Another great week of live in the Bay Area. Here are some suggestion for this week..

Monday September 30th

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-12:30 AM Showtime…
Mike Olmos Presents The Sessions. Mike is a such a great trumpet player. He leads his all star Sessions for a great night of jazz.. Highly recommended!!!! N/C

Mr.Tipples 39 Fell St, San Francisco 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime.. Le Hot Jazz.. The spirit of Django is alive and well in San Francisco. This is a great ensemble. Highly recommended!! N/C

Amnesia Bar 853 Valencia St, San Francisco 9:00 PM-11:30 PM Showtime.. After four decades of performing, High Country remains fresh and exciting, bringing their love of traditional bluegrass music to an ever-widening audience. High Country’s show offers a vital mix of powerful originals and standards, from blues to breakdowns to gospels sung in close harmony. Even the songs and tunes written by band members themselves remain true to the genre, with careful attention paid to the nuances of the bluegrass style. N/C…

Local Edition 691 Market St, San Francisco 8:00 PM-Midnight Showtime..
The Fil Lorenz Orchestra is a high-voltage, crowd-pleasing big band born of the blues, with a sound defined by a searing, relentless horn section. Saxophonist/arranger Lorenz has assembled a musical cast of the highest standard, bringing some of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most accomplished and adventurous jazz veterans together with some of the fertile San Francisco scene’s most promising up-and-coming players. Highly recommended!!!! No Cover Charge…

If you live in and around Santa Cruz you might want to check out

Kuumbwa Jazz Center 320 Cedar St # 2, Santa Cruz 7:30 PM Showtime. Jazz and blues singer-songwriter Madeline Peyroux repertoire spans jazz standards in English and French, American country classics, funk, blues and her original songs. This is a rare opportunity to see just a wonderful talent. Highly recommended!!!!! $36.75 Cover Charge..

Tuesday October 1st

Bar Fluxus 18 Harlan Pl, San Francisco 9:00 PM-1:30 AM Showtime.
Vibrason is another great band out of the Bay Area very reminiscent of some of the Cal Tjader bands. Highly recommended $10 Cover Charge.

Jupiter 2181 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley 8:00 PM-11:00 PM Showtime. Clyde The Blynd and His Trio will be performing his original compositions both old and new, plus songs from Don Cherry, Wayne Shorter and Augustus Pablo in this latest version of Clyde’s unique vision. N/C

7 Mile House 2800 Bayshore Blvd, Brisbane 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime.. One of the Bay Area’s best jazz groups , the popular Al Molina Jazz Sextet is playing tonight led by Al Molina on trumpet with Al Bent on trombone, Tod Dickow on sax, Larry Chin on piano, Peter Barshay on bass and the great Vince Lateano on drums. This is a great ensemble playing music by Chick Corea, Woody Herman, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Monk, Miles and even Blue Mitchell. Highly recommended!!!!!! No Cover Charge..

Wednesday October 2nd

The Fillmore 1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. Over the past decade,
The String Cheese Incident has emerged as one of America’s most significant independent bands. Formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1993, the bluegrass-based jam band is self-described “sacrilegious mix of bluegrass, calypso, salsa, Afro-pop, funk, rock, and jazz”. This is a great performance band. Highly recommended!!!!! $59.50 Cover Charge..

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime.
The High Waterline is a 5 piece group of Bay Area musicians who play a hard driving modern bluegrass sound all their own. Driving rhythms, soaring harmonies, and great musicianship allow The High Water Line to blend influences as far ranging as classical, traditional bluegrass, blues, funk, and jazz. They play some original music and a range of songs from many genres with a focus on original interpretations of Bluegrass, Country, Americana, and anything that really moves them. Highly recommended!!!!!! N/C

