Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Mindy Giles

Sacramento’s La Raza Galería Posada Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos Festivities; Transformational “Panteon de Sacramento” Saturday-Sunday, Oct.29-30. Theatre, Music, Poets, Workshops.

2011-10-28T20:12:58Z

Culminating the Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos festivities this year, La Raza Galería Posada, Sacramento’s not-for-profit Latino art and cultural center, brings the Panteon de Sacramento (Sacramento’s Cemetery) to life.This is a two day/night outdoor display of fifty large, colorful altares. The altares will be available for public viewing on Saturday October 29 and Sunday October 30. Families, individuals, area artists and local not for profit organizations will build the altares for public display.Theatre, music, poets and children's workshops are all part of the two-day event. In Sacramento, Día de los Muertos has been celebrated since the early 1970s, commensurate with the Galería’s founding in 1972, 39 years ago.

Date: Saturday October 29 and Sunday October 30.

Times: Saturday ( 11 am-10 pm, Sunday: 8 am -8 pm)

Location: Behind the KlickNation parking lot at J St. near 20th St. (east of the MARRS Building)

The creative altars - 12 feet long and 6 feet wide – will display the traditional flower of the dead, Cempazuchitl (Marigold), papel picado, candles, photos of the deceased, Pan de Muerto (Mexican sweet bread) and personal artifacts.

"We created the free Panteon de Sacramento (Sacramento's Cemetery) to replicate a small town environment in Mexico during Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead),” says Marie Acosta, Executive Director of La Raza Galería Posada. “In the open air, with the church bells in the background, visitors will be transported to a commemoration similar to a small pueblo with colorful displays created as "altares" to honor those we loved in life that have passed on. Everyone is welcome!"

One of the very special guest performers is Eduardo Lopez Martinez, who is coming in direct from Mexico. "I call him our "Calaca-in-Residence" says Acosta. Martinez is in the tradition of the legendary and irreverent Cantinflas, and in the popular Mexican theatre tradition, La Carpa. He will bring song, dance and original performance to the Panteon on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 6:30 pm.

Whether in the day, or bathed in the light of the moon, upon entering LA RAZA GALERIA POSADA'S Panteon de Sacramento at J St. & 20th St. in midtown Sacramento, one immediately feels that it is a place of memories and, the presence of those who have passed.

New this year, the Galería will create a community altar for the public to place offerings. The public is invited to bring photographs, bread, other foods, flowers, toys and other symbolic offerings for loved ones who have passed away. This is free, all are welcome.

Panteon de Sacramento Event and Workshop Programming*

Saturday, Oct. 29 (11am-10pm)

11am Panteón opens to the public

Opening Ceremony- Danza Azteca-Xantotl(Unification)

12-2pm Workshop*-Cempazuchitl-Flower Making

($5/person)

Noon -4 pm DJ-Albert Garnica playing oldies, rancheras, viejitas, and other requests($1/song)

2:30pm-4pm Workshop*- Mask-painting

($10/person)

4:30pm Workshop*- Mask-painting

($10/person)

4:45pm Marco Ferrero presenting “Hidden Truth-La Viuda de Don Marcos”

5:30pm Poetry Reading by Escritores del Nuevo Sol

“Recordando a Nuestros Antepasados” and open mic to follow

6:30pm Performance by Eduardo López Martínez-Direct from México!

NOT TO BE MISSED!!

10 pm Panteón closes for the night. Re-opens at 8am tomorrow.

*All workshops are on the first come first serve basis and while supplies last.

Sunday, Oct. 30 (8am-8pm)

8 am Panteón re-opens.

2pm-5 pm- DJ Larry Rodriguez (Flower Vato)

12-2pm Workshop*-Cempazuchitl Flower Making

($5/person)

2:30pm-4pm Workshop*- Mask-painting

($10/person)

4:30pm- Workshop*- Mask-painting

($10/person)

7:30pm Closing Ceremony

The complete program of events at the gallery is at : www.larazagaleriaposada.org.

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La Raza Galería Posada hours: Tuesday-Friday 1pm to 8 pm, Saturdays 11am-6pm, Second Saturday 1pm-9pm.

About La Raza Galería Posada: LRGP is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary cultural center and public space serving the Sacramento community, offering Latino/Chicano and Native arts exhibitions, art education programs, workshops, films and concerts and serves as a community gathering place. La Raza Galería Posada is located at 1022-1024 22nd St. between J & K Sts. in Sacramento, California. School tours and group tours are offered Monday- Saturday by reservation.Office: 916-446-5133.

