21Q

Langston Hughes' "Black Nativity" receives a special production this weekend at Sacramento State. The production features direction by T. Michael Gates, a former CSUS theater professor and original Sons and Ancestors player, and choreography by Linda Goodrich, chairwoman of the theater and dance department .
"Black Nativity" is a gospel-based retelling of the Nativity story with a black cast and traditional and original music. The show was first performed on Broadway on Dec. 11, 1961.
There will be only one performance at 3 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Sacramento State University Student Union Ballroom. Tickets are $10-$25. For information contact the box office at (916) 278-4323 or Voices of California for Arts, Culture & Diversity at (916) 616-9698.

Let's face it, having a holiday season without a sing along "Messiah" is like having turkey without the trimmings and stuffing.

But not to worry... lovers of Handel's great and joyous work will have the chance to sing along when the Camellia Symphony and the Camerata California Choir team up for a performance of the "Messiah" on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 4:00 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (2620 Capital Ave., Sacramento).

Audience members will be encouraged and expected to sing- along with the choir at the performance.

Tickets are $15 (ages 18 and under are free).

Ticket information: (916) 929-6655 or www.camelliasymphony.org.

This Saturday, the handmade renaissance will manifest itself to crafty Sacramentans by way of IndieSacramento, the area's largest trunk show and craft bazaar, featuring one-of-a-kind products from local fashion designers, jewelry makers, graphic artists and more.

Just in time for holiday shopping season, the festival of all things handmade will offer creative and unique holiday gifts, which, according to event organizer Amy Cluck, gives locals an opportunity to "bypass the crowds at the mall and support local artistry."

In its second year, IndieSacramento will feature the work of over 40 exhibitors--most of them hauling their wares from Sacramento, Elk Grove, Davis and surrounding areas--and the products for sale range from paper goods to t-shirts to home décor. Jewelry comprised of recycled treasures, like guitar picks or old buttons, for example, isn't uncommon, and most of the vendors view their businesses through a playfully sustainable lens.

Cluck, who herself is an artist of the homemade persuasion, launched the Web site indiesacramento.com and spearheaded the event on her own last year. "I wanted to create an event like the ones the Bay Area has, similar to traveling national shows like The Bizarre Bazaar."

Handmade art and the trunk shows by which it is distributed have gained tremendous popularity since the proliferation of Etsy.com, an intuitive, user- and buyer-friendly site which allows crafters to sell their products independently, without having to shell out cash for their own Web sites or retail stores.

This year's event is going to be even bigger and badder than the last, featuring live music from local bands, a fashion show by Atelier Co-Op, free hot cocoa and, most importantly, free swag bags to the first 200 attendees.

Cluck's own projects include PeptoGirl Industries, a collection of handmade and vintage goods, and Pimp Stitch, a clever collection of embroidery patterns that buyers can transfer to the medium of their choosing. Pimp Stitch bills itself as "The cutest embroidery patterns this side of the information super highway," and with designs like "The Breakfast Club," featuring a smiling pancake and his syrup jar mistress, Cluck and friends are helping work up a healthy appetite for imagination.

What: IndieSacramento Trunk Show & Craft Bazaar
When: Saturday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where: 2409 J St., Midtown, Sacramento
Cost: $2, or $1 with boxed or canned food donation
Information: www.indiesacramento.com

Don't forget to bring cash!

Tony Award-winning composer Marc Shaiman ( "Hairspray") is doing what he does best. The songwriter, who helped initiate the Internet furor over donations to the Yes on 8 campaign, has created a satire on the episode that engulfed California Musical Theatre, its former artisitc director Scott Eckern, and numerous others on both sides of the issue. The piece called "Prop 8: The Musical" is now online www.funnyordie.com and set on stage at Sacramento Community College and stars John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, Jack Black and Maya Rudolph among others with Shaiman at the piano.

The world's first collaborative online orchestra, (known officially as "The YouTube Symphony Orchestra Project") is now a reality...

... and it has a Northern California angle.

That angle comes in the form of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, who are participating in the groundbreaking project.

