TrueWind Acoustic Fridays

Laura Zucker, Larry Potts on February 19: Mike Simpson Hosts

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays Presents
Laura Zucker, Larry Potts and Mike Simpson

Friday February 19, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050

$15 at the door (note, we no long take reservations)

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays is a celebration of songs and their writers. If you're looking for loud music and noisy bars, this is not it. If you're after an authentic experience and songs that will touch your soul, look no further.

Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon are on tour in February, so their turning the reins over to Mike Simpson to host February's event featuring two Bay Area songwriters, Laura Zucker and Larry Potts. Laura and Larry have both won numerous accolades from the West Coast Songwriters organization. Its sure to be a night of fantastic songs and their writers!

About Laura Zucker

Expertly crafted songs, accessible and compelling, performed with a seasoned finesse and a vocal quality that is honest and direct. That's Laura Zucker in a nutshell.

In the four short years since Laura has returned to the music world, she has won WCSA "Best Song" honors in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and been invited to play New Folk at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Her song "Memorial Day" was a finalist in the Public Domain Foundation Music to Life contest and received wide airplay on XM radio. "Memorial Day" has touched thousands at peacevigils and Gold and Blue Star Mothers' events.

Laura's debut CD "Left Foot Forward" revealed a fresh, smart and incisive songwriting voice to the world of folk music. Her latest release, "A Step Ahead," continues in the same vein. Laura's live, solo, intimate performances of these original songs will knock you out.

This is music for your heart, your head and your soul. It will engage you, penetrate your hardest heart, nourish your parched spirit.

Larry Potts has won considerable acclaim in numerous songwriting competitions, and his easy, relaxed delivery and award-winning songs have delighted audiences throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Potts' songs have attracted the attention of music publishers and A&R reps from Nashville and Los Angeles who have picked up a number of his tunes, which range in genre from Contemporary Folk, Americana and Country to Blues, Pop, and Jazz.

With great attention to lyrical detail and an emphasis on storytelling, Larry's songs have been arranged and produced on two albums entitled "The Shape of Things to Come" (2002) and "All Things Considered" (2006). He's released a short fundraiser album entitled "Hometown Hardware" celebrating the rebuilding of Petaluma's famous local hardware store. He's just released his third, "Close To Home." Every tune is carefully crafted, highly listenable, and radio-friendly.

Mike Simpson has been singing as long as he can remember.  Early training in standards, and harmonizing them, came on traditional family road trips in a green ‘63 Oldsmobile.  That’s why rhythm sections must endure his constant requests to “sound more like a V-8.”

Two subjects drive Simpson’s passion for songwriting: love and history. Sorrow follows like a hound, resulting in his compelling recent CD release Sorrow and Love. His songs are those he wants to sing, that no one else has yet written.  He’s equally at home with existing songs that say what he feels - he tends to change the words a bit, and make them his own. The changes are poor memory, not strong art.

Carol McComb, Steve Kritzer, Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon: Special Christmas TrueWind Acoustic Friday Show Dec. 18, 2009

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays Presents
Carol McComb, Steve Kritzer
and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon

Special Acoustic Christmas Show!

Reservations are no longer being taken but seats ARE available

Friday December 18, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050

$15 at the door

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

December's guests are Carol McComb and Steve Kritzer, and this special Christmas show is sure to please. Christmas holds a special place in all of our hearts - and all of us have penned songs to celebrate the season.

Carol McComb is a A songwriter’s songwriter, with a range that covers gentle love songs, classic country and bluegrass, swing and bluesy country, and difficult subjects like growing old, child abuse, Alzheimer’s disease, and homelessness.

Her voice is just as clear as it was at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, though the years have done well to shape songwriter, arranger, producer and teacher Carol McComb. Her songs have been recorded by Bill Staines, Laurie Lewis, the Good Ol' Persons and 2004 Grammy winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, among others. Her own three solo CDs have been critically acclaimed as "emotionally moving" (Billboard Magazine), stunning (WDFU) ... and we can personally attest that when John Stewart heard Carol's CD on the Espresso Garden stereo system after his sound check when we presented him in 2005, he stopped in his tracks and said "who IS that?"