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-12:30 AM Showtime.
Jacknife Quartet led by saxophonist Steven Lugerner continues his explorations of the music of jazz legend Jackie McLean with Jacknife a hard-hitting West Coast post-bop quintet. Exploring tunes from McLean’s seminal early- and mid-1960s Blue Note albums and New Soil, Jacknife brings together a formidable cast of rising talent, including trumpeter Henry Hung, pianist Malcolm Campbell, bassist Shimpei Ogawa and drummer Michael Mitchell. Highly recommended!!!! N/C.

title Le Colonial 20 Cosmo Pl, San Francisco 8:00 PM-11:00 PM Showtime.. Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers is internationally recognized as The Queen Of Classic Jazz & Blues in the authentic style of the 1940’s and 1950’s as the band pays tribute to the swingin’ Kansas City tradition, featuring the music of Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing, Joe Williams, Helen Humes, Lester Young, Jay McShann, Walter Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon, Myra Taylor & Big Joe Turner! Highly recommended!!!!! No Cover Charge..

Mr.Tipples 39 Fell St, San Francisco 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime..
The Midnight Moods are one of the Bay Areas best kept secrets. This is a wonderful classic jazz trio led the amazing Jacqueline Corona on vocals with Alex Farrell on bass and Julian Shipp on piano. Highly recommended!! N/C

The Lucky Horseshoe Bar 453 Cortland Ave, San Francisco 8 PM-Midnight Showtime..
Ed Ivey’s Weekly Blues Jam gets the bar rocking. His weekly jam is really fun. N/C

People in Plazas is a free noontime musical concert series in San Francisco public spaces. This is a great summer music series with over 120 free performances at lunchtime in a number of downtown public plazas Monday through Friday in July, August and September. Today’s concert series times moves from 5:00 PM-6:00 PM. The lineup includes a great Americana roots band Skillet Licorice performing at Salesforce Park located at 425 Mission Street..

Thursday October 3rd

SF Jazz 201 Franklin St, San Francisco 7:30 PM Showtime…..Cuban pianist, bandleader and composer Maestro Chucho Valdez will be performing along with his  Jazz Bata Quartet including B3 Hammond organ master and innovator Joey DeFrancesco, Ramón Vazquez Martirena on bass, Yaroldy Abrey Robles drums and Dreiser Durruthy Bambelé on batá & vocals. The Los Angeles Times called this ensemble “One of the finest jazz bands, regardless of style, in the world.” Highly recommended!!!!!!!! $40/$60/$80/$95 Cover Charge..

The Fillmore 1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. Over the past decade,
The String Cheese Incident has emerged as one of America’s most significant independent bands. Formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1993, the bluegrass-based jam band is self-described “sacrilegious mix of bluegrass, calypso, salsa, Afro-pop, funk, rock, and jazz”. This is a great performance band. Highly recommended!!!!! $59.50 Cover Charge..

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 10:00 PM Showtime..
Buena Vista Jazz Band follows the in the style and instrumentation of guitarist Eddie Condon’s classic bands of the 1950s: Bass, Drums, Piano, Rhythm Guitar, Cornet, Trombone and Clarinet. The selections played by the Buena Vista Jazz Band are the classic songs of the New Orleans jazz age, along with selections from America’s blues and Tin Pan Alley traditions. The Buena Vista Jazz Band features the vocals of Ms. Darlene Langston. Highly recommended!!!No Cover Charge..

The Fox Theatre 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime.. A two-time Grammy-winner, John Prine is among the English language’s premier phrase-turners. Almost 50 years into a remarkable career that has drawn effusive praise from Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Roger Waters, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and others who would know, Prine is a smiling, shuffling force for good. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band and many others. Opening the show is Nashville based singer/songwriter Kelsey Waldon… Highly recommended!!!!!!! $63-$115 Cover Charge.

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. Jazz and blues singer-songwriter Madeline Peyroux is beginning a four night stint at the Freight. Her repertoire spans jazz standards in English and French, American country classics, funk, blues and her original songs. This is a rare opportunity to see just a wonderful talent. Highly recommended!! $49 Cover Charge.

