Summer Means 'Smooth Jazz' (and more) at Rodney Strong

Summer in the Wine Country means picnics, barbecues, cave tours, barrel room tastings -- and particularly open-air concerts.

It’s at the heart of the experience, so much so that we hardly give it a second thought.

Down in Saratoga, they have the Mountain Winery (formerly Paul Masson) Concert Summer Series, held in a stone amphitheater since 1958. Out in Napa Valley, there’s the Robert Mondavi Concert Series, started in 1969 by the winemaker’s wife Margrit Mondavi.

We have our own winery music tradition here in Healdsburg, where the out on Old Redwood Highway has offered weekend concerts at their grassy picnic area for 21 years.

Founding winemaker Rodney Strong was himself a performer, a successful dancer in New York and Europe.

While it was only after he sold the winery to Tom Klein in 1989 that the concert series took shape, but Strong turned out to be a supporter of the series and a frequent attendee -- just as current owner Klein and family often demonstrate their appreciation by showing up.

Whether or not the present "modern" facility (groundbreaking was in 1970) was designed as a natural concert hall, it sure works out that way.

On the north side of the four-legged starfish tasting room and barrel storage building, a large lawn with a couple strategic shade trees and a hedge buffering the grounds from a service road and the surrounding vineyards creates a comfortable, semi-enclosed open air theater.

Although this is the 21st year of the series, musical events were held at the winery on an off-and-on basis for several years previous, according to VP of Marketing, Dan Wildermuth.

“Before, the scope of the series was not much greater than casual entertainment outside on a Saturday afternoon,” he said.

Before long, promoters began contacting Rodney Strong looking for an outdoor venue, and in 1990, Wildermuth recalls, “I worked along with our tasting room manager [Bill Holland at the time] to develop it as a series.”

A primary partner of the series for the past few years has been radio station KJZY , 93.7 FM. Their “smooth jazz” format has been reflected in regular performances by the likes of Jeff Lorber, Richard Elliott, Michael McDonald, Dave Koz and Chris Botti.

Two weeks ago, when I last attended, the Average White Band opened for two saxophone artists sharing the stage, Euge (short for Eugene, not cute for Huge) Groove and Mindi Abair.

The talent for the summer series is booked through Omega Events, which covers the cost of the talent and crew, and sets up the ticket sales.

The smooth jazz theme?

“It’s the Rodney Strong twist on a concert series,” said Robert Larsen, PR manager of Rodney Strong Vineyards. “It sort of fits the clientele that has been coming to Rodney Strong for years.” 

But it’s not only smooth jazz artists who serenade the afternoon crowds, which can number over 1,100 but settles in to a nice festive crowd at around 800-900.

Since 2000 ,the has held its annual finale at Rodney Strong, showcasing the “real jazz” artists that prefers. (This year the Festival held back from a , substituting a more intimate evening with Charlie Haden at the Raven.)

As well as jazz, the Rodney Strong summer series usually include a well-known pop artist, such as Madeleine Peyroux, Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, Tower of Power and Chris Isaak; last year it was John Hiatt and Los Lobos in a memorable double-bill.

This upcoming Sunday, Aug. 7, look for Pat Benatar, the 1980s star who memorably left “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” on the charts. The classically-trained singer left Julliard School after being inspired by a Liza Minnelli concert, and it turned out to be a good move.

Benatar dominated the Emmy Awards in the 1980s, being nominated for Best Female Rock Performance eight times, and winning four years in a row, including for her album “Crimes of Passion” and the songs “Love is a Battlefield” and “Fire and Ice.” Her controversial song “Hell is for Children” brought the subject of child abuse to the airwaves in 1980.

Also in that period, Benatar met songwriter and guitarist Neil Giraldo, who quickly became her musical and romantic partner. (They married in 1982). Giraldo is no slouch on guitar – since Benatar’s single “You Better Run” was the second video ever shown on MTV (after the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star”), Giraldo was the first lead guitarist featured on the influential network.

He’s played on all of her albums, produced or co-produced several, and is still in the touring band -- a silver fox with guitar chops.

This year, there are only four concerts at Rodney Strong, though previous years have seen as many as six.

“We were looking for another act, and thought we might throw a surprise act in there, but frankly we couldn’t find a fifth one who was available and fit the bill,” Larsen said.

“We’re closing with a great one, though – Chris Botti,” Larsen added. “He’s just a great trumpetist and a fantastic entertainer as well.

"I recall when he was here last time, he came down into the audience and everybody came alive," he said.

“Then he bent down and gave a young woman a kiss on the cheek," Larsen recalled. "I swear to you, all the women in the audience stood up at the same time and started migrating towards him.

"I was in the back, I could see the whites of his eyes," Larsen said. "He quickly turned around and hustled himself back on the stage.”

A big improvement in the concert series in recent years has been moving the time of the concerts, from a 2 p.m. start to 5 p.m.

It can get pretty hot down there on the green, I can attest from previous experience; and while there’s plenty of wine for sale (Rodney Strong, of course, with the affordable and refreshing sauvignon blanc being the perennial best seller), there’s no beer, the preferred thirst-quencher on a hot afternoon.

Starting later in the evening is a smart idea.

Other food available at Rodney Strong varies from concert to concert; there are often oyster shuckers, a barbecue truck, a pizza kitchen, and of course “the ice cream guy’s always there, he’s great,” noted Larsen. “We don’t do snow cones, though.”

There are two more shows this summer at Rodney Strong. Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo on Aug. 7 and Chris Botti (watch out, ladies!) on Sept. 4. More information is available on Rodney Strong website, and tickets can be purchased at Omega Events. Check it out: who knows what will happen?