A Feast of Friends
Rock Opera
The Rio Theatre
Friday May 31, 2019
Reverend Lovejoy and Paradise Soul Savin’ Station, in conjunction with the Burlacticus Recording Company and Burl Audio present:
A Feast of Friends, a rock opera in four movements expressing our recursive existence and the evolution of birth, love, loss, healing, and redemption. Encompassing the unique combination of musical genres of rock, opera, funk, and bossa nova, A Feast of Friends is a musical odyssey of the heart, mind, and soul.
Performing this Feast of Friends rock opera is an amazing collection of Burlacticus Recording Company artists from the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz. A colorful array of accomplished vocalists will be gracing the stage of The Rio Theatre including the premier Los Angeles opera singer, Sonia Kazarova, LA Bossa Nova queen Carla Hassett, Oakland’s top soul singer Tammi Brown, the roxy rocker Holland Greco from the band Holland & Clark, Papiba Godinho from Santa Cruz’s renowned band, SambaDá, the masterful songwriter Nathan Dennen, and the one-time Santa Cruz Universal Life Church psychedelic priest of funk rock, Rich “Rev. Lovejoy” Williams.
This Feast of Friends, performed in a Rock & Roll review format, is backed by the top dog rhythm section of Santa Cruz, The Paradise Soul Savers. The brainchild of drummer and human metronome Will Kahn, this rock-solid rhythm section is the epitome of tight, fat groove. What Bosco Mann is to The Dap-Kings, bass player Etienne Franc is to the Soul Savers. Add a swanky super funk genius guitar player in Ron Work, the deep John Coltrane sax grooves of Anne Stafford, and the Ray Manzarek intellect of Russel Kreitman on organ and you have a rhythm section that rivals the great rhythm sections of recording lore. The Wrecking Crew, The Funk Brothers, The Band, The Section; The Paradise Soul Savers are in this league. Let go and have no fear as you surrender to the power of The Paradise Soul Savers.
This Feast of Friends, a once only performance in the heart of Spring at The Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz, CA is destined to be a special moment in the wake of time. The performance will be captured via the latest recording technology from Santa Cruz’s Burl Audio, and it will be released as a double vinyl album by Burlacticus Recording Company. The accompanying full-length documentary will follow a classic Monterey Pop style format. This opera; A Feast of Friends is a unique slice of Santa Cruz that is not to be missed.
“A feast of friends — “Alive!” she cried, Waiting for me, Outside!” – Jim Morrison
• The Rio Theatre • Friday May 31, 2019 • Doors 7PM • Show starts 8PM •
Tickets are available at Streetlight Records on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz, and online at http://pulseproductions.net/
Burlacticus Recording Company Vocalists
About Sonia Kazarova
Music has the power to transport us to another time and place. Sonia Kazarova loves to harness that power with a broad audience of fellow music lovers and passionate musicians alike. Ever since a young age, Sonia Kazarova has found great joy and satisfaction by being involved in live performance, whether it be operas, concerts, plays, and performance art collaborations. More recently Ms. Kazarova has enjoyed working with acrobats, rap artists, modern dancers, and a great diverse group of artists who strive to draw people as a whole together through inclusive expression. Sonia continues to grow and express her soul through music, opera, dance, and acting across all platforms, and is dedicated to pursuing her passion. Take a look around the site to get to know more about Sonia Kazarova.
