We’re so thrilled to announce that Rhythm Future Quartet will return to our stage in January!

This incredible group from the East Coast will knock your socks off with their virtuosic Django jazz. Jason Anick, Henry Acker, Max O’Rourke and Greg Loughman are supremely mega-talented, five-star musicians. They are simply amazing and we can’t wait for their show!

Violinist Jason Anick describes his music “..as if Paganini and Django walked into a bar”. Check out their video below!

Tickets are $27 Advance, $17 for OCA members. $8 additional at the door (if available).

We expect this show to sell out - get tickets early!!

Check them out on YouTube

Join us for an evening with David Swallow Jr and learn about the Lakota’s traditions in today’s modern world, and how he is spreading awareness through his new film “Ghost Dance” in his quest to preserve this endangered heritage.

Free event - donations gratefully accepted.

David Swallow Jr. is a Teton Lakota living in Porcupine South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. David and his Grandfathers are from the Band of Crazy Horse. He is known as a spiritual interpreter, Sundance Chief and one of the Heads man for the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Nations. He is one of the last fluent Lakota language speakers, both the old language and today’s Lakota language. On his father’s side, he descends from Chief Standing Buffalo and from his mother’s lineage Chief Red Shirt.

David’s new film “Ghost Dance” is a Lakota story that bridges modern-day life and a no man’s land, the Badlands of the Indian Reservation. Sightings of UFOs and strange phenomenal activities appear near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, where the last ceremony of the Ghost Dance was held during the massacre at Wounded Knee on December 29th, 1890. Strange lights reported by the media over the Badlands sparks the interest of an anthropologist who begins an investigation to bring answers about the mystical phenomena.

Please join us for refreshments starting at 2pm. People’s Choice Awards: Winning artists for Best of Show and Honorable Mention will be announced at 3pm.

Get ready to be inspired, moved and uplifted by this soulful performer!

BenjaSoul is a composer, performer, and song leader who specializes in music of the Black Spiritual tradition. He can often be found leading songs at benefit concerts, vigils, protest actions, sacred services, circle songs, and workshops.  He is on the board of directors of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, an immigrant rights and anti-incarceration nonprofit, and is also the founder/director of the Joyful Noise! Gospel Singers. 

Tickets are $25 advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

Benja is a third-generation professional musician.  His mother is a professional singer and “grandaddy” was a jazz pianist who worked with legends like Sarah Vaughan and Charles Mingus. Benja counts among his mentors luminaries like Dr. Ysaye Barnwell of Sweet Honey in the Rock, concert pianist Kai Pangune Kim, and a host of session musicians in the world of jazz. He has directed adult and youth choirs for 20 years and is a strong believer in community singing.

When not performing music, Benja is a writer, public speaker, and workshop leader on issues of racial justice, civil rights, and Black History. He has worked as a leadership consultant in private, public, and nonprofit organizations. He is also a certified executive coach through the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute.

Learn more about him at www.benjaminmertz.com

Join us as we celebrate the release of author Michael Fels’ latest book, Becoming a Farang & Other Astonishing Transformations. Michael will share selected readings, answer audience questions and sign books. Free event.

Books will be available for purchase. Michael has generously offered to donate 100% of the proceeds to OCA!

In Becoming a Farang, Michael invites the reader to join him on a three-month stay in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Told with humor, personal history, introspection and commentary, Michael uses his experiences in Thailand to explore cultural differences, aesthetics, sexuality, ageing, spirituality, and the environment.

This is Michael’s 7th book. Although he has always enjoyed writing, it wasn’t until he was in his 60’s that he began to share his work. In addition to short stories, creative nonfiction and memoirs, Michael has written plays and performance pieces. He is an active member of the Rotary Club Sebastopol Sunrise and the Sebastopol Area Time Bank. He and his partner, Jesada, live in Sebastopol.