Disclosure: Submitted by Mindy Giles, music fan and publicist for La Raza Galería Posada

Radiant Mexican Singer Martha Toledo Debuts in Sacramento Wed., Sept. 21; Songs Speak of Respect and Dignity for Latin American Women

2011-09-16T22:02:32Z

Radiant Mexican Singer Martha Toledo Debuts in Sacramento; Songs Speak of Respect and Dignity for Latin American Women

La Raza Galería Posada, Sacramento’s nonprofit hub for Latino/Chicano and Native arts cultural programming, continues to bring rare,compelling and exciting music concerts to their intimate performance space in Midtown.

Martha Toledo is an internationally recognized performer whose commanding presence embodies the sensibility and majesty of the Oaxacan culture. A Zapotec singer from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Oaxaca, Mexico, her soulful sound evokes the pulsing, vibrant rhythm of her country's music legacy. Many of these songs carry the contemporary message of respect and dignity, particularly for Latin American women. With modern instrumentation and arrangements, Toledo brings a social awareness to her repertoire of classic and native songs. Guitarist José Roberto (Tabasco, México) described as a “blazing guitar stylist” will accompany her.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011
La Raza Galería Posada
1022 22nd St.
Sacramento, CA 95816
Showtime: 7:30 PM
$15 advance tickets on sale now at Brown Paper Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/191782
Gallery: (916)446-5133

You Tube video of Toledo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBDeK-9MeBA&feature=related

“Her voice dances to the rhythm of the north wind, making her skirt and her cicada heart flutter. Her voice embodies the sounds of rivers and birds in the trees, starry skies, and moonlit nights from the Chimalapas rain forest that flow within her." -Arte Guede

Toledo also appears in the award-winning 2001 documentary film, Blossoms of Fire, directed by renowned Bay Area filmmaker, Maureen Gosling. “Blossoms of Fire is a dazzling, whirling dance of a film that celebrates the extraordinary lives of the Isthmus Zapotecs of southern Oaxaca, Mexico, whose strong work ethic and fierce independent streak rooted in their culture, have resulted not only in powerful women but also in the region's progressive politics and their unusual tolerance of alternative gender roles.” - IMDB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA8MmmrX-6s A screening of this film will be announced soon

Toledo has performed all over Mexico (including at the 10,000 seat National Auditorium in Mexico City), in northern California and throughout Austria. She has been featured twice at the Tamejavi Festival in Fresno, as well as in the Bay Area. She performed a cappella at the Lluvia de Sueños Concert of Indigenous Poets and Singers in Chiapas and other Mexican festivals. Toledo is also an excellent photographer, in the tradition of Graciela Iturbide and Mary Ellen Mark.

Disclosure: Submitted by Mindy Giles, music fan and publicist for La Raza Galería Posada

“March to the Beat of One Heart”: Somalian Aid Concert in Sacramento Set for Sat., Sept. 3

2011-08-30T19:54:28Z

On Saturday September 3, a broad, multi-genre group of area musicians will join together to present a benefit concert for Somalian refugees. “March to the Beat of One Heart” will be held at Antiquite Maison Privee, 2114 P Street in midtown Sacramento. The event runs from 5 pm-11pm and there is $10 minimum donation.

The concert, in association with the Midtown Business Association and Swell Productions, will feature ten Sacramento musical acts playing for a common goal of assisting victims of the war and drought-ravaged region. 100% of the proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, a worldwide humanitarian aid organization, and their efforts in Somalia.

Guitarist and concert promoter Ross Hammond came up with the idea for the concert a little more than two weeks before the show date. "I was sitting at home reading the news about the millions of starving families displaced because of war, drought and famine. Watching this unfold is heartbreaking, and I felt that even though we're so far away we can still help. I'm no doctor or aid worker, but I do know how to put music together for a cause. After the initial idea, the concert came together in two days. The venue, sponsors, artists and press were very eager to get involved, so here we are."

The Somalian Aid Concert will feature music by Lee Bob Watson, The Ricky and Del Connection, Electropoetic Coffee, Greenhouse, Kathy Barwick and Pete Siegfried, Sherman Baker, Jahari Sai and Dave Lynch, Crossing the River, Walking Spanish and the Harley White Jr. Trio. These artists span many genres including folk, bluegrass, blues, jazz, soul and world music.

"This concert bridges the gap of seemingly disconnected Americans with the plight of desperate, starving people a world away," says Electropoetic Coffee poet Lawrence Dinkins. "Sacramento artists are rising to the call. I'm proud today to call myself a Sacramentan."

