December 31, 2009 | 
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Where to find the perfect soundtrack for your New Year’s celebration
It’s time to ring in 2010 and celebrate the end of another decade. There are so many great musical choices this year, and be it jazz or hip-hop, there is definitely something for everyone’s taste.
Let’s begin with an annual event. Stan Pappas performs a tribute to Frank Sinatra in three showings at Meritage Martini Oyster Bar & Grill. He will croon your favorites at 7 p.m., 9 p.m., and 11 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31. A free glass of bubbly is promised to party goers. There is no cover, but reservations are encouraged. 707.938.9430.
Ring in the New Year early with the “nooners” series at Sonoma Hills. Reflections, a jazz standards quartet, will play from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31. There is no cover. Sonoma Hills is located at 405 West MacArthur St.
The Lodge at Sonoma has two options for Thursday, Dec. 31. Dana Land and her very merry men will swing you through a New Year’s Eve Bash in the Gallery Lounge. Dana’s jazzy ensemble includes Jonathan Alford on piano and John Hoy on bass and guitar. The festivities begin at 9:30 p.m. No reservation is required, but there is a charge at the door which includes a midnight champagne toast. For more information on the cover call 707.931.2042. The other choice for the evening is “Putting on the Glitz: A Night in Havana.” The tickets for this are quite a bit pricier than the other options, but it is a fundraiser for The Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance which makes it worth the admission. The ballroom is transformed to an exotic 1950s Cuban night club with Cuban-inspired food and drink, casino games, and live music from The Cheeseballs. Party begins at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and information call 707.996.6843.
Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack has an offering for the last night of 2009. Thursday, Dec. 31, celebrate with DJ RasCUE out of the East Bay. He will be spinning hip-hop and reggae into the New Year beginning at 9 p.m. There is a small cover, which is even smaller if paid in advance. Stopping by Emmy’s in person is always the best bet, but if you’d like to try a number, call 707.933.3823.
EZ Kewl will be playing with special guest Brian Nova at The Schellville Grill on Thursday, Dec. 31. The show begins around 9 p.m. and has no cover. Saturday, Jan. 2, catch EZ Kewl in their first 2010 appearance at The Redwood Café on Old Redwood Highway in Cotati. That show begins at 7 p.m.
Steiners Tavern will celebrate the New Year with local favorites, The Hellhounds. The band will begin at 10 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, and there is no cover. Saturday, Jan. 2, DJ Dave will have the bar grooving from 10 p.m. to close.
Murphy’s Irish Pub is not to be left out of the local choices for New Year’s Eve. Thursday, Dec. 31. Celebrate 2010 twice beginning at 4 p.m. for the New Year in Ireland and midnight, of course, for local time. Celtic band Greenhouse will perform from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and The Carrtunes will play from 9 p.m. until after the ball drops. No cover all day.
The rest of the weekend offers limited, although exceptional, selections. Friday, Jan. 1 the first Sonoma Valley Jazz Society event of the New Year is “Jazz in the Back” at The Plaza Bistro. The Mary Jenson Trio which includes alto Mary Jenson accompanied by Terrence Brewer on guitar and Chris Amberger on bass, will entertain beginning at 7 p.m. There is no cover. El Dorado Kitchenette has jazz, swing, and blues from Donna Spitzer on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Later that night, Mondo, American Beer Garden has Hard Travelin’ beginning at 8 p.m. Happy New Year Sonoma! Cheers to a musical 2010.