Don’t miss this special reunion performance by seasoned jazz ensemble Glass Brick Boulevard! Led by Greg Johnson, this show features the original bandmates who played for many years in the Bay Area and were featured regularly at Marin’s Fenix Theater. Glass Brick Boulevard brings contemporary, original jazz tunes with class … what a great way to spend a winter Sunday afternoon! With Paul Hanson on Bassoon, Rob Fordyce on Bass, Celso Alberti on drums and Greg Johnson on Piano, this show will impress and inspire you.

Tickets are $25 advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door. Doors open at 2:30 PM. Fine refreshments for sale, art gallery open during intermission.

Stories teach us about life, about ourselves & about each other. Help to create west county’s newest storytelling community. 7mintuesmax will be an evening of 7 live stories told in 7 minutes or less. Hilarious or sublime, poignant and personal tales told through the ancient oral tradition of storytelling, this evening will be sure to move, delight & intrigue you. This is an event for mature audiences & not intended for children. Interested storytellers will have a chance to throw their name in the hat to present their story. Remember no notes & 7 minutes max!

Refreshments available for purchase including fine wine & beer selection.

$10 GA, $5 for OCA members. Pay at the door. Storytellers will be selected randomly from willing participants.

Get ready for the greatest love story ever sung!

This five-star tribute to Johnny and June Cash will amaze you, with the multi-talented performers Essence Goldman and Danny Evans leading an impressive ensemble of musicians that recreate this unique couple’s greatest hits.

From his #1 hit “I Walk the Line” in 1956 to the iconic “Folsom Prison Blues,” many have known and loved Johnny Cash over the years. No love, though, seems as great as the love that singer/songwriter June Carter had for Cash during their long years together. Though they have passed on, the passion that burned between them will always be present in their heartfelt and truthful lyrics written and performed for one another. As one of the most beloved couples in music history, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s love lives on through their iconic duos and many albums recorded with each other. 

Danny Evans and Essence Goldman’s chemistry and musicality on stage is so undeniable that many have described them as the reincarnation of Johnny & June.

Don’t miss this impressive performance coming to Occidental!

Advance tickets are $30 GA, $20 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

No fees to purchase in advance. Get your tickets today!

DANNY EVANS is widely recognized as a premier guitarist, an unparalleled singer/songwriter and producer. As the son of Rusty Evans, whose own Johnny Cash tribute “Ring Of Fire” that reigned supreme on the national circuit for over 20 years Danny played lead guitar and served as musical director in the family band, as well as bearing his own musical soul with his band Chrome Johnson. 

Known as a “musical chameleon”, Danny is well regarded as being accomplished in almost any style. Danny’s storied career has seen him sharing high profile stages from Glastonbury to Bumbershoot. With live performances with many legends and such as Link Wray, Dick Dale, Taj Mahal, Chris Robinson, Bill Kirtchen, Leo Nocentelli, Roy Rogers, Count Basie Orchestra, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Crystal Gayle, Porter Wagoner etc. under his belt, his production and recording credits are just as bountiful. Well known as a “go to” guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Danny’s musical talents are well regarded and always in demand. 

ESSENCE GOLDMAN, an award winning singer-songwriter has been immersed in art and music since childhood. Her birth name really is ‘essence’ – she was raised by quintessential flower children, her parents being two free spirited bohemian artists from the Haight-Ashbury ‘Summer of Love.’  essence has released 6 CDs (with a 7th on the way!) on both independent and major labels, and toured nationally opening for Jason Mraz, Shawn Colvin, Tom Petty, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Chrissie Hynde, Steve Miller, Pat Benatar, and Linda Perry. Her sound nods to songwriting legends like Tom Petty and Lucinda Williams, Dolly Parton, and Gillian Welch.  Essence recently received a national and international spotlights for her work with Bernie and the Believers through NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and BBC. The story and music of her band Bernie and the Believers is currently being developed into a major Hollywood feature film.

