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March 16, 2007
Volker Strifler Band at Little Fox Jam, Redwood City, CA 3/14/07”
Volker put the pickup over in the left hand lane and brought the speed up to an even 70 mph and we started making regular time down 101. Mike Emerson laughed, “We’re a carpool, three of us, I’ve never been one before.” Working the reverse commute down through Sonoma and Marin Counties we made good time.
Mike talked about his years in Arcata in Humboldt county, “Love the place, it was home, I lived there twelve years. I finally had to move down nearer the ‘big pond’. The pace of life is so different up there. I was up there in the health food store about a month ago and people said, ‘Hey Man, how ya doing? Haven’t seen you around lately” “Oh, I moved three years ago.” “Ohhhh.”
Volker tried to give the Golden Gate Bridge toll taker five bucks. She said, “Carpool. Carpool.” Volker really hadn’t been a commute time “carpool” before. Musicians seldom get the chance to use the special rush hour rules; their hours are normally different. We were pretty lucky most of the way down, only getting jammed up on the Bayshore Freeway twice.
Ah, the glamorous life of the musician: Find the right exit, find the right turns, find the venue, find a place to park, go into the venue and check for the way to do the equipment load-in. A back alley to the concrete passageway to the rear entrance meant quite a hauling of Mike’s two keyboards and Leslie speaker. Luckily, there was a flat dolly and we wheeled it in. Gary Silva’s drums were already set up at 5:45. Mike set up his rig and Volker located his spot and the power supply. Vince Caminiti the jam master had everything in hand. Jack from Jack’s Blues kidded me about being a roadie. He didn’t know I’d been one long ago. Liz DiGiorgio set up the CDs for sale.
all photos by rolf olmsted, all rights reserved
I’d never been to the Little Fox before. It’s a great spot for shows under 250 people. It’s got that 1920s golden pre-WWII California look and feel. It’s two levels with a great balcony seating area. This means there’s a great dance floor in front of the band with chairs and tables to either side. Right across the street is a Neo-classical town hall of the finest kind. I understand that other blocky buildings were built around it in World War II. The City has finally restored it to glory. Great town square in front where the Redwood City Blues Festival will be held.
Daniel Castro got set up with his usual care and was ready to go. As he sat waiting on the side in a chair, a look of tiredness and melancholy passed over him. 
So many gigs and the struggle for the recognition his talents deserve and the chance to just sit alone and quiet for a few minutes gave him a great stillness for a short period. As soon as the music started he cheered up.
Vince hopped on stage and announced, “Welcome to the Redwood City jam and here’s this weeks host band, The Volker Strifler Band” and they were off. With Don Bassey on bass (a new custom five string), Gary Silva on drums, Mike Emerson on keyboards, and Andy Just on harmonica, they powered into “Struck by Lightning” and it was hot from the beginning. Wild solos on the first song! It was great to see everybody so loose right away. Andy Just really impressed me and Mike really showed me again just what a great keyboard player he is. Then Volker soloed and people started yelling as his different scale choices made for that distinctive Volker sound. The crowd which had been wall hugging suddenly came up close to the stage. Those who hadn’t seen Volker before were watching intently. “The Dance Goes On”, Volker’s new ‘hit’ was next. It had a new Volker solo of restraint and a spacey feel of subtle feel. He’s almost always ‘new’.
Daniel Castro who’d been smiling at the side of the stage got up with the guys and counted out “Let the Good Times Roll” and did a jump rhythm swing out. Volker did a first solo all on the low strings and first position, the exact opposite of the “screaming” solo. Volker continues to surprise me. Mike Emerson did a solo of power as the dancers came out on the floor and the standers moved to the sides. Swing dancers had enough room still and made the most of it while they could, particularly a pair of Lindy dancers showing how it’s done. Andy was knocking me out with his harmonica, he sure can play both solos and rhythm harp and back up the other musicians.
A slow great intro by Daniel led into Andy singing “Blue and Lonesome” followed by a huge sounding solo by Mike Emerson. Andy did a tremolo solo which was OK, and then a Volker’s solo just drove me nuts as he wildly played the interior scalar parts of the chord changes while never playing the bottom note of the chords. Harmonic invention that kills! “Moving On” started with the VSB’s standard arrangement and Volker did a fine solo—and then they brought the volume and rhythm way down and Daniel did a hard, almost “Albert Collins,” quiet scream solo that went right through your body.
“One More” said Volker and they played a hot near shuffle that was way over the top as everyone went full out. Mike Emerson did a great solo and his organ parts satisfied.
Set break allowed me to meet a bunch of folks and say hello to friends. Hi to LeAnne, Linda, Shauna, Doug, and Bev. Plus, a much longer list. I wish I’d met even more folks there.
The second set was Amy Lou and a band of regulars whose names I mostly have no clue on although it's Ray-Ray Figueroa on bass, John Lull on sax, and “Scott" on guitar. Amy Lou did a real strut on “I Don’t Want Man Telling Me What To Do” and then Ruth Brown’s “5-10-15 Hours Of Love.” This set was a lot of fun and high quality. If this is the standard of the Jam then the standard is very high!
