Hello Troubadourians! Every year, on the third week of January, the NAMM Show comes to the Anaheim Convention Center. It’s my job to attend and check out as many of the instruments and equipment on display as is humanly possible. Of course, I’m looking for things that I like but I’m also looking for things […]
Brazil is roughly the same size, geographically, as the continental United States, with a little more than half of our own population. And yet that Portuguese-speaking South American nation has even more musical styles than our own—which has given the world everything from jazz to country, gospel to blues, bluegrass to Cajun, and rock ‘n’ […]
Give San Diego vocalist Sharon DuBois substantial credit for Into Light, her latest self-released effort, which features superb production values from John Staten and a cast of revolving heavy hitters, including bassists Christian McBride, Mark Dresser, and Greg McKinney with saxophonist Eric Person, violinist Mary Oliver alongside local heavyweights like Joey Carano and Derek Cannon […]
Give the credit to the band Those Darn Accordions. It was a late-1990s concert by that eclectic Bay Area squeezebox combo that drew North County resident and budding accordionist Matt Hensley to Los Angeles one fateful night. After the show, he and his LA-based buddy went to grab a pint at Molly Malone’s, an Irish […]
Few instruments inspire the feeling of freedom the way the guitar always has. They can’t offer the versatility of an expressive voice you can carry around, play nearly any musical style on, learn and teach with relative ease, and create improvisation with so marvelously. It’s probably the reason why there are no stores called Freedom […]
The world, and its inhabitants, is a swirling dialectic of complementary opposites; nationalism distinct from globalism—the sovereign individual in grand contrast to the sprawling collective. It’s a cosmic push me-pull you choreography of capitalism, socialism, communism, and humanism—all trying to tap you on the shoulder, asking if they can cut in and assume the lead, […]
Mike Rybak is a roots singer/songwriter whose songs vary from soft and personal acoustic folk pieces built upon his eloquent guitar playing to soft rock and breezy pop-jazz, with stops in between. His engaging voice is perfect for the intimate approach of so much of the material on his debut CD, A Lot Like You. […]
Southern California brings bright, crisp bluebird days this time of year—perfect for enjoying great bluegrass. Here are three good opportunities: Julian Family Fiddle Camp. Held at the beautiful Camp Cedar Glen in the mountains of Julian, this annual event takes place April 11 through April 15. The camp offers outstanding instruction on all the bluegrass […]
