Mellow Yellow Monday #110 - and More - Santa Cruz and Sony Holland, February 28, 2011

Our beautiful California coast with its yellow blooms - we saw this all the way down to Santa Cruz

When I got the news that my beloved Sony Holland and her equally talented songwriter,

guitar virtuoso husband, Jerry Holland, were headed north for a two night gig, first in

Santa Cruz, 60 miles south of Daly City, then at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco, I 

contacted two friends and we decided to make a weekend of it.  We knew Sony's local

fans would head to Santa Cruz and it would be a family reunion for all of us. A weekend

of beautiful music, Holland style, with dear friends, was just the medicine I needed

right now.

My nurse practitioner friend, Kris, drove to my house from San Francisco and we

picked up Edith on the way.  Our trip started with a delightful surprise when we spotted

this little deer in a yard as we head out to the highway.  I was amazed since we were

in a residential neighborhood!  She was so cute, posing very nicely for us!



Just as we got into Santa Cruz, we stopped for lunch at Vasili's, as I have every time

for about the last twenty years. Vasili's is a wonderful Greek restaurant and it was

packed - as always!

Edith, who is part Greek, had to be photographed, of course, with the Greek flag!

We had about a five minute wait for a table.  That gave us enough time to carefully

look at  what everyone else was eating and we already had our orders decided by the

time we sat down.  All of us chose the same thing - the lamb shish kebab.   I also had

taramasalata, a dip made from fish roe.  I love it although I'm sure my primary care

 physician would tell me I should avoid it because of my hypertension.

Edith and Kris

Edith says she's going to drive down to eat here once a week!

Outstanding lamb kebab

Award winning red Greek wine for $18!

Kris and me, too full for dessert!

It was delicious, though, and I've never had better lamb shish kebab.  We washed it all

down with a nice award winning bottle of non-retsina ( never could get attached

to the taste ) of Greek red wine that cost only $18!

After lunch, we checked in to our hotel for a little nap.  It was so cold but the predicted

snow didn't materialize the whole weekend.  It was wonderfully bright and sunny.

Puffy Santa Cruz clouds

I did try to get online from the Hampton Inn but they had to have the absolute worst wi-fi

connection I've ever encountered.  I finally gave up and packed away my computer. 

We headed out early to get to the Kumbawah Jazz Club in plenty of time.  It was a good

thing because it was hidden away in a remote alley and we had difficulty finding it.  A

kind college student guided us so we were able to see our Sony Holland buddies and

catch up on gossip long before the show started.

I can't begin to say enough about Sony and Jerry's performance.  They are absolutely

fabulous on a bad day ( on the rare occasion they might have one ) but they were super

stars on Saturday.  Jerry has a new guitar - Sony joked that he still has time to return it

but, if the tunes he played on it are any indication, that guitar is definitely a keeper. 

When he accompanies his beautiful wife, there is no other musical instrument needed.

Sony sings all kinds of music, songs from the Great America songbook, country, blues,

the whole gamut - but where she makes chills run down your spine are when she

sings the incredible lyrics her husband has penned for her.  This man, in my humble

opinion, rivals - and even surpasses, the greats like Cole Porter.  He is a genius with

his lyrics.

Sony Holland

Jerry Holland

Edith and Sony

Sony and Carmen

Sony and Jo



Before I left for San Francisco, I had dowloaded a list of all the bars in Santa

Cruz, figuring we would go out and celebrate after Sony's show.  Well, the first

two reinforced what we already suspected.  We were not up to the UC Santa Cruz

college scene.  A block away, we could hear the music blaring and, once the

door opened at the club, we were blasted out into the street,   I looked at the

young man sternly and said, "I know you are someone's son so where would you

send your mother for a drink and some nice music?"  Within five minutes, we

were settled at a lovely spot, 515 Kitchen and Cocktails, where I had a fabulous

blend of tequilas and Parma Liquor, Edith drank only a ginger ale, and Kris had

a champage cocktail with Elderflower Liquor ( that is the yummiest stuff ).  We

shared some appetizers and were in bed by 2AM.

We had a beautiful coastal drive back to San Francisco, had another geat Sony

and Jerry Holland performance at the Rrazz Room, dinner at American Sushi House,

and now it's back to reality, packing and facing the future.

Sony at the Rrazz Room

Sony Holland fans

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