Issue 6

07 April 2016

Christine “Mama Christy” Gilardi

Christine Gilardi (aka Mama Christy) is a San Diego based rock/blues/pop original musician, singer, guitarist, composer, vocal arranger, recording artist, and audio engineer. Gilardi’s powerhouse voice has been likened to Grace Slick, Sheryl Crow, and Melissa Etheridge, and her band DarZana was compared with Tom Petty and Rush. Her original music is infused with compellingly simple spiritual messages. Her passionate performances will bring you to your feet and to tears. In the mid-1990’s, Gilardi was the director of an original music summer camp called “SD Rock Music Day Camp,” under the National Guitar Workshop. Ric Lee of the Bayou Brothers volunteered each summer, showing the kids his enormous drum kit and demonstrating his expertise. Ric was inspired by Gilardi’s rock music summer camp to create a blues music summer camp… that we now know as the “Blues in the Schools.” Mary Lewis wrote about it in Boogie Issue 4! Gilardi gained national acclaim in the 2013 Posi-Fest Awards with Honorable Mention for “I Believe in Love,” a song that she wrote for Melissa Etheridge. Gilardi’s straight-ahead rock and blues arrangements, infused with positive messages, are common threads. She is an improvisational songwriter and a featured blues jam performer at Boogie...
06 April 2016

Meet Doña Oxford, Queen of Boogie-Woogie & Goddess of Soul

Doña Oxford was excited.  Oxford is known for being excited about her music, but this time she was excited because she had just introduced me to Ray Kurzweil at the NAMM 2016 Kurzweil electric keyboard booth where, the day before, Stevie Wonder had shown up, sat down at the keyboard Oxford  had just vacated and started to play for the assembled crowd.  But she was even more excited about the fact that later in evening she would be playing for Wonder at the Kurzweil Private party. “He touched my sweat on the keys! Stevie Wonder touched my sweat on the keys,’ she exclaimed, “and now I will be playing for him”. But that is a common story for Oxford, known to her legions of fans as the Queen of Boogie-woogie and the Goddess of Soul. Many, many greats have asked her to play for them on stage, in the recording studio and on tour.  Her keyboard chops (she also plays drums), her energy, her voice and her songwriting have been recognized over and over as one of the best in the blues/R&B and boogie world. She is so much in demand that on one of her European tours Van Morrison tracked...
30 March 2016

News – Sue Palmer hosts San Diego Sessions – San Diego

San Diego boogie-woogie legend Sue Palmer is the host of  a blues and jazz show on Jazz 88.3 called San Diego Sessions. Palmer has been making her mark for decades with her own high energy band, the Motel Swing Orchestra.  She has performed with many of the legends of the boogie genre and has won many awards, including the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.  Her boogie-woogie piano style has proven irresistible to audiences worldwide. She’s a lifelong San Diegan with a love for jazz and blues and shares her deep knowledge of the local scene to the radio.   The show airs every week on Sunday starting at 5:00 PM for 1 hour: San Diego Sessions Sue is always on the lookout for local musicians to play on her show.  You can contact her at suep@jazz88.org http://www.jazz88.org/programs/San%5FDiego%5FSessions/ Sue’s Website; http://www.suepalmer.com/index.html
30 March 2016

News – WGLA To Launch in San Diego

San Diego -In April 2016, San Diego blues/rock/pop musician Christine Gilardi will be kicking off a new San Diego Chapter of the Women’s Global Leadership Alliance (WGLA).  Christine is calling all women in SD (musicians, artists, healing facilitators, and independent business professionals) who would like to expand their leadership abilities to impact the local community and on an even larger scale.  “I am building the new SD WGLA chapter to be well-known for its musicians, artists, and consultants who are helping build leaders who are making a difference locally, nationally, and internationally,” says Gilardi. WGLA provides leadership, eLearning, certification, funding, collaboration, events and small group mentorship programs throughout the world. “Our Mission is to empower leadership in collaboration with accomplished women, by sharing skills and experience to inspire successful careers and lives.” LuAn Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of WGLA says,  “By developing a strong, supportive network of members and providing them with the right tools, WGLA is providing a platform for women to excel and reach their highest potential – in business, in careers, and in society.” Jayne Rios, Co-founder and COO of WGLA, adds, “Through our courses, leadership events, and access to the WGLA marketplace, we provide business development opportunities, offer creative solutions...
30 March 2016

