Wed May 10 House Concert: Jerry & the Wiseman Institute

[Santa Cruz House Concerts]

Our Downtown Soundz house concert series continues in May with a musical tribute to bluegrass great, Mac Wiseman:

                            Wednesday, May 10  7:00 PM
        Jerry & the Wiseman Institute: traditional bluegrass

Details below.  The concert will be held indoors, with masks required.

Antigen testing the day of the show is recommended.

Suggested donation: $25/person sliding scale.

To reserve your spot, please email <Conc...@InstantHarmony.com>.

Be sure to include the total in your party.

Jerry & the Wiseman Institute will also be performing:

   Mon, May 8 in Mountain View:  6:30pm

      Info / Reservations:  email <SV.house...@gmail.com>

   Tue, May 9 in Oakland: 8:00pm

      Info / Reservations:  email <housec...@att.net>

Other upcoming musical events:

    Fri, Apr 28, 7-10pm  Santa Cruz Contra Dance, Live Oak Grange

       with Geese in the Dancehall, Celia Ramsay calling

   Sun, May 21, 3pm    Scow String Quartet, Westside Santa Cruz

       Program of Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn

       Info / Reservations:  email <herr...@ucsc.edu>

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        Jerry & the Wiseman Institute: traditional bluegrass

                            Wednesday, May 10  7:00 PM

  Jerry Wicentowski brings together some of the finest bluegrass musicians in the Bay Area

for an evening of traditional music.  Jerry's singing style is inspired by that of the legendary

Mac Wiseman, whence the band's name Jerry and the Wiseman Institute. 

Jerry Wicentowski: guitar, lead vocals

   Jerry discovered bluegrass music while growing up in New York City, and considers himself
as much a fan of his first generation bluegrass idols as he is a performer and practitioner.

Vocally, his focus on tone, phrasing, and emotional expression distinguishes his singing from

that of many of his contemporaries. It is the emotional factor that he has tried to bring to the

fore on his two CD releases 'Lucky Break' and 'Thanks, Mac!', the latter a tribute and

expression of gratitude to Mac Wiseman, who endorsed and praised the recording saying:

“Jerry, I'm flattered by your interpretation of my material and I think it's a wonderful piece of
work! I heartily endorse it, and I'm very flattered that you're carrying on my legacy.”

Keith Little: banjo

   Keith was born into a musical family living in the Sierra foothills of northern California where

he was first introduced to string band music by his father. He quickly developed the instrumental

skills on guitar, 5-string banjo, mandolin, and fiddle that continue to thrill and inspire audiences

regionally, nationally, and internationally, dating from his first professional engagement in 1969.

Keith has performed and recorded with many luminaries, including Rose Maddox, Dolly Parton,

Ricky Skaggs, David Grisman, Peter Rowan, Frank Wakefield, Vern Williams, and the Chieftains.
Currently Keith performs as a solo artist and with his group ‘The Little Band’ and teaches at
many of the top national and international acoustic music workshops.

Tom Bekeny: fiddle

   Tom is a mandolinist, fiddler, and experienced teacher who has performed and taught in the
U.S. and abroad for over 45 years. He was the mandolinist in Done Gone, Tenbrooks, and an

early version of the Grant Street String Band with Laurie Lewis. He has appeared with Peter

Rowan, the Rowan Brothers, David Grisman, George Cole, vocalist Lua Hadar, and Jerry Garcia.

Tom has played mandolin with the highly-acclaimed Kathy Kallick Band since 1996, and has held
the fiddle spot with California’s premier traditional bluegrass band, High Country, since 1988.

Tom also plays in the popular trad Bluegrass “jam” band, Bangers and Grass, with west coast

bluegrass luminaries Jim Nunally, Steve Pottier, Bill Evans, and Chad Manning.

Butch Waller: mandolin

   Butch is well known to Bay Area bluegrass fans as the leader, mandolin player, and singer in the
band High Country, which has toured nationally and internationally over the past 50+ years. A slew

of High Country recordings can be found on various labels and Butch’s “Golden Gate Promenade”

is available on Rebel.

Steve Pottier: bass

   Steve has been playing bluegrass music in the Bay Area for decades, performing on guitar, bass,
and mandolin. He has played bass with local bands High Country and Done Gone, as well as with Frank
Wakefield, the Johnson Mountain Boys, the Mighty Crows, and more recently with Bangers and Grass.
Well known for his Clarence White style guitar playing, he recorded a CD with Sandy Rothman on Sierra
Records, the highly acclaimed “Bluegrass Guitar Duets.” Steve has taught guitar and mandolin at several
music camps, including California Coast Music Camp, Bluegrass at the Beach, Bluegrass Camp in
Levelland, Texas, and at the CBA Camp. He wrote a regular column for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine.

