Recap of the JCGS Music Meeting May 1, 2018

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We enjoyed a very full evening of excellent music and camaraderie at the beautiful Paschal Winery in Talent on Tuesday, May 1. There were over 40 people in attendance.

PROGRAM
 
John Swinnerton – The Condor (original tremolo piece)
Kevin McDowell – Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, Unchain My Heart by
Rob Rhodes – Se Ela Perguntar by Dilermando Reis
Joe Thompson – Eleanor Plunkett and The Honorable Thomas Burke by Turlough O’Carolan, arr. Joseph Thompson
Norm Fletcher – Cavatina by Stanley Meyers
Chip Dennerlein – Love Will Always Find a Way, Baby, Can I Follow You Home? (originals)
Brian Parris – Back Home Again by John Denver, Home by Carla Bonoff
Arturo Ville – Danai’s Blues (original)
~ INTERMISSION ~
The Britt Guitar Trio (Ed Dunsavage, Mark Nelson, Grant Ruiz) played a varied selection of tunes:
Caminata by Ralph Towner
Chan Chan by The Buena Vista Social Club
‘Ulupalakua (trad. Hawaiian slack key)
The Gentle Rain by Luis Bonfa
Minor Swing by Django Reinhardt
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Grant Ruiz plays with Flamenco Pacifico at the Ashland New World Festival today, May 19, from 3:15-4pm at the Lithia Park Bandshell. The show will feature Portland-based dancer Elena Villa.
Guitarist James Bishop-Edwards and singer Pat O’Scannell present a program of Spanish music from the Renaissance to Early Baroque period tonight, May 19, at 7pm at the Crystal Room of the Ashland Springs Hotel. https://www.musicamatrix.org/events/33/concert-espana/ for more info.
Grant Ruiz and Dan Fellman will play guitar duets at Kindred Spirits in Talent on Friday, May 25 from 6:30-8:30p, then at Belle Fiore the next night, Saturday, May 26 from 6-8pm.
Goh Kurosawa from LA will be our featured artist for the June meeting.
June will be very a full month. June 10 we will feature the incredible flamenco and classical guitarist, Grisha Goryachev, at Paschal Winery. Tickets will go on sale soon. You can check out his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/mininocurro.
June 30, flamenco dancer Savannah Fuentes will appear with guitarist Pedro Cortes, one of the best flamenco guitarists in the country, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Ashland. More news to come.
The Britt Festival has opened up enrollment for their Guitar Weekend June 22-24. Seven instructors will teach seven styles for two hours each over three days. The fee also includes admission to guitar concerts that weekend. More information at brittfest.org/gw. Tell a guitar-loving friend! Only some beginning experience is required. There will also be a faculty concert on Saturday night, June 23 at the Britt Performance Garden.
Respectfully submitted,
Grant Ruiz
JCGS president

Recap of the JCGS Music Meeting April 3, 2018

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We enjoyed a very full evening of excellent music and camaraderie at the beautiful Paschal Winery in Talent on Tuesday, April 3.
 
 
PROGRAM
 
Joe Thompson – Lament With Cowboy Song by Joseph Thompson
 
Karma & Rob Rhodes – Corrento; Come With Me My Giselle (both anonymous)
 
Bill Graham – Ashokan Farewell by Jay Unger (1982)
 
Brian Parris – Who Will Watch The Home Place by Laurie Lewis
 
Kevin McDowell – Amado Mio by Fisher and Roberts
 
Bob Bath – Meditation by A.C. Jobim, arr. by Jorge Nolla.
 
John Swinnerton – Staffordshire (original)
 
Grant Ruiz – Cien Años by Rubén Fuentes and Alberto Cervantes
 
~ INTERMISSION ~
 
Visiting classical guitarist Travis Johnson captivated the audience with remarkable solos:
 
BWV 1004 (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Giga) by J. S. Bach (1685 – 1750)
La Folia Folio by Bryan Johanson (1951 – present)
Sonata Op. 61 by Joaquin Turina (1882 – 1949)

 

 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
The Britt Festival has opened up enrollment for their Guitar Weekend June 22-24. Seven instructors will teach seven styles for two hours each over three days. The fee also includes admission to guitar concerts that weekend. More information at brittfest.org/gw. Tell a guitar-loving friend! Only some beginning experience is required. There will also be a faculty concert on Saturday night, June 23 at the Britt Performance Garden.
 
Grant Ruiz will play solo guitar on Wednesday, April 25 at the open house art show at the Fountain Plaza retirement community at 1441 Morrow Rd. in Medford; duets with Dan Fellman on Saturday, April 28 at Belle Fiore from 6-8pm; and solo guitar on Sunday, April 29 at Paschal Winery’s happy hour from 4-6pm. 
 
For any guitarists interested in playing at the Grants Pass PorchFest, please contact Linda Scott starting today atscottlj@charter.net. The event is Saturday, June 16. There are one-hour slots from 12-3pm. If a group of JCGS members or SOU students wishes to perform, they can take turns playing on an assigned porch, or play in ensemble! Linda says JCGS members are invited to come out to Grants Pass that day to visit and support the event in any case. 
The Britt Guitar Trio will be the featured artists for the May meeting. The trio just completed a residency tour of Rogue Valley schools. They combine elements of jazz, Hawaiian slack key, Americana, and flamenco guitar. 
 