PHIL BILLY, Electric Guitar & Vocals

Guitarist, singer, producer and engineer Phillip “Philbillie” Milner has been in the Bay Area music scene for the better part of 35 years. Landing in San Francisco in the early 90’s after slugging it out in the club scenes of Southern California and Maui, followed by, of all things, a stint in the US Navy in the Advanced Electronics field.

A versatile guitarist and dynamic singer, Philbillie has lent those talents to a number of bands and solo artists both on stage and as a producer/engineer/mixer at Okey Doke Studios, a private residential facility maintained with his long-time partner, singer/songwriter Jenny Kerr. There he produced numerous releases for Eric McFadden, Darren Nelson (San Geronimo), Jenny Kerr and others.

A verified road dog, Phil has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico and Hawaii. In his capacity as a guitar tech, he’s done his time “on the bus” with the likes of Bob Weir & Ratdog, Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman, Wilco, Graham Nash and plenty more.

Now settled in Marin County, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Philbillie is busy playing guitar and making records with local, national and international artists.

JOE KYLE JR. - Standup Bass

Joe cut his musical teeth in the early 1990s in San Francisco, when entry-level gigs were plentiful and taxicabs were large enough to accommodate a double bass.  His musical education began in the trenches and the barrooms and dance halls of the Greater Bay Area, and continues to this day.

Joe has become an in-demand performer and session player known throughout the land for his superb feel, musical agility, adaptability and propensity for slap bass and tragicomic asides.  He may be the only bassist to have played with pianists Martin Denny, Al Kooper, AND Pinetop Perkins, although not with all on the same session, sadly.

Joe can frequently be seen and heard performing and recording with many Bay Area groups, including Michael Zisman's Americano Social Club, HowellDevine, the Colm ORiain Band, Koolerator, The Cottontails,  The Lucky Losers and The Waybacks.

Chris Lockheed - Drums

Chris has been a studio musician for years. Played, toured with NRPS, THE TUBES, LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS, VAN MORRISON, BLUE CHEER and others. National tours with Rusty Evans & Ring Of Fire, #1 Johnny Cash tribute. Arizona Musicians Hall Of Fame with Goose Creek Symphony, Capitol Records.

Shay & Michael Black are singing siblings from Ireland's foremost family of song, The Black Family, which also includes their sisters Mary & Frances, & brother, Martin. Hailed in the Irish Echo as “one of the most impressive groups of Irish singers to be found anywhere; exquisite, exhilarating and nothing short of thrilling” they raise their sibling rivalry to revelry, The Blacks adroitly accompany themselves on banjo, cittern & guitar. The musical lineup also features button accordion virtuoso, Félim Egan and keyboardist, Eamonn Flynn . At their concerts one can expect to hear Irish traditional ballads, Dublin street songs, music hall ditties, contemporary folk compositions, rollicking reels & joyful jigs, all interspersed with comic stories, jokes & humorous childhood anecdotes that invariably have audiences smiling broadly & joining in on the choruses. Shay and Michael are close harmony singers, with a special fondness for songs that includes their audience in chorus, and many of the songs are narratives with stories.

Don't miss this lively evening of Irish music at OCA! Tickets are $25 advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door. Free for kids 12 and under. Refreshments available, art gallery open during intermission.

Hammond organist, pianist and keyboardist Eamonn Flynn was born into a musical family in Dublin, Ireland. He first came to prominence as keyboardist on the 12 million selling movie soundtrack The Commitments, and toured with Commitments singer Andrew Strong. Now living in San Francisco, California he has gone on to record and tour worldwide with numerous artists including Michael Franti and Spearhead, Evelyn 'Champagne' King, Elvin Bishop, Coco Montoya, Michelle Shocked, Pee Wee Ellis, Donald Harrison, Maria Muldaur, Tony Lindsay (Santana), and a 12 year stint with Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste.

