20th anniversary santa cruz blues festival program guide

May 26-27, 2012 SANTA CRUZ BLUES FESTIVAL 1

SANTA CRUZ BLUES FESTIVAL May 26-27, 20122


SCHEDULE

Saturday May 2610am Gates Open11am Tommy Castro and the Painkillers12:20pm Big Sam’s Funky Nation2pm Joan Osborne3:45pm Los Lobos5:45pm The Doobie Brothers

Sunday May 2710am Gates Open11am The Holmes Brothers12:20pm Coco Montoya with Jimmy Thackery2:15pm Elvin Bishop with James Cotton4pm Los Lonely Boys5:45pm Jonny LangAll set times are approximate

WHAT’S INSIDETommy Castro and the Painkillers 5

Big Sam’s Funky Nation 7

Joan Osborne 9

Los Lobos 11

The Doobie Brothers 13

The Holmes Brothers 21

Coco Montoya/Jimmy Thackery 23

Elvin Bishop/James Cotton 25

Los Lonely Boys 27

Jonny Lang 29

The 2012 Santa Cruz Blues Festival is produced by Bill Welch, Michael Blas, Phil Lewis, David Claytor, Mike Spano & Connie Burroughs. This program is published by the Santa Cruz Weekly Newspaper, 877 Cedar St, Suite 147, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, phone 831.457.9000. The entire contents are copyright © 2012 by Metro Newspapers. No part may be reproduced in any fashion without written consent of the publisher.

20th Annual Santa Cruz Blues FestivalMemorial Day Weekend May 26 & 27, 2012

Aptos Village Park

Festival Information• Gates open by 10am. Music starts right at 11am and goes ’til around 7:15pm. There are no ins and outs after 3pm. We recommend arriving early as both the Gold Circle and General Admissio sections are on a first come, first served basis.• Aptos Village Park is located at 100 Aptos Creek Road in Aptos, Cali-fornia. Please note there is no parking at the event site. Free parking, as well as a free shuttle service to and from the festival site, is located at Cabrillo College. Signs will be posted directing cars to the parking site.• The Cabrillo College parking lot opens at 8am and luxury shuttle buses begin transporting ticket holders at 9am.• What not to bring: dogs, food, alcohol, cans, bottles, containers, cool-ers, umbrellas, cameras with removable lens, recording devices, video cameras. • What to bring: one sealed personal bottle of water, money to pur-chase Blues Bucks, sun screen, hat, and a small personal-use camera (no video).• Seats are only provided in the Gold Circle section. Ticket holders in the General Admission section are encouraged to bring blankets and may bring chairs that are no more than 30 inches in height, with a seat height of no more than 10 inches.• Park Rules: Smoking is no longer allowed anywhere inside Santa Cruz County Parks. The Santa Cruz County Parks and Sheriff’s Department do not allow colors of any organization to be worn at any public event.• The Santa Cruz Blues Festival is a scrip-based event, and cash will not be accepted at any booths except the Blues Festival Merchandise booth, Artist Merchandise Booth & Vintage Blues Booth. Ticket holders can visit the Blues Bucks booth to purchase scrip tickets either with cash or credit card (Visa or Mastercard only). Blues Bucks is the only form of payment acceptable for all food and beverage purchases. An ATM is located in the Blues Pavilion at the back of the park.• The food court offers a wide variety of choices, including BBQ, Asian, Mexican, Wraps, Pizza, Organic Fare, A Taste of New Orleans, Gour-met Hot Dogs and more. We also have kettle korn, frozen fruit bars, smoothies, desserts, water and other non-alcohlic beverages. Beer and wine are available at selected booths. Hot and cold coffee drinks are also available.

Take a moment to breath in the fresh air and settle into your space for the day. Greet your neighbors with a smile and pre-pare yourself for an amazing weekend of music.

Saturday kicks off with one of the Santa Cruz Blues Festival’s favorite performers, the master incinerator of the blues, Tommy Castro and his new band The Painkillers. This will be Castro’s eighth time gracing our stage, and nobody knows how to start the party going like Tommy Castro. Get ready as showman-ship and guitar pyrotechnics illuminate the crowd.

