It is an odd time for over a year now and we are waiting for venues to open up in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. We are planning on touring to promote the new album. We will be undertaking national and West Coast focused radio, PR/media and social media campaigns in support of the upcoming release. In the meantime, scroll to the bottom of the page sign up for our newsletter. Every month or so, you will receive updates about shows, my travels in the LA music scene and musings about life, music news and even stories. LOCAL TOUR DATES BELOW.

ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE....PLEASE CONFIRM WITH THE VENUE BEFORE ATTENDING

Previous events

This is a once a month (every third Tuesday) show that is designed as a listening room for world class songwriters, many with hit songs, long touring/recording associations with music legends ETC... to play their original music in an intimate setting. NO COVER BUT DONATIONS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURED AND GO TO THE SONGWRITERS. Project Barley serves excellent Food (Gourmet Pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads), wine, and award winning beer. Food served till 8:30pm. No reservations so arrive early to get a table. This month we are proud to present: RICK SHEA, TONY GILKYSON, BRIAN WHELAN

RICK SHEA

Longtime Southern California singer-songwriter Rick Shea got his early musical education in the bars and honky-tonks of San Bernardino where he grew up. With ten critically acclaimed albums, he’s performed all over Southern California, the West Coast, the US and in Europe, and built a solid career for himself as a solo artist, singer, guitarist and songwriter. Shea's songs reflect the folk, country, rock and Mexican influences he grew up with. "Songs tell our stories and our history and songs were how those stories were shared in the past, I like to continue that tradition."

60 miles east of Los Angeles where the urban sprawl starts to thin out and the desert starts to take over sits the old railroad town of San Bernardino. Shea says, “Growing up there were a dozen or more honky-tonks and truck stop bars on the outskirts. They were kind tough places but as a sideman and singer I could work 6 - 7 nights a week. That's where I first heard a lot of those old songs - Merle Haggard, Lefty Frizzell and Buck Owens - every night.”

Shea’s recently released album Love & Desperation has gained a lot of praise as have his earlier albums. He is a deeply evocative singer and a formidable guitarist who doubles on steel guitar and mandolin. On his songwriting influences Shea says, “When I was younger Merle Haggard cast a long shadow, but since then Dave Alvin, Jim Ringer and a lot of other music has found its way in.”

If your tastes run toward hard working, literate, back 40 folkies like Tom Russell, Chuck Pyle, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and others like that, Shea is sure to be another that you're going to dig. With a very personal edge to his writing and singing, this is classic folkie/troubadour stuff that cuts right to the chase and delivers moves that others can only turn into clichés. Check it out, it's the real deal. - Chris Spector MIDWEST RECORD

A hauntingly nostalgic vocalist, imperative guitarist and literate, detail-rich songwriter, do yourself a favor. - Gary von Tersch, Sing Out

TONY GILKYSON

Born in Hollywood and raised in an environment of musicians, songwriter–guitarist Tony Gilkyson originally started recording as a boy with his father, Terry Gilkyson, a composer for Walt Disney and a prominent folksinger/songwriter in his own right. Artists he has played and recorded with include Lone Justice, John Coinman, Jake LaBotz, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Bob Neuwirth, Sam Phillips, Duke McVinnie, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Peter Rowan, Larry Hosford, Rick Shea, Dave Alvin, Kip Boardman, Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, K.D. Lang, Mark Olsen, Shane MacGowan, Ramsey Midwood, Mike Stinson, The Spoolies, Randy Weeks and Kathleen Wilhoite. He has produced recordings for sister Eliza Gilkyson and Dances with Wolves author and poet Michael Blake. With Tom Waits, he co-produced Chuck E. Weiss’s albums Extremely Cool and Old Souls & Wolf Tickets. In 2003 he produced the acclaimed Country for True Lovers by Eleni Mandell. He also has played guitar on numerous film sound tracks including the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, as well as The Big Lebowski, Don’t Come Knockin’ and All the King’ s Men, with producer T Bone Burnett.

BRIAN WHELAN

There’s nothing wrong with Americana. ​Brian Whelan’s refrain on the opening track of ​Sugarland ​immediately lets you know what the singer, songwriter, producer, sideman, and all-around utility savant is all about. The song is cheeky, fast, and pulls no punches. There’s plenty of façade in Whelan’s Los Angeles, but that’s not what he’s here for. He’s here for the tunes.

If you’re a frequenter of the Cinema Bar in Culver City, no doubt you know the name Brian Whelan. As a young musician with half a boot still in USC’s music program, Whelan found the bar, found his people, and found his scene. Further down the line, you’ve come across him shredding GOE Sundays at The Echo in Echo Park, singing originals that gets the packed room dancing as much as the covers he slays.

But the name was really made playing with country, rock, and Americana stars, such as Houston’s own Mike Stinson, Nashville roots godfather Jim Lauderdale, and Los Angeles rocker Chris Shiflett. Whelan put his unmistakable mark on the national scene as the prolific sideman behind urban cowboy Dwight Yoakam, playing guitar, keys, pedal steel, and anything else that was required or requested. From budding fan to established keystone, Whelan is now at the center of that Los Angeles Americana scene he discovered years ago.

