Joe Payne

He glitz and glamour that Hollywood has pumped up around the idea of a rock’n’roll band has hardly ever been accurate. Late nights, heavy equipment, and lots of driving come with the professional lifestyle. But, as is the case with the local Mean Gene Band, all the toil is worthwhile for the time on the […]

The only thing that’s introduced me to more friends than music is coffee. Over a steaming latte, minutes swirl into hours of talk, laughter, and peaceful contentedness. Welcome complements to a day at the coffee shop include music and poetry; Café Noir, a local coffee shop, is doing its part in providing a venue for […]

The Central Coast, sitting almost exactly at the midway point between the major metropolises of San Francisco and Los Angeles, is unfortunately lacking when it comes to the scale of convention events enjoyed by the big cities. But one local has organized a convention modeled after larger events while preserving a local feel. Ed Miller, […]

Every great musician enjoyed the guiding hand of a teacher at one point. Whether it’s the rigorous weekly or bi-weekly meetings with a seasoned professional preparing a youngster for a classical music career, or just a talented and generous uncle picking on the back porch, people who teach shape the kind of musician an early […]

The general din of 80 musicians all tuning and fiddling with their various instruments dies down as director Greg Stoll calls attention and says which piece of music he’d like to rehearse first. And then, with the swish of his baton, music erupts, filling the room with the rich timbres and cascading harmonies of the […]

Reaching icon status doesn’t happen overnight. Country and folk music star Willie Nelson is definitely an artist deserving of the title, not just because of his songwriting prowess and profound love of music, but also because of his unwavering commitment to performance and, ultimately, his fans. The master will be performing on the Central Coast […]

Two nonprofit volunteer organizations are teaming up to provide local youth with a musical and educational experience. The Youth in Harmony Festival, presented by the Central City Chordsmen and the Tri City Sound Chorus (of the Barbershop Harmony Society and Sweet Adelines International, respectively), will teach young vocalists from five area high schools the art […]

A music store is more than a simple retail outlet. It’s a nexus for a musical community where teachers, students, artists, and collectors converge and create a cultural hub. Jensen Guitar and Music Company in Santa Maria has been just such a neighborhood shop, but, due to the current economic climate, it must unfortunately close […]

A local nonprofit is throwing a party in celebration of love, hope, and creativity. The Poetic Justice Project is an organization for previously incarcerated community members to enjoy a creative outlet in the community. The upcoming Bleeding Hearts Valentine’s Bash is a benefit for the organization and will feature a few local bands, including one […]

Jazz is one of the few musical styles indigenous to America. Jazz has also gone through more changes, mutations, and rebirths than most styles. Yet, jazz is still misunderstood by a large cross section of the public. East Coast jazz musician Shenole Latimer is providing a program at the Santa Maria Public Library that will […]

The decision to become a professional musician is wrought with overtones of uncertainty. It means depending solely on one’s own talents, skill, endurance, and love for the art. One local blue-collar musician, Patrick Montgomery, made the decision early in life. “I learned guitar as a kid and started building up a repertoire in high school […]