Goh Kurosawa of Los Angeles will be our featured artist for the June meeting. 
 
Grant’s group Flamenco Pacifico has new merchandise: T-shirts! You can order the shirts at https://www.paypal.me/BertoBoyd/25. They cost $25 each, which includes shipping. Please specify your size at the time of order. Thank you for your support!
 
Treasurer Rob Rhodes reminded everyone to pay their dues, $20 for the calendar year, and they can be paid any time of year. Dues help support our ongoing expenses (state and federal fees, venue insurance, and website hosting) plus additional efforts like bringing guitarists to the area for concerts. Even though it’s voluntary, we ask that everybody who attends our meetings pays dues.
 
Michael Philbert has joined the JCGS Board of Directors, since a position opened up with the passing of our dear Sam Cooper. Grant will be the interim president until the next elections, and Bob Bath will take Grant’s place as secretary.
 
 
Respectfully submitted,
Grant Ruiz
President, JCGS

Recap of the JCGS Music Meeting March 6, 2018

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We enjoyed a very full evening of excellent music and camaraderie at the beautiful Paschal Winery in Talent on Tuesday, March 6. There were many loving tributes made to our dear president, Sam Cooper, who passed from this world on Monday, March 5, the day before the meeting.
 
As a reminder, Wenjun Qi, the SOU guitar instructor, has invited us to an OCA (Oregon Center for the Arts) guitar concert TODAY at 3:00pm in the SOU music recital hall. It will include classical, jazz, and pop guitar repertoire with various instruments.
 
PROGRAM
 
Joe Thompson – Mysteries of the Universe/I’m an Old Cowhand by Joseph Thompson, a tribute composed in Sam’s honor that day
 
Rob Rhodes – Frog Galliard by John Dowland
 
Bob Bath – Choros by Heitor Villa-Lobos
 
Bill Graham – Danny Boy, words by Frederic Weatherly (1913), a favorite of Sam’s and one that he would sing
 
John Swinnerton – Paschal by John Swinnerton, in commemoration of our sweet home, Paschal Winery, which Sam loved
 
Brian Parris – Someday Soon by Ian Tyson
 
Grant Ruiz – Tango to Evora by Loreena McKennitt, words by Sam Cooper and Grant Ruiz
 
Steve Berman – A medley of Polonaises from the 1700s played on nyckelharpa, an instrument Sam played among many others.
 
Arturo Ville – Cuando Se Va un Amigo (When a Friend is Gone) by Alberto Cortés. (Arturo also played a video message from Laurel and Milton Bloombaum expressing their condolences.)
~ INTERMISSION ~
 
Classical guitarist James Bishop-Edwards and violist Kimberley Fitch treated us to a mesmerizing set of 21st century duets:
 
Tryptich by Jason Heald, music director of Umpqua Community College in Roseburg
Three pieces from “Big Sur Suite” by James Bishop-Edwards
Sonate by Erik Marchelie, contemporary French composer
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Grant Ruiz will play with jazz guitarist Dan Fellman on Sunday, March 11 at RoxyAnny Winery in Medford with Dan,1-4pm; solo guitar on Thursday, March 15 at Kindred Spirits in Talent, 6:30-8:30pm; Thursday, March 22at Millennium Music in Portland with Flamenco Pacifico at 7pm; Friday, March 23 at the Majestic Theater in Corvallis with Flamenco Pacifico at 7:30pm; and Saturday, March 24 at the Hawthorne Theater Lounge in Portland with Flamenco Pacifico at 8:30pm. The shows with Flamenco Pacifico will include powerhouse dancer Melissa Cruz from the San Francisco Bay Area. 
 
Grant’s flamenco guitar teacher Pedro Cortés (3rd generation Spanish gypsy guitarist) will perform on Sunday, March 18 at 8pm at the Analog Café in Portland. He will perform with Seattle dancer Savannah Fuentes, whom the society has sponsored in concert in the past.
 
Matt Dorris will play solo classical guitar at Belle Fiore Winery on Saturday, March 31 from 6-8pm.
 
GFA Youth Competition winner Travis Johnson will be our featured artist at the April meeting.
 
The Britt Festival has opened up enrollment for their Guitar Weekend June 22-24. Seven instructors will teach seven styles for two hours each over three days. The fee also includes admission to guitar concerts that weekend. More information at brittfest.org/gw. 
 
Treasurer Rob Rhodes reminded everyone to pay their dues, $20 for the calendar year, and they can be paid any time of year. Dues help support our ongoing expenses (state and federal fees, venue insurance, and website hosting) plus additional efforts like bringing guitarists to the area for concerts. Even though it’s voluntary, we ask that everybody who attends our meetings pays dues.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Grant Ruiz
Flamenco and classical guitarist
Adjunct guitar instructor, SOU
Secretary, JCGS