Perhaps the most interesting quality in Whelan is the one not hidden, but bleeding through every second of the 33-minute ​Sugarland​: earnestness. It’s a trait Los Angeles is bereft of; a town that wrings the optimism out of every heartland kid with an eye on the screen or a guitar in the trunk of that car that carried them west. The driving guitar riffs, the soaring vocals, and the love-fueled lyrics that define Whelan’s solo songwriting endeavors aren’t contrived; they don’t come from a flavor of the week proclamation on pitchfork or the current Coachella lineup. Brian Whelan can do a lot of things, but there are two things he won’t do – boring and bullshit.

JODI SIEGEL

Jodi Siegel, originally from Chicago, IL, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Over the years Jodi has opened for and or shared the stage with many respected musicians including: Albert King, Robben Ford, Robert Cray, J.D. Souther, David Lindley, Fred Tacket and Paul Barrere (Little Feat) and countless others. Her songs have been recorded by Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball, Tommy Ridgley and Teresa James.

She has recorded two CD'S; Stepping Stone and her latest CD, “Wild Hearts,” produced by Steve Postell (Immediate Family, David Crosby, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Iain Matthews), is filled with great songs, cool grooves, intimate, smart lyrics and some of the best of the best musicians in Los Angeles today including; Mike Finnigan (organ, piano), Hutch Hutchinson, Abe Laborial Sr., Alphonso Johnson (bass), Russ Kunkel, Michael Jerome Moore, John Ferraro, Arno Lucas (drums, percussion), Joe Sublett (Saxophone) and Maxayne Lewis and Clydene Jackson (background vocals). Each song has a soulful delivery with an undeniable down-home elegance. It has received great reviews by Patrick Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Maria Muldaur, Walter Trout, David Mansfield (T Bone Burnett), Leland Sklar, Mike Finnigan and Doug Macleod to name a few.

Jodi is in the pre-production stage of recording a new record with Grammy winning producer and friend Tony Braunagel.

This is a once a month (every third Tuesday) show that is designed as a listening room for world class songwriters, many with hit songs, long touring/recording associations with music legends ETC... to play their original music in an intimate setting. NO COVER BUT DONATIONS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURED AND GO TO THE SONGWRITERS. Project Barley serves excellent Food (Gourmet Pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads), wine, and award winning beer. Food served till 8:30pm. No reservations so arrive early to get a table. This month we are proud to present- BERNIE LARSEN, T BEAR, AMILIA K SPICER, JODI SIEGEL

T BEAR

Based in Los Angeles, Richard T Bear boasts a career that spans more than 40 years, one that led to a string of noted solo albums and collaborations with a dizzying list of revered artists. In 1978, he signed with RCA Records and released his debut album, Red, Hot, and Blue, produced by Jack Richardson (Bob Seger, The Guess Who). The album featured a notable group, Les Dudek, Billy Squier, Paul Shaffer, and the Becker Brothers. The album spawned the single “Sunshine Hotel.” A remix of the song climbed to number four on the world dance charts before becoming the dance staple that it remains today. A second album titled Bear includes a rendition of the Rolling Stones’ classic “Ruby Tuesday,” followed by The Best of Richard T Bear and Captured Alive, a concert recorded in Hamburg, Germany. In 1984, he moved to Teldec Records, which led to the release of The Bear Truth, and the Giorgio Moroder produced album The Runner.

He has appeared on numerous recordings including Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Southern Cross,” The Blues Brothers Soundtrack, Richie Havens Mixed Bag II, Kiss members Gene Simmons and Peter Criss’ solo ventures, as well as Toby Beau’s hit single “My Angel Baby,” Billy Squier’s solo debut Tale of the Tape, and former Rascals Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli. He would also pen the song “Love and Pain,” one of the standout tracks on Cher’s blockbuster album Take Me Home. He has shared the stage with artists such as Richie Havens, Odetta, The Doobie Brothers, and Jeff Beck, to name a few.

Domestic responsibilities and a struggle to regain his sobriety forced him to put his musical career on hold. In 1983, T Bear gained his sobriety and focused on helping others with addiction, and became instrumental in developing the Musicians Picnic, serving on its board of directors. The annual event led to the creation of the Musicians Assistance Program (MAP), a non-profit organization that is now part of the Recording Academy’s MusiCares Foundation.

After a lengthy hiatus, T Bear returned to the music scene in 2020 and released the single “One Day at a Time” on Quarto Valley Records. His newest release is called Way Of The World. He is currently touring with blues/rock legend Walter Trout.

AMILIA K. SPICER

A seriously gifted songwriter ... A timeless brand-new Americana classic” – American Songwriter Magazine

“On stage, Spicer renders her listeners transfixed” - Music Connection

It may be her haunting, husky voice that first grabs a listener, the way it glides over melodies like smoke, but it’s the songwriting that Spicer really wants you to hear. Her songs have a grit- even when they ache. Raised in rural Pennsylvania, currently residing in California, wanderlust spills from her songs, with topography that covers languid farmlands, quirky roadside stops, and an occasional turn down a dark alley with flickering neon.

Influenced by Texas Troubadors, Tibetan mountain tops, and Hollywood bars, the dichotomy of shadow and light, small town wonder with a keen edge, are in the sonics. Or, as she might say with a slight drawl: “Water, wine and whiskey”.

