Santa Ynez Valley Star September B 2017

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September 19 - October 2, 2017

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www.santaynezvalleystar.com

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Local musician’s nonprofit foundation supports undiscovered artists Jim Pugh helps performers from all walks of life and all musical genres By Leah Etling

reporter@santaynezvalleystar.com

S

tephen Foster wrote the iconic American tune “Hard Times Come Again No More” in 1854, more than 160 years ago. In summer 2016, perhaps the most culturally and musically diverse group ever to perform the song took the stage during the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass concert at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The musicians included 16 teen mariachis, country artist Maurice Tani, Filipino-American folk singer Aireene Espiritu, Bollywood and blues blender Aki Kumar, and the man who brought them all together – Los Olivos resident Jim Pugh. Playing the keyboard, Pugh stole the show only for a few seconds, to deliver a spirited organ outtake. Being in the background is a role that the career musician is accustomed to. For the last 40 years, he has played keyboard alongside talents including Etta James, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and Robert Cray. But despite sharing the stage with some of America’s most famous musicians, the artists Pugh is excited about today include a 17-yearold female mariachi from the Central Valley and a quartet of aging gospel singers from Oakland. Pugh’s nonprofit Little Village Foundation helps undiscovered and underappreciated musicians from all walks of life record their original

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complishments, which include contributions to Grammy-winning albums, global tours and personal relationships with some of the biggest names in blues of the last half century. Asked about the legends he has performed with, he talked about the content of their character. “For the most part, all the people I have worked with in my career were all really nice people. B.B. King was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. Robert Cray was interesting because he was so painfully shy that he came across as being standoffish, but he’s kind of a hero to me. He doesn’t like to talk about it, but he has done a lot of things for a lot of people anonymously,” Pugh said. Cray, a five-time Grammy winner and also a Santa Ynez Valley resident, is a member of the Blues Hall of Fame. Pugh stopped touring with Cray in 2014 and took stock of his life. He’d been a performer since his early 20s. He decided that the logical next chapter involved encouraging those attempting to break into the music industry – which had grown infinitely more challenging during Pugh’s 40-year career. “I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. So I combined music and diversity and community service. I put those all together because those are the things that I like to do,” he said. Photo contributed The result is Little Village, which has proKeyboard player Jim Pugh’s Little Village Foundation helps undiscovered and underappreciated musicians from all walks of duced the albums of 13 unknown artists over life to record their original music, and then pushes to get them noticed. the last two years. They include blues and soul singer Wee Willie Walker, Indian blues artist music, and then pushes to get them noticed. music, whether it is listening to Mixteco music Aki Kumar, folk singer Aireene Espiritu, cowboy musician Dave Ellis, and gospel quartet Pugh records the music at no expense to in somebody’s living room in Santa Maria or Sons of the Soul Revivers, among others. the artist, and then the Little Village Founat the Church of God in Christ in Oakland. It The musicians receive 1,000 CDs — free dation gives all proceeds from sales back to doesn’t make all that much difference what the artists. The effort is funded solely through type of music it is – it all is of equal to value to — to sell to their fans and followers, as well as a small honorarium. But it’s often the connecdonations from people who want to support me,” Pugh said in a recent interview. tions that Pugh can introduce them to that have the foundation’s mission. Pugh is exceptionally humble and even FOUNDATION CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 “My real gift is that I am just moved by self-deprecating about his own musical ac-

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