Monthly Meeting Recap – November 2023

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Dear Guitar Fans:

Last night was an extraordinary, magical gathering at Paschal Winery, full of music and laughter. The audience was joined by visiting guitarist René Izquierdo and his wife and duet partner Elina Chekan.


PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – Starry Night (original)

Steve Bismarck – Clouds by Oleg Kisilev, One Note Samba by Mendoça/Jobim

Bob Bath – If by Bread, Prelude No. 1 in C by Bach

Francesco Palmer – Disillusionment, Insomniac Artists (originals)

Brian Parris – South of the Border by Gene Autry, Runaway by Del Shannon

~ Intermission ~

LaRui Duo (Mary La & Grant Ruiz) – Do You Remember Me by Carlos Santana, Watching the River Run by Loggins & Messina

Grant and Mark Everson – Yo Soy del Sur by Ecos de Rocio, Farrucas (trad. Flamenco)

Arturo Ville – No Te Olvides de Mi, Echoes of the Rogue River (originals)

Mark Turnbull – If the World Had Amnesia, Bells, Melody Has Led Me Here (originals)

René Izquierdo then played a beautiful set of Cuban songs and one Puerto Rican song, including Guajira a Mi Madre by Ñico Rojas, Mirándote by Eduardo Martin, A Day in November by Leo Brouwer, and La Comparsa by Ernesto Lecuona (Brouwer’s great uncle).


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Grant will play solo guitar at Belle Fiore Winery on Sunday, Nov. 26 from 5 to 7pm; at Trium Wines in Talent on Friday, Dec. 1 from 5 to 7pm; and at Paschal Winery’s wine club party on Sunday, Dec. 3 from 1 to 3pm. He’ll play duets with Dan Fellman at Gallerie Karon (their last time there) on Dec. 8 from 5 to 8pm.

Elections for the guitar society’s Board of Directors will take place at our next monthly meeting on Thursday, Dec. 14. If you are passionate about the guitar and would like to support our mission of bringing great guitar music to the valley and providing outreach programs for children and under served members of the community, please consider joining us! There will be follow-up emails in the future with particulars. For now, please consult our Mission and Vision statements at guitarsocietyso.org/pages/about-us/. If you know now that you’d like to be on the ballot (no campaigning necessary!), please let us know by using the “Contact Us” link or by emailing guitarsocietyofso@gmail.com.

Monthly Meeting Recap – October 2023

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Dear Guitar Fans:

Last night, October 12, we had a full, fun evening of guitar music at Paschal Winery.

PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – Untitled (original)
Milton & Laurel Bloombaum – I’m Sticking with the Union by Acie Cargill, Solidarity Forever by Ralph Chaplin
Brian Parris – Mexico by Toy Caldwell, Travelers by Tim O’Brien/Alessandro Massa Untu
Elizabeth & Neil Holland – Bluesy, Diamonds, John Prines Last Dance (originals)

~ Intermission ~

Francesco Palmer – Ode to Autumn (original), Koyunbaba by Carlo Domeniconi
Grant Ruiz – ¿Dónde Estás Corazon? by Luis Serrano, Solamente una Vez by Agustín Lara
Grant and Mark Everson – La Feria de Granada by Enrique Montoya, Bulerías in A (trad. flamenco)
Mark Everson – Bulerías based on Hava Nagila
Mark Turnbull – Frame of Reference, Simple Trust, The Olde Fam’ly (originals)


ANNOUNCEMENTS

The GSSO, in conjunction with the Britt Education, is hosting Cuban-born guitarist René Izquierdo at the SOU Recital Hall on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at guitarsocietyso.org. We’ll send out separate email reminders with more details about the concert. This project is supported in part by a grant from the Jackson County Cultural Coalition funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust, investing in Oregon’s arts, humanities and heritage.

Elections for the Board of Directors will be held during our December gathering. There will be 3 slots available to fill. We’ll send out more information in a future email, so please keep an eye out for that.

Mark Turnbull will play at Bloomsbury Blends Café in Ashland on First Friday, November 3 from 5-7pm.

Grant Ruiz will play duets with Dan Fellman at the Rogue Valley Manor on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7pm; at Belle Fiore Winery on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 5:30 to 7:30pm; and at First Friday at Gallerie Karon in Ashland from 5-8pm (come see us after you hear Mark play!).

Grant will also play solo guitar at Paschal Winery’s happy hour on Sunday, Oct. 22 from 3:30 to 5:30pm. His music will also be featured in the Collaborative Theater Project’s children’s play Yo Recuerdo Abuelito (I Remember Grandpa), a Día de los Muertos story, on Sunday and Monday, Oct. 29 at 30. You can get more information at ctpmedford.org/ctp-kids-schedule/.

For anybody interested in the OLLI program, a meeting attendee mentioned that OLLI is staging a musical Nov. 1-5. See sou.edu/olli-abroad/ for more information.


Respectfully submitted,
Grant Ruiz
Flamenco and classical guitarist
Secretary, GSSO
flamencopacifico.com
duoflamenco.com
541-261-3811

Monthly Meeting Recap – September 2023

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Dear Guitar Fans:

On Thursday, Sept. 14, we had another lovely evening of guitar music at Paschal Winery.

PROGRAM

Milton & Laurel Bloombaum – O Sole Mio (Italian), Garoon (Armenian folk dance)

John Swinnerton – Untitled original

Steve Bismarck – The Way You Look Tonight by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields

Brian Parris – Murder on Music Row by Larry Cordle, Dark Eyed Cajun Woman by Tom Johnston

~ Intermission ~

LaRui Duo (Mary La & Grant Ruiz) – Fragile by Sting, Harvest Moon by Neil Young (both arranged by Grant)

Grant Ruiz – Prelude No. 1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Paso del Norte by Stefan Schyga

Francesco Palmer – Lágrima/Adelita and Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tárrega

Mark Turnbull – Sew the Flags Together, The Willow by the Well, Let Go of That Thing (originals)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tickets are now on sale for the GSSO Fall concert featuring classical guitarist René Izquierdo (with special guest Elina Chekan) on Saturday, November 11 at the SOU Recital Hall. The concert starts at 7:30pm. You can get your tickets from our website, guitarsocietyso.org. This concert is supported in part by a grant from the Jackson County Cultural Coalition funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust. It’s one of our big events of the year, so don’t miss out, and please tell (or bring) a friend!

Remember that elections for the Board of Directors will be held at our monthly gathering on December 14 at Paschal Winery. You can learn more about our mission and charter at guitarsocietyso.org/pages/about-us/. (Please refer also to our email sent on Sept. 15.) Note that you don’t have to be a guitarist to be on the board! All you need is a love of the guitar and an interest in helping the GSSO get more quality guitar music into the community.

Grant Ruiz and Dan Fellman will play at Gallerie Karon for First Friday on Oct. 6 from 5-8pm. The gallery will be closing before the end of year, so come in for some guitar music and special deals on their eclectic collection.

Respectfully submitted,

Grant Ruiz

Flamenco and classical guitarist

Secretary, GSSO

flamencopacifico.com

duoflamenco.com

541-261-3811