A set of jammers led by Greg Heumann, and including Walter Hern on drums, the mysterious Jennifer on tenor sax (who I seemed to take a lot of photos of for some reason), Eric Selenger, Ira Kart on keyboards, Scott Malcolm bass, performed a set of strong tunes that a lot of the viewers liked a lot. Lots of good harp playing.
Ron Hacker got up on stage with Don Bassey on bass and Gary Silva on drums and did “Diving Duck/ Worried Blues” in that old Delta slide style. Powerful stuff! Andy Just joined them for a Slim Harpo type hip shaking rhythm. In all there were three songs from the slide monster. It’s good to have Ron back. I’m looking forward to hearing him at the Saloon.
Somewhere in here Allyson Paige did a fine set with a band of Jam regulars and she sounded good. I was beginning to lose it on taking notes and I was taking pictures and so distracted.
The Volker Strifler Band with Daniel Castro on guitar and Carl Bowers on trombone and John Lull on tenor sax got back up and did another powerful set.
“Struck By Lightning” was a powerhouse. People howled during “Somebody Help Me!” Great horn section. Daniel and Volker did the solos that make people drive distances to see them and the rhythm section was a power. Mike Emerson can play the organ for me anytime. Jelly Roll Burgstahler joined them and did “Hootchy Cootchy Man” with his standard slide. Andy did a great solo. In all a great set.
The next set of the night was the ‘surprise’ set. Tia Carroll had been set to sing joining a jam group, and then her whole band showed up! Tia has a huge voice and her back up Marla Goody has almost as big of a voice. By this time I was losing it as far as taking notes and I was in musical overwhelm, the night’s music had been that good. Tia’s set was great.
The final set was Shauna Marshall’s with some of the Jam regulars (again I apologize for not knowing names). She sang a short set of Blues standards in her “baby” voice. Singing with people she’d never played with she held her own. The place was clearing out and it was just fun time.
Then it was over and people mostly left and it was just the band members and musicians emptied out a bit from the playing and getting it together for the load-out. Volker collected the tip jar that would be the only pay for the night and began figuring out the payout for the musicians. Mike Emerson waited a little for the stage to clear so he could take apart the keyboards and load. After getting the dolly I went outside for a breather after finally meeting Artie and Gale Chavez (the remodel citizens) in the flesh.
Daniel Castro and Doug loaded out as Don went for his truck. As Daniel got ready to leave Volker came out and tried to give Daniel a share. “No Man!” said Daniel. “No money! You guys show up at my gigs and play for free. No money, Man.” This sure ‘nuff told me something about both these guys. Real musicians, real gents.
Standing around I got to hear the post mortem, always fascinating, never repeated. Looking in I saw that Mike was now able to load out his gear, and while Volker got his truck around front, he loaded and we pushed his and Volker’s stuff out front. It’s surprising how little strength you have left after a long show and how heavy the lift into the truck is.
What a hell of a night, stars abounded, I didn’t know more than half the names, I was totally blown out with the combination of Volker and Daniel Castro and their different, but meshing guitar styles.
On the pro musician’s long lonely highway north Mike said, “It’s a long drive down, and a longer drive back.”
Video Clips by Bobbi with lo-fi distorted sound
The Three Best are probably:
The rest (bad sound is a given):
Clip 1
Clip 2
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Clip 4
Clip 5
Clip 6
Clip 7
Clip 8
Clip 9
Clip 10
Clip 11
Clip 12
Clip 13
Please send names, corrections, and additions to rolfyboy@sonomatunes.com
Posted by Rolfyboy6 at March 16, 2007 04:40 PM
Comments
Hey Rolf..
thanks for this very kool review and all the photos..
i haven't even got to see the videos yet..!!!!
Excellent job man..yeah
I seen you march 4, 2007 at the tradewinds but i did n't know who you were...next time i hope to meet you..
later
victor
Posted by: Victor at March 17, 2007 02:19 PM
Rolf -
Thanks so much for going to the GREAT lengths you did to put up this fine review. Word about this "jam" is spreading - the audience continues to grow and the audience gets better and better. The show you reviewed set a new bar for others to jump over.
How marvelous!
Thanks again
/Greg
Posted by: Greg Heumann at March 18, 2007 09:14 AM
just saw a vid of daniel castro, volker and mark hummel at Little Fox..1/17/2007.. looks like a fun place. we could use a few more in sonoma county, no?
Posted by: verna at March 18, 2007 10:54 AM
what a great night that was. Could'nt of payed to see a better show. They were all great Daniel,Volker, what a delight! And to think I almost went straight home from work that night cuz I felt I wasn"t presentable enough. to be there after working all day. But it was okay I just hid in my little nook on the second floor. where I could not be seen ...... . Yeah... even got Volker's C.D. So I left a happy camper...,,. Sue
Posted by: sue Sheppard at March 19, 2007 07:21 PM