and onstage. He has more than ten years of concert experience and has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and other countries, performing with some of hip-hop's biggest musical acts. For eight years, has been captain of the launch crew for the NBA's Houston Rockets.

Ramirez is a well-rounded b-boy, with skills including power moves, blowups, footwork, uprock and toprock. He has won "Red Bull battles" in Houston and throughout Texas. He is also a member of United B-Boys and dances for the Houston Rockets

Hicks, at 22 years old, is the youngest member of the group. He has appeared with the Houston Rockets launch crew, Houston Comets, Southern University Dance Company and is a featured guest with Houston-area artists and hip-hop teams.

"The audience will see a lot of crazy flips and breakin' power moves, hear some great music and see some awesome dance and comedy," summarized Garcia. Soul Street Dance also gave three workshops in the Del Norte County public schools today, activities which DNACA strives to provide to the community whenever possible.

"Soul Street Dance was an absolute sensation...I would highly recommend them anywhere, anytime, especially for a family friendly event," said the director of the Sweet Pea Festival in Bozeman, MT. For more information about the artists, visit soulstreetdance.com or gardnerartsnetwork.com online.

Nonprofit DNACA’s 28th season is made possible by underwriters Caldwell & Sund Family Trust, Bill & Kathy Maffett, Physicians of Sutter Coast Hospital Fund, Gene & Carol Schach, Smith River Rancheria/Lucky 7 Casino, Sutter Coast Hospital, Wild Rivers Community Foundation, and in-kind supporters Bicoastal Media and The Daily Triplicate. In addition, Soul Street Dance's performance is funded in part by WESTAF, the Western States Art Federation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets: Tickets cost $18 for general admission, $12 for students and seniors 65 years and older, and are available at Del Norte Office Supply in Crescent City, Wright's Custom Framing in Brookings, and at the door beginning at 6:45 p.m. the evening of the show. For more information, contact DNACA at (707) 464-1336.

DNACA Performance - Chris Smither

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Smither has been living the life of a troubadour for more than four decades, ever since leaving Tulane University in New Orleans, the town where he was raised. In 1965, he received some advice from of one of his top two musical heroes, Eric von Schmidt (the other is Mississippi John Hurt, who Smither first saw perform in 1964. You can hear that bluesman's influence in Smither's guitar work and songs.)

Von Schmidt, who was in Forida at the time, said, "If you want to play, no one down here is going to listen to you. You should go up to Boston and Cambridge and places like that." So Smither, with a friend, a few clothes and his guitar, traveled north to where there were thriving folk scenes in the coffeehouses and clubs. Several weeks later, he arrived at the now infamous Club 47. Who should be playing that night but Von Schmidt, who invited Smither onstage perform three songs.

"It was my first night in Cambridge and I was playing Club 47! It felt right to me," recounted Smither in "Baby Let Me Follow You Down," the seminal book about that era written by Von Schmidt and Jim Rooney (University of Massachusetts Press, 1979; second edition 1994). "I found a place to crash that night," he continued, "and never left . . .Since then I have managed to support myself by singing."

He is primarily a performer -- it's what he loves best, and his intricate guitar work, gravely, light and tuneful voice, and stomping foot in performance are all legendary -- but he also writes songs, and has 13 CDs to his credit, one of them unreleased and two of them live. "Back in the old days," he mused recently, "writing new songs and making new albums were just chores. My priority was, and still is performing live. I guess I still write the songs and make the record so I can go out and play--except now I actually enjoy it. I've learned how to do it...."

If you are to believe the critics, he does it all well. "Smither delivers one of the most riveting live show you're ever likely to see, " wrote Rollingstone.com. "The masterful combination of pure folk songwriting and intricate guitar blues are tangible signs of the singer-songwriter's vigorous genius" lauded WIRED magazine, "A megawatt solo performer." "His deep understanding of folk blues, storytelling finesse, rhythmic foot-tapping and warm guitar tones make him one of the finest of the genre," noted the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "My Eric Clapton," said Bonnie Raitt about his influence on her.

Smither's songs have been covered by other musicians; notably Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Diana Krall, and used in an independent film called "The Ride." Each of his albums contain mostly original songs, but also include two to three carefully chosen covers -- which can arguably pack more punch more than their original recordings. There is a rousing version of "Dust My Broom" by Robert Johnson on "Live as I'll Ever Be" (HighTone, 2000), an upbeat take on "Crocodile Man" by Dave Carter on "Train Home" (HighTone, 2003), and a soulful rendering of "Madame Geneva's" by Mark Knopfler on Smither's most recent CD, "Time Stands Still" (Signature Sounds Recordings, 2009). For more information on the artist and his music, go to www.smither.com online.

DNACA’s 28th season is made possible by underwriters Caldwell & Sund Family Trust, Bill & Kathy Maffett, Physicians of Sutter Coast Hospital Fund, Gene & Carol Schach, Smith River Rancheria/Lucky 7 Casino, Sutter Coast Hospital, Wild Rivers Community Foundation and Bicoastal Media. DNACA is also a State/Local Partner, funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Tickets for Chris Smither cost $18 for general admission, $12 for students and seniors 65 years and older, and are available at Del Norte Office Supply in Crescent City, Words and Pictures in Brookings, and at the door beginning at 6:45 p.m. the evening of the show. For more information, contact DNACA at (707) 464-1336. #