Steve Kritzer wears many 'hats', and wears them well. An award winning songwriter (finalist at the Kerrville and Napa Valley Folk festivals), Steve is a regular mainstage performer at the Cork and Belfast Folk Festivals in Ireland, the Bluebird Cafe' in Nashville, Tennessee, the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, and many points in between. Steve is gaining fans worldwide for his incredibly polished yet personal performances, fiery instrumental work, and award winning 'touch your heart' songs.

A man of many musics, Kritzer is as comfortable with Celtic and bluegrass music as he is with traditional folk, country, rock, and big band swing, blending these influences with his own ideas and amazingly diverse musical talents. 
 
Kritzer's classic Mandolin Christmas CD has a gentle Holiday feel, with featuring traditional favorites arranged for mandolins,guitar, and recorders, and one award winning original Christmas song. Steve is rooted in an American Folk and Celtic Tradition. 

 

George Kincheloe, Steve Key and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon at TrueWind Acoustic Fridays November 20, 2009

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays Presents
George Kincheloe, Steve Key
and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon

Friday November 20 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050
$15 at the door - Reservations Suggested

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

October's guests are George Kincheloe and Steve Key. Read more about Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon here.

In 1973, on the advice of legendary country rock singer Gram Parsons, George Kincheloe left Boston and brought his singing/songwriting skills to L.A. While there he worked in studio and on stage with such talents as Loggins and Messina, Gene Clark (Byrds), Al Kooper, Andy Kuhlberg (Blues Project, Seatrain) and Al Stewart.

Most Bay area fans know George the leader & lead vocalist for two popular Northern California bands, Boardinghouse Reach and Hooligan (Nu Motion Records). In 2006, Kincheloe and his wife Lisa Atkinson teamed up with songwriter and guitarist Marty Atkinson to form the Atkinson Kincheloe band. In the ensuing years, these veteran singer songwriters provided a clear and ringing voice for social justice, peace and change. George and Marty have bravely continued this charge after Lisa’s untimely passing earlier this year.

“I know an authentic life when I see one, and I can’t listen to your music without being touched by the authentic.”  

- Bill Moyers

“George Kincheloe is that rarest of discoveries: a real poet writing songs about the real human world. His long overdue arrival is something to celebrate greedily and joyously.” 

- Peter S. Beagle author of The Last Unicorn

 

www.Atkinsonkincheloe.com

 

A native of Brooklyn NY, Steve Key grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and studied journalism at San Jose State University. He alternated working day jobs as a reporter and editor of weekly newspapers, with playing 4-hour gigs at night, covering the likes of James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Janis Ian, Joni Mitchell, John Denver, the Eagles, the Beatles and Creedence Clearwater.

After a stop in Portland OR 1983-5, Key returned to New York in spring 1985 and joined the circle of singer-songwriters at Folk City and The Speakeasy in Greenwich Village. He recorded four songs for Fast Folk, the 'musical magazine' founded by Jack Hardy which brought out the first recordings of Suzanne Vega, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin and Tracy Chapman. Those recordings are now enshrined in the Folkways division of the Smithsonian.

"Between Trains," Steve Key's debut album, was released in 1989 and brought much critical acclaim and radio airplay throughout the Northeast. He signed with the Local Folkel label in 1990, which released his CDs New Hope and Record Time. Also in 1990, Steve moved to Washington DC. He helped produce two volumes of Capital Acoustics, CD samplers showcasing local folk performers.

Key toured frequently in the early '90s, played the Philadelphia Folk Festival (which included a humorous songs workshop hosted by the late Gamble Rogers), Canadian folk festivals at Winnipeg and Owen Sound, and three times on the main stage of the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. Key also opened shows for Richard Thompson, Christine Lavin, Patty Larkin, Cheryl Wheeler, Ellis Paul, Livingston Taylor, James McMurtry, David Mallett, Taj Mahal, Rory Block, Claudia Schmidt, Jonathan Edwards, Bill Staines and Tom Paxton.

Country music star Kathy Mattea heard Key's song "Record Time" at Fast Folk's 10th Anniversary show in 1992, and decided to cut it on her Lonesome Standard Time CD for the Mercury/Polygram label, released Oct. 1992. And so that song was heard all around the world, performed by Kathy at major venues like Wolf Trap, and also with orchestras and on TV shows such as the Nashville Network's "American Music Shop".

