Upcoming Music in the Mountains Catalina State Park Concerts April 4 at 5:00 PM – Cochise County All-Stars Join Catalina State Park on April 4th for a springtime concert with a beautiful mountain backdrop! The Cochise County All-Stars started their musical journey nearly 15 years ago as a strictly honkytonk band playing the jukebox country music popular when Route 66 was Main Street USA. A few natural additions and subtractions in personnel have led to an evolved CCAS group of seasoned veterans who perform sounds they love in a variety of genres. A Cochise County All-Stars show could easily feature a Hank Williams tune back to back with an obscure Latin rock instrumental followed by a jazz standard. It all seems to work when you have a group of tasteful musicians who have come together from a variety of backgrounds, both geographically and experientially. Concerts are included with all-day park admission of $7 per vehicle for up to four adults. Please bring a chair as picnic table seating fills up quickly. April 18 at 5:30 PM – Nancy Elliott Come on out to Catalina State Park on Saturday, April 18 for a Southwestern Americana performance with Nancy Elliott! Bob Atkinson, a Tucson, Arizona poet, describes Nancy this way: “Nancy's feeling for Southwestern culture gets displayed in each concert she performs. In a mix of historical stories, cultural stories, and contemporary experience, Ms. Elliott displays a warmth on stage few of us can match in daily social interactions. Her guitar and persona create a feeling of being in a room speaking one-on-one with her, even if you're only one of many enjoying her refreshing musical treatment of a polished acoustic/singing/storytelling performance.” Nancy’s first album in ten years, Tall Tree, was recently released. The drum styles, arrangements and rhythms, the wide-open shelving of instruments against vocals, and the instruments themselves, are a direct reflection of life in the Desert Southwest. Visit her website at www.NancyElliottMusic.com. Don't forget to bring a chair, picnic dinner, drinks or enjoy a hike in the park before the show starts! May 2 at 5:30 PM – Eric Schaffer & The Other Troublemakers For the past five years, Eric Schaffer & The Other Troublemakers have been entertaining crowds throughout Arizona and beyond. With a musical style that flows between Country, Folk-Rock and "Singer-Songwriter", they play a mix of well-crafted original songs, classic covers, and deep cuts - all of which feature their trademark two and three-part harmonies. The band plays 50-70 dates per year at clubs, concert venues, and private events and recently opened for Grammy Award-winner Marc Cohn at Tucson's iconic Fox Theater. Eric has been recognized as one of Southern Arizona's leading songwriters and his vocals have been compared to Steve Earle and Kris Kristofferson. He is a 4-time finalist in the Tucson Folk Festival Songwriter Competition, a semi-finalist in the Great American Song Contest and finished in the Top 10 in the Passport to Nashville songwriting competition. Drummer and vocalist Bruce Halper is a member of the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame and played for 10 years with “the quintessential desert rock band” the Sidewinders in the ‘90’s. During that time they released records on RCA and Polygram, reaching #5 on the Billboard college radio charts. Bruce has toured extensively throughout the US and Europe with The Sidewinders and the legendary Mike Davis (MC5). Lead guitarist/vocalist Loren Dircks is well known as one of Arizona’s most accomplished pickers. He was the front man / lead guitarist for the band Gila Bend when they pioneered “Country-Punk” in the 90’s. Newest Other Troublemaker Johnny Zapp has had a lucrative career writing, recording and publishing rock music for film and television. With music airing in over 48 countries, some of Johnny’s television credits include Pimp My Ride; MTV 10 on Top, ESPN coverage of the PGA Tour, various Red Bull promos and the Nat Geo travel/marine-life smash, Into The Drink. In 2011, Johnny wrote and recorded the anthem for the 2011 U.S. Open of Surf, his single "Orange County." Johnny was also knee-deep in the "Tempe Sound" in the late 90's as a hired-gun playing with many of the valley’s soon-to-be national acts. (fb)

Be sure to check out our next concert in the park, Saturday August 3 from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM with Lola & Friends. Lola began singing professionally and in choirs throughout high school and college and now enjoys singing in blues, swing and jazz styles. She has performed in venues ranging from the Grand Canyon Railway to private engagements in Arizona and Mexico. During her time in Tucson, she has sung in Celtic and folk bands and recently added the music of Dan Hicks to her repertoire. Lola is currently the leader of a quartet of talented musicians with Frank Daley on guitar, Andrea Hoag on fiddle, and Roger Sperline on clarinet. Feel free to bring a chair, drinks and a picnic dinner to the show and be sure to join Catalina State Park for our Music in the Mountains concerts throughout the summer! (fb)