Music Times

Music Stage Schedule

Arizona State Parks
11:00 AM -11:30 PM

Arizona State Parks 50th Anniversary celebration, presentations and remarks.

Freddie Terry

11:30 AM - 12:00 AM

Renowned local Oracle folk singer and songwriter Freddie Terry has been a regular at the Fiesta since its founding. He has several CD's including Apicultor Cantate, and his latest CD, El Gringo Vikingo. These as well as his tape, Songs for Learning Spanish, will be available at the Terry's Apiaries booth, where you can also pick up some of the best honey and beeswax candles produced in the Southwest.

Gutpluckers at The Lariat in Catalina

The Tortolita Gutpluckers

12:00 PM -12:45 PM

A Fiesta favorite since the first Calabazas in 2000, The Tortolita Gutpluckers have been playing around southern Arizona for that past 25+ years. The group performs only when absolutely necessary, leading to their moniker, "Tucson's oldest, least-known bluegrass band." In 1999 they released their first CD, "Wanted: Road Kill Stew". A new CD, "One Last Ride", is due out sometime this century. The Music Korner web site review says this is "...roadhouse music at it's best."

The Gutpluckers feature "Bad Eye" Jim Lowell on banjo and dead mic, "Mad Doc" Lane Johnson on guitar and vocals, "Bow Bandy" Nick Busch on fiddle and vocals, "Dead Pan" Dave Stephen on tub bass and aphonic harmonies, and 1999 TAMMIE award winner for strings, "Diamond Jim" Hewitt on fiddle, mandolin, and vocals. Their 'brown-thorn' style of desert bluegrass will grab you like a jumping cholla. Ouch!

Oracle Junction
1:00 PM- 1:45 PM

Oracle Junction, featuring S. Graham Gordon on vocals and guitar, John Dawson on vocals and mandolin, veteran Fiesta de las Calabazas participant Brian Davies on bass (Greg Morton Trio, 2003, Crystal Ridge, 2004), and two time Arizona State Banjo Champion, Rudy Cortese. They will bring their best heart-felt blend of Bluegrass, old and new, to the main stage. Suddenly this is turning into an event. Don't miss it!

Ismael Barajas

2:00 PM- 3:00 PM

Acclaimed flamenco guitarist Ismael Barajas studied under the Romero's, "Spain's Royal Family of the Guitar", as well as Carlos Montoya and other greats. After graduating from the University of Arizona School of Music, he began a teaching career in guitar for public schools and the U of A. A veteran of radio and television programs in the U.S. and Mexico, as well as countless club appearances, he has donated several CD's of salsa, jazz, flamenco, and classical music to the Community Foodbank of Tucson for sale as fund-raisers. We welcome back this Fiesta favorite and legendary composer for a performance of "gypsy jazz". Get here early so you don't miss Ismael and his group of gypsy troubadours.

Zephyr with guests Mark Robertson-Tessi and Ric Volante at Once In a Blue Moon

Zephyr Strings

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Zephyr Strings plays an eclectic mix of barn jazz, Celtic ballads, folk, blues and bluegrass music. Headed up by 1999 TAMMIE Award Winner for Strings, "Diamond Jim” Hewitt on fiddle and mandolin, the lineup also features the multi-talented David Liers on acoustic guitar and vocals, and Jeff Whitmore (Blue Prairie Dogs) on double bass. Zephyr continues to develop its repertoire of roots Americana at venues in the San Pedro Valley and vicinity. Zephyr Strings performed at the 2006 and 2007 Tucson Folk Festival. A new band member, Cyn-D Turner, will be performing on percussion. Zephyr recently played to a standing room only crowd at the park's Once in a Blue Moon concert.

www.barnjazz.com. "As a DJ and Musicologist I listen to a lot of music throughout the day and Diamond Jim Hewitt's "Barn Jazz" immediately caught my attention. His fiddle playing has that eerie quality of being "Old-Timey" and thoroughly modern at the same time. In other words Jim's music is 'Time-less'. A rare quality indeed." Kidd Squidd DJ, KXCI-FM-Tucson

Bob Meighan
with Norm Pratt
and Dick Furlow

5:00 PM- 7:00 PM

Those of us who lived in Tucson in the 70's will remember with fondness many sweaty nights at the Pawnbroker, or the Stumble Inn, dancing to the original desert rock and ballads of the Bob Meighan Band. Since leaving Tucson, the singer-songwriter in his various musical incarnations have been a fixture in Phoenix and throughout Arizona.

