Scarlett Letters make their mark at Tuesday market

Sue Albano trots out her trio to play for the farmers market crowd next Tuesday, Aug. 30. Known collectively as Scarlett Letters, these Sonomans play a clean and easy brand of familiar rock. The crowd will be in the palms of six good hands. This band is professional and poised, entertaining and fun.

Albano has recently regrouped the combo. It now resembles the great power trios of rock with just drums, guitar and bass. Think Cream. Think the Police. Think ZZ Top. Now think again. Albano brings a major dose of warm female energy, and the musical edge of those famous bands is smoothed.

The guitar player is Davo Farrell. He is a superb musician and will hold down stage right with his tasty skills. (More on his familiar face in these pages next week.)

Albano looked high and low for a drummer and found one growing right there in her own family tree. Her nephew Will Cotter sits at the throne and keeps the trio in time.

Cotter, of course, is also familiar face. He is the wild front man of the Illegitimate AC/DC band that has been whipping up audiences locally in recent years.

Albano plays the bass and sings. She comes from the Top 40 School of Rock, the Carole King campus. Albano selects familiar songs, all with downright singable lyrics and catchy melodies. She sings them with an infectious and enthralling style.

Albano downplays her bass playing. She said, “You know me with the bass, I’m a one-string plucker. I Just keep the groove.” Sometimes that’s all a song needs.

With the new personnel, Albano has been able to open her set list up a bit. She said, “We have a bunch of new songs. We haven’t had new songs in five years.” Of the process of bringing new material to musicians who might be unfamiliar with the songs, she said, “I pick them. I like to pick songs that are in my wheelhouse. Songs I already know the words to because I am not into reading words on stage. So, I pick the songs. Davo and I work them out. Then we bring Will in just to glue it together.”

The result has been a pleasure for the bandleader Albano. “It’s like swimming in fresh water, man.”

Three of the new songs Albano mentioned they will be debuting are - spoiler alert - Pablo Cruise’s “Love Will Find a Way,” “How Long” by Ace, and “Let the Good Times Roll” by the Cars.

Albano made a point of emphasizing the joy she gets from performing live. “I love playing in the park. I love doing the Fourth of July, The Vintage Festival, the farmers market… those are my favorite gigs.”

Taking a moment to reflect on her good fortune, Albano said, “I can’t believe that people come and watch what I love doing. I don’t even know what to say about that. I pinch myself all the time. I just wanted to do this, so I did it, and people came. It blows my mind.”

If for some reason you cannot attend the farmers market, you can catch them at two other gigs this weekend. They play tomorrow night at the Speakeasy, and Sunday evening at Murphy’s Irish Pub.

On Tuesday, Scarlett Letters begins their set at the farmers market at 6 p.m., 30 minutes after the vendors open their stalls. Arrive early to claim some good real estate, enjoy the late summer produce, buy some beautiful flowers and delicious prepared food, and savor the simply pleasure of listening to this fine band.