Given the cinematic scenes of her music, it should surprise no one that Spicer pursued a career in film before music became her muse, and has directed the three music videos currently released with singles from her current release, “Wow and Flutter”. “Harlan” follows her to the Kentucky birthplace of her father, intertwined with Pennsylvania landscapes. Critically acclaimed releases "Fill Me Up" and "Lightning" preceded, the latter of which was shot mostly underwater in hotel pools while touring.

AXS said of the “Lightning” video: “Mesmerizing... Reminiscent of the work of songstress and music video innovator Lana Del Rey, it's a testament to the notion that DIY methods can produce some extraordinary results."

No Depression exclaimed: “While it is only my opinion that Spicer is going to be the next member of the Nashville Royal family, it certainly helps my argument that I’m not the only critic saying as much."

Spicer was celebrated by the Los Angeles Music Awards, named “Best Americana Artist”, and has performed at venues and festivals all over the country, including the Kerrville Folk Festival, WoodyFest, 30A, Americanafest, and the Kennedy Center.

Her most recent album, Wow and Flutter, has made many critics’ best-of lists, and was lauded as one of the best albums, any genre, in the last decade by Popdose Magazine.

She is currently in the studio recording a new album.

BERNIE LARSEN

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and producer bernie larsen has lived a

charmed musical life for many years. He has recorded, toured, and produced an elite

handful of artists most of which are Grammy Award recipients including Melissa

Etheridge, Jackson Browne, Rickie Lee Jones, Lucinda Williams, and Public

Enemy. He also spent six years as an original member of David Lindley’s

legendary band El Rayo-X.

He worked as producer and composer of music for films like "Friends With Money"

starring Jennifer Anniston, and "Elsewhere" featuring Oscar nominated actress

Anna Kendrick, and the soundtrack will be released this year through Immediate Music.

He has put his stain on remixes and singles for artists like Low’s Alan Sparhawk and KCRW favorite West Indian Girl.

His new solo record “Downward Dub", comprises of songs that range from dark

wave to dub reggae to the track “Take Me In”, a minor key lilting reggae feel

featuring the late, great Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Ian “Mac” McLagan

on keyboards, and Lucinda Williams’ rhythm section.

Cry on Cue’s latest release, Love + Trust, is the result of a collaboration with

renowned reggae producer Karl Pitterson, whose recording credits include such

reggae greats as Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and

Toots and the Maytals. Pandora’s Cry On Cue radio has been building a steady

following since it’s debut last year.

The resulting record is one that Reggae Beat magazine called “…rock-solid reggae

as crisp and bright as anything on the Harder They Come soundtrack… a Tour de

Force.”

A versatile player, Larsen is heard on guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals; but,

according to Vintage Guitar Magazine, his “strength is rhythm...the term ‘rock-steady’

could have been invented for him.” Dan Forte

JODI SIEGEL

Jodi Siegel, originally from Chicago, IL, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Over the years Jodi has opened for and or shared the stage with many respected musicians including: Albert King, Robben Ford, Robert Cray, J.D. Souther, David Lindley, Fred Tacket and Paul Barrere (Little Feat) and countless others. Her songs have been recorded by Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball, Tommy Ridgley and Teresa James.

She has recorded two CD'S; Stepping Stone and her latest CD, “Wild Hearts,” produced by Steve Postell (Immediate Family, David Crosby, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Iain Matthews), is filled with great songs, cool grooves, intimate, smart lyrics and some of the best of the best musicians in Los Angeles today including; Mike Finnigan (organ, piano), Hutch Hutchinson, Abe Laborial Sr., Alphonso Johnson (bass), Russ Kunkel, Michael Jerome Moore, John Ferraro, Arno Lucas (drums, percussion), Joe Sublett (Saxophone) and Maxayne Lewis and Clydene Jackson (background vocals). Each song has a soulful delivery with an undeniable down-home elegance. It has received great reviews by Patrick Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Maria Muldaur, Walter Trout, David Mansfield (T Bone Burnett), Leland Sklar, Mike Finnigan and Doug Macleod to name a few.

Jodi is in the pre-production stage of recording a new record with Grammy winning producer and friend Tony Braunagel.

Jun8

Harold Payne and I did this concert last year and Ed Brand and Coddy Nichols have been putting on these house concerts for many years and it's always filled with the best listening audience. There is also a song circle after so feel free to bring your instrument and a pot luck dish to share. Tickets are generally $20 check the website for more information.

This is a once a month (every third Tuesday) show that is designed as a listening room for world class songwriters, many with hit songs, long touring/recording associations with music legends ETC... to play their original music in an intimate setting. NO COVER BUT DONATIONS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURED AND GO TO THE SONGWRITERS. Project Barley serves excellent Food (Gourmet Pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads), wine, and award winning beer. Food served till 8:30pm. No reservations so arrive early to get a table. This month we are proud to present: TERESA JAMES, TERRY WILSON, BILLY WATTS, JODI SIEGEL -

TERESA JAMES AND THE RHYTHM TRAMPS - TERESA JAMES, TERRY WILSON, BILLY WATTS

Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps are on quite a roll.

