03.10.2019
MUSIC FANS FROM THE MILL VALLEY AREA AND FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WILL PROBABLY SHARE MY SADNESS AT THE PASSING OF DEAR JEANIE PATTERSON.
Music fans from the Mill Valley area and friends from around the world will probably share my sadness at the passing of dear Jeanie Patterson.
My memories of “Sweetwater”, her tiny but magical club, go back to my first visit in 1977. I spent very many, sometimes riotous, nights relaxing between Bay Area shows at that address.
For years after, Jeanie would always ask after members of my band and crew, even those who had departed the team and I imagine this is how she was with all of the extended family of musicians and music lovers.
Respecting that she had moved away to quieter, more contemplative life, we kept in occasional touch with letters and calls and despite the unreasonable burdens of sorrow that life brought her, Jeanie was always bright and full of humor and every encouragement in those conversations.
Sweetwater was also the venue for annual shows co-produced by John Goddard, whose record shop, “Village Music” was part research library and part emporium of secret musical knowledge. One of my most vivid recollections was of hearing Howard Tate soaring into an unearthly falsetto just a few small tables away on the tight little bandstand.
I found myself up there on a few occasions, most notably at another “Village Music” party in 1989 at which Nick Lowe and myself were to perform solo only to find that, along with local musical maestro, Austin Delone, Jeanie and John had arranged for James Burton and Jerry Scheff to be there.
Over a long and eventually foggy evening many people took the stage, among them, Commander Cody, Sammy Hagar, Kim Wilson and the great Charles Brown but something of the ragged-but-right spirit can be caught by this clip, late in the evening in which James Burton, Jerry Garcia and I manage some spirited guitar-juggling while attempting not to do too much mischief to a Hank Williams song.
I will always be grateful for this unexpected moment, among so many that Jeanie’s friendship and care for this special venue brought to us all.