Now a veteran of the blues scene, Castro’s songwriting has developed a fine edge to it, and his youthful enthusiasm for performance has grown expo-nentially—in fact, the prodigal son has gotten better and bet-ter over the years. Whether

singing alongside blues legend John Lee Hooker on Castro’s album Guilty Of Love or playing with his brand new feel good band The Painkillers, which features Randy McDonald on bass, Byron Cage on drums and James Pace on keyboards, Castro is a man on fire and lov-ing every moment of it.

Handpicked to open for B.B. King, it’s no wonder that in 2010, Castro was awarded mul-tiple Blues Music Awards for Male Blues Artist of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. Tried, true and blue, Tommy Castro is the real deal, so get ready to boogie!

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tommy castro and the painkillers

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Now that you got your early morn-ing blues fix, we’re excited to present the sweet sounds of New Orleans courtesy of Big Sam’s Funky Nation.

Sammie “Big Sam” Williams has been working the slide of his trombone since he was a youth wandering the French Quarter and soaking up the flavors in the epicenter of America’s greatest musical melting pot, New Orleans. Brass bands have a long history in New Orleans, going back to the late 1800’s when the brass instru-ments of the military and the long tradition of African music crossed paths.

At 15, the allure of his middle school marching band grabbed hold, influencing Sam to pick up his first trombone and it was love at first sight. Out of high school and eager to start his own band, Big Sam and his friends started the Stooges Brass Band, playing various ballrooms in Louisiana while diligently studying the ins-and-outs of being full time working musicians. Although Sam eventu-ally moved on, his inspiration and vision has been preserved with The Stooges as they continue to win fans and tour around the world.

When Big Sam was called to join The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a premiere New Orleans brass band, he began a decade long journey associating himself with the high-est level of musical talent including

Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews, Karl Denson and James Brown, making Big Sam’s larger than life persona ripple across the sound waves.

The young man from New Orleans has matured into a fine bandleader and Big Sam’s Funky Nation is a true testament to the jazzy Louisiana sound, blending tradi-tional New Orleans party music with hip-hop, blues and jazz. When the Funky Nation begins mash-ing up Adele and Cee Lo all the while weaving a tribute to classic funk into a New Orleans party on the grass, you’ll feel like it’s Mardi Gras all over again!

big sam’s funky nation

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Now that you’ve had that solid dose of funk, it’s time to shift gears and get ready for some more blues! You probably remember Joan Osborne’s Grammy nomi-nated song that dominated the airwaves in ‘95, “(What if God Was) One of Us.” Despite the fact that the rest of the album was an eclec-tic mix of country, blues and folk, Osborne was immediately recog-nized as an overnight sensation. Lucky for all of us, Osborne was wise enough not to be pigeon-holed by a smash pop hit.

The role of the artist is to rein-vent themselves like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but in the world of music there are dozens of bands that like a Neolithic fly trapped in amber haven’t changed their act an iota, but not Osborne.

“The voices of Otis Redding and Al Green soothed a troubled soul, the power of Etta James and Tina Turner gave me courage, and the depth of feeling of Muddy Waters and so many other great blues artists allowed me to find and express my own depths,” explains Osborne. “When I began to sing in New York City in my early 20’s, I wanted nothing more than to model myself on these people to inhabit the music as they did in some small way.”

Joan Osborne’s 2012 release, Bring it on Home, is a searing blues infused toaster with Osborne sounding like a cross between Bonnie Raitt’s godchild and Etta James granddaughter. Osborne recreates a classic sound and shapes it into her own brand of soulful blues. “These songs, they’re a remedy. They get me out of my head,” she says. “These songs put the music back in my heart and my soul.” From her sul-try vocals on re-envisioned clas-sics such as Ray Charles’ “I Don’t Need No Doctor” and Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Bring it on Home,” to inspired performances on tunes by Slim Harpo and Ike Turner, Osborne delivers an authentic per-formance that will solidify her as your new favorite blues diva.

joan osbornesaturday artist


Steve Smith & Vital Information: 30th Anniversary TourJUNE 4

Kuumbwa Jazz320-2 Cedar St x downtown Santa Cruz831.427.2227 x kuumbwajazz.org

Celebrating Creativity Since 1975

The Ray Charles Project featuring Santana vocalist Tony LindsayJUNE 7

David Grisman andFrank Vignola DuoJUNE 11

Joe Krown Trio w/ Walter “Wolfman” Washington & Russell Bastiste, Jr.JUNE 21

Loudon Wainwright III“Older Than My Old Man Now”JUNE 29


As the afternoon rolls on and the celebration continues, get ready for a special treat. From playing the White House to doing benefits for a trio of Latino non-profit organiza-tions, Los Lobos runs wild and free, setting the standard for what a band can achieve.

