Deborah Crooks: News/Journal

I'm looking forward to hosting a Local Music Vibe Coffee Meet-up in Alameda. Starting February 7, musicians and music biz people are invited to come network at High Street Station every other Tuesday at 10am. Here's the Facebook invite link.

Wishing you much love, peace and joy for your holiday season

Thanks so much for supporting my musical endeavors this past year. Here's to more music, good cheer and community in 2012.

Love, Deborah

Watch the new video for 'Let's Move'

Deborah Crooks on iTunes

My good fortune has led me back Mysore, India, to study more yoga at The Ashtanga Institute. As much as I miss home and had a happy year of music in the US, I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to return. Ashtanga Yoga practice and its continual lessons have been fueling my life and writing for 10 years now, and its that much more rich here at the source alongside an international contingent of students (I'll be blogging about my time in India at Bird in the Tree ). Despite picking up the mandolin in the month before I left, I did bring the guitar and am happily spending my free time writing and re-writing... a new recording project is in the works for 2012.

In addition to my own songs, I've also started co-producing some friends' projects. The learning curves never ends! Finally (for now) I've started adding live dates to the calendar, so please check my site, or Facebook, for upcoming 2012 shows in California and beyond, as well as music production news of all kinds.

Thanks again for supporting my musical endeavors! I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming year.

Love,

Deborah

Directed/Produced/Edited by: Sarah Fisher of Blue Lotus Films http://www.bluelotusfilms.net

From the CD '2010'

Artist: Deborah Crooks

Band: Ben Bernstein, Kwame Copeland and Tim Perdue

Extra (Yogini): Magnolia Zuniga

Director of Photography: Nicole Salmeri Production/ Editing Assistant: Lauren James

We took a drive up Highway 5 late last week to attend the Far-West Folk Alliance Conferencee in Eugene, Oregon. It was the first time, I'd attended the conference which has to qualify as the friendliest and more practical of music conferences I've attended. With panels about presenting music to DJs, official shows featuring some of the best of the conferences' acoustic musicians, guerrilla showcases giving everyone an opportunity to showcase their chops and awards ceremonies honoring true masters of craft, I came away thoughtful, inspired and buoyed that the musical landscape remains diverse, passionate, viable and willing to support its own. I heard more fiddle music than I have all year, including being completely floored by the mastery of 'Best of the West' winners Laurie Lewis and Vivian and Phil Williams. Their awards concert was a big highlight.
While the Conference kept attendees busy from morning to well past midnight each day, I did have a chance to check out the local color, literally and figuratively. Eugene was rivaling the East Coast for it's riot of Fall Colors while we were there and I had a moment to check out the thriving Saturday Market of Farmer's Market produce and local crafts. Likewise, we were hosted by some of my favorite people, Mieko & Christopher, who are also musicians if not conference attendees, and the living room typically had some acoustic instrument humming. Good times.

Radio got into the mix. At the conference I chatted with Neil on his Recovery Coast to Coast radio show, who was spinning recovery-related music from Far-West artists ("It's All Up to You" was the track selected from this songwriter), and met Portland DJ Diane Hunt of KBOO who featured 'Sunday Best' on her Folk Espresso morning show.

I'll be attending the Far-West Music Conference in Eugene, OR Oct. 20-23. If you're up there, give me a shout!

I recently was interviewed by Voices to Hear. Check it out here: Simply Six: Deborah Crooks

 It's foggy in the Bay Area and I'm gearing up for  a month of weekend gigs around the Bay Area, including some new-to-me venues. Won't you come out? Check the Gig Calendar. And Tune in to SoundCheck TheBay August 5 at 10am. I'll be chatting with DJ Murfdog about musical happenings in my corner of the universe. Go to www.kcrhradio.com for the full listen. xo, D

It's been a busy month with little time at home: an unofficial West Coast Tour kind of ...occurred. The time in the Northwest was amazing. Lovely hosts in Eugene, Portland and Seattle; warm, fun gigs and general music making with friends and family all around, including a new discovery in the music community that is Artichoke Music. Lovers of acoustic songwriters take note of this one-two store and stage.  In between, there was some time for a bit of yoga and a bit of, yes, crabbing ...Now I'm in LA, where I've thus far experienced the bust (and benefits) of 'Carmeggedon,' talked with Swoops atSwoop's World Radio, revisited the friendly stage at Viento y Agua and enjoyed a day at the beach. And the week is young! Next official appearance is this evening, Wednesday, 7/20,  in Pasadena as part of Brad Colerick's Wine & Song Series.I'm sharing the bill with the wonderful Aireene Espiritu. If you're in these parts, do say hello.

