Folk musician John McCutcheon returns to Sonoma

The Sebastiani Theater continues to reserve quite impressive talents to perform in front of music lovers in the Vallée des Airs.

The postponed show of the very talented John McCutcheon is scheduled for June 6. This show deserves a special mention as McCutcheon has made a habit of visiting our area for a Monday show for nearly 20 years. Shows always sell out.

Prior to the postponement of his show, originally scheduled for January, McCutcheon was reached by cellphone. McCutcheon spoke candidly and enthusiastically about his life as a traveling minstrel. He said, “I’m in my home studio in Georgia. But most of all I can’t wait to get back to Sonoma. Because the Sebastiani is dark on Monday nights, it’s a real treat to have a concert on Monday nights. Most musicians sit in a hotel room on Monday night, waiting for Tuesday.

Besides being a master of many stringed instruments, McCutcheon is considered one of the best hammered dulcimer players in the world. The unusual instrument has 15 strings but is considered a percussion instrument because it is played by striking the strings with a “hammer”. Not a claw or claw, but a mallet-like wooden device that’s lightweight and responsive to the touch.

McCutcheon also spoke at length about his new album, titled “Bucket List.” His last album was a solo effort, but those recording sessions included a group of longtime musical partners. McCutcheon adds his considerable skills playing guitar, banjo and piano. It has an intimate feel, much like its live shows. These shows are notable due to McCutcheon’s unique storytelling ability and jaw-dropping musical talent.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are available at veezi.com. If you miss this one, it’ll be back next year. But a year can be a long time to wait for something this good.

Santa Barbara songbird Kimberly Ford is also set to appear at the Sebastiani. She’ll bring her band in and put on a show they call “Dreamland, a tribute to Joni Mitchell.” Ford’s previous two Valley appearances were at The Reel and Brand and were both very impressive. His band was stellar, Ford’s vocals were superb, and the songs… well, they’re Joni Mitchell songs. What else do you need to know?

Once again, tickets for the Joni show, soon to be known at the Kimberly show, are available on Veezi.com. Get out your cane, put on some cash and head out to listen to some not-so-scratching rock and roll at the Sebastiani.