spring thots and a quick harangue

dear friends,

Spring has returned to my home town (and so have I).  Everything's in bloom and the petals blow like spring time snow.

I'm back from the Marxist Brothers tour and brewing up fun here at home.

Saturday, May 10 at 11:00 a.m. I'm doing the young folks' set at SATURDAY MARKET

Saturday, May 10 at 9:00 pm The AXES OF EVIL STRING QUARTET will be at the Wandering Goat Coffee House, sharing the evening with my good friend & colleague CORWIN BOLT and his PDX friend STINKY PETE IRVING.  A rare appearance for the Axes and a fun collaboration.

Saturday, May 17 at 2:30 pm CHICO SCHWALL AND FRIENDS will play Irish music for the Eugene Scottish Festival at Peace Presbyterian Church.

Saturday, May 17th at 7:30 pm I'll be singing and playing at WE SHALL OVERCOME, a Pete Seeger-themed evening at Temple Beth Israel with Rob Tobias and others.

Saturday, May 24 at 5:00 pm THE LOW TIDE DRIFTERS  will continue the celebration of our new CD/download "MUSIC FOR THE REST OF US"  with a show at TSUNAMI BOOKS. Great place to gather and books are 20% off…

AND… tickets are on sale now for "BEYOND LLEWYN DAVIS: THE (REAL) MUSIC OF DAVE VAN RONK"  at THE SHEDD. This is a totally unique project and it'll be a one-off so be there or be square.

Hope to see you at a show!

Now the harangue:

The general meeting and annual elections for the Community Center for the Performing Arts, the W.O.W. Hall are coming up on May 14.  A few years ago I served on the Board of Directors of the CCPA and it was a curious mix: it's community owned and has by-laws in place to keep it democratic and responsive to the community. At the same time, the place is largely run by its employees without administration or oversight and this has resulted in a loss of its role as a community center for the arts. It's currently a dance hall with no investment in education or outreach. High production costs place it out of reach for local artists. There's no employee review, no policy direction, no diversity plan, no equal opportunity hiring etc. Every year the staff and their families and friends dominate the general meeting and try to elect an inexperienced and tractable board of directors to okay their actions and maintain the status quo.
 

Like a lot of folks, I pretty much turned my back on the CCPA and turned toward other ventures. But some things have shifted. Some good people have been on the Board and are working to make the hall more accountable. An employee was even disciplined last year, an unusual step. With a little support, the Board could bring the Hall back. Some employees with good skills are also making positive changes. But it's not easy. One board member and several employees have talked about leaving, due to an "unprofessional" environment and a "negative work place."  The Hall needs these folks more than it needs its old habits.

Seems like the CCPA is at a turning point. If people show up at the meeting and elect/re-elect responsible directors the structures are in place to put the CCPA back on a more community oriented track. If you have any interest in making this happen, or even if you're just curious, re-up your membership, or join, and go to the general meeting. Listen to the candidates for board, ask questions about the budget. The reason that things have gone astray is that not enough folks have cared. All it takes is folks showing up in sufficient numbers.  I encourage you to show up and see if we can make a difference.

Hope all's well,

Chico Schwall

THE MARXIST BROTHERS

A SPLENDID ORCHESTRA

Is in town, but has not been engaged.

ALSO, A DEN OF FEROCIOUS WILD BEASTS

Will be on exhibition in the next Block.

MAGNIFICENT FIREWORKS

Were in contemplation for this occasion,

but the idea has been abandoned.

A GRAND TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION

May be expected; in fact, the public are privileged

to expect whatever they please.

