October 1, 2006 by Bill Gould, Publisher.

Reported By: Jourdan Sales

Summer:
Singer and songwriter Summer sang beautifully with her band. Her two back up guitarists and drum machine made peaceful melodies that are gentle enough for an infant’s ears. Summer writes very inspiring songs such as ‘Thirst’. ‘Thirst’ is about going after your goals and working for what you really desire or yearn for. Beauty and brains are both present when attending one of her shows.

Jupiter:
Danceable tunes make the world go around the solar system and pass planet Jupiter right up, never really giving us a change to wave ‘hello!’ Luckily for us, we have our own personal Jupiter! These radical haired rockers show great enthusiasm when playing a show. Getting the crowd to dance and dancing themselves is just one of their many talents. They are spectacular artists and amazing live.

Drysdale:
Now with guitarist Mike Jordan settled into the band for about a month now, Drysdale is still able to play a wicked show. Drysdale kicked off the first day of the 16th annual Temecula Music and Arts Festival. Now with their EP out, fans are able to buy their music and listen to them at home rather than waiting at home listening to them on myspace.

Soul Journers:
Loud sounds escaped from the doors of the community recreation center the night of September 29th. That sound was the wicked rock music streaming from the very talented band Soul Journers. With key boards, bass, drums, and maybe some of the most wicked guitar solos that you have ever heard in Temecula. Soul Journers consist of Paul, Chanler, David, and Mike. A question of why fans should come to see them was asked. “We play real music…real rock,” answers keyboardist Paul.

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October 1, 2006 by PT Rothschild.

