Atomic Cocktail at the Festival
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Atomic Cocktail was formed when band leader and guitarist Mark Larson was asked to fill in at a local Sonoma venue for a band that cancelled last minute. Being in a handful of bands, Mark contacted each group to see if they were available and none were. So he reached out to place musicians for each instrument needed that evening; piano, upright bass and drums, and was able to round out a band.
Playing from Mark’s songbook the band had a very successful gig and *a lot* of fun playing together. During the post-gig hang they realized that all of the songs played that evening were written between the mid-Forties and the mid-Sixties. One band member identified that span as “The Atomic Age” and Mark mentioned that there was a song written in 1945 by jazz singer Slim Gaillard called Atomic Cocktail.
Boom! In one evening a new band was formed, named, and they took on Slim’s song as their own anthem. Joining Mark Larson on this journey were three Sonoma musicians: drummer J.B. Duff, keyboardist Bruce Gordon and bassist John Arntz. J.B. eventually left Sonoma to seek his fame and fortune as a session player in New York and the band welcomed in from the East Bay Michael Gay (who plays so often in Sonoma that he should be a resident).
Atomic Cocktail’s music is fun, lively and danceable, with tunes from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, featuring Jump, Swing, Jazz, Original Country, with a little Zydeco and Retro-Hip Lounge Music thrown in for good measure. From Bob Wills to Elvis, Louis Jordan to Ramsey Louis, Little Richard to Ray Charles to Johnny Cash to The Searchers to Dean Martin, this band has brought back the rare but familiar Americana songs from yesteryear.
Atomic Cocktail is:
Mark Larson- Guitar, Vocals, Trumpet
Bruce Gordon- Keyboards
John Arntz- Upright Bass, Vocals
Michael Gay- Drums, Vocals
Special Guests on Occasion…..
Playing from Mark’s songbook the band had a very successful gig and *a lot* of fun playing together. During the post-gig hang they realized that all of the songs played that evening were written between the mid-Forties and the mid-Sixties. One band member identified that span as “The Atomic Age” and Mark mentioned that there was a song written in 1945 by jazz singer Slim Gaillard called Atomic Cocktail.
Boom! In one evening a new band was formed, named, and they took on Slim’s song as their own anthem. Joining Mark Larson on this journey were three Sonoma musicians: drummer J.B. Duff, keyboardist Bruce Gordon and bassist John Arntz. J.B. eventually left Sonoma to seek his fame and fortune as a session player in New York and the band welcomed in from the East Bay Michael Gay (who plays so often in Sonoma that he should be a resident).
Atomic Cocktail’s music is fun, lively and danceable, with tunes from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, featuring Jump, Swing, Jazz, Original Country, with a little Zydeco and Retro-Hip Lounge Music thrown in for good measure. From Bob Wills to Elvis, Louis Jordan to Ramsey Louis, Little Richard to Ray Charles to Johnny Cash to The Searchers to Dean Martin, this band has brought back the rare but familiar Americana songs from yesteryear.
Atomic Cocktail is:
Mark Larson- Guitar, Vocals, Trumpet
Bruce Gordon- Keyboards
John Arntz- Upright Bass, Vocals
Michael Gay- Drums, Vocals
Special Guests on Occasion…..
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Where is it happening?
The Plaza, Sonoma, CA 95476, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherValley of the Moon Vintage Festival