Her persuasive pipes slathered in honey and soaked in Texas-bred sass, keyboardist Teresa James and her band, the Rhythm Tramps, have long reigned as one of Los Angeles’ leading contemporary blues outfits, even though their uncommonly imaginative repertoire, much of it supplied by Terry Wilson, James’ husband, producer, and bassist, is by no means strictly limited to the 12-bar form. Their 2019 CD Here in Babylon was nominated for a Grammy in the Contemporary Blues Album category.

Rose-Colored Glasses, the band’s new release on Blue Heart Records, continues that proud tradition. It’s their 12th album and once again showcases Teresa’s enticing way with a lyric and Terry’s prolific songwriting talent, poured over grooves that’ll grab listeners and refuse to let go until the very last notes have rung. A coterie of Texas guitar greats guest on the set, including Anson Funderburgh, Lee Roy Parnell, Johnny Lee Schell, Snuffy Walden, and Dean Parks. “This new album is kind of veering a little bit more into soul,” says Teresa. “But to me, blues is more of a state of mind. It’s where you’re coming from. It’s the attitude and the heart that you bring to it.”

By any yardstick, Teresa got an uncommonly early start on her lifelong profession. “There was always music playing in my house. My dad was a huge music fan. He had all kinds of musical interests, so I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of music.” “I studied classical music until I was about a sophomore in high school. When I was like eight or so, my dad taught me how to play guitar. Those were the seeds which would eventually lead to a musical career including recordings with Walter Trout, Eric Burdon, Spencer Davis, Tommy Castro, Stephen Bruton, Randy Newman, LeeRoy Parnell, Neil Diamond, and more; plus live performances with countless others, including Marcia Ball, Levon Helm, Lloyd Jones, Delbert McClinton, and Eric Burdon & the Animals. She has been a featured act on Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruises for more than twenty years.

Teresa ultimately left Houston at the encouragement of Terry Wilson and his buddy Tony Braunagel, who had relocated to L.A. Terry proved the perfect musical cohort for Teresa. “His songs are brilliant. I think he’s a really great songwriter. And we’ve collaborated on quite a few, but I think what I bring to his songs in the interpretation is just a good match. He knows the kinds of things that I’m going to be able to put myself into to expand them,” she says. “Over the years, we have definitely developed a partnership that works.” Her band, The Rhythm Tramps, consists of world class players that have toured or recorded with artists including Eric Burdon & the Animals, Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton, Jimmy Reed, Lightin’ Hopkins, Jimmy Vaughan, Johnny Nash, Smokey Robinson, Tom Jones, Tower Of Power, and more.

In 1998, The Rhythm Tramps released their debut album, The Whole Enchilada, on Jesi-lu, with Teresa and Terry’s studio cohorts including guitarists Watts, Schell, and Stephen Bruton. Braunagel and Herman Matthews manned the drums. Subsequent releases include Live (2000), Oh Yeah! (2003), The Rhythm Method (2004), and The Bottom Line in 2007. “The Bottom Line is a really good one,” says Teresa. “We still do most of the songs on that album, and that was the one where we got the BMA nomination.” Next up was Country by Request (2008), followed by 2010’s You Know You Love It, Come On Home in 2012, Bonafide in 2016, and the Grammy-nominated Here in Babylon in 2018, which was mixed by Ed Cherney with Jay Bellerose on drums.

As if the band didn’t keep her busy enough, Teresa has also done considerable vocal work on film soundtracks and song demos in Los Angeles. One of her favorite composers to work for in the studio is Randy Newman; she was one of the background singers on “Putin” from his 2017 CD Dark Matter.

Soon to have a full dozen albums under their collective belt spanning 23 exciting years, Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps remain a staple of the Los Angeles-area blues scene in addition to an international touring artist, with a sound all their own. Moving easily from Texas-style grease and blues into Memphis soul or New Orleans-flavored grooves and all points in between with fun and abandonment, as one critic said, “there are no clichés in this band.”

JODI SIEGEL

Jodi Siegel, originally from Chicago, IL, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Over the years Jodi has opened for and or shared the stage with many respected musicians including: Albert King, Robben Ford, Robert Cray, J.D. Souther, David Lindley, Fred Tacket and Paul Barrere (Little Feat) and countless others. Her songs have been recorded by Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball, Tommy Ridgley and Teresa James.

She has recorded two CD'S; Stepping Stone and her latest CD, “Wild Hearts,” produced by Steve Postell (Immediate Family, David Crosby, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Iain Matthews), is filled with great songs, cool grooves, intimate, smart lyrics and some of the best of the best musicians in Los Angeles today including; Mike Finnigan (organ, piano), Hutch Hutchinson, Abe Laborial Sr., Alphonso Johnson (bass), Russ Kunkel, Michael Jerome Moore, John Ferraro, Arno Lucas (drums, percussion), Joe Sublett (Saxophone) and Maxayne Lewis and Clydene Jackson (background vocals). Each song has a soulful delivery with an undeniable down-home elegance. It has received great reviews by Patrick Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Maria Muldaur, Walter Trout, David Mansfield (T Bone Burnett), Leland Sklar, Mike Finnigan and Doug Macleod to name a few.

Jodi is in the pre-production stage of recording a new record with Grammy winning producer and friend Tony Braunagel.

