A February Face, so Full of Frost and Cloudiness …

A February Face, so Full of Frost and Cloudiness …

Why, what’s the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?”
(William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing)

"A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile … but February made me shiver with every paper I'd deliver …" - American Pie (Don McLean).
***February 3rd was the 55th anniversary of “The Day the Music Died.”

 

We had a wonderful time at our first community service performance for Bread & Roses since returning from a long hiatus to do shows again! We played at Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI), Josie Barrow PACE Center, in Oakland on January 27, 2014.  One of the gentlemen brought in by van for the community’s daily lunch got some assistance from staff so he could jump out of his wheelchair and dance.  “I just had to,” he said, “You got my blood boiling!”

Finally that February cloudiness produced some rain in California.  It had actually rained on Thursday Jan. 30th and we could even smell it in the air, but the storm only got as far as Lafayette where folks at Mighty Fine Guitars would have seen the real deal. At the Bay Area Poets Coalition (BAPC) meeting that Saturday, February 1st, Dave received a Maggie H. Meyer cash prize for his poem “This Was

the Day Hank Williams Died.” To read Dave’s prize-winning poem visit this site where the winning poems are all published on the BAPC web site.

Dave also read his poem December Weather (or not) at the Saturday meeting, a poem thatinvokes the coming of rain in a dry month. Sure enough we woke up to the beautiful sight of snow on Mount Diablo that Saturday night/Sunday morning of the 2nd, some relief for our drought-stricken state. He claims it was his poem that did it. It can be heard on this show video-taped in San Francisco last month.

We are happy to see sales are up for Dave’s book, Voyages to Ancestral Islands. You can view it at Barnes and Nobel Books, if you want to skip using Amazon.com

(however sample pages are only available at Amazon).

A real bear of a cold went around the Bay Area this winter and unfortunately, Chappell was hit bad. This is the cold you may have heard about that lasted 3 to 4 weeks.  No performingor recording being possible, she opened a new Facebook page for all things Chappell—prints, paintings, clothing, jewelry, vintage restoration, mannequin restoration, furniture etc., all the creative things she does for love and money. Drop by and “like” the page along with the nearly 200 others who already have.  Don’t forget to like Chappell and Dave Holt at if you haven’t yet!

January Tapped at My Door Today …

January Tapped at My Door Today …

"Little January tapped at my door today.
And said, "Put on your winter wraps, and come outdoors to play."
 -  Winifred C. Marshall, January

 “The night is cold, the trees are bare,
But I can feel the scent of roses in the air,
It’s June in January but only because I’m in love with you.” (June in January by Bing Crosby)

 

We had a very successful Fourth Annual Holiday Concert in Bonny Doon on Saturday, December 28^th, a night to remember, hosted by the very loving and generous Elizabeth and Larry Jones. Dave accompanied Chappell on guitar on the baby-grand piano, with Cristina Seaborn on violin, our co-billed artist, who added beautiful arrangements to our songs. She made the journey of six hours from Fullerton to come up and play and she performed marvelously, dazzling us with violin magic. James Woodward drove down from Placerville to sing a fine set following ours accompanied by Robert Aponte on guitar.

There was a guest cameo appearance of theater performers well known to the house, Errol and Rochelle Strider. They featured a satirical spoof on a popular Unity church song, “Peace begins with ME!!” which hysterically ended in an argument.

After a hiatus of twenty years, this month we will begin playing for Bread & Roses, an organization dedicated to uplifting the human spirit by providing free, live, quality shows to people who live in institutions or are otherwise isolated from society. Carolyn, the program director, welcomed us warmly, “We are happy to have you doing shows again for Bread & Roses! Your contribution of time and talent allows us to put on 600 shows a year, bringing hope and healing to people who really need it most.”

We will be playing Monday, January 27, 2014, at an Elderly / Senior Day Care, the  CEI Josie Barrow PACE Center in Oakland. Photos from 1986-84 show Mimi Farina who was the founder of Bread and Roses since passed away in 2001; Dave with band leader Dick Bright; Norton Buffalo and band playing for a Bread and Roses celebration event.
 