Eamonn plays gospel organ at St. Mark Institutional Baptist Church in San Francisco and has previously been organist at True Hope COGIC, Bell Chapel CME in San Francisco, Greater Miracle COGIC in Oakland and Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Richmond. He also toured the public schools as part of the San Francisco Symphony's AIMS program and has performed as a session musician on countless recordings. His original band Under has had music placed on TV shows Ugly Betty and Moonlight and he produced the soundtrack for the movie 'Beached'.

Félim Egan (accordion/vocals) was born in 1972 in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway and raised in Cloghan, Co. Offaly (west Offaly). His father has a passion for music and encouraged him to play. He began lessons at the age of four with his father and then with a local Offaly fiddler Dan Cleary. He comes from a family of five children and all are well accomplished musicians. He has many musical influences which include Matt Molley, Tommy Peoples, Charlie Lennon and Frankie Gavin, to mention a few. In 1993 he moved to Portland, Oregon, but has now located to the San Francisco Bay Area and has added his talent to the group.

Trombonist and singer/songwriter Natalie Cressman and composer, guitarist, and singer Ian Faquini have created a uniquely intimate duo collaboration, drawing from impressionism, jazz, and the great Brazilian songwriting tradition. Their original material features songs in three different languages and encompasses a vast spectrum of musical ground. With the warm instrumentation of acoustic guitar and trombone and two-partvocal harmonies hugging the Brazilian-accented Portuguese, Cressman & Faquini weave their musical voices together to create a fully orchestrated sound befitting a much larger ensemble.

The duo has released two albums together and is steadily gaining recognition for their distinctive sound, including a finalist nomination for “Duo of The Year” by the JazzJournalists Association in 2023. Setting Rays of Summer (2019) and Auburn Whisper(2022) both received critical praise and topped many “best of” lists in their respective years. Together Cressman and Faquini have played their music across the US in venues ranging from intimate house concerts to performing arts halls and jazz festival stages such as the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Jazz Aspen Snow mass, and have performed internationally in Brazil, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. We're thrilled to have this talented duo return to OCA for an afternoon concert!

Tickets are $25 advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door. Doors open at 2:30 PM. Free for kids 12 and under.

ZipLine is back for another fully improvised show in the hopes of driving you to laughter, tears, shock and/or amazement! Founder Laura Wachtel once more assembles a cast of top notch Bay Area improvisers to create an evening of spontaneous entertainment for you with a little help from your suggestions.

Tickets are $25 advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

Sonoma County treasures Teresa Clark & Friends (Mike Campbell, John Paul Norris) and 3 Acre Holler (Cori Wood, Layne Bowen, Michael Capella, Paul Shelasky, Cary Black) bring Americana, Appalachian and original tunes for a soulful afternoon of harmonious tunes and lyrical stories.

Tickets are $25 advance, $30 at the door.

OCA members save $10.

Stories teach us about life, about ourselves & about each other. Help to create west county’s newest storytelling community. 7mintuesmax will be an evening of 7 live stories told in 7 minutes or less. Hilarious or sublime, poignant and personal tales told through the ancient oral tradition of storytelling, this evening will be sure to move, delight & intrigue you. This is an event for mature audiences & not intended for children. Interested storytellers will have a chance to throw their name in the hat to present their story. Remember no notes & 7 minutes max!

Refreshments available for purchase including fine wine & beer selection.

$10 GA, $5 for OCA members. Pay at the door. Storytellers will be selected randomly from willing participants.

Patrick Ball - Celtic Harp & Story

Patrick Ball is one of the premier Celtic harp players in the world and a captivating spoken word artist. He has recorded nine instrumental and five spoken word albums which have sold well over one-half million copies internationally and won national awards in both the music and spoken word categories.

In “Celtic Harp and Story” Patrick rekindles the fire and wonder of an evening of Irish storytelling. In telling the marvelous old tales of wit and enchantment, and in playing the ancient, brass-strung harp of Ireland, he not only carries on two of the richest traditions of Celtic culture, but blends them in concert to create “a richly theatrical and hauntingly beautiful performance.”

