Rhan Wilson || Altared Music with Friends

This is a photo of my buddy Rhan Wilson with his Baritone Ukulele. People that have followed my postings on Humble Uker know that Rhan (pronounced: Ron), was the music guru whom created Ukulele University (or UkeU) which was a group class with ukulele players who wanted to improve their abilities over a 10 week course meeting once a week.

This experience was the best musical experience of my short musical life. The group included two people with 30 years of playing experience: Jay Holiday (guitar) and Judy Plicka (uke & bass) and Rhan's lifelong creative musical experience. We also had Pete the percussionist. The rest of us were ukulele players: Robbie, Sheila, Chuck, Bob, and myself. Each of us worked on a song or two for our personal performances in the band. We had so much fun that we morphed into a garage band for about 18 weeks and culminated in a on stage performance that was near the Elkhorn Slough close to Monterey.

Enough about that, Rhan is the story here. He and I converse regularly even though I live up in the east San Francisco Bay Area and he's in Tropical Santa Cruz, California. He is the creator of An Altared Christmas show which performs a Christmas show with all of the songs altered into minor keys. Rhan is multi-instrumentalist and performs regularly in a variety of ensembles, but his main band has been ROMP, link.

Here's another one of Rhan's videos that looks like it includes Olaf S. on drums and the lovable lady Patti Maxine on the lapsteel, and Matt Bohn on Bass. Take a look at some of the special guests on the performer's list below.

Rhan Wilson presents this "altared" version of the song, "Truckin'" at the "Have You Ever Been Altared" show, April 20th (420), 2010 at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, CA.
Performing:
Rhan Wilson - Guitar, Vocals
Matt Bohn, Bass
Olaf Schiappacasse - Drums
Patti Maxine - Lap Steel
Dale Ockerman - Keyboards (Doobie Brothers)
Rick Zeek - Vocals
Jerry Martini - Sax (Sly and the Family Stone)
Ernie Rideout - Trombone
Modesto - Trumpet
Videotaped by Ron Hollman

For information about the other Altared shows, go to: www.altared.com

Rhan has also taken on the duties of the Santa Cruz and surrounding area music news. If you're local and would like to receive then please contact Rhan: rhanw@altared.com. You may have also noted that Rhan is the man behind one of my 3 blog-links, called: "All in Good Time" which is a place for many us to get some musical inspiration. And a good place to ask musical questions.

The Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz...

Anyone that knows me very well knows that I try to get to Santa Cruz every month for the gathering at Bocchi's Cellar. The meeting is usually the 3rd Thursday of every month but it is wise to get on their mailing list because it is Santa Cruz and we want to keep Santa Cruz weird and not to predictable. This club is full of love, mostly love. May sound a bit silly to some but I have been travelling down to the "Love Shack" that is known as the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz because of the people.

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This club has just gone through a change, Peter and Donna, "The President and the First Lady," are gone on their book binding caravan travels for 6 months. Andy and Pam Andrews have now made their journey over to their new house in Hawaii. Wild and crazy were their ways. Peter also played the harmonica and Andy wailed on his saxophone. Andy and Pam danced in the heaven of each other's arms. Donna almost always knitted, but occassionally pulled out the recorder or sang. I will never forget Andy's generous spirit, "Spread the love" seemed to be his motto.

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So, Thursday April 15, 2010 was the first meeting of a new era. Sandor, Rhan & Marty are now leading the masses. And what a spectacular beginning. The dining time house band was lead by Rhan Wilson and great as usual. The house was packed full and more people were trying to find seating as the evening moved on.

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The song selection had a Blue theme: Blue Moon, My Blue Heaven, Blue Hawaii, Lovesick Blues, Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain, and Blue Moon of Kentucky. But the energy was cheerful and festive. We continue to socialize, celebrate and SHOW OUR UKES. Sandor, Marty, Rhan and Vince "S.C." Tuzzi led us in the play alongs.

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Last night, I sat at the table in the corner by the bar with Bob "Duh Dog" Rainey, Tomi, and Dr. John B. John leads a ukulele group in Lancaster which in southern California and drives 5 hours one-way almost every month. We had two lady newbies, Diane and Susan that came ukeless but we gave them our ukes and surely overloaded them with information.

