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Singer/Songwriter Sheri Pedigo Shines at Lucy's 51 in Toluca Lake
By Debra Graff

Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist, Sheri Pedigo's powerful voice, amazing range, and rousing songs were highlighted during her memorable performance at Lucy's 51 in Toluca Lake. Her show was so uplifting, we all left a little lighter, brighter, and more hopeful. The audience was enthralled as she belted out her set, and there was plenty of foot stomping, rockin,' and groovin' to her stimulating tunes. Through her potent voice and commanding lyrics, she has the unique ability to connect her heart to your heart with her irresistible charisma and charm. She puts her own personality into each note, each word such as 'Do what you do/and be who you are' from the song "Fate," which she wrote at Celine Dion's piano player's home after seeing Dion perform, and is on her latest CD. During "A Love Like That," inspired by a photo of Lucille Ball on her girlfriend's wall, she told the captive crowd that she wants "to have a love like Lucy and Ricky had, one like the old time movies." Pedigo fascinated us with French lyrics in "I Need Love." "BreakAway," co written by Pedigo, and currently on a newly released album by Switzerland's #1 rock band, Gotthard, has already gone double platinum. Her lyrics reveal a simple yet poignant message, 'Find the courage to pull down the wall/that's built around me.' During "Stand by Me," Pedigo invited audience members to sing verses on their own and everyone was eager to participate. The crowd was moved by the inspiring lyrics in "Love Me," -

'I was born to be free/I was born to believe/I was born to be thankful.' Guitarist, Jeff McLaine's rich accompaniment, added perfectly to Pedigo's exciting concert.

Pedigo enjoys playing at Lucy's because "they're very professional and organized." She loves the room and the great clientele. What's most rewarding about her career is "the creative process and being able to share my heart and relate to people thru my music." Her dream is to have a song in a movie and with her admirable determination, that goal will, without a doubt, be readily achieved. Go to www.sheripedigo.com for more info.

One of Pedigo's closest friends, award-winning actress, Dyan Cannon, who is also a singer/ songwriter, told me "I loved Sheri's playing and singing at Lucy's. She's a soulful singer and a tremendously gifted songwriter. It's a good feeling to be in the audience when she performs."

Producer Holman Harper said that Pedigo has worked very hard as an artist, which is characteristic of a star performer. "She's genuine, the real thing, and never gives up." Pedigo wrote a song for Harper's TV show entitled "It's a New Day," and in the vein of "We are the World,' the song will be sung by celebrity performers.

Sculptor Khachik Khachatouryan was fascinated by Pedigo. "You can see her soul. She's real and that's what's missing in LA. She's very strong and at the same time very feminine and graceful. She's a bright good example."

Christi Mills, DJ, event planner, actress, who has been booking acts at Lucy's for the past year, loves the vibe of the night, and supporting the exceptional artists she hires, especially in a town where most venues expect musicians to play without pay and yet they "make a killing off of them." Mills welcomes submissions for consideration at:
millschristi@gmail.com.

Owner, Richard DiSisto, opened Lucy's 51, four years ago, at the location where the famous jazz club, The Money Tree, used to be. He believed this space deserved a second chance (hence the statue of Veronica Lake in front), and added music on Monday nights (following Monday Night Football), as a tribute to the Money Tree. DiSisto prides himself in keeping Lucy's fresh and unpretentious. "It's a hang and people can still enjoy, converse, and do their own thing." Disisto is working on a jazz night so stay tuned for another incredible evening of remarkable music. Lucy's extensive menu with scrumptious selections, is highlighted by tuna tartare appetizer, sweet potato fries, mini angus burgers, chicken cassolette and chateaubriand.

Lucy's 51
10149 Riverside Drive Dr.
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
(818) 763-5200

RIVEROAKS CHORUS THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CHAPTER OF SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL - 30 YEARS OF BARBERSHOP HARMONY!
By Katy Theodore

It all started back in 1979 when Betty Carpenter, a barbershop harmony enthusiast, decided that the Valley needed a barbershop chorus of its very own. Sweet Adelines International has been dedicated to keeping alive the unique American art form of barbershop harmony since its revival in the 1940s.

In fact, it was Friday, July 13, 1945, when Edna Mae Anderson of Tulsa, Oklahoma, invited a few women to her home to participate in the "chord-ringing, fun-filled harmony" that their husbands, members of the men's Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA), were singing. From that meeting, grew the nucleus of what was to become Sweet Adelines International. Within four years, the organization had grown to 1,500 members singing in 35 chapters and 60 quartets in 14 different states.

"The original purpose for which Sweet Adelines was organized was educational - to teach and train its members in musical harmony and appreciation," Edna Mae Anderson stated. "The main goal was to create and promote barbershop quartets and other musical groups. Another goal was to give public and private performances for the general appreciation of all the things pertaining to barbershop harmony."

Today, there are nearly 27,000 members of Sweet Adelines International worldwide, in more than 600 choruses who are looking optimistically to the future in their quest to Harmonize the World! RiverOaks proudly takes its place as one of these, celebrating our 30th Anniversary!

When you think of barbershop harmony, what most likely comes to mind is a quartet of African American youths standing on a street corner around a flaming trashcan creating beautiful music out of thin air. Or, perhaps it's The Music Man. Those four goofy guys in their signature red and white striped shirts and handlebar mustaches crooning "Lida Rose" as Professor Harold Hill cons his way into Marian the Librarian's heart.

