Fourth release:

Calico Heart (2008)

With its new Summerhill Records release, Calico Heart, Houston Jones, the San Francisco based high octane Americana quintet, further solidifies its reputation as an exciting innovative voice on the Americana circuit. Although celebrating their newest recording, Houston Jones is no stranger to live performance. They have performed at large festivals from the west coast to the Rockies. Most of the members of Houston Jones were original members of the internationally acclaimed Waybacks, and they have performed individually in bands with such distinguished artists as Norah Jones, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Peter Rowan, Bo Diddley, Rickie Lee Jones, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and more. Reviews from Billboard.com called Houston Jones "a wonderful gem".

Their latest release, Calico Heart, produced and engineered by Grammy nominee Cookie Marenco, captures the incendiary energy of those legendary live performances while bringing to light in crystalline detail the songwriting and musical dexterity that sets Houston Jones apart from its peers.

Built around the gospel born whiskey cured vocals of Louisiana native Travis Jones and the high wire left handed upside down guitar wizardry of Glenn Houston, Houston Jones continues to pull away from the crowded Americana field. While at home with the high lonesome and the down and dirty, Houston Jones has charted its own path by embracing the whole, glorious pageant of American music.

Written primarily by bassist Chris Kee (who has a degree in ethnomusicology from Yale), the songs of Calico Heart move effortlessly through the American landscape-- the driving bluegrass of Coward’s Game, the achingly romantic country waltz of the title cut, the honky tonk swagger of Born in the Moonshine, the wry Texas swing of keyboardist Henry Salvia’s Sleepy Armadillo, the ghostly psychedelia of Colville, the rollicking New Orleans mambo of Mighty Red, with its musical tour of the trans-Atlantic African musical tradition, and the east meets west mystery of Roads to Dominion, merging Ladino melodies and Arabic scales with a Texas two step stomp. The rich musical mix, performed with Houston Jones’ customary virtuosity, is further distinguished by the thoughtful, literate, deeply layered lyrics, which are profoundly evocative of both the beauty and the darkness of the small towns and hidden worlds of life in America.

Calico Heart is a revelation. In the words of Cookie Marenco, “Houston Jones brings incredible depth and humanity to their music and performances. If I could join a band, it would be Hojo. They are one big, warm heart of creativity and inspiration.”

Third release:

Three Crow Town (2005)

The third CD by Houston Jones, co-released on the Fiddling Cricket and Summerhill Records labels, takes you on a joyful one hour tour of love gone from bad to good, and back again, addictions discarded, traditions re-invented, darkness illuminated, and by the end of the disc, leaving you with the distinct feeling that you have traveled an inspired journey.

Second release:

HoJo Mojo with Chojo (2003)

The HoJo Mojo CD captures the band's energy from recent live performances at Berkeley's FREIGHT & SALVAGE, Hayward's BISTRO, Ben Lomond's HENFLINGS FIREHOUSE TAVERN, and Sleepy John Sandidge's "Please Stand By" radio show on KPIG-FM.

HoJo Mojo with Chojo features one-and-only multi-talented musician extraordinaire (and friend), fiddle and mandolin player Chojo Jacques.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
1075 East 20th Street
Chico, CA
At the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., they love live music almost as much as they love great beer. That’s why they designed the Big Room with live music in mind. The 350-seat venue is located right at the brewery, and has been called one of the best live music spaces on the West Coast: “Acoustically brilliant and dripping with elegance, the room is an immaculate environment for the exchange between player and listener.” – Redding Record Searchlight
January 2, 2003

The acoustics are great no matter where you’re sitting —or dancing— thanks to the state-of-the-art system and the fact that every seat has a great view of the stage. Tickets may be available at the door, but shows often sell out early. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance.

Shows are open to all ages, and the Brewery offers an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages in addition to their line of premium ales and lagers. Hungry? They serve a limited menu in the Big Room during the hour before each concert begins, or enjoy dinner in our Taproom and Restaurant prior to the show.
http://www.sierranevada.com/bigroom/livemusic.html

The Palms Playhouse
13 Main Street
Winters, CA
History
The Palms -- "Old Barn" in Davis The Palms Playhouse was born in an old South Davis barn in the late 70's as a playhouse for local thespians but soon evolved into a cultural oasis for some of the finest live music heard anywhere. The old barn was rickety and full of dust. The winter winds blew through the wooden slats and the summer heat sizzled. It didn't matter. Palms' fans, listeners and musicians alike, swore those wooden slats were magical sounding boards creating top-notch, one-of-a-kind acoustics. In 2002, after 27 years in the "Old Barn," the Palms Playhouse was forced to find a new home . While the old barn can never be replaced, the new venue in the 19th century Opera House in Winters continues to offer the same off-beat intimacy that The Palms was known for and an eclectic setting for some of the world's finest performers and musicians.
Nuts and Bolts
The Palms is located in the Winters Opera House in downtown Winters, California about 75 minutes east of San Francisco, 40 minutes west of Downtown Sacramento and about 15 minutes west of Davis. It seats 220, with first-come-first-served seating and has a dance floor, bar, and unlike the "Old Barn," large modern restrooms, along with heating and air conditioning. Advance Ticket Purchase is recommended but tickets are available at the door if the show isn't sold out.
530-795-1825
http://www.palmsplayhouse.com/

Rancho Nicasio
1 Old Rancheria Road
Nicasio, CA
"Rancho Nicasio is West Marin's finest eatery and musical venue. Located at the exact center of Marin County, Nicasio still retains a vast amount of land that has seen slow and gradual progress. These changes have not disturbed the tranquility that the town still possesses." (Yelp.com)
415-662-2219
http://www.ranchonicasio.com

McGrath's Irish Pub
1539 Lincoln Avenue
Alameda, CA
McGraths Pub is THE small down home bar and the music pub of the neighborhood! The best jams, the best music, the hidden secret of Northern California's Music Scene.
510-522-6263
http://www.mcgrathspub.com

 

See our schedule page for details!