Loretta Brank, fiddler and vocalist in country singer Deana Carter’s band for three years, turned “Beach

Deana Carter and yours truly.  (Click on the image to see a larger photo.)

Girl” recently during a TV special featuring Deana and Beach Boy Brian Wilson. Her appearances on the Leno and Letterman shows are now too numerous to count.

Loretta and I always get together when Deana makes tour stops here, which has been each of the last two years. Although living in Nashville is crucial to her career, Loretta says they can keep the miserable, humid climate.

J'Anna and Michael Crawford  (Click on the image to see a larger photo.)

J’Anna Jacoby has been back to playing violin while touring with singer Michael Crawford.

Bob Snyder (Click on the   image to see a larger photo.)

But she still manages to squeeze in visits home to see her mother, Adrienne, and play some tunes with Bob Snyder.

RT and Ina Denny  (Click on the image to see a larger photo.)

F Group members RT and Ina Denny made the scene at the San Diego Bluegrass Club’s Banjo and Fiddle Contest at San Diego County’s Del Mar Fair.

Wanda Law, who does double duty as fiddler and classical violist, played with Mark O’Connor when he appeared with the Orange County Symphony. She’ll soon have him for a neighbor. Mark and his wife, Carla, are moving to the Vista area of north San Diego County at the first of the year. He says he tired of the Nashville scene and wanted a more pleasant climate.

Judy Lipnick and husband Greg Raskin are now recording artists. They were in Quebec in October to make a CD of Quebecois fiddle tunes with Guy Bouchard as Les Têtes de Violon (The Fiddle Heads). It’s entitled “Aires Tordus/Crooked Tunes”. Also on the recording are Santa Cruz fiddlers Kevin Carr and Laurie Rivin. Judy downplays the effort, but it’s a fine collection of tunes.

Tom Rozum and Laurie Lewis, on the heels of last year’s Grammy nominated “The Oak & the Laurel”, have out a new recording entitled “Winter’s Grace” available at their website: www.laurielewis.com.

That’s Tom pictured at right. He and Laurie performed in San Diego last year and they’ll be back in March. (Tom also is the talented creator of the renowned RPR logo.)