This was a very special night of holiday songs with PENNY NICHOLS and friends! Penny, celebrating the release of her new CD, played a set of songs from her great new album, I'll Never Be That Old Again, co-produced by David West, which is getting great reviews from all who hear it! Penny performed with her band featuring MICHAEL MULLINS on guitar, mandolin and vocals, and TOM LEE on bass and vocals.

PENNY NICHOLS started her career in the 1960s as a singer-songwriter in coffeehouses around Orange County, CA. She shared stages with many legendary artists such as Jackson Browne, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Ponys, Jennifer Warnes, Mary McCaslin, the Dillards and many others. In 1977, while working with Emitt Rhodes on a record for Elektra, Penny joined Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer band. She appeared in the movie FM with the band, toured the U.S. with them and earned a Platinum Record for her singing on Son of a Son of a Sailor. In the late '70s and '80s, she recorded and toured with performers like Art Garfunkel, Suzi Quatro, Yvonne Elliman, Jennifer Warnes, Albert Brooks, The Credibility Gap, Steve Gillette and many others while earning a Grammy nomination for her work on Arlo Guthrie's album, "The Power of Love". Penny hosts a very well regarded songwriters camp in the Catskill Mountains for a week each summer. Her brand new album, I'll Never Be That Old Again, is a real gem, and so is Penny! www.pennynichols.com

MIKE MULLINS was the guitarist for the Phil Salazar Band in the 1980s before co-founding The Acousticats with Cache Valley Drifters alumnus Cyrus Clarke in 1990. In 1993, Mike joined the newly reformed Cache Valley Drifters, with whom he had maintained close musical ties since the early '70s. He has also appeared on over 30 other recordings, including banjo wizard John McEuen's release "Acoustic Traveller." (Mike and The Cache Valley Drifters appeared at Russ & Julie's House Concert in July 2001.)

TOM LEE's bass has appeared on albums by Kate Wolf, Big Daddy, Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan, Chris Cairns, and David West's "Pickin' On" bluegrass series, among others.

Joining Penny for a unique and original look at the holidays was Hawaiian Slack Key guitar master and singer PATRICK LANDEZA, who performed some Hawaiian Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) songs. Certainly he left everyone wanting more and we hope to have him back again sometime soon.

PATRICK LANDEZA is considered to be a leading performer of Hawaiian slack key guitar, or ki ho'alu, one of the world's great acoustic guitar traditions. In a career that includes having his original composition featured on a Miss Universe Pageant television special, becoming the first slack key artist to perform the national anthem at a Major League Baseball game, opening for legendary Hawaiian musicians Israel "Bruddah Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole, Keali'i Reichel and HAPA, and cutting two albums, it's no wonder that Jim Harrington of the Oakland Tribune noted that "Patrick Landeza's mastery of Hawaiian slack key guitar" keeps him in heavy demand. Noted pianist and ki ho'alu player George Winston, who has recorded and played with some of the greatest slack key musicians, says: "Patrick Landeza is one of the best and most dedicated of the new generation of slack key players." www.patricklandeza.com

Special guest artists also included MICHAEL MONAGAN, doing some holiday songs, along with Conejo Valley favorite KIM MOSKOWITZ for a few Hanukkah songs. Plus noted vocal coach and singing diva FLORENCE RIGGS graced us with some holiday tunes as well!

KIM MOSKOWITZ's musical charm and energy is well known locally as she is currently in her ninth year as the Judaic Music Educator and Cantorial Soloist at Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks where she has found much success in teaching and performing Jewish music as well as creating and participating in innovative and inspirational Judaic programming. www.cdbaby.com/cd/kimmy

MICHAEL MONAGAN will be familiar to long-time visitors at Russ & Julie's House Concerts from his appearance here in April 1999 with his band SeeSaw. Michael is a special education teacher who incorporates music and songwriting into his classroom for handicapped children.

This was an exceptionally fun and entertaining evening full of holiday cheer. A great way to kick of the holiday season and finish off our seventh year of hosting house concerts.