Dave will participate in two Saturday poetry readings in January at the Alameda Museum Gallery, 2324 Alameda Ave. Alameda. Artists Embassy International & Natica Angilly will present Jack London’s Birthday Party on Sat., Jan. 11, 12:00 -3:00, and The Big Show - ALL ARTS & Unstoppable Buffet on Sat., Jan.18, 11:30 - 3:30.

We’re back in the studio after a long break dealing with December colds and holiday celebrations. We are preparing to record the last two songs (and a half instrumental) for our Stone and Fire CD then it’s on to finish the final mixes!

Holiday Message from Chappell & Dave Holt

Peace on Earth, Joy to all Humankind

   A haze lay upon the conjoined waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. Hidden from view, the Carquinez Strait in the distance, I turned my gaze back to the peaks of the Diablo range and thought of the ancient psalmist who sang, “I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help,” (Psalm 121). I too have felt as if angels swooped in over a cleft in the rocks, from out of a mottled gray, late autumn sky, rushing out to meet you in the middle of the air. The spirit helpers or angels bring joy from the heart of Creation.

   The call of a red tail hawk enters my meditations as it roosts in a nearby tree. Then the sound of flapping wings as it leaves the perch to fly further up the hill, calling out a few more times until quiet returns. He’s settled somewhere, to peruse the blue oak forest and meadow below. The woods, silent again; and the still calm of the fall season resumes. Joy comes and also peace for a time.

   We wish you all Merry Christmas and Joy and Goodwill for all women, children, and men. Let us find strength and power to accomplish projects of Peace and Joy in the coming New Year.

The Dark of December …

The Dark of December …


"I heard a bird sing in the dark of December
A magical thing and sweet to remember.
'We are nearer to Spring than we were in September,'
I heard a bird sing in the dark of December." -   Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing

“A winter’s day in a deep and dark December, I am alone, gazing from my window to the streets below on a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.”
(I Am a Rock, Paul Simon)
 

We will be performing at a new venue for us, the San Gregorio General Store on Sunday,

December 8th, 11am till 1pm. Chappell & Dave will also be celebrating Dave's Birthday. Come on by to listen and celebrate with the family! It’s located on 7615 Stage Rd, San Gregorio, CA 94074. Phone: (650) 726-0565.

Also upcoming, we will share the stage with our friend Bob

Loomis’s band Awed Ducks, at a fine old institution here in the East Bay, Down Home Music Store, on Sat. Dec. 14, 2-4 PM. Travel on over to 10341 San Pablo Ave, in El Cerrito, CA 94530 to hear us. This will be a great opportunity to hear Mr. Loomis also accompany Dave on Native American flutes as they perform American Indian songs and Dave’s poems written about the culture. Phone: (510) 525-2129.

Last one for the year is a really good one. We’ll travel up into the Santa Cruz mountains to perform at our 4th Annual Holiday House Concert in the town of Bonny Doon with special

guest and dear friend, Cristina Seaborn. Many of you who have attended our previous house concerts at Bonny Doon know Cristina as a violinist extraordinaire. She is expert at fiddling and jazz improvisation, also plays cello, piano, mandolin, guitar and sings (remember “Harlee?”). She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in jazz violin performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston; and a Masters in Conducting for Orchestra from St. Cloud State University. In our upcoming house concert Saturday, December 28, she will bring over thirty years of performance experience, a background that includes influences in classical, jazz, Celtic, bluegrass, and Texas swing fiddle. Please write back in response to this email if you plan to attend and I will send you directions to the Santa Cruz (Bonny Doon) location with phone number.
 

We hope to see you during the holidays.  Please be sure and celebrate safely and joyfully. We have a wondrous New Year ahead of us full of opportunities to share music and poetry.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Peace on Earth to all children, women and men.

"November comes and November goes, with the last red berries and the first white snows.

"November comes and November goes, with the last red berries and the first white snows.
… With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.” (by Elizabeth Coatsworth)

“November has tied me to an old dead tree
Get word to April to rescue me.” (November by Tom Waites)

 

At the FAR-West (Folk Alliance Region West) Conference in Irvine, CA this year, Bohemian Hwy Music (our music and books company) featured their own Private Guerilla Showcase (PGS) room. We showcased 28 fabulous songwriters and bands giving stellar performances to please our ears. The songwriting and performing level was so high at this conference that we were always inspired, stimulated and challenged. Even with my vivid imagination I can't imagine having more fun while learning and growing at the same time. (Picture below is performance in the Mother Hen Promotions PGS).