Drummer Louie Perez and guitarist David Hidalgo met in High School in 1971 where they began their formi-dable song-writing career. It wasn’t long before the music they were producing caught the attention of some other neighborhood boys who wanted “in”—starting with guitarist Cesar Rosas and bassist Conrad Lozano and later joined by sax player Steve Berlin.

With a brilliant sound that captured the mood of East L.A. in the late 70’s, Los Lobos’ earliest recordings were crafted by T-Bone Burnett who ironed the sharp lines of an already well dressed band and dialed in the soaring harmonies to perfect pitch.

The band has led many lives and their music has evolved along with it; from rock and roll to Mexican roots, blues and Tex-Mex music and back to rock and roll. Los Lobos provides a seamless kaleidoscope of musical styles that continue to inspire crowds around the world with bilingual anthems that cross boundaries, scale walls and demol-ish borders.

Friendship is at the core of Los Lobos as parents, children and cousins support their shared vision creating a tight knit community that keeps the band sane on the road. With Los Lobos it truly does take a village! At the core, there is some-thing deep and magical that takes place when Perez and Hidalgo sit down to write songs for the band. Over the years these two have honed a songwriting excellence that is on par with such legend-ary songwriting teams as Lennon/McCartney, Leiber/Stoller and Bacharach/David.

Los Lobos’ music has been used on movie soundtracks, most recently in the animated film Rango featur-ing Johnny Depp, where the band supplied the title theme song. Their music has also been featured on The Sopranos and major motion pictures such as La Bamba, Bull Durham, Nacho Libre as well as the classic cult film Eating Raoul. Those boys who liked to call themselves “Just Another Band From East L.A.” have become highly sought after by Hollywood, U.S. Presidents and music fans of all ages across the globe and are recognized as com-munity leaders and inspirational artists. East L.A. sounds are what drives Los Lobos, but their rep-ertoire encompasses everything from blues to Hendrix to traditional Mexican music. The wolves have survived and are sounding better than ever, so make sure you greet the band with a howl!

los lobossaturday artist


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Before the headliner goes onstage, turn to your neighbor and see who can rattle off the most Doobie Brothers songs. Not only is the list of memorable tunes extensive, but many of them have become timeless classics.

Founding members Tom Johnston (guitar, keyboards, harmonica, vocals) and Pat Simmons (guitars, banjo, flute, vocals) are joined by 30 year-plus veteran John McFee (guitars, harmonica, dobro, pedal steel, violin, vocals), 20 year veteran John Cowan (bass, vocals) along with a devastating bunch of Brothers guaranteed to blow your socks off: Guy Allison (keyboards, backing vocals), Marc Russo (saxophones), Ed Toth (drums) and Tony Pia (drums, percussion).

From their humble beginnings in San Jose, California in 1970, The Doobie Brothers have traveled the world leaving a wake of unforget-table songs, legendary concert

experiences and millions of die- hard fans.

It’s been quite a few years since The Doobie Brothers have played in Santa Cruz, so it’s fitting that they headline this special 20th Anniversary year. With an extra large guitar case packed full of smash hits, The Doobie Brothers have supplied the soundtrack to our lives for four decades, imprinting key moments in our personal histories with defining lyrics and infectious melodies.

Initially, The Doobies believed that music could change the world—hence the power of a song like the classic “Listen to the Music.” Over the years, as the band became more aware of the way the corporate music world worked, it would have been easy to become jaded, but The Doobie Brothers have kept politics out of their music and have been cranking out hit after hit for over 40 years. A long line of brothers-in-arms have made up The Doobie Brothers

over the years, and The Santa Cruz Blues Festival were saddened to hear about the passing of long time Doobie drummer Mike Hossack in March of this year.

