Regional Jazz Big Band Pays Tribute to Frank Sinatra with Legendary Singer’s 100th Birthday Celebration

For generations the legendary Frank Sinatra has remained one of the greatest jazz and traditional pop singers to ever live. In honor of Sinatra, the State Theatre is pleased to announce a tribute to one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20^th century, with “That’s Life: A Celebration of the 100th Birthday of Frank Sinatra,” with music by State College’s own Zeropoint Big Band, Saturday, December 5 at 7 pm.

This tribute concert will include various regional singers, with backup by the Zeropoint Big Band. With sixteen musicians, they will work with each regional singer to put a new spin on Sinatra’s classic works. Concert-goers can expect to hear many of the old Sinatra favorites, which will bring back old memories for some and make new ones for others. The concert is open to all ages and is family friendly.

 

Since 2009, the Zeropoint Big Band has been knocking the socks of Central Pennsylvania music fans with their post-modern-retro approach to big band jazz, which leaves few musical stones unturned. Their playlists range from classics from Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones, and Duke Ellington to reimagined rock ‘n’ roll anthems by Queen, the Who, U2, and the Beatles.

Zeropoint has taken the stage at some of the area’s most popular venues and festivals, including recent performances at the Dauphin County Wine & Jazz Festival, the Weis Center for the Performing Arts at Bucknell University, the State Theatre, and the Central PA Festival of the Arts in State College. For the past two years, the band has performed Duke Ellington’s arrangement of “The Nutcracker Suite,” and has appeared at the American Ale House in State College on the first Tuesday of every month for the last six years.

A jazz combo from greater Central Pennsylvania, Zeropoint is a 16-piece band: five saxophone players, eight brass, and a three-piece rhythm section. Many of Zeropoint’s members are nationally-recognized performers, composers, and educators who happen to make their homes in Central Pennsylvania. A who’s-who of regional jazz all-stars, Zeropoint features a stellar lineup of fantastic soloists; including Harrisburg piano-icon Steve Rudolph; brass players Eddie Severn, Barry Long, Dale Orris, Aaronsburg trombonist Jay Vonada, and Penn State Professor of Trombone Mark Lusk; drummer Kevin Lowe; and saxophonists Dan Yoder, also a music professor at Penn State, and State College musician Rick Hirsch.

The idea for the Sinatra tribute came from the State Theatre, when they approached Hirsch about performing a concert for the centennial of Sinatra’s birth. “Someone on the Board of Directors had the idea that it might be kind of neat,” Hirsch said. “Zeropoint had a relationship with the folks at the State Theatre, and we were the first band they thought of.”

 

Born Francis Albert Sinatra on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sinatra is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. His songs have been the soundtrack for generations of fans for over 70 years.

Because Sinatra made so many legendary recordings and scored numerous hits, it was a challenge for the band to narrow it down to only one concert’s worth of music. But for the tribute, Hirsch believes they chose to present a collection of some of Sinatra’s most beloved favorites, which include “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “The Best Is Yet to Come,” “Come Fly With Me,” which Sinatra recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra; “Mack the Knife,” also a popular Bobby Darin song, “Something Stupid,” a duet with his daughter Nancy; “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and of course “That’s Life,” the title theme of the show.

Singing the Sinatra tunes will be four outstanding vocalists based in State College: Tommy Wareham, Elizabeth Webb, Tyne Palazzi, and Natascha Hoffmeyer. “Elizabeth has been in town for the last couple of years and she is just a real hidden treasure,” Hirsch said. “She and Tommy both know the Sinatra songbook inside and out.”

Hoffmeyer is perhaps most well known as a blues singer from Natasha and the Spy Boys, and Palazzi for her bluegrass and banjo-picking. “Tyne is one heck of a singer,” Hirsch said. “Many of the tunes that Sinatra sang came from Broadway musicals, and she has a lot of experience doing musical theater.”

In addition, the concert will feature special guest vocalist Chris DiMattio from Scranton. “I worked with Chris this past summer on a recording project of Sinatra tunes,and I thought he really capturetheessence of Sinatra,” Hirsch said.

Sinatra’s most popular songs are from a specific era – from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s – music written by some of the greatest songwriters and composers of the 20th century: Classic songs by George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, and Lerner and Loewe remain timeless to this day, and their universal appeal is in large part due to Sinatra’s interpretation of them.

“Sinatra was such an honest performer and he wore his emotions on his sleeve,” Hirsch said. “One thing that made him so great as an interpreter of song was that he would really get inside the lyric; and for him each song would tell a story. I think that’s what people love about Sinatra, and why his music is still so strong today.”

World Famous Vienna Boys’ Choir to Visit Penn State’s Eisenhower Auditorium

Penn State hosts a world treasure and a pure holiday treat to start the Christmas season, as the world-famous Vienna Boys’ Choir will present “Christmas in Vienna” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 1, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State presentation will feature Austrian folk songs, classical masterpieces and holiday favorites.

The Vienna Boys’ Choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys’ choirs of the Viennese Court, dating back to the late Middle Ages. The ensemble was, for practical purposes, established by a letter from Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I in 1498, instructing court officials to employ a singing master, two basses and six boys. Numbering between 14 and 20, the singers were chosen from throughout the empire to provide musical accompaniment for Catholic masses.

Throughout the centuries, the choir has worked with renowned composers, including Mozart, Anton Bruckner, Johann Joseph Fux, Antonio Salieri, Heinrich Isaac, Schubert, Hofhaimer, Biber, Caldara, and Gluck. Before they became celebrated composers, Schubert and Jacobus Gallus were members of the ensemble.

The Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys’ Choir or Vienna Choir Boys) is a choir of trebles and altos based in Vienna, and is one of the best known boys’ choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries in Europe plus the United States, Ireland, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.

Ranging in age from 10 to 14, the organization’s 100 choristers are divided into four equal touring ensembles, aptly named after Austrian composers associated with the choir’s history, which include Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert. Combined, the four choirs perform about 300 concerts each year before almost 500,000 people. Each group tours for about nine to eleven weeks. This performance at Penn State will feature the Mozart choir, led by choirmaster Bomi Kim.

The 520-year-old Vienna Boys’ Choir, one of the three imperial Austrian musical groups along with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera, has maintained many traditions for centuries. But sometimes even traditions need to give in to the many changes taking place in our society and in the world around us.

In September 2012, Kim was appointed conductor of the Vienna Boys’ Choir, based on the recommendation of her former professor Erwin Ortner, who was once himself a member of the choir. The selection made Kim the first ever female and the first ever Asian conductor to guide one of the choirs. “It’s definitely a wonderful job, but it’s not so easy because the quality must be good,” she said. “But I think it’s much better for children – I can feel that. I feel like a mother for those kids.”

After graduating from Yon Sei University in Seoul, Korea with a major in concert choir, Kim went to Regensburg in Bavaria to study church music. She then enrolled in the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and earned her master’s degree in choir conducting, vocal music and Gregorian chants. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation on early church Modi, according to her biography.

A doctoral student at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Kim has traveled with the Vienna Boys’ Choir to perform in Japan, China, Arabia and Germany. This is her first tour to the United States with the choir.

“It’s now a very international choir – we have one Japanese boy, one Korean boy, one Irish boy, and one from Australia,” Kim said. “Because we are always on tour, we give auditions everywhere. That’s why we are so international. When a child wants to sing, he can come to me, and we can have an audition. For example, I can give an audition in Pennsylvania – why not?

Included in the program are Claudio Monteverdi’s “Ave Maria,” Franz Schubert’s “Serenade,” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Praise the Lord,” and Aria No. 20 from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.” Holiday carols include “Joy to the World,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Jingle Bells” and “O Holy Night.”

“For the first part we will be singing European music by Bach, Mozart, Schubert and others,” Kim said. “And then for the second part we will sing American Christmas songs and European Christmas songs – and often in German.”

With each and every performance, Kim is very animated in her direction, and she always anticipates enthusiasm and participation from the audience. “Every concert is important, and every single audience is important for us,” she said. “We usually plan an encore song, so I expect and want the audience to sing – they must sing with us. They must sing with us really loud.”

Blues Act Robert Randolph & The Family Band Creating New Sounds and Bringing Fans Joy

Led by pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, national blues act, the Family Band ,is comprised of his actual family members: drummer Marcus Randolph, bassist Danyel Morgan, and vocalist Lenesha Randolph, together with guitarist Brett Haas. The group’s sound is inspired by successful 1970s funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire and Sly & the Family Stone.  Some of Randolph’s musical influences growing up included Stevie Ray Vaughn, the Allman Brothers, Al Green, and Jimi Hendrix.   

Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Robert Randolph grew up in a church playing music and watching others play music. He was trained as a pedal steel guitarist in the House of God Church and makes prominent use of the instrument in the band’s music. The instrument is referred to in many African-American Pentecostal churches as Sacred Steel. Randolph was discovered while playing at a sacred steel convention in Florida.

In his adolescent years before he was discovered by the secular community, Randolph himself said he was almost completely unaware of non-religious music, saying he had never heard of artists like Buddy Guy or Muddy Waters. After growing up and playing in church, Randolph formed the band in 2001. “From there we started playing in small bars in New York and one thing led to the next and here we are today,” he said.

Robert Randolph & the Family Band first gained national attention with the release of the album “Live at the Wetlands” in 2002. The band followed with three studio recordings over the next eight years, with “Unclassified,” “Colorblind,” and “We Walk This Road.” The band has put on unforgettable performances at such festivals as Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Randolph’s prowess on his instrument garnered him a spot on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” list, and also attracted the attention of such music legends as Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana, who have collaborated with him on stage and in the studio.

Randolph and his band love to experiment with different styles and try to mix them all together between the blues, classic rock, gospel and funk. It brings them a sense of joy and happiness to get everyone singing and dancing, and they always strive to bring that to the table and just hope that people enjoy themselves. “One thing musicians love to do is to go out and perform for their fans,” Randolph said. “There’s something about going on stage and performing and playing – it’s what we all live for. Once we’ve created new songs and new sounds, playing on stage and bringing fans joy is what brings us joy.”

Robert Randolph & the Family Band’s most recent album, 2013’s “Lickety Split” features 11 original compositions, plus a stomping cover of “Love Rollercoaster” by the Ohio Players. The record was produced by Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Danyel Morgan, Marcus Randolph, Tommy Sims, Drew Ramsey, and Shannon Sanders. Engineered by the legendary Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin), the album features special guest appearances from Trombone Shorty and Carlos Santana.

 

 

Singer, songwriter and pianist Jim Brickman Telling Stories and Touching Lives with His Music

Singer, musician and composer Jim Brickman is the most charted adult contemporary artist to date. Known for his solo piano compositions, pop-style instrumentals, and vocal collaborations, Brickman has released more than two-dozen albums, with six of them going gold and platinum. He has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums “Peace” (2003) for Best Instrumental, and “Faith” (2009) for Best New Age Album; an SESAC “Songwriter of the Year” award; a Canadian Country Music Award for Best Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration; and a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association.

