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Peggy Claire: 1952-2006

Singer Peggy Claire, one of San Diego's most prominent jazz figures, died on July 17 after a long battle with lung cancer. For more than three decades, Claire was a fixture on San Diego stages and hosted two radio shows devoted to vocal jazz. Her show Vocal Spotlight ran on Jazz88 (88.3-FM) for 15 years, while Standard Time aired on Sirius Satellite Radio.

“I worked with Peggy for more than 15 years,” said Humphrey's Backstage Lounge manager, Michael Pritchard. “[She] was the embodiment of the music she played. It was as though she had been transported from the 1930s to the 21st century and carried with her all the glamour and energy of that era's music.”

New artists could always count on Claire's help with booking shows and getting the word out via radio.

“Peggy was a uniquely gorgeous soul and a bawdy, amazing broad,” said torch singer Romy Kaye, a former local who now lives in New Orleans. “She always talked me up on her Jazz88 show way before anyone else had even heard of me. She had an amazing spark and a passion for music. I loved her and will miss her terribly.”

Claire never released any recordings, which is surprising in light of her long tenure in the music scene. Yet just before her death, she completed 17 songs with producer Sven-Erik Seaholm.

“She was very aware that these may be her last recordings ever,” said Seaholm, “and [she] wanted to be able to send these songs forward by having a record of them that could be passed along through her friends and family.”

Sessions started when Claire was already quite ill, so her voice was compromised, Seaholm explained. “Her condition was extremely frail due to her recent aggressive chemotherapy, and her breathing was not as strong as she or I would have preferred. But she soldiered on and gave everything she could to the songs. There is some beautiful stuff in there.”

Honoring Claire's wishes, there will be no funeral services, but a memorial might take place at a later date.

North Atlantic shocker

While touring the East Coast in support of their recently re-issued album, Wires in the Walls, rockers The North Atlantic got the shock of a lifetime-literally.

“We were driving in northern North Carolina when we encountered a storm-rain in sheets, high winds, hail... you name it,” said drummer Cullen Hendrix. The band decided to relax in their van until the bad weather passed, just to be safe. But lightning bolts don't really care whether their targets are moving or parked.

“[I heard] something so loud that my brain didn't even register it,” Hendrix recalled. “I was jolted immediately out of my seat and blinded by the most searing, reddish-white light I've ever seen.”

A bolt scored a direct hit on the van. Hendrix said everyone could feel the massive amounts of electricity flowing around them, as well as through them. Luckily, neither the band nor their vehicle suffered any real damage. Hendrix joked that a higher power may have been trying to send them a message.

“We've tried to be good boys on tour, God,” he pleaded. “Thanks for the warning shot.”  www.thenorth atlantic.com

Competitive streak

A number of San Diego bands and musicians have entered (or been entered in) national contests this summer. Some of the contests have significant rewards, while others are worth a line or two on a Myspace “about the artist” section.

Transfer-the band with the silly suits and the rather large human with the great, Jeff Buckley-like voice-have been included in MTV2's program On the Rise, which promotes unsigned bands. Be a sport and pad the vote for the local boys at the station's website, www.mtv2ontherise.com. www.transferband.com.

Cindy Lee Berryhill's song “When Did Jesus Become A Republican?” is featured on Neil Young's topical website, “Living With War Today (All War All the Time).” George Bush fans might want to avoid the site-or visit it, get mad and then go punch a homeless person. But bleeding-heart liberals will find free downloads of songs that urge Americans to stop killing each other, ease up on the environment and neuter all future Bush offspring. Although there is no actual prize, the website does have a chart that ranks tunes by the number of listens. Berryhill's song is currently No. 13 and climbing. www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwsongspage.html.

Singer-songwriter Sara Petite's song “Coming Home” has made the finals in the songwriting contest held each year by the Great Waters Music Festival-a pretty well-established event that honors folk, jazz, Broadway, choral and other types of music old people love. She will compete on July 29 at the event, chasing a top prize of $500 and a chance to open for Judy Collins. www.sarapetite.com.

Finally, troubadour Evan Bethany has been chosen as a finalist in the Independent Music World Series West Showcase set for Aug. 3 at the Knitting Factory in L.A. The contest is sponsored by industry trade magazine Billboard, with the winner taking home enough gear to open a well-stocked music store. www.evanbethany.com.

Notables...

91X deejay Al Guerra will announce the nominations for this year's San Diego Music Awards beginning at 6 p.m. on July 30 during a live remote broadcast from Viejas casino. If you miss it, Tim Pyles will also make the announcements on 94.9-FM between 8 and 10 p.m. He'll broadcast live from The Casbah during a free show featuring Manual Scan, Fifty on their Heels, The Power Chords, Atoms, The Sess and Vinyl Radio. Performers for the Sept. 18 awards show, taking place this year at Viejas Concerts in the Park, will be announced on both broadcasts. Tickets for the show go on sale Aug. 11.

Adding a twist to the usual CD-release party, folk rockers The Cathryn Beeks Ordeal will host a CD-release picnic on July 30 at the Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club. The free event will essentially be a one-day summer camp with music. In addition to playing songs from her new album, Desert Music, Beeks has planned a full schedule of side activities for concertgoers, including volleyball, croquet and horseshoes. The summery nerd fest will also feature Sven-Erik Seaholm, Steph Johnson, Lisa Sanders, Christopher Dale, Sweet Tooth, Deadline Friday, Simeon Flick and Barbara Nesbitt. www.hometown.aol.com/cathrynbeeks/CB1.html.

A pair of indie-rock bands will also host CD-release shows this week. On July 27, electronic folk-pop quintet Call Down Fire will celebrate their new self-titled disc with a show at 'Canes. Then Secret Apollo will have a show at The Honey Bee Hive on July 28 for their long-awaited debut, Homemade Time Machine. www.myspace.com/calldownfire, www.secretapollo.com.

Louis XIV frontman Jason Hill has remixed a song called “Around the Horn” by L.A. band The Bronx to be included on the soundtrack to the film Snakes on a Plane. Although there are still a few months left in 2006, the movie has the distinction of being cited in a recent Dateline: NBC report as “the worst movie of the year.” www.louisxiv.net.

In related news, Grand Ole Party and Louis XIV have become fast friends, and GOP is recording their debut album in Hill's studio. Rumors are afoot about the two bands touring together later this year-and we'll start the totally unsubstantiated rumor that Louis' label, Atlantic Records, will swipe up GOP and make them really famous. www.myspace.com/grandoleparty.

On July 27, Ocean Beach restaurant Portugalia will hold a benefit concert for San Diego's grassroots folk-music newspaper, The Troubador. While the rising cost of gas doesn't affect a corporate cash cow like CityBeat, it's been hell on indies like The Troubador. (Please note the irony in the previous statement-and send money to us, too. Or a gas card. Maybe even your father's.) On hand to perform will be jazz-guitar virtuoso Peter Sprague accompanied by Leonard Patton, Gregory Page with Erika Davies, Lisa Sanders, Phil Harmonic, Chuck Schiele and Simeon Flick. www.sandiegotroubadour.com.

Local promoters Beach Music Mafia are looking for bands to take part in tribute shows to The Eagles on Aug. 23 and AC/DC on Sept. 7. So if you're still breaking up with women by quoting “Desperado” or are just a huge Trevor Hoffman fan, hit 'em up. While such events usually feature a long list of acts performing one song apiece, these concerts will have bands playing short three- or four-song sets of their heroes' music. www.myspace.com/beachmusicmafia.