Today we look back to June 22, 2005…

Bob Weir and Les Paul Ante Up For Young Storytellers

The Young Storytellers Foundation works to improve the literacy and self-esteem of Californias elementary school children. The program, which was founded in 1997, targets Title 1 schools, those schools and school districts with the highest concentrations of poverty in which academic performance tends to be low and the obstacles to raising performance are the greatest. This Saturday the Foundation is hosting a poker night tournament and fundraiser at Woody’s Original Barbershop Club in Los Angeles. The Ante Up for Young Storytellers Fundraiser Party also will feature a silent auction which will include guitars signed by Bob Weir and Les Paul along with Dodger Dugout Tickets and plenty more. Details on the event can be found at the Young Storytellers website.

Steve Kimock Band Studio Debut

Eudemonic, the debut studio recording from the Steve Kimock Band will finally appear later this summer (with a street date of August 23 currently in place). The disc also features longtime SKB members Rodney Holmes and Mitch Stein along with Alphonso Johnson on bass. The group will wrap up some east coast shows this Saturday at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA before beginning west coast dates starting at the High Sierra Music Festival on July 1.

DTB with the JSO

The Derek Trucks Band will make its debut symphonic performance this fall. On October 8 the group will appear with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra at the JSOs Jacoby Symphony Hall. This will be part of an active month for the quintet as from here the group will travel to Europe for a series of dates, with shows in Holland and Germany currently confirmed. The DTB is now on the road, continuing a run of shows before the Allman Brothers Band summer tour picks up, including a performance tonight on New Yorks Rocks Off Concert Cruise.

Saratoga Springs After Dark

Like New Orleans, Saratoga Springs, NY is a bar-friendly resort town with an annual jazz festival. Taking a cue from its Big Easy brethren, ‘toga will launch a late-night jam oriented concert series at local club E. O’Dwyers, timed with this weekend’s Freihofer’s Jazz Festival. Thursday night Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey will kick-off the weekend’s festivities with special guests Oshe. A night later, Club d’Elf will perform with John Medeski. Given some of the artists schedule to appear at festival proper at SPAC, including Charlie Hunter Trio and The Motet, the possibility of a few late-night guests is also likely. Other acts appearing at the weekend’s Jazz Festivities include Dave Brubeck Quartet; Trio! featuring Stanley Clarke, Bela Fleck & Jean-Luc Ponty, Ravi Coltrane, John Pizzarelli Trio and McCoy Tyner Trio.