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- December 26th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Happy Holidays
Wishing you much love and happiness during this holiday season! peace & gratitude, DeborahIf you're in the Bay Area I've a few end of the year performances. Come say hello and raise a glass:Wedne…
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Read.Eat.Listen: Blues
"Blues a healer, all over the world Blues a healer, healer, all over the world, all over the world It healed me, it can heal you" —John Lee Hooker, The HealerI ended up singing the blues on Chri…
- December 21st, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Circle Singing: Annual Sing for Your Life
The annual Sing for Your Life event in Oakland is one of my favorite events of the holidays. I happened upon 'circle singing' when I first returned to the Bay Area years ago, a form of a capella voca…
- December 18th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Read.Eat.Listen: ode to flight
flight 1 (flt)n.1.a. The motion of an object in or through a medium, especially through the earth's atmosphere or through space.2. a. The act or process of flying through the air by means of wings.…
- December 16th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
The Great Idea Tour 2010
I've teamed up with my songwriter friend and fellow yogini Jean Mazzei for a March tour through the southwest that we've called The Great Idea 2010. Given the dual hats we were as dedicated yoga prac…
- December 11th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Read.Eat.Listen Ode to Cold
I've been freezing my arse off all week here in San Francisco. But what do you do? So rather than resist, I'm dealing with the cold, living in fleece, and re-remembering what the rest of the country…
- December 9th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Crooks/Walsh Blues @ Angelica\'s, Redwood City 12/12
Crooks/Walsh Blues, aka me and Alex Walsh play Angelica's Bistro this Saturday, December 12 at 6pm. Dinner seating starts at 5pm"Angelicas Entertainment is a rare venue that offers a wonderful bohemia…
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Community continued: Cowrites
I like to cowrite songs. It gets me out of my head— and often genre—and there's always something new to learn. I had an especially rewarding cowrite this year with songwriter friends Alex Walsh, J…
- December 7th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Whose Opinion Matters
idea Pronunciation: \ī-ˈdē-ə, -ˈdēə also ˈī-(ˌ)dē-ə or ˈī-dē\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, from Greek, from idein to see — more at wit Date: 14th century…
- December 5th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Read.Eat.Listen: Ode to Trees
I've been thinking about trees and firewood all week. Not because of Tiger Woods (though he of course entered the consciousness), or because fellow songwriter Grace Woods had her Cd release this week…
- December 2nd, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Friday Festivities
I will be doing a Hayes Valley/Monterey one-two on Friday, December 4. Early @6 the Hayes Valley Block Party & later @10 at Jose's Underground Lounge in Monterey. Both should be super fun.Hayes Va…
- November 28th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Read.Eat.Listen: Ode to Community
A sense of connection, and sense of community is never clearly illuminated as it is over the holidays. So I've been thinking a lot about community, what it is, what it can be, ideals and failings, and…
- November 25th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Happy Thanksgiving
I'm not 'going home' or taking a plane anywhere for Thanksgiving. With siblings scattered about if not necessarily far and wide, the day is about friends and local community this year...and as always,…
- November 19th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Grace Woods: On the busines of creating
Equal parts jazz singer and pop stylist, vocalist/musician Grace Woods has found a way to keep the passion of creation going while maintaining a quality that can be all too rare in an artist: realism.…
- November 16th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Read.Eat.Listen: ode to small
My friend (& violin player) Yoon-Ki and her husband Koji just welcomed a new little baby. Shin'iji came in the world much earlier than expected and was less than 5lbs when he was born. I visited h…
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
First pink, then green?