News – Country Rockin’ Rebels To Release New Album In June – San Diego

Cabeza Records is proud to announce the release of the new album Ride Rebel Ride by San Diego country-rock band Country Rockin’ Rebels, in June 2016.  The new album from Country Rockin’ Rebels, Ride Rebel Ride, is unabashedly a guitar album.  From the opening notes of “Too Rock for Country,” to the closing cries of “Indian Wind,” the band weaves Hendrixian fuzz tones, gritty slide and Layla-esque pedal steel throughout as textures to further define lead-singer and writer Tristan Luhrs’ ‘hard luck rebel’ concept. This time, the Rebel hits the road. “Marie” is a 70’s style country rock love song with simple, honest lyrics and serious Stonesy swagger.  Here eloquent acoustic strums by Tristan, slippery slide by Mark Eppler and even a “guitar-orchestra” by lead guitarist and album producer Michael Head, play against Ted Stern’s steady fiddle and pedal steel work. “Marie” doesn’t have a musical hook, it is a hook. “My greatest musical inspiration, my dad, always said that the Rolling Stones are the greatest ‘country rock’ band to ever play.” says Luhrs.  “This album was undeniably inspired by those Stones records that were, all at once, ‘rock’ and ‘country’.” “Stomp” is a psychedelic, country rock hoe-down. It’s a...
30 March 2016

News- Gator by the Bay: Boogie Like It’s Mardi Gras – San Diego

  By Wendy Lemlin What’s your favorite boogie? Dance floors filled with dancing feet, twirling to Cajun waltzes, joyously two-stepping to a lively creole zydeco beat, or swinging to blues and boogie woogie? How about the lilt of fiddles, the syncopation of rubboards, the trill of accordions filling the balmy air?  Or maybe it’s all about the blues artist wailing away on a harp or coaxing soulful riffs from a guitar? All of the above? Well, you’ll find all that and more, at Gator By the Bay, happening May 5-8, 2016, at San Diego’s Spanish Landing Park. Now in its 15th year, Gator by the Bay began as a celebration of the upbeat, highly danceable, Cajun and zydeco music of Southwest Louisiana, bringing the top musical artists of the genre from the bayous and prairies of that region to San Diego. Maryann Blinkhorn, one of the festival’s original organizers, remembers, “Back in February of 1992, some dance-loving and newly passionate Cajon-o-philes threw a Sunday afternoon dance lesson party, and100 people showed up.  The love spread, and the Bon Temps Social Club of San Diego was born.   Nine years later, as the local demand for more and more Louisiana music grew,...
27 March 2016

6one9 Goes Out In Style

Photos and story by Stephanie Pillar SAN DIEGO February 20) – 6ONE9 made their last appearance on the storied House of Blues main stage.  Sadly, to those of us that have followed this amazing, talented band for more than a decade, Casey Mink and the rest of the guys in 6ONE9 are going their separate ways.  Parting is such sweet sorrow!  Luckily, their fans, this split is amicable.  These are great guys and they all have amazing things happening for them in the future!  Tonight is goodbye, but it’s also a celebration! Since their inception in March of 2000, 6ONE9 has been rockin’ the San Diego music scene. The band has toured Japan, Korea and Thailand, performed at Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego and has opened for numerous national artists over their lengthy career.  For a couple of years, 6ONE9 has hosted shows featuring the hottest local cover and tribute bands at the House of Blues.  The list of performing bands has included Hitman Honey, Arena, Dirty Birdz and the Hornstarz, Way Cool Jr., Madmen, and Faux Fighters.  For their final show at House of Blues, 6ONE9 invited Relax Max and the CopyCat Killers to the party. Relax Max...
16 March 2016

News – Puttin’ Blues in Dah “House” – San Diego

By CSW… JammingOut the House Of Blues Pro Blues Jam celebrated their 3rd Jamaversay  at the House Of Blues, San Diego on March 16. The very successful jam is organized and hosted by RosaLea Schiavone of Wicked Harem Booking & Productions and Doyle Thomas, the visionary and creator of San Diego’s jam session networking site JammingOut.net. Several phases of metamorphosis  have occurred during the three year residency at HOB.  The first change came after two and a half  years of weekly Jams.  The JammingOut Blues Band, consisting of  Lafayette, Michael Minor and Kevin Cooper, was disbanded and replaced by having different bands host the jam every week.  This was in keeping with Rosalea’s vision of bringing both the jamming and the working bands communities into the House Of Blues.   Bands consisting of the creme de la crème of San Diego blues were  brought in to front the jam events. Within a couple of months of this change, due to the holidays and Rosalea having surgery, the jam went on hiatus. During this hiatus, JammingOut.net Presents Wednesday Nights at the House of Blues was born.  Blues bands from San Diego’s crème de la crème were hired to play full shows. Bands...
04 March 2016

