NAPA, Calif. – This week the Napa County Library will host New York Times bestselling author Craig Johnson, who will discuss his new book “Dry Bones.”

Johnson will speak beginning at 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 22, at the library, located at 580 Coombs St.

Johnson’s character, Walt Longmire, was first introduced 10 years ago in his short story, “Old Indian Trick.”

This was one of the earliest appearances of the sheriff, who would go on to star in Johnson’s bestselling, award-winning novels and the hit A&E drama series “Longmire.”

Johnson will be signing copies of his book at this free event.

Seating is first-come, first-served.

For special accommodations, call Library Administration at 707-253-4235.

For more information, visit www.napalibrary.org or email John Thill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Trio Céleste, known as one of the most dynamic chamber music ensembles in the country, will perform on the FBCA Coast Chamber Concerts series on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. in Preston Hall, Mendocino. 

This trio with a "magic spark” (Philip Setzer, Emerson Quartet), was recently invited to perform a recital in Carnegie Hall next season.

The players, – pianist Kevin Kwan Loucks, violinist Iryna Krechkovsky and cellist Ross Gasworth – are all strong prize-winning instrumentalists in their own right.

One happy critic with the Orange County Register reported: “Krechkovsky, who performs on a Stradivarius, is a precise yet spirited musician; cellist Gasworth is a warm and generous one. Loucks, who played with the piano lid fully open, never overpowered them, while uncovering many shades and dynamics in the music at hand, sculpting phrases intelligently with passion, energy and technical mastery.”

Trio Céleste, cited by the  Long Beach Gazette as “exuberant and technically dazzling,” is based in Orange County as the ensemble in residence at the Claire Trevor School of Arts at UC Irvine.

The performance in Mendocino includes selections from “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Piazzolla and Tchaikovsky’s elegiac piano trio subtitled, “In Memory of a Great Artist,” written upon the death of Tchaikovsky’s close friend and mentor, Nikolai Rubenstein.

Advance tickets for $20 are available until Jan. 22 at Harvest Market and Out of This World. Tickets at the door are $25.

For more information call 707-937-1018.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Wine Studio and artist Diana Liebe are presenting monthly sip and paint parties at the wine studio.  

The January wine and watercolor session will be held from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23.
 
The class fee of $40 covers all of the painting supplies needed along with Leibe’s step-by-step guidance and a glass of fine Lake County wine. 

Liebe is a former art teacher at both the high school and college levels. She has been very involved in the Lake County Arts Community since moving here from Mendocino County 11 years ago, and actively teaches art workshops around the county.

Reservations are required for each month’s class as participation is limited to 12 people.  

A schedule of class dates and time is available at www.lakecountywinestudio.com/events.html or by contacting Susan Feiler at 707-293-8752.
 
The Lake County Wine Studio is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake and is open Monday, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, from 1 to 7 p.m.; and Friday from 1 to 8 p.m.

I love this poem by Mandy Kahn for its witty account of the way two young people find each other.

The poet lives in Los Angeles and this is from her book Math, Heaven, Time, from Eyewear Publishing.

At the Dorm

Week upon week at the dorm she watched him
working at a table with a pencil in his teeth,
eating with a stack of books and papers,
reading while he walked. His hair was
groups of angry men, his sweaty cuffs were wrinkled
at his forearms: he seemed to be loved by no one.
But always there were pairs of houseflies
hovering above him, landing on his nest of notes,
trailing him as if with streamers and sound.
A farm girl, she knew to follow the flies:
they'll take you to the milk just pulled to the pail,
to the cow's haunch where the meat will one day be sweetest,
the swelled pond, the unlatched gate. Everything,
she knew, was in those notebooks
he would carry: her future, the distances of islands, poles
and stars, the reason for the network of men's follies,
how to spend the night.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They do not accept unsolicited submissions. Poem copyright ©2014 by Mandy Kahn, “At the Dorm,” from Math, Heaven, Time, (Eyewear Publishing, 2014). Poem reprinted by permission of Mandy Kahn and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – On Saturday, Jan. 16, an innovative jazz trio led by world renowned reed instrument master Paul McCandless will entertain in the Meeting House next to the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake as part of the Hotel’s monthly “Concerts with Conversation” series.

The McCandless Trio show on Jan. 16 starts at 7:30 p.m. in the meeting house next to the Tallman Hotel, 9550 Main St.

Joining McCandless for this concert will be jazz guitarist Christian Foley-Beining with Tom Shader on bass.

A gifted multi-instrumentalist and composer, McCandless specializes on the oboe but also plays the saxophone and bass clarinet.

Well grounded in both classical and jazz disciplines, he won a Grammy in 1996 for Best Pop Instrumental as guest artist with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.

During a distinguished three-decade career, McCandless has been integral to the ensemble sound of two seminal world music bands, the original Paul Winter Consort and the relentlessly innovative quartet OREGON.

“Paul McCandless is a world-class musician and a truly great guy,” said Tallman owner Bernie Butcher. “We’re so lucky that he lives nearby and enjoys playing at the Tallman and Blue Wing when he’s not on the road.” 

McCandless recently moved from Redwood Valley to Healdsburg and hooked up with the prominent jazz musicians Christian Foley-Beining and Tom Shader.

Foley-Beining is a powerful and innovative guitarist who has performed with many greats of the jazz world. He also has appeared several times at the Blue Wing in a duo with jazz flutist George Husaruk.

Shader been playing full time professionally since 1970 and lists as his jazz mentors such luminaries as Bob Lucas, Vince Delgado and Mimi Spenser.

“Paul McCandless has performed in our concert series three times previously,” said Butcher, "and each show has been fantastic. I know Christian and Tom to be true jazz professionals so this trio should produce a wonderful evening of music.”

The Tallman Concerts with Conversation series continues monthly through next April and will feature the folk duo of Alisa Fineman and Kimball Hurd over the Valentine’s weekend in February, the Laura Reynolds Chamber Ensemble in March and the Macy Blackman Trio in April. 

The full schedule can be seen at www.TallmanHotel.com/events .

Tickets at $25 plus tax may be purchased by calling the Hotel at 707-275-2244, Extension 0. Coffee and cookies are served prior to the show.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local favorites Bill Noteman and the Rockets will perform at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport on Friday, Jan. 15.

The “Third Friday Live” performance starts at 7 p.m.

The group features "Mojo" Larry Platz on guitars, David Neft on keyboards, Dave Falco on base, Steve DuBois on drums, and stars Bill Noteman, vocals and harmonica.  

This group has been burning up the stages of Northern California for more than 20 years with its high energy blend of Chicago blues and West Coast Jump rock and roll. 

“Raw expressive vocals, searing harmonica, sizzling guitar and cooking keys dipped in the sauce of a smoldering rhythm section,” is how one critic describes this highly danceable group.

The show is sponsored by the Strong Financial Network.

The dance floor will be open.

All seats for Third Friday Live are $15. Tickets are available online at www.SoperReeseTheatre.com ; at the theater box office, 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport, on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and at The Travel Center, 1265 S. Main, Lakeport, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.