The band’s distinctive sound has influenced generations of acts and this is an extraordinary opportunity to see one of America’s gems shine up close and personal in our redwood amphitheater. Break out the danc-ing shoes because it’s time to cel-ebrate with the one and only Doobie Brothers!

In case you were still trying to list Doobie Brothers songs here’s a sam-pling of the the tunes that are stored in your genetic memory: “Listen to the Music,” “Jesus is Just Alright,” “Rockin’ Down the Highway,” “China Grove,” “Black Water,” “It Keeps you Running,” “Taking it to the Streets,” “What a Fool Believes,” “Minute by Minute,” “Long Train Runnin’,” and “Take me in your Arms (Rock Me).”

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1. ATM2. Legendary Blues Cruise3. Bluebeat Music4. Blues Festival Merchandise5. Nita Bee’s Desserts6. Grandpa’s Kettle Corn7. Oriental Express8. Poor Boy Bistro9. Low & Slow Organic Fare10. JB’s Power Station11. Zoyla’s Mexican12. Bonfire BBQ13. Pizza One14. Lucy’s Hot Dogs15. Norma Jean’s Coffee16. Soda & Water17. Cold Beer & Wine

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We would like to thank IATSE Local 611, Rick Larsen, Louie Pieracci and Gary Jensen at Couch Distributing Co., Art Danner at Young’s Market and the volunteer staffs of the WatsonvilleFire Department, Aptos-La Selva Fire District and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff Department for their continued support.

May 26-27, 2012 SANTA CRUZ BLUES FESTIVAL

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ice machines

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1. ATM2. Legendary Blues Cruise3. Bluebeat Music4. Blues Festival Merchandise5. Nita Bee’s Desserts6. Grandpa’s Kettle Corn7. Oriental Express8. Poor Boy Bistro9. Low & Slow Organic Fare10. JB’s Power Station11. Zoyla’s Mexican12. Bonfire BBQ13. Pizza One14. Lucy’s Hot Dogs15. Norma Jean’s Coffee16. Soda & Water17. Cold Beer & Wine

KIDS AREAAdventure BallonsFace Painting

vEnDoR lEgEnD

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2012 SAntA cRuz

bluES fEStIvAloffIcIAl SponSoRS

We would like to thank IATSE Local 611, Rick Larsen, Louie Pieracci and Gary Jensen at Couch Distributing Co., Art Danner at Young’s Market and the volunteer staffs of the WatsonvilleFire Department, Aptos-La Selva Fire District and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff Department for their continued support.

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Sunday morning in the sparkling pristine fields of Aptos Village Park is about to get even brighter with the soulful sounds of The Holmes Brothers. Bringing the party is what The Holmes Brothers are known for their unique blend of gospel, blues and country with an authenticity of the highest order.

Sherman (bass, vocals) and Wendell Holmes (guitar, piano, vocals) grew up in Christchurch, Virginia. Through the church choir they were introduced to spiritual songs and through the congrega-tion they were indoctrinated into the blues of Jimmy Reed and B.B. King. Although the two brothers had been playing together their entire lives, their unique sounds

were elevated in 1967 with the addition of drummer, vocalist and brother-in-spirit Popsy Dixon. The Holmes Brothers were birthed, reinvigorated and ready to take on the world.

Raised on a steady diet of blues, country, gospel and R&B, The Holmes Brothers have toured with everyone from Bob Dylan to Willie Nelson. Although they may not be a familiar name to you, after witnessing their electrifying perfor-mance you’ll understand why the brothers are sought after by the biggest names in the industry.

Feed My Soul, an amazing documentary about The Holmes Brothers produced by Joan Osborne, was inspired in part by

Wendell’s recent bout with cancer and highlights their long career. Feed My Soul is also the name of their most recent album and is unlike anything else The Holmes Brothers have done—zeroing in on personal original songwriting and deep soul-searching reflection. The song “Fair Weather Friend” is about being down and out and only your true friends show their face, while those you thought were friends disappear. The band is filled with more hope than ever, recognizing how precious and short life really is. More than just a band, The Holmes Brothers are a way of life. Come join the roots of The Holmes Brothers family.

