FAR-West Folk Alliance Presents Tarzana Music Night Live! hosted by James Combs & co-hosted and curated by Claire Bloom

FAR-West Folk Alliance's Monthly Concert Series hosted by James Combs presents Tarzana Music Night Live! co-hosted and curated by Claire Bloom featuring musicians Brent Hahn, Karen Turner, Kevin Kelso,  and Kathleen Kelso.

ABOUT THE SERIES FAR-West Presents is a new monthly series devoted to promoting songwriting communities throughout Southern CA. The series features the best of the southern CA songwriting scene in collaboration with a guest curator for each show. Cabin Creek Concerts is our home this summer - Ellie Rollins' and Chris Murphy's beautiful Venice Beach music space located in historic Gingerbread Court (originally built by Charlie Chaplin in the 1920s). Artists play right on gorgeous Venice Beach, just in front of Gingerbread Court. This month's special guest curator is the wonderful Claire Bloom. Claire hosts the excellent monthly Tarzana Music Night Series at the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center and has become well-known for having a great ear for talent as well as being quite a talent herself. On August 29, from 7-9:30 pm, Claire and regular FAR-West host James Combs will present a superb night of music featuring troubadours Brent Hahn, Karen Turner, Kevin Kelso, and Kathleen Kelso. Claire’s night will be the second of our series.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

BRENT HAHN writes songs about things you don't write songs about. Like whether dragons can have both arms and wings. And how a US President altered the course of history with his inability to hit a curveball. And how dogs can never make up their mind. And he's got this new one about a guy who goes to strangers' funerals for the free food. While Brent has never played at venues like McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Los Angeles, the Towne Crier in New York, or Club Passim in Boston, or anywhere east of Azusa for that matter, one of his songs has been played at least twice at the legendary Bluebird Café Open Mic in Nashville. This open mic is strictly all original and Brent wasn't there, so the song had to be pretty good, right? And it's a funny story -- you should ask him. As for actual performing cred, Brent has been the Featured Artist at Tarzana Community Center Music Night. He performed at the 2024 South Pasadena Eclectic Festival. He's opened for The Eldermen, Mike Berman and TiMBr, and Paula McMath. He's a regular at Steven Wagner's showcase, The Yard. And he's the only artist to have performed twice in the Wild Peacock Preservation Society series, both in-the-round and in an opening set. A few of Brent's songs have, in fact, been heard by millions on the radio. But they're for things like 7-Eleven and Pepsi. And not all that bad, considering.

KAREN TURNER is an LA native folk-rock singer-songwriter whose heart and musical authenticity provide the vivid backdrop in her songs. In 2022, after the release of her debut EP, “Tonight There Might Be Stars”, she made the FAI Folk Chart Top Album list and was also the #1 EP on the internet platform M3 radio. Drawing from her many influences including Neil Finn, Aimee Mann, Patty Griffin, Phoebe Bridgers among many more, she crafts songs that explore what it means to be alive and hopefully in the process make meaningful connections to her listeners.She has released several singles since 2022 and is currently working on a fresh batch of songs for release soon. Over the last 5 years, she has performed as half an acoustic duo, a solo act, and as a member of a women’s songwriting collective. She is currently performing in and around the LA area.Rob Seals, founder and director of The Songwriting School of Los Angeles says, “Karen Turner’s lovingly detailed songs evoke emotion like photo albums. She sings with all the ache and affection essential memories demand. I am a fan.”

After spending 25 years as an insurance company executive, KEVIN KELSO turned his life around and now spends his time writing and playing songs. He has studied songwriting with Harriet Schock and Vance Gilbert and performs frequently in venues around Los Angeles.

 He has written and performed 4 one-person shows based on his songs. The latest one, “U Sing 2”, is a show of all sing-along songs which premiered at the 2023 IndyFringe festival and is coming to LA this year. Kevin has appeared as “House Band” on over a dozen episodes of the “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone” podcast, where his songs “Captain Culpepper’s Last Stand” and “Moby Dick Book Club” have become fan favorites.He enjoys co-writing as well. Earlier this year, he won the Manhattan Association of Cabaret’s Dottie Burman award with co-writer Hillary Rollins, and he and lyricist Chana Wise have written a musical entitled “The Food Show” and are planning its debut later in 2024.

