& Calistoga Night OutOne of the highlights of Napa Valley’s fall season and a soulful way to celebrate Calistoga’s 125th Anniversary in 2011, Calistoga’s Blues Fest will take over downtown on Saturday, October 22 for an afternoon of great live blues bands and wine tasting from over15 award-winning wineries.
Frank Family Winery, Vermeil Wines/OnThEdge Winery, August Briggs Winery, Rios Wine Company, Tudal Winery, W.H.Smith Wines, Merryvale Vineyards, Castello di Amorosa, Jericho Canyon Vineyard, Sterling Vineyards, Schramsberg Vineyards, Lava Vine, Bennett Lane Winery, Cerruti Cellars, Reckless Wines and Dusinberre. Calistoga Inn will be pouring Napa Brewing Company beer.
This music, food, wine and art festival invites you to stroll Calistoga’s walkable downtown district to enjoy music in multiple venues including shops, restaurants and public spaces while sampling many of the region’s best wines.
Music is free from noon-5pm; advance wine tasting passes can be purchased online at the special price of $30 (15% savings over day of event price of $35) and entitles you to 10 tastings (wine tasting is from 12pm-5pm). Locals' price for Calistoga residents (must live in 94515) is $28. Purchasers must be over 21 and show photo ID. GoVino glass, event schedule and map can be picked up at the Calistoga Visitors Center the day of event. For more information, please call us at 707-942-6333.
Main Stage Action:
12pm - 2:30 pm Maple Station Express
2:30pm - 5pm - Robert Watson Band with Twice As Good
Downtown:
Mount View Hotel - Judi & Her Jazz Friends 2 - 5pm
Calistoga Balloons - Acustic Echos
Calistoga Inn - Lacey Baker & The Black Diamond Band
Farmers Market Cajun BBQ Over a Dozen Wineries Grape Stomp
Maple Station Express
The culmination of the next great American Blues band has taken form at the historical crossroads of the San Francisco, Nape and Calistoga Railway. The Southern Pacific Railway connected San Francisco to the Napa Valley in the early 1900's. Between St. Helena and Calistoga in the heart of the modern Napa Valley wine country was Maple Station. This location today is the location of one of the premier recording facilities in the Bay Area and the genesis of the next great blues band of our time.
Founders Patrick and Isaiah Flynn, noted father and son duo were previously featured as part of the short lived but successful “Father Son Band” (FSB). FSB was a staple of local clubs throughout Napa and Sonoma County as well as appearances on the Bay T.V. morning show and extensive national radio exposure.
The second incarnation of the Father, Son Band includes The venerable North Bay drummer Nigel Bates, and Sonoma County vocalist extraordinaire Rose Conner. Maple Station is signed to Silverado Records and will be touring Northern California in support of their upcoming live album.
If you enjoy live Blues music in all it’s magical forms from Delta to Country to Chicago/Electric to Modern and everything in-between, Maple Station will satisfy your craving for gut wrenching and hard pounding American Blues music.
http://www.reverbnation.com/maplestationexpress
The Robert Watson Band with Twice As Good
Robert Watson (Bass) [James Bro wn, Joe Louis Walker, Joss Stone]
Billy Johnson (Drums) [Santana, Patti LaBelle, MC Hammer]
Lyn Bryant (Keyboards) [George Duke, Gary Taylor]
Jordan Wardlaw (Saxophone) [The Temptations, Johnny Mathis, Lee and the Press-On Nails, SSU Music Department]
Twice As Good [Robert Randolph, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Bill Morganfield]
Paul Steward (Vocals, Guitar)
Rich Steward (Guitar, backup vocals)
Robert Watson: (7/30/1960) originally from the Country Club Crest
neighborhood of Vallejo California, grew up with music all around him and
at a young age discovered the Guitar and Bass as his tools of expression,
creating musical magic. By his teens, he was touring and performing with
many great Jazz, Soul, and Blues bands from the San Francisco Bay Area and
all over California. He recorded with MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur back in
those heydays, developing that funky bay area hip-hop sound, with a touch
of jazz. His incredible music abilities and sweet sound had people
everywhere talking about him; including friends of Joe Louis Walker the
great San Francisco Blues Man that asked him to tour around the world with
him as well as recorded several records with him (Guitar Brothers, Shes My
Money Maker, New Direction).
After finishing his time with Joe Louis, Rob went to freelance for many bands across the country, recording and touring heavily. It was around the final year of James Browns life that the "Godfather of Soul" heard the sweet sound of Robert Watsons guitar playing, in a chance audition, and hired him immediately on the spot. Robert toured the world in style with James Browns top-notch band, The Soul Generals, and learned even more from the great Mr. Brown. While traveling the world, he would meet and hang out with, even play with, many other bass greats like Stanley Clark and Victor Wooten, both of whom praise Robs sound and ability. Unfortunately for us, James Brown passed on, but his memory and awesome sound are still kept on by occasional reunion tours by The Soul Generals, including Robert.
Now Rob was in Lake County acting as the band leader at the Konocti Blues Cafe and backing up Bettie May Fikes, but not being one to hold still for too long, continued to perform and record for many bands until he got a recommendation call to work with the young, British Soul Diva, Joss Stone. Rob once again was touring around the world, wowing audiences. After a long season, Joss decided to take a break and begin song writing again. Rob came back home to The Riviera neighborhood of Kelseyville, where he had run across a Blues group that was catching on, Twice As Good.
Rob filled in on bass with Twice As Good on occasion but finally in 2010 2XG asked Rob to be the regular Bassist. Rob is back to the Blues and making a joyful sound. 2XG are planning to record with Mr. Watson in the upcoming future but for now you can catch Robert Watson live with Twice As Good and on occasional appearances with the group Groovality, a fusion-jazz trio with keyboardist Simon Russell and drummer Billy Johnson.
www.twiceasgood.org
www.sonicbids.com/twiceasgood
www.reverbnation.com/twiceasgood
www.facebook.com/twiceasgood2xg
www.youtube.com/twiceasgood2xg
www.linkedin.com/company/twice-as-good
www.myspace.com/twiceasgood