The project calls for online auditions, musician selection and a musical summit at Carnegie Hall in April 2009.

Here's how it will work: From Dec. 1 through Jan. 28, 2009, musicians from around the world are invited to submit videos showcasing their personal style. This will be accomplished by participants performing in two different videos - the first is their interpretation of an original Tan Dun composition that has been written specifically for this program. The second will be a talent showcase video designed to demonstrate musical and technical abilities.

A panel of musical experts from the San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and other leading orchestras around the world will narrow the field of entries down to semifinalists.

Also, the YouTube community will be invited to vote on the semifinalists from Feb. 14, 2009 through Feb. 22, 2009.

Musicians who are selected will be announced on YouTube on March 2, 2009.

Partners signed on as part of the project include pianist Lang Lang, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Carnegie Hall. As an initial orchestral partner, the San Francisco Symphony will helpichoose candidates for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, as well as contribute educational content to the YouTube Symphony Orchestra Web site. The SFS and New York Philharmonic are the only two American orchestras reviewing online auditions in the project.

For official rules of entry and more information, consult the YouTube Symphony Orchestra Channel (www.youtube.com/symphony).

You may have noticed that Tesla was playing a string of December dates everywhere but Sacramento. Now, finally, the Sacramento-born band has a local date on the schedule but you'll have to wait until 2009 to bang your ever-lovin' head.

Tesla, which released a new album in October, is scheduled to perform Jan. 30 at the Memorial Auditorium.

(If you're a die-hard fan, you could also check them out Jan. 31 at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno.)

Tickets to the Sacramento show are $29.50 and now available via Tickets.com

Caitlin Gutenberger had never been in a band, hadn't really sang - certainly never in front of anyone - had never written a song.

She didn't have the experience but she did, however, find she had a musical connection with husband, bassist Johnny Gutenberger and his Jackpot bandmate Rusty Miller.

"Johnny and Rusty had some downtime and I wanted to learn to play drums so we'd just goof off and we had this real chemistry," she says of the collaboration that eventually became Two Sheds.

"So I wrote a few songs and then switched over to guitar and Rusty started playing drums."

Yes, it really was that simple.

"I was freaked out at first - I never thought I could write songs - I was an English major, used to writing things that were longer," says the 27-year-old singer.

"But then I got over the hump and wrote a handful of songs really fast.

That was 2004 and in the years since, Two Sheds, also featuring James Finch Jr. on guitar, has released a album (2006's "Strange Ammunition") and this year's digital-only, self-titled EP.

The music, grounded by Gutenberger's soft yet decidedly assured voice, is a mix of ghostly folk-pop and bouncier indie rock.

With Two Sheds geographically divided - the Gutenbergers live in Sacramento, Miller and Finch live in San Francisco - it's sometimes difficult to get the band in the same room for anything other than a show.

Still, the members of Two Shed are planning on spending some quality time together in 2009 with plans for a tour, a South By Southwest appearance and a new album on the calendar.

The new record, Gutenberger says, is still little more than a hazy notion.

"Second records are weird because the first one is just a big solo barf," she says with laugh.

"I have a lot of ideas that are all over the place but I really don't have a clue what it will sound like - we'll see what happens in the studio. I just want it to be (recorded) in a cozy environment with no pressure."

Two Sheds

Song: "WTF"

Style: Upbeat yet moody, wistful pop

Behind the song: The track's sunny sound belies its dark take on a particularly bad spell and a chorus which, yes, is acronym for "What the #$• !."

"Have you ever had one of those days or weeks or months where a bunch of bad things happen?" Gutenberger asks.

It's just, perhaps, a rhetorical question but the her viewpoint is disarmingly straightforward.

"Honestly, it's just one of those stupid choruses because I couldn't think of anything else to sing," Gutenberger says.

"I wanted to think of a more lyrical, nuanced way to say that but this is what came out instead."

Initially, "WTF" was a slow, meditative song but, over time, evolved into something faster and brighter.

"We just started playing it fast at practice because we wanted it to have this Tommy James & the Shondells sound - very 'la la la' with a quiet little heartbeat," she says.

