FREE SAN DIEGO ROUBADOUR Alternative country, Americana, roots, Tfolk, gospel, and bluegrass music news February 2004 Vol. 3, No. 5 ssoonn ooff aa pprreeaacchheerr mmaann what’s inside TTiimm FFllaanneerryy Welcome Mat ………3 Mail Box Mission Statement Contributors Full Circle.. …………4 Listen/Mark Intravaia Lou Curtiss Front Porch …………6 Tim Flannery Parlor Showcase... …8 Granger Music Hall Don Gibson Saba Louie and Morin Ramblin’... …………10 Bluegrass Corner Zen of Recording José Sinatra Radio Daze Highway’s Song... …12 Men of Steel Of Note. ……………13 Tom Freund Tubby Joel Rafael Band Chris Stuart & Backcountry Mark O’Connor ‘Round About ....... …14 February Music Calendar The Local Seen ……15 Photo Page Phil Harmonic Sez: An individual has not yet started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. — Martin Luther King San Diego Troubadour • February 2004 wweellccoommee mmaatt SAN DIEGO MAILBOX ROUBADOUR Alternative country, Americana, roots, Tfolk, gospel, and bluegrass music news performers . Earl Thomas (if you perfectly the very first time. haven’t seen him in concert yet, do Joe lived in Compton then, and he MISSION CONTRIBUTORS it soon — you’ll be glad you did!). gave me his home phone number. I Commentary in regards to the called him semi frequently over the To promote, encourage, and Skip James Rare and Unreleased CD next few years and he invited me to provide an alternative voice for the FOUNDERS Lyle & Ellen Duplessie review by Mr. Lou Curtiss also gives a few weddings that the great local music that is generally us all something else to look forward Honeydrippers were playing in the overlooked by the mass media; Liz Abbott to. Leave it to Lou to know the L.A. area, always quick to invite me namely the genres of folk, country, Kent Johnson inside scoop when it comes to the to sing a few songs with him. He roots, Americana, gospel, and obscure . great record store too. was a kind hearted, humble man bluegrass. To entertain, educate, PUBLISHER Thanks again. Live more in 2004. and he always had a big, friendly and bring together players, writ - Lyle Duplessie Chet Cannon smile. I was very sad when he passed ers, and lovers of these forms; to away in 1987, but I feel honored to Dear SD Troubadour, have met and actually sang with explore their foundations; and to EDITOR Dear Troubadour, Just wanted to thank you for fea - him. When I became a stripper from expand the audience for these Ellen Duplessie WHAT AN AMAZING ARTICLE ON turing my friends Earl Thomas on 1983 - 1986, I only danced to Joe types of music. DAVID MALDONADO!!! your cover this month, and for the Liggins songs. “Got a Right to Cry” GRAPHIC DESIGN I was so pleased to open the latest To receive advertising rates and story on Dave Maldonado. Earl sang and “Pink Champagne” were big Liz Abbott issue of the San Diego Troubadour information, call 619/298-8488 or duets with me on several of my CDs crowd pleasers and Joe seemed tick - and read your review of our local e-mail [email protected]. PHOTOGRAPHY in addition to being a wonderful led at my choice of material. Other flamenco phenom. family friend. Dave and I went to dancers were using Donna Summers’ San Diego Troubadour Paul Grupp I was hoping to obtain permission college together. They are both so “Love to Love you Baby,” but for to reproduce and distribute your P.O. Box 164 DISTRIBUTION talented and deserve every success. me, Joe Liggin’s music was as La Jolla, CA 92038 write up on David, as well as feature I also wanted to thank you for swingin’ and sensual as you could E-mail: [email protected]. Ellen Duplessie the article on flamenco web sites. your article about The Liggins get. Kent Johnson Timm J. Dietschak Brothers by Bart Mendoza. I met Joe Congratulations on a great article Liggins in 1981 when he played at a and a fine newspaper. SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR, the local Hey Folks, ADVERTISING friends wedding in Malibu. He let Sincerely, source for alternative country, I just picked up January’s issue of Kent Johnson me sit in that day with the Candye Kane Americana, roots, folk, gospel, and the very cool San Diego Troubadour Honeydrippers. We sang the duet he bluegrass music news, is published WRITERS music newspaper. Had to send an wrote “Daddy on my mind.” He was monthly and is free of charge. Letters Lou Curtiss e-note to say thanks for a little blues impressed when I knew that the girl to the editor must be signed and may news . we really do appreciate Lyle Duplessie who sang with