The doors open at seven. The Trouble starts at 8.  (from Mark Twain, describing his speaking engagement. )

The MB's are (redoubtable, all of 'em) ANDY COHEN, blues scholar, road squaller, Memphis-to-the-Yukon driver and unaffiliated sociologist of all things traditional, MARK ROSS, Greenwich Village folk scene veteran, collaborator with U. Utah Phillips, folk and labor historian, and CHICO SCHWALL, multi-instrumentalist, song wrangler and all around trouble maker. Last time we were all in one place we played fiddle-banjo-guitar (etc.) ensemble music and decided to

share it the next time it occurred. Well, it's happening. We can charm your ears, rock your square dance and fan the flames of discontent all at once. With a phalanx of fiddles guitars, banjos and g-d knows what-all, three singers and a collective repertoire that even surprises one another, we're ready to update the sound of the North Carolina-to-New Lost City Ramblers for the era of Yellow Alert. And yes, we have each played a few gigs in our life.

Andy Cohen lives in Memphis when he's not in his car. He plays a lot of guitar and a little of a few other things, and takes the whole Southeast, Chesapeake to Texas, as his source: fiddle tunes and blues, work songs and medicine show routines, tearjerkers and playparties,  ballads and yodels.

With a working repertoire of close to 500 songs, Mark Ross runs the gamut of American Roots Music from hobo ballads & train songs, blues, western swing, mountain ballads, fiddle tunes, raucous banjo melodies, early jazz to the works of contemporary songwriters.  

 

Folksinger, Multi-instrumentalist and songpoet Chico Schwall believes there IS enough to go around and we CAN figure out how to make it work. He has sung at labor rallies, played in pit bands, designed folk music camps for kids, burned up the road with Northwest Touring Theatre and Young Audiences, released three CDs of (mostly) original music and played for countless contra dances. He teaches "Everything with Strings" at the Shedd Institute in Eugene and plays with the Low Tide Drifters and the Axes of Evil String Quartet.

This saturday evening

Dear friends,

Sorry to add to your embarrassment of musical riches here in Eugene, but here are some special shows in the offing.

THIS SATURDAY, April 19 (Lexington & Concord & all that) at 7:00 pm at TSUNAMI BOOKS (2585 Willamette, Eugene). The debut performance of THE MARXIST BROTHERS. ANDY COHEN, MARK ROSS and m'self present the string band from outer space. A one-time totally unique event as we head off on a Northwest tour.  Funded by your donations.

Saturday, May 10 The AXES OF EVIL STRING QUARTET will share an evening at the WANDERING GOAT  with CORWIN BOLT.  Acoustic eclecticore.

Saturday, May 24, also at Tsunami    THE LOW TIDE DRIFTERS will celebrate the release of our new album "Music for the Rest of Us."  It's ALSO a COOKIE celebration: make a batch of your favorite cookies to share and enjoy the best of the world's cookies while we sing and play. Bring the fam.

And on Thursday, June 5  THE SHEDD Presents  "BEYOND LLEWYN DAVIS: THE (REAL) MUSIC OF DAVE VAN RONK." I'll be playing and singing the man's music with some exciting musical guests.

Happy Spring!

Chico

Spring is coming

Dear friends,

  Yesterday's weather was a real treat. Got to throw open the windows and I gotta say, we've earned it. The crocuses are up and so am I. Coming….

Thursday, March 13, 7:00pm The AXES OF EVIL STRING QUARTET at Territorial Vineyards (907 W 3rd, Eugene)

Twenty-fiirst Century Globicana with fiddle cello, bass and guitar

Friday, March 14, 8:30pm  GHILLIE DHU & THE DHON'TS and DIRTY SPOON at The Axe & Fiddle (657 E Main, Cottage Grove, OR) 

Whizzbang Keltcore and Gritty Americana music

Monday, March 17, 6:00pm ST PATRICK'S DAY  with GHILLIE DHU & THE DHON'TS at Sam Bond's Garage (407 Blair Blvd, Eugene) 

Special early show. No door charge. Come for dinner!

Saturday, March 22, 7:00pm  The LOW TIDE DRIFTERS release party for "MUSIC FOR THE REST OF US" at the Wandering Goat (268 Madison)

In April I'm in and out, on a brief tour with THE MARX(IST) BROTHERS: folk legends Andy Cohen and Mark Ross… and     me.

