Bautista at Servino's

Whether it's a crisp chill or warm air from a scorching hot day there's nothing like a clear beautiful evening with a view of San Francisco from the beautiful town of Tiburon and even though I was snotty and polka dottie with a cold two Friday evenings ago BAUTISTA was Hot as a five piece when we played Servino Restaurant and Night Club. We're getting very good as a five piece with Conguero Paul Sonnabend, Hand Percussionist/Timbalero Mark Briseno, Set Drummer Eric Engstrom, Jim Allen laying down smooth Bass lines and yours truly swinging my Smooth Rythyms and cranking out Lead Guitar. We had the joint jumpin'! Looks like BAUTISTA will do some regular dates at Servino!

The only down side of playing the night club scene is the late night hours but it really is so much fun to fit in a tight spot with a group of good players playing some hot Drivin' grooves and the whole place having a great time. It's also a lot of fun when we're playing in the afternoon at crowded festival. I would say that playing as we do is truly a gift.

So with 2008 almost wrapped up BAUTISTA is set to play Maverick Construction's Christmas Party this Friday, December 19. This will be our fifth straight year playing this private party, or is it the sixth? I must be losing it! Pride and Joy will dish out their dancing stuff upstairs while BAUTISTA cranks out some Hot Latin Jazz Fusion Dance music downstairs. Our line for the evening will be Conguero Paul Sonnabend, Hand Percussionist/Timbalero Mark Briseno, Set Drummer Carrie Jahde, new Bass Player Jeff Young, the hot Rythym and Lead Keyboard Playing of David Dykstra and yours truly ripping it up on my Gibson Guitars.

So the economy is in the tank! Get out, enjoy life, dance your troubles away and come alive!

See you soon!

Norman Bautista

BAUTISTA

Latin Jazz Fusion Dance Band

www.BautistaBand.com

BAUTISTA Ferry to Fairfield

It's funny when sometimes, I think the BAUTISTA sound is not as tight, especially when there's a new Drummer and Bass Player, no Keyboardist and folks send me emails telling me they thought the show was over the top. It goes to show how much the BAUTISTA Percussion Section is a strong force that stands out and tied in nicely to the BAUTISTA Rythym Section. Last Saturday we played to Marin Brewery's outdoor diners, our faithful friends and new friends just as the afternoon turned to twlight. I can only call it Magical to see little two, three, five year old children out there dancing when we play in Larkspur and Tiburon. After packing up our musical gear back into our vehilces we sat down for a nice dinner and were home before 10:00. Amazingly fun!
Next up BAUTISTA plays this Saturday, August 16 at 1:00 at the Tomato Festival in downtown Fairfield. This will be either our third or fourth appearance at this festival with Set Drummer Eric Engstrom, Conga Monster Paul Sonnabend, Cool Cat Mark Briseno, bringing Fat Bass lines will be Jim Allen, Dancing his fingers on his Keyboards will be Al Conde and yours truly on my Gibson Guitars so if you up for a Hot BAUTISTA set come over to Fairfield this Saturday.The outlying area is becoming so modern with shopping and stores for anything one would need. Besides playing with my very talented players then next best thing is going to towns right here in the Bay Area and outlying areas that I would not normally go to so it really nice to play!
Right after the Tomato Festival we'll come home, unload my musical gear and head to San Francisco Airport to pick up my Son, Alex then Sunday I'm having a little get together as this old Boy creeps in another...year. Have a great weekend no matter what you do!
Come be with BAUTISTA enjoy Life and dance!
See you soon!

Norman BautistaBAUTISTA
415 713 6084 cell
www.BautistaBand.com

Bautista and the Spirits

When I was ever so much younger my group friends and I used to go up to Mount Tamalpais, look out to San Francisco, Marin, East Bay, all of Northbay and all the down to Southbay and wonder what this view was like 500 years ago. This truly is a beautiful part of the world we live in and today we have so much that has contributed to the beauty of our land. I would like to think the Indians from 500 years ago would be OK with so many people from around the world now calling this place home, what we've done and the talent of art that grown from this mix.
This year I have spent much time on fine tuning the Percussion Section beats, patterns and breaks, working in players in each of the five positions while working on strategies to build the BAUTISTA name. Stepping up and taking on a serious attitude of band leader is like being a company CEO that sees the vision and puts out effort to achieve the planned results. I need a vacation already!
Next up this Saturday, August 9 BAUTISTA is at Larkspur Landing Courtyard so join us as we dance with the ancient spirits and the firey spirits of our friends and celebrate life and living. We'll start at 5:00 with the ever so smooth Peter Warren on Set Drums, my good friend Paul Sonnabend on Congas, the elegant touch of Mark Briseno on Timbales/Hand Percussions, the Fat Fusion Bass lines of Mark Purvis and yours truly on my Gibson Guitars. This is the time and the place to lose yourself in the Latin Jazz Fusion sounds of BAUTISTA.
Check out the BAUTISTA website for upcoming shows!
See you soon!