Sweetwater Music Hall 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley 8:00 PM Showtime. Hardly Strictly Out of the Park presents legendary rock, country and folk singer-songwriter, record producer, author and actor Steve Earle in a benefit for Autistry Studios. 100% of the proceeds of this show will go to Autistry Studios which is a therapeutic/educational makerspace addressing the specific and individual needs of transition age autistic youth and adults in the areas of Education, Vocation, Life Skills, and Physical Fitness/Healthy Living. Highly recommended!!!!! $67 general admission & $502 VIP meet & Greet.

Friday October 4th

SF Jazz 201 Franklin St, San Francisco 7:30 PM Showtime….. Cuban pianist, bandleader and composer Maestro Chucho Valdez will be performing along with his Jazz Bata Quartet which includes Kenny Garrett on alto & soprano saxophones, Yelsey Heredia on bass, Yaroldy Abrey Robles on drums and Dreiser Durruthy Bambelé on batá & vocals. This is a great ensemble and should be a memorable performance. Highly recommended!!!!!!!! $45/$65/$85/$105 Cover Charge..

title Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime.. Hank Manniger & The Jukebox Charlies is a roots/rockabilly trio lead by one of the Bay Area’s great guitar masters Hank Maninger with Tim Wagar on bass and Kent Bryson on drums. Highly recommended!!!!! N/C

title Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime.. Blues, soul and 60s R&B band Alabama Mike & The Mighty Revelators have a reputation of firing on all cylinders and taking no prisoners.. Highly recommended!!!!! N/C

Milk Bar 1840 Haight Street, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime. The Third Annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Aftershow is becoming a great tradition. Performing tonight are the San Francisco based free-form funkified bluegrass group The Hot Mountain Dips, the high energy, hard driving, fun-loving, old-timey, new-timey, good-timey, rockin’ California string band One Grass Two Grass and Grateful dead inspired The Great North Special. Highly recommended!!!!!! $10 Cover Charge.

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime.. Americana pop rock singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist Jon McLaughlin is one of Nashville’s rising stars. Jon has shared the stage with Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson and Adele, collaborated with longtime friend Sara Bareilles, co-written with Demi Lovato and even performed at the Academy Awards in 2008. I really liked his last release Angst & Grace.. Highly recommended!!!!! $27 Cover Charge..

The Greek Theatre 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime. Music icon
Van Morrison, one of music’s true original voices and one of my favorite performers will be in performance. Highly recommended!!!!!!! $89.50-$249.50 Cover Charge..

Ivy Room 860 San Pablo Ave, Albany 9:00 Showtime. A great night of music and dancing your ass off with headliners Midtown Social is a nine-piece tour-de- force. The musicianship and fresh vocal arrangements of ranging from funk, rock hip hop and soul had the place rockin’. Opening the show is the avant-garde post-pop panache band Walk Talk, a band consisting of members of Pimps Of Joytime. Also on the bill is Tiny Massive a five-piece original band hailing from San Francisco, who combine elements of funk, rock, blues, and pop to bring flavors of the 60’s and 70’s into the context of a modern musical landscape. Highly recommended!!!!! $15 Cover Charge…..

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. Jazz and blues singer-songwriter Madeline Peyroux repertoire spans jazz standards in English and French, American country classics, funk, blues and her original songs. This is a rare opportunity to see just a wonderful talent. Highly recommended!! $49 Cover Charge.

Terrapin Crossroads 100 Yacht Club Drive, San Rafael.. 8:00 PM Showtime. Hardly Strictly Out of the Park presents Lebo & Friends featuring Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz, George Porter Jr., John Molo, Wally Ingram, Adam MacDougall, Lesley Grant & Special Guests. Highly recommended!!!!!! $30 Cover Charge..