May19

Jodi Siegel - concert

 —  —

GRACE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 3955 N. STUDEBAKER RD., LONG BEACH, CA

I am so honored to be invited to this wonderful music series, run by my friend, the talented singer-songwriter and Minister of Music; Stan Dewitt, at a beautiful church in Long Beach. I have seen multiple concerts here and grateful to be included among them. It's always well attended. A wonderful listening audience. this is a free-will donation at the door event.

Previous events

This is a once a month (every third Tuesday) show that is designed as a listening room for world class songwriters, many with hit songs, long touring/recording associations with music legends ETC... to play their original music in an intimate setting. NO COVER BUT DONATIONS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURED AND GO TO THE SONGWRITERS. Project Barley serves excellent Food (Gourmet Pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads), wine, and award winning beer. Food served till 8:30pm. No reservations so arrive early to get a table. This month we are proud to present: RICK SHEA, TONY GILKYSON, BRIAN WHELAN

RICK SHEA

Longtime Southern California singer-songwriter Rick Shea got his early musical education in the bars and honky-tonks of San Bernardino where he grew up. With ten critically acclaimed albums, he’s performed all over Southern California, the West Coast, the US and in Europe, and built a solid career for himself as a solo artist, singer, guitarist and songwriter. Shea's songs reflect the folk, country, rock and Mexican influences he grew up with. "Songs tell our stories and our history and songs were how those stories were shared in the past, I like to continue that tradition."

60 miles east of Los Angeles where the urban sprawl starts to thin out and the desert starts to take over sits the old railroad town of San Bernardino. Shea says, “Growing up there were a dozen or more honky-tonks and truck stop bars on the outskirts. They were kind tough places but as a sideman and singer I could work 6 - 7 nights a week. That's where I first heard a lot of those old songs - Merle Haggard, Lefty Frizzell and Buck Owens - every night.”

Shea’s recently released album Love & Desperation has gained a lot of praise as have his earlier albums. He is a deeply evocative singer and a formidable guitarist who doubles on steel guitar and mandolin. On his songwriting influences Shea says, “When I was younger Merle Haggard cast a long shadow, but since then Dave Alvin, Jim Ringer and a lot of other music has found its way in.”

If your tastes run toward hard working, literate, back 40 folkies like Tom Russell, Chuck Pyle, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and others like that, Shea is sure to be another that you're going to dig. With a very personal edge to his writing and singing, this is classic folkie/troubadour stuff that cuts right to the chase and delivers moves that others can only turn into clichés. Check it out, it's the real deal. - Chris Spector MIDWEST RECORD

A hauntingly nostalgic vocalist, imperative guitarist and literate, detail-rich songwriter, do yourself a favor. - Gary von Tersch, Sing Out

TONY GILKYSON

Born in Hollywood and raised in an environment of musicians, songwriter–guitarist Tony Gilkyson originally started recording as a boy with his father, Terry Gilkyson, a composer for Walt Disney and a prominent folksinger/songwriter in his own right. Artists he has played and recorded with include Lone Justice, John Coinman, Jake LaBotz, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Bob Neuwirth, Sam Phillips, Duke McVinnie, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Peter Rowan, Larry Hosford, Rick Shea, Dave Alvin, Kip Boardman, Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, K.D. Lang, Mark Olsen, Shane MacGowan, Ramsey Midwood, Mike Stinson, The Spoolies, Randy Weeks and Kathleen Wilhoite. He has produced recordings for sister Eliza Gilkyson and Dances with Wolves author and poet Michael Blake. With Tom Waits, he co-produced Chuck E. Weiss’s albums Extremely Cool and Old Souls & Wolf Tickets. In 2003 he produced the acclaimed Country for True Lovers by Eleni Mandell. He also has played guitar on numerous film sound tracks including the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, as well as The Big Lebowski, Don’t Come Knockin’ and All the King’ s Men, with producer T Bone Burnett.

BRIAN WHELAN

There’s nothing wrong with Americana. ​Brian Whelan’s refrain on the opening track of ​Sugarland ​immediately lets you know what the singer, songwriter, producer, sideman, and all-around utility savant is all about. The song is cheeky, fast, and pulls no punches. There’s plenty of façade in Whelan’s Los Angeles, but that’s not what he’s here for. He’s here for the tunes.

If you’re a frequenter of the Cinema Bar in Culver City, no doubt you know the name Brian Whelan. As a young musician with half a boot still in USC’s music program, Whelan found the bar, found his people, and found his scene. Further down the line, you’ve come across him shredding GOE Sundays at The Echo in Echo Park, singing originals that gets the packed room dancing as much as the covers he slays.

But the name was really made playing with country, rock, and Americana stars, such as Houston’s own Mike Stinson, Nashville roots godfather Jim Lauderdale, and Los Angeles rocker Chris Shiflett. Whelan put his unmistakable mark on the national scene as the prolific sideman behind urban cowboy Dwight Yoakam, playing guitar, keys, pedal steel, and anything else that was required or requested. From budding fan to established keystone, Whelan is now at the center of that Los Angeles Americana scene he discovered years ago.

Perhaps the most interesting quality in Whelan is the one not hidden, but bleeding through every second of the 33-minute ​Sugarland​: earnestness. It’s a trait Los Angeles is bereft of; a town that wrings the optimism out of every heartland kid with an eye on the screen or a guitar in the trunk of that car that carried them west. The driving guitar riffs, the soaring vocals, and the love-fueled lyrics that define Whelan’s solo songwriting endeavors aren’t contrived; they don’t come from a flavor of the week proclamation on pitchfork or the current Coachella lineup. Brian Whelan can do a lot of things, but there are two things he won’t do – boring and bullshit.

