On Wed., Feb 27  at 3 – 5 PM Pacific, my in studio guests on Over Under Sideways Down – LuxuriaMusic.com during Lux’s Listener Sponsorship Drive will be D. J. Bonebrake and Paul Eckman both in Orchestra Superstring who have released two CDs and one LP on Dionysus Records. We’ll be asking you to support commercial free LuxuriaMusic.com while we talk about and play tracks from D.J. and Paul’s many bands. We will also be making available a copy of Orchestra Superstring’s Kalopia signed by both D.J. and Paul for a lucky Listener Sponsor or two! Tune in!

This year’s Tiki Oasis VIP Gift Bag (handed out upon check-in at The Crowne Plaza Hotel and limited to 500) will contain this postcard which has a unique download code for the free 14 song TOP SECRET DIONYSUS RECORDS SAMPLER, featuring tracks from Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited, The Martini Kings, Orchestra Superstring, Kava Kon, Robert Drasnin, Creepxotica, Skip Heller, Jerry Sun, The Creepy Creeps, The Satelliters, The Creatures of the Golden Dawn, Redondo Beat, and Ruby Dee and The Snakehandlers. About a week after the event ends, we will be sticking these in all Dionysus Mail-Order packages until we run out.

Orchestra Superstring is performing at the Del Monte Speakeasy in Venice, CA –  Sunday February 12th at 9:30 pm.

The group will be playing their special mix of Latin inspired jazz and exotica with DJ Bonebrake on vibes, Mike Bolger on trumpet + keyboards, Danny Frankel & Debra Dobkin on percussion, Woody Jackson on guitar, and Paul Eckman on bass.

The Speakeasy is located underneath the historic “Townhouse” at 52 Windward Ave,Venice, CA, 90291.

One set only!

Come down to the beach and enjoy the evening Orchestra Superstring!
www.orchestrasuperstring.com/

Here is a collection of Orchestra Superstring live videos. – Be sure to check out their new Dionysus release, “Easy” on CD from the Dionysus cart or on digital via iTunes , eMusic or Amazon.com

Another Tiki Oasis has come and gone.

Having been to all 11 Tiki Oasis weekenders, I can without a doubt say that this year’s event was in many ways better than the previous 10, and that my friends is not an easy accomplishment. For instance, Tiki Oasis’ musical line-ups have always been magical but this one was that much more over-the-top. Some of the musical highlights from Tiki Oasis 11 include the legendary “Mr. Bongo,” Jack Costanzo‘s superb Latin Jazz ensemble who just freakin’ NAILED it, tight and tough instrumental insanity from Los Straightjackets who were joined by our pal Big Sandy for a round of rock ‘n’ roll songs en Espanol, an excellent set of Herb Albert tunes from the tribute group Herb, exotic and percussive Latin Jazz sounds from Orchestra Superstring featuring some truly amaazing play between the percussionists as well as DJ Bonebrake’s brilliant performance on the vibes, and the spooky exotic meets surf sounds of our own Creepxotica who played poolside, at the art show and wandered around the event dressed as Dia De Los Muertos mariachis with portable pig-nose amplifiers strapped to their outfits. To cap it all off, for the first time, Tiki Oasis extended through Sunday Night with a most entertaining show including two perfectly paced sets from exotica legends Don Tiki who filled the stage with exceptional musicians on their very first performance in California.  As stated, these were highlights for me – the rest of the music? Two thumbs up!

I’d have to write over a thousand words to truly cover the event from start to finish, so instead of going into detail about how great the symposiums, art,  debaucherous room crawls,  LuxuriaMusic.com and poolside DJs, the fabulous King Kukulele and Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid, marketplace, Otto’s muschache and Baby Doe’s circle skirt were, I’ll just load up this post with Tiki Oasis videos from our friends at Lost in Paradise and other various sources on YouTube so you can see for yourself the color and fun that this event represents and gives to its attendees. Don’t miss Tiki Oasis 12… Stay tuned for the scoop!

