"Yodeling Lady" Lolita Ferrell - Northern California Bluegrass Society

December 2009
Dedicated to the Memory of
Yodeling Lady Lolita
Volume 29 - Number 12
Real "Sweetheart of
the Rodeo"
by Mike McKinley
This is the public life of Lolita, a lifelong entertainer. She had
seen it all: the heyday of the cowboy era, the adoring
crowds, the long trips to play a few songs. She had been
chased around the dressing room by Country Music Hallof-Famers and travelled with her yodeling sister. She saw
Western Swing music become an international music,
and saw it retreat in the face of Elvis and the Beatles,
then to resurge as an alternative to over-orchestrated
Nashville pop country. She was a true believer in music
and its power to unite young and old in a continual conversation across the years.
"Yodeling Lady" Lolita Ferrell
1922-11/14/2009
Brookdale Bluegrass
Festival / Lady Lolita
Memorial
Page 5.
Yodeling Lady Lolita Ferrell died last month; she had
been ill since early spring. She was a familiar face to the
people who love music on the central coast. Lolita was
born in Hollister, descended from pioneer stock. Her early
life was rural and homespun. Her music came from early
radio programs and from the people around her. She
found a talent and fondness for yodeling and began to yodel in public. At the age of 16, Lolita became a world
champion yodeler and embarked on a career touring
with musicians and singers of very high caliber;
among them were Ernest Tubb (who she always called
"Ernie"), Bob Wills & Tommy Duncan, and many more
bound for the Hall of Fame. Lolita had a great career
in the limelight and never gave up that part of her that
continued on page 4
Sneak Peek: San
Francisco Bluegrass &
Old Time Festival
Bluegrass Muse
by Tom Lucas
Bluegrass Calendar
Page 7.
by Larry Carlin
Page 3.
Bluegrass Road Trip
Page 6.
Ongoing Jam Sessions
Page 6.
Bluegrass By the Bay
Editors
Jessica and Stewart Evans
bluegrassbythebay@gmail.com
831-359-1864
Writers & Contributors
Larry Carlin, Mike McKinley, Tom
Lucas. Photo credit: Robert Fishback,
design: Daniella Irish Allen.
NCBS Board of Directors
Michael Hall, President
hallmw@gmail.com
650-218-9845
Brenda Hough, Secretary
hufstuff2003@yahoo.com
Elicia Burton, Treasurer
ebfiddler@sbcglobal.net
831-338-7101
Eric Burman, Vice-president
bluemoonranch@msn.com
Daniella Irish Allen
foggymtnbanjo@gmail.com
Penny Godlis
pennyg44@gte.net
Mike Russell
squelch@pacbell.net
Jessica Evans
jessica@lunula.com
NCBS Committee Chairs
Volunteer Coordinators:
Jessica Evans & Jennifer Kitchen
jessica@lunula.com &
jennifer_ktchn@yahoo.com
Webmaster:
Stewart Evans
stewart@lunula.com
Membership:
Gary Anwyl
ganwyl@gmail.com
GOF Festival Director:
Eric Burman
bluemoonranch@msn.com
Bluegrass By The Bay is published monthly by the Northern California Bluegrass Society, an all-volunteer, non-profit,
tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The NCBS was founded in 1982 as the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society. In 1999, the
name changed to reflect the expanded scope of the Society’s activities. The NCBS brings people together for the
preservation, enjoyment and advancement of bluegrass and related acoustic music through jams, workshops, concerts,
music festivals and this monthly newsletter. Copyright © 2009 by the NCBS.
NCBS Website:
http://ncbs.us or http://scbs.org
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members. Classifieds run in 4 consecutive issues.
The
Bluegrass
Muse
wonderful new recording titled Nell Robinson in
Loango, which was produced by Grammy-winners
Laurie Lewis and Jim Nunally. They, along with other
Bay Area bluegrass all-stars, will be playing with
Nell on this show.
By Larry Carlin
SEVA BENEFIT IN MILL VALLEY. Celebrate the holidays at
the Seva Foundation Benefit on the 12th at the 142
Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley. See The David
‘Tis the season to be
jolly, so go out and
celebrate the end of
2009 by taking in some
great music this holiday
season. And watch out
for low-flying reindeer
while you are at it!
JAMMIN' IN MARIN. The Marin Bluegrass Jam takes
place on the first and third Thursdays of every
month. The dates for this month will be 3rd and the
17th. The address is Marin Lutheran Church at 649
Meadowsweet in Corte Madera, just off the Corte
Madera exit of Highway 101. The time is 7:30-10
p.m. Pat Palmer is the host.