Mystic Theatre & Music Hall 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma 8:30 PM Showtime.. Hardly Strictly Out of the Park presents legendary American singer-songwriter and entertainer Robert Earl Keen. Debuting with 1984’s No Kinda Dancer, the Houston native has recorded 18 full-length albums for both independent and major record labels. His songs have had cover versions recorded by several country, folk and Texas country music musicians, including George Strait, Lyle Lovett, The Highwaymen, Nanci Griffith, and the Dixie Chicks. Highly recommended!!!!!!! $38 Cover Charge…

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2019 is just a few months away Friday October 4th- Sunday October 6th. The first 40 Acts have been announced and I love the diversity including Americana music stars like Tanya Tucker, Nikki Lane, Buddy Miller & Dirk Powell with Stuart Duncan, Hayes Carll, Sierra Hull, Hot Buttered Rum, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Margo Price and Steve Earle. I am especially excited about some of the acts on the Hardly Strictly side including Mdou Moctar, Dakhabrakha, Bettye LaVette, Calexico and Iron & Wine, Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears and The Waterboys. Other acts include Daniel Norgren, John Craigie, The Milk Carton Kids, Jackie Greene, Meat Puppets, Flor De Toloache, Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, Yola, Pimps Of Joytime, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Whiskerman, The Wild Reeds, Mandolin Orange, Emmylou Harris, Mary Gauthier,The Infamous Stringdusters, Hiss Gold Messenger, The Long Ryders, Hot Tuna Electric, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Caitlin County, Bedoune, Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, Tank & The Bangas and Kronos Quartet’s Music For Change: Pete Seeger 100.. I will have my own daily stage recommendations in a few weeks.

Saturday October 5th

SF Jazz 201 Franklin St, San Francisco 11:00 AM Showtime….. Pianist, composer, arranger and writer Rebeca Mauleon will host a family workshop/performance with several giants of the music along with a cadre of Cuban artists who call the Bay Area home, with a special guest appearance by legendary pianist and resident artistic director Chucho Valdez! Performers include Rebeca Mauleón on piano, vocals, & percussion, Chucho Valdés on piano, Dreiser Durruthy Bombalé on percussion, vocals, & dance, Yaroldy Abreu Robles on percussion & vocals, Jesús Diaz on vocals & percussion
Mario “Mayito” Salomón percussion & vocals, Bill Ortiz on trumpet,
Obrayan Calderón on trombone & vocals and Ernesto Mazar Kindelán on bass & vocals. Highly recommended!!!!! $5/$10/$23 Cover Charge…

The Fillmore 1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. Hardly Strictly Out of the Park presents American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer Kurt Vile & The Violators along with Jon Langford & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Voice Choir. A portion of ticket proceeds for this show will go to Music in Schools Today.. Highly recommended!!!!!! $30 Cover Charge..

Revolution Cafe 3248 22nd St, San Francisco 5:00 PM-8:30 PM. Westside Jazz Club, lead by the wonderful tenor saxophonist Scott Silverberg, is a collective of innovative jazz musicians performing jazz standards, challenging modern compositions and freshly-updated classics. I have seen this ensemble a number of time and they never disappoint.. Highly recommended!!! N/C

Swedish American Hall 2174 Market St, San Francisco 7:30 PM Showtime.. The 2019 Noise Pop Festival presents one of the great progressive rock band to come out of Scotland The Trashcan Sinatras. Originally formed as a pop cover band the Trashcan Sinatras are known for their frequent use of pop harmonies and the frequent use of wordplay in their songs. I love their originality and humor. If I have the energy after HSB I will try to see them.. Highly recommended!!!!!! $22-$92 Cover Charge…

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 2:30 PM-5:30 PM Showtime.. Banda Sin Nombre is an outstanding five-piece street band performing folk music from around the world. Mixing rich vocal harmonies with acoustic instruments including guitar, fiddle, charango, cajon, and bass, the band’s inspirations range from Peruvian Chicha to Catalan Rumba and Appalachian old time to Cumbia. This is one of the best live performance bands in the Bay Areas!! N/C