I shot a video of Creepxotica playing outside the elevators as the room crawl action was going full steam with my iPod Touch – will post as soon as I upload and edit as I’m still catching up on work here. As more Tiki Oasis 11 videos pop up on YouTube I’ll put those up as well.

Lee
(Photo: Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid –  by Scott Evanskey)

Tiki Oasis Flicker Photo Group

Tiki Oasis Facebook Group

Lost in Paradise videos

Jack Costanzo

Tiki Oasis 11 Car Show with Crazy Al Evans, Perk, SHAG, and the Hula Girls

Burlesque

Tiki Oasis 11 presents four days of legendary and contemporary Latin and Exotica Sounds including Dionysus Records related artists Big Sandy, Orchestra Superstring and Mark and The Escorts

Tiki Oasis 11
August 18-21, 2010
San Diego, CA

August 18: Tiki Oasis Meet and Mingle:
Bali Hai Restaurant
2230 Shelter Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92106
619-222-1181
www.balihairestaurant.com

August 19 – 21: All event activity:
Crowne Plaza Hotel
2270 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, CA 92108

Event website:
www.tikioasis.com

This year’s Tiki Oasis theme: “South of the Border”
Exotica music – the cornerstone of Tiki – owes a lot to our brethren to the south – Mexico and Latin America. In fact Latin music has always been a rich part of American popular music from Cha Cha and Merengue to Mambo kings, Latin Jazz and Samba to Rock En Espanol. We feel North America’s embracing of Latin music piqued in the mid-1960s when the debonair, Latin-styled trumpet player Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass band challenged The Beatles on the Billboard charts*. It is Herb’s romanticized Mexico that we seek to celebrate this year at Tiki Oasis!

Tiki Oasis 11 features the legendary Jack “Mr. Bongo” Costanzo & His Latin All-Stars, East LA luminaries Mark and The Escorts, Orchestra Superstring featuring DJ Bonebrake from X, Frankie’s Baja Marimba Marimba Mania, Big Sandy with Los Straightjackets, Herb – a Tribute to Herb Alpert, Surfer Joe and his Boss Combo, Marty Lush and His Latin Livers, The Hula Girls and Creepxotica The event is MC’d by ukulele playing stand-up comedian King Kukulele. click here for complete entertainer list

Jack Costanzo is a composer, conductor and drummer, but is best known as a bongo player, hence the nicknamed “Mr. Bongo”. Throughout the 1940s, Costanzo worked with several Latin bands, including a revived version of the Lecuona Cuban Boys, Desi Arnaz, and Rene Touzet. He toured with Stan Kenton from 1947–48 and in the 1950s, and played with Nat King Cole from 1949 to 1953. He also played with the Billy May Orchestra, Peggy Lee, Danny Kaye, Perez Prado, Pete Rugolo, Judy Garland, Ray Anthony, Xavier Cugat, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Curtis. Costanzo visited Havana three times in the 1940s and learned to play Afro-Cuban rhythms on the bongos and congas. Many Hollywood stars studied bongos with him, including: Marlon Brando, Rita Moreno, Tony Curtis, Betty Grable, and Gary Cooper. He has appeared in film and television such as Elvis Presley’s “Harum Scarum” and the “Johnny Staccato” TV series

He retired until 1998 when he made a comeback and in 2001 recorded Back From Havana under the Ubiquity Records umbrella. This album featured the likes of Blue Note’s Guilbert Castellanos, Steve Firerobing and the Panamanian singer Marilu. In 2002 he released another album with the same cast called Scorching the skins, & also mention his two most recent CDs on Ubiquity/Cubop Records “Back From Havana” & “Scorching The Skins“. Jack is currently an active musician and a living legend of Latin/Afro-Cuban jazz.  www.spaceagepop.com/costanzo.htm, www.herencialatina.com/Costanzo/Costanzo/Jack_Costanzo.htm

