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Montalvo Matters

Photo by Amthony Barbosa Soul Royalty: Blues great Etta James performs Aug. 16. Villa Montalvo announces 1996 schedule Flexing its booking muscle now that the Mountain Winery seems more a memory than a reality, Saratoga's Villa Montalvo released its 1996 schedule this week. Some of the prominent first-timers set to appear starting in late April are perennial Bay Area rocker Boz Scaggs, blues queen Sista Monica and surf guitar legend Dick Dale. The season, which begins April 26-27 with monologist Spalding Gray, runs through Oct. 18. Along the way, some familiar names--the Rippingtons, Johnny Mathis, Bobby McFerrin, David Benoit--will be mixed in with a variety of performers in a wide range of genres. Leading the list of jazz performers is pianist Marcus Roberts (Sept. 26), performing an all-Gershwin program, and '50s legend Dave Brubeck (July 19). In the classical vein, Andre Watts appears July 12, pianist Garrick Ohlsson on Aug. 23 and the leading lights of the avant-garde string quartet, Kronos, in collaboration artist Gronk, on Sept. 20. Tickets for the shows will be available through Villa Montalvo's box office starting April 14. Advance tickets will be offered to anyone on Villa Montalvo's mailing lists, and there is still time to sign up by writing to Villa Montalvo, P.O. Box 158, Saratoga, CA 95071. The information number is 408/741-3428. Montalvo Schedule April 26-27: Spalding Gray, 8pm, $27.50 May 10: The Edlos, 8pm, $18.50 May 11: Babar, 11am, $10/$5 May 17: Paul Taylor, 1pm, $18.50 May 19: John Handy, 7pm, $18.50 May 23: Greg Brown, 7:30pm, $18.50 June 2: Jose Greco Dance Company, 7pm, $30/$25/$20 June 6: The Rippingtons, 7:30pm, $36/$30/$25 June 7: The Rippingtons, 8pm, $36/$30/$25 June 16: Keiko Matsui, 8pm, $30/$25/$20 June 23: Harry Belafonte, 4pm, $48.50/$38.50 June 27: Guitar, Sax and more, 7:30pm, $38/$32/$25 June 28: Michael Franks, 8pm. $36/$30/$25 July 5-6: Rumplestiltskin, 4pm, $5/$2.50 July 12: Andre Watts, 8pm, $45/$35/$30 July 14: The Temptations, Tower of Power, 4pm, $48.50/$38.50 July 18: Acoustic Alchemy, 7:30pm, $32/$24/$18 July 19: Dave Brubeck, 8pm, $0/$35/$28 July 21: KKSF Jazz Festival, 4pm, $40/$30 July 26: The Texas Tornados, 8pm, $36/$30/$25 July 28: Al Jarreau, 8pm, $45/$35/$30 Aug. 1: Richard Elliot, Craig Chaquico, 7:30pm, $38/$32/$35 Aug. 2: Johnny Mathis, 8pm, $175/$60 Aug. 12: The Mavericks, Junior Brown, 7:30pm, $38/$32/$25 Aug. 15: Chick Corea and Friends, 7:30pm, $38/$34/$28 Aug. 16: Etta James, Charles Brown, 7:30pm, $38/$34/$28 Aug. 18: On a Summer Night, 7pm, $28/$25/$20 Aug. 21: Jim Gamble Puppets, 7:30pm. $10/$5 Aug. 22: Stanley Jordan, Bela Fleck, 8pm, $32/$26/$20 Aug. 23: Garrick Ohlsson, 8pm, $35/$30/$25 Aug. 25: Pam Tillis, Carlene Carter, 7pm, $45/$35 Aug. 29: Bobby McFerrin, 7:30pm, $45/$35/$30 Aug. 30: Ranking Family/Maura O'Connell, 8pm, $28/$25/$20 Sept. 5: David Grisman/Mark O'Connor, 7:30pm, $32/$26/$20 Sept. 6-7: Boz Scaggs, 8pm, $60/$45/$35 Sept. 12: John Prine, 7:30pm, $38/$34/$28 Sept. 13: David Benoit, 8pm, $36/$30/$25 Sept. 15: Imagination On-Line, 7:30pm, $10/$5 Sept. 20: The Kronos Quartet, Gronk, 8pm, $20/$10 Sept. 22: George Benson, 4pm, $48.50/$38.50 Sept. 26: Marcus Roberts/Orchestra, 7:30pm, $45/$35/$30 Sept. 27: L.A. Guitar Quartet, 8pm, $18.50 Sept. 28: San Jose Taiko, 7 pm, $25/$22/$18 Oct. 11: Sista Monica, Gospel, 8pm, $15 Oct. 13: Jelly Roll, 7pm, $22.50 Oct. 18: Dick Dale, 7pm, $25 [ Metro | Metroactive Central ]