Monthly Meeting Recap – February 2024

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Dear Guitar Fans:

We had an extraordinary evening of music with over 45 people in attendance, including several new attendees!


PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – untitled original

Francesco Bard – Kathmandu by Cat Stevens, Capricho Árabe by Francisco Tárrega

Brian Parris – Long on Time by Gary Wight, Mexico by Toy Caldwell

Steve Bismarck – All the Things You Are by Jerome Kern, I’ve Got You Under My Skin by Cole Porter  

~ Intermission ~

Grant Ruiz – Arpeggio study in F, Dreaming Sorrow, Finding Joy (originals)

Grant Ruiz & Dan Fellman – Anouman by Django Reinhardt, San Sol, Resolución (Dan originals)

Mark Turnbull – Blue Moon excerpts by Rogers and Hart; Love is in Charge; Branches, Roots, and Vines; The Old Family (originals)


ANNOUNCEMENTS

You can now get your tickets for our upcoming Spring concert featuring the guitar and cello duet of Boyd Meets Girl. The event will be on Friday, March 15 at 7:00pm at Grizzly Peak Winery, Tickets and information are available right here!

Keith Holland is a very experienced luthier and guitar repair person who owned a business in Los Gatos and now resides in the Rogue Valley. If you’re interested in his services, you can contact him at keith@khguitars.com.

Former GSSO president Matt Dorris gave a presentation on 19th century guitar music at the Ashland Senior Center as part of our outreach program, which was very well received.

Upcoming outreach appearances by GSSO members include:

• Arturo Ville at the Eagle Point Library on Saturday, February 24 at 1pm
• Neil and Elizabeth Holland at the Jacksonville Library on Saturday, March 9th at 1 pm
 
René Izquierdo, who performed for us here in November, will be giving a masterclass that will be presented online. If you’d like to watch, you can register here. It will happen on Sunday, February 25 from 11am to 1:30pm PST via Zoom.

Grant Ruiz and Dan Fellman will play at Belle Fiore Winery in Ashland on Sunday, February 11 from 5 to 7pm.

The next Guitar Society gathering will be on Thursday, March 14, the day before the Boyd Meets Girl concert. Mark your calendars!

Monthly Meeting Recap – January 2024

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Dear Guitar Fans:

We had a lovely, full evening of guitar music and camaraderie on Thursday, January 11 at Paschal Winery.


PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – untitled original

Bob Bath – Estudio No. 14 by Fernando Sor

Francesco Palmer – Spanish Caravan by The Doors, Shape of My Heart by Sting

Brian Parris – Home Again by John Denver, Someone I Used to Know by Jack Clement

Neil & Elizabeth Holland – Journey to Tomorrow, Southern Skies (originals)

Grant Ruiz – Morning Bells, By the River (originals)

Matt Dorris – Reverie Op. 53 by Napoleon Coste

Mark Turnbull – There Goes Love, Teach Me (originals)

~ Intermission ~

Goh Kurosawa, featured artist from Japan (by way of LA), played a set of several of his original pieces, including a new acapella song (#4 below) about his recent adventures in Northern California and Southern Oregon:

1. Sing 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ4GFQpzf04
2. Kicker
3. Smile 
www.composelife.com/diary/smile
4. Shasta物語 aka Letter to Sequoia
www.composelife.com/diary/shastamonogatari
5. Move
6. Eunoia
7. Chikara Danza
8. Rainfall
9. Working Holiday

Photos of Goh’s performance are attached below.


ANNOUNCEMENTS

The newly elected guitar society board members and officers were announced: Jennifer Babineaux, president; Grant Ruiz, secretary; Kristi Schoenbachler, treasurer; Peter Jespersen, webmaster; and Neil Holland, outreach coordinator. Each officer has a term of one year.

Matt Dorris will appear at the Ashland Senior Center on January 31st at 1pm. If you’re interested, pre-registration is required. You can get more information here.

Mark Turnbull will play at Bloomsbury Blends on First Friday, February 2, from 5-7pm.

Monthly Meeting Recap – December 2023

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Dear Guitar Fans:

We had a lovely gathering at Paschal Winery Thursday night. The performers were joined by 8 of Arturo Ville’s students from his guitar class at Grants Pass High School, along with their families, so the house was full!


PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – Solstice Shuffle (original)

Bob Bath – Silent Night by Hans Gruber, Christmastime is Here by Vince Guaraldi 

Steve and Marge Bismarck – Christmas medley for bassoon and guitar: Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod; Silent Night by Gruber; Merry Christmas, Darling by Pooler/Carpenter

Francesco Palmer – Seasons of Transformation (original)

Arturo Ville – holiday medley: Silver Bells, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells

Grants Pass HS guitar class – holiday medley: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; Silent Night; Deck The Halls (arranged by Louis Martinez and Aaron Stang)

~ Intermission ~

LaRui Duo – Carol of the Bells by Mykoka Leontovych (trad. Ukranian), Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

Grant Ruiz – Villancicos de Gloria (trad. flamenco), Christmastime is Here by Guaraldi, El Noi de la Mare (arranged by Miguel Llobet)

Victor and the Misfits (Neil and Elizabeth Holland with Victor Mlotok) – Twelve Bars Blues, Little Bird by Tim Edey

Mark Turnbull – The Day After Christmas, To a Grecian Urn, There Shines a Star (originals)

Brian Parris – Return to Me by Carmen Lombardo and Danny DiMinno, Please Come Home For Christmas by Charles Brown



ANNOUNCEMENTS

We held elections for the Board of Directors, who will serve 2 year terms. All 4 nominees – Jennifer Babineaux (incumbent), Neil Holland, Kristi Schoenbachler, and Grant Ruiz (incumbent) – were voted in unanimously as a group by a show of hands of the paying members present. Peter Jespersen is in the middle of his term, having been elected to the board last year, so he is the fifth board member.

Grant will play solo guitar at Gallerie Karon for First Friday on January 5 from 5 to 8pm, and guitar duets with Dan Fellman at Belle Fiore on Saturday, January 6 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.