The motivation for Sacramento guitarist and songwriter Gene Smith (The Ricky and Del Connection, Kai Kln) is a humanitarian one. "After seeing the pictures on the news, it breaks my heart to see humans treat each other this way. I feel if I have a talent that can better things in any capacity then I will use it. Everyone should do that, whether they are a doctor or a lawyer or a musician."

Not only are Sacramento musicians donating their talents, but local businesses are also assisting. Midtown's Phono Select Records will be on hand spinning records before, during and after the event.

Profound Sound, a midtown musical instrument and repair store is donating a full PA system to use for the event. "I like to support the local scene and I especially like seeing others getting involved" says Profound Sound owner Joey Cline. "The situation in Somalia has been ongoing for 20 years now, and the average Somali lives on less than $1/day. If you want to help, this is a good cause."

"The idea is to present a variety of artists to show that this is a global issue," says Hammond. "The music showcased at this concert really covers the sound spectrum. We can all come together in Sacramento to raise awareness and money for this cause. If we can do it here, it can be done anywhere. Remember 'We Are the World?' I do."

Disclosure: Submitted by Mindy Giles, Swell Productions.

Lace and Ribbons: The Making of Cultural Affirmation: Costumes from the Instituto Mazatlan Bellas Artes” opens Saturday, August 20 @ La Raza Galería Posada

2011-08-17T19:16:09Z

“Folk & traditional artists are tradition bearers: people who transmit what they believe, know, do, and create with others who share a common heritage, language, religion, occupation, or region. These expressions are deeply rooted in and reflective of a community’s shared standards of beauty, values, or life experiences. Folk and traditional arts are, ultimately, passed on from one generation to the next and express a collective wisdom, rather than a unique personal aesthetic”.
--- The Alliance of California Traditional Art

La Raza Galería Posada’s new exhibition: “BALLET FOLKLORICO-LACE AND RIBBONS: The Making of Cultural Affirmation-Costumes from the Instituto Mazatlan Bellas Artes” opens this Saturday, August 20 and runs through October 1. The Galería is located at 1022 22nd St. (between J&K Sts.) in midtown Sacramento.

The exhibition focus, according to Executive Director, Maria Acosta, is to “address the role of Ballet Folklorico, as a Mexican traditional art form in the United States, and why it is important in a region where homogenization strips our culture away from our community.”

The exhibition is also part of the Galería’s celebration of Mexican Independence Day Friday, September 16th.

Notably, the costumes on exhibit are handmade by IMBA’s founder and Executive Director Yolanda Colusio and by her students under her supervision. While growing up in Calexico, a small town on the boarder of Mexico and California, Colosio developed a love and appreciation for the Mexican traditional art form Ballet Folklorico. To assure authenticity many costumes are created from fabrics and notions hand picked by Colosio on her trips to Mexico. Colusio founded IMBA in 1994.

Costumes on display will be from many states, showing the influences of indigenous Indians, the Spanish and African/Moorish. For example, from Jalisco in the west, the men wear big sombreros and the traditional tight-fitting black Spanish charro suit with silver studded pants. The women wear the ranchera style dress with unmistakable Indian-influenced bright colored ribbons. Both the Mexican hat dance and mariachi music come from Jalisco.

In Michoacán (Tarascena), women, (unlike many of the Mexican Indian tribes in the south), are allowed to dance. They wear a black skirt and multi-colored apron with a white embroidered shirt, and a long black head wrap tied behind their head with a straw hat adorned with multi-colored flowers. The men wear muslim white pants and shirts, embroidered at the legs and arms, and a sash, poncho, and huaraches.

From Veracruz (Huasteca and Sotavento.ie Jarocha) in the East, the Spanish costume shows the white guayabera pants and shirts and wide red waist sash and straw hat. The women wear elegant white lace dresses; their hair up in buns in a comb and shawls, or rebozos, accompanied by fans.

Detailed descriptions of each dance, the design and the specific state or region of Mexico will include these three, plus Chihuahua (Gala and traditional) Tabasco, Guerrero (Costa Chica and Chilena) and Sinaloa (Costa). A DVD of the costumed dancers in performance will form part of the informational material available to the public.

In addition to the exhibition, a talk by IMBA Artistic Director Steven Valencia "ALL ABOUT BALLET FOLKLÓRICO", will be held on Thursday, August 25 at 7:30 pm at La Raza Galería Posada.