Kings X at Ramona

Story and Photos by Stephanie Pillar RAMONA, Calif. (March 4) –  American rock band King’s X returned to Ramona Mainstage on Friday. Their setlist spanned their entire catalog, including fan favorites such as Dogman and Over My Head.  The highlight of the show was the last song of the evening, when dug (Pinnick) and Ty (Tabor) turned their mics toward the crowd and let us sing the lyrics to Goldilox!  A magical end to an amazing night! King’s X is an American rock band that combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. The band’s lyrics are largely based on the members’ struggles with religion and self-acceptance. King’s X was ranked No. 83 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock    Points North     RDG
28 February 2016

Lake Elsinore “Likes to Boogie”

About eighty miles north of San Diego off of Highway 15, in a little bar on the north-west end of Lake Elsinore, an amazing event took place.  The people asked for the Boogie, and the Boogie showed up. Lynette and Johnathan Giglio invited Boogie Magazine to come out to their Sunday Funday jam sessions at PK’s Roadhouse on Grand Avenue.  Months had gone by until Mark Eppler set the date and phone calls were made. We knew not to come empty handed so we invited some close friends to join us on our journey. Nicolas Butterfield, and Chill Boy Raffesberger made the scene with us and were impressive while sitting in with the locals.  Our new friends Daring Greatly made it out to help represent and brought the house down with their Canadian style and great original music (daring-greatly.com).  More to come on them. We meet some new friends as well, Andrew Gonzales and Danny Doc Ryan led a set of hard rockin’ blues that had us dancing. The band on the cover of our current March issue, Trailerpark Rockstar, was there to sign autographs and even close out the jam with Mark Eppler and myself sitting in for a couple of songs. Thanks to...
16 February 2016

Revival of the Singer Songwriter Debuts at Belly Up – San Diego

  By Eli Medellin Photos by John Hancock Solana Beach, Calif. (February 16) – RexRode Production’s ‘Revival of the Singer-Songwriter’ made it’s debut at the Belly Up on Tuesday.  It really was a magical evening by all accounts. Certainly an amazing testament to San Diego’s support of local live original music. More than two hundred and fifty patrons gathered to hear a collection of some of the best local musicians in the San Diego county. Renowned guitar player Greg Douglass was the star of the production storyline as a retired guitar player at “Shady Daze Retirement home.” Enter Lacy Younger as the steamy hot nurse to bring Greg a refreshment as his friends and family begin to arrive to visit and perform a few songs. Musical guests included Ben Powell, Sherri Anne & Sister Speak, Casey Hensly & Laura Chavez, Daring Greatly, and Barnwell Shift. In the middle of the show, Greg Douglass took a moment and gave a stellar solo guitar performance and then was  joined by Lacy and Daring Greatly performing an outstanding version of “Fooled around and Fell in Love.” The Tuesday night event was a true testament to our amazing local music scene and a night...
13 February 2016

Mike Zito at Ramona

San Diego (February 13) – Mike Zito & The Wheel were on fire at the Ramona MainStage on Friday Night. With opening bands, Chase Walker Band and Daytona & The BlueSide Rockers, heating up the stage and starting ladies night on the dance floor, Mike Zito kicked it up a notch and lit the stage on fire with a funky blues style straight out of Texas. “My dad took me to Colorado when Zito opened for Tab Benoit,” said Walker.  “I got to meet him again the last time he played here in San Diego, but this is the first time I actually get to play with him.” Zito, a founding member of Royal Southern Brotherhood with Cyril Neville and Devon Allman, is currently touring to promote his latest CD ‘Keep Coming Back” released in November on Ruff Records. For an encore, Zito returned to play an acoustic version of “Little Red Corvette” then invited Chase Walker to join him in the last song.  “The last time I saw this kid was about four feet ago,” said Zito. “I think I was taller than him then.” Photos by Jon Naugle    
13 February 2016

Black Sabbath ‘The End’

Story and photos by Stephanie Pillar LAS VEGAS (February 13) – I had never seen Black Sabbath or Ozzy before last Saturday night but I had seen “things” the bat thing…, the crazy looking eyes, the voice, the music… the reality show…  I had no idea what to expect, but, I was CRAZY excited to be going.  WOW!  I must say Mr. Osbourne, you did not disappoint!!!!!  If this is “The End” billed as the band’s farewell tour, then what an absolutely fitting end it is!  Forty six years after debut of the their self-titled album, Black Sabbath hit the stage at the Mandalay Bay and KILLED IT.  From beginning to end.  Ozzy and those amazing, haunting eyes, the enormous, over-the-top voice, pacing back and forth, frenetically from one end of the stage to the other, jumping up and down, exhorting the crowd, in short, the consummate performer!  With Ozzy’s long-time bandmates and friends, Geezer Butler on bass and Tony Iommi on guitar, and joined by Tommy Clufetos, the drummer in Ozzy’s solo band, Black Sabbath looked and sounded amazing playing a set list that roared into the packed house with all of their classics including, Black Sabbath, War Pigs,...
05 February 2016

