Live Acoustic Venue Association (LAVA) is a non-profit organization that connects musicians with appreciative audiences in and around Tucson, Arizona. We are a small group of volunteers dedicated to bringing high quality live music to comfortable, listening room settings. If you would like to receive our newsletter, click here. Your information will be used only to communicate information about our events and will not be sold or distributed in any way.

Music on the Mountain - Photo by Bob Block

LAVA produces the Music on the Mountain concert series in Summerhaven on Mt. Lemmon every Sunday afternoon from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. This wonderful concert series sponsored by Mesquite Homes takes place under a big tent and features many of Tucson's top bands.

LAVA hosts concerts most Saturday nights in the spring and fall at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, located at 2450 S. Kolb Road in Tucson, just north of Golf Links on the west side of the street. This beautiful sanctuary seats 250 in a comfortable setting with cushioned seats and pristine acoustics.

Abounding Grace Sanctuary - Photo by Bob Block

Civano Neighborhood Center - Photo by Bob Block

We also host a spring concert series in the courtyard of the Civano Neighborhood Center located at 10501 E. Seven Generations Way, about 1/2 mile south of Irvington and one block east of Houghton on the southeast side of Tucson. These are relaxing "bring your lawn chair" concerts in a beautiful community courtyard. There is a $5 suggested donation for the Civano shows, and you are welcome to bring a picnic dinner, so it's a great way to enjoy a reasonably priced night out while listening to some of Tucson's best live music!

LAVA Music Schedule

Sunday, September 5 - LAVA Music presents Music on the Mountain featuring Chuck Wagon and the Wheelchairs - 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Outdoor concert in Summerhaven on Mt. Lemmon, sponsored by Mesquite Homes. Music on the Mountain takes place under a big tent located at 12901 N. Sabino Canyon Parkway, on your right as you enter Summerhaven. Admission is free...just bring a lawn chair! No outside food or drinks please. Popular fun-loving, irreverent band who put the swing into country back in the late 70's and early 80's, Chuck Wagon and the Wheels, are back at it again! Chuck will be up on Mt. Lemmon with some old wheels and some new friends. You can listen to 24 of Chuck Wagon and his Old Band's old songs at CD Baby. Disclaimer: Chuck's band may be listed under a different name on their website. These guys change their band name more often than they change their underwear. But rest assured that no matter what they call themselves, they're sure to deliver a fun-filled performance. If you don't like having fun, well, this probably isn't the show for you!

Chuck Wagon and the Wheelchairs with Brad Fritz - Photo by Bob Block

Redhouse Family Jazz Band - Photo by Janise Witt

Saturday, September 11 The Redhouse Family Jazz Band will perform in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Abounding Grace is located at 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links. Admission to this special show is $15. RSVP recommended via email to Bonnie. The Redhouse Family Jazz Band "RFJB" is Arizona's Native American First Family of Jazz which consists of six musically talented siblings, who are members of the Dine' (Navajo tribe), are part Filipino, and are the four sons and two daughters of Rex and Maria Redhouse. Among this award-winning family are musicians, composers, vocalists, Native dancers/performers, artisans and four Native flutists; some of whom are Grammy Nominees and Native American Music Award "NAMMY" recipients. Together, they create an intensely vibrant and soulful music influenced by straight-ahead, latin, fusion and contemporary jazz; as well as R & B, funk, folk and traditional Native American sounds and spirituality as featured on their URBAN INDIAN cd, on Canyon Records.