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime..
Howell Devine is the massively talented NorCal trio featuring Joshua Howell (Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica)Pete Devine (Drums & Washboard) and Joe Kyle Jr. (Upright Bass). HowellDevine breaks from the norm, providing rich and complex textures integral to the music rather than simple backing for a soloist. The result is a sound which stands in stark contrast to the typical blues heard in bars these days and would more likely be shaking the floors of a Southern juke joint some 70 years ago. Highly recommended!!!! No Cover Charge.. N/C

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-1:00 AM Showtime. The Americano Social Club plays music for “la dolce vita”: a mix of romantic and eclectic melodies from all over the world including pop, jazz, folk, classical, rock, opera, the music of Brazil and Europe’s cafés as well as some great original pieces. This is a great ensemble. Highly recommended!!!! N/C

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. Jazz and blues singer-songwriter Madeline Peyroux repertoire spans jazz standards in English and French, American country classics, funk, blues and her original songs. This is a rare opportunity to see just a wonderful talent. Highly recommended!! $49 Cover Charge.

The Backroom 1984 Bonita Ave, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. Goodnight Moonshine is a collaboration between Molly Venter and her husband Eben Pariser in which their music brings a wave of nostalgia, conjuring teenage heartache- then perhaps a similar sensation to falling in love.. Molly’s voice bends from a sweet moan to a gritty shout and back into a playful run in the space of a few bars. The emotional potency of her voice is surrounded and supported by a lush landscape of harmonies and minimalist orchestrations, conceived by Eben on vocals and electric guitar. Co-writing often, the couple uses the creative process to explore a healthy, authentic relationship. Highly recommended!!!!! $15 Cover Charge..

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 7:30 PM & 9:30 Showtimes.. Multi GRAMMY®-winning pianist/singer/composer/ produce Elaine Elias is known for her distinctive and immediately recognizable musical style which blends her Brazilian roots and sensuous, alluring voice with her virtuosic instrumental jazz, classical and compositional skills. This should be a great show.. Highly recommended!!!!! $49-$75 Cover Charge..

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2019 is just a few months away Friday October 4th- Sunday October 6th. The first 40 Acts have been announced and I love the diversity including Americana music stars like Tanya Tucker, Nikki Lane, Buddy Miller & Dirk Powell with Stuart Duncan, Hayes Carll, Sierra Hull, Hot Buttered Rum, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Margo Price and Steve Earle. I am especially excited about some of the acts on the Hardly Strictly side including Mdou Moctar, Dakhabrakha, Bettye LaVette, Calexico and Iron & Wine, Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears and The Waterboys. Other acts include Daniel Norgren, John Craigie, The Milk Carton Kids, Jackie Greene, Meat Puppets, Flor De Toloache, Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, Yola, Pimps Of Joytime, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Whiskerman, The Wild Reeds, Mandolin Orange, Emmylou Harris, Mary Gauthier,The Infamous Stringdusters, Hiss Gold Messenger, The Long Ryders, Hot Tuna Electric, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Caitlin County, Bedoune, Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, Tank & The Bangas and Kronos Quartet’s Music For Change: Pete Seeger 100.. I will have my own daily stage recommendations in a few weeks.

Sunday October 6th

SF Jazz 201 Franklin St, San Francisco 2:00 PM Showtime…..Cuban pianist, bandleader and composer Maestro Chucho Valdez will be performing along with his Jazz Bata Quartet which includes jazz violin pioneer and innovator Regina Carter, Yelsey Heredia on bass, Yaroldy Abrey Robles on drums and Dreiser Durruthy Bambelé on batá & vocals. This is a great ensemble and should be a memorable performance. Highly recommended!!!!!!!! $40/$60/$80/$95 Cover Charge..

