You only need two ingredients to make Cocobilli, and neither of them is legally edible. The recipe is simple, one French drummer and one Mississippi bassist, but the blend is far from frothy. The aggressive blues/rock duo made up of Coco Roussel and Billi Breland often add a third ingredient to the mix when touring Southern California: hard rock guitarist and singer Teresa Russell.
Russell’s vocal style has been compared to Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge, and Bonnie Raitt, but her electrifying guitar solos alone are enough to keep the fan base growing. Unfamiliars at the trio’s show on Sunday, Feb. 10, at Cold Spring Tavern are sure to walk away as converts to the trinity.
Decades before teaming up with Cocobilli, a 9-year-old Russell, inspired by Jimi Hendrix to take up guitar two years prior, was performing at teen halls, high schools, and Navy bases. By age 12, she was already playing up and down Sunset Strip, performing on a regular basis at Gazzari’s and The Doors’ alma mater Whisky a Go Go. Throughout the late 1980s, the California-born artist called the Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe circuits her mainstay before touring the world, performing alongside pop sensation Helen Reddy at major venues and for various television shows.
Russell’s return to the states was quickly followed by a desire to take a blues turn, which was fully realized during her first collaboration with Cocobili. I should have mentioned this earlier, but the term Cocobili isn’t just a play on words combination of Roussel’s and Breland’s first names, it’s also a reference to the Kokopelli, the ancient Hopi god of fertility. Not sure if I’m inferring the correct meaning, but perhaps it’s a testament to the duo’s fruitful production of quality tunes!
Teresa Russell and Cocobilli are scheduled to perform from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10, at Cold Spring Tavern, which concludes a variety of acts the venue is hosting all weekend long. The lineup starts with The Excellent Tradesmen, who perform retro-country and neo-surf covers and originals, on Friday, Feb. 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. and keeps on truckin’ with R&B/blues soloist Sean Wiggins, from 1 to 4 p.m., and upbeat rock, folk, and surf group Hoodlum Friends, from 5 to 8 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 9. Less than an hour prior to the Russell and Cocobilli finale, early birds can look forward to some guitar and harmonica blues with weekly Cold Spring regulars Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 1:15 to 4 p.m.
Moxie madness
The weekend starts a day early at Moxie Cafe in Santa Maria, as its weekly live music series kicks off with free spirited singer/songwriter Amaris Laurette Taylor performing on Thursday, Feb. 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Taylor comes from a long lineage of professional artists, actors, and musicians, including her grandfather Ray Taylor, who performed alongside Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline in his heyday.
Since her parents started dating while part of the same rock band in LA, Taylor could be considered quite literally a product of music. Whether the initial interest in performing was hereditary or purely coincidental, Taylor has been touring California’s West Coast with her voice and guitar regularly since 2014.
Moxie’s music series continues with solo guitarist Bob Clark performing on Friday, Feb. 8, and alternative rock group Carter taking the stage on Saturday, Feb. 9. Both shows are scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
More music
Canadian blues and soul powerhouse Matt Andersen performs on Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Standing Sun Winery in Buellton. Doors open at 7 p.m. for this all-ages show. Aside from headlining festivals and clubs throughout North America, Europe, and Australia over the years, Andersen is no stranger to sharing the stage with collaborators, including Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Greg Allman, Randy Bachman, Little Feat, Johnny Lang, and Serena Ryder to namedrop a few.
Blast 825 Brewery in Orcutt hosts Central Valley-based singer/songwriter Sherell Jane, from 7 to 10 p.m., and R&B/rock group Anything Is Possible, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., on Friday, Feb. 8. Jane performs a mix of originals and covers, including her own takes on works by Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, and Eminem. Anything Is Possible, led by vocalist Jenny Brodeth, combines guitar, bass, keyboard, and sax to bring their bluesy sound to life. Also in Orcutt, rock/country artist Keith Cox, best known for his work with Different Strings, performs a solo set on Friday, Feb. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Vino et Amicis
Wine Bar.
The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez presents The Hollywood Hillbillies on Friday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. This country cover group performs classic favorites as well as more current hits. Guests of the saloon can look forward to an additional dose of country with The Tex Pistols on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m.
Don’t forget to put on your dancing shoes before heading to the Santa Maria Valley Senior Club Valentine’s Dance, featuring live music by Riptide Big Band, on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center. Riptide specializes in songs from the big band era as well as ’60s and ’70s soft rock and promises to keep listeners’ feet tapping.
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Contact him at [email protected].