Mary Redhouse, a versatile jazz vocalist with a 5-octave vocal range, plays electric bass, Native American flute, and guitar. She is a Tucson Weekly "1995 Best Performing Artist", a "NAMMY" recipient, and a 2005 Grammy Nominee for the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet's "People of Peace" cd. She works with Will Clipman, William Eaton Ensemble, Ananeah, Larry Redhouse, Amber Norgaard and "RFJB". She has worked with saxophonist Oliver Lake and guitarists Joshua Breakstone and Mitch Chmara. Mary teaches General Music (Preschool to grade 8) and Beginning Spanish (Preschool to grade 3) at San Xavier Mission Indian School and St. Joseph Catholic School. Charlotte Redhouse Tividad is a singer/songwriter and a visual artist. When performing with The Redhouse Family Jazz Band, Charlotte adds lead and backing vocals and plays percussion. She also performs with the family's Native dance group, The Redhouse Dancers. Charlotte can be heard on the family's Canyon Records recording "Urban Indian" and also on two SOAR recordings with brother Vince Redhouse "Faith in the House" and "Indian Summer". Since moving to Tucson AZ in 1999, Vince Redhouse has recorded and released 6 CDs, two of which were GRAMMY nominated in 2003. Most recently Vince has written a book for the Traditional Native Flute that enables one to play the wooden flute chromatically and is teaching American Indian students on Reservations this method. For these students the recorder/clarinet has been replaced with the Native American Flute for their music education. They learn to read music, improvise, express themselves and play Tribal songs on their cultural instrument. Vince is currently working on an advanced book for the Native Flute which will have Classical pieces as well as transcribed Jazz solos by Bob Mintzer and Pat Metheny. In addition to Native flute, Vince also sings and plays tenor-sax and guitar. From his youth, Tony Redhouse was inspired to Hoop dance to his Navajo father's traditional drum beat. As a teen he became passionate about playing the Conga drums after he was exposed to Afro-Cuban drumming by artists like Mongo Santamaria and Santana. This fusion of diverse ethnic drumming styles created the eclectic and provocative performances that Tony shares live and in the studio. One audience member likened him to a Native American "Airto Moreira". Mr. Redhouse has performed with Seal's "Game of Chants" Band, the late Vince Welnick of the Grateful Dead, and various music ensembles from Kirtan to Salsa. Currently he performs his spiritual music for The Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers' Gatherings and facilitates Group Healing Meditations and offers One-to-one sessions. Tony Redhouse recently won the "Best New Age" NAMMY for his solo CD "Deep Within". He has also won a "Best New Age" NAMMY for the CD "Maze" which he recorded as a trio with Tree Cody and Rob Wallace and a "Best World Music" NAMMY for the CD "Native Flamenco" that he recorded as a trio with Ruben Romero and Tree Cody. Lenny Redhouse has studied with Alan Dawson in Boston, and has played extensively throughout the East Coast. He sites Buddy Rich, Tony Williams, Vinnie Caliuata, Dennis Chambers and Jack De Johnette as major musical influences. Lenny has played with various jazz groups in the Tucson area since the 70's, including the Larry Redhouse Trio and the Redhouse Family Jazz Band. Lenny also realizes the importance of his Din´ heritage and he is a recognized Grass Dancer and Hoop Dancer in his community. The youngest of the Redhouse siblings, Larry Redhouse was influenced by many musical styles growing up in the Bay area ranging from: Tower of Power; Santana; Malo; Cold Blood; Miles Davis; Herbie Hancock; Keith Jarrett and Weather Report, to name a few. Larry, a self taught jazz pianist, has led and been in various jazz groups from the 70's until now. He began performing with his siblings the Redhouse Band at age 9. He composed 6 of the 9 titles on "Urban Indian" The Redhouse Family's debut cd. Larry also performs with The Larry Redhouse Trio, emphasizing, originals, improvisation and fresh interpretations of jazz standards. Larry has self produced two cds, "Live at Westwardlook" and" Spirit Progression". Some of the places Larry Redhouse has performed are: the Kennedy Center Jazz Club Washington DC, the Smithsonian Washington DC, and the Grenoble Jazz Festival, Grenoble France.

Saturday, September 18 - LAVA Music is proud to present Duo Sonora: Gabriel Ayala & Will Clipman in their Passion, Fire & Grace CD Release Concert. Duo Sonora features Native American classical guitarist, Gabriel Ayala, and Grammy-nominated percussionist extraordinaire, Will Clipman. Gabriel Ayala and Will Clipman will perform in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb Rd., from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Duo Sonora is a convergence of cultures and musical genres resulting in a sound much larger than the term duo suggests. Incorporating classical guitar flavored with Native American, tango, flamenco, and jazz influences, and a pan-global palette of percussive rhythm and texture, Duo Sonora can truly be described as contemporary world music. Recognized individually as two of the label’s elite artists, Ayala and Clipman convene a summit meeting of two master musicians at the height of their creative powers on their debut Duo Sonora CD, "Passion, Fire & Grace" for Canyon Records, the world’s preeminent producer and distributor of Native American music. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Please arrive early for best seating. Admission to the Duo Sonora Performance is $15, payable at the door. RSVP recommended via email to Bonnie.

Gabriel Ayala & Will Clipman - Photo by Marty Mendoza, Arizona Thunder Photography 2010