JODI SIEGEL

Jodi Siegel, originally from Chicago, IL, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Over the years Jodi has opened for and or shared the stage with many respected musicians including: Albert King, Robben Ford, Robert Cray, J.D. Souther, David Lindley, Fred Tacket and Paul Barrere (Little Feat) and countless others. Her songs have been recorded by Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball, Tommy Ridgley and Teresa James.

She has recorded two CD'S; Stepping Stone and her latest CD, “Wild Hearts,” produced by Steve Postell (Immediate Family, David Crosby, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Iain Matthews), is filled with great songs, cool grooves, intimate, smart lyrics and some of the best of the best musicians in Los Angeles today including; Mike Finnigan (organ, piano), Hutch Hutchinson, Abe Laborial Sr., Alphonso Johnson (bass), Russ Kunkel, Michael Jerome Moore, John Ferraro, Arno Lucas (drums, percussion), Joe Sublett (Saxophone) and Maxayne Lewis and Clydene Jackson (background vocals). Each song has a soulful delivery with an undeniable down-home elegance. It has received great reviews by Patrick Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Maria Muldaur, Walter Trout, David Mansfield (T Bone Burnett), Leland Sklar, Mike Finnigan and Doug Macleod to name a few.

Jodi is in the pre-production stage of recording a new record with Grammy winning producer and friend Tony Braunagel.

This is a once a month (every third Tuesday) show that is designed as a listening room for world class songwriters, many with hit songs, long touring/recording associations with music legends ETC... to play their original music in an intimate setting. NO COVER BUT DONATIONS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURED AND GO TO THE SONGWRITERS. Project Barley serves excellent Food (Gourmet Pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads), wine, and award winning beer. Food served till 8:30pm. No reservations so arrive early to get a table. This month we are proud to present- BERNIE LARSEN, T BEAR, AMILIA K SPICER, JODI SIEGEL

T BEAR

Based in Los Angeles, Richard T Bear boasts a career that spans more than 40 years, one that led to a string of noted solo albums and collaborations with a dizzying list of revered artists. In 1978, he signed with RCA Records and released his debut album, Red, Hot, and Blue, produced by Jack Richardson (Bob Seger, The Guess Who). The album featured a notable group, Les Dudek, Billy Squier, Paul Shaffer, and the Becker Brothers. The album spawned the single “Sunshine Hotel.” A remix of the song climbed to number four on the world dance charts before becoming the dance staple that it remains today. A second album titled Bear includes a rendition of the Rolling Stones’ classic “Ruby Tuesday,” followed by The Best of Richard T Bear and Captured Alive, a concert recorded in Hamburg, Germany. In 1984, he moved to Teldec Records, which led to the release of The Bear Truth, and the Giorgio Moroder produced album The Runner.

He has appeared on numerous recordings including Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Southern Cross,” The Blues Brothers Soundtrack, Richie Havens Mixed Bag II, Kiss members Gene Simmons and Peter Criss’ solo ventures, as well as Toby Beau’s hit single “My Angel Baby,” Billy Squier’s solo debut Tale of the Tape, and former Rascals Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli. He would also pen the song “Love and Pain,” one of the standout tracks on Cher’s blockbuster album Take Me Home. He has shared the stage with artists such as Richie Havens, Odetta, The Doobie Brothers, and Jeff Beck, to name a few.

Domestic responsibilities and a struggle to regain his sobriety forced him to put his musical career on hold. In 1983, T Bear gained his sobriety and focused on helping others with addiction, and became instrumental in developing the Musicians Picnic, serving on its board of directors. The annual event led to the creation of the Musicians Assistance Program (MAP), a non-profit organization that is now part of the Recording Academy’s MusiCares Foundation.

After a lengthy hiatus, T Bear returned to the music scene in 2020 and released the single “One Day at a Time” on Quarto Valley Records. His newest release is called Way Of The World. He is currently touring with blues/rock legend Walter Trout.

AMILIA K. SPICER

A seriously gifted songwriter ... A timeless brand-new Americana classic” – American Songwriter Magazine

“On stage, Spicer renders her listeners transfixed” - Music Connection

It may be her haunting, husky voice that first grabs a listener, the way it glides over melodies like smoke, but it’s the songwriting that Spicer really wants you to hear. Her songs have a grit- even when they ache. Raised in rural Pennsylvania, currently residing in California, wanderlust spills from her songs, with topography that covers languid farmlands, quirky roadside stops, and an occasional turn down a dark alley with flickering neon.

Influenced by Texas Troubadors, Tibetan mountain tops, and Hollywood bars, the dichotomy of shadow and light, small town wonder with a keen edge, are in the sonics. Or, as she might say with a slight drawl: “Water, wine and whiskey”.

Given the cinematic scenes of her music, it should surprise no one that Spicer pursued a career in film before music became her muse, and has directed the three music videos currently released with singles from her current release, “Wow and Flutter”. “Harlan” follows her to the Kentucky birthplace of her father, intertwined with Pennsylvania landscapes. Critically acclaimed releases "Fill Me Up" and "Lightning" preceded, the latter of which was shot mostly underwater in hotel pools while touring.

