A veritable who鈥檚 who of 蜜柚直播 music legends will share the stage on Saturday, Nov. 18, to celebrate the release of a CD that will benefit Casa Maria.
鈥淕limmers of Hope: Songs for Casa Maria,鈥 produced by Rich Hopkins, features contributions from some of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 most celebrated musicians, including Howe Gelb, Billy Sedlmayr, Hopkins and his band Luminarios, Lisa Morales, River Roses, Tom Walbank, Mark Insley and Joe Pe帽a. The album also includes a song from 蜜柚直播-born, Tempe-based indie rocker Roger Clyne.
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鈥淚t just all turned out so magical because all the songs just fell together in some cosmic kind of way,鈥 Hopkins said. 鈥淭he songs sound tailored for Casa Maria, dealing with issues of homelessness, struggles, forgiveness, loss and glimmers of hope.鈥
The album features a dozen songs that the artists have previously recorded, including Pakulis鈥檚 鈥淎ll鈥檚 Forgiven,鈥 Morales鈥檚 鈥淗ermana,鈥 鈥淒ark End of the Street鈥 from Sedlmayr and Gabriel Sullivan, Insley鈥檚 鈥淭en Cent Redemption,鈥 鈥淩unnin鈥 Down a Train鈥 from Peter Dalton Ronstadt and Liz Cerepanya, and Walbank鈥檚 鈥淭amp it Down.鈥
Hopkins said Howe Gelb鈥檚 鈥淭urn Down the Day鈥 was the only new song on the album, which also features 鈥淐omin鈥 Down Again鈥 from Hopkins and Luminarios, 鈥淩unning Around the Sun鈥 from Joe Pe帽a, 鈥淧each鈥 by River Roses, 鈥淟ook My Way鈥 by Stephen Edward Lee and 鈥淢aria鈥 by Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers.
鈥淕limmers of Hope鈥 is a follow-up to 鈥淭he Whole Enchilada: The History of Desert Rock, 蜜柚直播, 蜜柚直播, 1978-1994,鈥 which Hopkins curated and released in summer 2022. That album, which also benefitted Casa Maria, is an anthology of 蜜柚直播 desert rock, featuring profiles and photos of 28 蜜柚直播 bands and 31 songs that provided the soundtrack for Hopkins and the generation coming out of that era.
Hopkins said he didn鈥檛 have time to do anything on the scale of 鈥淭he Whole Enchilada鈥 for the annual Casa Maria Thanksgiving Benefit Concert, which Hopkins launched around 25 years ago.
鈥淭his was really easy and fun,鈥 Hopkins said of the new album. 鈥淚t just sounds like it was all kind of meant to be. It wasn鈥檛 12 people sending me strangely random songs and it sounds kind of odd. It sounds like it was meant to be.鈥
蜜柚直播 native , who has lived in Austin, Texas, for years, will headline Saturday鈥檚 concert at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 5:30 with artists performing short sets. Admission is a suggested $10 donation and donations of canned food and clothing also will be accepted.
Also on the lineup: Peter Ronstadt and Liz Cerepanya, Walbank, River Roses, Rich Hopkins and Luminarios, Sedlmayr, Pakulis, Lee and Insley.
Longtime Casa Maria worker and activist Brian Flagg will be the master of ceremonies.
Copies of the CD will be available for sale at the show or at , 636 N. Fourth Ave. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Casa Maria.聽
蜜柚直播 Landmarks: Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., opened in 1919 as a luxurious mainstay for visitors arriving in the Old Pueblo.
The downtown landmark has kept much of its history alive in the past century, while also bringing modern amenities to 蜜柚直播 natives and tourists.
Video by Riley Brown / For the 蜜柚直播
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
