Music

HAPPENIN'
California Pops Orchestra
Frederick Hodges
Sam Huie / California Pops Orchestra
Frederick Hodges was excellent as he performed George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with the California Pops Orchestra on November 3, 2019, at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center.
Frederick Hodges was brilliant as he joined the California Pops Orchestra on November 3, 2019, for an excellent performance of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." John Orr reviews.

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Regarding Arts
For the Wings song “Let Me Roll It,” Paul McCartney swapped his bass for a Les Paul guitar and kicked out some jams at the Shark Tank, running into the riff from Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.”
Paul McCartney may be 77 years old, but he's still rockin' like the brilliant Beatle he's been all these years. Tony Lacy-Thompson reviews McCartney's recent show in San Jose. Read on.

West Bay Opera
Nikola Printz
Otak Jump / West Bay Opera
Nikola Printz as Carmen with the West Bay Opera chorus, in “Carmen” as staged by West Bay Opera. “Carmen” is being performed at Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto, May 25, May 27, June 2 and June 3, 2018.
"Carmen," by Georges Bizet, is proving a hit at West Bay Opera. Tickets are pretty much sold out, but show up on Saturday or Sunday anyway, and you may luck into a canceled ticket. John Orr spoke with José Luis Moscovich. Read the story.

Green, Gustafson
Otak Jump / West Bay Opera
Heather Green as Salome dances for David Gustafson as the excited King Herod, under the eyes of Katherine Naegele as a lady in waiting, left, and Michelle Rice as Herodias. The West Bay Opera production is to be performed May 26 and 28, and June 3 and 4, 2017, at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto.
"Salome" by Richard Strauss, based on a play by Oscar Wilde, is only for the opera company that is stout of heart and overflowing with talent. Such as West Bay Opera, which is staging a stunning production, through June 4, 2017. Don't miss it. John Orr reviews.

Valerie Vigoda review
Valerie Vigoda
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Regarding Arts
Valerie Vigoda performs a solo show at the home of Kevin Surace and Erica Rogers in Sunnyvale, on Dec 2, 2016.
Valerie Vigoda is well known to Bay Are theater fans, especially for the musicals "Striking 12" and "Sleeping Beauty Wakes," which she performed at TheatreWorks while in the power trio GrooveLily. Recently, she performed a solo show in a house concert and was terrific. Tony Lacy-Thompson reviews.

Matt Schofield interview and review
Matt Schofield
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Regarding Arts
Matt Schofield and his band perform at Club Fox in Redwood City on Wednesday, August 3, 2016. Wednesdays are usually jam nights, but for this special show, with Garth Webber and band opening, and Schofield and band headlining, the jam was skipped.
Matt Schofield was in the Bay Area, and Tony Lacy-Thompson got to interview him and see his show at Club Fox in Redwood City. A fascinating tale of a modern-day blues man. Read on.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
Lovett
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Regarding Arts
Lyle Lovett croons a tune with His Large Band at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga on July 5, 2016.
Lyle Lovett and a lot of singers and other musicians were great at Mountain Winery in Saratoga the other night. We know this is true because Tony Lacy-Thompson was there and wrote about it. Read his review.

West Bay Opera
Capsuto, Karagiozov
Otak Jump / West Bay Opera
Christine Capsuto as Gilda, left,and Krassen Karagiozov as Rigoletto in Verdi's "Rigoletto," staged by West Bay Opera, October 16, 18, 24 and 25, 2015.
"Rigoletto," by Giuseppi Verdi, gets a rich, colorful and powerful production by West Bay Opera in Palo Alto. John Orr was there on opening night as the company opened its 60th season, and reviews.

Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Regarding Arts
Leon Russell at the keyboard for a show on August 17, 2015, at Yoshi's Oakland.
Leon Russell brought a lot of great music and great stories to Yoshi's Oakland, and Tony Lacy-Thompson was there to experience it. Read his review.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Grace Potter
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Regarding Arts
Grace Potter brings a lot of energy, impressive music and a short, short dress to Oakland's Fox Theater on Saturday, August 15, 2015.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals brought their rock for grown-ups to the Fox Theater in Oakland, and Tony Lacy-Thompson was there to enjoy the hot show. Read his review.

John Mayall
Rzab, Mayall
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Regarding Arts
Bass player Greg Rzab, left, and music legend John Mayall at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz on Thursday, July 9, 2015.
John Mayall, one of the earliest British blues musicians and certainly one of the most influential, is still bringing the goods at age 80. Tony Lacy-Thompson saw him a few days ago at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz, and reviews the show.

Robin Trower
Robin Trower may be 70 years old, but he's still a master of the Stratocaster and blew the doors off The Catalyst in Santa Cruz last week. Tony Lacy-Thompson was there, and reviews the great show.

Asleep at the Wheel
Ray Benson's been rockin' that Western Swing with Asleep at the Wheel for more than 40 years. Tony Lacy-Thompson interviewed him. Read the story.

Mark Whitney and The Merchants of Groove
Mark Whitney and The Merchants of Groove checked in at Cafe Stritch for a fine show on May 7, 2015. Steve Ackley and Natasha Cardenas were there to report on the gig. Read the story, see the photos and videos.

