Dear Friends and Music Lovers,

Welcome to our August House Concert Newsletter. If you haven't been to one of our House Concerts in a while, you are missing some truly great music and some very entertaining evenings. We hope to see you at an upcoming show sometime this summer.


*** OUR MOST RECENT SHOW ***

Our July 18th House Concert for singer-songwriter Eric Schwartz and the pop duo "emith" (Stevie Gurr & Carol Ann Ives) was awesome! Everyone had a great time with the wonderful music and certainly laughed the night away with Eric's brilliantly humorous tunes. Freebo backed up Eric on bass for much of his set and actor Ronny Cox made a special guest appearance.

Here are some sample videos taken that evening:

emith - Stone Fences
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDWH1MyHPU0

emith - Connecting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fah_-1H3FPU

Eric Schwartz - Don't Tell My Wife
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXPcY65ZtgY

Eric Schwartz - Clean My Car
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWy5i4kebtY

Thanks so much to Stevie, Carol Ann, Eric, Freebo and Ronny for making it a night that we'll all remember. And thanks to Ron Sarfaty for video taping and editing.


*** OUR NEXT HOUSE CONCERT ***

On Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 8:00 P.M. we will be hosting a wonderful "double bill" House Concert for Susie Glaze and the Hilonesome Band and Fur Dixon & Steve Werner. This is going to be a very FUN evening showcasing the real roots of American music.

Susie Glaze's newest CD "Green Kentucky Blues" has just been nominated by the Just Plain Folks 2009 Music Awards for Best Roots Album! In addition, four songs from the album have been nominated in the Best Roots and Best Bluegrass Song categories. Come hear these songs and others as they share the stage with the phenomenal songwriters Fur Dixon and Steve Werner and their new critically-acclaimed CD release "Travelers."

SUSIE GLAZE & THE HILONESOME BAND... The best in Appalachia to Bluegrass, an evening of gorgeous eclectic blends of Appalachian mountain folk and exciting new bluegrass inspired originals, all with the remarkable voice of Susie Glaze. "Susie Glaze does something with a song that only great singers can do... she grabs hold of a song's deepest emotion and purpose and wraps it tightly around your soul." (KCSN FM) "Every song is a journey and her versatility as a vocal stylist is impressive and downright unbelievable at times. She will glide from a plaintive moan to a cozy vibrato and every choice she makes seems perfect." (San Diego North County Bluegrass Association).

Folk music legend Jean Ritchie has called Susie Glaze "a fresh young voice, a communicator, to me the most important of qualities in a singer." Bluegrass Unlimited calls her "an important voice on the California Bluegrass scene" and Roz Larman of KPFK's FolkScene writes "Susie Glaze has one of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today. She performs a song straight from her heart and soul." Winner of the Just Plain Folks 2006 Music Awards for Best Roots Album, and Folkworks Magazine's Pick for Best Bluegrass Album of 2005 for "Blue Eyed Darlin,'" Susie's Hilonesome Band is Steve Rankin on mandolin, Rob Carlson on dobro and guitar, and the amazing Fred Sanders from The Eight Hand String Band on bass, showcasing the songwriting of lead guitarist Rob Carlson.

The show features songs from the new album "Green Kentucky Blues" and award-winning "Blue Eyed Darlin'" along with mountain standards from the Jean Ritchie collection, old favorites from Iris Dement, Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams among other great songwriters. Entertainment Weekly writes "...she can blow the roof off any joint lucky enough to book her."

Skyrocketing California folk favorites FUR DIXON AND STEVE WERNER have built a solid reputation with their sizzling two-part harmonies, spectacular yodeling, awesome guitar picking, and wise-cracking humor which all serve to compliment their incredible original traveling songs. Their two CDs, "The Pearl and the Swine" and "Travelers" are a one-two knockout punch of real-deal American Folk music, filled with songs that are classics in the making. They effortlessly bridge the rich traditions of Bluegrass, Western and good old American folk music.

Fur and Steve have wowed 'em all over the west, headlining at such places as the Getty Center, Tucson Folk Festival, Peter Strauss Ranch Concert Series, Friends of Bodie Days, Bluegrass at the Braemar, Ojai Concert Series, Underwood Farms Bluegrass, and Folk Festival, and the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest. Larry Wines, host of radio's "Tied To the Tracks" writes, "Fur Dixon & Steve Werner create music that is essential, by all the definitions of that word: their music is 'absolutely necessary, indispensable; it 'constitutes the essence' of the genre; and it is, 'by its very nature or in the highest sense, natural, spontaneous.'

The suggested donation for the evening is just $15 per person, payable in cash at the door. All the money goes to the performers. We will also have our usual "potluck" style coffee and dessert buffet. The show is called for 8:00 P.M. Doors open at 7:30 P.M. RSVP today to Russ & Julie at houseconcerts@jrp-graphics.com -- We look forward to seeing you then!

Please help us share the magic of our House Concert experience with others... bring your friends!


*** OTHER LOCAL HOUSE CONCERTS ***

On Tuesday, August 4, Joe Roff and The Stein Brothers will be performing a benefit for Conejo Jewish Outreach at Russ & Julie's home in Oak Park. 7:00 P.M. For information, please contact us or go to:
http://www.conejojewishoutreach.org

On Saturday, August 8, Terence Martin and Rachel Sedacca will be performing at Duncan House Concerts in Ventura, CA. For information, please go to:
http://www.myspace.com/duncanhouseconcerts

On Saturday, August 8, Lisa Haley will be performing at Craig & Sabrina's Acoustic LA Live at Hallenbeck's in North Hollywood. For information, please go to:
http://www.myspace.com/acousticla

On Saturday, August 15, Severin Browne will be performing at Boney Mountain House Concerts in Newbury Park. For information, please go to:
http://www.brandick.com/Boney-Mountain-Home.htm

On Saturday, August 15, Larry Bulaich & son Nolan will be performing at Noble House Concerts in Van Nuys. For information, please go to:
http://www.jrp-graphics.com/noblehouse

On Saturday, August 15, The Nathan McEuen Band will be performing at Song Tree Concerts in Goleta, CA. For information, please go to:
http://www.songtree.org

On Saturday, August 15, The BeaTunes are performing at Jaynee Thorne's House in North Hills, CA. For information, please email Jaynee at: jayneecat@earthlink.net

Sunday, August 23, The Conejo Valley Family Music Series presents: Charles "Wsir" Johnson, Dogwood Moon, and Jonathan McEuen. For information, please go to:
http://www.conejovalleyfamilymusicseries.com

On Saturday, August 29, Gates & Goodell and Stephanie Bettman will be performing at Duncan House Concerts in Ventura, CA. For information, please go to:
http://www.myspace.com/duncanhouseconcerts


We look forward to seeing you soon at an upcoming House Concert.

Russ & Julie
Russ & Julie's House Concerts
Email: houseconcerts@jrp-graphics.com
Website: http://www.houseconcerts.us
www.myspace.com/russjuliehouseconcerts
http://www.youtube.com/russjuliehousecncrts


OUR UPCOMING HOUSE CONCERTS:
Saturday, August 22, 2009 - Susie Glaze and the Hilonesome Band and Fur Dixon & Steve Werner
Saturday, September 12, 2009 - Stonehoney
Saturday, October 24, 2009 - John Wort Hannam and Stephanie Bettman with Luke Halpin
Saturday, November 14, 2009 - Chuck Pyle and Cindy Kalmenson
Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Houston Jones
Saturday, January 9, 2010 - Alex DePue & Miguel De Hoyos
Saturday, February 20, 2010 - The Cache Valley Drifters
Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Jude Johnstone and Lori Lieberman

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