Bob Woods Music

We asked some folks familiar with the singer-songwriter scene for an off-the-cuff list.

Sharon Allen, Santa Cruz; www.sharon-allen.com

Sherry Austin, Soquel; www.sherry-austin.com

Lyndsey Battle, Fortuna; www.humboldtmusic.com/webpage/index.cfm?id=8549

Garrin Benfield, San Francisco; www.garrin.com

Mike Blanchard, Sacramento; www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Blanchard-the-Whispering- Chingaderos/210310830897

Mokai Blue, S.F.; www.facebook .com/mokaimusic

Dakota Sid Clifford, Grass Valley; www.dakotasid.com

Marty Cohen, Sacramento; www.sidekicksmusic.net

Stevie Coyle, Larkspur; http://steviecoyle.com

Jim Dyar, Redding; www.muletownband.com

Alisa Fineman, Monterey; www.alisafineman.com

Michael Franti, S.F.; http://michaelfranti.com

Kate Gaffney, S.F.; www.kategaffney.com

Michael Gaither, Watsonville; www.michaelgaither.com

Tamra Godey, Somerset; www.myspace.com/tamragodey

Jackie Greene, S.F.; http://jackiegreene.com

Keith Greeninger, Santa Cruz; www.keithgreeninger.com

Merle Haggard, Palo Cedro, http://merlehaggard.com/

Eileen Hemphill-Haley, McKinleyville; www.ehhmusic.com

Moss Henry, Sonoma County; http://mosshenry.com

Dan Hicks, Mill Valley; www.danhicks.net

Rita Hosking, Davis; www.ritahosking.com/

Jay Howlett, Pacifica; www.blahblahwoofwoof.com/jayhome.html

Dana Hubbard, Berkeley; www.danahubbard.com

Kimball Hurd, Monterey; www.alisafineman.com/alisakimball.htm

Josephine Johnson, Eureka; www.myspace.com/josephineinthetrees

Travis Jones, Alameda; www.houstonjones.com

Dayan Kai, Freedom; www.dayankai.com

Paul Kamm and Eleanore MacDonald, Nevada City; www.kammmac.com

Greg Lamboy, Bay Area; www.greglamboy.com

Laurie Lewis, Berkeley; www.laurielewis.com

Tamara Little, Stockton; www. myspace.com/tamaralittle

MaMuse - Sarah Nutting and Karisha Longaker, Chico; www.mamuse.org

Richard March, Sacramento; www.richardmarch.com

Michael McNevin, Fremont; www.michaelmcnevin.com/contact.html

Jonny Mojo, Placerville; www.reverbnation.com/jonnymojo

Ben Morrison, San Francisco; www.thebrotherscomatose.com

Lila Nelson, Arcata; http://lilanelson.org

Todd Novak, Bay Area; www.thecowlicks.com/todd.html

Chris Parreira, Arcata; www.myspace.com/chrisparreiramusic

Chuck Prophet, S.F.; http://chuckprophet.com

Elliot Randall, San Francisco; www.elliotrandall.com

Angie Rose, Mendocino County; www.blushinroulettes.com

Peter Rowan, Marin County; www.peter-rowan.com

Michelle Shocked, S.F.; www.michelleshocked.com

JL Stiles, S.F.; www.jlstiles.com

Earl Thomas, Trinidad; www.earlthomasmusic.com

Trout and Parrot - Jillian Secor and Alex Stephens, Placerville; www.facebook.com/pages/Trout-and-Parrot/126534463604

Melody Walker, East Bay; www.myspace.com/melodywalker

Patrice Webb, Georgetown; www.patricewebb.com

Chris Webster, Davis; www.chriswebstermusic.com

Bob Woods, Sacramento; www.facebook.com/bobwoodsmusic

Sources: Patrick Cleary, general manager of KHUM-FM in Ferndale; singer-songwriter Michael Gaither of Watsonville; Wesley Robertson, host of "Rockin' & Stompin' " on KVMR-FM in Nevada City; Bee copy editor Tom Sellers; and Matt Semonsen of the American River Music Festival.