Nathan McEuen - Photo by Kate Roesgen 2010

Saturday, September 25 - Nathan McEuen and Scott Gates will be joined by guest accordionist, Kevin Schramm, for a special performance in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary. Nathan and Scott came out for a guest appearance with Tucson's String Figures in the spring. Click here to see a video taken by Scott's dad, Andy Gates, during that performance. From left to right, musicians in the video are Mark Robertson-Tessi, Scott Gates, Greg Morton, Nathan McEuen, and Jim Stanley. Nathan McEeun grew up in the bluegrass and folk rock scene around his Grammy Award winning father, John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and with mentors like Johhny Cash, Vassar Clements, Steve Martin, and Dolly Parton, and experiences opening for and working with Dave Crosby and Graham Nash, Kenny Loggins, John Denver, Chris Hillman, Willie Nelson, Dave Mason, and many more. But Nathan has blazed his own trail, often being compared to the likes of Nickel Creek, Jack Johnson, and the David Grisman Quintet. Pulling from all of his past experiences, Nathan has an ability to write original songs and craft his vocals around tunes both old and new, making him sound familiar yet unique. Scott Gates is an 18-year-old mandolin virtuoso who plays in the Nathan McEuen Band. Click here to see a video of Nathan and Scott performing with the Nathan McEuen Band. And click here for a fun glimpse of Scott when he was on "America's Most Talented Kids" at age 12. Last year, Nathan performed with Steve Martin (yes, THE Steve Martin) on the Grand Finale of American Idol, and Scott performed with Steve on the Ellen Degeneres Show on Memorial Day. Nathan and Scott will be joined by special guest accordionist, Kevin Schramm, of the Last Call Girls and Way Out West. The Nathan McEuen Band will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb Rd., just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Admission is $15 cash at the door. Doors open at 6:30, and we recommend RSVP'ing for this show either by click here to email bonnie or call 647-3234 and leave a message with your name, phone number, and the number of people in your party.

Saturday, October 9 - Jeni and Billy will share the stage with Joyce Woodson in a premier performance in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Jeni Hankins grew up in the Appalachians where she learned to sing in church choirs, glee clubs, and family sing-a-longs. A natural storyteller and prolific writer since childhood, Jeni trained formally with Pulitzer Prize winning Northern Irish poet, Paul Muldoon, and earned a Masters Degree in English Literature. Jeni's lyrics weave touching stories about life in the coal fields, and she sings them in a beautiful, captivating voice that is reminiscent of Maybelle Carter. Billy Kemp grew up with the sounds of Tin Pan Alley and his mother's piano at home in Baltimore, but spent his weekends high atop a hill in the community of Oella where Appalachian migrants came to the city looking for work in the mills. There he was inspired by country music, fired by dreams of the Grand Old Opry and his passion for the sound of Flatt & Scruggs. Billy headed to Nashville and toured with country bands all over the US, Canada, Germany, and right onto the stage of the Opry. He honed and shared his skills as both student and instructor at the University of Maryland and built a producing career working with roots artists. This sweetheart duo met in 2005 when Jeni recorded at Billy's Maryland studio. Within months they began writing and performing together. With exquisitely spare accompaniment and performances that are never rushed, Jeni & Billy’s harmonies harken to a lost time and reverberate with a rare honesty, as they inhabit the lives of miners, preachers, ramblers, lovers, and plain-living folks. Their music is quiet enough to be heard and just loud enough to be unforgettable. Sharing the duties of songwriting, arranging, and performing, Jeni & Billy bring to the work very distinct musical backgrounds that both draw from the deep well of Appalachian roots music. They released their first full-length recording project, Jewell Ridge Coal, a love letter to the forgotten coal mining community in Southwest Virginia where Jeni grew up. Debuting at Number 5 on the International Folk & Bluegrass DJ Chart, Jewell Ridge Coal appeared on top ten lists from LA to New York to Belfast.

Jeni and Billy - Photo by Kim Sherman, Nashville, 2008

Joyce Woodson Photo by Juniper Hart 2006

No stranger to Tucson, Joyce Woodson is a four-time finalist in the Tucson Folk Festival Songwriting Contest, and she won the competition three year ago. On a national level, Joyce was named Best Female Performer of the Year by the Will Rogers Academy of Western Artists, and her song "If I Hadn't Seen the West" was named Song of the Year by the Western Music Association. Joyce's crystal clear voice and solid guitar work are equally adept in the folk music world or wending her way through the west with her powerful songs about the land. Joyce grew up on the family farm in the Capistrano Valley of California and graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Education. After a few months as a school teacher, Joyce knew her calling was music. After 12 years playing folk clubs and coffeehouses in LA and New England, she chose to move to Nashville. There she spent almost a decade writing songs, running her own publishing company, and performing her own tunes in clubs such as The Bluebird and Douglas Corner. Returning to California to care for her aging father, Joyce Woodson is now settled back in her childhood neighborhood, where she continues teaching at songwriting workshops, touring the US, and crafting her own brand of songs. Joyce Woodson and Jeni and Billy will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Admission is $15.