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No other performer epitomizes the professionalism, raw blues power and unbridled enthusiasm of the Santa Cruz Blues Festival more than Coco Montoya. With 11 Blues Fest appearances under his belt it seemed a natural fit to invite Montoya back to play this special 20th Anniversary show, and this time around he’s joined by his good friend and Blues Fest alum Jimmy Thackery.

A former member of the legend-ary Albert Collins Blues Band (as a drummer), Montoya was a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers starting in the early 80’s, filling in the notorious lead guitar spot that was designed and then abandoned by legends Eric Clapton (Cream) and Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones). With a personality that could fill Candlestick Park, Montoya is

known for his award winning solo work and for providing a pioneer-ing blues sound in seminal bands. Peter Frampton may have learned how to make his guitar talk, but Coco Montoya has learned how to make his guitar scream, taking soul, rock and blues to whole new levels with every performance.

Joining Coco Montoya onstage is Jimmy Thackery, an accomplished bluesman in his own right. Jimmy Thackery was the cofounder of The Nighthawks, Washington D.C.’s favorite blues band and one of the longest running keep-ers of the flame. Thackery credits his time with blues legend Muddy Waters as instrumental to his vision of what a bluesman is and can be. “The first time on stage with Muddy, I was in such awe of him that I just kept my eyes and

ears open and just picked up on everything he did,” says Thackery. “It was the dynamics they had that became so ingrained in us. We heard it on the records and then stood on stage and saw how it worked.”

You might want to keep a safe distance from the stage when Montoya and Thackery and start trading licks because it’s going to be a flame throwing contest and you might get burned! Spicing up the blues with interesting new combinations of players is a theme at the Santa Cruz Blues Festival and this year two of the most respected men in the blues world join forces in this monster set.

coco montoya with jimmy thackery

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The Santa Cruz Blues Festival would like to pay our heartfelt respects to our alumni that have passed away in the last year.

11th annual festivalJerry ragovoy

(producer, arranger & songwriter Howard Tate) 7-13-2011

16th annual festivalWillie “Big Eyes” Smith

(drum, harmonica & vocals) 9-16-2011

11th annual festivalHoward Tate (legendary vocalist)

12-2-2011

16th annual festivalHubert Sumlin (one of a kind guitarist)

12-4-2011

15th annual festivalEtta James (legendary vocalist)

1-20-2012

11th & 12th annual festivalMichael Burks (incendiary Guitar)

5-6-2012


Another electrifying pairing of traditional blues players reaches unparalleled heights as two leg-ends take the Sunday afternoon show to an entirely new level.

Having come from the rural farms of Oklahoma to the bustling streets of Chicago in 1960, Elvin Bishop landed right in the middle of the Chicago blues explosion. Bishop was a country boy whose earnestness was eagerly greeted by the old school vanguard of the blues. Mentored by Little Smokey Smothers, Earl Hooker and Hound Dog Taylor, Bishop’s passion was recognized and his devotion to blues guitar was fostered by the best.

It was in Chicago that Bishop began honing his chops in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. In 1968, when his own Elvin Bishop Band hit the limelight, crowds were enthralled with his continuation of a strictly American blues tradition.

Commanding the stage at such iconic venues as the Fillmore East and West, and playing on the same bill as B.B. King, Chuck Berry, John Mayall, The Allman Brothers, Edgar Winter and the Grateful Dead, The Elvin Bishop Band was a sensation. In 1976 Bishop released Fooled Around and Fell in Love, crystallizing his place in rock and blues history as the author of one of the most popular love songs of the latter half of the 20th century.

When it comes to blues harmonica players some are born, some are chosen and some learn from the ground up. In the case of James Cotton, all three are true. As a boy in Memphis, Tennessee, Cotton was raised on a farm, working hard and singing songs to pass the time. For fun, he’d play the har-monica with his mother. From shin-ing shoes to driving trucks, Cotton was a blue collar bluesman. The

legend goes that Cotton was taken by his uncle to see Sonny Boy Williamson, a man considered to be the most influential blues harmonica player in the world. Williamson’s style resonated with the young Cotton who would later become the legend’s protege, tak-ing in every move he could.