Mark & the Escorts formed in 1963 as a surf band. By 1964, the group had expanded their musical palette to include rock & roll, r&b and British invasion music. They became a significant part of the now legendary “Eastside Sound” boom which occurred in East Los Angeles in that period, sharing the bill with other local bands including Cannibal & the Headhunters, The Premiers, The Blendells, and Thee Midniters, who all had national hit records at the time.  In 1965, Mark & the Escorts recorded two singles on the GNP Crescendo label, Get Your Baby, the “A” side of their first recording, has been included on four different compilation CDs in recent years.  The band has also been featured or mentioned in many books on the music of the 60s.  In 1966, Mark & the Escorts ended when they changed their name to The Men From S.O.U.N.D.  The three core members of Mark & the Escorts, Mark Guerrero, Rick Rosas, and Ernie Hernandez, stayed together though out the 1960s, eventually recording an album of Mark Guerrero songs for A&M Records in the early 70s as members of a rock band called Tango.  Rick Rosas, went on to play with Joe Walsh for many years before becoming Neil Young’s bassist.  Mark Guerrero, went on to record as a solo artist for Capitol Records and for legendary record producer Lou Adler on Ode Records.  Mark’s songs have been recorded by artists such as Herb Alpert, Trini Lopez, Chan Romero, and his legendary late father Lalo Guerrero.  He continues to perform concerts with the Mark Guerrero Band and the reunited Mark & the Escorts.  Mark also hosts the popular Chicano music website www.markguerrero.com. 

Don Tiki is set to provide the soundtrack for steamy romance and jungle love with a show that closes Tiki Oasis 2011 on Sunday, August 21. Don Tiki has performed at the fabled Kahiki in Colombus, OH, headlined a music festival in Berlin, played numerous shows in Las Vegas and of course, rule their very own Pagan kingdom of Honolulu. Their Tiki Oasis show marks Don Tiki’s first ever performance in California! Experience forbidden love as Don Tiki, fresh off their Hawaii Music Awards win for Album of the Year/Adult Contemporary, unleashes a passion party that will stimulate your senses and primal urges. Drawing inspiration from original exotica masters Marty, Arty and Les (Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, Les Baxter,) Don Tiki boldly moves this evocative genre of music into the 21st century. www.dontiki.com

Orchestra Superstring plays instrumental music inspired by Afro-Cuban, Latin jazz, and the likes of Sun Ra and Cal Tjader. Composed of an eclectic nine-piece band of well known Los Angeles musicians led by DJ Bonebrake of X on vibes,  Orchestra Superstring blends infectious beats and fresh dance rhythms in original tunes written by its members and creates new interpretations of jazz standards. Their second album “Easy” was recently released by Dionysus Records. www.orchestrasuperstring.com

By way of Tijuana, we proudly present the groovy and spicy tribute to the powerhouse sound of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Herb delivers the full glory of the Brass’ sophisticated style with an updated edge that is poised to capture a new generation while re-igniting the passion and utter hipness of a bygone era. Herb exudes the suave, groomed sound that catapulted the Tijuana Brass to the forefront of 60s pop culture. TJB charged the soul of America and the world with their crafty blend of fiery Latino rhythms, zany pop, and South-Of-The-Border temperament. Herb consists of an all-star 7-8 piece band with members from such luminous bands as Clubfoot Orchestra, grammy-winning Brave Combo, The Billy Nayer Show, Les Claypool, Casino Royale, Cirque du Soleil, Idiot Flesh, and so on and so forth. Since its inception in July ’96, Herb has performed with/for James Brown, Nancy Sinatra, Sergio Mendes, SF Symphony’s Black & White Ball, Francis Ford Coppola, SF Giants @ Candlestick (Monster) Park, Super Diamond, and many more! www.casinoroyalemusic.com/herb.html

Frankie’s Baja Marimba Mania is the current solo project of Frank Marsico, former vibraphonist with The Martini Kings. This year’s performance will be a tribute to 60’s chartbusters: The Baja Marimba Band. This brand new unit, created specifically for Tiki Oasis 11, features Warren Giancaterino, former bassist for Sergio Mendes and Liv, percussionist for The Cold War Kids just back from their recent performance at Coachella. Frankie, as usual will be chopping wood on marimba and bending steel on the vibes along with a few other surprises.

