FREE SAN DIEGO ROUBADOUR Alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, Tblues, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass music news February 2007 www.sandiegotroubadour.com Vol. 6, No. 5 what’s inside Welcome Mat ………3 Contributors Sneaky Pete Kleinow Full Circle.. …………4 Texas Songwriter Showcase Recordially, Lou Curtiss Front Porch... ………6 Yale Strom Klezmer Music Parlor Showcase …8 Jimmy and Jeannie Cheatham Ramblin’... …………10 Bluegrass Corner Zen of Recording Hosing Down Radio Daze Highway’s Song. …12 Diana Jones John Jorgenson Of Note. ……………13 Eben Brooks Podunk Nowhere Fishtank Ensemble Earl Thomas Mike McGill ‘Round About ....... …14 February Music Calendar The Local Seen ……15 Photo Page FEBRUARY 2007 SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR welcome mat Remembering Sneaky Pete RSAN ODUIEGBO ADOUR Alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, Tblues, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass music news by Liz Abbott wanted only to hear songs from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack and do their neaky Pete Kleinow (1934-2007), stupid line dances. No one told us you ground-breaking steel guitar prodi - couldn’t do the cotton-eyed joe to “Dark MISSION CONTRIBUTORS S gy, whose unique stylings influ - End of the Street.” To promote, encourage, and provide an FOUNDERS enced a generation of young musicians, John Jorgenson, who also played alternative voice for the great local music that Ellen and Lyle Duplessie died last month in northern California with Kleinow, shares the following is generally overlooked by the mass media; Liz Abbott from complications of Alzheimer’s memories. (Jorgenson comes to Dizzy’s namely the genres of alternative country, Kent Johnson Disease. During a music career that Americana, roots, folk, blues, gospel, jazz, and on March 1. See page 12 for details.) spanned 60 years, Kleinow helped shape bluegrass. To entertain, educate, and bring PUBLISHERS together players, writers, and lovers of these Liz Abbott the California country-rock genre during forms; to explore their foundations; and to Kent Johnson the late 1960s and 1970s. Spotted in expand the audience for these types of music. EDITORIAL/GRAPHICS 1968 by Gram Parsons playing with a Sneaky Pete Kleinow Liz Abbott country band at a small club in North SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR, the local source for Simeon Flick Hollywood, the two, along with Chris alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, Chuck Schiele Hillman, would soon form the Flying by tiny versions of Los Angeles and New blues, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass music news, York City! His eccentric and creative is published monthly and is free of charge. ADVERTISING Burrito Brothers, which blended country abilities obviously extended beyond Letters to the editor must be signed and may be Kent Johnson music and rock and roll together to cre - edited for content. It is not, however, guaranteed Joanna Schiele ate a radical new sound. Over the next music, as he would explain to us how he would set up mini explosions in the that they will appear. BUSINESS MANAGER 30 years Kleinow would earn recogni - models to blow up the trucks and build - All opinions expressed in SAN DIEGO Joanna Schiele tion as one of the most sought-after and The Cheatin’ Hearts, circa 1983 — Bill Bryson, Kleinow, Jorgenson, Kittra Moore, Bob Knight, ings! TROUBADOUR, unless otherwise stated, are DISTRIBUTION respected steel guitarists in the business, Steve Duncan “We ended up playing together for a solely the opinion of the writer and do not Kent Johnson playing in hundreds of sessions with a represent the opinions of the staff or couple years around the L.A. scene Dave Sawyer long list of top artists. “In 1983 I put together a country management. All rights reserved. Mark Jackson before he got too busy with the special In addition to his music, Kleinow band in L.A. called the Cheatin’ Hearts Peter Bolland effects. I met his old bandmate Chris ADVERTISING INFORMATION concurrently enjoyed a successful career Indian Joe Stewart with a couple friends — Kittra Strejan Hillman with whom I formed the Desert For advertising rates, call 619/298-8488 as a film animator and special effects (now Moore) and Bob Knight. We all or e-mail [email protected]. