Published in the January 6 – 19, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Mark Fenichel
Mark Fenichel
Photo courtesy Ron Bartholow
From left, Patty and Pat Curtis lead the Stormy Monday Blues Jam every Monday night from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the GVA Cafe.
As I walked downtown along Monterey Road one Monday evening, I could hear a familiar blues song cutting through the winter air. It sure was cold outside, but as I got closer to the front doors of the GVA Cafe I could hear the warm tones of blues music seeping through the cracks. There wasn’t much happening downtown on this particular night after the Christmas holiday weekend, but inside the cafe I could see a house full of people sipping wine, coffee and beer, eating gelato and weaving and bobbing their heads to the music of the jammers on stage.
The Stormy Monday Blues Jam was firing on all cylinders on this particular evening with Pat and Patty Curtis acting like good hosts making sure the musicians were comfortable and had what they needed to play the blues.
From the moment I walked in, I felt right at home receiving smiles and hand shakes from some of my local musician friends and those just there to hear good music. On stage Pat was playing guitar and leading everyone through a slow but calculated blues tune. You can tell he was aware of everything going on both on and off stage like a school teacher running a classroom. Patty came over with her big smile and thanked me for stopping in.
You can just tell that everything was going well. As the song ended I could see Pat waving at me to come up and play with the band. He really has a genuine way of orchestrating the mix of players and calling out songs to play, yet allowing the individual players to be leaders not just followers.
Needless to say, we had so much fun playing, singing and entertaining the audience and each other as we delved into a wide range of blues gems.
Patty popped up when it was right and sang a few songs then stayed around to sing some harmonies.
She also had her laptop working as the true artist she is manipulating photos and video taping some of the highlights. The creative juices were flowing from the stage and the musicians seemed to be challenging one another as the music got better and better.
I am so glad I got off the couch, turned off the TV and visited the Stormy Monday Blues Jam for what turned out to be an exciting fun-filled night of good vibes and music fun. The jam is opened to all players and even though blues is the main theme it is not the only type of music played. If you think Mondays are just another day to start the week, think about stopping into the Stormy Monday Blues Jam between 7 and 9:30 p.m. at the GVA Cafe on the corner of Second and Monterey in downtown Morgan Hill.
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On another note:
In retrospect, 2015 was a very good year for local music considering the wide range of venues including the numerous wineries, festivals such as The Taste of Morgan Hill, the Fourth of July Freedom Fest and The Mushroom Mardi Gras, the live music at various restaurants, cafes, and clubs. Even the weekly live music at the local farmer’s markets.
Morgan Hill is getting quite a reputation as an up-and-coming area for live music and many bands and music actsare anxious to perform here. I am somewhat saddened by the closing of our longtime music store The Music Tree, but hopeful something else will take its place.
Got a music tip? Email Mark “Fenny” Fenichel at [email protected].
