This week in music: French rock, Sonoma Sound, jazz and the Set List

Speakeasy update

Jodi Stevens, owner of the Sonoma Speakeasy, says that she hopes her downtown live music venue will re-open very soon. “We are hoping to have a soft opening on Valentine's Day.”

The club has been closed for 13 months, as Stevens and her husband Gary Bazzani have worked to complete a remodel to enlarge the space. Permit delayss slowed their progress, and their loyal patrons have been left waiting.

The primary improvement will be an enlarged dance floor. Stevens herself has been known to sing a song or two, inspiring crazy dance moves. She often takes a deep breath before letting out a long, soulful phrase.

Lovers of the Speakeasy should also take a deep breath, as they may need to hold it a while. Of the reopening, Stevens said, “We can't guarantee it, but we are getting closer every day.” 452 First St. E.

Jazz musician Carlos Reyes in town on Jan. 26

The latest installment of the “Jazz at the House” program at Sonoma's Vintage House will take place this Sunday, Jan. 26. The featured artist will be jazz violinist Carlos Reyes and his band. Like all the headliners in the series, cosponsored by the Sonoma Valley Jazz Society, Reyes has an impressive music resume. He has played for six U.S. Presidents and a Pope. Reyes has traded jazzy licks with such a diverse list of recording stars as Pat Travers, the Doobie Brothers. Steve Miller, Roy Rogers, Chuck Mangione and jazz great Arturo Sandoval, among others.

Stylistically, Reyes has been referred to as “Santana meets Gipsy Kings.”

Reyes blends traditional musical genres and captivates his listeners with a stew of blues, rock, jazz, Latin and classical styles.

The doors for the jazz event open at 3 p.m., with Reyes taking the stage at 4 p.m.

There will be refreshments available for purchase, and tickets can be obtained in advance at vintagehouse.org or afternoon of the event at the door.

John Arntz: Too loud is ‘less fun'

Facebook folks may have seen a recent post by local band leader John Arntz, whose Sonoma Sound Syndicate, the band in which he plays bass, is playing Friday at Murphy's Irish Pub. In the post was this quote: “We have recently been inspired by the musicians and bands in the area that are working hard to get the sound ‘right' in the various venues around town so that the volume is palatable, and this is our intention for the evening.”

As a musician and frequent listener to bands here in the Valley, this piqued my interest. What exactly was Arntz talking about?

Arntz explained to the Index-Tribune that “In the whole history of my playing music here, about 10 years, there has been a constant thread of musicians playing too loud.”

Added Anrtz: “When it is too loud, it is less fun.”

Venue volume is a big bugaboo. In the days before amplification, musicians needed to play as loudly as they could while still giving the music its due respect. Audiences needed to actually listen to appreciate the nuance of the performance. But since amplification, audiences are often blasted by amps turned up to 10, or in the case of Spinal Tap, even 11. The subtleties of the song, the careful phrasing of the vocalist, and the nuance of the fingers can all be lost in the jet engine roar of the band.

It seems to be a real competition to play loud. Sometimes, when music-goers are asked how the music was, the response is: “It wasn't too loud.” Meaning that it usually is too loud.

Musicians who play in bands are quite used to struggling to hear the band on stage. More accurately, they are used to not hearing on stage. The need to hear their own instrument over a bandmate's often results in a slow creep up the decibel scale, until it is just too loud to actually discern what is being played by anybody. We have all seen a guitarist or vocalist say into the microphone something like, “Could I get a little more guitar in my monitor?” as they struggle to hear themselves.

The stage is often the worst place to hear a band perform. Sound balance is often so skewed that one member can't really hear the others.

This is where a good sound engineer comes in. Simply put, the musicians are responsible for what they play and the sound engineer is responsible for what the audience hears. Think of it like a film editor's job; the acting and directing is complete, the final presentation is in the hands of the film editor.

A sound engineer can make or break a performance. “There is a huge leap of faith and trust in the sound guy,” Arntz said.

“The band has to listen to the sound man when he says turn down,” says local musician, band leader, and sound engineer Gerard Serafini, a guy who knows a thing or two about it. He has played in bands for over 35 years and mixes sound regularly at local venues, notably at the Tuesday Farmers Market events.

Many players might not want to comply with a request to turn down. They want to hear themselves. But Serafini takes his role seriously, “I make bands listen to me because I can be stern about it,” said Serafini. “I will walk up and turn an amp down, or tell the drummer to play more softly, if I have to.”

Arntz and his Sonoma Sound Syndicate bandmates will have George Honey mixing their sound when they play tonight at Murphy's. When they start at 8 p.m., Honey will have already had the band run through their sound check, a time when he can balance the five instruments (drums, bass, keyboards, guitar and voice) of the band. He said he likes to “bring the band together down to a nice volume level and bring them up if necessary.”

Local musicians are learning what Arntz and his bandmates and many other bands in the Valley have come to understand: bands don't need to play loud to sound good.

There appears to be a ripple effect of this thinking, and volumes seem to be lowering in the different venues in Sonoma. With the live music season starting up in earnest soon, listeners should be able to truly enjoy all the talent we have in Sonoma and leave the ear plugs at home.