Six String Society – Bringing Quality Live Music to the Masses – San Diego

  By Eli Medellin SAN DIEGO -If you haven’t heard the name RexRode Productions yet, you’re hearing it now. Kenneth Rexrode has a gift for finding the most amazing, talented artists and producing shows that are beyond comparison.  he doesn’t just put on a show, he creates a theatrical production complete with stage props and a storyline that attracts an elite audience. Six String Society is a one of a kind musical theater production created and produced by Rexrode.  No two shows are ever cast the same . These productions have succeeded in packing venues such as Music Box and the Belly Up and have showcased such artists as Gregory Page, Chelsea Williams, Scott Gates, Peter Sprague, Leonard Patton, Buzz Campbell, Jonny Bowler, Robin Henkel, Thomas Leeb, Tim Walsh, Bob Ryan, Lee Koch, Michael Battista, Hovanes Hovanesian, Daniel Blank, Monette Marino, Don King, Caleb Fugatch, Joel Reese, Billy Watson, Ben Powell, Whitney Shay, David Maldonado, Erdis Mavhelaku, Nathan James, Nathan Rivera, Lola Demure, Missy Devine, Owen Burke, Eva Greenleaf, Tracy Black, Jessie Athan Smith, SherrI Anne, Tony Suraci, Jim Soldi, Jimmy Patton, Enrique Platas, Greg Douglass, Maritza Hasty, Casey Hensley, Laura Chaves, Evan Caleb Yearsley, Anthony Cullins, Jerod Dulaney, Jim...
05 February 2016

Geoff Tate Returns to Ramona

Story and photos by Stephanie Pillar Ramona, Calif. (February 5) – Geoff Tate returned to Ramona MainStage fronting his new band of all star musicians called ‘Operation Mindcrime’ on Friday.   OM is an homage to his former band’s best selling concept album of the same name. Friday’s performance featured Tate’s former band mates Kelly Gray (guitar) and Randy Gane (keyboards) from his late 70’s band ‘Myth.’  Rounding out the performers were Scott Moughton (guitar), who performed on Tate’s 2002 solo album, and Dubliner Tim Fernley, on bass and stand up bass. The 23 song, 2 1/2 hour set was filled with both hits and deep cuts spanning Tate’s entire career.   The evening started off with Neue Regel from ‘Rage For Order,’ included an acoustic set of four songs including the Grammy Nominated (and my personal favorite) Silent Lucidity and finished with Empire, the title track to the album that produced ‘Silent Lucidity’.  The band was firing on all cylinders and Geoff’s voice was strong, keeping the full house cheering for more even after the last notes had melted away.  
01 February 2016

Monday Night Boogie Jam at Navajo Live (San Diego)

    Review by Steve Douglas of Bi-polar Express Photos by Nick Abadilla SAN DIEGO (February 1) -Well, once again Mark Eppler produced an outstanding evening jam at Navajo Live. An incredibly fun and musical time. First jammers included Frank Tranfaglia on guitar, Doug White on keys, Travis Klein on sax, Eric Raether on bass and Michele Cenzi on drums, followed by Tony Agosta on guitar, Ted Stern on violin, Nickolas Butterfield on guitar and lead vocals, myself on the kit, Dan Marolt on bass; it all came together for a fun, loud and raucously enjoyable set. I didn’t want it to end. This was followed by a set with Frankie T, Tony, Gary Orlansky and Doug White to close the show with Mojo Working supported by an almost sober background vocal group of Mark Eppler, Eli J. Medellin and Yours truly.  
22 January 2016

Meet Doña Oxford, Queen of Boogie-woogie and Goddess of Soul at NAMM-by Patrick O’Heffernan

Story by Patrick O’Heffernan Photos by Nick Abadilla  Doña Oxford was excited.  Oxford is known for being excited about her music, but this time she was excited because she had just introduced me to Ray Kurzweil at the NAMM 2016 Kurzweil electric keyboard booth where, the day before, Stevie Wonder had shown up, sat down at the keyboard Oxford  had just vacated and started to play for the assembled crowd.  But she was even more excited about the fact that later in evening she would be playing for Wonder at the Kurzweil Private party. “He touched my sweat on the keys! Stevie Wonder touched my sweat on the keys,’ she exclaimed, “and now I will be playing for him”. But that is a common story for Oxford, known to her legions of fans as the Queen of Boogie-woogie and the Goddess of Soul. Many, many greats have asked her to play for them on stage, in the recording studio and on tour.  Her keyboard chops (she also plays drums), her energy, her voice and her songwriting have been recognized over and over as one of the best in the blues/R&B and boogie world. She is so much in demand that on...
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