MUSIC IS BREWING at the Iron
Springs Pub & Brewery in
Fairfax.
Bands
play
on
Wednesdays starting at 8 p.m. No
cover, and great beer, food and
music. See J2K on the 2nd,
Bermuda Grass on the 9th, WTJ4
on the 16th, The Four Teardrops
on the 23rd, and Sang Martiz on
the 30th. Also, the Saturday
afternoon cozy and casual winter
music series starts on the 5th
and
will
take
place
every
Saturday from 2-4 p.m. The
Whutknotts will appear there on
the 26th, playing a mixture of
country and bluegrass. No cover.
MURPHY’S IRISH PUB in the town of
Sonoma is the place to go for
good music in Sonoma County,
with no cover charge. See The
Sonoma Mountain Band on the
4th, the Celtic jam on the 6th,
Kith & Kin on the 11th, Dockside
on the 18th, High Country on the
26th,
Greenhouse
and
The
Carrtunes on the 31st, and lots
more good stuff.
Nelson Band, Moonalice, The Rowan Brothers, Wavy
Gravy and other surprise guests while helping out a
good cause. Seva helps people around the world who
are struggling for health, cultural survival and
sustainable communities.
THE CHRISTMAS JUG BAND is back for its annual holiday
zaniness, and you have many chances to see them.
They will play the Throckmorton on the 13th, the
Freight in Berkeley on the 18th, The Mystic in
Petaluma on the 19th, and The Masonic in Mill
Valley on the 21st.
JAMVITATIONAL IN FAIRFAX. On the
15th at 9 p.m. the monthly
Marin Jamvitational, hosted by
Deirdre Donovan, will be taking
place at the Sleeping Lady Café
in downtown Fairfax. Inspired by
and based on the format of the
Monday night Taco Jam at the
Baja Taqueria in Oakland, on the
third Tuesday of each month
individual pickers are invited to
be part of the house band for the
evening. No cover.
AND FRIENDS pick bluegrass
every
Thursday
at
the
Willowbrook
Ale
House
in
Petaluma from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
There is no cover, and you get to
hear
some
of
the
finest
traditional bluegrass in the North
Bay. The regular pickers are Ed
Neff on fiddle, Mike Wilhoyte on
guitar, Jeff King on bass, Paul
Shelasky on fiddle, and Larry
Cohea on banjo. The address is
3600 Petaluma Boulevard North.
Call (707) 775-4232 for more info.
ED NEFF
String Instruments
Old & New - Quality
Unusual
Complete Repair - Lessons
Knowledgable & Experienced
Recordings - Books
Accessories
1506 Webster St.
Alameda, CA 54501
510-521-2613
JAMMIN’ IN SEBASTOPOL. The place
to be on Saturday afternoons for
bluegrass, old-time, old country,
acoustic picking and fiddling is
the Coffee Catz, from 2-5 p.m.
There is also a gospel, bluegrass
and old-time gathering that takes
place on the 20th from 2-5 p.m.
at
the
Sebastopol
Christian
mail@thinmanmusic.com
AT THE BLACK ROSE PUB in Santa
Rosa see Greenhouse on the 4th,
Tu-F 10:30-6:30, S&S 12-5pm
Under the Radar on the 5th, The
www.ThinmanMusic.com
Carrtunes
on the 11th, The
Farallons on the 12th, and The
Tonewoods on the 19th. There is
an international jam on the first
Church.
Wednesday of the month, and Celtic jams on the
Happy holidays, and keep on pickin’!
second and third Wednesdays.
Comments?
News?
Send
e-mail
to
GO TO NELL! Bluegrass and country singer Nell
carltone1@yahoo.com or for more information go to
Robinson will be having a CD release party at the
www.carltone.com.
Freight in Berkeley on the 10th for her new
Northern California Bluegrass Society
Bluegrass By the Bay
3
Coming in Febuary
by Tom Lucas
The 2010 San Francisco Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival, with its mission
to present, preserve, and promote the growth of bluegrass and old-time
music in the Bay Area is only a few months off. Running from February
12 through 21, SFBOT takes place at venues all over the Bay Area, including Freight & Salvage, Café Du Nord, Noe Valley Ministry, the Plough and
Stars, the Starry Plough and many others. We'll have the usual panoply of
events, including concerts, jams, square dances, movies, workshops, kids
shows and the Bluegrass/Old-time Revue.