Steve moved to Nashville in 1995. He co-wrote with such touring artists as David Mallett, Sally Barris, Pierce Pettis and Kate Campbell. His songs were recorded by several independent country, folk and blues artists.

He returned to DC in the summer of 2000, releasing the Scatter Seeds CD and performing at regional folk venues. Steve also hosted open mikes, presented concerts in churches and arts centers, and produced a third volume of the Capital Acoustics sampler of folk performers from the Washington area. He performed on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, at the Takoma Park Folk Festival, and the Washington Folk Festival.

Winner of the New Folk Emerging Songwriter Contest at the Kerrville Folk Festival, Kerrville TX, 1991
2003 Honorary Lifetime Member, Songwriters Association of Washington, DC
2003 Finalist at the Mountain Stage/NewSong Festival in Charles Town, WV
2005 Finalist at the Plowshares Songwriting Contest, Phoenixville PA

www.SteveKey.com

 

 

John Wort Hannam, Dev Singh and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon at TrueWind Acoustic Fridays October 16

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays Presents
John Wort Hannam, Dev Singh
and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon

Friday October 16, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050
$15 at the door - Reservations Suggested

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

October's guests are John Wort Hannam and Dev Singh. Read more about Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon here.

From the praries of Southern Alberta comes one of Canada's best folk/roots songwriters, John Wort Hannam. For five years, john Wort Hannam taught ninth grade language arts on the largest reservation in Canada - the Kainai Nation, part of the larger blackfoot tribes. But in 1997 he heard a Loudon Wainwright III record and was hooked by the music and the stories.

In 1998 he bought a guitar and learned some chords. In 2002 he quit teaching and began to pursue the dream of being a working musician. John has achieved some fine accolades in a few short years including a mainstage performance at the 2009 Kerrville Folk Festival, three grand prizes at the Calgary Folk Festival Songwriting Competition and numerous nominations and awards with comparisons to Gordon Lightfoot, James Keelaghan and John Prine. John Wort Hannam is a born story-teller with a keen eye for the quirky and lyrics that create stories behind the songs.

www.JohnWortHannam.com

Dev Singh is an American songwriter and song interpreter with roots in the 1960's folk revival, presenting a varied and entertaining program of blues, ballads, traditional, contemporary and original songs with guitar, autoharp, mouth-bow, dulcimer and piano accompaniment.

The broad appeal of his entertaining presentation has brought him radio, TV, concert, club and festival exposure throughout the USA.

The son of an American mother and an East Indian father, Dev was born in the Valley of the Moon - Sonoma California. His first musical influence was the family's record collection of classical, Broadway show tunes and Punjabi music. Add to that his exposure to traditional folk and pop music genres and you have a style that has been called "wonderfully diverse and unusual." (The Boise Weekly)

Willamette Week in Portland, Oregon said, "On his Heartscape release, whether he is performing his own sensitive folk compositions like Chicago Joe and Tokyo Rose or singing a radio classic like Spanish Harlem, Singh's voice sounds wise and sincere." Sing Out! Magazine says that in his latest recording, Balboa, Singh has “fashioned a song cycle which explores the theme of immigration, displacement, and a re-definition of the concept of home.”

www.DevSingh.com

 

Severin Browne, John Haley Walker, Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon at TrueWind Acoustic Fridays on September 18

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays Presents
Severin Browne, John Haley-Walker
and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon

Friday September 18, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050
$15 at the door - Reservations Suggested

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

September's guests are Severin Browne and John Haley-Walker. Read more about Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon here.

 Severin Browne was raised in a musical family where all the children were expected to play an instrument. He began with accordion, then moved to drums and saxophone before settling on guitar at the ripe old age of ten. His older brother Jackson, a talented singer/songwriter with many albums for the Asylum/Elektra labels, played first chair cornet in the elementary school band where Severin played drums.

At the tender age of 21, Severin signed on with Motown Records first as a staff writer and later as a recording artist, releasing two well-received albums. Then, after a 20-year vacation from recording, Severin released a third album, "From the Edge of the World" in 1996, and a fourth, "This Twisted Road," in July 2001.

"This Twisted Road" has 10 songs that touch on the many ways we grapple with various life questions, choices and consequences. The title song is about healing and was inspired by the

Oklahoma bombing. "My Midlife Crisis" and "Strange Life" are both tongue-in-cheek looks at a recent relationship and its effects. "Angelyne" is a Paul Zollo lyric about the LA billboard queen. And "Roads" is a love song against a backdrop of urban survivalism.

