Here is the December lineup for Charles and Myrtle's Coffeehouse, located in Christ Unity Church at 105 McBrien Road. Shows start at 8 p.m. and there is a $10 suggested donation at the door. For more information visit www.christunity.org. The coffeehouse is family friendly.
Dec. 1 Sparky and Rhonda Rucker perform throughout the U.S. as well as overseas, singing songs and telling stories from the American folk tradition. Sparky Rucker has been performing over 40 years and is internationally recognized as a leading folklorist, musician, historian, storyteller, and author. He accompanies himself with fingerstyle picking and bottleneck blues guitar, banjo, and spoons. Rhonda Rucker is a musician, storyteller, author, and songwriter. Her blues-style harmonica, piano, old-time banjo, and bones add musical versatility to their performances.
Dec. 6 (Thursday Night) Dean Johanesen is a storyteller, a craftsman and a touching performer. "There is a saying about only being as good as your last gig that sticks with me," Mr. Johanesen insightfully recollects, a saying he applies to his performing and songwriting. His powerful work ethic and craftsmen like musicality has quickly pushed Dean through the throngs of would be songwriters, solidifying his position as one of Sarasota, Florida's finest musicians. Even his previous band, The Human Condition had a hard time keeping up with him. The silver lining is that Dean has the rare personal charm of a young Bruce Springsteen, able to touch many walks of life with a musical vision that paints a similarly compelling portrait of America.
Dec. 7 (Friday Night ) Scarlet Love Conspiracy A new local acoustic quartet playing everything from Bob Dylan to the Drive By Truckers as well as originals.
Dec. 8 Richard Smith and Julie Adams Today, Richard is widely regarded as one of the premier fingerstyle guitarists of our time. He has toured the world as a solo artist, with the Richard Smith Guitar Trio and with his swing band, The Hot Club of Nashville, featuring Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Pat Bergeson on guitar and Charlie Chadwick on bass. Fellow guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel prefers Richard as one of his favorite duet partners. Julie has also branched into folk music, playing a significant role on Glenn and Holly Yarbrough’s album "Family Portrait." She later teamed up with well-known guitarist Muriel Anderson to tour extensively throughout the U.S. At home, Julie is a sought-after session player and has been featured on top 10 albums as well as major film scores such as the soundtrack of the box office hit "Bridget Jones's Diary" in 2001 and the Grammy winning CD "Beautiful Dreamer: the songs of Stephen Foster" in 2003.
Dec.15 Richard Dobson spent time in the 1970s with Townes Van Zandt, Mickey White, Rex "Wrecks" Bell, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell and "Skinny" Dennis Sanchez. Although his name is not prominent, some of his songs were recorded and co-written by famous artists like David Allan Coe ("Piece of Wood and Steel"), Guy Clark ("Forever, for Always, for Certain;" "Old Friends"), Lacy J. Dalton ("Old Friends"), Nanci Griffith ("Ballad of Robin Winter-Smith") and Kelly Willis ("Hole in My Heart"). His song "Baby Ride Easy" was recorded as a duet by Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds as well as by Billie Jo Spears and Del Reeves. For the TV show Christmas On The Road in Montreux in 1984 it was performed by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. He wrote an autobiographic book about his years with Townes Van Zandt and the others mentioned before, called The Gulf Coast Boys. A second book, entitled Pleasures of the High Rhine — A Texas Singer in Exile, was published in February 2012.