Some of the workshops Chappell and I attended as volunteers were: Penny Nichols presentation "Teaching at Workshops and Camps," a lively and valuable session for the many musician educators at the conference. The "How to Arrange Music for Recording" workshop featured one of our former Bay Area luminaries, Bill Griffin (producer of several Kate Wolf albums, pictured with Keale below) and other arrangers, Gary Stockdale and John Egenes. The most-attended presentation (up to 100 or more) was The Ash Grove: 1958 – 1973, a fascinating history of the L. A. coffeehouse/nightclub hosted by Joel Tepp, with special guests Ed Pearl (founder), Chris Hillman (Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, etc.), Herb Pedersen (The Dillards, Desert Rose Band). Several former employees told amazing stories of their days surviving the radical 60’s at the club.

We also had a chance to see the Wrecking Crew documentary at the FAR-West conference. It is a must see. You will not regret the effort to get out and see it... we loved it. Old clips of Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Hal Blaine, the singers and bands they recorded for: Gary Lewis, the Byrds, the Beachboys (Brian Wilson was their favorite to work with), Nancy Sinatra and many more. Film maker, guitarist Tommy Tedesco's son, is trying to raise money for a theatrical release. The selected private showings are how he is doing that. See “the crew” on Facebook.

Bay Area musicians and songwriters, be sure and register for next year’s FAR-West Music Conference, October 16-19, 2014 to be held in Oakland.  Also folks, take advantage of the evening performances, open to the public and well worth the buddy price you’ll pay at the door.

Upcoming Sunday, November 10, we will perform at "The Music of the Word (La Palabra Musical)" with the brilliant musician Carlos Reyes playing Harp and Violin. Event is 4:00 – 4:30 PM No Cover, hosted by poet/musician Avotcja. Donations are accepted & don’t forget to bring your Congas, Guiros, Maracas, Panderetas etc. It’s at Casa Latina Taqueira, Bakery and Café on 1805 San Pablo Avenue at Delaware (3 blocks north of University/2 blocks west of N. Berkeley Bart), Berkeley, CA 94702. (510)558-7177

Anyone interested in hosting a house party please drop us a line and let us know.  House concerts are a great way to enjoy quality music created by your local Indie musicians.
 

Hello, “Neighbors in October”

Hello, “Neighbors in October”

 “… Down the block we bend with the season:
shoes to polish for a big game,
storm windows to batten or patch.
And how like a field is the whole sky now
that the maples have shed their leaves, too.
It makes us believers—stationed in groups,
leaning on rakes, looking into space …” (David Baker)

“Oooh, October nights, Orion aims his sights.
A harvest moon is rising, a golden pumpkin in the sky,
Venus hugs the horizon and wispy clouds drift by.
This is the month when saints and sinners,
Wear masks of losers and winners.” (October Nights by Chappell Holt)

This last month has been busy with preparations for the 10th Anniversary FAR-West Music Conference, where we are featuring a Private Guerilla Showcase (PGS) room for the first time. We will be providing a performance space for 28 musicians playing their songs for venues looking to book acts, and other performers who might like to do their songs. Most of these rooms on the hotel’s third floor are booked. It is going to be a music-filled PGS hallway this year! Jammin’ all night long!

Just last week, we released four songs from the Chappell & Dave Holt album Stone & Fire, full release scheduled for the holiday season. You can hear and download them at www.chappellanddaveholt.com. Mayne Smith  starts us off with an exciting reso guitar performance on Toronto Tonto and his Cowboy Guitar. On Bad Girl’s Blues, Chappell‘s brother Tom Ekkens is featured on harmonica, a dialogue of blues harp improvisatin’ along with Dave on keyboard. There are Miles Davis inspired vocalized horn lines and scat singing from Chappell and Dave on this tune. Malcolm Hunter plays a gorgeous tenor sax on Bohemian Moon that reminded us of old Coleman Hawkins recordings (Coleman had a hit record on the juke box with his solo sax version of Body and Soul). John Roy Zat added his ragin’ Cajun fire to our title cut, Stone & Fire. Karl Hartmann helps make it all swing together with acoustic upright bass, and electric bass on Stone and Fire.

