San Lorenzo Valley I suppose is really a climb up through the Santa Cruz Mountains on Highway 9 into the Redwoods. If you travel from Santa Cruz come up hwy 17, get off on Mt Herman and travel through Scotts Valley (watch your speed in this area) toward Felton. If you would rather use Graham Hill Road upward past Cowell State Park and Roaring Camp, into Felton your first Bluegrass of music stop might be Don Quixote's in Felton. A number of excellent shows and a variety of artists are featured here. The environment includes plenty of parking in this small town, a long bar, in a separated room from the dining area, a nice and hardy Mexican cuisine, with plenty of fresh made chips and salsa. The margaritas are good and can be ordered by the glass or pitcher. The entertainment area includes a mid-sized stage, a good sound system, and technician who knows the room, with good lighting and sound for musicians, and audience. The restaurant, music area is grouped with tables and chairs for easy dining and music listening. There are areas where a couple or a single might dance without being center stage. The rooms hold a small crowd and it a great small environment where artists of all varieties come to play their music. This year alone Bluegrass has been a large part of the fair including, Laurie Lewis, Peter Rowan, The Devil Makes Three, Jimmy Chicken Pants, Harmony Grits, and Rhonda Vincent. Do watch the venue as shows are scheduled in advance as well as being added throughout the year and with each season.
Travel north further up the valley into Ben Lomand on a Wednesday evening and bring your instruments. An open jam with a mix of regulars and new comers make the scene come alive at Henflings, in between the fire station and Ace hardware on the right. During the summer, it is often seen as a Biker Bar, and has an old roadhouse appeal as locals and newbie's come to enjoy a whatever happens evening. The Wednesday Bluegrass jam begins at 8:00 pm. Mike Baroni, who repairs antique furniture is an avid
Bluegrass aficionado, playing the stand up bass and claw-hammer banjo is our leader. With Mikes help, and banjo player Jared Chaney, the place takes off with a Bluegrass upbeat. The B and B brothers, Brad and Blake, Rick Ednie and Bob Denton, and I, Elicia Burton, seem to show up often. Mike would like to see and hear many more people show up for this regular Bluegrass jam evening. We would all like to see the place filled up with both folks who love to listen, and dance to bluegrass (Patty), and those who enjoy playing. All of us would enjoy a regular evening of playing bluegrass happen with an invite to all who want to come out and play. Show off, keep up your licks, and learn new material, come one come all.
If you continue to drive north on hwy 9 up past Ben Lomand about another mile, the infamous Brookdale Lodge looms up with a first sighting of a huge pictorial of James Dean on the right. Drive past The mural, driveway a few yards up on the right. Plenty of parking and light will guide you to the entrance where you take a right past the cages of finches, and candy machines into the softly lighted Brookdale Lounge and bar. On Tuesday evenings, starting at around 8-930 until Dennis closes the bar the place is taken over by bluegrass friends from many backgrounds. Eric Burman who is the Brookdale Bluegrass impresario is our illustrious leader. Eric and who ever shows up play bluegrass favorites, as well as songwriters sing along material, play along or listen, or bring a new one to share. One of the songs you might hear is the Brookdale Bluegrass song or the Brookdale Lodge song about Sarah who haunts the Lodge. Enchanting, engaging and multi talented, this group of musicians enjoy vocals, beginners, and laughs. I admit that in some ways this is a great evening for me as I play a wonderful variety of music and my fiddle sings here. Please come and join this gathering, if you arrive before music starts have a great bowl of Clam chowder, some of the best I've ever tasted with fresh bread, for as little as four dollars.
In addition, once a year is the Johnson Family Farm picking party, which was last week, the second weekend in September, with a number of other holidays oriented events through the year. Head up hwy 9 past the town of Boulder Creek and make a turn on Two-Bar road follow signs to the farm, where there is plenty of good parking. Enjoy the Redwoods that are part of this wonderful drive into the country so close to civilization. The Johnson Farm also has you cut Christmas trees.
Occasionally the vegetarian Blue Sun Cafe has dinners with bands; sometime a bluegrass band will play. This is in Boulder Creek.
If you are heading into this area, from San Jose, and if you like a nice windy road you can get from hwy 17 off onto Bear Creek Road which will eventually bring you into just above Boulder Creek, once on hwy 9 take a left through Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomand and then Felton, heading down the Valley. Alternatively, get off Hwy 17 on the Scotts Valley Mt Herman Road exit and head to Felton, then go up hwy 9. Either way you are more than welcome to enjoy a jam.
On Sunday evenings, beginning at 6:00-6:30 pm occasionally is a jam at the Boulder Creek Country club off hwy 236; take a right at the Boulder Creek gas station. The Country club is at the Boulder Creek Golf course a neat, under the Redwoods group of greens. Go for 9 or 18 holes, and then join us for a jam with the Heathen Hill gang lead by Mark Becker. The restaurant and Bar are not often crowed, though strange things can happen there as this last year a movie group was there, we picked music while movie stars listened. This jam is a close nit grouping of players who enjoy a huge variety of music, bluegrass, oldies, but goodies, country-western, swing, as well as singer-songwriter favorites.
It is my hope that people enjoy a different mix of bluegrass music, enjoy each other's company, and keep these special bluegrass jams happening. I will be taking my fiddle out on the road this next month as I travel to Europe for a month. When I return I am sure I will have plenty of stories to tell. I hope you have enjoyed this edition of the San Lorenzo Valley Rag.
One more thing before I forget. Put the Brookdale Bluegrass festival on your list of musts. The Brookdale Lodge is a great winter get away. Add this one to your holiday MUST DO's. Dec 1, and 2nd 2006, a Friday and Saturday evening. Stay at the Lodge and Jam with friends and the bands in the rooms. Enjoy a great evening of entertainment with many bands including Chojo Jacques and Huston Jones on Friday and then enjoy an entire day of bluegrass on Saturday with Bell Monroe, her brewgrass boys, and the Wonderful Mossy Creek Band. Please go www.BrookdaleBluegrass.com newly constructed fantastic website for details. Friday night $10. In addition, the full day of Saturday Bluegrass only $20, what a deal...Do not Miss it!
