Some come to Tahoe for a visit, some for a season; others dive fully into the community and change it for the better. Local multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and recording engineer Sam Ravenna is an example of the later. After living in Truckee/Tahoe for just three short years, he is already making his mark in the music scene by collaborating with a vast array of local musicians and consistently releasing quality work in a variety of genres.
“The album is a heady mix of roots and dub that flows seamlessly between tracks. It’s the kind of music you can play on repeat and just zone out …”
His newest effort is the upcoming release of his third edition in a solo reggae album series entitled “Samily Man Volume 3.” The album is a heady mix of roots and dub that flows seamlessly between tracks. It’s the kind of music you can play on repeat and just zone out, perfect for a lazy morning, spring laps at Alpine or some post-party decompression.
The recordings began as a drum and bass collaboration with Patrick Korte of Jazz Mafia, Shotgun Wedding Quintet and Truckee Tribe. Then Ravenna added instrumental overlays himself before bringing Mama’s Cookin’ alums Steve LaBella and Zebuel Early in on a couple more tracks.
Ravenna will be celebrating this milestone release with a series of four shows in three days on Memorial Day weekend, backed by Reno band The Umpires, a collaboration that features musicians from Keyser Soze, The Sextones and Reno Jazz Syndicate.
“They’re such good players, I’m so stoked to play with them,” says Ravenna. “We are looking forward to playing that many shows in a row, getting in groove and bringing the reggae vibe to Tahoe.”
When he’s not fronting his solo band, Ravenna plays bass with Peter Joseph Burtt & The Kingtide, Rapplesauce, Cass Haley and Groove Foundry. He was also the recording engineer and producer for four local albums over the last two years including Sneaky Creatures’ “Dirt Circus,” Calling Ophelia’s “People Come Around,” Angele & The Wildwood Band’s self-titled debut, and Peter Joseph Burtt’s upcoming release “Mermaid’s Curse.”
Due to his friendly demeanor, strong work ethic and tremendous natural talent, Ravenna has become the go-to local guy for bass-playing and recording alike. I expect we will see a lot more of him in the future. In the meantime, you can catch his tasty, trancy reggae grooves this holiday weekend.
May 27 | 8 p.m.
Moody’s Bar, Bistro & Beats | Truckee
May 28 | 5 p.m.
Made in Tahoe Festival | Olympic Valley
May 28 | 9 p.m.
Moe’s Original BBQ | Tahoe City
May 29 | 8 p.m.
The Loving Cup | Reno, Nev.
