There has been considerable press lately concerning the significance of trees to one’s health; however, music also seems to be of importance to our wellbeing. If this is true about music then within the shadow of the Sammamish/Issaquah Plateau there is an abundance of opportunities to experience the nourishing aspects of music.

This was especially true during the week of August 3, where over a three day period at six venues there was an opportunity to listen to a number of musical groups and all of this was free. Interesting the groups provide an opportunity to hear music with a worldwide theme.

First there was Blake Nobel from Australia at the Bellevue Fountain Court on Tuesday playing the Didgeridoo which included a dingo dog jingle. That evening at the Issaquah Concert on the Green was Kalimba a large band that covers Earth Wind and Fire hits so their Earth portion keeps with the week’s worldly theme. Next on Wednesday was a quartet, Steve Baily and the Blue Flames at the Bellevue City Plaza that played blues music from around the country with the bass player who was announced as being from Georgia, the country not the state. Thursday saw a Jamaican Reggae quintet the, Longstride performing at the Bellevue Connection. That evening there was a local blues guitarist Nick Vigarino performing at the Issaquah Gas Station Blues series and ending up the night was another big band, The Kings of Hollywood, an Eagles tribute group performing to those gathered at Sammamish’s Pine Lake. Interesting the same group played Tuesday, August 11, at Issaquah’s Concert on the Green. It should be noted that rumors claim the location of the Eagles’ famous “Hotel California” is in the town of Todos Santos on the Pacific side of Baja California, Mexico.

So to relate back to music in the shadow of the plateau, the lyrics of Hotel California remind us that; “You can check-out any time you like. But you can never leave! “ So with the variety of worldly musical opportunities in our neighborhood why would we want to leave?

Larry Crandall