SWEET 16 CELEBRATED AT BEL VILLAGGIO
Temecula, CA - The second part of this year’s crown jewel music event being orchestrated by Full Value Entertainment, just took place (Saturday, September 30, 2006), so I thought I would set it down to words while the notes were still dancing around in my head. First of all, as the senior historian of this local music scene, I’ve seen FVE expand their musical talent range. This was first evidenced by last year’s music fest and continues this year on multiple stages located along the northern rim of the Promenade Mall (the Krispy Kreme side). It is an independent shopping area known as Bel Villaggio, T-town’s mini Rodéo Drive. It was a slight cool morning breeze that blew in from the Pacific and it greeted the day.
INLAND VALLEY SYMPHONY- opened the 16^th annual Arts Council’s Growing The Arts celebration with the National Anthem. The festival which resembled an ‘uptown’ sidewalk sale, featured vendor booths with food samples, paintings, pottery, porcelain, jewelry, handmade cards, new artwork by Weston Wood (age 9), of course, surfboards, really pretty ones. Meanwhile on the huge main stage on the Edwards Cinemas side of the Mall, the symphony played on, led by Dr. Jeanine Trent Atwood, who gleamed to the audience inside information in the introduction to each selection or medley, such as the one that featured the works of Edward Kennedy Ellington, known professionally as ‘Duke’. The IVS (http://www.inlandvalleysymphony.org/) quickly drew rapt applause from the early shoppers, leaving one to wonder whether an effect was being felt at the Farmer’s Market in Old Town this morning. It seemed a lot people were out enjoying live classical music. Even Jacks’ Nuts were there
JERONE LEE – One of my friends once remarked that I live in ‘Christian’ Murrieta and it’s true. That distinction may have had some bearing on the 3 piece Gospel music trio featuring an electrified sax (remember Eddie Harris), with JL’s wife, Pamela, on keys, and Deion Harrison on drums. The San Jacinto band filled the original Sabbath with gospel ‘smooth jazz’ rhythms from tunes such as ‘Goin’ Up Yonder’, adding that ‘old time’ religion through the vocals of LEE and wife to round out a full value of entertainment, plus they were nice people.
MSJC MENIFEE JAZZ ENSEMBLE – having heard about this group for the last few years from several of the members that come to Java Jo’z’ free Wednesday ‘open mike’ nights, I was thrilled to, at last, see the JAZZ ENSEMBLE. I was also amazed to see how many of them that there were. I almost thought the IVS had slipped back up on stage UNTIL I started counting all the people in ‘shades’ (sunglasses). Jazz invented ‘cool’ (and got pot criminalized) so it was only right to see most of the MJE looking cool. But the cool didn’t stop at looks, evidenced by the tightness of the tunes played from the set list. “Normally,” said Tim (bassist), “it takes almost to the end of the semester before we (are this tight). The opening number, the Latin flavored (read Herbie Mann here) ‘Slow Visor’ featured a trumpet solo (shades), a trombone solo (shades), and a percussion (shades by 1). ‘Black Orpheus’ and Quincy Jones’ ‘Killer Joe’ showed the crowd that this jazz group could ‘stop on a dime and give you nine cents change’.
Being noon, both the other stages opened to showcase other genres of music acts. Stage 1, located deep in a food court area not far from the Macaroni Grill event border, got off to a start with Sean Baker, a very pleasing opener who garnered applause when re-introduced by JEALOUS OF BILLY ELLIOT, a Norco, CA native who played a fine acoustic set to several familiar JJz faces and a host of newbies. Citing the ‘underground’ philosophy that real ‘truth is found in tabloid papers’ (and outside the mainstream press), JOBE is set to start touring in 2007 with a CD release of his vocals, guitar, and harmonica styled tunes. DAVID WONG, a local artist who has played a number of shows for FVE followed, bringing his originals to the ‘city park’ crowd that was seated and enjoying the open air ambiance. Ontario, CA, native TERI TOBIN, singer/songwriter (myspace here), with a seated acoustic guitar accompanist, engaged attention with some AL GREEN covers, an original, and a very personal rendition of PRINCE’s ‘Purple Rain’.
Meanwhile over on Stage 3, a stage about twice the size of the acoustic Stage 1 and located at the other end of the event area by Così, the local hard rock scene was gearing up with SORROW UNDERFOOT, THE STANZ, and TOKYO STATIC. Così sandwich supervisor Kelli, and assistant manager Danny made ready free samples of the wares offered by the sandwich deli and pizza eatery chain that has ‘100 stores back east in Chicago, Pennsylvania, and New York.’ The separation of genres of music by stage allowed the maximum amount of music fans to be able to enjoy the music they are most comfortable hearing. Leaving the Stage 3, where you could hear THE STANZ’s ‘(I Wanna Do) Smart Girls’, and see the bands more typical of a FVE show, I headed back to the Main Stage in time for the country Christian 4-piece band HIGHWAY 7 with vocals reminiscent of MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER. Following HYWY7 the older mainstream afternoon music fans shook their hips to X-FACTOR, a crisp, polished cover band that ‘plays parties, bar mitzvahs,’ and was set to appear that very night at local dance club/bar Aloha J’s. Songs by the San Diego based group like Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison’ and FOO FIGHTERS covers kept the crowd hopping.
At the acoustic alcove of Stage 1, the youthful fans were enjoying the heartfelt musical outpourings of BLAKE WILLIAMS, one of this summer’s ‘breakout’ wonders that burst on the scene from Java Jo’z. Everyone who sees one of BLAKE’s shows becomes an instant fan, recognizing the natural talent and greatness you are witnessing in its infancy. For those of us who were there from the beginning, a much anticipated milestone was reached with the release of ‘The Castaway’ EP (info here). Here’s some ‘insider’ information, Sports Fans. If you remember my raving over the production values of the now defunct band THE CITY and their CD, these are same production values found in the excellent recording issued here. Pick up your copy ASAP. THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER finished the acoustic Stage group of music artistry and the fans left fulfilled after the zany lighthearted artful rock of the band that features a clarinet in many of its songs.
Stage 3 brought its scene to a close with THE HUCKABEES, a classic hotrod three piece (star pattern Hamer with a D.O.R.K. button on the strap, blond Schecter bass, and a Gretsch drum kit) who did an obscure AC/DC cover, note for note, yes, licks too, and had local fellow kid band 15 NORTH join them onstage for a rousing cover of KISS’ ‘I Want Rock ‘N’ Roll All Night (And Party Everyday). After all the hoops and hollers, 15 NORTH took the stage, looking like a Disney poster of a youth rock band. The boys have been practicing because they have continued their growth in stage presence (confidence & musicianship) and they laid down a rock solid bass line every tune. With hair tossing on a warm summer-like night, watching fresh rock ‘n’ roll outdoors just doesn’t get any better than this, and it seemed that everyone was there, even Jack’s Nuts.
Back on the Main Stage, a dance line out in front of the stage followed a Latino Richard Simmons, but with a lot less swish, as they participated in HOT PEPPERS DANCE INSTRUCTION. More music followed with the BLUES REVIEW, a mostly-cover/club 7-piece band that came complete with sax solos, screaming lead licks, and vocals featuring a Brittany Spears croon-ability that lend itself well to Motown’s Junior Walker power ballads like, ‘What Does It Take?’ Original song, ‘Walk Away’, was a raucous blend of rock and swing blues made famous by many Harlem musicians when ‘muggles’ were smoked the way Cloves are today.
Lighting the Main Stage one last time was, THE BLAZERS; honky-tonk country rock meets The Grand Ole Opry done the East L.A. way. These boys could shake it up in the style of roadhouse rock and used the classic rock band format of rhythm and lead guitars, modern ergonomic-shaped standup bass, and drums, with lead licks changing hands every song and all but the drummer chipping in on vocal chores. I parted with my last $10 (band gas money) for a CD of these guys that I’m still playing this morning.
The Bel Villaggio ‘Growing The Arts’ continues today with music, vendors and great weather, at noon.

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