Norman Bautista
BAUTISTA
www.BautistaBand.com

Bautista at Fort Baker Sat. July 12

The first and only time I was in Antioch before this 4th of July was in 1970 to visit a young lady and in 1970 the world was very rebellious and the music scene was on fire, both of what the world needs today, in my opinion. Historic Downtown Antioch has a great feel with a great mix of nationalities all having a common focus on raising children. Cheerleaders of every age, Boy Scouts and very Cool vintage cars in the parade but just before the parade rolled out BAUTISTA played a solid set of Hot Latin Jazz Fusion as a five piece with Eric Engstrom on Set Drums, the "on Fire" playing of Juan Escovedo on Congas, and the Smoothness of Mark Briseno on Hand Percussions and Timbales. along with Mark Purvis on Fat Bass Lines and yours truly Driving the Rythym and screaming Lead Guitar. Playing all around the Bay Area always has two very nice elements: continuously Performing and visiting different local towns.
Up next BAUTISTA will crank it up right under the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito this Saturday, July 12 at The Presidio Yacht Club which used to be an Officer's Club when Fort Baker was a Military Base. The road to the Presidio Yacht Club is a bit of a twister. Off Alexander Ave turn onto Bunker Road West, right before the tunnel turn right onto Bunker Road East, down to the end and turn right, pass Center Road and turn left on Sommerville Road and go to the end. The building is old but the view of The City is incredible. The last time we played here the evening was calm and clear and the Golden Gate Bridge glimmered like a gigantic jewel against clear night skies.
For the flyer I made for this show I parked on The City side and took pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge with Fort Baker on the other side. Presdio Yacht Club is at the furthest right side of the group of building on the water. What do you think of my flyer making? You can see the top of Fort Point on the bottom of the photo which has been around since the Civil War.
With weather.com forecasting 60 degrees this Saturday evening we should have a nice evening so wind down to Fort Baker in Sausalito as BAUTISTA cranks up Hot Latin Jazz Fusion Dance Music.
See you soon!
Norman BautistaBAUTISTA
www.BautistaBand.com

July 3, 2008: Antioch for 4th of July

Last Friday, as we were loading up my Guitar Rig, the sky was smokey from the all the fires in California along with the fog rolling in and overcast skies but it wasn't too cold in San Rafael but the Temperature dropped down to a chill and the wind was pushing the trees around pretty good as we got into Sausalito which was the opposite from the Friday before when we had beautiful warm weather.
Amazingly there were a few hundred folks in their warm jackets on the grass at Gabrielson park. The stage has an incredible view of the Bay with parts of Marin, East Bay and San Francisco partially covered by Fog and this awesome crowd of music aprreciators as the base of our view. So with Eric Engstrom Driving the Set Drums, Super Syncopated Beats of Conguero Paul Sonnabend, adding Silk to the Percussion Section is Hand Percussionist and Timbalero Mark Briseno, along with Smooth Bass lines from Jim Allen, powering up Keyboard was Al Conde and your truly on my Gibson Guitars, BAUTISTA played a fat one and half hour set.
Something about a crowd of music aprreciators that makes BAUTISTA play tighter and brighter. I could see folks in the back dancing along with a crowd in front of us. It may of been cold but we warmed up in all the chill. I look forward to coming back on Sunnier Day!
Up next BAUTISTA fires it up in downtown Antioch this Friday, celebrating 4th of July. This is an outdoor event along the Waterfront on 2nd and H Street starting at 3:00. The weather is looking good in the upper 70 degrees so if you are near or feel like cruising out to the warmth of Antioch we'll be there playing our Hot Latin Jazz Fusion Dance Music!
See you soon!

Norman BautistaBAUTISTAwww.BautistaBand.com

fri jun 27: Jazz by the Bay Sausalito Gabrielson Park

Usually warm weather brings people out and with last Friday as a roaster of a day the best begins when the day turns into an evening and when we played at Larkspur Landing Courtyard last Friday evening everyone of every age was out for the evening. BAUTISTA started playing some of our cover tunes warm things up then things got going as we got into the Hot second and third sets

WIth new set drummer, Peter Warren and coming back with us, Bass Player Mark Purvis, we went on as a five piece with Conguero Paul Sonnabend and Timbalero Mark Briseno we were drivin' those BAUTISTA Grooves tight and clean. There's nothing like playing tight music with hooked up talented musicians. It was great to see many of friends and make new friends.

