FREE SAN DIEGO ROUBADOUR Alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, Tblues, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass music news March 2007 www.sandiegotroubadour.com Vol. 6, No. 6 what’s inside Welcome Mat ………3 Contributors San Diego Folk Song Society Full Circle.. …………4 Kenny Newberry Recordially, Lou Curtiss Front Porch... ………6 Harp Guitars Steph Johnson Parlor Showcase …8 Sven-Erik Seaholm Ramblin’... …………10 Bluegrass Corner Zen of Recording Hosing Down Radio Daze Highway’s Song. …12 Leo Kottke & David Lindley Of Note. ……………13 Gaskins ‘n’ Gunner Chad Farran Alex Esther Manisha Shahane Kevin Jones ‘Round About ....... …14 March Music Calendar The Local Seen ……15 Photo Page MARCH 2007 SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR welcome mat Sam Hinton’s Folk Song Society Turns 50 RSAN ODUIEGBO ADOUR Alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, by Allen Singer country blues, and Tblues, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass music news original material. am Hinton Members play many S has worn different instru - many hats ments at all skill MISSION CONTRIBUTORS in his life. He’s an levels and we original — a folk encourage everyone To promote, encourage, and provide an n FOUNDERS a g alternative voice for the great local music that singer, a songwriter, a scientist, an artist, i from amateur to professional to be a part Ellen and Lyle Duplessie F is generally overlooked by the mass media; a father, and a great diatonic harmonica r of the group each time we meet. We e Liz Abbott t namely the genres of alternative country, e player. On March 31, when Hinton cele - P leave nobody behind in the musical dust. Kent Johnson : Americana, roots, folk, blues, gospel, jazz, and o brates his 90th birthday, the San Diego t You can either just sit and listen or you PUBLISHERS o bluegrass. To entertain, educate, and bring h Folk Song Society will be approaching its P can play alone or with group support. together players, writers, and lovers of these Liz Abbott fiftieth year. The San Diego folk music Over the years Sam’s dream has helped forms; to explore their foundations; and to Kent Johnson enlarge our local folk music community. expand the audience for these types of music. EDITORIAL/GRAPHICS community already misses Sam since he Liz Abbott moved up north, but they’re treasuring The Folk Song Society is Sam’s extended SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR, the local source for Simeon Flick the time he lived and sang among us. family, now approaching age 50, with alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, Chuck Schiele Sam moved to Berkeley in December to multiple generations of satisfied, creative blues, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass music news, be near his daughter Leanne. His legacy is people doing what Sam Hinton wished: is published monthly and is free of charge. ADVERTISING Letters to the editor must be signed and may be Kent Johnson still here in the people he brought to folk getting together to sing, play, and share edited for content. It is not, however, guaranteed Joanna Schiele music, his students, and the countless in the gift of folk music. So when the that they will appear. BUSINESS MANAGER performances he gave us. next second Sunday rolls around, come All opinions expressed in SAN DIEGO Joanna Schiele It was back in 1957 that Sam Hinton over to a SDFSS meeting at Old Time Music and join with us in Sam’s everlast - TROUBADOUR, unless otherwise stated, are DISTRIBUTION suggested to some of his students Sam Hinton solely the opinion of the writer and do not Kent Johnson enrolled in an American folk music class ing dream. represent the opinions of the staff or Dave Sawyer he taught at UCSD Extension that they includes everything you need to know San Diego Folk Song Society management. All rights reserved. Mark Jackson create a local group or association devot - about local concerts, musical performanc - Old Time Music (side door) Peter Bolland ed to folk music. The inaugural meeting ADVERTISING INFORMATION es, and SDFSS meeting updates. My col - 2852 University Ave. (corner of Utah St.) Indian Joe Stewart For advertising rates, call 619/298-8488 of the San Diego Folk Song Society was umn, “Ramblings,” usually touches on Dan Long North Park or e-mail [email protected]. held that May, attended by seven mem - burning issues in folk music and musical Meetings 2-6pm on the second Sunday of STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER SUBSCRIPTIONS are available for $30/yr. bers. By 1958, the SDFSS had two chap - skill building. Membership costs $15 per the month Steve Covault Send check payable to S.D. Troubadour