Born in 1961, Brickman was raised in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. At age four, Brickman discovered his neighbor’s piano and begged his parents for lessons. Later on, he loved listening to everything on the radio and was most influenced by the songs of Burt Bacharach, the Carpenters, Carole King and Elton John.

“My first piano teacher told my mom that I had no talent,” he said. “My mom knew how much I loved playing and eventually found me a wonderful teacher in Marshall Griffith at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where I created my own style.

While studying composition and performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Brickman also took business classes at Case Western Reserve University. In 1980, Brickman founded his own advertising music company called The Brickman Arrangement, writing commercial jingles for many companies across the country such as McDonald’s, Pontiac, City of Cleveland, Ohio Lottery, and Isuzu.

Brickman later moved to Los Angeles, and in 1994, signed to Windham Hill Records and released his first album, “No Words,” featuring the song “Rocket to the Moon,” which became his first solo instrumental to be ranked on the Billboard charts. The songs “Angel Eyes” and “If You Believe” gained radio airplay from Brickman’s second release, “By Heart” in 1995. The following year, the CD’s title track, “By Heart,” became his first top 20 adult contemporary hit. 

Brickman, 53, would go on to release several more highly successful albums throughout the ‘90s and 2000’s. But after more than two decades in the music business, Brickman decided it was time to leave California and come back where he felt he belonged. “After living in Los Angeles for 20 years, I decided to move back home to Cleveland,” he said. “With all the traveling I do, it’s nice to come back to my roots.”

Brickman’s musical repertoire is rather diverse and difficult to classify, but he doesn’t mind. His music has sometimes been classified in the new-age genre, but Brickman himself is skeptical of this classification and prefers not to be pigeon-holed into any one particular style. “In my mind, it’s pop with a strong influence of classical,” he said. “I like to establish a mood, a feeling, and tell a story. But I want my listeners to hear their own story. I enjoy that aspect and continue to write with that in mind.”

With events like his annual fan cruise and songwriting workshops in Nashville, Brickman keeps an ever-full plate, but still manages to devote his time to other endeavors and balance them out while still writing, recording and performing his music. Aside from his various musical projects, Brickman has also hosted his own radio show since 1997, “Your Weekend with Jim Brickman,” a four-hour show that has been heard across the U.S. featuring adult contemporary music blended with celebrity interviews, lifestyle features and entertainment reports. Being a naturally curious person, Brickman wondered what it would be like to be on the other side of an interview for a change.

“I was being interviewed so many times I thought it would be cool to ask my own questions,” he said. “So when the opportunity was presented to me to host a radio show, I jumped at it! I have a great staff that preps me, keeps me balanced and on track.”

While he’s on the road, Brickman has discovered some new, innovative ways to do interviews and keep the show fresh and new. “I like bringing news to the listeners about wellness, innovative ideas, fun and of course music,” he said.

Always a strong supporter of PBS, Brickman has filmed and released the PBS specials “My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman” (2000), “Love Songs & Lullabies” (2002), “The Disney Songbook” (2005), and “Beautiful World” (2009). More recently in 2013, Brickman hosted '”Celebration of the ‘70s,” a concert event featuring David Cassidy, Thelma Houston, Stephen Bishop, Rita Coolidge, David Pack (of Ambrosia), Yvonne Elliman, and Firefall, filmed live for XFinity On Demand for Comcast.

Brickman has had the good fortune of collaborating with a number of well-known and accomplished veterans in the music business, including Kenny Loggins, Michael W. Smith, Martina McBride, Donny Osmond, and Olivia Newton-John. Over the years, Brickman has pursued artists whose work and style he admired, but artists who were not known necessarily for singing adult contemporary ballads.

“I thought that combining musical styles would be an interesting mix,” he said. “My intention was to create something new style-wise; bringing a different slant to the traditional AC ballad. For instance, Martina McBride was a relatively new country artist. I liked her sound and invited her to try “Valentine.” The combination was successful and I’ve continued to collaborate and use AC, Christian, country and some ‘soon-to-be-discovered’ artists.” 

A few years ago, Brickman walked into Capitol Records to record with the legendary Johnny Mathis and for him it was truly a ‘pinch me’ moment. “I thought, ‘Wow, I’m recording my music in this studio that I’ve seen in pictures ever since I can remember’,” he said. “I could just feel the presence of the greats who recorded there and was hoping some of their brilliance would rub off on me.”

In addition to his pop and adult contemporary compositions, Brickman has produced several Christmas-themed albums, “Peace” (2003), “Christmas Romance” (2006), “Homecoming” (2007), and “The Hymns and Carols of Christmas” (2008); and his two albums “Grace” (2005) and “Faith” (2008), concentrated on arrangements of well-known Christian music. Brickman just released the first CD in the “Soothe” series of calming music – the ideal sound for yoga, meditation and relaxation. His next “Soothe” release will be for sleep, and he is also gearing up for the holidays with a new Christmas CD titled “Comfort & Joy.”

Brickman loves performing solo because he can connect with the audience in a very personal way. “I’m a natural story-teller and sharing my experiences and music from the last 20 years feels like sitting in the living room and hanging out with everyone,” he said. “It’s a comfortable, intimate experience.”   

