THE FAIRFAX STREET CHOIR
AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF GYPSY
In 1972 I graduated from high school in San Diego. I knew I didn’t want to continue my formal education in music right away, and being the free spirit that I am, I hitchhiked around the country and landed two months later in Marin County. I hadn’t been there for two weeks and some guy I didn’t even know came up to me on the street and very excitedly told me about a musical get together at Cheryl and James Gurley’s house (Janis Joplin’s Big Brother and the Holding Co.) in the hills of San Anselmo. There was going to be a jam session! I was just barely 18 years old, had always been involved with music, and this was right up my alley…
This was in the summer of 1972. A small group of friends gathered on Monday nights to sing and play music. The informality and joy of singing together soon made Monday nights a regular thing and attracted others to join.
I remember it being so much fun, the music being full of energy, harmony and was awesome!!! There were at least 20 singers, basses, tenors, altos, mezzo sopranos and sopranos. I got high singing that music as did everyone else. It felt as if there was an energy force that drew certain people to it as musicians and performers, and the people that wanted to be there as an audience to experience this incredible musical force. The dedication and commitment of this group getting together was so natural and Monday nights was something to look forward to.
I felt like I had found my new family in Marin County. We kept learning new material, started getting together three nights a week for practice, had built quite the musical repertoire, and called this amazing group of singers, musicians and dancers The Fairfax Street Choir. That’s how it all began…
I personally was in the Fairfax Street Choir for six years, although I was in other offshoots of the group and played with various musicians forming other musical groups and bands. I have to say that these were the best years of my life. Being involved with music was so important to everyone. It wasn’t about how much money we were going to make, but rather the creation of music and using a spiritual vehicle to deliver it.
The musicians I played with were some of the best musicians in the land. People got together for the love of music, to create and write with each other and to put on the most amazing shows. I feel blessed to have been a part of this musical phenomena.
Marla Hunt was the driving force of the Fairfax Street Choir. Marla started the choir because she was tired of the professional side of the music business and just wanted to play music with her friends. In the 1960s in San Francisco, she was in an all female band called "The Ace of Cups." The drummer for the the Ace of Cups was Diane Vitalich who became the drummer for the Fairfax Street Choir. Mary Gannon was the bass player for Ace of Cups and became one of the singers in the alto section for the Fairfax Street Choir.
Marla is quite an accomplished singer, songwriter and pianist. In my opinion, she is one of the best songwriters I have had the pleasure to work with and write with. She played piano, wrote songs and arranged them for the Fairfax Street Choir. Still today I perform some of her music, because you don't hear music from the heart like that everyday, with beautiful musical melodies, harmonies, and lyrics that have a profound spiritual message.
We also did some covers, some old Gospel like "Come thou Fount" and "Amazing Grace," but mostly original music and soon others started writing or bringing in songs for the Fairfax Street Choir to learn.
I think our first live gig was at the "Sleeping Lady Cafe" which was located in Fairfax, which unfortunately doesn't exist anymore. It was a vegetarian cooperative restaurant which was owned and run by members of the coop. This became a home to the Fairfax Street Choir as well as other musicians, musical groups and bands. There was a message board in the back where we would leave messages for and communicate with each other. It was a great place to hang out, listen to great music, and play music at.
In the mid 70's, Tom Fox, an artist who last I heard lives in Kauai, had used me as a model for "The Sleeping Lady" mural he had painted on the wall inside The Sleeping Lady cafe.
The Fairfax Street Choir played together from 1972-1978. Some of the places and events that we played at were “The Sleeping Lady Café,” Easter Sunday at “Glide Memorial Church” in San Francisco, “The Whole Earth Festival” at U.C. Davis, “The Kahoutek Celebration of Consciousness” in San Francisco, “The Spring Harmony Festival” at Sonoma State College, “The Cosmic Boogie” in Los Angeles, “The Lion’s Share” in San Anselmo, “Marshall Tavern” in Marshall, California, “River City” in Fairfax, “Civic Auditorium” in San Francisco, “Marine World” in Redwood City, California, “Marin County Fair, DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, and many others.
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