Musicians from the organization Bread & Roses and guitar students from Arts in Corrections performed their first concert at San Quentin since the pandemic.
An audience of about 40 incarcerated persons and guests attended the Sunday night mid-November concert venue in the Chapel A.
Four participants from Kurt Huget’s Thursday afternoon guitar workshop opened the show, playing Tom Petty’s acoustic hit “Free Falling.”
The workshop students played ten songs, in a variety of genres, including “The Wind Cries Mary,” by Jimi Hendrix; “Easy,” by The Commodores; and “The Thrill Is Gone,” by B.B. King.
Jeff Isom, a workshop participant, played his acoustic guitar but took the lead on electric guitar to play a crowed-pleasing blues solo on “The Thrill Is Gone.”
“It was a joyful experience,” said Levere Callender, a workshop student who plays bass. “The class is helping me dissect music, and make faster chord changes” on the guitar.
Callender called “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers his favorite song of the evening. “It’s Southern country rock,” he said. “That’s what I like about it.”
Julie Harrell, who performed with Bread & Roses, accompanied the workshop students as she played percussion to keep the beat and rhythm moving at an even pace.
The workshop students ended their set with “Lean on Me,” by Bill Withers. The audience clapped and sang along, “You just call on me brother, when you need a friend.”
“It was everything I hoped for and more,” said Huget.
Huget said the show provided a much-needed break from the weekly two-hour workshop that had not performed live since the pandemic. “It’s fun to play loud.”
During the pandemic, Huget had to adjust by preparing lessons to teach students songs and music theory through correspondence. He has taught guitar at San Quentin for nearly 15 years.
“Kurt’s (Huget) a great teacher,” said Craig Bartock who came in with Bread & Roses, “and he’s a great friend too. We hang out together.”
Bartock plays guitar for the band Heart. Over the years, Huget has brought him into the prison several times for instruction for the workshop students.
Huget, Harrell, and guitarist Bartock closed the show. The non-profit’s mantra, “The healing power of music,” gives local artists the ability to play in jails, prisons, retirement homes, hospitals, and more.
Huget led the ensemble, seemingly calling out songs at random as Harrell and Bartock followed. They stepped up when Huget started playing “Little Wing,” by Jimi Hendrix. Bartock knew the song and played along.
“I never know what Kurt’s (Huget) going to put on the list,” said Bartock. That did not stop him, though.
“We want to come back more,” said Francesca Lee, Bread & Roses show producer. “This is something we want to do regularly.”
After the show, the incarcerated musicians and audience members talked to the Bread & Roses guests and musicians, thanking them for coming in to play.
“We’ve been fighting to get back in here,” said David Perron, Bread & Roses executive director. He replaced Lisa Starbird, who has retired. By eight o’clock, everyone filed out of the chapel, but the show does not stop. Huget’s other band continues to play Thursday afternoons at three o’clock.