From the moment they walk into the theater, Brickman can identify with the audience and always tries to put them in a certain mood according to the events of the day. “The weather, the traffic, and the time of year all play into how they will receive the music,” he said. “If I know it’s been a hectic time, I’ll begin with a few songs that I know will help them relax and get into the mood.”

Performing for his fans has been very humbling for Brickman – knowing his music has touched them in such a private and personal way. “It still amazes me every time I hear another story about how my music has touched someone,” he said. “I just hope to keep performing and bringing new music to my listeners.”

Remington Ryde Spreading the Gospel and Touching Lives with Old Traditional Bluegrass

One band’s distinct sound and old-time flair can be attributed to the Bluegrass-rich area of Pennsylvania from which they hail and borrow their name. Remington Ryde brings old-fashioned bluegrass to Central Pennsylvania, throughout the state, and across the country each and every year. 

Remington Ryde features bandleader, guitarist and lead vocalist Ryan Frankhouser, Billy Lee Cox on banjo and bass vocals, Greg “Spanky” Moore on fiddle and baritone vocals, and Richard Egolf on bass and tenor vocals.

 

Left to Right: Greg "Spanky" Moore, Billy Lee Cox, Ryan Frankhouser, and Richard Egolf

As the founding member and leader of Remington Ryde, Ryan Frankhouser’s showmanship and chemistry with the audience turns fans into family. Add to that Cox’s humor, wit, and encouraging and uplifting approach to life; Moore and Egolf’s unending love to get out and jam with anyone and everyone, and their overall down home good time boys love of bluegrass and bluegrass fans everywhere; and you have a combination that makes Remington Ryde one of the most popular bands among bluegrass fans today.

Frankhouser grew up in McClure, Pennsylvania and started Remington Ryde as a family band at the age of 18. He wanted to see the band expand and through lots of hard work, they now perform an average of over 100 dates throughout the United States and Canada each year. The band’s major influences in music include bluegrass artists Ralph Stanley and Ricky Skaggs.

“I love the old traditional bluegrass sound,” Frankhouser said. “I would say we have created our own unique traditional sound, as we incorporate a lot of our original material and gospel in our shows. Expect to hear a fresh new traditional sound when hearing Remington Ryde.”

Remington Ryde’s most recent CD release was recorded live at the Bluegrass Ramble in Little York, New York. Their sixth studio album, “Live at the Bluegrass Ramble” features a one-hour live show from Bill Knowlton’s 41^st Bluegrass Ramble Picnic at Dyer Memorial Park in Little York and is packed full of laughs and great traditional bluegrass. This project allows fans to see what kind of people they are and how they interact with crowds, not only with the music but also with the jokes and skits that they incorporate into their shows. Among the band’s other studio albums is an all gospel project, “Let it Shine,” released in 2011.

Frankhouser started the Remington Ryde Bluegrass Festival at the age of 22. The band plans to play their original songs like “Grandpa Was My Guide,” “You’ll Miss Me,” “The Bible Grandma Gave Me,” and many more. They will also be including some all-time traditional favorites from bluegrass legends Bill Monroe and Jimmy Martin.

The band is rooted in Central Pennsylvania but has now expanded all over the United States and Canada, performing at most of the biggest bluegrass festivals and events in the country, with shows on both the East and West Coasts.

“It has been amazing and we give credit to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for giving us the opportunity and the talents to share our music with so many people,” Frankhouser said. “As far as dreams go, I have accomplished so many things that I never thought I would and really more than I could have ever dreamed. One day a dream of ours is to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage. So we will have to see what happens. We have had so much support from our family and friends.”

Remington Ryde’s goal is to take their audiences out of the troubles of the world for an hour and have them smile, with skits and jokes that really make for a fun experience. “I feel that our audiences leave with smiles on their faces and leave loving the people that we are,” Frankhouser said. “We are down to earth and love our fans. Without the fans buying tickets to come and see us we wouldn’t be anything and it just wouldn’t be fun. We have a chance to touch lives all throughout the country and we just love our job!”

Frankhouser and the band love traveling and seeing the world, and last year had the chance to perform in 18 different states and even performed with Carnival Cruise Lines for the Traditional Bluegrass Music Cruise.

“The advantage of traveling is a chance to meet so many nice people and see so many places that I have never seen before,” he said. “The disadvantage is that it wears you out. A lot of the times we are so tired and the road is tough and hard, but when we get a chance to see the smiles on people’s faces it makes everything worthwhile.”

For Frankhouser, there isn’t any other feeling like performing bluegrass, not only for the music but for the people it draws. “Bluegrass music is so wholesome and pure and I wish more and more people would give bluegrass a chance,” he said. “My goal is to bless the people and touch them in some positive way and also to spread the Gospel all over the world.”

Ronstadt and Sons: Keeping Family's Music and Stories Alive for Generations Past, Present and Future

Throughout the American Southwest, the Ronstadt family has long been known for their contributions to the cultural and commercial history of the region. From wagon-making, commerce, to pharmacies and music, this pioneering ranching family’s influence and contributions to Arizona’s history are chronicled in the library of the University of Arizona. Linda, the most famous of them all, became an internationally known singer of popular music and sold over 100 million records worldwide over a four-decade career.



Ronstadt Generations L-R: Petie, Michael G., and father Michael J. Ronstadt.

Today, a band bearing the Ronstadt name represents five generations in North America. Ronstadt Generations continues the family’s musical traditions with Linda’s younger brother Michael J. Ronstadt on guitar and vocals, and his sons, Michael Gilbert Ronstadt on cello and vocals, and Petie Ronstadt on guitar and vocals.