him on the song was be edited for content. It is not, howev - that out here on the street! also named Candy (Candy Rivers). Phil Harmonic er, guaranteed that they will appear. You may remember my contacting He also played a song that I wrote Paul Hormick BCDB All opinions expressed in SAN DIEGO you in mid-December singing praise called “Club of the Foolish Hearts.” I TROUBADOUR, unless otherwise stated, Frederick Leonard for your paper and the work you are sang it in his ear and he played it are solely the opinion of the writer and do Jim McInnes doing out there, but requesting a lit - tle more on the San Diego blues not represent the opinions of the staff Bart Mendoza or management. All rights reserved. scene. Wow, talk about some amaz - Sven-Erik Seaholm ing response time! ©2004 San Diego Troubadour. José Sinatra We absolutely loved the cover D. Dwight Worden article by Robert Woerheide on a cat Cover photography: Thomas DeSoto John Philip Wyllie who is truly one of San Diego’s most talented singer/songwriter/ Artwork sent in by veteran folk musician Jon Adams. Catch him at the Adams Avenue Roots Festival, May 1-2. Welcome, Sven-Erik Seaholm WRITE TO US! The San Diego Troubadour is We want to hear from you! happy to welcome Send your comments, Sven-Erik Seaholm feedback, and suggestions to: as a technical writer [email protected] who will grace our pages with a regu - or to San Diego Troubadour, lar column, beginning with this issue. P.O. Box 164, La Jolla, CA In case you hadn’t noticed, Sven’s name appears in the credits 92038-0164. of dozens of locally produced CDs, having contributed his expertise in the areas of production, recording, mastering, composing, arranging, performing, and/or writing. As a producer, he has won several San Diego Music Awards in the categories of Best Local Recording, Best Blues Album, and Best Acoustic Album. If that’s not enough, he is also a talent - ed graphic artist who provides design services for print and for the Web. See page 10. 3 February 2004 • San Diego Troubadour ffuullll cciirrccllee Listen: It’s Mark Intravaia lectible 45 “Melanie”/”Little Black Book.” greatest, and true, urban legends — that together. Bob Sale was the drummer and Intravaia wrote the flip. “I was more into of Beach Boy Brian Wilson roaming the I still work with him.” Notably, the pair three-minute pop songs, while Dennis, streets of San Diego in the late seventies. performs on the group’s sole release, the the group’s other writer, was more into “Our drummer Tom met and jammed with “Man Alone”/”I Break Down” single. ballads and still kind of influenced by Yes Brian Wilson the same year,” Intravaia Next he put together a new group with and all those kinds of people. He was explains. “A mutual friend named Frank former Listen drummer Tom Boyd, but the more into songs with many parts, like a Niska spotted Brian in Mission Beach eighties would prove to be a tumultuous suite or something like that, but in a good wandering down the street and gave him time for Intravaia. “Tom and I formed the way not a bad way.” An off-the-cuff ref - a lift to the Siers Brothers house. He tried Heroes in ’81, [but I] left that band a few erence to Yes’ Tales From a Topographic to contact me but I was in Catalina. But years later and took over the guitar play - Ocean jars a memory. In a scene right he did get in touch with Tom [and] they er slot in the Monroes for about a year. out of television’s That 70’s Show , we had all met and played ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ Then I moved to L.A. and rejoined Rick that Yes album cover on the wall at our and ‘Darlin.’ Brian cleared up our confu - for a while. We recorded a record for the band house in Serra Mesa. We had sion about the words in the chorus . ‘O, Frontline label in ’89 called Rick Elias and somebody paint that album cover in keep dreamin’ it darlin’.’ We were doing the Confessions .” He was soon on the black-light paint.” the song in Listen around that time and move again. “In 1990 I joined a band in A bemused Intravaia returns to the couldn’t quite make them out.” LA fronted by Brian Ray [Etta James’ for - single. “We were having lots of success Around this time the band had an mer band leader who is now with Paul with the Homegrown albums, we were audition with Curb Records in Los McCartney], but I got tired doing lots of concerts at the Balboa Bowl of starving and rejoined the Heroes in ’91. and various clubs around San Diego like It would prove to be a fortuitous move.