The "barbershop" style of music is first associated with black southern quartets of the 1870s, such as The American Four and The Hamtown Students. The African influence is particularly notable in the improvisational nature of the harmonization, and the flexing of melody to produce harmonies in "swipes" and "snakes." Black quartets "cracking a chord" were commonplace at places like Joe Sarpy's Cut Rate Shaving Parlor in St. Louis, or in Jacksonville, Florida, where, black historian James Weldon Johnson writes, "every barbershop seemed to have its own quartet." The first written use of the word "barbershop" when referring to harmonizing came in 1910, with the publication of the song, "Play That Barbershop Chord."

The unique chording and arrangement is what makes a song "barbershop." Barbershop music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies. Sweet Adelines International boasts numerous fine arrangers who can take a song like "The Star Spangled Banner," for instance, and arrange it to be sung by "barbershoppers" - such as the women of RiverOaks Chorus.

RiverOaks Chorus is comprised of 25 women from a spectrum of age groups, ethnicities, and walks of life. What we have in common is a love of music, barbershop in particular, and a love of performing to delight and entertain our audiences. RiverOaks Chorus is primarily an educational and performance group. We have brightened the lives of men and women in women's groups, retirement homes, schools and many community events. We sing for holiday celebrations from our stirring patriotic program at the 4th of July, to our beautiful renditions of barbershop Christmas carols and Hannukah songs.

We cordially invite you and all your friends and family to come see what we're all about at our annual fall performance! This year, the theme is "Happy Days of Harmony" and we will be celebrating all things retro from the 1950s! From costumes to music to comedy, this is a show you won't want to miss! Our special celebrity guest will be none other than the fabulous Fritz Coleman from NBC News. Fritz not only delivers the weather for NBC, but also does a hilarious comedy routine that will have you rolling in the aisles! The show happens on Sunday, November 15th at 2:00pm at the Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn in Hollywood. Yes, folks, where the audience is dying to get in! (We use that same joke every single year and it still gets a laugh!)

We rehearse every Tuesday night at 7:00pm at St. Mark's Episcopal Church (14646 Sherman Way in Van Nuys) in the auditorium. If you love to sing, love to perform, we invite you to join us for fun, frivolity and sometimes, we even sing a little! Real women, real harmony, real fun! For more information, call (818) 886-SING or visit our website at www.riveroakschorus.com.

Danko Jones: Bridging the Miles
By Lisa Davenport

The curtains open. It's the Viper room. Danko Jones has arrived in LA. They're launching an American tour and promoting the U.S. release of their fourth album, Never Too Loud. Rock lovers take note: Jones started with a bang.

Playing an hour set to a feisty crowd on a Friday night in West LA, Jones, on guitar and vocals, delivered an energizing mix of old and new songs with his uniquely peppy sass. The Toronto based Trio--JC (Jon Calabrese) on bass, and Dan Cornelius on drums--rocked the legendary venue as Jones jested between tunes and gave the best punch of the night with (Sugar High). Their rocket-hot, hard rock-sound shook the walls and the crowd went wild. LA got a hearty dose of what makes the band a crowd-puller all over Europe. He's a guy with a heart. He connects with us.

Never Too Loud captures Jones' irreverent spunk with appealing Hollywood flare. Unlike Born a Lion (blues-influenced), or We Sweat Blood (heavy), it echoes classic rock. Jones' influences "run the gamut." Working with Grammy-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who produced groups like Rush, Jones professes, "I love never too loud. We did it in '07. Now I have a…better perspective on it …It stand[s] out in the discography…as…the big Hollywood record … And I like the fact that we have one of those." JC recalls a high point: working with Raskulinecz in "the famous" Studio 606 after Raskulinecz "worked with Rush … The drums that he used with the Rush recording, he gave us…as a gift and then we used those drums for our record." On his favorite cut, "'King of Magazines"--he praises "Dankos…vocals. There's a really good flow to that." Jones proclaims, "When things sink up, a great riff becomes a great song. It's a great feeling."

Never Too Loud came after a much "needed" break from touring in '06 when Jones "just wrote songs." True to their fans, they never "veer[ed] out too far. We're not a different band on a different record--just…different inflections." Jones' playful infatuations and zest for the road raucously inspire him. They sing about the gruels of touring (Take me Home); and about "sh-"they "went through" (Forest Through the Trees), (Your Tears, My Smile). On a personal level, Jones declares, these songs "mean something." With a new album already in the works, they're "at a cross roads…The next record will be a lot…dirtier and a lot…heavier than this one. So each album is a little different than the next and that's where we're going."

But "building a name," he asserts, especially in the internet age, is "probably the hardest thing a band can do." And unlike in Europe where "the diversity is so much so that it allows for bands like us that are at a B level to exist," in the U.S. it's harder for B level bands: "you're either like Beyonce or Madonna…or you're playing in your parents' basement for some pop-rock show." Even more, "America is not one country" Jones muses, "it's fifty countries." To bring the music to a wider audience "we've just gotta get out here and play."

That's what they did when they toured with Motorhead in Europe. Jones "got to sing with them almost every night … during the last song" and played "Hammersmith Odeon … in London"--a personal highlight of his career.

This time, the rockers will tour the U.S. with the Damned. JC professes, whether the crowd is "5000, or 50,000 … you always have to play your heart out." Jones always characterizes his music as "a work in progress." No matter how good you are, you can always get better. They've come a long way to bridge the miles.

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