The Case of the Stolen Bass

Tex Ash is a bass player with the California Old Time Fiddlers. A tireless volunteer and dedicated musician, he and his upright bass are a team, gracing the stage at the Western Open and local fiddle jams for years. Some time between Monday and Tuesday of this week, Tex's bass was stolen from his Red Bluff home.

It's valuable, it's unique, it's huge -- and the Nancy Drew in me believes that it would be very difficult for a thief to unload this precious piece of stolen property very easily. Please spread the word to musicians, music stores, pawn shops -- anywhere this instrument might turn up.

Here's a description:
"Stolen from our home at 469 Jackson Street in Red Bluff CA on or
about 28 December 2009
Austrian flat-back 3/4 or 7/8 size, carved top, bass fiddle, circa
1880 Dark mahogany (almost black) finish.
Tomastic steel strings Modern steel adjustable peg with a golfball.
Some varnish scratches on front showing the natural spruce color"
If you have any information please call:
Phone: (530) 527-6127 or (530) 604-4834
Email: texshar@pacbell.net
Or the Red Bluff Police at (530) 527-3131

For a full-sized picture -- click here.

Bay Area Songwriting Workshop

Songwriter Steve Seskin (I Think About You, Don't Laugh at Me and many others) is most generous with his insight and experience. A wonderful storyteller, he shares the nuts and bolts of good songwriting with humor and honesty. He, Don Henry and Craig Carothers are presenting a songwriting workshop at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley on January 9th.

Worth the trip, I assure you.

More info here: Songwriting Workshop

Thanks to Merle Haggard ....

...we get to hear about Grandma's unfortunate encounter with a reindeer -- over and over and over again.

Songwriter Randy Brooks shares the back story on the novelty song he penned 30 years ago. Inspiration, he says, came from a Haggard song.

Read the story on the Great American Country website.