"It just ended up being very fun."

See them: Tuesday, December 9th at Luigi's Fun Garden,

1050 20th Street, Sacramento. The 8 p.m. show is all-ages and $5 at the door. Chelsea Wolf and the Parson Redheads are also on the bill.

On the Web: http://www.myspace.com/twosheds

Listen to "WTF" here

Well.... it was only a matter of time. The Sacramento Philharmonic has discovered the charms of YouTube.

The video is a quick hit by Sacramento Philharmonic conductor Michael Morgan in preview of its "Bach to Blues" concert tonight at the Guild Theater (and running through Sunday in Orangevale and Roseville - see below).

The orchestra will be joined by the Paradise Church Baptist Choir for the performances. The selections to be performed include J.S. Bach, Aire in G, the Concerto for Violin and Oboe, and the Cantata No. 61 ("I Have Enough"), with baritone Zachary Gordin. The Baptist choir will sing gospel music.

Tickets are $25 general, and $15 for students.

For ticket information call (916) 732-9045 during business hours. Tickets will be available at the door at the Guild Theater, Magic Circle Theatre and at Temple Or Rishon prior to the concert.

The schedule:

Guild Theater
Friday, November 28, 8pm
2828 35th Street, Sacramento
916-736-1185

Magic Circle's Roseville Theatre
Saturday, November 29, 8pm
241 Vernon Street, Roseville
916-782-1777

Temple Or Rishon
Sunday, November 30, 3pm
7755 Hazel Avenue, Orangevale
916-988-4100

The Orchestras of Pasadena has appointed Modesto Symphony Orchestra head Paul Jan Zdunek as its new chief executive, according to a Los Angeles Times story.

The Orchestras of Pasadena, a 2007 merger of the Pasadena Symphony and Pasadena Pops, drew a lot of attention recently as one of several music presenting organizations forced to cut back on programming due to the downturn in the financial markets. A marked drop in contributions was cited by the presenter as the reason for cancelling two recent concerts. Both of its co-executive directors were also let go as a result of financial issues.

It's curious how the memory of a performance can grow in stature the longer it stews in the brain.

It's now been two days since I saw the violinist Jorja Fleezanis perform as soloist in Ernst Chausson's "Poeme." This was during the 50th anniversary gala of the UC Davis Orchestra on Sunday evening.

And I can't keep the sonic image of Fleezanis making short work of the "Poeme" out of my mind.

Maybe it is the fact that Fleezanis owns one of the most melodic and clear tones of any violinist I've heard in quite a long time. And so, it's no mystery that her career has taken her from associate concertmaster at the San Francisco Symphony to concertmaster at the Minnesota Orchestra, (a post she has held since 1989).

On Sunday Fleezanis showed the Mondavi audience how excellent technique allows you to nail down the tone and many expressions demanded of this tricky and patently French work.

If you are a violin lover, and you don't know about Fleezanis, keep your eye out for this great instrumentalist. You will not be disappointed.

Below are some recordings to get you started.

"Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano and Violin." With Cyril Huvé, fortepiano (Cypres, three discs).

"Aaron Jay Kernis: Brilliant Sky, Infinite Sky." With Sanford Sylvan, baritone, Daniel Druckman, percussion and Robert Helps, piano (CRI).

"Richard Strauss: A Hero's Life." With the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Eiji Oue (Reference Recordings).

"John Tavener: Ikon of Eros." With the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Paul Goodwin (Reference Recordings).

"Stefan Wolpe: Violin Sonata." With Garrick Ohlsson, piano (Koch International).

Well, it's that time of year again when Gramophone Magazine releases its top 20 list of orchestras.

And as is the norm with this British-based mag the rankings skews to the Euro side -- with only 7 of the 20 on the list U.S. orchestras.

Which goes to show that lists are all in the eye of the beholder.

And as opinions eyes go, perhaps Europeans think what happens on their continent is better than what happens in the Americas?

How else to explain how great orchestras like the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony and the Boston Symphony orchestras missed making the top 10?