I did a wee bit of tabling on Sunday for Code Pink, the women-led grassroots peace & social justice movement, who were among the many exhibitors at the Green Festival. The Green Festival was a hal…
- November 8th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Beautiful Music: Blue Rabbit’s Gloriously Indie Muse
Past calling the band “indie,” San Francisco's Blue Rabbit defies easy categorization. Notable for its use of multi-part harmonies and keys, violin, cello, Celtic Harp and an uncanny ability to wr…
- November 7th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Dreaming Big
The beach makes me happy. Today, Ocean Beach was wild and windy with waves breaking 'triple overhead," according to a tired para-sail boarder who was filling me in on the sport (I've yet to try it). L…
- November 6th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Read.Eat.Listen: Ode to Slow
This is the debut post of what will be an ongoing Friday post called "Read.Eat.Listen" @ the Bird in the Tree blog"When someone screams at me to hurry up, I slow down." Mario Lemieux I haven't fully…
- November 1st, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Cable Vision: Halloween in SF
Arriving back in the Bay Area a couple of hours after a cable snapped on the Bay Bridge set the tone for a week of snafus. Friday, an unfortunate oil spill on the Bay compounded by the closed bridge a…
- October 29th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
A note on apple season
I guess if you're raised across the street from an apple orchard, you can't help but feel at home in apple season. I don't miss crop dusters (this was the 70s remember) cruising low over my roof, but…
- October 28th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Following muses: Keeping At It
The night I got into New York, I played at Café Vivaldi with Alyson Greenfield, a show attended by our mutual friends and fellow songwriters Jennifer Richman and Allison Tartalia. Jennifer, Allison a…
- October 27th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Ready for Takeoff: Rick & Aireene\'s Ten Ton Feather
Composing and performing on guitar and ukulele, Rick di Dia and Aireene Espiritu 's songwriting is a prime example of good music finding it's way to appreciative ears by virtue of its integrity. Afte…
- October 23rd, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
New York Postcard: Punch drunk Northern Spies
A week plus in NYC always kicks my ass in a good way: Closing out bars after midnight (This a view from the door of Banjo Jim's), soaking up music CMJ showcases from a gazillion other artists, procuri…
- October 22nd, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Everyone has something to sing..
The sheer number of bands loading in and setting up and rolling for CMJ is somewhat boggling. I've seen a bunch of great acts the past few days without trying too hard including sets I liked more tha…
- October 21st, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Jailbreakers: John Forté & My Jerusalam
I don't live so differently in NY than I do at home, which a friend in SF kindly reminded me. But you know, it's New York, and everything's a cut above. I 'accidently' am here during CMJ while I haven…
- October 20th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
On time: LitCrawling, river mulling
Saturday night, I watched my friend Karen Hildebrand read at the Three Rooms Press set at ArtZone461 San Francisco's Litcrawl before I got on a plane to her city, New York to play and generally get…
- October 19th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Alyson Greenfield\'s Sonic Paradise
When I met Alyson Greenfield at the recent Indiegirl Music I was immediately struck by her enthusiasm: for playing music, for people, for everything. It's no surprise that she approaches crafting song…
- October 16th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Songwriter October: SF x NYC
While I've been rehearsing the band for shows and recording next month, October is the month of acoustic duo/solo performances. Tonight I'm at Ronnie Cato's ongoing songwriter showcase at the Red Vic…
- October 15th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Blog Action Day: Share the road, clear the sky
RE: Blog Action Day: Climate Change"Within the United States, transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions after electricity generation." — U.S. Department of Transportat…
- October 13th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Preparing for winter
Playing shows and touring is a great way to catch up with friends & family as more often than not that's where you're staying after the shows. Such was the case this sunny fall weekend, playing in…
- October 7th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Go Girls Music Fest-SF Nov. 17
Mark your calendar for November 17, when I'm part of a swell line-up of San Francisco artists playing GoGirls Music Fest SF at Cafe Du Nord. The GoGirls MusicFest is celebrating its 10th anniversary t…
- October 5th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Music Masters @ Work: Hardly Strictly Etc.
