The Band is 'Smokehouse' Brown (guitar), 'Pink' Arguello (vocals), Henry Carvajal (guitar), Tom Fillman (drums), Johnny Mastro (harmonica) and Bobby Tsukamoto (bass).
Showing posts with label santa monica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label santa monica. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Blues And Burlesque : A Monster Combo
The Band is 'Smokehouse' Brown (guitar), 'Pink' Arguello (vocals), Henry Carvajal (guitar), Tom Fillman (drums), Johnny Mastro (harmonica) and Bobby Tsukamoto (bass).
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Ultralove! On The Promenade
I ran into my man Ultralove busking down on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. He treated me to a version of the sad blues lament Strange Fruit. Written by Abel Meeropol in 1939, it was made famous by Billie Holiday. Ultralove performs every Monday night at Harvelle's in Santa Monica with a full band.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
MONOPHONICS : This One Goes Out
To My Man The Groove Merchant
from the press release:
Monophonics were formed in '05; originally a instrumental ensemble comprised of guitarist Ian McDonald, bassist Myles O’Mahony, saxophonist Alex Baky, trumpeter Ryan Scott, and drummer Austin Bohlman, the band has recently added the dynamic soul vocals of keyboardist Kelly Finnigan. The result is a psychedelic soul & heavy funk sound, which harks back to the stylings of the late '60s and early '70s, all while keeping its feet planted in the present.
Their Ubiquity debut, In Your Brain is now available for Pre-Order. Also be on the look out for a special 7'' to be released on Record Store Day.
San Francisco and it's out laying townships and suburbs have a long history of soul funk, psychedelic soul, acid jazz, rare groove, and other unclassifiable yet deeply funky stuff. Not just the known stuff from the 60s and 70s, like Tower Of Power and Sly & The Family Stone, but obscure artists like The Propositions, The Mighty Ryeders, and Spanky Wilson, continuing through to modern bastardizers like Limbomaniacs, Primus, Deli Creeps, Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, new traditionalists like T.J. Kirk, Charlie Hunter and Mo'Fessionals and revivalists like Mike James Kirkland, Orgone and Monophonics, going strong today.
I spent much of the late eighties and early nineties making regular trips to San Francisco specifically to The Groove Merchant* to collect rare vinyl and everything on the Luv N Haight label which was primarily vintage tracks no one ever heard, available for the true groove connoisseur, the true crate digger looking for the ultimate head bobbing track. In the Beastie Boys song Professor Booty, they pay tribute: "This one goes out to my man the Groove Merchant/ Coming through with beats for which I been searching". Brilliant. Many Luv N Haight titles are available [here].
Of course, with YouTube and mp3s and funk blogs and many compilations from all over the planet filling every nook and cranny and every niche genre, it's all well documented and readily available. But there's nothing like hearing it live.
MONOPHONICS are blasting off tonight at Harvelle's 1432 4th St. in Santa Monica (between Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd). Come down, it'll do your soul some good.
*note: the URL www.groovemerchantrecords.com doesn't seem to work any longer.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Harvelle's Santa Monica Weekend :
Adrian Hibbs & Dessy DiLauro
Jimmy Z And The Z Tribe &
The Toledo Show
It's a big weekend in Santa Monica!
It's a Soul Double Header on Friday night. The uptown New Orleans influenced sound of Adrian Hibbs will make you feel good! Dessy DiLauro brings her distinctive jazzy sound and her amazing voice to complete the night. Saturday night is alright for fighting according to Elton John. Also alright, Jimmy Z and The Z Tribe! World famous Etta James sideman, sax/harmonica player Jimmy Z throws down the electric Chicago style blues. Jamie James opens the night with an early set at 8:30. Sunday brings The Toledo Show with their film noir soul and femme fatale cabaret - a satisfying way to end another perfect weekend. Harvelle's Santa Monica is located at 1432 4th St. Santa Monica. Ample parking in the structure just South of the club.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Toledo Show : In The L.A. Weekly!!
The LA Weekly came to The Toledo Show on Sunday night, and wrote this excellent review.
photo : Nick Faigin
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Café R & B : Where The Hell Am I?
I'm in luck. Tonight Cafè R&B is performing.
Appropriate for my mood, I'm ready to rock the casbah along with the rest of them beautiful people out here on the dance floor.
My mind is numb from the weekday grind. Glad I'm here. As Roach sings about "phonecalls from Levenworth", her man Byl launches into solo after solo of guitar shredding madness with the unwavering eye of the tiger. Delta blues - shmelta blues.... Byl is the real deal!
Don Swanson pounds the skins into submission.
Blues submission.
Another night in Santa Monica. Probably do it again tomorrow night.
Another night in Santa Monica. Probably do it again tomorrow night.
Sunday is The Toledo Show.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Toledo Show : Positively 4th St
The city of Santa Monica presents it's big Summer Soulstice (sic) festival today, but tonight... whassup?
I'll tell you whassup!
The Toledo Show struts it's stuff right down here on 4th St.
The Toledo Show - if you don't know - is a show unlike any other. Toledo Diamond is the frontman and he leads his electric cabaret through a night of jazzy r&b soul-funk as dancing girls (aka The Dames) swirl around on stage and through the crowd . The place is always packed with hipsters and newbies alike. Pretty people who know how to party on a Sunday night.
Longest day of the year? Maybe.
Baddest show in L.A.? Most definitely!
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