Chatting with Swoop tonight on Swoop's World, a fun podcast out of Long Beach, Wednesday, July 13. 

Swoop's World Online Radio

Interactive, Live and Archived,
keeping you connected in the LBC! 

Deborah Crooks on Late Night

On Wednesday July 13, 2011, 8pm-11pm/PST on Swoop’s World Late Night our guest is singer/songwriter Deborah Crooks. Then we’re taking on all topics, as well as any other news of the day. Tune in at Swoopsworld.com.

go now ⇒ 

I'll be in Southern California this coming weekend for play and practice, including a gig this FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2011 at Hollowbody LA Presents @ The Trip in Santa Monica. The TRIP is a friendly little venue at 2101 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica—do come! Easy parking, nice vibe, well drinks, a great place to kick off the weekend with friends. I'll be playing the show with Kwame Copeland and we'd love to do so for your smiling faces. The first one in the door wins a copy of my '2010' CD.

I'm  looking forward to being a part of this now-annual event in Oakland's Laurel District. From 9am til dusk, the District's businesses will be hosting a variety of musical acts in cafes, bookstores, outside and in 6 sites along MacArthur Boulevard, between 35th Avenue and High Street. I'll be kicking off the Fest with a morning performance at World Ground Cafe. Come grab a coffee and say hello. 

World Ground Cafe

The trio will be playing in Frank Moore's Shaman's Den / The Best Of Unlimited Possibilities on LUVeR Radio. on June 19 rather than June 5. Tune in then! http://www.luver.com/shamansden.html

Happy almost summer!: June is looking to be a busy month: I guest on Berkeley LUVeR radio cast: LOVE UNDERGROUND VISIONARY REVOLUTION; venture to Fairfax for a full-band gig mid-month and literally, preceed an act named "Lost Hippies" at the Laurel Solstice Fest. I'm also happy to return to Yoshi's Songwriter's Lounge June 12 to share a bill with two of my favorite Bay Area acts, Aireene Espiritu and Utah Girl. Finally, I close out June with a performance for the very aware non-profit Bread & Roses. What can I say? If music can't help change the world, what can?  Peace, love and happiness, baby! I hope to see you soon, :) Deborah

Happy May! 

I'm writing from sunny Southern California where I've been playing some shows, connecting and getting inspired by other musicians from at the ASCAP conference, and getting set for a yoga workshop in San Diego County.  In other words, 2011 is going great & I sincerely hope this finds you equally well. Amid this latest flurry of activity, I had the two EPs I released last year, remastered and reordered onto one full-length CD of music '2010.' I'm really excited about how it sounds and hope you will like it too. You can buy it at the shows and on CD Baby.

I'm on the road, in San Luis Obispo for a few gigs (Linnaea's tonight), then LA to play The TRIP (Santa Monica) and attend the ASCAP Conference (Hollywood). Let me know if you'll be around LA. I'd love to see you at the show.

April has a lot cooking. I'm compiling the recordings from 2010 into one disc as well as ramping up the live shows. Check the calendar for the full meal deal--highlights included sharing a night of acoustic music with Kwame Copeland at Bazaar Cafe in SF April 23, and then head down the coast to end the month of performance with an opening spot at TRIP in Santa Monica on 4/29.   I look forward to seeing you along the route! If you have friends in any of the cities listed who enjoy live music, please let them know. Thanks! Here's to a great April. xo, Deborah

Ekbeat Magazine recently interviewed me about my music.

Deborah Crooks Interview by Cary Monotreme

Deborah Crooks is a vibrant artist carrying on the San Francisco tradition of powerful female singer/songwriters with literate lyrics and progressive musical attitudes.

Where are you from? How does living there affect your songwriting?

"I'm from Santa Cruz County, California. The coast and I now live a little north of there, in the San Francisco Bay area. The ocean certainly comes up again and again in my songs. Likewise, it's a rich creative community, with universities, many different musicians and writers working in just about all forms you can think of. If my life and my landscape don't inspire me, I only need to go listen to someone else!"....

Read the entire interview: http://bit.ly/EkbeatInt

I've lost too many friends to breast cancer. Please come to this benefit show at Berkeley's very cool Ashkenaz Center, April 6, 2011. Lots of music, good cause. I'll be overjoyed to play for you.