Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival: Director's notes

The Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival has a new website and I'll be posting over there now, instead of here. It has an RSS feed and instructions on how you can subscribe to new posts by email, so you'll still be able to keep up with all of our activities.

The new site is at http://seldoviamusicfestival.wordpress.com/. Hope you'll join us there!

 

Rawlson Bowles joins the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival

Reviews

• "A mature, thoughtful portrait of age, youth, and the place 'where dreams and truth collide." - All Music Guide
• "Carwreck Conversations is chock-full of the smart and catchy, rock- and folk-tinged material that has long made Bowles a coveted performer throughout the Midwest." - The Grand Rapids Press

Quotes

"Ralston's performances are always a treat and filled with the unexpected. He's the Cheshire Cat of the folksters, slyly romping in an unpredictable wonderland." - Michael Packer, Station Manager, WYCE Radio

"Ralston Bowles writes songs like his name: they seem connected to another time, burnished like an heirloom, and yet there they are, clearly as present in the here-and-now as their writer, standing right in front of you." - Peter Mulvey, Singer/Songwriter

"Some artists get better as they get older but most don't. Ralston is an example of the first kind. He has a veterans stage presence, a dry wit and a wise lyric." - Ken Heffner, Director of Student Activities, Calvin College

"Honestly, Ralston Bowles is a treasure, his ability to craft words with song is one completely lost in our 'boyband media soundbite culture' and I have been both humbled and exhilarated by Ralston's work." - Robert Deeble, Singer/Songwriter

"The world is crawling with singer/songwriters who are trying to 'make it' in the music business. And then there's Ralston, who probably couldn't care less about 'making it', but who writes songs that are better than probably three-fourths of those singer/songwriters." - Patrick Power, booking director, Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse Concert Series, East Lansing, MI

"With his balanced approach to Life, Faith and Art, Ralston Bowles has made a lasting impression on me on a personal level. With his music he has inspired me and audiences as well on several occasions when we have shared the stage. He is an observant listener who is ready with fresh insight. " - Michael Johnston, Small Town Poets

"Ralston is the songwriter I want to be when I grow up!" - Drew Nelson, Singer/Songwriter

Fun, Fiddle and Flamenco Jazz..a great combination for the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival June 20 and 21

Joe Craven 

 is a madman with anything that has strings attached; violin, mandolin, tin can, bedpan, cookie tin, tenor guitar, mouth bow, banjo, berimbau, balalaika, boot ‘n lace plus a world of percussion instruments including animal bones, squeeze toys, cake pans, waste cans, umbrella stands, martini shakers and...Himself.  His stage setup more often resembles a yard sale.  But there's more to Craven than meets the ear.   Educator, visual artist, former museum curator, motivational speaker, actor/storyteller and festival emcee, Joe’s work is born out of respect and reverence and seeks to honor the creative energy in everyone.  An advocate of the folk arts, Joe’s educational mission is to empower individuals to take possession of their own music and tell their stories by “demystifying” art through self-expression as a daily ritual.

For almost 17 years, Joe Craven was the highly respected multi-instrumentalist with the David Grisman Quintet... yeah, Joe was the guy with the Ralph Stanley autographed bongos and fiddle. Having played and/or recorded with Jerry Garcia, Stéphane Grappelli, Maria Muldaur, Vassar Clements, The Persuasions, Psychograss, The Alison Brown Quartet, Darol Anger, Rob Ickes, Bob Brozman, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, spoken word maven Ken Nordine and many others, Joe has performed music & sound effects on a wide variety of recordings including commercials, soundtracks, computer games and several Grammy nominated projects.

James Cohen James Cohen, originally a rock guitarist for over twenty-five years, has worked with such greats as Mick Ronson and has written and arranged for several bands, winning major Canadian contests as a pop-rock songwriter. His newest CD released on Northern Blues records April 2003 was produced by Richard Bell of Janis Joplin and The Band fame. In 1999 James's guitar playing as part of the group "Del Norte" appeared on a compilation CD called "Puro Flamenco" which also featured Ottmar Liebert. This CD is available in all U.S. record stores on the Neurodisc label, as well as the 2002 release on Borealis records 6 Strings North Of the Border' featuring James Cohen's Flamenco piece, The Wind. Once he was exposed to the outstanding guitar playing of flamenco prodigies Paco De Lucia, Tomatito, and Miguel de la Bastide, there was no turning back for James. He worked day and night learning the complex and subtle rhythms of flamenco, and studied the lightning right-hand techniques of the Spanish gypsies. La Tormenta represents James's love of the more modern Flamenco without sacrificing the integrity and purity of a long and beautiful tradition

Want to hear some great old timey Cajun music?

Interesting things about cajun music:

And here's a cool link about Michael Doucet and BeauSoleil.

Take a look at Doug Cox and Chris Proctor and then Huun Huur Tu.. for Sept. and Oct... good stuff!!!!

For ongoing information about Seldovia Arts Council events, meetings and musings,  I have added a blog we can discuss on-line some of the issues that come up or just get notification or happenings at a moment's notice.

Check it out at http://seldarts.vox.com

For all who are interested in helping to evaluate this year's festival, volunteer for next year's festival (if voted in) and generally join in the discussion, a meeting will be held at the City Multi-Purpose Room on July 30. 4-6. This is an important meeting for all to attend.

