Lee Rocker

Blues traditionalist David (Kid) Ramos is busiest these days as a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, but local fans know him as a longtime presence on the local roots-music scene since his '80s tenure with the James Harman Band. "Two Hands One Heart" is the Anaheim guitarist's solo debut. As a member of the New York-based Stray Cats, Lee Rocker helped set off the early-'80s rockabilly revival that proved influential on the Orange County scene.

What if Leonard Bernstein had stood before the New York Philharmonic, baton poised, and jumped into a performance with a jubilant cry of "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go!"? Now that would have been eclectic. On Saturday, Orange County's leading importer of classical music will let the rock 'n' roll cats have a go.

What if Leonard Bernstein had stood before the New York Philharmonic, baton poised, and jumped into a performance with a jubilant cry of "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go!"? Now that would have been eclectic. On Saturday, Orange County's leading importer of classical music will let the rock 'n' roll cats have a go.

Much like NBA dreams, MTV dreams generally remain just that. But in 1980, three youngsters from Long Island played their kind of music and the dream came true. The band was Stray Cats, a trio that not only reinvented rockabilly music for a new generation, but also sold 7 million records before breaking up in 1984. One-third of the Cats, bass player Lee Rocker, will bring his brand of roots rock to the Ventura Theatre on Friday night.

Only three people born since "Blue Suede Shoes" hit the charts have managed to follow Elvis Presley and his '50s peers to stardom by playing rockabilly music. Lee Rocker is one of them. He was still in his teens back in 1980, when he and his band mates in the Stray Cats--Brian Setzer and Slim Jim Phantom--began scoring hits with a musical style that had gone out of fashion before the Kennedy Administration began.

And no dogs, either. On his third album as a front man, the former Stray Cats bassist has grown immensely. "No Cats" struts a full album's worth of first-rate stuff, all of it beautifully played, deeply felt and winningly roots-based but pop-savvy. Rocker's two credible but unspectacular albums with his mid-'90s trio, Big Blue, now seem like warmups for this main event.

Much like NBA dreams, MTV dreams generally remain just that. But in 1980, three youngsters from Long Island played their kind of music and the dream came true. The band was Stray Cats, a trio that not only reinvented rockabilly music for a new generation, but also sold 7 million records before breaking up in 1984. One-third of the Cats, bass player Lee Rocker, will bring his brand of roots rock to the Ventura Theatre on Friday night.

Leon Russell has lent a helping hand to some of the biggest names in pop and rock history. Jerry Lee Lewis, the Byrds, Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker and the Rolling Stones to Herb Alpert, George Benson and George Jones and more have gravitated to the singer-songwriter-pianist over the last 35 years. Once again, Russell--who appears Thursday at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano--rounded up a few pals for his new album, "Legend in My Time: Hank Wilson, Volume III" (Ark 21).

all day Pop Music Social Distortion, Chuck Berry, the Blasters, the Reverend Horton Heat, the Supersuckers, Lee Rocker and the Cadillac Tramps are just the tip of the roots-rocking iceberg that is the seventh annual Hootenanny festival. * Hootenanny 2001, Hidden Valley, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, 11 a.m. $40 and $100 (VIP). (949) 263-4552.

Leon Russell has lent a helping hand to some of the biggest names in pop and rock history. Jerry Lee Lewis, the Byrds, Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker and the Rolling Stones to Herb Alpert, George Benson and George Jones and more have gravitated to the singer-songwriter-pianist over the last 35 years. Once again, Russell--who appears Thursday at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano--rounded up a few pals for his new album, "Legend in My Time: Hank Wilson, Volume III" (Ark 21).

And no dogs, either. On his third album as a front man, the former Stray Cats bassist has grown immensely. "No Cats" struts a full album's worth of first-rate stuff, all of it beautifully played, deeply felt and winningly roots-based but pop-savvy. Rocker's two credible but unspectacular albums with his mid-'90s trio, Big Blue, now seem like warmups for this main event.

Blues traditionalist David (Kid) Ramos is busiest these days as a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, but local fans know him as a longtime presence on the local roots-music scene since his '80s tenure with the James Harman Band. "Two Hands One Heart" is the Anaheim guitarist's solo debut. As a member of the New York-based Stray Cats, Lee Rocker helped set off the early-'80s rockabilly revival that proved influential on the Orange County scene.

Only three people born since "Blue Suede Shoes" hit the charts have managed to follow Elvis Presley and his '50s peers to stardom by playing rockabilly music. Lee Rocker is one of them. He was still in his teens back in 1980, when he and his band mates in the Stray Cats--Brian Setzer and Slim Jim Phantom--began scoring hits with a musical style that had gone out of fashion before the Kennedy Administration began.

Roots-leaning rock acts, topped by former Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker, will play a benefit concert Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano to help pay the medical bills of Jeff Castro, an avid fan from Huntington Beach who was injured in a recent automobile accident. Also appearing are the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, Hot Rod Lincoln (with Rita Coolidge as guest singer) and Paula Nelson (daughter of Willie).