Little Music City

Last night Donna and I decided to have desert at our new local Sebastopol hot spot, Aubergines. We had just been there the night before to watch a friend play with a band called The Traveling Hillbilly Blues Band. This band had been assembled to play for a show, the Patsy Cline show, which a raging success at a local theater. The group like playing together so much they stayed together. Now they play regular gigs doing Hank Williams covers and other older country music.

We got to the door on a Sunday night and low and behold they were charging a five dollar cover. (We just wanted desert.) I ask what kind of music. "French jazz," was the answer. I was reluctant. The girl at the door said, "How about five dollars for the both of you?" That seemed fair, so I paid the five dollars and entered. The band, Rue Manouche, was playing a Django tune, with a very very hot lead player. Now I must confess that I have been a closet Django "wanna be" for about five years. I can play back up to many of the tunes but the leads still elude me. This guy, Vie Wong, was hot. In fact, the entire band was hot.

At their break three of us from audience approached him. A friend of mine, Jan, her freind and myself- all musicians. He says, "What? Does everybody in this town play music?" Jan replys,"We don't get TV, so we play music." There is some truth to this statement. Jan has just started an all woman Django style band called Haught Flash Swing. I have met Jan in bluegrass circles, but when I asked about her interest in bluegrass, she said that she goes to those sessions because there weren't any others in town. We vowed to get together to play some swing.

Then Donna joined the conversation and mentioned that we play Brazilian Choro music. "Oh, we play choro music too," was the response. My wife, Donna, plays so many styles of music now, that it is hard to keep up with her. She started the eastern European vocal group, Gradina, which is flourishing now. She is a very active member of the Hubbub Club. She plays Galitian gaita. She is performing with Jesse Olsen in a trio that performs this Friday. Jesse who is the originator and leader of the Hubbub Club and is also a great composer in my opinion.

On Friday night I went to the Pine cone where my friend Riggy (alias Ricky) Rackin celebrated his birthday with a his pick up band of top musician. Riggy plays concertina and sings a mixture of old English Ballads, Irish and Scottish tunes, and a few old American songs. I met Riggy (Ricky) in 1979 at Faith Petric's house in San Francisco at a get together of the San Francisco Folk Music Club. He claims that I was the first person he met in California.

Chris played mandolin in this group. I met Chris about 1980 as a member of a old tyme band called Round Oak. Chris now works at the local music store. John Berge was on the fiddle and squeeze box. I have known John a long time and he is a top northern California musicians playing for Contra and English Country dances.

Going back to Aubergines, they have their own house drum set. My friend, Rick is the new chef there and he has hired my son, Joey, to wash dishes and help in the kitchen two nights a weeks. Joey also happens to be a serious drummer (and accordion player and guitarist). So our Joey has had the opportunity to back up some of the bands at Aubergines over the past two months.

Summing it up: Our town of Sebastopol has a population of just a little over 7000. In addition to a few of the top international popular music stars living here, we also have a good share hot musicians.