Bob and Marie Mann open their home to
performers and fans of cowboy culture
by Lizze Slocum
Pictured: Marie and Bob Mann.
Bob and Marie Mann want to introduce a new audience to Western music through a series of concerts held at their Altadena home.
Not "country and western" music, mind you. To those who frequent the Manns’ events, C&W stands for "Cowboy and Western" music.
This isn’t the fare you’ll hear on your local country and western radio station. “Western music and cowboy poetry,” says Bob, “focus on the traditions of the American West, particularly the rural West. The music and the poetry celebrate the life of the cowboy on the open ranges, as well as traditional and [modern] ranch life, the values, the hazards, the practices and the landscape where that lifestyle takes place.”
Western music was associated with country music because of Billboard magazine’s chart classification system; its connotation as a sub-genre of country music is erroneous. Widely popular in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s, Western music had declined by the 1960s. In more recent years, however, those who love it have stepped forward to promote Western musicians and groups. Well-attended annual events here in the Southland include Santa Clarita’s annual Cowboy Festival and the Big Bear Cowboy Gathering, which the Manns helped sponsor for three years.
Down-home hospitality
After a successful house concert starring Juni Fisher earlier in June, the Manns, through their company Big Hat Promotions, will host four more events this summer. They will feature both returning performers and new friends, including many of the top performers out there. Big Hat’s website, www.bighatonline.com, comprises a calendar of events, information on all the performers, and the background and history of Big Hat Promotions.
The concerts are a labor of love for lifelong Western music fan Bob and his wife Marie, who was “converted” about twenty years ago. “After attending a house concert a few years ago,” Bob says, “Marie and I realized that we could focus our resources on doing the same thing. While many house concert venues ask you bring a food offering and your own beverage, we decided to raise the bar by providing food and beverages for our guests.”
Pictured: Bob Mann introduces Western performer
Juni Fisher at the June 11 house concert.
This Saturday night, June 25, the Manns will present singer/songwriter Gary Allegretto, along with guitarist Ian Espinoza. Allegretto is a renowned harmonica player and blues musician. According to Bob, Gary’s career is three-pronged: regular blues music, Western roots music, and a nonprofit organization called HarmoniKids, which gives harmonicas to special-needs children and teaches them to play simple songs through gentle instruction and encouragement.
The show begins at 7 P.M., with dinner starting at 5:30. This Saturday evening’s fare will likely include pulled pork sandwiches, and as always, wine, beer and cold sodas will be served. The setting is comfortable and relaxed, with seating on the lawn and a deck area that serves as a stage.
A destination for fans and performers
For Saturday, and for all shows, advance reservations are required. They can be made through Big Hat’s website. “In order to continue presenting house concerts,” says Bob, “we rely solely on the donations offered by our guests. That allows us to attract and book top talent and host a memorable event. We make no money hosting these events and are most grateful for the support from our guests. We thoroughly enjoy what we are doing.”
Future performers in the Manns’ backyard this year will be singer Belinda Gail, as well as Cowboy poet and storyteller Gary Robertson. Joining Gary this year will be the talented Cowboy Balladeer Michael Tcherkassky. Also playing this summer will be pianist Dave Bourne and singer/songwriter/guitarist Ray Doyle. Doyle is a longtime member of the popular Cowboy and Western band Wylie & the Wild West. The calendar page on Big Hat’s website contains all the details on these upcoming shows. Most of the performers have their own websites that provide additional information on their careers
Even though they only put on three to five concerts per summer, lately, word has gotten out about Big Hat’s backyard shindigs. “We’ve got some of the top names coming to us now,” says Bob happily. .
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Lizze Slocum is a professional mom and expert laundress and head of the gardening staff in her Pasadena back yard. Her hobbies are writing and copy editing.