Irish Storytelling & Music

Whether in the stronghold of a Galway chieftain in the years before history began or yesterday in the snug corner of a pub in Dublin, the Irish have always delighted in storytelling. Their passion for eloquence and wordplay, their deep devotion to their mythical past, their ability to find joy and humor in a dark world, and their belief that the supernatural world could appear between one breath and the next made their stories and the telling of them unrivaled in the world of the oral tradition.

And always, amidst the storytelling, there was music. Jigs, reels and haunting airs graced the spaces between the tales. And first among Irish instruments, and the most honored, was the legendary Clairseach, the brass-strung Celtic harp. With its crystalline, bell-like voice and lavish resonance, it would soothe its listeners and lead them deeper into the realms of the imagination.

“An American master of the Irish instrument, a peripatetic modern day bard, combining tale-telling, history and music into a seamless compound that reaches all ages and types of listeners.”

- San Francisco Chronicle

“Patrick Ball conjured some Druid magic ... weaving words and music into a spellbinding program.”

- The Blade, Toledo, OH

OCA is thrilled to welcome back Patrick Ball - Don't miss your chance to see this show! Tickets are $35 GA advance, $28 for OCA members. $5 more at the door (if available). This event is likely to sell out.

Doors open at 6:30 PM, beer/wine/refreshments available. OCA is wheelchair accessible. Art gallery open during intermission.

Patrick’s Bio

Patrick Ball was born and raised in California and gave little thought to such things as where his ancestors came from. He went to school and supposed, when he thought about it at all, that he would one day be a lawyer like his father. But he studied music from time to time and over the years developed a nodding acquaintance with the piano and the guitar. At university he continued his flirtatious relationship with music by playing the tin whistle, principally to annoy his roommate. But at this time he found that he was irresistibly drawn to words, to the music of words, to writers who made words sing, to writers from Ireland. When he began to study history to fulfill his academic requirements, he was not surprised to find that it was the lyrical, turbulent history of Ireland that engaged him. So much so, in fact, that when his father died, all his thoughts of law school died with him. He enrolled in graduate school and soon made his way to Ireland. There he fell in love with the eloquence and fire of the Irish oral tradition. There he fell in love with the Celtic harp. And there a few pieces of his life fell into place. For he came to know that marvelous unity of Irish words, music and history that would become his passion and, eventually, his livelihood.

Patrick returned to California, was awarded a Master’s Degree in History by Dominican College, and soon discovered that jobs in the field of Irish scholarship were not to be had for love nor money. After laboring in various lines of work he set off hitchhiking around the country and finally fetched up at Penland School of Crafts in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where he lived for two years and worked as a groundsman. There he encountered a branch of that living oral tradition that had captivated him in Ireland. And there for him, among the Appalachian storytellers, his love of the spoken word was rekindled. He returned to Ireland for a time, then made his way back to California, determined to put his scholarship, his love of words and his neglected musicianship to some use, to carve out for himself an occupation from the things that he loved. He sought out a maker of the rare wire-strung Celtic harp and taught himself to play. He then gathered the stories he had heard and the history he had learned and blended them with the music that had so often been their companion.

Patrick now lives in The Burren in County Clare, Ireland with his wife and 2 dogs.

Indie artist Marc Farre delivers cinematic art-folk songs shot through with a raw, poetic energy. His voice is deep, intimate, intense. (Critics have called it “mesmerizing.”) Open-hearted and hallucinatory, his music pulls you in like an art-house film.

Mark and his talented bandmates will perform a deep and fiery selection of soulful lyrics and melodies for an evening that will lift you up and touch your spirit.

Tickets are $25 GA/Advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door.

Though he is based in Northern California, Marc Farre’s French background imbues his music with a European, art-house feel — a seductive ambience perfectly paired with his otherworldly lyrics and magnetic melodies.