La Raza Galería Posada hours: Tuesday-Friday 1pm to 8 pm, Saturdays 11am-6pm, Second Saturday 1pm-9pm.
Full event calendar details are available at www.larazagaleriaposada.org

Disclosure: Submitted by publicist.

Native American Film Festival: An Afternoon of Three Films, including "Smokin' Fish"- March 6

2011-02-22T19:37:11Z

California State University Sacramento’s Serna Center and La Raza Galeria Posada present an afternoon Festival of Native American Films on Sunday, March 6 from 2pm to 4pm at Hinde Auditorium on the campus of CSUS. Admission is free, donations gladly accepted.

Three original films, presented courtesy of Native American Public Telecommunications located in Lincoln, Nebraska will be screened for the first time in Sacramento. Special guests Shirley Sneve, Director, Native American Public Telecommunications and producer Luke Griswold-Tergis (Smokin' Fish) will be on hand to introduce the films and answer questions from audience members. Smokin' Fish, (2011, a work in progress) will have it’s California premiere at the prestigious LA Film Festival this coming spring .

The three films are:

RIVER OF RENEWAL- winner of "Best Documentary" at the American Indian Film Festival in 2008, traces the tumultuous back story of recent historic accords in the longtime battle over salmon and water in the Klamath Basin. The Klamath Basin in Northern California and southeastern Oregon is home to ranchers, farmers, commercial fisherman and the Yurok, Karuk and Hupa tribes. Since the mid-1800s, these groups have vied for rights to the Klamath River and its tributaries, which are vital spawning habitat for wild Pacific salmon. Hydroelectric dams have impeded the salmons’ ability to migrate between the ocean and their breeding grounds, and low river levels resulting from agricultural use have caused the mass death of migrating fish.

THE LAST CONQUISTADOR - John Valadez and Cristina Ibarra’s documentary, The Last Conquistador, had its national broadcast premiere in 2008 on PBS. When the El Paso City Council commissioned artist John Houser to create a larger-than-life statue of the Spanish Conquistador Juan de Oñate, artist Houser envisioned a magnificent and long-overdue tribute to the contributions of Hispanic culture and history. But the area’s Native Americans had their own very personal memories concerning Oñate. They recalled massacres, slavery and terror. Neither Houser nor El Paso’s city councilors had intended any offense or controversy. When the storm of protest arose, they were taken by surprise. But should they have been?

SMOKIN' FISH (work in progress-2011)- ~~Soon to have it’s California premiere at the prestigious LA Film Festival~~ ! Cory Mann is a quirky Tlingit businessman hustling to make a dollar in Juneau, Alaska. He gets hungry for smoked salmon, nostalgic for his childhood and decides to spend a summer smoking fish at this family's traditional fish camp. The unusual story of his life and the untold history of his people interweave with the process of preparing traditional food as he struggles to pay his bills, keep the IRS off his back, and keep his business afloat. By turns tragic, bizarre, or just plain ridiculous, Smokin' Fish tells the story of one man's attempt to navigate the messy zone of collision between the modern world and an ancient culture. The film's editor is Maureen Gosling, renowned for her work with both Werner Herzog and Les Blank.

Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT) , a non-profit 501(c)(3)which receives major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, shares Nativestories with the world through support of the creation, promotion and distribution of
Native media. Founded in 1977, through various media—public television, public radio andthe Internet—NAPT brings awareness of Indian and Alaska Native issues. NAPT operatesAIROS Audio, offering 24/7 downloadable podcasts with Native filmmakers, musicians
and Tribal leaders. VisionMaker is the premier source for quality Native Americaneducational and home videos. All aspects of our programs encourage the involvementof young people to learn more about careers in the media—to be the next generation of storytellers. NAPT is located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. NAPT offers studentemployment, internships and fellowships. Reaching the general public and the globalmarket is the ultimate goal for the dissemination of Native-produced media. To find out
more, visit www.nativetelecom.org.

The Serna Center @ Sacramento State - Consistent with the lasting vision of Joe and Isabel Serna, the Serna Center aims to encourage policy and political knowledge, activism and engagement, student access and excellence, and community service. The Center's primary but not sole focus is Chicana/os and Latina/os in the Sacramento region. www.csus.edu/sernacenter/

La Raza Galería Posada is a multi-disciplinary cultural center and public space serving the Sacramento community by offering Latino/Chicano and Native arts programming, art education workshops, and a community-gathering place. www.larazagaleria.org. More details at (916)446-5133

The Native American Film Festival screenings are made possible by a grant from the National Association of Latino Art Centers and Strategic Solutions Advisors of Sacramento.