[Santa Cruz House Concerts]

There is a distressing amount of space available for Wednesday's concert.  I hope you'll be inspired to come and check it out!  I'm not a big fan of modern bluegrass, but this band hearkens back to the roots of bluegrass, with interpretations that reflect the influence of the first generation bluegrass singers, such as Mac Wiseman for whom the band is named.

                            Wednesday, May 10  7:00 PM
        Jerry & the Wiseman Institute: traditional bluegrass

Details below.  The concert will be held indoors, with masks required.

Antigen testing the day of the show is recommended.

The show will be one long set with no break.

Suggested donation: $25/person sliding scale.

To reserve your spot, please email <Conc...@InstantHarmony.com>.

Be sure to include the total in your party.

Jerry & the Wiseman Institute will also be performing:

   Mon, May 8 in Mountain View:  6:30pm

      Info / Reservations:  email <SV.house...@gmail.com>

   Tue, May 9 in Oakland: 8:00pm

      Info / Reservations:  email <housec...@att.net>

[Santa Cruz House Concerts]

Our Downtown Soundz house concert series resumes with this eclectic band of formidable musicians:

                               Sunday, Nov 5  4:00 PM Matinee
                          Wind Weavers: World Acoustic Music

Details below.  The concert will be held indoors, with masks optional.

Please stay at home if you have cold/flu symptoms, or mask if you're not sure.

Suggested donation: $25/person sliding scale.

To reserve your spot, please email <Conc...@InstantHarmony.com>.

Be sure to include the total in your party.

Other upcoming events:

     Sat Oct 28, 7-10pm   Halloween Contra Dance in Palo Alto

         Rodney Miller, Daniel & Ezra Steinberg, caller: Susan Petrick

          First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton, Palo Alto

    Wednesdays, 6-7:30pm   World Harmony Chorus Santa Cruz rehearsals

          No singing experience required.  Come sing with us!

          London Nelson Center, Rm 5, 301 Center St, Santa Cruz

          Email: Dire...@InstantHarmony.com  for more info

           

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                            Wind Weavers: World Acoustic Music

                                  Sunday, Nov 5  4:00 PM Matinee

   Wind Weavers plays an internationally cross-pollinated, eclectic blend of traditional and

original acoustic music. Their sound brings together many threads of their collective musical

backgrounds and interests, with influences from the British Isles, Scandinavia, the Balkans,

Brazil, and even some nods to their classical and jazz backgrounds. With well-crafted

arrangements and spontaneous improvisations, the ensemble delights in discovering new

grooves, weaving together harmonies and rhythms of diverse traditions, and finding an ever

greater range of musical expression. The ensemble is led by accordionist Diana Strong and

will feature fiddle (Leah Wollenberg), double bass (Travis Hendrix) and percussion (Aziz Yehia).

   Diana Strong grew up studying classical piano while also seeped in the folk music

communities of Lark in the Morning and the Sierra Music and Arts institute, which eventually

led to picking up accordion in 2006. Her many teachers include Susan Waterfall (piano),

Dan Cantrell, and Vitor Gonçalves. Before forming Wind Weavers, she performed with

Dona Francisca (Brazilian forró), Sweet Moments of Confusion (original music for accordion

and cello), The Patty Dukes (ukulele and vocal duo with cousin Juliet Strong), The Red Hot

Chachkas (klezmer), and various other ensembles and theatrical projects around the Bay Area.

Diana taught accordion at Zambaleta world music school, and currently teaches private piano

and accordion lessons, as well as elementary Orff music classes.

Visit her website:  www.dianastrong.com

[Santa Cruz House Concerts]

There is still plenty of space available for this great show next Sunday!  Please come out and support live music, which has taken a big hit during the pandemic.

                               Sunday, Nov 5  4:00 PM Matinee
                          Wind Weavers: World Acoustic Music

Details below.  The concert will be held indoors, with masks optional.

Please stay at home if you have cold/flu symptoms, or mask if you're not sure.

Suggested donation: $25/person sliding scale.

To reserve your spot, please email <Conc...@InstantHarmony.com>.

Be sure to include the total in your party.