Severin currently lives, writes, teaches and performs in the Los Angeles area both solo and as a duo with his partner James Coberly Smith.

 

John Haley-Walker lopes on stage with long, lean legs and a smile as warm as Texas sunshine. He ropes in his audience with a witty, engaging stage presence, a sweet, strong baritone voice and beautiful melodies - then zings them with lyrics at turns heartbreaking, sardonic, tender and sharply funny.

His songs range from brutally insightful tales of romance gone wrong to openly affectionate tributes to his children. He writes the kind of tunes that creep into your heart and nest there for keeps.

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, he began picking guitar at age 15, playing first with rock bands, then turning to folk music. His early musical influences run the gamut from Bela Bartok to Ray Davies. Favorite songwriters include Loudon Wainwright III, Tom Waits, Randy Newman and John Prine.

 

He cut off a budding musical career when his first daughter was born, deciding he had to "grow up and be a responsible person." But years later, after the breakup of his marriage, he started writing again, "with a vengeance."

 

Chuck McCabe, Michael Gaither, Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon at TrueWind Acoustic Fridays August 21

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays Presents
Chuck McCabe, Michael Gaither
and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon

Friday August 21, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050
$15 at the door - Reservations Suggested

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

A master storyteller in the tradition of the great folk troubadours, Chuck McCabe's easy style adn powerful picking combine to win the hearts of his fans with songs about the simple things in life that put a smile on your face, and leave you nodding in agreement.

As a performer and songwriter, Chuck's career spans several decades. His music has taken him to some strange and wonderful places... gin mills, dives and Holiday Inns, ski resorts in the winter and beach towns in the summer, USO hospital tours in wartime.

Along the way he has earned a few awards and some scars, yet he retaines a sense of humor. With his latest CD, Creatures of Habit, he proves you can laugh about the things that concern you the most.

"I care deeply about many things, but I'm the last guy who should preach... I hate to sit through a sermon as much as anybody. I've written songs about the homeless and the working poor, but maybe the folks I understand best are the chronically confused. Those are my people."

Chuck McCabe on YouTube

www.Chuck-McCabe.com

Like his song "Jack of All Trades" says, singer/songwriter Michael Gaither has done a bit of everything: journalist, corporate trainer - even joke writer for Jay Leno. All roads danced around, and eventually led back to writing. And music. He favors songs with stories and tales of day-to-day life. Big cars. Bad drdivers. A baby's first steps. And, well, even mules. His debut CD, the 2006 release Spotted Mule and Other Tales, is an Americana mix of folk, bluegrass and a little gospel.

Dogspeed, his 2009 follow up, is another Americana story collection. This time most of the songs are autobiographical and cover similar ground. Dogs is the animal motif this time around, but there are also stories of rock concerts past, a four-legged hero of 9-11 and a small farm town over run with development. The humorous "bad driver, big cars" thread from the first record continues on Dogspeed with Hang it Up, a rant abobut cell phone abuse.

Michael Gaither on YouTube

www.MichaelGaither.com

Jill Knight, Marty Atkinson, Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon at TrueWind Acoustic Fridays July 17

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays Presents
Jill Knight, Marty Atkinson
and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon
Friday July 17, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050
$15 at the door - Reservations Suggested

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

We've also invited young, up and coming songwriter Emily Rose to join us for this show as a special guest. We discovered Emily at a West Coast Songwriters night and can't wait to introduce her to you.

Jill Knight's soulful sound is unmistakable. India Arie once quoted, "I love great voices ans when I heard Jill sing it stopped me in my tracks." She later asked Knight to be her opening act.

Jill was just nominated for the LA Music Awards as "best female vocalist," was a finalist at the Telluride Troubadour competition, a finalist ast the National Academy of Songwriters "Songwriter of the Year" competition, a finalist in Billboard Magazine's "Best Unsigned Band" contest, a regional best seller  in Album Network Magazine for her CD Future Perfect, best DIY albums in Performing Songwriter Magazine, honorable mention NSAI Songwriting Competition, finalist in the Acoustic Live Songwriter Competition.

Jill has toured and shared stages with India Arie, Shawn Colvin, David Wilcox, Michael Hedges, Phoebe Snow, Richard Thompson, Littel Feat and many others.