Editorial note: The film Smokin' Fish is a work-in-progress and is not currently scheduled for any premieres.

Francis House Dedicates 2011 Concert Fundraiser To Leader; Brings "Joyous Music" from Singer/Songwriter Ukulele Star Victoria Vox

2011-02-08T10:12:03Z

(Sacramento, CA) The sudden recent passing of the Francis House Executive Director and longtime homeless advocate Greg Bunker on December 28, 2010 has put a poignant and resolute exclamation point on the sustaining efforts of the forty year old poverty resource & counseling center. Francis House, holds a number of fundraising events yearly. The upcoming March 18 concert with singer/songwriter and ukulele star Victoria Vox & The Boulder Acoustic Society is the fifth show in their benefit concert series, but the first with a new title inspired by Bunker: "Give Them Hope.”

“Greg had just shared his new manta with us—“Give Them Hope”—captured in the ornament gift he first handed out to all of us at our holiday party” says Forrest Reed, Program Director of Francis House, “It is remarkable to realize just how many lives Greg touched and how huge a difference he had over his many years working to end poverty.” The center assists 30,000 local citizens every year. Bunker had been Executive Director for 21 years. “He was so excited about bringing Victoria Vox to Sacramento in this concert. His spirit and legacy lives on within us” says Reed.

Francis House Presents

Friday, March 18, 2011
“Give Them Hope” Benefit Concert
In Memory of Greg Bunker
with
Victoria Vox & The Boulder Acoustic Society
The Guild Theater
2828 35th St.Sacramento, CA 95817

Doors: 6 PM
Showtime: 7 PM

Tickets: Golden Circle: $50(includes post –concert reception)/Main floor; $30/Balcony: $20
Tickets available now on line at www.inticketing.com, and at The Beat (17th & J Sts.) and at Francis House (1422 C Street).

www.francishouse.info
916-443-2646
1422 C Street Sacramento, CA 95814

Victoria Vox, a rising young singer/songwriter of shimmering folk pop, is using her ukulele as a delicate front color in her musical palette. Vox's silky vocal lines, both haunting and hopeful, might remind a listener of singer Feist or Natalie Merchant. A Green Bay native now living in Baltimore, Vox has been a professional musician for eight years, and is known for her refreshingly modern and rhythmic ukulele technique. She began appearing in clubs as a ukulele musician four years after receiving a degree in songwriting from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. For this benefit concert, she will be joined by her Colorado musical colleagues, The Boulder Acoustic Society. They were her backing band on her 2010 album, Exact Change, and contribute a blend of traditional roots and blues to Vox's ultimately pop-rock sensibility. The album has a distinct worldly flair as tunes with French and Flamenco influences also feature accordion, upright bass, and banjo.

"This is one fun, funky album. Vox's songs are catchy and clever, backed by hook-laden melodies... the album's a jewel... indie recording at its best." - Michael Dregni, Vintage Guitar Magazine (Sept. 2010)

Even before the official release date of her debut ukulele album in 2006 -- Victoria Vox and Her Jumping Flea released on her own label, OBUS Music -- Vox was offered an endorsement deal with KoAloha Ukuleles (Honolulu, HI). The disc was featured on NPR’s “To The Best of Our Knowledge” and its songs were picked up for licensing in television and independent films. Vox has been awarded runner-up for “My Darlin’ Beau” (Jumping Flea) and First Place for “C’est Noyé” (Chameleon) in the International Acoustic Music Awards. She has been included in Relix Magazine’s list of artists to watch and won a WAMA (Washington D.C. Area Music Award) in 2009 for Folk-Contemporary Vocalist. Also, Vox appeared on the Jay Leno Show in December 2009 to demonstrate her perfected mouth trumpet!

Her new 2010 album, Exact Change, is truly a fan favorite. In September 2009, she was unsure how a new album would be possible. She humbly decided to ask her fans via the Internet for help to meet the $4,000 goal she set out to raise, knowing it still wouldn’t be enough. Their response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, passing her goal on the first day, and ultimately contributing more than $21,000 towards production costs for the new album.Vox averages 125+ live performances each year, playing at a mixed bag of venues across the United States, Europe, and Canada.

www.victoriavox.com
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Sacramento News 10 honoring Greg Bunker:
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=114527&provider=email

Sacramento Bee: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/29/3287193/greg-bunker-francis-house-leader.html.

