The Grassies

Northern California Artistic Achievement Awards held in Grass Valley, the Music Capital of Northern California

Grassies.com Email Newsletter
Vol. 1, Issue 1
2007-07-15

In This Issue:

A Jam 4 Joshua Benefit
Andy Tate Wins Open Mic Competition
New at GrassieBaby
Andrew Wins $25 from The Grassies
Upcoming Events and Services
Local Band Makes Good
Know Your Music: Route 66
This, That, and the Other Thing

A Jam 4 Joshua Benefit

Be sure and join us at Miner's Foundry for the 'Jam 4 Joshua' Sunday, July 15th from 11:00 a.m. 'til 7:00 p.m. Loads of music, food, and fun, and your donations will help with the Harkins' family's medical expenses. (This isn't a Grassies event, but we wanted you to know about it.) Read more at Grassies.com

Andy Tate Wins Open Mic Competition

Congratulations to Andy Tate, winner of the Open Mic Competition at Rhythms Café in Grass Valley (sponsored by SoundCheck Music) on Saturday, June 30th. The arrival of a handful of last–minute fans helped Andy edge out some tough competition to take home the $80 cash prize. Read all the details at Grassies.com. Join us next time (watch Grassies.com for dates and times) and remember: more entries means a bigger prize! Read the rules and details at Grassies.com

New at GrassieBaby

Phillip Flathead's debut CD 'four track mind' is now available for purchase at GrassieBaby.com—get your copy of some thought-provoking folk rock (he's been compared to Dylan, Van Morrison, and Thelonius Monk) before they're sold out!

Want your CD sold on GrassieBaby.com? Give us a shout: GrassieBaby.com

Congratulations also go to Andrew from Grass Valley who won the $25 SoundCheck gift certificate from The Grassies, in honor of our first Open Mic Competition.

Upcoming Events and Services from Grassies.com

Watch Grassies.com for information on SoundCheck-sponsored Open Mic Competitions in other areas, an upcoming Battle of the Bands, the spectacular cutting edge online 'Music Map', the Grassies Workshop Series, artist profiles and CDs for sale at GrassieBaby.com, and an online musicommunity to connect musicians to bands, bands to venues, and venues to fans and customers.

Did we forget to mention video services? We'll have to tell you more in our next newsletter . . .

Local Band Makes Good

From Phillip Dudley of Lincoln's own 'Dudley and the DooRights' comes this news:
"I just wanted to share with you, that my band won 'Best of the Best' in the Lincoln News Messenger. Best band! We are totally stoked!"

Phillip and friends put on quite a show; it's clear that they love the music they play. Some of the band's upcoming shows:
Red Frog (Colfax) July 13th
Dillians (Lincoln) July 14th
Fan appreciation concert on the square (Lincoln) July 21st 7:00pm-9:00pm
Sponsored by Lincoln Arts
Red Frog (Colfax) July 27th
Red Frog (Colfax) July 28th
All shows 9:00pm - 1:00 am unless otherwise noted.

Know Your Music: Route 66 from KnowYourMusic.com

This song's been as many places as the hiway itself. Originally penned by jazz pianist Bobby Troup, it's been covered by nearly everyone. Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Mott the Hoople, and the Rolling Stones have all had a crack at it, and it remains intact.

Troup had quite a career as a jazz pianist and composer, but somehow, as someone who spent the early 70s glued to a television, I can only think of him as Dr. Joe Early from the series 'Emergency.' Both of his albums listed at Amazon.com (he recorded six) contain his version of the song. The two versions I'm listening to right now couldn't be more different from each other, but I love 'em both.

The more traditional version of the two is by a Santa Cruz band called "Wally's Swing World." I discovered Wally Trindade and company on a business trip to San Jose, and I was stunned by the intensity of this little swing band performing literally on a loading dock in an alley. (A full review of the group's efforts is planned; ask me about it, in case I forget.) Their second album, "Full Swing Ahead" (1996) opens with a very bouncy, very traditional reading of "Route 66." Wally has a great voice, and the band has performed together long enough that everything has the crisp precision of a Glenn Miller recording. Further down the playlist, Wally's cheery passage through "I Get A Kick Out of You" made it impossible for me to listen to Sinatra's version again; it's Wally's tune now. Although it was a star of the band's live act, Wally's guitar (a '58 Gretsch Country Club . . . be still my beating heart ) doesn't really show up until their fiery blitz of "American Bandstand." It's worth the wait. Trindade could make it on his guitar–playing alone.

The album closes with "Mack the Knife" which is remarkably underplayed, considering the clowning Wally does during the live show. Musical integrity seems to have compelled the band to turn in a very straightforward version, and they do it well. A third album, "More Than A Swing Thing" is currently available; I'd recommend getting one quickly; their first album, "Welcome to Wally's Swing World" (1994) is out of print and can't be had for love or money (although, if anyone's got one, I'm willing to negotiate.) And of course, while you're there, get "Full Swing Ahead" too.

In a very different place, Depeche Mode cranks out an atypical rock anthem; it's not your father's "Route 66" and it's not your daughter's Depeche Mode. This interpretation comes out of the chute with a repetetive, pounding guitar riff that makes it clear that we're heading into unmapped territory. Vocals, sung to an almost traditonal background, alternate with the crunching guitar to make a song that drives harder than any other version I've heard. When I'm on the road, this is one tune that's always along.

This, That, and the Other Thing

If your business is interested in sponsoring events or bands to help promote grassroots music in northern California, let us know by using the contact form at Grassies.com

Thanks for reading!