Jill Knight on YouTube

www.JillKnight.com

Marty Atkinson is a songwriter's songwriter. Growing up on and around the tobacco farms of Southern Ontario Canada has given Marty's songwriting a perspective of simple truth that hits you square between the eyes. His songs are world-class vignettes, full of heartfelt imagery and more than a little vulnerability - made all the more intriguing by his smooth tenor voice and unmistakable prowess on all things stringed.

After spending seven years on contract with EMI in Nashville and releasing the underground Southern Rock masterpiece Cactus Choir, Marty returned to the Bay Area and released three independent CDs, Big Plans, Two Room Shack and Westerns.

Marty on YouTube

www.MartyAtkinson.com

Brad Colerick, Mike Simpson and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon Friday June 19, 2009

TrueWind Acoustic Fridays Presents
Brad Colerick, Mike Simpson
and Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon
Friday June 19, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050
$15 at the door - Reservations Suggested

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

Brad Colerick'smusic blends Americana, folk and country to create smooth, catchy melodies that seep into your heart with a single listen. His finely wrought, plainspoken lytrics find the poetry in everyday language to celebrate the often forgotten moments that make life worth living.

My California contrasts the dreams of a mid-western boy with the reality of LA, a wry reflection on the perceptions and misconceptions of the Golden State. Its loping beat and chunky rhythm guitar take us down Sunset Boulevard with a perfect combination of wide-eyed wonder and smoggy cynicism. 

Juarez is a story about the hard lives of immigrants, was inspired by a bumper sticker. “My car broke down in El Paso, and I saw a bumper sticker that said ‘Jesus Lives’ as I was looking out over the border at Juarez. I thought, “Jesus lives where? Here? I feel a lot of compassion for immigrants who come and work incredibly hard under difficult conditions to support their families.” The tune has a bluesy, Norteño vibe, a compelling vocal and pedal steel that shimmers like the heat rising off an asphalt road.

Visit Brad Colericks' Web site

Mike Simpson has been singing as long as he can remember.  Early training in standards, and harmonizing them, came on traditional family road trips in a green ‘63 Oldsmobile.  That’s why rhythm sections must endure his constant requests to “sound more like a V-8.”

Two subjects drive Simpson’s passion for songwriting: love and history. Sorrow follows like a hound, resulting in his compelling recent CD release Sorrow and Love. His songs are those he wants to sing, that no one else has yet written.  He’s equally at home with existing songs that say what he feels - he tends to change the words a bit, and make them his own. The changes are poor memory, not strong art.

 

Megan Slankard, John Batdorf with Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon Friday May 15, 2009

Truewind Acoustic Fridays Presents
Bev Barnett and Greg Newlon
with guests Megan Slankard and John Batdorf
Friday May 15,2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050
$15 at the door - Reservations Strongly Suggested

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

You can find out more about Bev and Greg here.

"Nearly everyone who encounters this attractive and sophisticated singer-songwriter agrees that she has ‘star’ written all over her,” says Acoustic Guitar Magazine about 24-year-old Megan Slankard, “She forges a distinctive sound with her smooth and courageous vocal dynamics, intelligent and diverse song styles, and sheer infectious enthusiasm.”

Independently selling over 22,000 CDs, Megan, who released her first full-length and self-produced CD at age 18, subsequently released two more CDs—her latest with help from Counting Crow’s guitarist Dan Vickrey. Her music has been featured on San Francisco AAA station KFOG’s compilation CD and has been spun over 500 times on Modesto station KOSO. She also co-wrote the title track for Dire Straits founding member David Knopfler's new record, "Ship of Dreams."

In 2004 Megan and her music appeared on TLC’s "What Not To Wear", generating purchases by TV viewers that placed her CD "Freaky Little Story" on the #5 spot on Amazon.com CD sales charts. Her songs have also earned over 100,000 plays on MySpace.com, and she remains a Top-10 Rock Bestseller on CDBaby.com to this day.

Megan and her new 5-piece band are currently recording a brand new full-length CD to be released bright and early in the New Year. One of the many goals with this release is to become an “Earth Friendly” Indie act, using recycled promotional materials – including recycled and plastic-less CD cases, organic Fair Trade t-shirts, and other sustainable products and practices. A California-native who has toured in over 200 cities in five different countries, Megan will resume touring after the completion of her new CD and merchandise projects.