AXS said of the “Lightning” video: “Mesmerizing... Reminiscent of the work of songstress and music video innovator Lana Del Rey, it's a testament to the notion that DIY methods can produce some extraordinary results."

No Depression exclaimed: “While it is only my opinion that Spicer is going to be the next member of the Nashville Royal family, it certainly helps my argument that I’m not the only critic saying as much."

Spicer was celebrated by the Los Angeles Music Awards, named “Best Americana Artist”, and has performed at venues and festivals all over the country, including the Kerrville Folk Festival, WoodyFest, 30A, Americanafest, and the Kennedy Center.

Her most recent album, Wow and Flutter, has made many critics’ best-of lists, and was lauded as one of the best albums, any genre, in the last decade by Popdose Magazine.

She is currently in the studio recording a new album.

BERNIE LARSEN

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and producer bernie larsen has lived a

charmed musical life for many years. He has recorded, toured, and produced an elite

handful of artists most of which are Grammy Award recipients including Melissa

Etheridge, Jackson Browne, Rickie Lee Jones, Lucinda Williams, and Public

Enemy. He also spent six years as an original member of David Lindley’s

legendary band El Rayo-X.

He worked as producer and composer of music for films like "Friends With Money"

starring Jennifer Anniston, and "Elsewhere" featuring Oscar nominated actress

Anna Kendrick, and the soundtrack will be released this year through Immediate Music.

He has put his stain on remixes and singles for artists like Low’s Alan Sparhawk and KCRW favorite West Indian Girl.

His new solo record “Downward Dub", comprises of songs that range from dark

wave to dub reggae to the track “Take Me In”, a minor key lilting reggae feel

featuring the late, great Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Ian “Mac” McLagan

on keyboards, and Lucinda Williams’ rhythm section.

Cry on Cue’s latest release, Love + Trust, is the result of a collaboration with

renowned reggae producer Karl Pitterson, whose recording credits include such

reggae greats as Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and

Toots and the Maytals. Pandora’s Cry On Cue radio has been building a steady

following since it’s debut last year.

The resulting record is one that Reggae Beat magazine called “…rock-solid reggae

as crisp and bright as anything on the Harder They Come soundtrack… a Tour de

Force.”

A versatile player, Larsen is heard on guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals; but,

according to Vintage Guitar Magazine, his “strength is rhythm...the term ‘rock-steady’

could have been invented for him.” Dan Forte

JODI SIEGEL

Jodi Siegel, originally from Chicago, IL, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Over the years Jodi has opened for and or shared the stage with many respected musicians including: Albert King, Robben Ford, Robert Cray, J.D. Souther, David Lindley, Fred Tacket and Paul Barrere (Little Feat) and countless others. Her songs have been recorded by Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball, Tommy Ridgley and Teresa James.

She has recorded two CD'S; Stepping Stone and her latest CD, “Wild Hearts,” produced by Steve Postell (Immediate Family, David Crosby, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Iain Matthews), is filled with great songs, cool grooves, intimate, smart lyrics and some of the best of the best musicians in Los Angeles today including; Mike Finnigan (organ, piano), Hutch Hutchinson, Abe Laborial Sr., Alphonso Johnson (bass), Russ Kunkel, Michael Jerome Moore, John Ferraro, Arno Lucas (drums, percussion), Joe Sublett (Saxophone) and Maxayne Lewis and Clydene Jackson (background vocals). Each song has a soulful delivery with an undeniable down-home elegance. It has received great reviews by Patrick Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Maria Muldaur, Walter Trout, David Mansfield (T Bone Burnett), Leland Sklar, Mike Finnigan and Doug Macleod to name a few.

Jodi is in the pre-production stage of recording a new record with Grammy winning producer and friend Tony Braunagel.

Jun8

Harold Payne and I did this concert last year and Ed Brand and Coddy Nichols have been putting on these house concerts for many years and it's always filled with the best listening audience. There is also a song circle after so feel free to bring your instrument and a pot luck dish to share. Tickets are generally $20 check the website for more information.

This is a once a month (every third Tuesday) show that is designed as a listening room for world class songwriters, many with hit songs, long touring/recording associations with music legends ETC... to play their original music in an intimate setting. NO COVER BUT DONATIONS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURED AND GO TO THE SONGWRITERS. Project Barley serves excellent Food (Gourmet Pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads), wine, and award winning beer. Food served till 8:30pm. No reservations so arrive early to get a table. This month we are proud to present: TERESA JAMES, TERRY WILSON, BILLY WATTS, JODI SIEGEL -

TERESA JAMES AND THE RHYTHM TRAMPS - TERESA JAMES, TERRY WILSON, BILLY WATTS

Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps are on quite a roll.

Her persuasive pipes slathered in honey and soaked in Texas-bred sass, keyboardist Teresa James and her band, the Rhythm Tramps, have long reigned as one of Los Angeles’ leading contemporary blues outfits, even though their uncommonly imaginative repertoire, much of it supplied by Terry Wilson, James’ husband, producer, and bassist, is by no means strictly limited to the 12-bar form. Their 2019 CD Here in Babylon was nominated for a Grammy in the Contemporary Blues Album category.