Next up, this Friday evening BAUTISTA is playing Jazz by the Bay in Sausalito at Gabrielson Park starting at 6:30 which I heard is a very nice setting. After exceptional practice tonight BAUTISTA Percussion Section will be muscled with Eric Engstrom on Set Drums, Power Conguero Paul Sonnabend and Groovin' Timbalero/Hand Percussionist Mark Briseno, Smooth Bass lines of Jim Allen, Hot Rythym/Lead Keyboard work of Al Conde and yours truly on my Gibson Guitars.

So come celebrate Life and enjoy a nice Friday evening at Gabrielson Park in Sausalito with BAUTISTA.

See you soon,

Norman Bautista
BAUTISTA
www.BautistaBand.com

Italian Street Painting & Larkspur Landing

There's nothing like a beautiful day at a festival and it couldn't of been any better with the bright Sun shining at 73 degrees in downtown San Rafael when we arrived to set up at the Italian Street Painting Festival. It amazes new comers to this event where Artists of every age chalk draw some of the most impressive images along with some very youthful talent who have their own section. With two stages of great music it is truly an event to check out.

Robert Ramierez who has played with BAUTISTA over the years came to play Timbales/Hand Percussions along with Conguero Paul Sonnabend and Set Drummer Eric Engstrom powering up the BAUTISTA Percussion Section while Jim Allen and I gave strong back bone to the Rythym Section at the 4th and A Street Stage. It is so much fun to see so many people attracted to the Percussive Sounds as we play and get them dancing.

Some bands like the big stage but to me it's not so much the stage as it is how hot the band's sound is.

I've been so jammed at the day job that I couldn't write you sooner but here it is Friday already...Yab ba dab a doo! Tonight we're at Larkspur Landing Courtyard at the Gazebo with Peter Warren who is into African Beats, along with Hot Conguero Paul Sonnabend, the ever Smooth Mark Briseno on Timbales and Hand Percussions, back with us is the Fat Bass lines of Mark Purvis and yours truly on my Gibson Guitars.

I'm not much for Hot days like we're going to have today but the evenings are always so perfect so come enjoy a great Friday evening with us as we play at Larkspur Landing and Live Life.

See you soon!

Norman Bautista

BAUTISTA

415 713 6084 cell

www.BautistaBand.com

TibTV VIDEO: Bautista at Tiburon Wine Festival

Tiburon Wine Festival, Blake's on Telegraph

When I was a kid, my brother and I agreed that if we had to choose which way to die by hot heat or super cold that it was fast and hot but being a City Boy who delivered newspapers early in the foggy cold mornings of San Francisco I have my comfort level set at Fog City Cool! I can't stand it when it's hot but "Barn Burner" are the words that came to mind as I made it through the scorching heat of last Thursday and Friday. Checking with our weather watchers Saturday was pegged to be Cooler. I had my Cool San Francisco fingers crossed hoping so!

With longtime friend, John Markland, running around setting the Sound System, Carrie Jahde setting up her Set Drums and Mark Briseno, with his Lovely wife Cindy, setting up his Timbales, the timing was almost syncronized as Keyboardist Al Conde, Bassist Jim Allen pulled up as Diane and I arrived to the Tiburon Wine Festival. My good friend Conguero Paul Sonnabend arrives in excellent time to set up his four Drums and mic system and BAUTISTA is set for the show. The air was crisp and positive and I knew this day was in need of some serious upbeat music.

The view of The City, Angel Island and the Sailboats on Bay was crystal clear, the Sun was on the warm side of perfect and the brightness made for an exciting setting. The downtown intersection of Tiburon was a hustle and bustle of people out on the street and inside the Tiburon Wine Festival and BAUTISTA breaks out into "Easy Life" and plays an hour set. We look at each other and Oh Yeah they like it! Diane and I took 15 minutes to check out the incredible food and wine.

The second set was so hooked up starting with "In my Life" into the Instrumentals of "Sudden Samba" and "Golden Hours" that has a Percussion Groove/Solo part of the tune and this group of every nationality from African-Americans, European-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latin-American all so sophisticated in their Summer clothes and being their Hip stylish selves danced forming a circle in the middle then they took turns dancing in the middle shaking their stuff. It was so much fun! Those BAUTISTA beats bring out the Jungle in all these modern Hipsters!