While his past association with 20th-century giants Merce Cunningham and John Cage continues to drive Farre's creative vision toward the new, it is his visceral, open-hearted singing that really carries you out onto a tightrope — and leaves you there.

Joy Alive! is a synthesis of Terry Garthwaite from The Joy of Cooking and Barbara Borden and Susanne DiVincenzo from Alive! Both were influential bands from the 60's. Now enjoy the current inventive version of this band in concert.

Tickets are $25 GA/Advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door. FREE for kids 12 and under.

Terry Garthwaite is an internationally known singer, songwriter, composer, producer, and teacher. Her recording career dates back to the late 1960s when she and Toni Brown formed the rock group Joy of Cooking. She recorded several albums with the band, and then a dozen others by herself or in collaboration with other jazz and blues musicians.
Terry has also produced recordings by other artists including Jasmine, Rosalie Sorrels, Rhiannon, Nicholas, Glover &Wray, Hunter Davis, Robin Flower, and Ferron, whose Garthwaite-produced Shadows on a Dime was awarded four stars by Rolling Stone.

In performance she has shared the stage with such artists as BB King, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, The Band, Allen Ginsberg, Santana, Rosalie Sorrels and writer Bobbie Hawkins at venues that include Carnegie Hall, the Joseph Papp Theater, the Hollywood Bowl, and Canadian Folk Festivals. Terry's music is an array of songs and sounds that encourages empowerment and delight, and radiates the healing nature of music.

Barbara Borden, a founding member of Alive! began drumming at age 10 and grew up to be one of the preeminent female jazz drummers in the 1950’s through 80’s – Barbara continues to re-invent herself to this day – 55 years later. In the 90’s she composed several world music albums including her solo recording, “Beauty in the Beat” and launched her solo autobiographical percussion play, “She Dares to Drum”. From 1994 to the present, Barbara has traveled the world, visiting Africa, Asia, Europe and North America as a drumming Ambassador of Peace. Most recently, Barbara sings, drums and leads her rock and roll band, Hearts on Fire.

Susanne DiVincenzo, Bass and Cello, is a founding member of Alive! In 1975 she established Wonder Woman Electric, an all-women Electrical Contracting Company in the Bay Area. For several years she was concurrently touring with Alive! and earning her living as an electrician. For the last 20 years she has lived in New Jersey, taking care of her elderly Father and raising her young son. During that time, she remained musically active, playing in the Atlantic City Casinos for Andrea Bocelli, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, and others. She is the principal cellist of the Jersey Shore Pops Orchestra and has also played with other groups on cello and bass. She has a thriving Wedding Music business, specializing in weddings on the beach. She is the Assistant Director of the Atlantic Youth Orchestra. The son that she raised, graduated from Juilliard and is now Principal Timpanist with the New York City Ballet. Susanne put her Electrical Contracting License on Inactive and has been working as a public school teacher specializing in Physics while maintaining a private cello teaching studio.

Featuring Christian Foley-Beining on guitar, Tom Shader on bass, and Kendrick Freeman on drums "The Beatles Jazz Connection" performs arrangements of Beatles songs in styles ranging from Blues and Rock, Fusion, Funk, Brazilian music and of course, Jazz.

Tickets are $25 advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door. No ticket fees for this event. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Refreshments for sale.

About the show:

Foley-Beining explains, “I look at the music of the Beatles from two different perspectives. The first is what we all in our age group experienced when we grew up, we just liked the songs and were taken away with their great music. Second, now after studying Jazz for decades, composing original music and arranging many different types of music, I was again amazed by their talents and compositions. The songs seem to be very simple, and you just sing a long, but when you analyze the structures and harmonies, you realize how deep the musicality was. The musical transformation they went through in 7 - 8 years is just amazing. Many other rock bands still sound the same for 40 years. When I arrange a Beatles song, I just arrange it in a way that pleases me, I don't care what style of music it ends up to be. I am integrating all my musical experiences in my arrangements from my beginning as a Blue/Rock player, my interest in Fusion and Funk and then of course my decades of studying and performing Jazz and Brazilian music.”