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About Carla Hassett
Carla Rigolin Hassett (AKA Carla Hassett) is a Los Angeles based session singer, guitarist, songwriter, recording artist, producer, and music educator. A native of São Paulo Brazil and schooled in the recording studios of Chicago, Carla has appeared with Billy Idol, Sergio Mendes, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, Mike Patton, the late soul legend Solmon Burke, REO Speedwagon, Christopher Cross, Christan Castro, and actor/musician Gary Sinise. Carla sang in the 2012 Latin Grammy Person of the Year Show honoring treasured Brazilian composer Caetano Veloso. During that show, she backed up Veloso, Natalie Cole, Nelly Furtado, Seu Jorge, Lila Downs among other Latin music superstars. Carla has recorded with Brazilian recording artist Paula Fernandes, Gino Vannelli, Spanish rock artist Enrique Bunbury, Michael Bublé, Mike Patton, and appeared on 7th Heaven, The Tonight Show, The Grammy Awards, and as the voice of Peggy Lee on Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Carla was the featured soloist in the 2017 Sonorama project for Pacific Standard Time LA/LA, The 2018 LA Tribute To Luiz Melodia show, and the 2018 Film Composer Collective concert at the Theatricum Botanicum for composer Matthew Ferraro.
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About Tammi Brown
Drenched in the uplifting and sultry sounds of Gospel and Jazz music, Tammi’s voice is filled with rich tones, elegant phrasing, and vocal versatility, giving it a unique flavor. Influenced at the tender age of 4, Tammi quickly found her musical roots in the soulfulness of Gospel music while singing, playing organ, and directing the choir in church. Her musical roots blossomed when she discovered the vocal gracefulness of Ella Fitzgerald, the rawness of Aretha Franklin, and the power of Chaka Khan. Tammi was struck by the heartbreaking loss of her mother at an early age. She embraced her Gospel roots for healing, remembering the whispering songs her mother sang to her as a child. Through the pain of losing her Mother and the challenges of life itself, Tammi found peace in God and the healing power of music. Naturally, Tammi continued to sing using her vocal versatility to spread her musical wings with many of the Industry’s most notable musicians; She is currently a vocalist in the two-time Grammy Award nominated Vocal Ensemble The Cultural Heritage Choir led by the Legendary, Linda Tillery.
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About Holland Greco
Holland Greco is a songwriter and vocalist creating indie pop, nu-disco, rock, and soul. Her work spans many genres with a focus on catchy melodies, poetic lyrics, and twists. Holland’s songs & sounds have been in movies and on television. She has also been a lead & featured vocalist in 2 cartoons: Scooby Doo and the Legend of the Vampire with “Getaway, Yeah”, and a modern Merrie Melody, “Yellow Bird”, on The Looney Tunes Show. Her first solo record, Volume One (Zappa Records), flips between sweet originals and dark, cinematic interpretations of classic Misfits punk songs. Check out her current singles, “Real Love” with Funk LeBlanc and “I Found Fun” with Holland & Clark.
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About Papiba Godinho
Papiba Godinho was born and raised in Brasília, Brazil. Papiba has a long history in capoeira and was fortunate enough to teach and travel internationally before landing in Santa Cruz in 1992. There, he began teaching capoeira and percussion, and founded a branch of Raizes do Brasil Capoeira School. In addition to his capoeira school, his musical talents and dedication to sharing Brazilian culture lead him to form SambaDá in 1998. Papiba is a gifted song writer and composes much of SambaDá’s original music. Papiba’s infectious enthusiasm for what he does comes across in every show and brings people together. A “Mestre” (master teacher) of Capoeira (a Brazilian Art Form fusing dance, martial art and music), Papiba is a natural leader and teacher. His music is often shaped and inspired by the spirit of capoeira.
Today, Papiba is director of his own Brazilian Cultural Center that houses capoeira, dance and music classes for adults and children taught at the center and in local schools. He continues to write and compose and has recently been inspired by his experience with the Raizes do Brazil Capoeira project in São Tome, Africa.
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About Nathan Dennen
Born and raised in the small country town of Oakdale California, Nathan started learning piano at the age of six. Though he took a couple years off to teach himself guitar he eventually fell back into his old piano playing ways and started writing songs. His music has been described as a mash up of old saloon style mixed with a little jazz and touch of folk funk; if such a thing exists. He lived in Santa Cruz for 5 years and played at many of the local venues there. He currently lives in San Francisco.
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