Next up is an incredible show with the brief return of long time BAUTISTA Keyboardist David Dykstra, joining Bassman Jim Allen and me to power up the BAUTISTA Rythym Section and the BAUTISTA Percussion Section charged with Eric Engstrom on Set Drums, Conguero Paul Sonnabend and Timbalero/Hand Percussionist when we play our first date at Blake's on Telegraph on Friday, May 30. With opener Band Los Valenberg.

So let's make a date to meet at Blake's on Telegraph on Friday, May 30 at 8:30 and make like we're on a South Pacific Island and forget about it!

See you soon!

Norman Bautista

BAUTISTA

www.BautistaBand.com

Bautista Goes Wide

t was a mystery of where we were going to play at The Cantina in Mill Valley and it turn out to be one very tight space but the BAUTISTA bandmates always make due, accomodate, fit in and had a great evening with friends and new comers to the BAUTISTA sound. Looks like we'll back once they offically become Maria Maria.

After a night's sleep we had some new tires put on and drove up to Redding for two concert shows with Fern Mountain Productions. The first in the town of Anderson where BAUTISTA Timbales/Hand Percussionist Mark Briseno's family came down from Oregon to join us and the next day, Sunday in the town of Redding for an afternoon concert. Breakfast SUnday morning with band members was very nice. Diane and I were blown away with the large size and large number of Moths flying all around. Never saw anything like that before. From the restaurant we could see snow peak mountains. I don't remember Redding being such a beautiful place.

After a three hour and fifteen minute cruise back home we made it home by 11:15 pm and I was back on the work grind first thing Monday morning. After a very busy day I felt a little of the drain from the weekend, came home, changed my clothes, and we cruised to the Sausalito Yacht Club and played a Cinco de Mayo show, back home to unload and back to the grind Tuesday morning. Hey, now I know I can handle a tour! I know BAUTISTA bandmates would be into it!

Next up we are at the Tiburon Wine Festival on Saturday, May 17 but I heard it was sold out so if you have plans on coming over please check with the Tiburon Chamber of Commerce. BAUTISTA goes on for the duration of the event from 1:00 to 4:00. Then from there we've made plans with Blake's on Telegraph in Berkeley on Friday, May 30 for an evening show. Come check it out. It's very close to the UC Berkeley so we'll show them college goers how we groove!

BAUTISTA has some great shows at great places this year so please check out the BAUTISTA website and join us for a day in the Sun or an evening with the Stars and the Moon to shake off some of the stress of living life in this wonderful place we live in. Come be with BAUTISTA.

See you soon!

Norman Bautista

BAUTISTA

www.BautistaBand.com

Newsletter April 30, 2008

Packing up the musical gear at home it was nice and warm in San Rafael and when we arrived in Tiburon we could hear then see Servino, Sam's and other restaurant's were packed with people enjoying the view while having something to eat with a few drinks with Sun shining down the Bay waters all the way to San Francisco and around Angel Island. It was an incredible setting where we set up on the main deck to play for the Corinthian Yacht Club members who were gearing up for the big Opening Day on the Bay launch. These are fun lovin' party folks too. They'd run down to their boats, come back up, dance, go into the bar, back out to dance. But then the Sun started going down and that trusty Cool Bay breeze swarmed around the club and even the BAUTISTA Ladies bugged out on us. Looks like some of these Boat folks want BAUTISTA for their private parties.


Next up we have totally exciting weekend. This Friday BAUTISTA plays Carlos Santana's The Cantina in Mill Valley. We have new players Conguero Mike Lyons from Oakland, and long time friend from Redwood High School Tom Atkin on Keyboard along with Lady Drummer Carrie Jadhe, Super Smooth Bass lines from Jim Allen and Timbalero/Cowbells/Hand Percussions of Mark Briseno.
Then Saturday we're heading up to be with the friendly folks of Redding, California where we'll play a show Saturday evening, May 3 and an afternoon show on Sunday May 4. This is an incredible event that Fern Mountain Productions is putting on to help put a kid through college for a year. These folks are so incredible to do this and we're proud to be part of the event. If you're into cruising up go to their website http://www.fernmountainproductions.com/ buy tickets and join us for a great cause. I've attached the radio spot they are putting on 94 times from the beginning of this weekend to the start of the show Saturday evening. Can you hear the radio spot?

We'll end the weekend with a Cinco de Mayo show Monday, May 5th (of course) at the Sausalito Yacht Club and help our Sausalito Boat folks dance and celebrate. I'll probably need to go on vacation from working so hard! Soon!
So come down to The Cantina, up to Redding for a great cause and dance off the age creaks and break away from the grind of the work life and be with BAUTISTA.
See you soon!
Play Fern Mountain Radio Ad (hosted by TibTV)