As we wrote in the September newsletter, Chappell designed and sewed a vest for violinist Carlos Reyes. It was specially made to be worn at the Latina concert scheduled for September 16th at the White House and also for PBS broadcast.  Sadly the concert was cancelled due to the Naval Yard shooting that happened the same day just down the street.  Carlos did get to play for “El Senor Presidente Obama” and the first lady at the dress rehearsal.  There is hope the show will be rescheduled for January 2014.

 

 

 

We are performing live in Palmdale at Butler’s Coffee – Sat., Oct. 5^th, at 7 pm with

John M. Butler's Coffee is located at 40125 10th St. West, Suite I, Palmdale, CA. Tel: (661) 272-9530. 

 

 

 

 

 

Butler’s wrote, “These veteran performers have been traveling

separately but will be teaming up for a special evening of live music at Butlers Coffee before hitting the road again for Irvine, CA, and the Far-West Conference! The Holts (Chappell & Dave) and John M met each other at a FAR-West conference, so what better place to share a gig than at Butlers Coffee, one week before returning to this revered music industry conference!”

Just before the conference begins, we’ll also showcase at Firefly Bistro in Pasadena, sharing the stage with John Roy Zat on violin.  See Facebook page: Pre-Conference FAR-West Fest @ Firefly Bistro, October 9th!

Hope to see you at the Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West) Music Conference next week!

September … These Precious Days I’ll Spend With You

September … These Precious Days I’ll Spend With You

“Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
One hasn’t got time for the waiting game …” (September Song; Kurt Weill, Max Anderson)

September: “The golden-rod is yellow; The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards with fruit are bending down.” (Helen Hunt Jackson, 1830-1885)

Our Bohemian Highway Books publication, Voyages to Ancestral Islands, Poems & Prose by Dave Holt,  has been selected to receive a Cultural/Literary Award by Artists Embassy International, of Richmond.  The award will be presented at The Dancing Poetry Festival on Saturday, September 14, 2013, Noon to 4:00 p.m., at the Florence Gould Theater at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum in Lincoln Park, 100 34^th Ave near Clement. Tickets allow you to visit the museum at no charge (except special exhibits). VIP entry is given to all Dancing Poetry Festival Advanced Ticket holders.

We performed August 24^th for Monterey Bay Idol on Raising the Standards, with DJs Michael Jacobi and Rachael Shelton, a Saturday show on KSCO Radio in Santa Cruz. We did a three song set and an interview totaling about 15-20 minutes. Listeners are able to vote for their favorite performers, however our link is not yet available.  Please check back at this link and vote for us. Cool prizes for the winner!

This year, Chappell and Dave will host a Private Guerilla Showcase (PGS) room at

FAR-West's 10th Anniversary Conference, October 10 - 13, 2013, in Irvine CA featuring roots and Americana songwriters. Our room will have a piano set up for those writers who compose on keyboard. Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West) is the West-coast region of Folk Alliance International. One of the events, The Official Showcase is a chance for guests and visitors to come and see some outstanding acts. Tickets for all the showcases are available to the public using the Brown Paper Ticket link. You can see a great concert for $10 per night. Several of our friends will be featured.  Also a private screening of The Wrecking Crew documentary film is open to the public through the Brown Paper Tickets link at the FAR-West website.

Last Saturday, we had a wonderful recording session with FAR-West musician, John Roy Zat, who laid down some churnin’ burnin’ cajun fiddle on our title song, Stone and Fire.

Our friend Carlos Reyes has been invited to play THE WHITE HOUSE....... yep ... THE CASA BLANCA, in a special concert called Musica Latina at The White House featuring many great Latin musicians. Chappell is making some beautiful new threads for him to wear. Carlos will play violin with the wonderful Cuban singer, Gloria Estefan, Christina Aguilera, and many others. It will be filmed for PBS so we’ll let you know when it airs. Carlos’s violin wizardry is featured on two songs on our soon to be released album Stone and Fire.

Chappell’s album cover painting, Stone and Fire, is included in the Occidental Center for the Arts show, Earth Wind and Fire. Stop by for the opening Friday Sept. 6 if you can and we’ll also play you a few tunes.

We look forward to seeing many of you in Irvine and around town!