Twang 4 Tots Benefit

June 4, 2010

"TWANG 4 TOTS"

San Francisco Musicians "Pullet" Together For Music In the Schools Benefit Concert, CD release and fund-raiser show featuring:

Mark Karan (of Bob Weir's Ratdog), Eric McFadden, The Jenny Kerr Band, JL Stiles and Leon Bristow
At: Restoration Workshop, 630 Treat Ave. San Francisco, Friday June 4, 7:00 - 11:00 PM
"Twang 4 Tots" is a benefit concert to support music in the schools through the production and sale of "ABC And Chickens", an educational CD for children created by Marisa Martinez, a kindergarten teacher and longtime San Francisco musical performer.

Proceeds from the concert will help defray production costs, and then proceeds from CD sales will help provide instruments, materials and instruction for ongoing music classes which have been cut due to the current budget crisis in California, a cutback that has hit SFUSD especially hard. Martinez's school in the city serves students from one of the highest-poverty areas in the city, and her commitment to making the difference for kids who will truly benefit from her passion has become well-known to parents struggling to keep their youth moving forward as the district continues to cut programs.

The show will feature a stellar line-up of the Bay Area's finest Americana and Roots-rock performers including:

Mark Karan has, for well over ten years, filled the lead guitar slot in Bob Weir's post-Grateful Dead band, Ratdog as well as his own band, Jemimah Puddleduck.

San Francisco's own guitar God Eric McFadden who has toured with artists as diverse as George Clinton & P-Funk, Eric Burdon's New Animals and jam band super-group Stockholm Syndrome will no doubt pull a few surprises out of his ever-present hat.

Local Americana firestorm Jenny Kerr will lead her acoustic band, including Ms. Martinez herself on fiddle, through a set of her smoldering original songs.

Singer/songwriter and finger style wiz JL Stiles also produces SanFolkDisco, SF's newest monthly music series currently running at the Cafe du Nord.

Kicking off the evening will be East Bay singer/songwriter Leon Bristow whose next CD is being produced by none other than Mark Karan.

The venue, Restoration Workshop, is a mission district workspace that, by day, specializes in the restoration and preservation of San Francisco's
v beautiful and historic homes, but once a month transforms into a music venue featuring an eclectic program of folk and world-music.
More on the making of "ABC & Chickens":

While lawmakers and administrators are cutting school music and arts budgets even more this year in California, San Francisco school teacher Marisa Martinez is hoping to help kids learn while getting a big dose of musical inspiration with her newly-released compact disc, "ABC And Chickens". Aimed at the pre-K to 2nd grade set, the 18 songs on the CD help kids learn counting, naming the days of the week, spelling, social skills and other important lessons.

Working with San Francisco producer Phil "Philbillie" Milner, Martinez gathered a few friends who happen to be some of the most noteworthy players in San Francisco, all former or current band mates, guitarist Eric McFadden (George Clinton, Eric Burdon), drummer Paulo Baldi (Les Claypool, Cake), cellist Sam Bass (Les Claypool), bassist/tubist Ed Ivey (Faraway Brothers, Brass Monkey Brass Band) bassist Mike Anderson (77 El Deora, Cowlicks) and multi-instrumentalist Jenny Kerr. Martinez composed most of the songs and sang or played on every cut.

The recording sessions were great fun for the musicians and more than a few admitted they learned something new just being involved, as did the kids themselves who were recorded in their classroom singing backup vocals on several of the songs. The disk will be available at the show and can be pre-ordered at: abcandchickens.com

Mark Karan (Ratdog) to perform with Jenny Kerr Band for "Twang 4 Tots" Benefit

June 4, 2010

This just in: guitarist Mark Karan who for 12 years was lead guitarist with Bob Weir's Ratdog will be playing with us Friday, June 4th. (As you may remember, Bobbie played in a little band call The Grateful Dead.) Our own Philbillie got to know him back when he was a guitar tech for Mr. Weir. Also on this amazing show will be San Francisco's own Guitar God, Eric McFadden, neo-ragtime guitar stylist JL Stiles and singer/songwriter Leon Bristow, who we know you're gonna love.

Thanks to all for your support. We and the tots look forward to seeing you.

Smokin' Studio 'n' Stuff

February 18, 2010

Well, Philbillie finally reached deep into his pockets and bought some of the coolest gear for our studio, including a Royer R121 ribbon mic that makes your voice sound like the voice you hear in your head. Warm, round and scrump-tili-umptious. He's working on a slew on cool CDs, too. Eric McFadden's latest (I'll be singing, playing piano and harmonica--aren't you proud of me?). Marisa Martinez is doing an incredible children's CD. She's a teacher out at Hunter's Point, the poorest and most neglected district in SF--Philbillie will be out there recording the kids singing backup vocals, and Marisa has been received a grant from donations to do this. Wilson Gil (Wilson Gil and the Willful Sinners) cut a killer CD that should be released shortly. Lastly, J.Byrd Hosch, formerly of the Kuntry Kunts, rad lesbo band from the 90's, is doing her latest release in a long long time. She's the best writer. In fact Crystal Gayle picked up at least one of J. Byrd's songs, and it will be appearing on Gayle's next CD.

"Clear A Path" featured on PBS Series Road Trip Nation

November 11, 2009

Listen to "Clear A Path" on the PBS series "Road Trip Nation." Here's the link to Episode 5. The entire episode is great, but it you want to skip to our little bit, we're on at 4:49 where the gals are learning how to drive a big ol' RV. If you haven't been hipped to it yet, the show is oddly addictive and they are a big supporter of independent artists, so check it out.

Thanks to all of you who participated in the Children's Book Project Benefit this year.

June 8, 2009

The venue was extraordinary, the sound stage sublime, and the Meyer sound system positively explosive. It was great to see some of the old music crowd from days gone by, folks who had worked with Chet Helms, Dave who worked at the Paradise, guys from the Maritime Hall, and a gaggle of the usual freaks and weirdos that we love so well. All in all, a great event for a great cause. Children's Book Project

Tweet, Tweet!

April 20, 2009

Well, I have checked it out, seen all the hype and twittering and tweeting and it still seems like a really fun and effective way to keep in close touch with all one's peeps. So if you are among the legion with an account, then come on over and let me know what you're doing. My Twitter name is "frailinjenny". If you have not yet checked it all out, you can sign up here

Back from Mexico and back to work!

April 14, 2009

We had a great time at The Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival this year. There's a new blog entry about all the fun we had with some photos, too. And now we're back in the studio working on new material for the upcoming release as well as remixing instrumental versions of old material for licensing, and we might release some of these as free bonus downloads for you, our special fans. Keep your eyes peeled here!

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