Posted by Stefan Wirz on January 29, 2004, 10:55 am, in reply to "Re: Steve Mann alive and well (and guitar playing!)" Just got in from a thoroughly Berkeley evening. It's not often these days that I feel below the median age at any event, but tonight the Freight was filled with the old gaurd of the Berkeley Left and I was one of the youngsters. It was a benefit in support of several organizations in support of the Homeless, a major issue in Berkeley. The first set, after some awards were given out by the Mayor, featured Carol Denney, a local protest singer who champions the homeless, and Country Joe McDonald, who played a variety of songs from protest songs about whales to meditative noodlings in open G with rack harp, to a song about Clara Barton, who founded the Red Cross and patented the first aid kit. A sprinkling of modest fingerpicking, even. After the break, Marc Silber, with a 12, opened with a song or two of his own, then was joined by Will Scarlett, a superb chromatic harp player, and then, a song later, Steve Mann joined them for a blues in A reminiscent of RJ's Kind Hearted Woman. Mann and Scarlet played a couple more pieces alone and then Marc joined them for a final number. Buzzy Lindhart was supposed to join them but was apparently too ill. Steve looked like a man upon whom the interveening years weigh heavy, yet he was clearly taking a great step. He put down some snapping trilled licks, fingerpicking with long nails, it seemed, and there were times when he was clearly enjoying himself. It was a perfect situation, Marc is a very "from the heart" performer, and Will seems to be a very gentle soul. At times it was like three old friends sitting on the back porch, and the audience was very supportive, especially of Steve. Apparently he has moved to Berkeley from southern CA, so I'm hoping we will see more of him, getting his wings back. He's fallen in with some good folks. --Previous Message--
Link: Steve Mann discography
62.226.115.20
don't know if the author of the following report (waxwing aka John C.) drops by in this forum, but I'm sure he won't mind me posting his report, which he posted in another forum, here. It goes as follows:
A very interesting evening.
All for now.
John C.
: Be still my heart! I can't make it, but if
: anyone who does would like to tell us about
: it, please, please do!
: Thanks very much, Stefan.
: --Previous Message--
: just got a message from Steve Mann telling me
: that he's rehearsing for a show on Wednesday
: night Jan 28th (that is today!) with Will
: Scarlett (harmonica) at the Freight and
: Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley - so hurry
: to see (and hear) what could perhaps be the
: start of a second career for that legendary
: LA guitarist from the sixties!
: :
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