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

/in , , /by

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.

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.