- The Sacramento Bee

Americana and rockabilly are the tunes of Bob Woods, who has played with the likes of Tiny Moore, Bill Kirchen and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, among others. He started playing music in 1971 with the Sacramento western swing band Tokpela, then founded the Nevada City club wonder band, the Bob Woods Trio. Now, his four-piece band (Woods on guitar and vocals, Pete Kmeto on bass and accordion, Steve Namle on drums and Ray Elzey on pedal steel) is crankin' out the sounds. The lovely and wonderful Kate Gaffney also is on the bill. -Jim Carnes
- The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento musician Bob Woods goes way back. He started playing music in 1971 with the Sacramento Western swing band Tokpela. He then went on to form the Nevada City club favorite band the Bob Woods Trio. He’s played with a slew of notable cats, including Tiny Moore, Bill Kirchen and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, among others. Now, his current four-piece band (Woods on guitar and vocals, Pete Kmeto on bass and accordion, Steve Namie on drums and Ray Elzey on pedal steel), is readying their full-length, This Town, for release on March 12, 2011 at Marilyn’s on K. The group will also be shooting a music video that night, so bring your dancin’ shoes and your best moves, and you just might end up in the final cut. Also performing will be Nothin’ Personal and Dirt Nap Band. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are just $10 at the door. If you RSVP ahead of time, you’ll save yourself five bucks. Posted on 09 March 2011 by dubs. - Submergemag.com

Bob Woods has no ambition to be a star — but there are plenty of bands who want him to star on their team as lead guitar.

They also like to play the rockabilly songs he writes and sings.

Besides his own band the Bob Woods Trio, Woods — a part-time resident of Nevada City — also plays for the Shay Dillon Band, Cousin Cricket and Sticky Vikki and the Pinecones.

In his nearly 40-year career, he’s played with the legendary Surfaris, the Foothill Flyers and Gary Campbell and the Stardust Cowboys.

He also has sat in with Commander Cody, Asleep at the Wheel, Albert Lee and Tiny Moore — and that’s just hitting the high spots in his musical odyssey.

Meanwhile, he’s approaching the 20-year mark in two day jobs. Woods is a part-time IBM mainframe programmer for the state of California, and he’s a railroad engineer,

locomoting for the Sierra Railroad, the Sierra Northern and the California Northern (the

“skunk train” that runs from Willits to Ft. Bragg).

Woods drives trains some weekends and plays gigs the others.

The 1993 traffic accident death of his close friend and fellow musician, bass-player

Gordon Burdick, diverted Woods into railroading. At the time, he already was involved as a volunteer with the Sacramento Railroad Museum.

“When Gordon died, I said that’s it. It’s time to walk away,” he recalled.

Walking full circle
That walk-away in the summer of 1994 took him all the way to Sweden, where Woods helped restore a mothballed steam locomotive. He jokes he learned the words for “crescent wrench” in Swedish, Polish, and German.

When he returned to the States, his experience with the railroad museum landed him a job as an engineer with the Yolo Shortline in Woodland. Eventually, he was engineering for three short rail lines.

As karma would have it, the railroad brought Woods back to music. Riding the rails is a “musical experience,” he said.

He began writing railroad songs and produced two CDs of train folk music.

Most of Woods’ Nevada County country rock fans don’t even know the railroad side of his life or his acoustic music. They just know his kick-butt Telecaster and down-home voice rocking out on his original songs like his signature “Hillbilly Cadillac.”

Lately, the Bob Woods Trio — featuring drummer Skip Alan Smith and bassist Billy Smart — has been attracting a regular crowd every first and third Friday at the Chief Crazy Horse Inn in Nevada City.

Woods, 58, called it the “geezers’ gig: Party like an animal and be home by 10.” The band plays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to a lively, full house of mostly older folks who forgot they were supposed to grow up.

Looking back on his career, Woods admitted he might have advanced further.

“I just had no clue about doing the business (of music). Besides, I think it would be a pain in the butt to be a Bob Dylan.”

Tom Durkin is a freelance writer based in Nevada City. For comments on this article, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call 477-4230. - TheUnion.com