West Bay Opera
Zharoff, Callon
Otak Jump / West Bay Opera
Elizabeth Zharoff as Marguerite, left, and James Callon in the title role of "Faust," produced by West Bay Opera, running May 22-31, 2015, at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. Visit www.westbayopera.org. Read John Orr's review of the performance in The Daily News.

Wishbone Ash at The Catalyst
Wishbone Ash had a stellar career going in the 1970s, especially with the album "Argus." Tony Lacy-Thompson got to have some memories revived and got to see and hear great musicianship when the band played The Catalyst in Santa Cruz on April 14, 2015. Read Tony's review.

Mark Whitney's '50 Years' CD parties
'50 Years' began as a labor of love, an album made for Mark Whitney's parents on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. Fifteen years later, he decided to release it, and put on a couple of shows with the great musicians who played on the CD. The shows are at Café Stritch in San Jose on May 7, and Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz on May 9, 2015. Author and musician Steven Ackley writes about it.

Gregg Wright at Little Lou's
Little Lou's BBQ in Campbell, California, has become a favorite haunt for Tony Lacy-Thompson, because there is no cover on Monday nights, and the usual band on Monday's is the great Chris Cain. But on March 9, 2015, Tony walked in to find Chris was stuck in Florida on tour, and Gregg Wright was on the bandstand, and blowin' the doors off the joint. Read Tony's review of the evening.

West Bay Opera
"The Abduction from the Seraglio," a brilliant work by the 25-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was beautifully staged by West Bay Opera in February. Read John Orr's review.

Tower of Power
Tower of Power rocked Yoshi's Oakland with ten sold-out shows recently. Tony Lacy-Thompson was there for the tenth of ten, and reports back on a great show. Read his review.
Tower of Power has been around for more than 45 years, and is still one of the funkiest, hottest bands in the biz, with that amazing horn line and the amazing rhythm section. Tony Lacy-Thompson talked with tenor sax player Emilio Castillo. Read the interview.

Amy LaCour
Amy laCour has impressed with a beautiful, expressive voice with marvelous phrasing, and with her unusual collaboration with a cellist. "Who knew?" she asks, and all we can do is shake our head in admiration. Paul Freeman talked with her. Read the story. Update: Ms. LaCour has two gigs we've heard about in February 2015, in Southern California. Go to this page on her website for info: www.amylacour.com/live.html.

Jackie Venson
Jackie Venson spent a lot of years learning theory and rehearsing on piano, then took up a guitar and became a very talented blues singer. Paul Freeman writes about this up-and-comer.

Chris Cain
Chris Cain Band
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Regarding Arts
Chris Cain, on Gibson 335, leads his band at Little Lou's BBQ in Campbell, California, on Monday, December 8, 2014. In the band, from left, are sax player Mark Whitney, Greg Rahn on keys, Steve Evans on bass, and Mick Mestek on drums.
Chris Cain shows up once at month at Little Lou's BBQ in Campbell, California, and that's an amazing thing; the cat is one of the greatest guitarists on the planet, and there is no cover charge. Have a brain? Do what Tony Lacy-Thompson did, and go see him. Read Tony's review of the experience.

Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval got a job driving his own car in Cuba, just so he could meet the great Dizzy Gillespie. Now Sandoval is a great one, too. He's coming to the Schultz Cultural Arts Hall on October 30, 2014. Steven Ackley spoke with him. Read the story.

Imelda May
Imelda May brings passion and plenty of it, in her live shows. Tony Lacy-Thompson reviews her show at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

Janiva Magness
Janiva Magness is some kinda powerful blues singer. She's touring, in support of her latest album, "Stronger For It," and talked with us about the path that put her on the blues highway. Read the interview.

Anthony Paule
Anthony Paule is an all-around excellent musician who embraces blues and rhythm & blues music. Michel Michel talks with him about his band with Frank Bey, and their new album. Read the interview.

Graham Nash
Graham Nash has a beautiful voice, a great eye for photography and art and does all he can for the world and for his family. Paul Freeman had a chat with him back in August. Nash will be at Yoshi's Oakland and San Francisco in November. Read the interview.

Michael Osborn and The Drivers
Two great guitarists: Michael Osborn and Garth Webber. Osborn, once a mainstay of the San Francisco Bay Area blues scene, and a world traveler with John Lee Hooker's Coast to Coast Blues Band, has returned from his Portland, Oregon, home for a tour of the Bay Area. Webber, longtime friend of Osborn and a world traveler himself with all kinds of bands, including Miles Davis, is part of the tour. Tonight (August 23, 2013), Michael Osborn and The Drivers, and Webber, will be at the Poorhouse Bistro in San Jose, with guests Garth Webber and Bill Stuve. We are hoping they get a better sound mix than on Wednesday at Club Fox in Redwood City. Read what we have to say about that show.

White Album Ensemble and The Redwood Symphony
Playing Beatles music takes major chops. Musicians know this. So Triviana sent a musician, Tony Lacy-Thompson, to review "Here Comes The Sun — A Beatles Tribute at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City on August 10, 2013. It was a great show. Read the review.

