Concert
Alan James Band
Fri–Sat, Sep 12–13, 9pm
El Viejo Topo 
Stirling Dickinson 28
175 pesos
Reservations: 154-8701

Alan James Hutchinson and friends, collectively knows as the Alan James Band, hit the stage this weekend at El Viejo Topo with their skillful mix of blues, rock, folk, funk and many other musical styles. Hutchinson has shared billings with Jefferson Starship, Joan Jett, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Michael Bolton, Marshall Tucker and Rick Derringer and has performed with blues legends such as Willie (Big Eyes) Smith and bassist Kenny Kinsey, son of Big Daddy Kinsey. Two new discs, Back Alley Blues and Open Road, have recently been released.

As a special guest, Scott Mason, a pro drummer from San Francisco who has played with Chris Isaak and participated as a musician in the film Garfield will join the band these two nights.

Gypsy in my soul
By Dick Avery

Concert 
Javier “Gitano” Estrada
Gypsy guitar and voice 
Fri, Sep 19, 7pm 
Sala Quetzal
Biblioteca Pública
Reloj 50A
100 pesos

Javier Estrada is a native of San Miguel de Allende, via the ancient gypsy family of Montoya, originally from Cordova, Spain. By the time he was nine years old, he had heard many great gypsy flamenco guitar players and knew he was destined to follow in their footsteps. He implored his grandmother to get him a guitar, so she took him to a local pawnshop, bought one for him, and he never looked back!

Largely self-taught, he struggled. Impatient that expertise didn’t come quickly, he destroyed several instruments before settling down with formal lessons in Mexico City. After spending a time there, he toured the US, studying and looking for other players with similar musical interests, ultimately returning to Mexico City to launch his career.







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