Saturday, October 16 - Claudia Nygaard returns to Tucson for an encore LAVA appearance, this time in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary. Claudia's long legs hang over both sides of that same fence between country and folk music that Guy Clark and John Prine have straddled. Her sound is acoustic, and while her songs find their roots and rhythms in the Americana storytelling tradition, the melodies are passionate and emotional. A former music row staff writer and Kerrville “NewFolk” songwriting competition winner, Claudia crafts songs that range from heartfelt to humorous, and she does so with a quick wit, an articulate point of view, and vivid imagery. She is an engaging performer with a sensual alto voice. Claudia Nygaard will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Admission is $15.

Claudia Nygaard Photo taken at Kerrville Folk Festival by Brenda Ladd

Jo Wilkinson and Grains of Sand Photo by Brian Gersten, May 2009

Saturday, October 23 - Jo Wilkinson and Grains of Sand will perform in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary. Jo Wilkinson has been singing songs of life, struggle, love and peace for over fifty years.  Jo has had the pleasure of singing with both Pete Seeger and Jackson Browne. She's been a resident of Tucson for eight years, previously with 4 Corners, and now with her own band Grains of Sand.  Current members of Grains are Louie Levinson on vocals, pedal steel guitar, and guitar; Gene Holmes on electric guitar and vocals; and Jack Wood on bass guitar.  Jo's powerful and soulful delivery of songs, both her own and others, is her greatest gift.  The generous virtuosity of each band member culminates in a blend that is hard to beat.  From the civil rights movement in the 60's to touring in 2009 with her son Eligh of the Living Legends, a celebrated hip hop artist, Jo has continued to share her gift across all boundaries. Jo Wilkinson and Grains of Sand will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb Rd., just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Admission is $15 cash at the door. Doors open at 6:30, and we recommend RSVP'ing for this show either by click here to email bonnie or call 647-3234 and leave a message with your name, phone number, and the number of people in your party.

Saturday, October 30 - Journey West will make their first LAVA appearance in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary. Journey West brings new life to traditional western music with their sparkling vocal arrangements and beautiful harmony blend. Audiences of all ages are enchanted to hear - once again – nostalgic renditions of all their favorite cowboy classics made famous by folks like The Sons of the Pioneers, Patsy Montana, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers. Along with tried and true classics from both the traditional western and western swing genres, Journey West is also dedicated to bringing the new western music written by today’s best song writers to their audiences. Whether they are singing “Tumbling Tumbleweeds”, Joyce Woodson’s “If I Hadn’t Seen the West” or Dave Stamey’s “Cowboy Moon” you will be transported to a place that brings out the western spirit in all of us. As Marvin O'Dell of Heartland Public Radio put it, "Think the Andrews Sisters meet Hoagy Carmichael as he becomes a member of the Sons of the Pioneers because these ladies have it all in their repertoire. They are a throwback to the sounds of the mid 1900's while sounding as fresh as the newest music coming at you. Their exquisite harmonies and personable presence keep audiences spellbound. You'll not soon forget an evening of music spent with Journey West." Journey West will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Admission is $15.

Journey West - Photo by Vern Appelt

Ernest Troost at Kerrville Photo by Susan Roads 2009

Saturday, November 13 - Ernest Troost will make his first LAVA appearance in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary. Ernest Troost is an Emmy award-winning film and television composer and a recipient of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk award for his songwriting. His evocative style combines folk and Piedmont-blues-style guitar-picking with timeless stories and colorful character portrayals drawn from the American past and present. His two albums of original songs have been described as what would happen if the Carter Family, Robbie Robertson, and Alfred Hitchcock wrote songs together. They’ve been a hit with critics and fans alike: "Troost's style and subject matter recall Dylan, Dave Alvin, and (especially for his concentration on life's darker side) Richard Thompson--enviable company indeed. Such comparisons are not lightly made: Every song here is a keeper." --Tom Hyslop, Blues Revue Magazine.  "Ernest, playing in his infectious Piedmont-blues style, has phenomenal guitar chops. His voice is uniquely his own, and free of affectation. His melodies are inventive and original, and his lyrics, though deep, are in a straightforward, everyday vernacular. His songs are filled with almost cinematically described characters, so vivid they linger long after the songs end. Humble on stage and off, Ernest is the whole package."--Steve Dulson, The Living Traditions Concert Series, President of Far-West Folk Alliance Ernest Troost will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Admission is $15.

Saturday, November 20 - LAVA Music presents The Kevin Pakulis Band in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary. The Kevin Pakulis Band is all about solid songwriting and great musicianship. Kevin's band members are Larry Lee Lerma on bass, Duncan Stitt on keyboards, and Ralph Gilmore on drums. Their music is often referred to as Americana, the no man's land where the lines between rock, blues, and country disappear. The Kevin Pakulis Band will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Admission is $10.

Kevin Pakulis - Photo by Angus Hendrick

Please contact Bonnie for more information.