The Top 10
1) Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam
2) Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
3) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
4) London Symphony Orchestra
5) Chicago Symphony Orchestra
6) Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
7) Cleveland Orchestra
8) Los Angeles Philharmonic
9) Budapest Festival Orchestra
10) Dresden Staatskapelle

... and the Next 10

11) Boston Symphony Orchestra
12) New York Philharmonic
13) San Francisco Symphony
14) Mariinsky Theater Orchestra
15) Russian National Orchestra
16) Leningrad Philharmonic
17) Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
18) Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
19) Saito Kinen Orchestra
20) Czech Philharmonic

The collaboration started a decade ago in a Sacramento High School classroom.

Lee Bob Watson was a musician but he was also a substitute teacher and, sometimes between classes, he found himself talking music with one of his students.

That student, Derek Taylor, had a band called Bucho and he invited Watson to come check them out sometime.

Watson did and, now 10 years later, the teacher and the student are bandmates in Happy Mayfield, which releases its debut CD Friday at Old Ironsides.

The four-piece, based in Sacramento and San Francisco, connects its members' electric influences to craft an oddly compelling hybrid of folk, soul, hip-hop, world beat and rock.

For Watson, who's played with the likes of Jackpot and recently released a solo album, it's an affirmation of how music can define your life. The birth of Happy Mayfield, he says, came at a point when he'd started to question the very act of making music.

It was 2004 and, back home after a stint teaching English abroad, Watson reconsidered his path: Playing endless bar gigs, touring on the cheap and subbing to make ends meet.

"It'd been 10 years of the grind of doing music and so I took a hiatus and stepped away for a minute - I just had to take it all in and ask myself, 'is this what I want to do?'" It's a crazy life."

Finally, he decided yes - but with a catch.

"I wanted it to be fun and positive, I wanted to find something that was uplifting."

That meant sifting through the sounds that got him interested in music in the first place - old funk, soul and jazz.

Watson, already writing and recording music for his 2007 solo CD "Aficionado," set aside songs that didn't quite fit that album's Americana vibe.

"Sometimes I'd write something that was more upbeat and dance-oriented, so I put them aside and waited until the time came when I would have the proper band."

The time arrived when Watson approached his old friend and student.

Watson had jammed with the members of Bucho before and now he wanted them to give his songs new life.

"The first batch I wrote came out pretty realized but I'm an old school cat and I knew that ... they would bring in some more contemporary influences."

By this point Bucho had disbanded and Taylor was living in San Francisco, playing drums with his old Bucho bandmate Josh Lippi and pal Ben Schwier in The Park, an ensemble that combines funk and jazz with hip-hop and R&B.

Taylor was ready to play.

"Lee used to burn us mix CDs and really opened my eyes to old (music)," says Taylor, whose Bay Area band now backs up neo-soul and pop acts such as Alice Russell and Nino Moschella.

"I loved his songwriting - when he had this Happy Mayfield idea, it just seemed totally natural."

And, although Watson already had the songs, Taylor says, Happy Mayfield has transcended the sum of its parts to create not just a sound but a sense of place,

"We're all from California and we all have this genuine love for soul and dance and that kind of cross-cultural sound."

Bassist Josh Lippi sees Happy Mayfield as unmistakably "authentic" but also something larger-than-life.

It's like we all are (playing) as these alter-egos," he says.

"Lee Bob's coming from this folk singer-songwriter background but in his heart of hearts he's this real James Brown kind of soul singer."

Dana Gumbiner was also struck by the band's dramatic flair - both on stage and in song.

"Lee Bob has this real cinematic way of looking at music, it's almost theatrical," says Gumbiner, who produced the Happy Mayfield record at his Grass Valley-based Station to Station studio.

And with songs that touch on everything from love and religion to outlaws and inspiration, it's Watson's viewpoint that keeps it fresh.

"It's like Happy Mayfield became this character with a sub-narrative on subjects" Gumbiner says,

"That's what makes it click."

