December 2018

Fiddling Cricket Concerts
December 2018

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Cosponsored with Fiddling Cricket Concerts, Canyon Acoustic Society, the Ugly Mug Coffee House & Snazzy Productions
The Patti Maxine Experience
Saturday, December 1st, 7:00pm & 9:15pm General Admission $25, Gold Circle $35, General Admission Door $30
AT KUUMBWA
Kuumbwa Jazz Center 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Call Snazzy for tickets 831 479-9421 or buy tickets here

Patti Maxine is a Santa Cruz music icon affectionately known as "The Queen of Steel" for her signature lap steel playing. She will celebrate her 80th year*, her 66th year performing, the release of her first album, Steelin' Home, and her change in hairstyle (no longer silver flowing waist length) with her music friends and her fans. Backed by a full band, Patti will also play and sing solo and with other guest artists.

Patti was originally drawn to the lap steel, as a young girl in Virginia, owing to its presence and sound in Hawaiian music. Moving west, she won her first competition more than 60 years ago and eventually landed up in the Santa Cruz area, where she was a member of the first local Western Swing band, Saddle up and Boogie. She later joined Island Breeze, a local Hawaiian band still performing. Over the last 5 years Patti was lead steel guitarist in the popular Americana/folk group, Henhouse, and most recently she joined Jazz the Dog, a collective of local musical luminaries led by Rhan Wilson. In addition to these regular gigs, Patti is asked to play with just about everyone in town, from very young groups to her own (nearly) generation - a testimony to both the quality of her playing and her willingness and skill in giving others performance space. When Hawaiian masters come to town, they often request her services and she is now also invited each year to perform at the Maui Steel Guitar Festival, quite an honor for a mainlander.

It is no surprise that she has become a sought after session player, recording with dozens of artists. It is a surprise, however, that Patti has never recorded an album of her own. This is now rectified with the release, at this concert, of Steelin' Home, a collection of her favorite material covering a wide genre and featuring Patti on lap steel guitar, guitar, and vocals.

"Royalty (for example The Queen of England) often has two birthdays: a real one and an "official" one which her subjects can celebrate. Patti's real 80th birthday was in September. This Dec 1st show is the "official" celebration of the Queen of Steel's 80th, and, to accommodate as many of her subjects (sorry, fans) as possible, there will be both an early show (7pm) and a late show (9.15pm)."

Fiddling Cricket & Canyon Acoustic Society Concert Series 2018
Jazz The Dog
Playing Classic Television Theme Songs
Saturday, December 8th, 7:30pm (doors open at 7.00pm) Tickets $15adv / $18 door donation
Presented by Fiddling Cricket Concerts & Canyon Acoustic Society
AT THE UGLY MUG CAFE
4640 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA 95073
Contact Fiddling Cricket at 408 499 9441 or crbrundle@gmail.com for reservations or more information.

Rhan Wilson, Rick Zeek, and their band Jazz The Dog present an evening of classic Television Theme Songs at The Ugly Mug on December 8th. Known for their previous productions of An Altared Christmas, An Altared 420, and other themed musical evenings - Rhan and Rick are joined by Patti Maxine, Michael Westendorp, Stephen Bigger and, flying in from Washington for this event: Celina and Howard Wright.

"We are looking forward to playing at The Ugly Mug," says Rhan. "It's a wonderfully intimate venue where we always have a ton of fun surrounded by our friends."

Although Jazz The Dog plays regularly for Happy Hour at the nearby Michael's on Main - The Mug provides an opportunity for them to be the "center of attention" and present their music to an attentive audience.

There will be television trivia sprinkled in between songs and the audience is encouraged to dress up as their favorite TV character. There will surely be some surprises! http://www.rhanwilson.com/jazzthedog/

Jim Kweskin & Meredith Axelrod with Suzy Thompson
Jim & Meredith & Suzy radiate charm, humor, sophistication and super talent
Saturday, December 8th, 2:00pm $17/$20
<21 w/parent
FC Cosponsored Show, Presented with Snazzy Productions
AT MICHAEL'S ON MAIN
2591 Main St, Soquel, CA 95073, Reservations online or call 831 479 9777

Jim Kweskin is the founder of the legendary 1960s Jim Kweskin Jug Band. During the five years they were together, they successfully transformed the sounds of pre-World War II rural music into a springboard for their good-humored performances. Their imitators were legion, including a San Francisco jug band that became the Grateful Dead, a Los Angeles jug band that became the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and a New York jug band that became the Lovin' Spoonful. No other group attained their unique blend of youthful energy and antiquarian expertise, tight musicianship, loose camaraderie, and infectious swing. Since his Jug band days Jim has maintained a remarkably consistent musical vision, continuing to explore traditional folk and blues with the sophisticated sensibility of a jazz musician, and jazz with the communal simplicity of a folk artist. There's an endearing sense of good humor to Kweskin's interpretations that makes his performances a delight. Because of his vast repertoire and love of the music, Kweskin is recognized as one of the best interpreters of the great American songbook. Kweskin says "I don't cover songs, I uncover them". http://jimkweskin.com

Meredith Axelrod is a singer and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in American roots music. Delightfully engaging and unassumingly comic, Meredith Axelrod envisions the limitless potential of early twentieth century music, whether it be Ragtime, Music Hall, Pop Standard, Boogie Woogie, Tin Pan Alley, String band, Jazz, Country, Blues or Jug Band music, and embodies the spirit that brought the music into existence in the first place. Her vocal style is unusual, probably because she learned to sing by listening to the way folks did it a century ago – through the medium of 78-rpm records. As a solo artist, she has headlined her own shows at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood, CA, opened for the Cheap Suit Serenaders and for David Bromberg, and toured as far as Australia and New Zealand. http://meredithaxelrod.com

