Long-lost friends play together again
Island drummer Todd Zimberg will reunite with two musician friends, guitarist Michael Gotz and bass player Keith Lowe, for a night of jazz, rock and blues at 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, at Red Bicycle Bistro.
They will perform as the newly minted group Long Lost.
“We have been looking forward to playing together again for a long time,” said Zimberg.
The three worked together in the Michael Gotz Quartet in the 1980s and have since played the occasional outing. They plan to record in January.
Michael Gotz has performed as a guitarist and pianist for 35 years. He has worked in a variety of genres including reggae, pop and country and in venues including Pioneer Square Tavern, Tulas, Town Hall and the Paramount Northwest Theater in Portland.
Keith Lowe has played and recorded in genres including orchestral, rock electronic, ambient, folk, bluegrass, jazz roots and country.
Zimberg is a music educator and performer with credits ranging from jazz to reggae to rock to blues. He has played timpani for 18 seasons with the Federal Way Symphony. He is a member of the Island band Shakey Jake and a founding member of the Island Jazz Quintet with his vocalist wife, Maggie Laird.
This show is an all-ages event until 11 p.m. There is no cover.
Great Rain and Jump Track at Luna
Two Vashon bands will perform free shows at Café Luna during the holiday weekend.
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, Great Rain will take the stage. Band members Greg Parrot and Frank Hein call themselves “the original folk rock insurgents,” and describe their music as “sonic architecture that at times reaches escape velocity.”
At 7:30 Saturday, Dec. 27, the duo Jump Track is scheduled to perform.
Jump Track is comprised of Islanders Chuck vanNorman and Geoff Johns, who describe their music as “acoustic rock meets world beat.”
The duo’s songwriter, vanNorman, writes about real life and relationships in songs with odd and mixed rhythms. He switches between steel and nylon string guitars and employs techniques from a variety of styles.
Global percussionist Geoff Johns plays a variety of rhythms and drumming styles. He supports vanNorman’s music with grooves played on instruments including Afro-Cuban congas and bongos, West African djembes and tablas from India.
Hallelujah!
Admission to Vashon Island Chorale’s sing-along Messiah, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28 at the Methodist Church, is a free-will donation to the food bank.
In return for the donation, concert-goers will receive coupons from restaurants that offer free appetizers or desserts along with a purchased dinner that night. The concert will end at the dinner hour, in time to head to a restaurant.
Restaurants include the Hardware Store, Rock Island Pizza, La Playa, Back Bay Inn and All India Café.
Music scores are available on loan or to purchase for those who wish to sing along to Handel’s “Messiah.” Child care will be available at the church — call 567-5279 to reserve.