Still, although Happy Mayfield may be Watson's creation, the singer-songwriter says the rest of the band is force that makes it breathe.

"This is all happening because the band is hitting its stride," he says.

"They've played with tons of different people and they bring a playfulness to the music that pretty much goes beyond any boundaries."

Happy Mayfield

Song: "Happy"

Style: Jazzed out, Booty-shaking funk

Behind the song: The track, which references everything from street poet/ R&B singer Gil Scott-Heron to the El Camino High School-run station KYDS 91.5, chronicles Watson's lifelong musical journey - and sets the mood for the rest of the record.

"I wanted to write a bio for the band so I started writing down things and it occurred to me that it was a song - a declaration of principles," he says.

"This song became a genealogy of Happy as a character - why I feel the way I do, why I feel I have the right to say this."

See them: Friday at Old Ironsides(1901 10th St, Sacramento); the 21-and-over show starts at 9 p.m. and is $7 at the door. Friendly Creatures and Casual Fog are also on the bill.

On the Web: myspace.com/happymayfield

Listen to "Happy" here:

KCRA 3

Just kidding!

The folks (anchors, co-workers, producers, camera people) over at KCRA 3 got an early start Thursday morning on their Thanksgiving turkey drive. Working with the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, the local TV station set out to collect 500 turkeys in one day to help make the holiday dinner brighter for those in need.

Well, the day began at 4:30 a.m. By 9, the station had surpassed its gobbler goal. What started off as Turkey Thursday 500 ended up being Turkey Thursday 3,000! (The station collected 2,766 birds.)

Said news director Anzio Williams in an e-mail: "We put out the word, and the public responded in a very big way."

Not only to the turkey call but calls for cash. An additional $4,000 was donated as well.

Even new-to-the-area anchor Gulstan Dart (pictured) got in on the drive, accepting donations.

Next up if you're looking to help families in need? "The Run To Feed the Hungry" is at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving Day. If you're interested in running/walking/strolling before the big meal, click here.

Who knows how many times this has ever happened in Northern California?

According to Film Music magazine, the National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation has filed a lawsuit in federal court against three state musicians unions. The suit alleges that the unions blacklisted seven union members who had resigned from union membership.

The lawsuit names American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Locals 7 (Orange County), 47 (Los Angeles) and 581 (Ventura County).

The allegations include that the unions refused the musicians access to a rehearsal hall, hindered efforts to find employment, and fostered discriminatory policies in contracts with several local symphonies.

Under the state's Right To Work law, payment of dues is strictly voluntary and members cannot be discriminated against by union officials or employers for their union status.

Local 47 did not comment on ongoing litigation when contacted by the magazine. Officials for Locals 7 and 581 did not respond to requests for comments about the lawsuit.

This weekend there are several fashion-themed events that also afford the opportunity to give back to charities and other organizations doing good work. Take a look:

• The Doubletree Hotel (2001 Point West Way,Sacramento) will be the site for Sunday's Fashion in Motion show, which will benefit the local Derek's Wish organization and Padres Contra El Cancer (Parents Against Cancer), an organization whose spokeswoman is actress Eva Longoria Parker. Derek's Wish was founded by Cyndie French, whose son, Derek Madsen, was profiled in The Bee as he battled and finally succumbed to cancer. The Fashion in Motion show will feature Bay Area designer Richard Rivera and his Fashions by RJ collection. Tickets are $40 general, $50 for the cocktail reception and show admission. They can be purchased at www.groovetickets.com or at the door. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the show starts at 5:30 p.m.

• Saturday is the traditional Community Shopping Day at Macy's Downtown Plaza, which is a benefit for various local organizations and charities. Here's how it works: Purchase a shopping ticket for $10, then take advantage of the store's sales. There also will be cooking demos, fashion shows, makeovers, complimentary restaurant samplings and live entertainment.This year, Macy's is offering an added incentive. Spend at least $25 and you'll receive your $10 back. Groups benefiting from the event include the Save Ourselves Breast Cancer Organization of Sacramento and the Roseville Rotary Club Foundation. Special shopping hours for the event are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.