April 19 at Tsunami Books in Eugene

then to California,

April 27 at Sam Bond's Garage

May 1 in Seattle

May 2 in PDX

May 3 in Newberg

Saturday May 17, 2:30 pm  CHICO, BEN & RACHAEL at the Eugene Scottish Festival

Saturday, May 22, 5:00 pm THE LOW TIDE DRIFTERS at Tsunami Books

Friday, May 30, 7:00 pm  THE LOW TIDE DRIFTERS at the Cannon Beach History center & Museum (1387 South Spruce St, Cannon Beach)

Saturday, May 31 and Sunday June 1 at 9:00 pm THE LOW TIDE DRIFTERS at the Adrift Hotel and Spa (409 Sid Snyder Dr,  Long Beach,  WA)

And finally, for something completely different:

Thursday, June 5, 7:30 pm The Shedd Presents Series "Beyond Llewyn Davis: the (real) Music of Dave Van Ronk" at The Shedd, 868 High Street, Eugene

Come to a show and say hi.

Keep the Faith,

Chico Schwall

www.chicoschwall.net

A Seriously busy November

Dear Friends,

Back from weeks away (big thanks to my house sitting/cat care team!) and it's great to be home. After weeks of hotel room camping, eating out, bumming meals and cooking in others' kitchens, the first thing I did was make soup!  I'm back to a changed Eugene: darker, rainier, piles of leaves in the street. And Boy, are things busy!

A mess of projects are in play, all of 'em fun. The AXES OF EVIL STRING QUARTET  is coming back to life and I'm excited about that. David Andersen (guitar), Nisha Calkins (cello), Rachael Young (double bass) and m'self (fiddle, with occasional mandolin & bouzouki) take "eclectic" to new extremes. Jazz, cafe waltzes, jigs & reels, surf music, etc. I call it Beatgrass. Our debut show is at Territorial Vineyards on December 6, but if you can't wait, 75% of us are playing at the Saturday Market THIS Saturday, November 9 at 2:00 p.m. Free!

 The LOW TIDE DRIFTERS are finishing our album, recording the last racks for a whole new CD of original Drifters music and inspiring songs by Harry Stamper and Alistair Hulett. We're raising rent for mixing and mastering with a special HOUSE CONCERT on November 16. Art work by Ian Moore, special guest performers and a really cool evening are planned. Deets below. BTW, it's a private home, so you have to call ahead for reservations (541 221-2233).

I'm Back In Black this month, playing banjo with the EUGENE SYMPHONY in a set of pieces from "Porgy and Bess" at the Hult Center on November 23. 

Earlier in the day GHILLIE DHU AND THE DHON'TS will unleash our Whizzbang Celtcore at the Holiday Market. Saturday, 11/23 at 1:45 p.m.

AND, coming in December I'll join Linda Danielson and David Stuart Bull for our annual Celtic Holiday show featuring David's reading of Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" and music by Linda and me. Afternoon shows on 12/ 14-15 and 12/21-22, evenings on December 17-19 and 12/23, all at Cafe Soriah. Call the cafe for reservations (541-342-4410) because we often sell out.

The calendar in brief:

Saturday November 9, 2:00 p.m. the AXES OF EVIL TRIO at Saturday Market. Free!

Saturday, November 16, 6:00 p.m. (Note early start time!) The LOW TIDE DRIFTERS album launch and rent party. Call 541 221-2233 for reservations.

Saturday, November 23, 1:45 p.m. GHILLIE DHU AND THE DHON'TS at Holiday Market.

Saturday, November 23, 7:30 p.m. the EUGENE SYMPHONY presents "Love and Fate" at the Hult Center (including selections from "Porgy and Bess")

Friday December 6, 7:00 p.m.  THE AXES OF EVIL STRING QUARTET  at Territorial Vineyards (3rd and Adams Street, Eugene).  Free!

