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Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961.

Archive of past events: 2004 through 2014


  Seventh Annual
Redwood Coast Whale & Jazz Festival

Wine & Jazz

Christie Winn & the Lowdowns

Annapolis Winery
Saturday, April 4, 2009

1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Redwood Coast Whale and Jazz Festival logo

Annapolis Winery is a family-owned winery nestled on a sunny hilltop surrounded by the vineyards, orchards and vistas of redwood forests. The views from the winery are breathtaking, especially in the spring when the apple trees and wildflowers are in bloom.

Annapolis Winery The winery's mission statement is, "To Secure Local Fruit Sources and Provide our Customers with the Essence of the Sonoma North Coast."

The aim is to allow the grapes' natural flavors to develop with as little intervention as possible by practicing natural farming techniques, using only organic fertilizers and no pesticides. All of the grapes are hand picked and carefully inspected. No fining agents are used. All their wines are made from locally grown wine grapes to create hand-crafted, ultra-premium wines Personal care and attention go into every bottle. What you taste in the bottle is what is grown in the fields.

For the second year, the Scalabrini family will be offering their wines by the glass and the bottle along with a cheese selection available with wine purchase, or bring your own picnic for enjoying at tables under the blossoms of the antique apple orchard that borders the winery and tasting room.

Golden voiced Bay Area vocalist, keyboardist and melodica player Christie Winn will be accompanied by guitarist Steve Bissinger, bassist Joe Kyle and drummer Jim Bove to enhance your afternoon's enjoyment of this lovely winery setting.

Jazz Artists

Christie Winn & the Lowdowns at Annapolis Winery, 2008 Whale & Jazz Festival
Christie Winn & the Lowdowns at Annapolis Winery
2008 Whale & Jazz Festival

The Lowdowns

The Lowdowns weave a sparse musical tapestry in support of Winn's nuanced vocals. Their first album, "Further Away From Here," was described by one reviewer as "Diced Americana thrown into a simmering vat of thick, swampy jazz." Gabriel Fehrenbach of Suddeutsche Zeitung writes, "As songwriters, Winn and Bissinger have a great feeling for the inner connection between lyrics and melody."

Vocalist/keyboardist Christie Winn and guitarist/producer Steve Bissinger have been writing and performing together for more than eight years. As musicians, Winn and Bissinger are both firmly rooted in jazz, but they share a unique musical vision that infuses country, Latin, soul, Appalachia and a hint of cowboy swagger into their music.

Their soon-to-be-released album "Closer To Home" explores a broad palette of original songs that steer the group more firmly towards jazz while drawing from Brazilian music, pop and blues. "Closer To Home" features some of the best musicians in the Bay Area, including Joe Cohen (tenor sax), Joel Behrman (trumpet and trombone), Geoff Brennan and Daniel Fabricant (acoustic bass), and Eric Garland and Jim Bove (drums). The record was recorded by Cookie Marenco, a five-time Grammy winning producer and recording engineer.

Christie Winn

A veteran of numerous groups, Christie Winn has toured internationally including performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival as well as major Bay Area venues such as the Fillmore, the Great American Music Hall and Yoshi's.

Christie Winn and Steve Bissinger In 1995 she and three other female vocalists formed the a cappella quartet "Jezebelle." "Jezebelle" was signed by Discovery/Warner and released a CD under the band's name. Since that time she has been a highly in demand singer, pianist and arranger in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Steve Bissinger

Steve Bissinger is a guitarist, songwriter and producer who has also worked extensively as a film composer and sound designer. He has been nominated for two Emmy and three Golden Reel Awards for which he won for his work on "Northern Exposure." Recent film credits include "3:10 To Yuma," "Transformers" and "Marie Antoinette." Drawing from his film background he brings a filmic sensibility to the music, incorporating banjo, lap steel guitar and effects in sometimes unusual ways.