The festival will feature our unique mix of Pacific Coast bands and national acts, including Loudon Wainwright III,
Red Molly, the Stairwell Sisters, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, the Crooked Jades, the Water Tower Bucket Boys and
many many others.
Check sfbluegrass.org for more details.
The Life of Yodeling Lady Lolita
Continued from page 1
was a consummate performer. Lolita played with a
band from Fresno called the Music Farmers; a video is
available on YouTube from about 1975. Her voice is
clear and you can hear her trademark yodel on "Cowboy's Sweetheart," a song Patsy Montana asked her to
feature on her shows.
I first met Lolita at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz in the
middle 1980s when she was introduced to us and we
invited her to come up on stage and do a couple
songs. From then on, any time Lolita was around, she
had a standing invitation to sing. But the real fun was
talking to her between sets and after the show when
she could spin tales of her life as the original Yodeling
Songbird.
Jim Lewin said "Lolita had more spirit and more passion for music than most people who are a quarter her
age. She continued to stay deeply involved in the music scene, singing and celebrating the music as long
as she possibly could. Long Live Lolita!" And yes, Lolita had more vinegar than most of her younger audience. She would sparkle in her vintage western stage
outfits, the envy of all. Several of them were gifts from
the famous and fancy stars of yesteryear.
4
Bluegrass By the Bay
As the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival and
the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair became staples of our
Central Coast music scene, one could always count
on Lolita being featured at some point during these
shows. I can remember several times calling her and
asking her to participate and hearing her almost cry
with joy. The sparkle had not diminished in her love
of singing and yodeling.
Lolita was always there for a fundraiser or a benefit.
After one such show on KKUP, Paul Jacobs walked
her out to her camper truck where she was going to
sleep the night. He asked her if she was a little
frightened to stay there by herself and, he says,
"that's when she showed me her shotgun." Paul reminds us that Lolita was from a different era of music. "Lolita was the real thing...from a part of
California rural music none of us know about. We are
fortunate to have known her."
Those were the days of the Rose Maddox, Woody Guthrie, and Roy Rogers. The days of radio, barnstorming, rhinestones, trick shooting, the heyday of
yodeling, the time of the original Sweetheart of the
Rodeo, Yodeling Lady Lolita. We miss you already.
Northern California Bluegrass Society
Brookdale Bluegrass Festival
presents
Brookdale Bluegrass NCBS Minifest
House Concert - Yodeling Lady Lolita Memorial Event
Dec 4 & 5, 2009
in Bonny Doon
Featuring:
Faux Renwah
Stoney Mountain Ramblers
Harmony Grits
Common Cents
Regina Bartlett
Page Brownton
The High Tone Sinners
Last River Band
Bluegrass Road Trip
January 8-9: CBA 48 Hour Jam, Doubletree Hotel,
Bakersfield, CA
http://www.cbaontheweb.org
January 15-17: Blythe Bluegrass Festival, Colorado
River Fairgrounds, Blythe, CA
http://www.blythebluegrass.com
January 23: Bluegrass in the Park, West Wetlands Park,
Yuma, AZ
http://www.landspromotions.com
February 12-21: San Francisco Bluegrass and Old-Time
Festival, various venues, San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfbluegrass.org
February 19-21: Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival,
Northglenn Ramada Plaza, Denver, CO
http://www.seamanevents.com
February 25-28: Wintergrass, Hyatt Regency, Bellevue,
WA
http://www.acousticsound.org
March 5-7: Bluegrass on the Beach, Lake Havasu State
Park, Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.landspromotions.com
March 11-14: Bluegrass on Broadway, various venues,
Redwood City, CA
http://www.scbs.org
February 15-18: CBA Winter Music Camp, Walker Creek
Ranch, Petaluma, CA
http://www.cbamusiccamp.org
Ongoing Jam Sessions
Every Monday
Old-time jam, Fandango Pizza, 3163
Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, 7-10 pm.
650-494-2928.
McGrath's Bluegrass jam, McGrath's
Pub, 1539 Lincoln Avenue, Alameda,
7:30-10:30pm. 510-522-6263.
Baja Bluegrass jam (invitational),
Baja Taqueria, 4070 Piedmont Ave.,
Oakland, 510-547-2252, 8pm.
Contact TRman2323@aol.com to play.
Open Mike, Red Rock Coffee, 201
Castro St. Mtn. View, 650-967-4473,
7-10 pm. 650-967-4473.
