joshua zucker

Judy Van Evera	Lisa Dragna	Doug Burkhardt	KC Turner

what's new?
(last updated 11/1/2009)

• WHAT'S NEW?: Oh dear has it been a long time since I've updated my site. After massive public concern at my having dropped off the face of the Earth, I thought I ought to come up for air and check in. Hello! I've actually been here all along and doing all the same things I'm always doing, just more. More work, more music, more ... babies! All good stuff, but in combination it leaves me with, well, not a whole lot of time to keep my web site up to date. Recent highlights:

  • Lillian Wilhelmina (That's Lilly Billy to you!) joined the Zucker Family band, already consisting of Anne Schrager, yours truly, and Isadora Belle Zucker (age 5.9167). Lilly Billy is singing soprano and making gurgling noises for the band. Her favorite record is a looped recording of the dryer running with the shower in the background. I'm selling copies for $5. Just send me an email! Outside of music, Lilly enjoys KCBS all-new radio, watching Daddy do dishes, and throwing up. 

  • A dark confession: I am the hated mass media. I work a the Chronicle. I've been there for, omigod, about 15 years. The newspaper has consumed me. It's a big part of my life and almost a second home and second family. Well, my second home and second family are mighty challenged in all sorts of ways right now. It's been all I can do to keep up with it, but keep up with it I have. Some days it feels like a sinking ship, some days I feel like I have the opportunity to reinvent news media for my generation. Most days I get my ass kicked and try to take everything that's thrown at me in stride. 

  • Two years ago I joined a gym and for no particular reason decided I wanted to try to work out vigorously at least six days per week for a year. I'd always looked down on gym rats when I was younger thinking that there must be better things to do with one's time, but after the past two years, I have great respect for the discipline and determination it requires to get your ass out of bed at 4 a.m. and get to the gym every day. To keep myself motivated and map my progress, I keep a log. Yesterday was day 730 -- two years -- over which time I've made it to the gym (or an equivalent run or bike ride) 626 times. That's 6.0027 days per week. Here's to meaningless milestones!

 Lots of great shows in the works with old friends and several new ones all over this beautiful country of ours. For up-to-the-minute details, check out my upcoming shows page. 

• Caren Armstrong and I have been having a great time playing together hither and yon. Look for us in LA at FAR-west in November. Caren's most recent CD, Everything, is incredible. Check it out!  

• The Rowan Brothers are keeping busy on both coasts in various formats. When not playing with his siblings, Lorin also leads a band called Rattlebox which features Doug Harman, Barry Sless, Paul Cicco. Oh, and me too... 

• Jerry Hannan & the Brigade have been making waves in Marin and beyond. Jerry's just finished his latest CD and it sounds GREAT! Look for it soon at a record store near you. 

• Larkin Gayl has just released her first full-length ... baby! Mystic? Congrats Larkin and Joaquin! Larkin's CD, "Two Hands," is getting rave reviews, radio airplay and a whole lot of buzz. My daughter Isadora sat in on a Larkion show up in Point Reyes. Somebody brought a video camera and posted it on youtube. If you haven't seen it yet, here's your chance!

• Andrew Freeman and I have been having tons of fun playing an various formats. Andrew plays all over the place, but can be found every Tuesday night at Giordano Bros. in North Beach,  home of 'The Sandwich." If you haven't tried one, you're missing out! I can't make every Tuesday, but I get there as often as I can. Always great tunes, great folks and great food. Try the Session Lager, it's my favorite!

• Kenni & Co. are back playing and coming soon to your town. Anne Schrager's been dazzling crowds everywhere with her accordion pyrotechnics. Look for southern Cali and northeast dates soon!

• Poor Man's Whiskey is continuing their quest for world domination. They're on the road a bit more than I can afford to be, so I've been mostly replaced, but still find myself subbing or sitting in from time to time. The band is sounding great and deserves the buzz they've been building. Go check 'em out when they come to your town! 

• Tony Perez & Second Hand Smoke has been given a permanent monthly slot at the Saloon in North Beach. Come spend the afternoon with us every third Saturday of the month. 

• Tom Ross, my teacher and musical hero has just put the final touches on his latest CD entitled Reach in this Dream.  On Reach, Tom is reunited with singer/guitarist Jody Cormack for the first time on record since the legendary Horse of Stone sessions. Buy it here!  

• I've had the fortune to sub for local supergroup Houston Jones several times this year. If you haven't heard these guys, you must. Some of the best music the Bay Area has to offer. They've got an awesome new CD out called Calico Heart. Buy it while you can!

• JOKES: Man, the jokes page is getting pretty stale...Send me musician jokes for the site!

what's josh been listening to?

• Randy Rogers Band, Roller Coaster Ride, Self-Titled, Live at Billy Bob's, Just a Matter of Time

• Radney Foster, Revival, This World We Live In

• Taylor Swift. She's my daughter's favorite and I have to admit, I like her stuff too... sigh...

• Tal Wilkenfeld, Transformation

• Fernando Otero, Pagina De Buenos Aires

• Martina McBride, Live

• Larkin Gayl, Two Hands

• Carrie Underwood, Carnival

• Barenaked Ladies, Snacktime (another Izzy pick!)

• Tony Rice, Manzanita

• Corinne West, Second Sight

• 95.7 the Wolf! Yee Haw! I love me some new country! Great to have it back in the Bay Area.

• Floratone (featuring Bill Frisell, Matt Chamberlain and Viktor Krauss)

• Houston Jones, Calico Heart

• Caren Armstrong, Everything (One of the best that the Bay Area has to offer hands down)

• Brad Mehldau & Pat Metheny, both the duo and quartet records. wow.

• Brad Paisley, 5th Gear

• Rhonda Vincent, Ragin' Live and All-American Bluegrass Girl

• Cars Motion Picture Soundtrack (another Izzy pic. Great pop tunes by Sheryl Crow, Rascall Flats, John Mayer and James Taylor)

• Viktor Krauss, Far From Enough (Alison and Viktor Krauss on a record with Bill Frisell, Jerry Douglas and Steve Jordan!)

• Bill Frisell, East/West (The 'West' side was recorded at Yoshi's in Oakland. Bill continues to amaze)

• Peter Rowan and Tony Rice, You Were There For Me

• John Mayer, Try (smokin' band!)

• Jerry Hannan, Sounds Like A Story

• Nickel Creek, Why Should the Fire Die (Quite a stylistic departure for these guys -- great stuff!)

• They Might Be Giants, Here Comes the ABCs (Izzy's favorite!)

• The Makaha Sons of Nihau, Na Mele Henoheno, Vol. 2: Na Makahiki Mua-Helu Elua

• Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway (what can i say? I'm a fan...)

• Kenni & Co., Shine Shine Shine

• The Beatles

• Garrin Benfield, Where Joy Kills Sorrow

• Brad Paisley, Time Well Wasted

• Rowan Brothers, Now and Then

• Corinne West, Bound for the Living

• Down Not Out, self-titled

• Alison Krauss, Lonely Runs Both Ways

• John Scofield Trio, En Route (Sco live with Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart -- yow!)

• Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces/Home

• Tom Ross, Horse of Stone

• Kitka, The Vine

• Weird Al Yankovic, Poodle Hat ("Genius in France" is worth the cost of the CD all by itself!)

That's all I can think to tell ya for now... I hope to see you at one of the shows...

...jz