Multi-instrumentalists and solo performers in their own right, they present an exciting repertoire that preserves the traditional Southwestern and Mexican songs of their heritage while offering innovative original material. New compositions place them on the cutting edge of multiple, blended genres, stretching the boundaries of folk, blues, jazz, and beyond. Rich harmonies sung in English and Spanish are accompanied by outstanding cello and guitars.

Born in 1953, Michael Ronstadt grew up in Tucson, Arizona learning traditional songs from his father, Gilbert, and singing with his musical family, which included his older sisters Suzy and Linda, and older brother Peter. But he came in at the tail end of his grandfather’s generation, and never really had the opportunity to know his grandfather, as he died when Michael was only two. But the memory of his grandfather was always fresh as he was growing up, as the family got together on evening occasions and weekends, playing music and sharing stories. Michael started playing guitar at age six, with his father and brother teaching him a few chords. For the Ronstadt family, music was just a part of their normal daily routine.

“We would all just play along, regardless of whether we knew the song or not,” Ronstadt said. “We just thought that was what you did. I never knew anything different.”

Old Mexican songs have been in the Ronstadt family for generations, and certainly for Michael’s generation, they are songs that carry a very deep meaning and a connection to the actual people that he and his siblings heard singing them when they were little.

“One of the things that I love about that time was that the elders and the kids all liked the same music,” he said. “Of course the kids had their rock and roll, but they still liked the music that the elders did. So that gave them common ground to have something they could communicate with. That’s how children learn who they are and where they came from.”

Now that many from the older generation are gone, it is now Michael and his sister who are the keepers of the history and stories of the family.

“Quite frankly, some of us didn’t really pay a lot of attention, we just took it for granted,” he said. “I’m so happy that Mike and Petie are interested in it and want to continue the tradition. Because of the fact that they have embraced the music of the older generations – when they mix that with their experiences and the music that they like – what comes out is really cool. That’s the way it should be – that’s the way music progresses.”   

Before forming Ronstadt Generations in 2009, Michael performed in a trio called the Santa Cruz River Band and toured the U.S. and Europe for seven years. When that came to an end, Michael wasn’t sure what to do next. Both of his sons were accomplished musicians, Michael G. had just earned his master’s degree, and Petie was out of school as well.

“We would always get together and play music, so one Thanksgiving we got together and we played for about seven hours,” Michael said. “We thought it was pretty good and thought maybe we should try and take it on the road. So we did, and it’s gone through a lot of variations and such.”

Individually and as a group, the trio’s worldwide touring and recording credits include such diverse artists as Linda Ronstadt, Los Lobos, Dixie Hummingbirds, David Bromberg, Nydia Rojas, Tish Hinojosa, Muriel Anderson, and Mariachi Vargas, to name a few.

More recently in 2012, the band had grown from a trio into a full six-piece band, adding three veteran musicians – saxophonist, Alex Flores, bassist Sam Eagon, and drummer/percussionist Aaron Emery. Their versatile talents have formed the six-piece ensemble Ronstadt Generations Y Los Tucsonenses (the Tucsonans). First performing with Ronstadt Generations at a local Tucson gig, the sextet cemented the relationship with the recording “Prelude.” Alex, Sam and Aaron bring to the table a variety of experience and influences and add a colorful dimension to an already powerful presentation that respects tradition while exploring innovation.


Ronstadt Generations Y Los Tucsonenses L-R: Michael G., Alex Flores, Aaron Emery, Michael J., Sam Eagon, and Petie.    

Ronstadt Generations performs the old songs of Mexico – songs that are genetically implanted in their roots. However, they don’t necessarily do them in the old traditional way, as each member has different instrumentation and experiences. The band also gets into some of the old blues and folk music as well. It’s an eclectic mix, a style that Petie Ronstadt calls “post-modern American West.”

“People always ask me what my favorite kind of music is – but I can’t really answer that,” Michael said. “It depends on whether the music does something to me – does it create emotions?”

“The music that we play is all music that affects us personally, and I feel that way you can take a song, even if you didn’t write it yourself, and put your brand on it and then you re-communicate it,” he said. “You’re communicating the essence of the song but you’re also flavoring that with your own life experiences. So you’re able to color that. The song would be like the outlines in a coloring book, and what you do is you add the color in.”

Included in their repertoire are old cowboy songs, Irish tunes, and even songs in Welsh. Music is universal, and for Ronstadt it doesn’t make any difference where you are.

“What music really starts communicating is when you have put yourself into it and then play it for somebody,” he said. “Maybe they don’t understand the language, but they get a feeling or get some comfort just based on the music. A lot of the Mexican tunes we sing in Wales or Holland or Ireland or Scotland – they don’t understand the words, but they get the meaning of the song.”

In addition to the music, the Ronstadts tell the stories behind the songs, and give a little bit of chronology in the show about Michael’s great-grandfather, Friedrich August Ronstadt, who emigrated from Hanover, Germany to Mexico in 1841, and his grandfather, Federico Jose Maria Ronstadt, who was born in Mexico and started Tucson’s first professional orchestra, the Club Filarmonico Tucsonense, in 1896.

For Ronstadt Generations, the music and stories go way back, and provide a legacy that Michael has passed on to his sons, with hopes that they will continue that tradition for each generation yet to come. That tradition is not only present in the Ronstadt family, but it also transcends to the families of audience members as well.

