Get bluesy with One More Mile
Jason Lollar, an Island music icon who is known worldwide for his own brand of pickups for electric, bass and steel guitars, will take the stage with his band, One More Mile, at 9 p.m. Saturday, at the Red Bike. The show is free and for all ages until 11 p.m. and 21 and older after that. The band includes Tommy Bean, who has played in a long line of blues bands, and Mike Nichols, known on the Island and beyond for his blistering harmonica. The band’s rhythm section is made up of younger musicians — David Solonen on bass and Sammy Veatch on drums.
A jazzy mix of bass and drums
Schuyler Karr and Chaz Bommarito will bring a mix of acoustic bass and drums to a free show at 7 p.m. Friday, at Café Luna. The duo, known as Farouche, improvises music that incorporates elements of classical, jazz and hip hop. Karr currently performs with the San Francisco Youth Symphony Orchestra and freelances with two folk groups, The Black Hats, playing Balkan and Russian folk music, and the Sour Mash Hug Band, playing Dixieland and Gypsy jazz. He is also a main producer of the hip hop group Brothers From Another. Bommarito, a talented drummer, is currently on leave from U.C. Berkeley.
A swingin’ night at the café
Mark Graham and WB Reid will play a free show at 7 p.m. Saturday at Café Luna. Both players are revered for their mastery of traditional music and membership in countless bands. Some years ago, they discovered a mutual joy in playing jazz tunes from the 1920s and 1930s, with Graham on clarinet and Reid on the six-string banjo. Graham is known for his old-time harmonica and clarinet playing and clever original songs. Throughout his long career, Graham has played on stages with many great musicians. Reid has spent four decades playing blues, ragtime, old-time, swing and world music. At Café Luna, the pair will play swinging instrumentals, Tin Pan Alley tunes, Graham’s originals and maybe even a couple of old-time fiddle and harmonica duets.
A Christmas Celtic concert
Bethel Church will host a rousing Christmas Celtic concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, with the group Molly’s Revenge, soloist Christa Burch and the Rosemary Turco Irish dancers.
Molly’s Revenge, a well-known acoustic band, has performed at many top folk festivals and toured internationally. Band members David Brewer, John Weed, Pete Haworth and Stuart Mason are all accomplished. Brewer, on Highland bagpipes, whistles and bodhran, studied in Scotland under the tutelage of some of the best pipers in the world and has composed 200 traditional style tunes, many of which have appeared on recordings, films and television. Weed is a classically trained violinist who changed to Irish fiddle about 15 years ago. He hones his skills by annually attending the Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Ireland. Haworth, on bouzouki and lead vocals, grew up in Lancashire County, England. Mason, on guitar and mandola, has performed music on stages from Ireland to China.
Tickets, $10 and $15, are on sale at Vashon Bookshop, Bethel’s office, and by calling 567-4255 or visiting www.brownpapertickets.com.