Cincinnati Post: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110107/NEWS0104/101080315

From one of Greg Bunker’s favorite books Be Still and Know:

"When St. Francis asked the almond tree to tell him about God, immediately the tree was covered with beautiful flowers.
It was winter.
There were no leaves, flowers or fruits, but he saw the flowers."
- -Thich Nhat Hanh

.“BLUES ON THE GREEN 2” Concert Stars Chicago and Texas Blues Legends

2010-09-23T20:26:51Z

A double shot of the deepest Chicago and Texas blues--from the some of the biggest living legends of the genre are arriving in town this Sunday to play an afternoon all ages concert in Sacramento.“BLUES ON THE GREEN 2” stars The Blues Broads and the Nick Gravenites Band. Honored emcee is blues radio legend and harp man, Mick Martin.

Sunday, Sept. 26 The Green @ Capital Public Radio/ southernmost corner of Sac State University

7055 Folsom Ave./Sacramento Doors: 1 PM Showtime: 2 PM

With a wall of soul sound that could tumble Jericho, four powerful women singers stand at the front of the stage and make believers of every audience member. Rocking, scolding, testifying and torching, the Blues Broads are legendary singers Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth), Annie Sampson (Stoneground), Dorothy Morrison (Edwin Hawkins Singers) and Angela Strehli. Each one of them have had successful careers and led their own bands for decades. Nelson wrote her classic “Down So Low” which has been covered by Linda Ronstadt, Etta James, Maria Muldaur and Cyndi Lauper. Nelson, along with Janis Joplin and Lydia Pense have forever been noted as the three greatest voices that were discovered in San Francisco during the 1960s.

National Public Radio recently ran a “Weekend Edition” feature piece on Nelson on July 31, and she is set to release her 25th album in 2011. Morrison is the Grammy-winning lead singer of “O, Happy Day,” the only traditional gospel song ever to cross over and become a bone fide pop hit. Sampson starred in the long –running production of “Hair” and has recorded with Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, Buddy Miles, Maria Muldaur, Eddie Money and Country Joe MacDonald. The “Queen of Texas Blues,” Strehli worked with Stevie Ray Vaughan and every other Austin and Chicago blues player of note through her decades of guiding work with Antone’s –both the famous club and the record label. Now, as a vocal team with an all-star Bay Area backing band, including Nancy Wright on sax, these four women are having some of the most fun of their lives.

According to author and pop music critic Joel Selvin, Nick Gravenites is "the original San Francisco connection for the Chicago crowd." He was born in Chicago, but not in 1941, as the first lines of his classic blues manifesto, “Born in Chicago,” punch out in the legendary Paul Butterfield Blues Band’s signature song. The original white blues man of the rock era, he was hanging out in south side blues clubs in 1957. Singer and songwriter of other classics such as “East West” (with Michael Bloomfield), “You’re Killing My Love’ (Otis Rush), “Groovin’ is Easy” (Electric Flag), “Work Me Lord” and “Buried Alive in the Blues” (Janis Joplin). He sang lead in Bloomfield’s ill-fated super band, Electric Flag, an American Music Band, which made it much-hyped debut at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival.

His Columbia Records debut of 1969, My Labors, exhibits a batch of his best songs (“Killing My Love,” “Holy Moly,” and “Gypsy Good Time”) and some of Bloomfield’s most lyrical playing. With Bloomfield, he produced Otis Rush’s “Mourning in the Morning” in Muscle Shoals in 1968, James Cotton, and assembled Janis Joplin’s solo debut, The Kozmic Blues Band. He produced the debut Quicksilver Messenger Service album and Brewer and Shipley’s “One Toke Over the Line.” He replaced Joplin for a short stint in Big Brother and the Holding Company. Has recorded seven solo albums including, Animal Mind and Live in Athens with Quicksilver guitar god John Cipollina. Gravenites is as deep and as personal a blues songwriter and performer as there is, shouting the blues with the best of them. When Gravenites steps on stage with his band, all the gravitas and legacy of the great Chicago blues masters step on stage with him.

For details about the show and ticket information, visit the Swell Productions website at www.swell-productions.com.

Blankets and low back chairs only. No outside food or drink-there will be quality beer/wine and soul food catered by The Drooling Dog BBQ from Auburn, California.

FAQ at www.swell-productions.com and http://www.capradio.org/events/2010/09/26/blues-on-the-green-2

~~ Mindy Giles is co-owner of Sacramento's Swell Productions and is the co-promoter of this event.