“Our audience many times will have people that are 90, and their great-grandchildren will be running around in the front,” he said. “When that happens it makes me really happy, because that means we have succeeded at communicating to a broad range and given these people some common ground that they can then build on.”   

After six years the band continues to evolve, and plays everything from house concerts to large theaters. For many of their performances, the group often comes out at the intermission and after the show and takes the time to speak with audience members.

“Our audiences have been building and building, and this summer I think we’re actually going to have a nice little tour,” Michael said. “We’re playing at the Bitter End in New York, which is exciting for me because Linda started out there, and the Kingston Trio started there. It’s one of those iconic venues that everyone should play.”


Ronstadt Generations performing at the Farmers Market in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania - June 25, 2015.

One thing that music has done for Ronstadt, is that it has kept his mind open to many different possibilities, not just musical possibilities but those that extend throughout life.

“A lot of people don’t really like what they do, but music is a passion of theirs and something they want to do,” he said. “But for reasons that most people can understand, financially they can’t do that. Most people choose not to do that because it’s not the most financially secure profession in the world. Most people like me are out there because we have to be – it’s what we do. And now my kids have come into that realm and they’re carrying that on. Everybody wants to have something they can pass on that leaves a positive imprint, and my goal is to be able to pass that legacy on down. I wanted to have something I could leave my kids.”

When Ronstadt Generations goes out on the road and speaks to audiences about family, history, the importance of the elders, and learning the stories, people discover who they actually are and where they came from.

“People come up to me and say, by listening to our stories and the music and such, it sparked an interest in them to go back and start looking at their past and their ancestors and who they actually were,” Ronstadt said. “That’s an exciting thing for me. That means we did our job.”

In addition to their regular touring, Ronstadt Generations also performs frequently in homes for people with Alzheimer’s disease. A foundation for Alzheimer’s called Alive Inside, takes donations of old iPods and headphones so they can provide them for Alzheimer’s patients.

“Music is very magical for Alzheimer’s patients, but it’s not just magical, it’s physical – it opens up a channel to their memory,” Ronstadt said. “So many times you will find people that can’t communicate, but if they are hearing music that is familiar to them, all of a sudden it opens something up and they’re able to communicate better. It’s one of the most amazing things you’ve ever seen. So we do that whenever we can.”

Linda Ronstadt Still Using Her Voice to Entertain, Encourage, and Inspire

Parkinson’s disease may have stolen Linda Ronstadt’s beautiful singing voice but it hasn’t taken away her ability to entertain audiences. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Award-winning singer, author, and 2013 National Medal of Arts and Humanities recipient has continued to tour the country, speaking about her legendary career in music and her courageous spirit as she fights her illness.

In September 2013, Ronstadt’s autobiography “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir” was released, becoming a New York Times Best Seller and prompting Ronstadt on a book tour of the East and West Coasts. Ronstadt recently spoke at the Seawell Grand Ballroom in Denver, Colorado April 13, and at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware, as part of the "Smart Talk Woman Series" on May 13.

Known as the “Queen of Rock” in the 1970s, Ronstadt, 68, once possessed one of the greatest singing voices in music history, performing in a myriad of styles, including folk, country, rock, pop, American standards, Mexican, Latin, jazz, and Cajun. In 2009, Ronstadt officially retired from performing and since a diagnosis in 2013, has been battling Parkinson’s disease.

Although she can no longer sing, the Tucson, Arizona native now performs with a voice that entertains and educates with knowledge, honesty, humor, wit, modesty, and professionalism – the same qualities that have made her one of the most beloved artists for generations of fans. Now happily residing in the heart of San Francisco, Ronstadt recently spoke about her career in music, living with Parkinson’s, and what the future holds for her.

CDT: In August 2013, it was reported that you had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and could no longer sing. Since then you have written your memoir and toured the country, promoting the book and speaking to audiences about your musical journey over an amazing four-decade career. How different has this experience been for you as a public speaker, now that you are no longer able to sing for audiences?

Ronstadt: It’s the weirdest thing. I can still sing in my brain. There are a few songs that I’ve heard that I missed back in the day, and I can hear exactly what I would do with them. But I can’t do it. But speaking feels really comfortable. Oddly, I spoke so little the whole time I was singing. It feels very natural because I know how the story goes. If I’m being interviewed I know the answers generally. I don’t worry that I’ll forget, but I worry that people will ask me why I’m not singing. But I can’t.

CDT: When did you first start to notice the symptoms of Parkinson’s, how did it affect your singing, and what did you do to adapt to the changes in your voice?

Ronstadt: I actually started noticing in the year 2000. It turns out that it shows up in your voice before anything. They have a new way they can diagnose it; the earliest place it shows up is in your voice. I remember when things started to be different. I was making an album with Emmylou Harris and I noticed when I was in the studio that when I’d go to do certain things that it wouldn’t happen. I’d start to sing a note and my vocal cords would just clench up. If I would’ve known more about Parkinson’s disease I probably would’ve figured it out. From then on it was just every day. Then I’d start tripping and falling down, and I couldn’t understand why. I also had terrible fatigue.

I only made one solo album after that in 2004. My voice was very limited and I knew it was. I just had these songs that I had to get out of my system. I had a great band and an offer from Verve to do the record, so I took this shot. Like a painter, I just thought I’d have to think of myself as singing with a limited palette. I just have these colors and I’m going to paint with those. It was frustrating because some of that is pitch control. I had to really work on pitch. But I had these stories and I just thought I was going to have to tell these stories the best way that I could. It wasn’t until I developed a tremor in my left hand that I got a diagnosis. It took a year to confirm the diagnosis.