Saturday, December 14, 3:00 p.m. "A CELTIC HOLIDAY" begins eight shows at Cafe Soriah. Call ahead for reservations.

More about the DRIFTERS show:

WHAT: Low Tide Drifters Private House Concert and “mastering fundraiser”

WHO: Low Tide Drifters, Melissa Ruth & The Likely Stories, Cross Current, and Wildflowers

WHEN: November 16^th, 6pm

WHERE: To RSVP for directions, call 541-221-2233 or email rachael.anne.young@gmail.com 

COST: Donations for our mastering fund—no one will be turned away for lack of funds. 

DETAILS: For the last few months, Low Tide Drifters have been recording their sophomore release, Music for the Rest of Us.  Featuring seven original songs as well as songs by acclaimed Oregon folksinger Harry Stamper and Scottish songwriter Alistair Hulett, the album pays homage to the extraordinary stories of working people in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.  From the Depression-era romance that unfolds in “My Vivian” to the contemporary struggles of low-wage workers in “Living On Too Little,” Music for the Rest of Us paints a lyrical picture of hope in the midst of hard times.  Low Tide Drifters are working closely with Thaddeus Moore of Sprout City Studios to record and mix the tracks. 

This house concert is to be both a fundraiser for the mastering of Music for the Rest of Us and a showcase of folks who have shared the stage with Low Tide Drifters over the years.  Low Tide Drifters will, of course, play a lively set of tunes, old and new, for your listening pleasure.  This will be an all ages event.

The band will be offering some "sweet deals" at the event.  Fans who kick in twenty dollars will receive an advance copy of the album before its official release date.  Fans who donate fifty dollars or more will receive an advance copy of the album plus a signed, limited edition "song-print" by artist Ian Moore.  Ian is illustrating the Low Tide Drifters' forthcoming lyric book.

With the following special guests:

Melissa Ruth & The Likely Stories (http://www.melissaruthmusic.com)

Cross Current featuring Steve Gibson and Ken Zimmerman (http://www.reverbnation.com/crosscurrent)

Wildflowers featuring Machiko Shirai

If you cannot attend the event, but would like to contribute to the cause via paypal, feel free to make a donation to dsoper@uoregon.edu. 

Debra Cowan headlines a show for HCAO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WHO: Traditional ballad singer Debra Cowan, with folkmeister Chico Schwall and special guest, guitarist Larry Pattis

WHAT: An intimate acoustic house concert to benefit Health Care for All Oregon (working for universal health care in Oregon). 

WHEN: Friday, October 4 at 7:30 pm

MORE: Reservations only. Call 541 684-8216. Suggested donation is $10. Family friendly, snacks and libations.

You are invited to a special evening of acoustic music in a good cause. Traditional ballad singer and union activist Debra Cowan will headline an intimate acoustic house concert in support of Health Care for All Oregon (HCAO).  Also appearing are folksinger, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Chico Schwall and instrumental guitarist Larry Pattis. 

Based in Massachusetts, Debra travels widely in the U.S. and the United Kingdom and this will be her first appearance in Eugene. She delights the ear and stirs the conscience with songs old and new. Chico Schwall plays a couple or three instruments, sings in a couple or three languages and writes the best damn songs. Larry Pattis is an outstanding finger style acoustic guitarist whose beautiful sound is matched by his exciting compositions. What do these three [people have in common? You'll have to attend to find out!

The concert will be in a private home, so reservations are required. Call 541 684-8216. Come early to shmooze and visit,  find out what HCAO has been up to, and be transported by the beautiful music.

About Debra Cowan:

With a voice that blends Celtic and Appalachian styles, Debra Cowan performs a cappella and with guitar, interpreting a wide range of traditional and contemporary folk songs. Based in Massachusetts, Debra tours extensively in North America and the United Kingdom. She is currently serving a three year term as Vice president of AFM Local 1000, the traveling musicians' union. She has two acclaimed solo recordings and a third, "Fond Desire Farewell" was produced by former Fairport Convention member Dave Mattacks.