The planets aligned again in 1954 when Little Junior Wells quit the Muddy Waters Band, and Waters came to Tennessee to seek out the humble Memphis player and the rest is history. Cotton would go on to help Muddy Waters record some of his biggest hits, including “Sugar Sweet”, “Trouble No More” and “Forty Days and Forty Nights.”

Paired up, Cotton and Bishop define the blues. You might as well remove your shoes now because you’re about to get your socks blown off!

elvin bishop with james cotton

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Henry Garza (guitar and vocals), Ringo Garza (drums and vocals) and Jojo Garza (bass guitar and vocals) are three brothers from San Angelo, Texas who have learned to intertwine their voices into the sturdiest of rope. San Angelo is considered “The Oasis of West Texas” according to the city’s website although the Garza both-ers’ early life was rough and dry. Sustained on family love and musi-cal appreciation with very little else to nourish them, their indoctrina-tion into music was truly a family affair.

From rustic beginnings, the Garza brothers’ father taught them to play everything under the moon; from Mexican roots music to the pop and rock standards of the era.

Their father was a musician and their mother sang popular music. This brought the family together with major and minor chords echo-ing late into the star filled night.

The Garzas grew up listening to the Mexican-style music that comes from their heritage, but their father was a fan of all musi-cal genres; he taught them the Beatles, Chuck Berry and Willie Nelson. It wasn’t until they were older that they were introduced to acts such as Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Los Lobos. The musical stew finally had all the ingredients and Los Lonely Boys was born.

As if a bolt of lightning struck from somewhere above, the Garza brothers were ignited throughout

the nation and beyond with their single “Heaven.” An immediately recognizable sound was attributed to Los Lonely Boys—the same recognition that so many of their inspirations were famous for. Fresh faced and ready to embrace the ideals of the 21st Century, Los Lonely Boys recently left the cor-porate world of major labels to begin their own imprint, Lonely Tone Records.

From singing the national anthem at the 2008 World Series to walk-ing the red carpet at the Grammy Awards, Los Lonely Boys are three of the most humble rock stars you’ll ever see and their attitudes towards life and music can be expressed in one word: fearless.

los lonely boys

sunday artist


Proud sponsor of the 20th annual Santa Cruz Blues Festival


Sunday afternoon’s headliner, the indomitable Jonny Lang, is one of the most versatile blues play-ers rising at the dawn of the new millennium. His landmark perfor-mances at the festival over the years have always been looked forward to and talked about in glowing terms, and this year will be nothing short of spectacular.

Unable to legally buy a beer when he first played the Santa Cruz Blues Festival back in 1999, the years have done nothing to dimin-ish Lang’s fiery solos and rough hewn voice, enhancing what was already a living testament to the blues. The latest and greatest in the tradition of Chicago blues players, Lang

tours year round, living the blues like a dream that came true at the crossroads of time.

It all started in Minnesota back in 1995 when Lang produced his first self-released album with a few friends as the seminal Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang. At the time, Lang was only 14 years old. By the time he was 15, he was touring the country. At 16, the world was his oyster with the release of his hit album Lie To Me which went multi-platinum selling millions of units all over the world. Over the years Jonny’s been invited to join his heroes onstage; Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and ZZ Top, among others.

Now a veteran of the blues scene and in his early thirties, it’s a tran-scendent experience to hear the gravely, textured emotional vibe that Lang emanates live and in person. There’s a fine line that blues and rock guitarists must tread, wavering between the high-fretting finger calisthenics and the plugged-in to the cosmos blues dance. Lang is able to bend and twist his Fender Telecaster Thinline into shapes and sounds once only dreamed of. What distinguishes him from the masses is the reason why somebody like old Slowhand (Eric Clapton) would invite him onstage, is that Lang is tuned into the pulsations of the planet, vibrat-ing in accordance with the deep-est geological rhythms and giving them voice.

jonny langsunday artist


Photo Credit: Stephen Sexton

Don’t miss a rock and rolllegend with his incredible band

in this rare intimate performance.

Kenny Loggins LIVE

Saturday October 6th

8PM

20th anniversary santa cruz blues festival program guide

Documents

blues pavilion

blues bucks booth

santa cruz county parks

santa cruz weekly newspaper

chase blues bucks

festival site

pm los lobos5

parking site