* LIMITED SEATING — ADVANCE TICKETS DOUBLE AS CHAIR RESERVATIONS *
Black Sheep Radio and Stage 33 Live welcome back guitar duo John Stowell and Draa Hobbs for a return engagement of world-class jazz — and they’re bringing a special guest or two with them as well. 
After the first time they played the room, Draa wrote, “To say this was a great concert would be an understatement. The audience was wonderful, and [to] work with John Stowell, a true master of the instrument, is a tremendous blessing.”
There will also be a separate musician’s master class on jazz improvisation preceding, limited to a maximum of 10 participants.
John Stowell, based on the West Coast, is influenced as much by pianists and horn players as by guitar players, and his original take on harmony, chords, and improvisation sets him apart. He tours, records, and teaches internationally, and has been a contributing columnist for Downbeat, Guitar Player, Soundcheck (Germany), Guitar Club (Italy), and other influential publications. In 1983, along with David Friesen and Paul and Robin Horn, John toured the Soviet Union in the first American jazz group invited to play public performances in Russia in forty years. The Los Angeles Times says, “Guitarist John Stowell’s style with standards is a delightful departure from the road well traveled. He transcends the label of jazz guitarist.”
Draa Hobbs grew up in Chicago and has made his home in Southern Vermont. He studied with the legendary Jimmy Raney, Attila Zoller, Gene Bertoncini, and Peter Lietch, performing in NYC, Burlington, Maine, and points in-between with notable musicians including Don Friedman, Ron McClure, Eliot Zigmund, and Vic Juris. “It’s rare to find someone so passionate about music that it serves as both their spiritual nourishment and their unfettered gift to others… one of the most respected guitarists and teachers in New England.” — Eugene Uman, Director of the Vermont Jazz Center
The concert begins at 4:00 p.m. at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls; door opens at 3:00 to choose your seats. Admission to the performance is $12 in advance (plus a 57¢ fee charged by the processing service), or $15 at the door. 100% supports the musicians.
The listening event will be recorded and filmed. Your likeness or voice may be incidentally documented; your presence is your permission. 33 Bridge Street is an accessible space.
Preceding the concert there will be an intimate master class for guitarists and other string players seeking to further develop their improvisational skills. Both John and Draa will lead. (“A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline — usually music, but also painting, drama, any of the arts, or on any other occasion where skills are being developed.”) This class is limited to not more than 10 students. Topics covered include melodic and harmonic minor modes, triads, voicings, comping, etc. Attendees will receive follow-up materials. The master class begins at 2:00 PM for $30 in advance (plus a 96¢ fee charged by the processing service), or $35 on the day. 100% supports the teachers.
Presales are now closed. A limited number of chairs are still available for day-of-show walk-ups — first come, first served
IMPORTANT NOTICE OF LIMITED SEATING
Stage 33 Live has seating for 40, because that’s how many chairs we have. We may run out of chairs. Advance tickets double as chair reservations. Reserved chairs will be held until 10 minutes before showtime — don’t be late, you may lose your seat. Reserved chairs aren’t assigned, just reserved; arrive early for your choice. Doors will open at 3:00 for the concert which starts at 4:00. Advance donations/chair reservations through the website will close on the day of show. When all the chairs have been reserved, we will note that here prominently. Advance discounted tickets may still be purchased after all the chairs have been reserved until secondary/standing capacity is reached. If the chairs have already all been reserved, or you didn’t get tickets in advance and want to be safe, you can bring your own seating.
You don’t need a Paypal account to get advance tickets/chair reservations, just a credit or debit card. After completing the transaction, you should be redirected to a “success” page and get an email from Paypal. You’ll also get a confirmation email directly from us within a day or two, assuming you entered a working email address. The name you gave will be on a list at the door. All you have to do is show up.
Presales are now closed. A limited number of chairs are still available for day-of-show walk-ups — first come, first served
33 Bridge Street is a couple blocks toward the river from the intersection of Flat Iron Exchange coffeehouse and Popolo restaurant, which is the only intersection in downtown Bellows Falls. And it’s a T so there’s no way to take a wrong turn. We’re in a brick building on the right on a small rise after the post office and over the little bridge. The most reliable parking is in the free lot on the left — across the street from us, next to the canal.
Stage 33 Live invites the public to listening events that are recorded and filmed for radio, TV, and the internet. It’s a volunteer run nonprofit on a mission to help local and regional talented and knowledgeable people reach wider audiences on multiple platforms. The stage is also open to established performers and presenters, because their participation helps bring attention to others still getting their foot in the door. We aren’t a bar, club, restaurant, or venue with regular hours. We’re also not a plush theater or a state-of-the-art facility. We’re just good folks doing this fine thing — the homegrown love child of Tiny Desk Concerts, TED Talks, Science Friday, Midnight Special, and The Little Rascals. Stage 33 Live allows only original material.
