HAAM BENEFIT DAY

Alliance fundraiser ensures musicians will be fit to fiddle

All over town, good music for good health in musicians' benefit

By Michael Corcoran
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, October 01, 2007

What an incredible day for the Austin music community. The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, which provides access to low-cost health care and free dental services to more than 900 uninsured musician members (up from 660 last year), is hosting its annual Benefit Day on Tuesday. More than 170 local businesses — clubs, restaurants, boutiques, coffee shops, grocery stores and more — have pledged to donate at least 5 percent of Tuesday's proceeds to the alliance, which raised $107,000 last year from Benefit Day.

All musicians donate their services to the alliance, a partnership between Seton Family of Hospitals (primary medical care), St. David's Community Health Foundation (basic dental care) and the SIMS Foundation (mental-health counseling). Most of the shows are free, with receptacles for donations. Here are some highlights of this second annual "only in Austin" event, with music happening all over town, all day long. Click here for a full schedule of shows. Here's a sampling:

Abi Tapia (11 a.m. at City Hall, 301 W. Second St.) Charming, adventurous singer-songwriter whose 2005 album "One Foot Out the Door" showed miles of promise.

Patricia Vonne and Bobby LaRoche (noon in the courtyard of the IBC Bank at 816 Congress Ave.) Sultry, sexy salsa blues vixen and her hubby play songs from her new "Firebird" LP.

Brian Keane and Rachel Loy (12:30 p.m. at Whole Foods Cafe). Keane's one of the best singer-songwriters in town, with smooth skill to obscure oft-biting lyrics. Catch him and his gal Ra-Loy before they motor off to Nashville.

Wendy Colonna (4:30 p.m. at Kula Yoga, 2415 Exposition Blvd.) The new Toni Price? This Louisiana transplant sure sounds like it on her fine "Old New Borrowed & Blues: Live At Antone's"record.

The Greyhounds, Vallejo, Joe King Carrasco, Mario Matteoli and more(5:30 p.m. at Fifth and Trinity streets outdoor stage). Everything from funk and blues to hard rock and Tex-Mex — and that's just Vallejo. Gonna be a party, y'all.

Jimmy LaFave (5:30 p.m. at Whole Foods Plaza). The new "Cimarron Manifesto" is his most all-round terrific album to date. And it's not like his previous records were any slouches. He's got the voice that'll melt a hockey goon's cold heart.

Gary P. Nunn, Barbara K, Greezy Wheels, Idgy Vaughn and more (7 p.m. at Threadgill's World Headquarters). My future's so bright, I wanna go home with the armadillo. There are no fillers in this lineup.

Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Marcia Ball and more(7 p.m. at Antone's, 213 W. Fifth St.) In Perkins and Sumlin, you've got veritable blues royalty — two members of Muddy Waters' and Howlin' Wolf's greatest bands. As if that weren't enough, here comes Ball, Derek O'Brien and all the other fine players who keep the spirit of old Antone's alive.

Kacy Crowley (7 p.m. at Waterloo Ice House, 600 N. Lamar Blvd.) If you've never seen this engaging singer-songwriter solo and acoustic, you're in for a treat.

Mother Truckers (7:30 p.m. at Triangle Park, 4800 Guadalupe St.) The country/pop/rock/blues of Teal Collins and Josh Zee doesn't seem to get old to the regulars who never miss a Thursday happy hour at the Continental. With a new record label and a host of new songs, this band just keeps on chooglin'.

Two Hoots and A Holler, Carolyn Wonderland (7:30 p.m. at Guero's, 1412 S. Congress Ave.) A good night for super-gifted musicians not interested in chasing the trends. Two Hoots' Ricky Broussard and Wonderland are two of the most spectacularly instinctive guitarists in town. And they've personally benefited from the alliance's services.

Erik Hokkanen (9 p.m. at Flipnotics, 1510 Barton Springs Road.) A master of all stringed instruments; throw this talent a tennis racket and he'll be hammering out "Orange Blossom Special" within minutes.

Dave Insley (9 p.m. Hill's Cafe, 4700 S. Congress Ave.) He moved from Arizona to Austin because audiences here know there's more to Ray Price than "Danny Boy." Insley's "Here With You Tonight" was one of the best local releases of 2006 because it didn't sound local.

Ephraim Owens Experience (10 p.m. Continental Club Gallery, 1315 S. Congress Ave.). Everybody's favorite young trumpet player goes way beyond jazz to sweeten every sound that's thrown his way. You never know who's going to sit in, but you do know it'll be tight.