I heard a glut of greatness in the musical department during the past week, Boz Scaggs & his "Blue Velvet Band" an all-star group comprised of James Cotton, Austin de Lone, Nick Lowe, Buddy Miller…
- October 3rd, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Inside & out of the box with *bernadette*
Musician, visionary artist and community organizer *bernadette* is truly living her bliss. Founder of a thriving artist community, live and workspace, The Box Factory, in the heart of the Mission Dist…
- September 30th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Dianne Nola's Bluesy Soundscape
Singer/songwriter Dianne Nola is one of those low-key San Francisco artistic gems. While she doesn't push to gig at every opportunity, she can blow an audience away with her powerful, heartfelt blues…
- September 28th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Gibbous Moon: David Brower, No Impact, No Name & Indie Artists
It's a foggy Monday in SF after a warm, sunny busy gibbous moon over the bay weekend. Friday and Saturday were taken up with the Expo for the Independent Artist & symposium, paired events that ser…
- September 21st, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Art Dreaming
On the way to a friend's party Friday I was flipping through the Open Studio schedule for October which is unbelievable full. I picked out several that caught my eye that I might actually attend. Ami…
- September 17th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
BonTaj in Oakland
I attended the Oakland leg of the BonTaj Roulet tour featuring Bonnie Raitt & Taj Mahal last night, as the two modern blues masters put down at Oakland's The Paramount Theater. Featuring a set eac…
- September 14th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Twestivaling
A lot of the weekend was taken up with Twestival Local, a simultaneous benefit which found cities around the globe using Twitter to organize & fund raise to support a local cause. I helped with s…
- September 12th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Randoms: tour lag & lightning in San Francisco
"Electricity is really just organized lightning." —George CarlinLightning in California surprises me. On the coast of California, (mid-coast though some would call it North here in San Francisco),…
- September 8th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
No Title
And with that a goodnight. TheIndie Abundance™ crew @ Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA 9/7/09. Thanks everyone for getting the show on the road.
- September 7th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Touring Daze: Northwest x Indie Abundance
I like touring because I enjoy getting up and going and the opportunity to play every night. This doesn't mean I don't get completely addled but in general, the adventure is worth it. During this run…
- September 2nd, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Indie Abundance Tour Kicks off @ El Rio
Can you say we had fun? The Indie Abundance Tour featuring Chantelle Tibbs, Emily Bonny and myself hits the road tomorrow for the run of shows in the Northwest. Hope you can join in.
- September 1st, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Randoms & Quotables: Filling my pocket of wisdom
"They say a peaceful mind makes a peaceful man. A peaceful man makes a peaceful family. A peaceful family makes a peaceful village. A peaceful village makes a peaceful country. A peaceful country make…
- August 29th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
A Visit to Pirate Cat Radio & Talking W/Women's Radio
It's been a week of radio. Yesterday, I was at Pirate Cat Radio with tour mate Chantelle Tibbs to play and talk about Indie Abundance with host Diamond Dave. Earlier in the week, I did an interview wi…
- August 25th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Twitter in action: gathering together, helping out @ Twestival
Amid readying for the Indie Abundance™ Tour that starts next week, I've been helping with some of the organizational logistics for the Western US participants in the second iteration of Twestival, a…
- August 23rd, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Living on the road, my friend
The shows this past week — in Fairfax, Salinas and at the IndieGrrl Conference in Nashville — have kicked off what looks like to be a run of living out of a suitcase. It's been fun and has let to…
- August 17th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
My Life of Pie: the SXSW chapter
I have a lifelong love of actual fruit pie. I grew up making them, I eat a lot of it for breakfast on the road and consider it equal parts, comfort, art and nutrition. So when when LA musician Patrick…
- August 14th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
Gap Born to Play Live! In Salinas, 8/20
I'm excited to be a part of the Gap Born to Play live event on August 20.On August 20, 2009, every Gap store in the U.S. and Canada will host an exclusive, live acoustic music night to 'celebrate Gap…
- August 4th, 2009
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DeborahCrooks has posted a new entry on: Bird in the Tree
National Night Out Against Crime, plus some Radio
I'll be playing some tunes with my Crooks/Walsh Blues collaborator, Alex Walsh, this evening in Hayes Valley as part of the San Francisco chapter of National Night Out Against Crime. I believe it's t…