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Rose Band. I really cherish that time and artist, which began in 1963 when he three sang and Bob and I played guitar, Steve Covault am still pretty amazed that the first steel SUBSCRIPTIONS are available for $30/yr. moved to California and was hired by but we needed a rhythm section and Send check payable to S.D. Troubadour to: player that I was ever in a band with WEB MASTER Gumby creator Art Clokey. His work for steel player to fill out the band. I Will Edwards was the incredible Sneaky Pete San Diego Troubadour film and television lasted into the 1990s. brought in my friend Bill Bryson on bass P.O. Box 164 Kleinow!” WRITERS Bill Herzog, friend of the San Diego and Steve Duncan on drums. I couldn’t La Jolla, CA 92038 Liz Abbott Troubadour remembers, “. I was a believe my ears when Kittra said she A note from Gene Parsons, member E-mail: [email protected]. Mike Alvarez huge fan of Sneaky myself. I really got could get Sneaky Pete to come play with of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito WHERE TO FIND US Can’t find a copy of the Lou Curtiss hooked on his unique style after buying us. I had seen him with the Flying Brothers: San Diego Troubadour? Go to Paul Hormick “Pete was a one of a kind genius and Jim McInnes the third Flying Burrito Brothers LP. I Burrito Brothers at the Palomino in the www.sandiegotroubadour.com and click a dear friend. Aside from his pioneering on FIND AN ISSUE for a complete list of Bart Mendoza think that album is the best sampler of ’70s and loved his playing on so many animation works he was a unique and locations we deliver to. Chuck Schiele Sneaky’s diverse stylings to this day. records, he had already been legendary Sven-Erik Seaholm Actually, all through the ’70s and ’80s if for a couple decades by then. I can’t innovative steel guitarist with a sound SUBMITTING YOUR CD FOR REVIEW Derek E. Shaw I saw Sneaky listed on an album’s cred - remember if we even rehearsed with like no other. Odd tuning on an antique If you have a CD you’d like to be considered for José Sinatra its, I would buy the album whether I him before our first gig, but I remember eight-string Fender. Wonderful! You review, send two copies to: San Diego Steve Thorn knew the artist or not. If Sneaky Pete the gig well. It was at the Club Lingerie, always knew it was Sneaky Pete playing! Troubadour, P.O. Box 164, La Jolla, CA 92038. D. Dwight Worden I am so glad to have known Peter Craig Yerkes played on it, it had to be cool. and there were heavenly sounds coming ©2007 San Diego Troubadour. “As a matter of fact, when I had my from his amp that night! I was really Kleinow and I will miss him.” Cover design: Chuck Schiele country rock band back in the O.C. thrilled to be on stage with one of my country craze of the mid ’70s, my steel heroes, but the fact that he really liked The San Diego Troubadour is dedicated to the memory of Ellen and Lyle Duplessie , player and I decided that we were going our band and wanted to become a mem - whose vision inspired the creation of this newspaper. to do every song off the ground-break - ber was just amazing. ing Gilded Palace of Sin album (complete “He was with us the first time we with pedal steel distortion and phase went into a studio to do some demos, shifting). That didn’t always go over so and I remember him not being able to well with the dance floor masses who get any sound out of his steel guitar until he unscrewed a control plate from the top of the guitar and dangled it out - side by its wires! No matter, the sounds that came out were unique and we all felt honored to have his creative tones and playing on our songs. “Sneaky graciously arranged for us to be able to rehearse in the warehouse Flying Burrito Brothers’ album cover showing where he made the miniature cityscapes Kleinow on lower left, along with (clockwise from top left) Gram Parsons, Chris Etheridge, for film effects, and it seemed so surreal and Chris Hillman to be playing country rock surrounded www.sandiegotroubadour.com 3 FEBRUARY 2007 SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR full circle TEXAS Texas Songwriter Showcase SONGWRITER TRIVIA Musical Campfire at Alpine Guy Clark’s “LA Freeway” was a sizeable hit for Jerry Jeff Walker, best known as the composer of “Mr. Bojangles.” Clark began writing the song after a late night trip back to L.A. by Steve Thorn home with the Music City’s movers and Van Zandt was special, so was Lovett’s and “Thing Called Love” (a big cover hit following a gig in San Diego. shakers of the day (Rodney Crowell, Steve collaboration with film director Robert for Bonnie Raitt) continue to be concert Source: Rusty Miller interview with n February 28, fans of the Texas Earle, etc.), his closest relationship was Altman, who passed away last November. favorites to this day. With Bring the Guy Clark on the radio show This Is songwriting tradition will have a with a fellow Texan singer-songwriter: the Not every singer’s transition into acting Family , Hiatt finally found his musical Americana. www.guyclark.com rare opportunity to see and hear late Townes Van Zandt.