Features ~ Sonoma Valley Sun

Jazz+ 2011

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Sonoma Valley Sun

Friday, May 20

John Fogerty
9 p.m.

“Susie Q,” Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son, “Bad Moon Rising”… the list of hits cranked out by John Fogerty’s Creedence Clearwater Revival in the late 1960’s is nearly unprecedented. The Berkeley-born guitarist crossed county music roots and Bayou-burning rockabilly to create a unique sound underlined by chunky guitar riffs and his weathered, yowling vocals. Bruce Springsteen said of Fogerty, “As a songwriter, only a few did as much in three minutes. He was an Old Testament, shaggy-haired prophet. He was severe, he was precise, he said what he had to say and he got out of there.” Fogerty is riding high again after the releases “Revival,” “The Blue Ridge Ranger Rides Again” and the recent the 25th anniversary edition of “Centerfield,” the only pop tune in baseball’s hall of fame.

Tedeschi Trucks Band
6:30 p.m.

A collaboration both onstage and off – singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi is married to slide guitar ace Butch Trucks – the band weaves together Delta blues, Memphis soul, Sixties rock and Seventies funk. Last year they each received individual Grammy nominations in the category of “Best Contemporary Blues Album” for their 2009 releases, Tedeschi for “Back To The River” and Trucks for “Already Free” (which he won). As well, they often perform together with the Allman Brothers Band, with whom Trucks continues to play as co-lead guitarist.

Saturday, May 21

Sheryl Crow
9 p.m.

What hasn’t the nine-time Grammy winner done? Until “100 Miles from Memphis,” a funky soul-based record recalling the soundtrack of growing up in the 60’s and 70’s. The title of her current release references her hometown of Kennett, Mo, and its proximity to one the historic hotbeds of American roots music, Memphis. “The music that came out of that part of the world is a part of who I am, and it’s the biggest inspiration for what I do and why I do it,” she said. Recording the disc of original songs and a handful of “cool covers” revitalized her, she said. “The music feels fresh and at the same time very familiar to what I do.”

Hiromi, The Trio Project
featuring Anthony Jackson & Steve Smith
6:30 p.m.

While still in her teens, pianist/composer Hiromi Uehara wowed the jazz world with her ’03 debut, “Another Mind.” Subsequent releases have garnered rave reviews and awards from jazz poll and festivals. Still, she won’t put a label on her music. “Other people can put a name on what I do. It’s just the union of what I’ve been listening to (from Bach and Oscar Peterson to Franz Kiszt and Sly Stone) and what I’ve been learning,” she says, “It has some elements of classical music, it has some rock, it has some jazz, but I don’t want to give it a name.” Steve Smith on drums and Anthony Jackson on electric bass fill out the group.

Sunday, May 22

The Gipsy Kings
4 p.m.

Dubbed the best thing to come out of Arles, France, since Van Gogh, the Gipsy Kings consist of two bands of brothers: the Reyes (Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Patchai, Andre) and the Baliardos (Tonino, Paco, Diego). The Reyes and Baliardo boys were the offspring of Spanish gypsy families that had fled into France to escape Spain’s Civil War. They grew up roaming the south of France, working harvests and making music. In 1987 The Gipsy Kings’ self-titled debut album introduced the world to “rumba Gitano,” the sound of South America’s rumba rhythm married to flamenco guitars. Listen too for the influence of other great European guitarists, Django Reinhardt and Carlos Montoya.