Press Play: CD Review

Tenor saxophonist Ron Stallings, who died of cancer last April at 62, was one of the Bay Area's most beloved musicians. This memorial album, a double disk set spanning 40 years of his music, is testament to the high regard in which Stallings was held by his friends and fellow musicians.

 

Sonoma County singer-songwriters Sam Misner and Megan Smith began performing together as a duo after discovering their mutual affection for folk music when they were both actors in a production of "Woody Guthrie's American Song."  

Matt Eakle, flutist for the David Grisman Quintet, steps out on his own with a debut CD of original instrumentals he calls "flute-fired fusion."

 

The four original songs on this EP are evidence of an emerging Marin singer-songwriter who hasn't quite emerged, but isn't afraid to put out CDs and tour and do what he has to do to grow as a musician and make himself heard.

 

This beautiful-looking and sounding album was recorded in a home studio at the top of Mount Tamalpais, so "Sleeping Lady" couldn't be a more fitting title for an album that also includes a golden photograph of Mt. Tam on the cover.

 

The sophomore album from this remarkably talented Sonoma County singer-songwriter was voted country album of the year at the 19th annual Los Angeles Music Awards. But the 15-song CD is much more than a straight country album.  

Fairfax singer-songwriter Todd Tate makes his album debut with this ambitious CD featuring his snarling Bowie-as-baritone vocals, a hard rock bass-drums-guitar trio and a wildly incongruous string section.

 

Barry Lazarus of Red Devil Records in San Rafael gave me the idea to review this extraordinary double CD set from the very first iteration of the Jerry Garcia Band. The latest release from the Garcia family vault, it's one of the top 10 sellers at Barry's Fourth Street record store, and a real musical and historical treasure.

 

In the past five years, Learning Curve has become a familiar band on the Marin live music scene, playing at clubs and art and wine festivals around the county. Now they make their CD debut with "Mannequin Dump," an impressive collection of 13 original songs that showcase the band's classic rock influences and trademark pipe organ vocal harmonies.  

You gotta love the title track on this album with its acoustic guitar intro and its amusing line about "ladies from Marin" leaving the singer with "blisters on my skin."