3rd Monday
Bluegrass Jam, Amnesia, 853
Valencia St., San Francisco, 6:308:30pm.
http://www.amnesiathebar.com
Every Tuesday
Medium-to-advanced open bluegrass
jam. Fins Coffee, 1104 Ocean Street,
Santa Cruz, 7:30-10:30 pm, 831-4236131.
2nd & 4th Tuesdays
NCBS Bluegrass jam, Dublin Heritage
Center Park, 6600 Donlon, Dublin, 79pm.
Every Wednesday
Bluegrass jam, Fandango Pizza, 3163
Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, 7-10 pm.
650-494-2928,
fandangojammers@yahoogroups.com
1st Wednesday
Jeanie & Chuck's Bluegrass Country
6
Jam, The Plough and Stars, 116
Clement, San Francisco, 8-10:30pm.
415-751-1122.
Every Thursday
Open Mike at SubRosa, A
Community Space/Anarchist
Collective, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa
Cruz, 8:00 pm. 831-430-6791,
subrosa@riseup.net.
Open Jam, El Toro Brew Pub,
Monterey & Main Street, Morgan Hill,
6-10 pm. Larry Phegley,
larry.phegley@nrlmry.navy.mil, 831373-7043, or Dick Simunic,
rsimunic@hotmail.com.
Last Thursday
Bluegrass jam, Atlas Cafe, 3049 20th
St., San Francisco, 415-648-1047, 810pm.
Every Saturday
Bluegrass and acoustic jam,
CoffeeCatz Roastery, 6761
Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 2-5 pm.
707-829-6600.
2nd Saturday
Hootenanny Night folk and acoustic
series, Cafe International, 508 Haight
St., San Francisco, 7-10:30pm. 415775-0221.
Fifth String Music Store Bluegrass
Jam, 3051 Adeline St, Berkeley, 8pm.
510-548-8282.
1st Sunday
SCVFA jam, Hoover Middle School,
Naglee Ave. at Park Ave, San Jose. 15pm.
South Bay Folks Club Open Mic.,
Mission City Coffee Roasting
Company, 2221 The Alameda, Santa
Clara, 7-10 pm. 408-261-2221.
1st & 3rd Sundays
Alameda School of Music, 1307 High
St., Alameda, 6-9pm. 510-769-0195,
www.alamusic.com.
Bluegrass & Old Time Jam, 5th
Quarter Pizza, 976 Woodside Rd,
Redwood City, 7:30-11pm.
rwcbluegrass@gmail.com.
2nd & 4th Sundays
Old-time Jam, Progressive Grounds
Cafe, 400 Cortland Ave, San
Francisco, 3-6pm.
1st & 3rd Thursday
Marin Bluegrass Jam, Marin
Lutheran Church, 649 Meadowsweet,
Corte Madera, 7:30-10pm. Pat
Palmer, 415-892-6020.
4th Sunday
Bluegrass Jam, California State Old
Time Fiddlers Association, United
Methodist Church, Castro Valley,
1:30-5pm. 925-455-4970.
3rd Thursday
Cafe Amsterdam, 23 Broadway,
Fairfax, 8:30pm-11:00pm. 415-2568020.