Kathleen Kelso is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter from West LA. She has a long history in music and performance, but didn’t start writing original music until COVID lockdown in 2020. She released her first single, “What It Is,” in 2022 and the following year was a finalist in the Tucson Folk Festival Songwriting Competition. She has since released two more singles as well as a music video for her song “Crybaby.” Inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Lucy Dacus, and Brandi Carlile, her sweet and soulful voice carries insightful lyrics through evocative melodies.

About curator and co-host CLAIRE BLOOM: Claire Bloom is a singer-songerwriter who hosts a monthly music showcase at the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center, where she serves as the Executive Director. She was formerly a journalist in Boston and a TV producer in LA for many years before making the decision to stay home to raise her three children, who are now all aspiring adults. During that time Claire rediscovered her love of music and songwriting, and with her husband, Emmy-award winning music editor and singer-songerwriter Mike Baber, produced her first album in 2013 titled “Good As Anyone.” It is available on the usual music platforms as well as her Facebook music page. Claire has studied extensively with the great songwriter and teacher Harriet Schock and is currently working on a second album.

About your host JAMES COMBS:

"James Combs is one of those singer/songwriter/musicians who should have spent his entire career at the top of the charts." - PENELOPE SPHEERIS, DIRECTOR, “THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION I, II, & III”, “WAYNE’S WORLD”

“An incredible addition to any Americana library.” - NO DEPRESSION

“James Combs makes Americana music for people who think they don’t like Americana Music.” - AMERICANA UK

“Combs is as adept at introspective confessionals as he is sharpening his pen to play topical folk singer.” -BUZZBANDS.LA

James’ musical ride has included a BBC Peel Session, a Lollapalooza, a co-written True Blood end title sung by Iggy Pop/Best Coast, nine albums, live performances from Berlin to London to New York to New Orleans to San Francisco to The Laurel Canyon Country Store, and stages shared with Jackson Browne, Van Dyke Parks, Tom Verlaine, Yo La Tengo, Marianne Faithfull, Inara George, They Might Be Giants, John C. Reilly, more...  In 2019, James was invited to play with his band Great Willow at Laurel Canyon's prestigious Love Street Festival, the only current LA band invited to share the main stage bill with surviving members of 60s legends The Doors, The Monkees, The Mamas and The Papas, and Love.

James also just might be the only songwriter you know who has had a song he wrote featured in a question by Alex Tribek on Jeopardy!   His songs have been featured in some of the coolest shows on TV, including Six Feet Under, True Blood and Shameless and many more.  His latest album Falling Under Spells was released to rave reviews, extensive airplay in Europe and LA, and was named a top 20 album of the year by UK Music site Blues Blues.  James has hosted multiple Folk Alliance performance showcases and performs frequently around CA, including a much talked about set at the 2022 Idyllwild Songwriter Festival. James is looking forward to a robust tour schedule in 2023 to promote Falling Under Spells as well as a series of new singles made in collaboration with beloved Americana band The Well Pennies (www.thewellpennies.com)

You can listen to James' music on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/user/1234221509?si=42bIRF2FSpeUJ4VETh9ZgQ

Follow his journeys on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jamescombsmusic?igsh=YzVkODRmOTdmMw=

And check out his official website here:

https://www.jamescombs.com/

Join us in welcoming The FAR-West Folk Alliance with James Combs, Claire Bloom, Brent Hahn, Karen Turner, Kevin Kelso,  and Kathleen Kelso out front of our new Venice Beach location -  out on the Venice Beach Boardwalk!

Tickets reserve you a seat - $10

Doors open at 6:30pm

Sunset Show: 7:00-9:00pm

Donation-Based Wine Bar inside the shop

and 10% off TACOS from our friends we share the courtyard with, Surf N Turf Tacos (just show them your ticket)!