Home of Joshua Zucker &
The Zucker Family Band
Anne Schrager |
Judy Van Evera |
Penni Gladstone |
what's new?
(last updated 8/2/2013)
WHAT'S NEW?: Summer is here! Fog wind is blowin', kinds are growin', beer is flowin' -- sounds like a bad country song. I've been on adventures far and wide this summer. Hawaii, Ontario, Nova Scotia, NYC and many places in between. A shout out to my little green Honda who rolled over to 200,000 miles on the way home from a gig last week. Many of those miles have been put on traveling to entertain you near and far. Many many great memories!
Having lots of fun with the Zucker Family Band. Lilly Billy, now four years old, has officially joined the band after lengthy contract negotiations. We didn't win the family talent competition at the Marin County Fair this year, but we had a blast trying and tip our hat to all who came out and made it such a fun day. Here's our non-winning performance (that we're very proud of). We're at Sweetwater on Sept. 23. A 5:30 p.m., free, all-ages show. Please mark your calendar and come make this a special day for the girls. We're honored to play that legendary venue. Bob Weir requested us personally so that he could say that he played the same stage as Isadora Belle -- True!
I am ... drum roll please ... The Fifth Wiggle! I performed with the fab four from down under a while back. A career highlight that will be hard to top and will not soon be lived down. I've always wanted to play the Paramount Theatre, although I didn't expect to play it dressed as a giant fruit salad. You can read all about it and see more pictures here. Oh, and here's the winning audition vid.
In a failed attempt to top the above silliness, I recently infiltrated my favorite radio show, Sarah and Vinnie, and made a somewhat drunken fool of myself. You can listen for yourself here. Love to Sarah, Vinnie, Hooman, Uzette and the whole Alice crew for being such good sports and allowing this to happen. Double-thanks do my dear Annie for making it happen with her astonishing good luck in games of chance.
A dark confession: I am the hated mass media. I work at the Chronicle. I've been there for, omigod, over 18 years. The newspaper has consumed me. It's a big part of my life and almost a second home and second family. Well, my second home and second family are mighty challenged in all sorts of ways right now. It's been all I can do to keep up with it, but keep up with it I have. Some days it feels like a sinking ship, some days I feel like I have the opportunity to reinvent news media for my generation. Most days I get my ass kicked and try to take everything that's thrown at me in stride.
Lots of great shows in the works with old friends and several new ones all over this beautiful country of ours. For up-to-the-minute details, check out my upcoming shows page.
recent video highlights:
what else is going on?:
Caren Armstrong and I have been having a great time playing together hither and yon. We had a blast at the new Freight & Salvage and at Strings most recently. Caren's most recent CD, Everything, is incredible. Check it out!
I've had the fortune to continue to sub for local supergroup Houston Jones and will be doing so on an ongoing basis (whenever Chris Kee, who is THE man by the way, is kind enough to give me the opportunity). If you haven't heard these guys, you must. Some of the best music the Bay Area has to offer. They've got an awesome new CD just about ready for release, so keep an eye on their web site for details and lots more shows as spring turns to summer.
Been doing some bluegrass pickin' with brother Dore Coller and a fantastic troupe of gents who go by the name of Savannah Blu. We'll be at Sweetwater in November and coming to a club near you
The Rowan Brothers are keeping busy on both coasts both playing their own brand of original Americana music and as members of the Rubber Souldiers, our Beatles-meet-the-Dead jam band with David Gans and C.C. Dawson. Lots of shows in the works for summer.
Tony Perez & Second Hand Smoke has been given a permanent monthly slot at the Saloon in North Beach. Come spend the afternoon with us every third Saturday of the month.
Andrew Freeman and I have been having tons of fun playing in various formats. Andrew plays all over the place, but can be found the first Saturday of every month at Murphy's in Sonoma and most Wednesday nights at Giordano Bros. in North Beach, home of 'The Sandwich." If you haven't tried one, you're missing out! I can't make every week, but I get there as often as I can. Always great tunes, great folks and great food. Try the Session Lager, it's my favorite!
Jerry Hannan Trio with Adam "Bagel" Berkowitz has been making waves in Marin and beyond. Jerry's got a new CD out any day now and has placed songs in numerous major films these past couple of years.
Tom Ross, my teacher and musical hero has just put the final touches on his latest CD entitled Reach in this Dream. On Reach, Tom is reunited with singer/guitarist Jody Cormack for the first time on record since the legendary Horse of Stone sessions. Buy it here!
JOKES: Man, the jokes page is getting pretty stale...Send me musician jokes for the site!
what's josh been listening to?
Note: This list is a little out of date. Will update soon!
Sarah and Vinnie in the morning on KALC 97.3 FM!
Randy Rogers Band, Roller Coaster Ride, Self-Titled, Live at Billy Bob's, Just a Matter of Time
Radney Foster, Revival, This World We Live In
Taylor Swift. She's my daughter's favorite and I have to admit, I like her stuff too... sigh...
Tal Wilkenfeld, Transformation
Larkin Gayl, Two Hands
Tony Rice, Manzanita
Floratone (featuring Bill Frisell, Matt Chamberlain and Viktor Krauss)
Houston Jones, Calico Heart
Caren Armstrong, Everything (One of the best that the Bay Area has to offer hands down)
Brad Mehldau & Pat Metheny, both the duo and quartet records. wow.
Rhonda Vincent, Ragin' Live and All-American Bluegrass Girl
Cars Motion Picture Soundtrack (another Izzy pic. Great pop tunes by Sheryl Crow, Rascall Flats, John Mayer and James Taylor)
Peter Rowan and Tony Rice
Jerry Hannan, Sounds Like A Story
Nickel Creek, Why Should the Fire Die (Quite a stylistic departure for these guys -- great stuff!)
They Might Be Giants, Here Comes the ABCs (Izzy's favorite!)
The Makaha Sons of Nihau, Na Mele Henoheno, Vol. 2: Na Makahiki Mua-Helu Elua
Kenni & Co., Shine Shine Shine
Garrin Benfield, Where Joy Kills Sorrow
Rowan Brothers, Now and Then
Down Not Out, self-titled
John Scofield Trio, En Route (Sco live with Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart -- yow!)
Tom Ross, Horse of Stone
Kitka, The Vine
Weird Al Yankovic, Poodle Hat ("Genius in France" is worth the cost of the CD all by itself!)
That's all I can think to tell ya for now... I hope to see you at one of the shows...
...jz