Of his latest trio, Bob notes, "About three years ago I got a call from a guy named Norm Pratt. I had heard of Norm as a musician in the Phoenix area, but I'd never met him. He said that he and a friend, Mark Naylor, had started a small record company called Perfect Circle Records, with the mission of promoting and supporting Arizona singer-songwriters.

Shortly thereafter I started sitting in on some of Norm's solo gigs and playing guitar and singing. It was clear that we were speaking the same language. We shared many of the same influences and had very similar tastes in material and production values. It was great meeting another musical kindred spirit that I could talk about amps and stomp boxes etc. Norm had asked Dick Furlow, my old bass player from the Bob Meighan Band to play on some recordings and it sounded great so we started to use him on some gigs and suddenly we were a trio. This really jump started my interest in playing out again.

While our emphasis remains original music, I love to find great songs by obscure songwriters and we enjoy lots of influences. One thing that rings true after thirty plus years as a musician is that the opportunity to play your own music, to interested listeners is a privilege and ever rarer gift."

Come join us for one of Bob's rare Tucson area appearances. He promises a mix of old favorites like The World and The Dancer as well as new material. This is really music you can dance to.

Bob Meighan web site

Corral Stage

Located down by the pumpkin corral behind the Kannally House

2:30 PM

TONY’S “CREEPY CRAWLY ZOO” – Returns to Oracle’s Calabazas Festival for the second year. Starring Tony Gustin and his spectacular, traveling live insect exhibit. The nationally-renowned Creepy Crawly Zoo was started in 1995 by Entomologist Tony Gustin. He provides a hands-on learning experience, introducing a variety of harmless arthropods from around the world that audience members can touch, pet, or handle. You’ll come face to face with some of the most bizarre creatures on earth! The Creepy Crawly Zoo has been featured by the Discovery Channel and has been an honored guest of Jack Hanna’s annual Insect Fair at the Columbus Zoo for the last several years.

Corral Stage
Powered by The Solar Truck,
courtesy of the Solar Store of Tucson
The Corral Stage is located at the Kid’s Area
behind the Kannally Ranch House.

Lots of activities at the Kids Area and throughout the park all day long

10:30am. . .Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s “Desert Ark” Program with live snake, tortoise & chuckwalla
11:45am. . .The Trumpeting Mammoths student band troupe performs
12:30pm. . .Arizona-Sonora Desert Musuem’s “Desert Ark” Program with live snake, tortoise & chuckwalla (Repeat Program)
1:30pm. . . .Freddie Terry, the “Singing Beekeeper” performs songs for kids in Spanish and English
2:30pm. . . Creepy Crawly Zoo*, Tony Gustin’s nationally renowned interactive live insect exhibit and program
3:25pm. . .Gourd Art Contest student winners announced
3:30pm. . .CDO High School Jazz Singers perform George Gershwin favorites

Activities and Participating Organizations, 10:30 am – 4pm

Pumpkin Patch: free pumpkins to paint and take home, for the first 200 kids

Gourd Gallery: Vote for your favorite gourd art by students from Mt. Vista School, Sierra Oaks Community School, Mammoth Elementary, and Avenue B Elementary in San Manuel. Gourd art winners will be announced at the Corral Stage and Main Stage after 3 PM.

Also for Kids: Face-painting, recycle art activities, adobe brick making, Junior Ranger Program, interactive educational booths, live reptiles to handle and more!

Recycle Art Activity: Make a Bottlecap Windchime and Recycle Your Best Ideas Activity Board, by Oracle State Park staff and volunteers

Plus, interactive educational booths sponsored by Tohono Chul Park, Tucson Audubon Society, and a wildlife recovery exhibit with live animals by Jim Cloers

Click here for Corral Stage, Pumpkin Corral and Kid's Activities	Back Home
For performance times, see below. Times subject to change.

