CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY OF TUCSON’S MUSIC CULTURE

With 82 of the Old Pueblo’s most venerated musicians already welcomed into the Tucson Musicians Museum, 12 more inductees are waiting in the wings for their formal acceptance Sunday, September 27. The event will be a concert and Celebration of Music and Culture at the downtown Scottish Rite Cathedral, 160 S. Scott Ave.

The annual event has built its reputation as a unique showcase of the city’s deep talent pool, with many musical styles getting the chance to share equal time in the spotlight. This year eight bands will perform, representing eight different genres.

Stepping up are Dean Armstrong and the Arizona Dance Hands (country western), Ruben Moreno and Luz de Luna (mariachi), Rochelle Magee with the GMWA Mount Calvary Choir (gospel), Chuck Wagon and the Wheels (country rock), Lew Lepley Jazz Band, Joe Martinez and Mike Montiel (rock), Kevin Schramm and the Last Call Girls (folk rock).

Making a special guest appearance is the Bobby Keys Band doing r&b, blues and rock. Keys has recorded with the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye and others of that ilk.

A dozen Tucson restaurants are combining forces for a special food gala. The list of participants includes Kingfisher/Blue Fin, Vivace, Les Rendez-Vous, Janos J-Bar, the Guadalajara Grill and Barrio Grill. For $10 a plate, guests can browse freely among the offerings from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. The concert starts at 6:30 p.m.

Another fund raising component is the silent raffle and silent auction, which has been coordinated by Joe Cristiani. Items offered include musical instruments and equipment, gifts and gift certificates, jewelry, art work, travel packages. One unusual highlight is a guitar autographed by Chick Corea, Judy Collins, Steven Stills, Graham Nash, David Crosby, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Bob Thornton, Buddy Guy and many additional names that are equally famous.

“Everybody has been so encouraging. This has been a very positive experience,” said drummer, singer and bandleader George Howard, who founded the museum three years ago with painter Susan French.

Howard and French will be onstage as co-hosts of the event. On hand as MC is television personality Bud Foster with KOLD, channel 13.

In an earlier interview with the Tucson Weekly, Howard emphasized that “I’m just the messenger…if not for the fans and the people who come to hear us, we musicians would be worthless.

“It’s that love and appreciation from the listeners that goes a long way to help musicians keep going. There are a lot of very talented people here,” Howard continued. “Unfortunately there are not that many places to play. But it’s getting better.”

Howard and French conceived of the museum as a way to recognize and pay tribute to the dedicated musicians from all the traditional genres who were born in Tucson or spent the bulk of their performing careers here.

Among the members already honored are Cass Preston, Dean Armstrong, Larry Redhouse, Ada Redd Austin, Jesse Tovar, Rainer Ptacek and Tony Garcia.

This year’s inductees are: Kevin Schramm, accordion (one of the original Mollys); Laszlo Veres, symphony conductor (most recently the Tucson Pops); Lew Lepley, jazz piano; Neil Harry, pedal steel guitar (Chuck Wagon and the Wheels); Joe Martinez, guitar; John Markovich, bass (“the equipment doctor”); Tom Ervin (trombone); Michael Montiel, drums; Rochelle Magee, vocals (with the Gospel Choir) and Larry Diehl, bass.

Inducted posthumously are Chris Gaffney, accordion (the Hacienda Brothers) and Mickey Greco, jazz piano.

“The museum is all about preserving the past, but also about connecting with the future by passing the torch of music to the students coming up,” Howard said.

“We have to celebrate their stories before it is too late,” added French. Right now the museum is a virtual one, with all the inductees’ photos and biographies online at www.tucsonmusiciansmuseum.org The dream is for an actual museum with static displays and listening stations for each of the musicians so people can hear their music as well as enjoy memorabilia of the period.

Both Howard and French talk about working with the Tucson Boys and Girls Clubs, the Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation and El Centro Cultural de las Americas, the downtown Hispanic cultural center.

All proceeds from the Celebration of Music and Culture go to the TMM Mentorship Program, matching musicians with deserving, underserved youth.

Howard himself has been voted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame. He first became a high-profile drummer in the 1980s working with the locally prominent Statesboro Blues Band, which often opened for name brand blues headliners coming through Tucson. Howard has also found success as a fine art photographer. Check his photography website, www.righteyephotography.com

French has enjoyed a fruitful art gallery career, with many original works hanging in galleries and homes throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. She also sponsored Arizona’s first art-mentoring program, One-On-One, a nonprofit organization designed to support and assist at-risk youth. Her website is www.artistsusanfrench.com

The Tucson Musicians Museum Celebration of Music and Culture starts at 6:30 p.m., doors open at 5:30 p.m. Food is served from 5:30-7:30 p.m. All concert tickets are $25. Food tickets, $10. Special VIP dinner/show/raffle ticket packages for four, $250. For details and advance tickets, 520-258-8631, or visit www.tucsonmusiciansmuseum.org