We will also be planning for the upcoming event: BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet  which will be held August 14 at the SBE Commons This is the nation's most renowned Cajun/ Zydeco/Old time Louisiana  band. Check the SAC website for the rundown. 
We are going to have to provide rooms for these folks for the 13th and 14th.. and maybe the 15th (at their expense). 
We are going to have extra sound for these folks as well.  (BASE AMP) and more 24 track.. board.  plug ins etc...
 

Michael Doucet - Violin, Guitar, Accordion, Mandolin, Vocals
David Doucet - Guitar, Vocals
Jimmy Breaux - Accordion
Billy Ware - Percussion
Tommy Alesi - Drums
Mitch Reed - Bass, Fiddle, Banjo, Electric Guitar

Since forming in 1975, Grammy winners BeauSoleil have claimed their undisputed role as the most esteemed Cajun group in music. Michael Doucet avec BeauSoleil take the rich Cajun traditions of Louisiana and artfully blend elements of zydeco, New Orleans jazz, Tex-Mex, country, blues and more into a satisfying musical recipe. From The Grand Ole Opry to Newport Folk, from concert hall to dance floor, the music of BeauSoleil continues to captivate. audiences the world over.

BeauSoleil's latest recording, Live in Louisiana, their first on the Way Down in Louisiana imprint, was released to coincide with the April 2006 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It's their first live album recorded at home, their 28th overall, and it celebrates their 30th anniversary with a wide-ranging set of tunes from across their discography and the Cajun and Creole cultural spectrum.

GET READY FOR GREAT DANCIN’ MUSIC!!!!!!

The Seldovia Arts Council has received three grants:
Project Grant from the State Council on the Arts (helping to support our whole program)  $3994.00
WESTAF Grant for Hunn Hurr Tu : Mongolian Throat Singers  Oct. 31 $1500 half of the $3000 artist's fee
WESTAF Grant for Bearfoot  Bluegrass  $1500  which is half of the $3000 artist's fee

This will be the sum total of all grants we receive this year...so we'd better get some fund raisers started...or find more places for grants......  

The Basket of Hope and Harmony begun June 22 at the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival was to be ignited on June 23 as the culminating event of the music fest, but serious  fire danger on the whole Kenai Peninsula  prevented  that from happening. The basket then resided on  the porch of the Tide Pool Restaurant  where it continued to gather  sentiments of hope  through the following week and into the Coming Home Celebration and the Fourth of July Parade. Although, it was not entered in the competition, it won second prize, the money from which enabled its maker, Homer resident, Mavis Muller to stay a little longer in Seldovia to carry  the process  through to its final dramatic completion on Saturday night July 7, 2007l Again, after a rousing concert of music, by the Dan Mac Jazz Band, it was carried to OUTSIDE BEACH and at the 11th hour was sent into the universe via fire.  It was beautifully decorated with natural elements from the surrounding areas. It had a wonderful story and a wonderful being in Seldovia. A lucky Basket indeed.

Photos are starting to come in from this weekend's Seventh Annual Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival. So far, these are the albums that are available through my own website:

• Before the festival (Thursday and Friday arrivals, Thursday performer's dinner, sound check)
• Friday performance
• Saturday workshops
• Saturday performance  

Please note:  All of these photos are copyrighted. If you want to use any of them elsewhere (or want different sizes of them), please contact Savannah Lewis at seldsalt.studios@gmail.com first.

If you have photos that you would like to post, please send  them, or post thier urls on the comments on this page.  We would love to see them..

Did we get anyone's name wrong or misspelled, or miss naming anyone entirely? Leave a comment and we'll fix it as soon as we can.

Dear Volunteers for the 2007 Festival

I have received many thank yous and kudos for the event and want to pass some along to you. 

Matt Anderson: “This was the best audience and small festival I have been to."

Just wanted to thank you again for the great time I had in Seldovia.  I think your festival is one of the best in the state and to say I was impressed with the acts is a big understatement.  Everyone was so nice to us and the food and accommodations were great.  Makes me want to move there.
Jan Myers (Muskeg Sallyite)

We got home to last night after our third visit to Seldovia
for the Summer Solstice Music Festival.  Wow!  What an awesome
experience.  You make music magic, with the gathering of the varied
talents you collect from all over and entice to your wonderful town. 
We had a terrific time.  We've already booked our rooms for the 2008
festival!
A BIG thank you for being the catalyst to make this happen.  We were
introduced to the Festival when you brought our son's band, the
Emeralds, to the Festival three summers ago.  (He just graduated,
magna cum laude, with a music major.)  We are so glad that first
visit happened, and began this happy tradition for us.
With enormous gratitude,
Dianne and Elliott Barske

It is wonderful to hear such things isn’t it.. I,too, feel that we had a great show this year..

It would not be possible at all, however, if Seldovia Folks had not lent their skills and donated from their hearts.

  Tamara Blodgett, Jenny Chissus,  Jackie Graese, Isabelle (Mad Fish),  Sunni HIlts, Valerie Morin (Bridgekeepers) Sharon Noriega,  Joni Rynertson, Felicia Rowland, Suzie Stranik, Happy Schneider

and special thanks to Susan B. English School and Renee Pupura

Director's Note:  one great thing about this blog is that I can keep adding to it.. If you see something or someone that needs to be added.. make a comment and it will be...I appreciate ALL  the work that was done for this festival.

Susan M.