Rose-Colored Glasses, the band’s new release on Blue Heart Records, continues that proud tradition. It’s their 12th album and once again showcases Teresa’s enticing way with a lyric and Terry’s prolific songwriting talent, poured over grooves that’ll grab listeners and refuse to let go until the very last notes have rung. A coterie of Texas guitar greats guest on the set, including Anson Funderburgh, Lee Roy Parnell, Johnny Lee Schell, Snuffy Walden, and Dean Parks. “This new album is kind of veering a little bit more into soul,” says Teresa. “But to me, blues is more of a state of mind. It’s where you’re coming from. It’s the attitude and the heart that you bring to it.”

By any yardstick, Teresa got an uncommonly early start on her lifelong profession. “There was always music playing in my house. My dad was a huge music fan. He had all kinds of musical interests, so I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of music.” “I studied classical music until I was about a sophomore in high school. When I was like eight or so, my dad taught me how to play guitar. Those were the seeds which would eventually lead to a musical career including recordings with Walter Trout, Eric Burdon, Spencer Davis, Tommy Castro, Stephen Bruton, Randy Newman, LeeRoy Parnell, Neil Diamond, and more; plus live performances with countless others, including Marcia Ball, Levon Helm, Lloyd Jones, Delbert McClinton, and Eric Burdon & the Animals. She has been a featured act on Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruises for more than twenty years.

Teresa ultimately left Houston at the encouragement of Terry Wilson and his buddy Tony Braunagel, who had relocated to L.A. Terry proved the perfect musical cohort for Teresa. “His songs are brilliant. I think he’s a really great songwriter. And we’ve collaborated on quite a few, but I think what I bring to his songs in the interpretation is just a good match. He knows the kinds of things that I’m going to be able to put myself into to expand them,” she says. “Over the years, we have definitely developed a partnership that works.” Her band, The Rhythm Tramps, consists of world class players that have toured or recorded with artists including Eric Burdon & the Animals, Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton, Jimmy Reed, Lightin’ Hopkins, Jimmy Vaughan, Johnny Nash, Smokey Robinson, Tom Jones, Tower Of Power, and more.

In 1998, The Rhythm Tramps released their debut album, The Whole Enchilada, on Jesi-lu, with Teresa and Terry’s studio cohorts including guitarists Watts, Schell, and Stephen Bruton. Braunagel and Herman Matthews manned the drums. Subsequent releases include Live (2000), Oh Yeah! (2003), The Rhythm Method (2004), and The Bottom Line in 2007. “The Bottom Line is a really good one,” says Teresa. “We still do most of the songs on that album, and that was the one where we got the BMA nomination.” Next up was Country by Request (2008), followed by 2010’s You Know You Love It, Come On Home in 2012, Bonafide in 2016, and the Grammy-nominated Here in Babylon in 2018, which was mixed by Ed Cherney with Jay Bellerose on drums.

As if the band didn’t keep her busy enough, Teresa has also done considerable vocal work on film soundtracks and song demos in Los Angeles. One of her favorite composers to work for in the studio is Randy Newman; she was one of the background singers on “Putin” from his 2017 CD Dark Matter.

Soon to have a full dozen albums under their collective belt spanning 23 exciting years, Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps remain a staple of the Los Angeles-area blues scene in addition to an international touring artist, with a sound all their own. Moving easily from Texas-style grease and blues into Memphis soul or New Orleans-flavored grooves and all points in between with fun and abandonment, as one critic said, “there are no clichés in this band.”

JODI SIEGEL

Jodi Siegel, originally from Chicago, IL, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Over the years Jodi has opened for and or shared the stage with many respected musicians including: Albert King, Robben Ford, Robert Cray, J.D. Souther, David Lindley, Fred Tacket and Paul Barrere (Little Feat) and countless others. Her songs have been recorded by Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball, Tommy Ridgley and Teresa James.

She has recorded two CD'S; Stepping Stone and her latest CD, “Wild Hearts,” produced by Steve Postell (Immediate Family, David Crosby, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Iain Matthews), is filled with great songs, cool grooves, intimate, smart lyrics and some of the best of the best musicians in Los Angeles today including; Mike Finnigan (organ, piano), Hutch Hutchinson, Abe Laborial Sr., Alphonso Johnson (bass), Russ Kunkel, Michael Jerome Moore, John Ferraro, Arno Lucas (drums, percussion), Joe Sublett (Saxophone) and Maxayne Lewis and Clydene Jackson (background vocals). Each song has a soulful delivery with an undeniable down-home elegance. It has received great reviews by Patrick Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Maria Muldaur, Walter Trout, David Mansfield (T Bone Burnett), Leland Sklar, Mike Finnigan and Doug Macleod to name a few.

Jodi is in the pre-production stage of recording a new record with Grammy winning producer and friend Tony Braunagel.

May19

Jodi Siegel - concert

 —  —

GRACE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 3955 N. STUDEBAKER RD., LONG BEACH, CA

I am so honored to be invited to this wonderful music series, run by my friend, the talented singer-songwriter and Minister of Music; Stan Dewitt, at a beautiful church in Long Beach. I have seen multiple concerts here and grateful to be included among them. It's always well attended. A wonderful listening audience. this is a free-will donation at the door event.