Santa Cruz Bluegrass & Old-time
Jam, Ocean View Park, 102 Ocean
View Ave, Santa Cruz, 1-5pm. 831359-1864,
santacruzjam@googlegroups.com
Bluegrass By the Bay
Northern California Bluegrass Society
Bluegrass Calendar
Tuesday, Dec 1
Monday, Dec 7
Bean Creek - Sam's BBQ, San Jose,
6 PM
Bean Creek - Phil's Fish Market,
Moss Landing, 6 PM
Wednesday, Dec 2
Belle Monroe & Her Brewglass Boys
- Amnesia, San Francisco, 7:30 PM
Bluegrass Revolution - Plough and
Stars, San Francisco, 9 PM
Tuesday, Dec 8
Monday, Dec 21
Deep Elem - Phil's Fish Market,
Moss Landing, 6 PM
Carolina Special - Sam's BBQ, San
Jose, 6 PM
Bean Creek - Phil's Fish Market,
Moss Landing, 6 PM
Whiskey Brothers - Albatross Pub,
Berkeley, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Dec 9
Tuesday, Dec 22
Thursday, Dec 3
Diana Donnelly and the Yes Ma'ams
- Sam's BBQ, San Jose, 6 PM
Mighty Crows - Sam's BBQ, San
Jose, 6 PM
Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band Freight and Salvage, Berkeley, 8 PM
Bruce Molsky - Freight and Salvage,
Berkeley, 8 PM
Wednesday, Dec 23
49 Special - Atlas Cafe, San Francisco, 8 PM
Thursday, Dec 10
Country Classics - Sam's BBQ, San
Jose, 6 PM
Nell Robinson - Freight and Salvage, Berkeley, 8 PM
Saturday, Dec 26
Sidesaddle & Co. - Sam's BBQ, San
Jose, 6 PM
Dark Hollow - Atlas Cafe, San Francisco, 8 PM
Friday, Dec 4
Brookdale Bluegrass Festival Bonny Doon
Black Crown Stringband - Smiley's
Saloon, Bolinas, 8 PM
Sonoma Mountain Band - Murphy's
Irish Pub, Sonoma, 8 PM
Pine Needles - Plough and Stars,
San Francisco, 9 PM
Saturday, Dec 5
Brookdale Bluegrass Festival Bonny Doon
'bout Time! - Sunnyvale Farmer's
Market, Sunnyvale, 09 AM
The Whutknotts - Iron Springs Pub,
Fairfax, 2 PM
Autumn and the Fall Guys - Mission Pizza, Fremont, 7 PM
David Grisman Quintet - Freight
and Salvage, Berkeley, 8 PM
Saturday, Dec 12
High Country - Murphy's Irish Pub,
Sonoma, 8 PM
Harmony Grits - San Gregorio General Store, San Gregorio, 2 PM
Coyote Blue - Mission Pizza, Fremont, 7 PM
High Country - McGrath's Pub,
Alameda, 8 PM
Monday, Dec 14
Courthouse Ramblers - Phil's Fish
Market, Moss Landing, 6 PM
Tuesday, Dec 15
Cabin Fever - Sam's BBQ, San
Jose, 6 PM
Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band - First
Presbyterian Church, Mountain
View, 8 PM
Sidesaddle & Co. - Sam's BBQ, San
Jose, 6 PM
Sunday, Dec 6
Houston Jones - The Coffee Gallery
Backstage, Altadena, 07 PM
Take the Stage Showcase - Freight
and Salvage, Berkeley, 2 PM
Earthquake Country - San Gregorio
General Store, San Gregorio, 2 PM
Friday, Dec 18
Friday, Dec 11
Stoney Mountain Ramblers - Palo
Alto Farmer's Market, Palo Alto, 10
AM
Houston Jones - Russ and Julie's
House Concert, Oak Park, 8 PM
Mountain Drive - Bocci's Cellar,
Santa Cruz, 8 PM
Wednesday, Dec 16
Whiskey Brothers - Albatross Pub,
Berkeley, 7:30 PM
Jimbo Trout & the Fish People Plough and Stars, San Francisco, 9
PM
Sunday, Dec 27
Jimbo Trout & the Fish People - Lagunitas Tap Room, Petaluma, 3 PM
David Grisman Quintet - Freight
and Salvage, Berkeley, 8 PM
Monday, Dec 28
Courthouse Ramblers - Phil's Fish
Market, Moss Landing, 6 PM
Tuesday, Dec 29
Lone Prairie - Sam's BBQ, San
Jose, 6 PM
Wednesday, Dec 30
49 Special - Hotel Utah, San Francisco, 8 PM
Matt & George & Their Pleasant Valley Boys - Sam's BBQ, San Jose, 6
PM
Jimbo Trout & the Fish People Johnny Foley's Irish House, San
Francisco, 9 PM
Shoreline - Don Quixote's, Felton,
7:30 PM
Thursday, Dec 31
Thursday, Dec 17
High Country - Freight and Salvage,
Berkeley, 8 PM
Keith Little & Jim Nunally - First
Street Cafe, Benicia, 7 PM
Northern California Bluegrass Society
Jimbo Trout & the Fish People Ace Cafe, San Francisco, 10 PM
Bluegrass By the Bay
7
Northern California Bluegrass Society
Membership Application / Renewal / Address Change
On the following line, please list the names of family members who are joining, any volunteer work you are interested in doing, or any
comments, questions or corrections you would like us to know about. Thanks for joining the NCBS!
I only want the online version of the Bluegrass by the Bay - See my email above.
I would like to learn about volunteering at the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival.
Check One
Northern California Bluegrass Society/
Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society
P.O. box 390846
Mountain View, CA 94039-0846
Member, Northern California Blugrass Society