No Habla Ingles? No problem! Lucha Libre clad guitar instrumental practitioners Los Straightjackets team up with rockabilly/roots belter Big Sandy to deliver vintage rock ‘n’ roll En Espanol, inspired by Mexico City’s great sixties garage and rockabilly madmen such as Los Teen Tops, Los Rockin’ Devils, Los Apson and many others, who took American hits and re-wrote the lyrics in Spanish and in the process completely changing the song — turning things like “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” into “El Microscopico Bikini!” Their Tiki Oasis set will also make a nod toward East LA and the great border rock of Freddy Fender. http://www.bigsandy.net  www.straitjackets.com

On  April 17, Orchestra Superstring will celebrate the release of their new Dionysus CD, “Easy” at McCabes in Santa Monica.  Click this link to order “Easy” from the Dionysus mail-order cart. Also, be sure to check out their 2004 self-titled release also on Dionysus Records

Orchestra Supersting is a contemporary group that plays instrumental jazz music inspired by Afro-Cuban, Latin and more. Fans of exotica will love the comobo who are comprised of an eclectic band of well known Los Angeles musicians (including DJ Bonebrake of X), Orchestra Superstring blends infectious beats and fresh dance rhythms in original tunes written by its members and creates new interpretations of jazz standards.

ORCHESTRA SUPERSTRING members:
DJ Bonebrake – Vibes, Marimba
Woody Jackson – Guitars, Guitorgan
Mike Bolger – Keyboards, Trumpet, Accordion
Paul Eckman – Bass
Danny Frankel – Bongos, Percussion
Debra Dobkin – Congas, Percussion
Victor Bisetti – Timbales, Percussion
Don Heffington – Congas
Davey Chegwidden – Bongos

As some of you may or may not know – since I started playing bass again in 2010,  I’ve joined not one but two combos – and am playing in both The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra and The Skip Heller Trio with long-time Dionysus Records friend, producer and artist Skip Heller.  Here’s a couple of videos of the trio performing – around Los Angeles. This combo should be recording something in 2011, stay tuned!

“You Got Me Dizzy” live at the back porch of The Echo in Echo Park with our drummer Mark Borinstein

“Doin’ My Tme” and “California Blues” live at The Redwood in Downtown Los Angeles with guest drummer D.J. Bonebrake, of X, Orchestra Superstring and The Bonebrake Syncopators

In November of 1983 while managing the Roads to Moscow record store in Tucson, AZ., I released a 45 by my then band Yard Trauma. “Some People” b/w “No Conclusions,” written by my bandmate and lead singer Joe Dodge, with nifty op-art graphics by our pal Jonathan L, then editor of Tucson’s Newsreal Magazine, became the first release on Dionysus Records. It took a year and a half and a move to Southern California for the first full-length LP releases to appear on the label thus 1985 has always been referred to as the label’s start date. However, this single is where it really started. “Some People” was also released in 1984 on the Voxx/Bomp compilation “Battle of the Garages Vol II”

In its 27th year, the Dionysus Records will forge ahead with “Meet Redondo Beat,” a full-length album by Germany’s pop-rock trio Redondo Beat in January of 2011, “Easy,” the second release by Latin Jazz exotics Orchestra Superstring featuring X’s DJ Bonebrake on vibes in February of 2011,  country and roots combo Ruby Dee and The Snakehandlers‘ “Live from Austin, Texas,” their third full-length release in March of 2011 and another yet-to-be-announced title or two.  For the first time since 1994 I may release a couple of records by bands I play in! Several out of print titles such as The Dils “Dils, Dils Dils” and Gexa X’s “You Goddamn Kids” plus many others will be repressed on vinyl with free digital download codes as well.

Thanks for your continued support. Love to you all!

Lee