	Arizona State Parks 11:00 AM -11:30 PM	Arizona State Parks 50th Anniversary celebration, presentations and remarks.
	Freddie Terry 11:30 AM - 12:00 AM	Renowned local Oracle folk singer and songwriter Freddie Terry has been a regular at the Fiesta since its founding. He has several CD's including Apicultor Cantate, and his latest CD, El Gringo Vikingo. These as well as his tape, Songs for Learning Spanish, will be available at the Terry's Apiaries booth, where you can also pick up some of the best honey and beeswax candles produced in the Southwest.
Gutpluckers at The Lariat in Catalina	The Tortolita Gutpluckers 12:00 PM -12:45 PM	A Fiesta favorite since the first Calabazas in 2000, The Tortolita Gutpluckers have been playing around southern Arizona for that past 25+ years. The group performs only when absolutely necessary, leading to their moniker, "Tucson's oldest, least-known bluegrass band." In 1999 they released their first CD, "Wanted: Road Kill Stew". A new CD, "One Last Ride", is due out sometime this century. The Music Korner web site review says this is "...roadhouse music at it's best." The Gutpluckers feature "Bad Eye" Jim Lowell on banjo and dead mic, "Mad Doc" Lane Johnson on guitar and vocals, "Bow Bandy" Nick Busch on fiddle and vocals, "Dead Pan" Dave Stephen on tub bass and aphonic harmonies, and 1999 TAMMIE award winner for strings, "Diamond Jim" Hewitt on fiddle, mandolin, and vocals. Their 'brown-thorn' style of desert bluegrass will grab you like a jumping cholla. Ouch!
	Oracle Junction 1:00 PM- 1:45 PM	Oracle Junction, featuring S. Graham Gordon on vocals and guitar, John Dawson on vocals and mandolin, veteran Fiesta de las Calabazas participant Brian Davies on bass (Greg Morton Trio, 2003, Crystal Ridge, 2004), and two time Arizona State Banjo Champion, Rudy Cortese. They will bring their best heart-felt blend of Bluegrass, old and new, to the main stage. Suddenly this is turning into an event. Don't miss it!
	Ismael Barajas 2:00 PM- 3:00 PM	Acclaimed flamenco guitarist Ismael Barajas studied under the Romero's, "Spain's Royal Family of the Guitar", as well as Carlos Montoya and other greats. After graduating from the University of Arizona School of Music, he began a teaching career in guitar for public schools and the U of A. A veteran of radio and television programs in the U.S. and Mexico, as well as countless club appearances, he has donated several CD's of salsa, jazz, flamenco, and classical music to the Community Foodbank of Tucson for sale as fund-raisers. We welcome back this Fiesta favorite and legendary composer for a performance of "gypsy jazz". Get here early so you don't miss Ismael and his group of gypsy troubadours.
Zephyr with guests Mark Robertson-Tessi and Ric Volante at Once In a Blue Moon	Zephyr Strings 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM	Zephyr Strings plays an eclectic mix of barn jazz, Celtic ballads, folk, blues and bluegrass music. Headed up by 1999 TAMMIE Award Winner for Strings, "Diamond Jim” Hewitt on fiddle and mandolin, the lineup also features the multi-talented David Liers on acoustic guitar and vocals, and Jeff Whitmore (Blue Prairie Dogs) on double bass. Zephyr continues to develop its repertoire of roots Americana at venues in the San Pedro Valley and vicinity. Zephyr Strings performed at the 2006 and 2007 Tucson Folk Festival. A new band member, Cyn-D Turner, will be performing on percussion. Zephyr recently played to a standing room only crowd at the park's Once in a Blue Moon concert. www.barnjazz.com. "As a DJ and Musicologist I listen to a lot of music throughout the day and Diamond Jim Hewitt's "Barn Jazz" immediately caught my attention. His fiddle playing has that eerie quality of being "Old-Timey" and thoroughly modern at the same time. In other words Jim's music is 'Time-less'. A rare quality indeed." Kidd Squidd DJ, KXCI-FM-Tucson
	Bob Meighan with Norm Pratt and Dick Furlow 5:00 PM- 7:00 PM	Those of us who lived in Tucson in the 70's will remember with fondness many sweaty nights at the Pawnbroker, or the Stumble Inn, dancing to the original desert rock and ballads of the Bob Meighan Band. Since leaving Tucson, the singer-songwriter in his various musical incarnations have been a fixture in Phoenix and throughout Arizona. Of his latest trio, Bob notes, "About three years ago I got a call from a guy named Norm Pratt. I had heard of Norm as a musician in the Phoenix area, but I'd never met him. He said that he and a friend, Mark Naylor, had started a small record company called Perfect Circle Records, with the mission of promoting and supporting Arizona singer-songwriters. Shortly thereafter I started sitting in on some of Norm's solo gigs and playing guitar and singing. It was clear that we were speaking the same language. We shared many of the same influences and had very similar tastes in material and production values. It was great meeting another musical kindred spirit that I could talk about amps and stomp boxes etc. Norm had asked Dick Furlow, my old bass player from the Bob Meighan Band to play on some recordings and it sounded great so we started to use him on some gigs and suddenly we were a trio. This really jump started my interest in playing out again. While our emphasis remains original music, I love to find great songs by obscure songwriters and we enjoy lots of influences. One thing that rings true after thirty plus years as a musician is that the opportunity to play your own music, to interested listeners is a privilege and ever rarer gift." Come join us for one of Bob's rare Tucson area appearances. He promises a mix of old favorites like The World and The Dancer as well as new material. This is really music you can dance to. Bob Meighan web site