This year, instead of Frankincense and Myrrh, the Bay Area gets a gift of a mini-tour with Barbara Higbie, Liz Story and Lisa Lynne performing a Windham Hill Winter Solstice celebration across the Bay Area. See below for dates and ticket information. I will be representing Windhaming at the Yoshi’s Oakland date.
In more news, Montreaux has reunited after 20 years and will be performing two concerts in January at Yoshi’s in Oakland and the Napa Valley Opera House. I hope to have more details on this soon.
Thur. Dec 15, 2011 Oakland, CA @ Yoshi’s Jazz Club, 8:00 pm, Barbara Higbie with Liz Story and Lisa Lynne – Windham Hill Winter Solstice Celebration. Info/tickets: www.yoshis.com
Fri. Dec 16, 2011 Napa, CA, @ Napa Valley Opera House, 8:00 pm, Barbara Higbie with Liz Story and Lisa Lynne – Windham Hill Winter Solstice Celebration. Info/tickets:www.nvoh.org
Sat. Dec 17, 2011 San Francisco, CA, House Concert @ SPECIAL EVENT SALON, 7:30 pm, Barbara Higbie with Liz Story and Lisa Lynne – Windham Hill Winter Solstice Celebration. INTIMATE HO– USE CONCERT in a spacious Edwardian house with wraparound gardens in West Portal, Glen Park, City College area of San Francisco. Spaces limited, please reserve early! Reservations: [email protected]
Sat. Jan 14, 2012 Oakland, CA @ Yoshi’s Jazz Club, 8:00 pm / 10:00 pm, MONTREUX Reunion with Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Michael Manring and Barbara Higbie. (Get tickets early for the first reunion show in 20 years of the legendary band). Info/tickets:www.yoshis.com
Sun. Jan 15, 2012 Napa, CA, @ Napa Valley Opera House, 7:30 pm, MONTREUX Reunion with Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Michael Manring and Barbara Higbie. Info/tickets: www.nvoh.org
Oh, my word. I have never wanted to live on the west coast so much as I do right now!
Getting to hear Montreux live would be AMAZING. Perhaps there will be a live album from this? If anyone on the list has the opportunity to go to one of these concerts, I hope they will post a review here.
Thanks for letting us know about this.
Went to the Montreux show in Napa last night. Amazing, amazing evening. They were so on their game and so obviously overjoyed to be playing with each other. Incredible chemistry between all of them. Lots of smiles and a small but VERY appreciative crowd. I think the band was a little blown away by all the love we showed them. It wasn’t a large venue, and it wasn’t even sold out, but we who were there were extremely glad to be there & we let them know it! Toward the end, Barbara promised “it wouldn’t be another 20 years till the next one.” So take heart, folks in other parts of the country: this might not be the end of the reunion. They dipped into several albums for material, including some of the solo records from each of the members, and they even did “Tideline” which was a very special moment for me. A magical night all around.
Thank you so much for letting me know, Chris. I had bought tickets for the Yoshi’s show and business travel forced me to miss it. What a shame. I’m so thankful to hear your thoughts.
Chris, many many thanks to you for your review of this concert. Living on the east coast, I feared I would never have an opportunity to hear Montreux play live. Sounds like there is a real possibility of more shows. I can’t believe it wasn’t sold out! So happy for you that you got to enjoy it. If anyone knows of a way to contact the band and encourage them to tour around the country, please tell me. Lots of Windham Hill fans in the Philadelphia, PA area!
Hi Chris,
You might try reaching out to Barbara Higbie, here contacts on her web site are here: http://www.barbarahigbie.com/contact.html
Johnny, thanks for the suggestion. I just sent the following email to Barbara Higbie:
Dear Barbara,
I heard about the recent Montreux reunion concert through a great website you might be familiar with, windhaming.com. It’s basically a Windham Hill message board with an excellent discography.
I lamented that the Montreux concert was just one show on the west coast. The albums of music by Montreux are my favorite instrumental recordings, hands-down – and they have been since I first heard them at the age of 15. I introduced my wife to your music a few years ago, and she has also become an avid fan. We would have LOVED to hear Montreux perform live, but we live in Philadelphia, PA. It would have been a bit of a drive to Napa!
The person who runs the Windhaming board suggested I contact you and the band to simply say – if there’s any possibility of Montreux performing out this way (Philly or NYC or even DC would be fine) then please do so. I would personally get everyone I know (who would appreciate your music, I mean) to come to hear you play.
Either way, please know that your music has been a huge part of my life, and I am so grateful for your work and the work of the other members of Montreux.
Sincerely, [etc.]