FAR-West Fun; Coming up on KZSU & @ The Cottonwood Truckee

Well, FAR-West in Oakland turned into a song-soaked, musical fun ride. I had a great time playing PGS rooms hosted by Bohemian Highway, Maurice Tani & Jim Bruno, Kyle Alden and Amy Andrews Music, as well as the pre and post-conference events at High St. Station and Awaken Cafe, and the gig with Kate Burkart at High Street on Saturday between everything. I heard SO MANY GREAT songs and met a slew of great folks. I feel both replete and reinvigorated for more!
On that note, I went straight from FAR-West to a rehearsal with KCDC. We'll be playing LIVE this Wednesday, Oct. 23 on KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM. Tune in!
Thursday, I'm hitting the road with Kwame to play in Truckee, CA. Got friends in this fun, mountain town? Send them our way as we'll be holding down The Cottonwood from 7-10pm. The award-winning restaurant "has it all; a rich and vibrant heritage, a lively music scene, a full bar, and an adventurous menu created by the Executive Chef of 17 years, David Smith."
Deborah Crooks in Truckee @ Cottonwood - Thursday, October 23rd, 2014 7pm Off Brockway Rd.(Old hwy 267) Truckee, CA 96160 (530) 587-5711

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

Cottonwood

Deborah Crooks in Truckee - 7pm

Off Brockway Rd.(Old hwy 267
Truckee, CA 96160
(530) 587-5711

- See more at: http://www.deborahcrooks.com/shows/#sthash.UyYOb5vn.dpuf

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

Cottonwood

Deborah Crooks in Truckee - 7pm

Off Brockway Rd.(Old hwy 267
Truckee, CA 96160
(530) 587-5711

- See more at: http://www.deborahcrooks.com/shows/#sthash.UyYOb5vn.dpuf

Starling songs and the Hesitation Blues

Basically, I live in the suburbs. A few businesses operate nearby, but we're on a mostly residential grid, complete with sidewalks and a smattering of trees lining the streets. In the bird department, we get Western bluebirds and goldfinch, hummingbirds and house finches, brown towhees, crows and scrub jays. A predictable bunch of birds for Northern California,  whose songs I readily recognize. So I rushed to the window along with the cat when I suddenly heard a  racket one morning, both of us straining our necks to get a better look. Ah-ha, I saw, deflating slightly, a hundred or so starlings had alighted on the telephone wire in a sudden burst, singing and trilling and chattering away as only they know how. And do starlings know how to make a sound. While I was a little disappointed at finding these prolific and invasive birds in the spot containing my potential wonder of the day, I was nonetheless respectful of their ability to learn and recite the songs of other birds. Starlings are like the ultimate cover band, err,  flock. The European variety evidently haas 15-20 songs ( a whole set!) of other birds' songs that they've learned to imitate and are  ready to sing at any time. The even have local dialects of those songs.
I don't want to identify too closely with a starling, but thinking of starlings reminded me of a song that has become a stalwart in my long sets, 'Hesitation Blues.' (I may have mentioned the song here before ). A traditional song that's been adopted by popular writers (including WC Handy) in the early part of the 20th Century, versions of the tune have been covered by a whole bunch of folks since,  including Louis Armstrong, Willie Nelson and Janis Joplin, varying its feel (blues, Western swing) and lyrics accordingly. I 'found' the song listening to the radio when the DJ played an hour's worth of Hesitation Blues versions. While I sometimes improv my own lyrics based on where I'm singing* (local dialect!)  I typically do a version using the lyrics Willie Nelson plays:

*KALX plays a very Berkeley-centric version I recorded of the song 'KALX Hesitation Blues' after playing a late-edition of KALX-Live in 2013.

Stations of the Bean: NW Coffee (so far)

What self-respecting tour of the northwest would neglect conspicuous coffee consumption? Not this one. Despite giving up coffee for most of December, I'm back on the bean here in Oregon. Yes, the  Little Bird tour has thus far been fueled by some delicious locally-roasted coffee beverages. Some highlights from our trip thus far: 

Limestone Coffee in Medford, OR. Seriously third-wave in Southern OR. Yes, they have almond milk if you're into non-dairy espresso drinks, which they did a fine job with, but the winner was their selection of nuanced pour-over coffee features. Every cup is ground to order. http://www.limestonecoffee.com/

Good Bean, Jacksonville, OR. Not far from Medford is this little food, wine and coffee-savvy burg. Hot-air roasted beans from the region's original roaster did not disappoint in the java department, as Good Bean served up a truly exemplary latte made with hazelnut milk. Their beans are proudly served throughout the region's other cafes and restaurants, as well. http://www.goodbean.com/

Noble Coffee, Ashland, OR. Aw, how nice to walk into a place and see a Gibraltar on the menu! Having lived next to Blue Bottle's kiosk in Hayes Valley, SF, during this drink's nascency, I've a soft spot in my heart for this barista-brainchild of a beverage. We happened into this Ashland roasters Railroad District 'temple to coffee' after our radio gig at KSKQ and felt instantly at ease (and warm! It's 30 degrees here). Organic and artisanally crafted, Noble's Gibraltar more than lived up to Blue Bottle's original. http://www.noblecoffeeroasting.com 

Road Views: 101 N to OR

Of course, half the fun of touring is the sight-seeing along the road. Despite encroaching malls and chains, the Northwest stills retains its unique regional vibe, dominated by the big redwood trees that - thankfully - still cover much of the North Coast. Traveling from Arcata to Oregon was a real visual treat as we wound through a wide swath of national forest land. Alas no Bigfoot, but, lo, Paul Bunyan, Babe, giant wooden fish and 'It's A Burl' gallery which felt a bit like visiting Middle Earth. We enjoyed a day off in Medford and are cued up for a radio spot in Ashland 1/15 on KSKQ 89.5 FM 1-3pm before our gigs in Ashland & Corvallis.