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I brought my Balalaika that I restrung with Worth medium brown strings and tuned C-E-A. Bob Rainey who always likes something new - played a few Blue songs worth on it. I call it a Bala-uke-a. The uke club is a also a place for the great kindergarten tradition of Show-n-Tell. The newest ukes are always fun to check out.

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The FANTASTIC evening show was headlined by our very own amazing Ukulele Dick and supported by the lovely Jayme Kelly Curtis and ROMP. Romp is comprised of Rhan, Olaf, Matt and the ever popular P-P-P-Patty M-M-Maxine. Sandor (shawn-door) also joined in to play some of the UkeAholics Beatles and Elvis tunes! I think Jan even got in there for some harmonica melodies.

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Back to the love. Next month, May 2010, will be another Open Mic Night. If you have ever considered doing an open mic night, then this is the safest and most supportive club in the world, every skill level is encouraged, supported and applauded. Share the love, feel the love, come and play.

R -- O -- M -- P Music

The Tuesday Night Band has become the Uklectics. It is a name that I like and it does well with our group and song selection. Rhan Wilson, was the mastermind for the Ukulele University, which brought us all together. Rhan (pronounced very much like R-O-N) is sharing his creative energies with another group, called ROMP, which is an acronym for the first letters of their first names. I personally only know Rhan and Patti from their allegiance to the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz.

The Romp band site: www.rompband.com

Or, you can go directly to their inspirational versions where Patti-Maxine sings Jamabalaya and These Boots and Rhan, The (Uklectic) Chancelour, sings Private Life. I think that these songs are fantastic and would like to know if I’m just a crazy groupie or if you agree with me.

Jambalaya -- http://www.rompband.com/02%20Track%2002.mp3

Private Life -- http://www.rompband.com/04%20Track%2004.mp3

These Boots -- http://www.rompband.com/06Track06.mp3

RHAN WILSON: UKULELE UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR & HEAD HONCHO

__v___ ROMP: The Evolution of Man Photo ___V__

Rhan, is a creator, a compassionate person, and a lover of making music. I have had the opportunity to meet him and work under his tutilege as a student in his Ukulele University. I should say that UU is not just for ukuleles. We had a drummer, guitarist, and bassist that made the experience similar to a garage band. The advantage we had though, was Rhan Wilson, the 8-eared-man, his sensibilities, and his creative weirdness. (It didn't hurt to have 2 students with over 30 years of playing experience: Judy P. on ukulele, resonator ukulele, and bass guitar AND Jay H. on Ukulele and Guitar.)

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Our gathering of eight quickly bonded and encouraged each other to perform better. Rhan, constantly sharing insights, directed us on how to signal and communicate to each other. He challenged us to sing out. He challenged us to play our ukulele parts in different ways (vary our strums) We completed the 10 week course and have added a five week session to come after Rhan's two-week haitus in Oregon. We've even had three Tuesday Night Band (garage) meetings on our own with songs ranging from Hanalei Moon to Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird.

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The following is cut and pasted from the Santa Cruz Sentinel (W. Baine 7/9/2009)

Direct link here...

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_12791528

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Rhan Wilson does nothing ordinary. The creator of "An Altared Christmas," the live show and album that reframes common Christmas tunes in a minor key, has put together a new band, and there's nothing ho-hum about it.

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ROMP, which plays next Wednesday at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, is an anagram of the first names of the four members of the band "" Wilson, Olaf Schiappacasse, Matt Bohn and Patti Maxine. All in the new band have played in Wilson's "Christmas" extravaganza; three of the four ROM have been part of the house band at the "Planet Cruz Comedy Hour."

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The band is unusual not only for its instrumentation "" it will use everything from the baritone ukulele to the lap-steel guitar "" but for its off-beat treatment of beloved old songs. Chuck Berry's already bizarre "My Ding-a-Ling" performed in a minor key and sang in a Russian accent. The 1960s chestnut "Ode to Billie Joe," about the day "Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge," is combined with the beat of the late Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" to create the "Ode to Billie Jean."
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"Proud Mary," "Harper Valley PTA," songs from Grace Jones and Gogol Bordello, all get thrown in the whirl and come out a bit different, said Wilson.
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"We're not trying to make every song we do be odd or weird," he said. "We're just looking to have fun. I've been in a lot of bands, and all I want now is to play music and have some fun."