John Batdorf's uniquely passionate vocals and guitar playing landed him his first major record deal back in the 70s with Atlantic Records, and he's continued to develop and grow as an artist to this day. As the song writing and lead vocal half of Batdorf and Rodney, John began honing his craft and developing his own style back in the early 70s. After the breakup with Rodney, John did an album with a group called Silver and toured the country promoting their album at venues with the likes of America, Doobie Brothers, Poco, and Hall and Oats. Fans devoted to his sound recognized John’s voice on several radio and television projects in the 80s when he worked as a top LA studio session singer. When he wasn't touring with bands, or producing music for a variety of clients, he never stopped writing songs. In the early 90s he partnered with fellow songwriter Michael McLean and released a handful of albums that captured a personal resonance John found with his universal songs of hope and inspiration. It's as if with each stage in his artistic journey, he developed a greater understanding of the power of music to impact our daily lives.

 

Never one to stagnate creatively, John expanded his artistic palette from acoustic driven pop/rock to story driven melodies. From 1996 to 2002 he worked as a TV composer for the hit series Touched by an Angel and Promised Land. Now into the second half of the new millennium, John has recorded a new CD with James Lee Stanley "All Wood And Stones" (a highly original take on early Rolling Stones songs, done acoustically with tight harmonies) along with his first solo EP, "Side One." His first full length solo CD, Home Again is an acoustic guitar and vocal enthusiasts dream come true! John's latest CD, "Still Burnin'" teams him up again with Mark Rodney. The duo recorded a live show at XM Studios in Washington D.C. revisiting many of their great songs from teh 70s as well as two brand new songs. John is now recording and will be releaseing a brand new solo CD in spring of 2009 entitled "Old Man Dreamin."

Amy Meyers, Jay Howlett with Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon Friday April 17

Truewind Acoustic Fridays Presents
Bev Barnett and Greg Newlon
with Amy Meyers and Jay Howlett
Friday April 17,2009, 7:30 p.m.
Mission City Coffee Roasting
2221 the Alameda, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050
$15 at the door - Reservations Strongly Suggested

Each month Bev Barnett & Greg Newlon share the stage with two great acoustic artists. We each do a few songs solo during the first half, take a break then all join together on stage to share songs and stories "in the round" style.

You can find out more about Bev and Greg here.

Update: James Hurley, who was originally scheduled for this show, is unable to join us. Jay Howlett will be stepping in to join us for a great evening of music!

Amy Meyers is a recognized singer/songwriter in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.  She has been playing in the Bay Area since 1991 and in that time released 6 CD’s of original music and 1 Children’s CD.  Her 2008 release LUCKY charted at #14 on Folk Radio with the song "Summer Town" hitting #4. 

 

Amy is a dynamic performer – both playfully energetic and draw-you-in sincere.  A seasoned player on both piano and guitar, her performances are rich with variety.  With her infectious melodies and straight from the heart lyrics, her songs will have you singing, dancing, crying, or laughing.

Recognition and features include; Numerous West Coast Songwriters Best Performer and Best Song Awards, KFOG featured artist, KTVU Mornings On 2, KPFA Local Artist Feature, West Coast Live, and Lillith Fair Competition Finalist.  Her songs have been played nationally on Folk, College and AAA radio.  Most recently

Austin’s popular folk/pop star SaraHickmanlicensed the rights to Amy’s song “Good” (from Amy’s Strange & Beautiful album) and reproduced it on her June 2006 release, Motherlode.

 

Amy on You Tube

 

Jay Howlett is an award winning singer/songwriter with a powerful baritone voice and talent for storytelling. An accomplished performer with a degree in theatre, jay writes simple, honest songs about life in and around America and the experiences that bring us toether and tear us apart. He's a troubadour, he's a storyteller, he's a performing songwriter - and he continually engages his audience.

Throughout his career, Jay has been invited to play at folk festivals from Oregon to Florida, from Utah to Texas. tom Semioli of Minor 7th Webzine says: "Wtih lyrics made all the more powerful by rootsy, spare arrangements, Howlett's collection is essential listenign for fans of Bruce Cockburn, John Prine, Louden Wainwright II and solo Bruce Springsteen."