The Chapel 777 Valencia St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. Hardly Strictly Out of the Park presents The Americana/folk North Carolina duo Mandolin Orange. Singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz‘s music radiates a mysterious warmth and their songs feel like whispered secrets, one hand cupped to your ear. Highly recommended!!!!!! $56 Cover Charge..

The Lucky Horseshoe Bar 453 Cortland Ave, San Francisco 4:00 PM-7:00 PM Showtime.. Bernal Hillbillies.. A great three hours of bluegrass music at a really great venue reminiscent of the jams at the Old Paul Saloon many years ago. N/C

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 7:00 PM & 9:00 Showtimes.. Multi GRAMMY®-winning pianist/singer/composer/ produce Elaine Elias is known for her distinctive and immediately recognizable musical style which blends her Brazilian roots and sensuous, alluring voice with her virtuosic instrumental jazz, classical and compositional skills. This should be a great show.. Highly recommended!!!!! $39-$75 Cover Charge..

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 7:00 PM Showtime.. Jazz and blues singer-songwriter Madeline Peyroux is beginning a four night stint at the Freight. Her repertoire spans jazz standards in English and French, American country classics, funk, blues and her original songs. This is a rare opportunity to see just a wonderful talent. Highly recommended!! $49 Cover Charge.

Rancho Nicasio 1 Old Rancheria Rd, Nicasio 4:00 PM Showtime……
Mike Lipskin is one of the greatest stride pianists in the universe. He is performing along with Leon Oakley on Trumpet and Dinah Lee on vocals and other guests.. This will be a great three hours of hot jazz at a great venue and Highly recommended!!! $20 Cover Charge..

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2019 is just a few months away Friday October 4th- Sunday October 6th. The first 40 Acts have been announced and I love the diversity including Americana music stars like Tanya Tucker, Nikki Lane, Buddy Miller & Dirk Powell with Stuart Duncan, Hayes Carll, Sierra Hull, Hot Buttered Rum, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Margo Price and Steve Earle. I am especially excited about some of the acts on the Hardly Strictly side including Mdou Moctar, Dakhabrakha, Bettye LaVette, Calexico and Iron & Wine, Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears and The Waterboys. Other acts include Daniel Norgren, John Craigie, The Milk Carton Kids, Jackie Greene, Meat Puppets, Flor De Toloache, Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, Yola, Pimps Of Joytime, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Whiskerman, The Wild Reeds, Mandolin Orange, Emmylou Harris, Mary Gauthier,The Infamous Stringdusters, Hiss Gold Messenger, The Long Ryders, Hot Tuna Electric, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Caitlin County, Bedoune, Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, Tank & The Bangas and Kronos Quartet’s Music For Change: Pete Seeger 100.. I will have my own daily stage recommendations in a few weeks.

Video Pick Of The Week..

With Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2019 coming up, I want suggest a great documentary on one of the musicians who helped define this great festival Hazel Dickens: It’s Hard To Tell The Singer From The Song.. From the coalfields of West Virginia to the factories of Baltimore, Hazel Dickens has lived the songs she sings. A pioneering woman in Bluegrass and hardcore country music, Hazel has influenced generations of songwriters and musicians. Her songs of hard work, hard times, and hardy souls have bolstered working people at picket lines and union rallies throughout the land. Her piercing vocals power the soundtracks for Harlan County USA and Matewan. The Washington Post described her as “a living legend of American music, a national treasure,” and in 2001, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded her a National Heritage Fellowship. In this intimate portrait, interviews with Hazel and fellow musicians such as Alison Krauss, Naomi Judd, and Dudley Connell are interwoven with archival footage, recent performances, and 16 powerful songs including “Mama’s Hand,” “ Working Girl Blues,” and “Black Lung.” Hard To Tell The Singer From The Song profiles a “modern” woman dealing with contemporary issues from a feminist perspective which has evolved from her own experiences, being Appalachian, being displaced physically and culturally, being poor and working class, being a woman artist in a man’s world, and being a bearer of tradition. Highly recommended!!!!!