Suzy Thompson is one of the rare musicians today who has mastered the acoustic blues violin, following in the footsteps of earlier masters like Lonnie Chatmon, Clifford Hayes and Eddie Anthony. Suzy is unique in her ability to combine fiddle, vocals and guitar in the blues and ragtime idioms. She has performed and recorded with such renowned artists as Mike Seeger, Darol Anger, Laurie Lewis, Beausoleil, Peter Rowan, Maria Muldaur, Jody Stecher, Del Rey, Geoff Muldaur, Jim Kweskin, Alice Gerrard, D.L. Menard, Jane Voss, Rinde Eckert, the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, Sukay, and Frankie Armstrong, among others. http://www.ericandsuzy.com/suzy-bio.html

Fiddling Cricket & Canyon Acoustic Society Concert Series 2018
CANCELLED
Coastal Prairie Band
Saturday, December 15th, 7:30pm (doors open at 7.00pm) Tickets $15adv / $18 door donation
Presented by Fiddling Cricket Concerts & Canyon Acoustic Society
AT THE UGLY MUG CAFE
4640 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA 95073
Contact Fiddling Cricket at 408 499 9441 or crbrundle@gmail.com for reservations or more information.

MORE INFORMATION TO COME. https://www.facebook.com/Coastalprairie/

Peppino D'Agostino
Guitar Player Magazine cover story: “One of the 50 transcendent superheroes of the acoustic guitar of all time.”
Wednesday, December 26th, 7:30pm $15/$17
<21 w/parent
FC Cosponsored Show, Presented with Snazzy Productions
AT MICHAEL'S ON MAIN
2591 Main St, Soquel, CA 95073, Reservations online or call 831 479 9777

"Peppino [D'Agostino] writes wonderful guitar pieces. He's one of my favorite composers for this cranky instrument. Plus, he's a tone player. I love his sound--he gets the resin and the wood.” -Leo Kottke.

July 2017 Guitar Player Magazine cover story (Guitar Player Magazine Cover Story) lists Peppino as one of the 50 transcendent superheroes of the acoustic guitar of all time. A native of Italy, D'Agostino has made his considerable international mark as a musical artist on the guitar since he arrived in America 31 years ago. The readers of Guitar Player voted him Best Acoustic Guitarist, and Acoustic Guitar's People's Choice Awards graced him with a Bronze medal for Best Acoustic Album of All Time for his release Every Step of The Way. His signature Seagull acoustic guitar has been voted among the ten best signature guitars by Guitar Player magazine. Peppino gives guitar workshops, master classes and seminars worldwide. To date Peppino has recorded 18 CD's, performed in over thirty countries at international festivals and concert halls. He has shared the stage with such greats as Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, Roland Dyens, David Tanenbaum and many more. D'Agostino's latest solo CD Penumbra was released by Mesa Blue Moon Recordings. http://www.peppinodagostino.com

Home Concert Descriptions At-A-Glance
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Last Updated: 11/22/18

Cosponsored with Fiddling Cricket Concerts, Canyon Acoustic Society, the Ugly Mug Coffee House & Snazzy Productions The Patti Maxine Experience Saturday, December 1st, 7:00pm & 9:15pm General Admission $25, Gold Circle $35, General Admission Door $30 AT KUUMBWA Kuumbwa Jazz Center 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Call Snazzy for tickets 831 479-9421 or buy tickets here
Patti Maxine is a Santa Cruz music icon affectionately known as "The Queen of Steel" for her signature lap steel playing. She will celebrate her 80th year, her 66th year performing, the release of her first album, Steelin' Home, and her change in hairstyle (no longer silver flowing waist length) with her music friends and her fans. Backed by a full band, Patti will also play and sing solo and with other guest artists. Patti was originally drawn to the lap steel, as a young girl in Virginia, owing to its presence and sound in Hawaiian music. Moving west, she won her first competition more than 60 years ago and eventually landed up in the Santa Cruz area, where she was a member of the first local Western Swing band, Saddle up and Boogie. She later joined Island Breeze, a local Hawaiian band still performing. Over the last 5 years Patti was lead steel guitarist in the popular Americana/folk group, Henhouse, and most recently she joined Jazz the Dog, a collective of local musical luminaries led by Rhan Wilson. In addition to these regular gigs, Patti is asked to play with just about everyone in town, from very young groups to her own (nearly) generation - a testimony to both the quality of her playing and her willingness and skill in giving others performance space. When Hawaiian masters come to town, they often request her services and she is now also invited each year to perform at the Maui Steel Guitar Festival*, quite an honor for a mainlander.
It is no surprise that she has become a sought after session player, recording with dozens of artists. It is a surprise, however, that Patti has never recorded an album of her own. This is now rectified with the release, at this concert, of Steelin' Home, a collection of her favorite material covering a wide genre and featuring Patti on lap steel guitar, guitar, and vocals. "Royalty (for example The Queen of England) often has two birthdays: a real one and an "official" one which her subjects can celebrate. Patti's real 80th birthday was in September. This Dec 1st show is the "official" celebration of the Queen of Steel's 80th, and, to accommodate as many of her subjects (sorry, fans) as possible, there will be both an early show (7pm) and a late show (9.15pm)."