CDT: It turns out your maternal grandmother had Parkinson’s disease. What do you remember about her and how are you coping with your illness on a daily basis?

Ronstadt: I saw my grandmother with end stage Parkinson’s disease. I knew her when I was three years old when she was in the last stages of it, but I couldn’t really understand it very well. But my great aunt on my father’s side had it also, so it looks like it’s on both sides of my family.

Brushing my teeth, washing my hair, and getting dressed in the morning is such a journey for me. It used to be something that I never thought about. I don’t drive anymore. I feel like I’m solving a really tough problem in arithmetic. Parkinson’s isn’t always the same with everybody. The only hope is that it treats you kindly. I just figure I have today. I can still talk and walk, but not very far, and I can still do things for myself. I just feel like I have to be grateful for that and tomorrow will have to take care of itself.

CDT: How involved have you become in educating yourself about Parkinson’s and what types of treatments have you sought out or experimented with?

Ronstadt: There are pharmaceuticals which have horrible side effects, so I’m trying to avoid as much of that as I can and for as long as I can. I can’t get along without it, so I’m trying to take the mildest and easiest ones. For some reason a low carbohydrate diet is very helpful. I don’t like meat so that makes it hard. I’m mostly a vegetarian. So I’ve learned how to adjust my diet so it doesn’t set off the shaking as badly. Sugars make it so much worse – sugars and dairy are not good. I keep reading that coffee is good for Parkinson’s, and tea also. I’m a long time tea drinker and I’ve never liked coffee. A lot of Parkinson’s sufferers have said to me that they like marijuana and that it helps them a lot. It doesn’t help me, it just makes it worse. It just makes me kind of nervous.

CDT: Throughout your career in music you never wrote much of your own material, but you chose songs from some great songwriters – songs that described what may have been going on in your life at the time, and songs that you could relate to and that you felt you could do authentically.

Ronstadt: If everybody tends to write their own songs and sing them you wind up with a lot of mediocre songwriters, because there are only a few really good ones. It’s like it used to be in the old days with the standards, where you would get a great singer like Ella Fitzgerald singing a song that was written by George Gershwin – that’s a pretty good combination there. Then Sarah Vaughan comes along and sings a Gershwin song and sings it in a totally different way. Then Billie Holiday sings it probably better than anybody. Then Frank Sinatra comes along and does it too. So you get a lot of incredible interpretations of very good songwriting. And then there are the singer-songwriters like Jackson Browne and Randy Newman, and a lot of great girl singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Wendy Waldman. I knew so many good writers.   

CDT: When you assembled the band that would become the Eagles, you must have seen the potential that they had. So when they decided they wanted to go out on their own you gave them your blessing. They had incredible talent, but to this day they still give you much credit and praise for their success. 

Ronstadt: It started with Glenn Frey, who was the former singing partner of my boyfriend at the time, who was J.D. Souther. I knew Glenn through J.D. and was very fond of him. He was a really good guitar player, but I didn’t realize what a good writer he was. I asked him to go on the road with me because Bernie Leadon was in the Flying Burrito Brothers and he couldn’t go with me on this tour. Glenn had never been on the road before. Then I met this drummer Don Henley at the Troubadour. I heard him play a song with his band Shiloh that I had recorded. He already knew the arrangement, so we offered him the job and he said yes. So when the two of them met each other that was the start of it – it was their talent combined. Each realized the other was a really good songwriter, and Glenn found out what a good singer Don was. He used to call him the secret weapon because he was always sitting behind the drums. When they said they wanted to form a band, John Boylan and I suggested the other two members. I suggested Bernie and he suggested Randy Meisner. So between the two of us, we had something to do with forming the band, but it was their talent and the pieces that came together that consolidated into what the Eagles became. And all of their subsequent musical developments and the different people that they added and brought in made the band better and better.

But music is a cooperative endeavor. There’s no room for competition really. You should compete with your own self and try to do your best. Competing with others never gets you anywhere, and trying to hold others back doesn’t either. I always thought they should have their dream, and whatever they were trying to do, I wasn’t going to hold them back from that. But I could benefit from it because that meant I got to have a band for about a year while they were getting themselves together, and they got to do what they did. So it worked out.  

CDT: The 1970s brought you tremendous success, as you became the best-selling female artist of the decade. Your hit records included “You’re No Good,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “It’s So Easy,” “Blue Bayou,” and “Ooh Baby Baby.” You introduced a new generation to 1950s and ‘60s rock and roll, with songs by artists such as the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry, and Smokey Robinson. Do you think you made a great contribution to pop music in that way?

Ronstadt: It’s a good thing, but I was happiest when I got to work on the standards because I finally had something to do with my voice. I felt like I was holding myself in a strange limbo when I was trying to sing rock and roll because I never felt fully invested in the attitude. When I started working with Nelson Riddle I felt like I could really find who I was and find a real unlimited expression for my voice.

CDT: When you starred in Joseph Papp’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance” in 1980, how did that experience prepare you for your later work, particularly the American standards you recorded with Nelson Riddle, and the albums of traditional Mexican songs?

Ronstadt: It gave me a fuller, richer voice because I started working in my upper register which I had sorely neglected trying to belt rock and roll. I had that upper register, and working on that exclusively for a year then gave me the ability to sort of pull it down and marry it to my chest voice, and it gave me a complete voice for standards. It was so liberating because I finally felt like I had gotten out of a box that I was in my whole musical life and could finally get out of it.