OCA is pleased to present Duo Quartet!

This afternoon concert will take place inside our auditorium.

Duo Quartet is Chris Webster, Nina Gerber, Pam Delgado & Jeri Jones, who discovered their magical, musical synergy during a double-bill show of the two "duos".

From an audience point of view there is something richly satisfying in experiencing these four women onstage with a dynamic ranging from tender, ethereal songs to raucous barn-burners. Webster and Delgado sing most of the leads – Chris often expertly playing a washboard while Delgado drives the band with her percussion. But if this were a boxing ring you’d see coming in from opposite corners the dueling energy of Jones and Gerber egging each other on with their guitar-Goddestry – whipping the band and the audience into a veritable frenzy.

With a beautiful set of original music mixed with surprisingly original takes on a few choice covers, Duo Quartet brings to the stage a band that is greater than the sum of its already impressive parts.

Tickets are $35 Advance, $40 at the door (if available). No online fees for this event. $10 off for OCA members.

About the performers:

Nina Gerber & Chris Webster

Nina Gerber & Chris Webster haven’t rushed into this album thing—it’s only after 25 years of playing together that they’ve released an album of gorgeous duets, Apple Blossom Lane, featuring Chris’s bluesy, jazzy, soulful voice and Nina’s incomparable guitar accompaniment, always surprising, yet always so exactly right. They take their time with each song, playing with possibilities, exploring depths, arriving at moments of rare beauty and transcendence. If you’ve ever heard Nina before, you know she always brings out the best in the musicians around her, and Chris’s best is spectacularly good—her “magic derives from those ineffable qualities of vocal grain, emotional nuance, timing, and phrasing possessed by the truly great and moving singers of any style,” says the Oakland Tribune.

Pam Delgado and Jeri Jones

Pam Delgado and Jeri Jones of Blame Sally fame return to their original duo format, the Pam & Jeri Show, in a performance ranging from mournful ballads to sweet love songs to blazing acoustic soul. Pam plays percussion and guitar, Jeri plays guitar, bass, dobro, and mandolin, and their powerful voices blend beautifully to create a distinct and compelling sound. Their music has earned a spot in the rotation on San Francisco’s KFOG and Starbucks XM Café. Whether they’re covering songs by artists like Aretha Franklin and Rickie Lee Jones or playing their own exciting originals, this is a duo that knows how to entertain an audience and put on a satisfying show.

Join us for a special evening with Richard Smith!

Richard Smith is a British fingerstyle guitarist, renowned for his variety of styles and techniques, entertaining performances and engaging charisma. A true guitar master, Richard plays a mesmerizing repertoire ranging from expertly arranged Scott Joplin rags, original compositions, traditional fiddle tunes, jazz and swing, classical and more. Impressive and endearing, Richard will delight you with his masterful techniqe and charismatic performance.

Tickets are $25 advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door (if available).

Richard will lead a guitar workshop at OCA on Sunday, June 1st for a limited number of participants. To learn more about this, click here.

About Richard Smith
Inspired by iconic guitarists like Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, Django Reinhardt and Joe Pass, Smith's unique style blends country, jazz, classical and ragtime influences. In his very early years, he received mentorship from guitar greats, laying the foundation for his future success.

Smith's resume includes:

•⁠ ⁠Performed or recorded with legends Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins and Les Paul
•⁠ ⁠Collaborations with Tommy Emmanuel, Joscho Stephan, Brent Mason, Martin Taylor
•⁠ ⁠Performances at prestigious festivals like Merlefest and Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention
•⁠ ⁠Instructional DVDs and online lessons sharing his expertise
•⁠ ⁠25 years as a Nashville resident, immersed in Music City's vibrant scene

Artistry and Legacy

With his fingerpicking style, percussive techniques and emotive expression, Richard continues to tour constantly in the US, and some in Europe, and Asia.