Peter Tork
The Monkees are still touring, minus Davy Jones, who died in 2012. Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz are to be at Mountain Winery on August 14, 2013. Paul Freeman, of Pop Culture Classics, had a talk with Tork back in 2006, and updated that story for our edification here. Read the interview.

Don Felder
All-around excellent musician Don Felder is the Eagle who wrote the music for "Hotel California," and lots of other songs. He's made music with all kinds of people, from Stephen Stills and Tom Petty to Barbra Streisand. He's coming to the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California, on August 1, 2013. Paul Freeman had a long talk with Felder. Take a look.

107.7 The Bone's Bone Bash XIV
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Tony Lacy-Thompson photo
Shoreline Amphitheatre was completely packed on Sunday for the Bone Bash, from the stage and the good seats all the way back to the last picknickers on the lawn. But we only had eyes for this lady, who apparently paid so much for her tickets to see Paul Rodgers and Bad Company, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, that she simply couldn't afford knickers. We won't take up a collection. In the meantime, please read Tony Lacy-Thompson's review of Bad Company.

Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull first made a splash in the 1960s, and has produced excellent music in every decade since. She spoke from her home in Paris with Paul Freeman, who was in his home in California, on June 1, 2013. She will be in California soon for a couple of performances. Read the conversation.

California Pops Orchestra
Four harpists
Sam Huie / California Pops Orchestra
We like this photograph for a bunch of reasons, including that, in general, we find the harp an amazing instrument, and its players even more amazing. Really. Watch a harp player up close sometime. Very impressive, what they do, hitting all the right strings at the right time. Also, this bunch was part of a flash mob at Foothill College, before a performance of the California Pops Orchestra. Flash mob? Harpists? Really? Where are the Guinness authenticators when you need 'em? This event took place on Saint Patrick's day, March 17, 2013, hence the wearin' of some green and the presence of Irish harps. Here we have, from left, Susan Nguyen of Saratoga, Allison Cleveland of Yuba City, Margaret More of San Jose, and behind them is Deb Knodel of San Mateo, playing a special black carbon fiber Irish harp. By the way, we like the California Pops Orchestra. Their shows are always fun. Check 'em out at www.calpops.org.

Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks
Dan Hicks
Courtesy of Dan Hicks
Dan Hicks, circa 2001.
We've talked with Dan Hicks a few times, and one of our favorite feature packages ever is when we talk with him circa 2001, as he was getting together a big band comprising just about everyone who'd ever been in one of his bands, for a big concert. We talked with most of the old Hot Licks. We are reposting to change the feature package to Triviana's new style. Take a look.

PHOTO PROFILES
Giuseppe Finzi
Giuseppe Finzi
Mark Kitaoka / markkitaoka.com
Portait of Giuseppe Finzi, Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Triviana does not know who the surfer is.
Mark Kitaoka shared some fun photos of the resident conductor of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Giuseppe Finzi, with Triviana. Check 'em out.

ARCHIVES

Goodies from the Regarding Arts music archives.

Tedeschi Trucks Band
Tony Lacy-Thompson / Triviana Arts & Entertainment
OK, it's a cellphone photo. At least Tony Lacy-Thompson was at the show, to see Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi at the Mountain Winery on September 8, 2012. Read his review.
The Tedeschi Trucks Bands was amazing at the Mountain Winery, under the stars in Saratoga. Tony Lacy-Thompson was on hand to review the show, notebook and cellphone camera in hand. Read his review.

MUSIC VIDEOS

For ears and eyes

Judy Garland was an amazing talent, unmatched in many ways. Want the proof? Lend eyes and ears to her singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in a poor quality recording from the ancient days of TV. Fabulous.
Some guys singing "Bad Romance." It's so much fun.
Molly Bell is amazing. We have a profile of her here in Triviana Arts & Entertainment, but here's a favorite video of her performing in Divas for Life. Find out more about Divas for Life.
Lake Street Dive is a band formed by Rachael Price, who is a wonderful vocalist. I love this tune, which I heard on A Prairie Home Companion. Then I found this video.
"Laundry Room." Another from The Avett Brothers. Here is another tune that delves deep into emotion and yearning.
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Fabulous band performs in 2004 to honor George Harrison upon his posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Jeff Lynne, Steve Ferrone, Dhani Harrison and Prince. Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers does the early solo stuff. Prince shows up and takes over.
"Deportee." The Kingston Trio version, posted July 14, 2012, in honor of Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday. Thank you, Mr. Guthrie.
Tim O'Brien: "Hey, Joe," at Celtic Connections 2009, Glasgow Scotland.
Asylum Street Spankers: "Monkey Rag," and "If You Want Me to Love You."
Van Morrison: "Real Real Gone."
OK Go: "This Too Shall Pass." Incredible Rube Goldberg machine video.
Willie Dixon: "I'm Nervous." Funny and charming video of the great songwriter, singer and bassist.
Boxing Gandhis: "If You Love Me (Why Am I Dyin')" Hip, funky and hot in every way.
John Lee Sanders: Fabulous musician. Give a listen to "Midnight in New Orleans".


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