to: ters, 45 members, and had already held year but is not required to attend meet - Further info: www.sdfss.org or San Diego Troubadour WEB MASTER its first Hootenanny, with Sam as emcee. ings. Our group is eclectic and ageless, a [email protected] P.O. Box 164 Will Edwards Like a band of wandering minstrels, real cross section of musicians and non- La Jolla, CA 92038 WRITERS members held meetings in people’s hous - musicians alike who play folk music, E-mail: [email protected]. Lou Curtiss es. A theme was chosen for the first go bluegrass, traditional old time songs, WHERE TO FIND US Can’t find a copy of the Simeon Flick round of the song circle to bring in new San Diego Troubadour? Go to Mike Hayter songs and ideas. The second time around www.sandiegotroubadour.com and click Jim McInnes folks could pick and sing whatever struck Raul Sandelin on FIND AN ISSUE for a complete list of their musical fancy. We still follow the locations we deliver to. Chuck Schiele Sven-Erik Seaholm same format at our SDFSS meetings. SUBMITTING YOUR CD FOR REVIEW Kate Searcy Rise Up Singing was SDFSS’ original If you have a CD you’d like to be considered for Derek E. Shaw song book. Today songs come from review, send two copies to: San Diego José Sinatra everywhere and anywhere. The Folk Song Troubadour, P.O. Box 164, La Jolla, CA 92038. Allen Singer Society meets on the second Sunday of Steve Thorn ©2007 San Diego Troubadour. each month, 2-6pm, at the Old Time D. Dwight Worden Music Store in North Park, on the corner Craig Yerkes of University Ave. and Utah St. Meetings Cover photo: Gail Donnelly-Seaholm are open to anyone, including folk Cover design: Chuck Schiele singers, song writers, and anyone who just wants to listen. Themes are wide and The San Diego Troubadour is dedicated to the memory of Ellen and Lyle Duplessie , deep, sometimes borrowed and some - whose vision inspired the creation of this newspaper. times blue. The SDFSS has a great newsletter, edited by Tanya Rose, that www.sandiegotroubadour.com 3 MARCH 2007 SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR full circle Guns, Ghosts, and Guitars by Mike Hayter request for Proud Fairy,” Ronnie spat out. The band would play for a couple more years with to many, Kenny eschews the idea of a home cowboy turned, looking at Ronnie with the some new members and then slowly disappear demo because he wants the best ears in the enny Newberry, Gram Parsons, and coldest eyes I’d ever seen. Ronnie and Kenny from the local scene. Sadly, we lost Ronnie business to engineer his project. Look for Kenny Newberry & the Slidewinders Sneaky Pete. The names rattle around just took it in stride and fired up the Long 15 years ago to lung cancer. something special when it arrives. Besides sin - Kin my brain like dusty picks dropped Creedence song. The following night someone Kenny eventually dropped out of profes - gle-handedly moving the state of alt country don’t believe me, listen to the sample of him in an old guitar. Turn it upside down and either got shot or knifed and died right there sional performing for about a decade. He even forward for the benefit of local performers, singing Jack Tempchin’s chestnut “Learning to shake vigorously until they come out. Dust in the bar. It could have been Deadwood . sold his guitars. But like any musician, he is Kenny has lent his pen as well, having written Dance.” This band must be doing something them off and play those great old songs again. hard-wired to play and sing. He started playing articles about the Gram Fest, Eve Selis, right, because anyone who hears them live I first met Kenny Newberry and his musi - again when his girlfriend asked if he would Heather Myles, Berkley Hart, and Tim becomes an instant believer. Jim Soldi, one of cal partner, Ronnie Long, sometime in 1974. I record some of the songs he was playing in his Flannery for a local publication. Check out his San Diego’s best ever, told them, “You guys are was a rock ‘n’ roll refugee and they were like a living room. One by one other players joined interview on BerkleyHart.com by clicking on good, no, I mean really good.” Typically, breath of country fresh air. They had a great in and a new band was born. “reviews and press.” It’s great copy and reflects Kenny is modest about his success and ques - band called Stagecoach and played all the old A few months ago I caught up with Kenny another facet of the man’s musical passion. tions whether he is as good as he used to be, honkytonks here in town. They were different following a show at the Belly Up Tavern in say, five years ago. Trust me, Kenny, you sound than your regular country homeboys and I Solana Beach. Sin City Revue was billed as a better than ever.