Press Quotes

"It is truly a gift what she gives her audience.” - The Miami Herald 
 

"....Cowan's warm alto powers through lyrics. Whether she sings material from Richard Thompson or Ralph Stanley her strong musical identity transports every tune to a very special place" - Vintage Guitar Magazine, June 2009 
 

"Debra has a voice which beautifully combines Celtic and Appalachian sensibilities...deeply satisfying, lyrical and musically elegant.” - Roseanne Cash
 

"A singer of great confidence and poise. In just a few notes, you know that here is a professional who knows her way around a song..." -Gary Whitehouse, Greenman Review 
 

“It is such a pleasure to hear a real singer who can apply her beautiful voice to the best material available from traditional songs to those by contemporary songwriters. She sure knows how to interpret a song and wrap her soul and voice around it.”- Rich Warren, host, “Midnight Special”, WFMT 98.7 FM, Chicago, IL 

Downloadable photos available at http://debracowan.com/tools-for-presenters-and-media/ and www.DebraCowan.com.

About Chico Schwall:

Folksinger, multi-instrumentalist and songpoet Chico Schwall believes there IS enough to go around and we CAN figure out how to make it work. His newest CD "Then What's It For?" draws on blues, gospel, mountain music, Irish tunes and songs from all over, blending them with his own handmade songs, "a genre-defying tightrope walk over Folk Music Falls."  When he's not traveling around the country Chico teaches Everything with Strings at the Shedd Institute, hosts the Irish Music Jam at Sam Bond's Garage and fans the flames of discontent.

Downloadable photos available at www.chicoschwall.net

About Larry Pattis:

Born in Chicago, now resident in Oregon, Larry got carried away by the guitar. His first album, "Random Chance" appeared in 1997, and has been followed by two more, "Hands of Time," and "What Tomorrow Brings." His music is totally his own. It alludes to classical guitar, to folk music and contemporary sounds while it retains hjis own "voice" throughout. 

Downloadable photos available at www.larrypattis.com

"Simply brilliant. Simply beautiful." -Godfrey Daniels Folk Club

"Clear and resonant mastery."  -Missoula Independent

Autumn's Up, Health Care and Drifters shows

Dear Friends,

Well Autumn's here, fall has fell and it's beautiful. Nothing cleanses the palate like a 30 degree temperature spread in a day. And rain! I thought we'd never see rain again. What a relief.

What's this got to do with universal health care? Nothing, but it's one of my big passions these days and I think about it a lot. What we've got ain't working and people die from lack of access to health care. Not 1%ers, but working people and especially the poor, another unjust distribution of tragedy. Watching the federal government (wow, I initially typed "feral"!) go into cardiac arrest over even the very modest reforms of the Affordable Care Act lets me know that the feds are never going to go there. So how do we get what everybody else in the world knows is the best way to deliver health care?

Answer: just like we got universal suffrage and the abolition of slavery: peoples' movements, state by state. When we do the feds will follow. The movement in Oregon is getting bigger and we have support (even a bill on the floor) in the legislature. So it's time to party. No lectures, no coercion (although we're asking for a modest donation of $5, more if you can), just music from three great bands and food and info. Here's the deets:

TONIGHT, at Cozmic Pizza. Suggested donation $5. Beer, wine, pizza and salads available for sale. Music by Cross Current, the Low Tide Drifters and The Rosannas (in that order).  6-9:00 pm.

Come on down and strike a blow for justice while you have a good time. Always worked for me.

If you can't make it, we'll be having another event on October 4, an intimate concert with trad ballad singer Debra Cowan, myself and special guest Larry Pattis. Location to be announced.

And this Friday the Drifters and Cross Current will be playing again, this time for the Latin American Solidarity Committee, 6-9 at New Day Bakery on Blair Blvd.

Enjoy the season!

Chico