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Brad Brooks goes ‘heavy’ soul rocker
Oakland singer, songwriter and bandleader Brad Brooks was at the dentist, having his teeth cleaned, when a dental assistant noticed a bulge on the side of his neck. Further investigation established that the lump was cancer. He...
LaMP burns brightly
Three esteemed players have joined forces almost by chance, and the result is one of music’s more dynamic and vital outfits. Combining a melodic jazz sensibility with the unpredictability of a jam band, LaMP keeps its members—and...
‘Groovy Old Bloke’ hits the right notes
The late novelist Pearl S. Buck once said that to find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.
That idea seems to apply to singer/songwriter/musician Nick Lowe, who is riding high with Indoor Safari, his...
Fiatrone makes meaningful music
The Academy of Language and Music Arts (ALMA) in Orinda sets out to offer lessons for all ages in a thoughtful, rich and meaningful fashion. The school was founded by Dr. James Fiatrone—also known to students as...
Reviving roots Down Home in El Cerrito
The walls of 10341 San Pablo Ave. in El Cerrito are coated in decades of music history. Nearly 50 years ago, musician and archivist Chris Strachwitz bought the modest building and began filling it. He had spent...
Fantastic Negrito confronts his past on new album
Three-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Fantastic Negrito is rarely hesitant to travel. Since winning the first-ever NPR Tiny Desk Contest from among 7,000 entrants with a one-take video in 2015, the musician—born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz—has taken his...
Clayton Call captures ‘Music to Your Eyes’
Clayton Call was capturing musicians on film long before he became a professional photographer. “I saw every classic band between ’66 and ’76, without taking a photo,” he said. “My mom bought a new Pentax in the...
