I’m too out of it culture-wise these days, living in the sort-of country, to know the presently cool musical groups, but once in a while I stumble upon something, like this delightful band.
California to the hilt. Singer at mike: “How many people here have smoked ganja tonight?” All hands in audience go up. A little band from the Sacramento Valley, they’ve got reggae right. “California reggae is pumpin…”
Kind of special to me because I spent teenage years on my dad’s rice farm in Colusa, a town of 3,000 people, and hung out with Colusa kids. My best friend in Colusa, Jim Davison, was a pianist, and I played the uke. A lot of boozing and singing. My first real sweetheart, Roxana. Parties, driving, swimming, cheeseburgers, root beer milk shakes, KGMS late night rock ‘n roll from Sacramento… It was special for me, a San Francisco kid, to be accepted into teenage culture of this small town — so I’m partially a Valley native.
Anyway, Colusa’s not too far from Chico, so to have hung out in this area 60 years ago, and now hear this Sacramento Valley/Jamacia fusion was a jolt. Here’s some progress. Evolution. Seeds of Rastafarai have grown in NorCal farm country. To tell the truth, I find a lot of reggae boring, but these guys fresh and vital. Plus Katherine has got some chops. A rich voice, lots of power…
Surfers, I guarantee you’re gonna like this CD: https://shltr.net/mysticrts (There’s also a DVD with this CD, haven’t seen it yet).