Fingerstyle master Richard Smith will present a guitar workshop to a limited number of participants. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn techniques and strategies from a legendary musician!

Richard’s impressive career has earned him:

• 1999 AFG Golden Thumbpick Award

• 2001 National Finger­style Guitar Champion

• 2008 Thumbpicker of the Year

• 2009 National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame Induction

  Richard has played with Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Nato Lima, Boots Randolph, Tommy Emmanuel, John Jor­genson, Marcel Dadi, Tommy Tedesco, Joe Pass, Biréli Lagrène, Mark O'Connor, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Martin Taylor, Jorge Morel, Earl Klugh, Suzy Bogguss, Victor Wooten, John Cowan and countless more.

Workshop fee is $50 for OCA members, $65 for non-members. A very limited number of spaces are available for this workshop.

Explore folk music and dance from around the world at our Third Annual event! Enjoy selecting from dozens of hands-on workshops presented by masters of their respective traditions as well as jam sessions, performances and presentations. A musical instrument lending library allows you to try acoustic instruments from around the globe.

This event is unique in Sonoma County and is open to all ages and experience levels. Make new friends, learn something new, improve your skills, explore new sounds, rhythms and movements. A world of music and dance awaits you at this fun event! Come sing, dance, play and celebrate global harmony with us at West Sonoma County’s Arts & Entertainment Hub.

Complimentary instrument check and free parking. A variety of international food will be available for purchase.

Early registration and OCA member discounts.
Scholarships available for those with financial limitations (applications open in January)

Adult tickets are $75 through January 1, 2025

$85 through April 1

$95 through May 31

$100 at the gate

Half-price for teens 13-17

Children 12 and under FREE (must have accompanying adult)

Just announced: the closing concert for 2025 will be performed by Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter (7-9 PM)

Some of our workshops for 2025 include:

Belly Dance - Janessa Lynna

Unlock Your Voice: Friendly Master Class - Sophia Zimmerman

Cubin/Latin/Salsa Rhythms - Carlitos Medrano

Fingerstyle Guitar - Michael Greenberg

Song Circle - traditional and original - Celia Ramsay

Native American cultures, spirituality, and meditation with flute - Al Striplen

Balkan Dance - Sue Williard

Arabic Rhythms and Drumming - Faisal Zedan

Old Timey Jam / Strum Along - Michael Greenberg

Swedish Orchestra - Aryeh Frankfurter

Check back for more workshops to be confirmed soon!

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Join us as six bodacious women tear up the stage in a celebration of Blues and Blueswomen!

Created by vocalist Pamela Rose, Blues is a Woman debuted as a theatrical concert in 2017, winning Best Musical Direction by Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, and selling out an entire month of performances.

Now - they continue to present their work in theaters, concert stages and schools all over the country. All of the ensemble members are highly-regarded Bay Area musicians: Tammy Hall (piano), Jennifer Jolly (piano) Ruth Davies (bass), Kristen Strom (saxophone), Daria Johnson (drums) and Pat Wilder (guitar). The Creative Director is Jayne Wenger.

Don't miss this thrilling and soulful performance celebrating the greatest women in Blues history!

Tickets are $25 advance, $15 for OCA members. $5 additional at the door (if available). Limited space - get tickets today! Doors open at 6:30 PM. Refreshments available.

BLUES IS A WOMAN blurs the boundaries between concert and theater, using storytelling and music to bring to life the colorful history of the bold and singular women who wrote and popularized the blues. Some of the names are well known – Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin – and others should be – Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Memphis Minnie, and so many more. The voices of these women are vibrant, challenging, inspirational, and dynamic, and BLUES IS A WOMAN seeks to ensure that these women, their histories, and their message will be remembered and celebrated.