Events - Merced Mall

LOOKING FORWARD...

Merced Mall's 7th Annual Summer Music Series is SOLID GOLD!

Outstanding musicians from near and far will be showcased 6 Saturday evenings in Center Court ~ 6-8 pm. The casual listening events allow mall patrons to grab dinner and dessert at any one of Merced Mall's 10 food services and restaurants, then gather and relax for an evening of free musical enjoyment.

Watch for developing news of each event.

The LINE-UP! ~

• June 8 ~ Uke-N-Reed
• June 22 ~ John Albano & Fresno 3
• July 6 ~ Merino, Brown, Radino & Adi
• July 20 ~ VL Trio
• Aug. 3 ~ Merino, Brown, Radino, Adi & Coyan
• Aug. 17 ~ Red Dog Ash

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Uke-n-Reed has accepted the honor of opening our 7th Annual  Summer Music Series!

This fun-loving powerhouse quartet blends the silken vocals and fierce ukulele of Patti Dahlstrom with the nationally renowned clarinet of Blackwood Tom Schmidt, driving bass of Russ Manfredi, and very classic/jazzy violin of Karen White  for a perfect concoction of good time music.

Patti Dahlstrom is known around these parts as former ringleader of 70’s bluegrass band Stoney Creek, and co-owner of The Ranch Restaurant. She was also a featured cast member of legendary “A Winter Night’s Yeow!” show where she first performed with Blackwood Tom.

Blackwood Tom Schmidt has lent his talent on clarinet and saxophone to recordings with Joe Craven, John Lescroart, Dave Nachmanoff, Old West, Sourdough Slim, and The Creole Jazz Kings. He has toured with folk swing acts Backwoods Jazz, The Barrett Brothers, Washboard Wizardz and The Rhythm Knickers, as well as Dixieland bands The Sutterville Stompers and Port City Jazz Band.

F-U-N begins at 6:00 pm.

This one will take you to Jazz School ~ Sat. June 22nd

Jazz guitarist and educator John Albano is bringing world-class players from Fresno; Andrew Munoz on piano; Kevin McDonald on bass; and Brian Hamada on drums.

Most of you already know Albano. In his 20s, he honed his skills in the streets and subways of Manhattan in Greenwich Village, now performing throughout California as a member of Akoustics and a freelance artist. He has performed with Russ Ferrante of Yellowjackets, Bobby McFerrin, Sony/Columbia recording artist Steve Tyrell - with whom he toured throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. John has also performed with the Stockton Symphony, the Merced Symphony, and guest appearances on The Donny & Marie Show... obviously at a very young age.

This event features drummer and jazz educator Brian Hamada. Brian has performed with many jazz greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Jeff Lorber, Peter Epstein, Tim Ries, Matt Otto, Michael Davis, Bobby Shew, Lanny Morgan and the inestimable Don Ho. As a member of the legendary CSU Fresno Jazz Band 'A' he toured Japan, Korea and Europe, performed at the Northsea and Montreux International Jazz Festivals, and in 1983 he was the recipient of a DownBeat jazz soloist award. He has been an active clinician and adjudicator throughout California & Nevada for nearly 20 years, maintains a vibrant drum studio in central California, and currently holds down the drum chair for the Fresno Jazz Composers Orchestra. Brian is now teaching jazz drum set at CSU, Fresno in the school's Jazz Instrumental Performance degree option.

Free show starts at 6:00 pm in Center Court.

2 Great Saturday Shows ~ July 6 & August 3

Rudy Merino has been a major part of our series since the beginning ~ always delivering with an outstanding assemblage of seasoned musicians from throughout Central California.

July 6th features the incomparable professor Al Brown on Vibraphone, internationally-renowned guitarist Gene Radino, and John "Everywhere" Adi on bass!

August 3rd features the same line-up with the addition of piano master Tom Coyan! Tom's first appearance last summer with these guys raised it to a whole new level.

Jazz fans would be silly to miss this one!!!

JULY 20 ~ 6-8 pm

Merced Mall is thrilled to bring back VL Trio ~ a musical concept with a familiar sound from musicians who have been playing together in different projects for over a decade. Locals might know them from the immensely energizing Vission Latina ensemble out of S.F. Bay Area. They are:

• Saul Sierra (Mexico) bass & coros
• Carlos Caro (Cuba) percussion & coros
• Marco Diaz (Guatemala) piano & coros

These outstanding musicians originate from different parts of the Americas but share a common musical ideal emanating from Cuba, Mexico and USA/Guatemala.

In their first CD titled, "Tradicionando" (Keeping the Tradition Alive) VL Trio brings back the classic hits from Cuba and Puerto Rico that continue to transcend generations.

Come enjoy VL Trio’s wide original, jazz & Latin repertoire that knocked the sandals off Merced Mall's ecstatic audience last summer.

Red Dog Ash is hotter than San Joaquin Valley asphalt in summer – according to their exploding fan base and CD reviews. But, you can bask in their glow SATURDAY, AUG. 17 as they grace Merced Mall with a third performance and Summer Music Series closer.

This fresh bluegrass band of songwriters is brilliantly manned by banjoist Dixon Smith, a stalwart picker whose experiences include a stint with the famed String Slingers of Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” ~ guitarist Jason Winfree, a West Virginia native who’s journey towards oneness with bluegrass was by way of Nashville, Germany(?) and Turlock ~ Gary Vessel, an award-winning classical stringed instrument builder turned mandolin player ~ Elijah Arrigotti, a music aficionado that first found a kinship with the upright bluegrass bass before bonding with the dobro ~ and Ron Cotman the “newbie” filling the bass slot with over 30 years professional string-slingin’ from coast to coast.Red Dog Ash now plays main stages at festivals throughout the west.

Come experience the rest of their evolving story in five man four part harmony.

Walking is the perfect low impact exercise... especially surrounded by the beauty of nature. But, when our valley weather gets too hot, too cold, too wet, or just too yUcKy, COME WALK AT MERCED MALL... starting 8:00 am Monday-Saturday ~ 9:00 am Sunday.

The inside perimeter is one half mile. You'll meet a lot of very nice people doing the same thing (most going counter-clockwise). They also tend to wind down in the Food Court with friendly conversation and a cup of coffee.

There's also a good chance you'll find a better pair of walking shoes staring back at you from one of our fine shoe merchants' display windows.

Come join MERCED CHESS CLUB every Friday evening in the Food Court ~ 6:30 pm till closing.

Fine tune your game with seasoned players and friendly competition.

Free TOURNAMENTS first Friday of the month. Registration 6:30 pm. First game start 6:45 pm. Bring your own board and, if you have one, a chess clock. Tournament is not rated. US Chess Federation rating not required, but will be used as player strength.