And Nelson Riddle had no clue who I was. That was great; I thought that was fine. That meant that he didn’t have any preconceived ideas either. We met as fresh individuals to each other, and we could see where we fit together emotionally, socially, culturally, and artistically. It was just a good fit, and we became good friends and confidants.  

CDT: Since you are no longer able to sing, what have you done to keep yourself involved in the music world?

Ronstadt: There’s a cultural center here that I’ve been very involved with for about 20 years called Los Cenzontles. It’s a Mexican cultural center in a little strip mall over in a really hard scrabble neighborhood in the East Bay in Richmond, California. They do brilliant work, as good as any place I’ve ever seen in terms of arts education. They teach singing, dancing, instruments, and visual art, and they just do a fabulous job with these kids that have been dislocated from their own cultures in Mexico. They come up here and they’re dealing with all the rigors and strains and sorrows of immigration, trying to fit their families in and trying to fit their culture in. They give them an incredible grounding in their own culture and a way to validate where they came from and who they are to start with. They really teach them to sing, play and dance, but they don’t have to do it for performing necessarily. They grow up to be much more confident, much better-rounded people, they have a much better chance of staying in school, and there are fewer high school dropouts and fewer teenage pregnancies. They learn how to use art to express their sorrows and their joys and to socialize. They can get together and dance, and they can do these folk dances that have really complex rhythms that come out of indigenous traditions in Mexico. They can really sing and dance and play so they can communicate with each other. It’s my other musical family besides my own. 

CDT: Your modesty throughout your career has been well-documented. For you it has always been about the music, and awards and praises have always been secondary. But being recognized for your achievements and the outpouring of love from fans that you received after your diagnosis has to make you feel appreciated and respected.

Ronstadt: I know the range of ability and what people did out there. I think I was a pretty good singer, but I don’t consider myself among the greatest. There’s always going to be somebody better than you, but it’s just fine. You just keep doing what you’re doing.

But people have generous hearts and it’s always nice to see that. The best thing is I have really good family support and really good support from my friends, and that’s what gets you through in the end.

CDT: In April 2014, the CD “Duets” was released, a compilation of duets you have done with many different artists throughout your career, including Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, J.D. Souther, James Taylor, James Ingram, Aaron Neville, and Ann Savoy. Do you have any future plans to release any more compilations of your work or perhaps any previously unreleased tracks?

Ronstadt: Different record companies always come up with something. There is something in the works, but I’m not quite sure what it is exactly. I’m sure they’ll be squeezing things out of the bottom of the toothpaste tube as the years go by (laughs). I’d like to put out a collection of just Jimmy Webb songs. I think he’s one of the most important songwriters in pop music of the 20th century. His songs always make me cry. He knows how to voice chords so they just stab you right in the heart. That’s the mark of a great songwriter. The voicings of the intro are always so beautiful. He’s so not limited, he’s so extraordinary, and he has such range and ability. 

CDT: Talk a little about the process of writing your memoir. Having not written very many songs yourself, and never seeing yourself as a writer, taking on such a task had to be a very unique and rather daunting experience for you.

Ronstadt: I never considered myself a writer and I never kept a journal or anything like that. I just wrote the occasional thank you note (laughs). It was kind of a challenge, but I just started writing it and it just came out. I was surprised that it did. When I turned it in, I didn’t know if they would try to change it or not. They hardly touched my manuscript, so I was really happy about that. The publisher Simon and Schuster gave me the best deal. They were interested in a book about the music, and that was the only thing that piqued my interest.

CDT: How much do you follow music today, and who are some of your favorite artists?

Ronstadt: I like Sam Smith. When I heard him sing I thought ‘well that guy really knows what he’s doing.’ He’s got a really unusual vocal technique, a lot like Joni Mitchell in certain ways. The way he uses his falsetto and bounces back down into his chest. He does some things that I’ve never heard before and I thought that was good. There are a lot of talented people out there. I don’t always resonate to it because I’m from a different generation. But I liked what I heard from him. I also loved Amy Winehouse; I thought she was wonderful until she fell apart. What a voice she had; and her musicianship was really impressive until that came apart too. I thought she was the one that got away.

CDT: In a February 2013 interview, you spoke about the power of music, and how essential it is in our daily lives. Talk about the different ways in which music is so beneficial to us and how important it has been for you personally.

Ronstadt: It’s been everything for me. I was so obsessed with music from the time I was two. It was just all I thought about really. We’re so focused on celebrity in our culture that we assign all musicians to performance and then expect them to be celebrities. But that’s just a tiny part of the story of what music does. I think music has tremendous healing value. Even just different sounds. I think the Greeks know a lot about it. They have different scales that get you into different moods and different worlds. I think we’ve lost the ability and I think we’ve lost touch with a lot of it. 

CDT: What advice would you give for anyone who wants to have a career in music or just participate in music in one way or another? 

Ronstadt: I wouldn’t know where to start because I really don’t know the business anymore. What we get on the radio today is such a narrow view of it. There’s a lot of music that’s just for solitude, and for working out your problems all by yourself. There’s a lot of music that you can do that you can share with other people, and there’s music like choral singing. I think the only thing you can do is to just get on stage and get in front of people. All I ever tell anybody is just plant your feet and tell the truth. That’s what you can do in music, that’s what you can do in visual art, and that’s what you can do in dancing. The most important thing about art is ‘What are you saying? What is it you’re trying to say? Can you make it clear?’ Sometimes you can and sometimes you can’t. But you have to do it with whatever tools you have available.