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Supercalifornographic singer-songslinger Maurice Tani
pulls all the angst of life right to the surface of his songs.
His redemption songs and his wry commentary on life in the sidestreets and cheap rooms of the American dream are never really overstated. Bassist Mike Anderson, with his years of experience with Maurice, is a resonant foil for the stories that unfold.

San Francisco-born and bred, Maurice developed an ear for the Bakersfield sound of Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and such early on. In his 20s, he left for central Texas to work the country, blues and rock circuit from Austin to Dallas, playing five sets a night, seven nights a week for months at a time, and eventually making his way to New York City as the punk rock scene of CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City was exploding. By 1977, he was back in San Francisco, and in 1978 joined The Phantom Movers — Roy Loney’s lauded rockabilly band, recording four critically acclaimed albums with the band over a five-year run.

For the next 15 years, Maurice made some money, with his sterling work as lead guitarist and a featured vocalist for Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra and Big Bang Beat, two dance bands that toured internationally. In 1999, Maurice returned to his roots in original music, and has since been a key songwriter, singer and guitarist on the “hillbilly noir” side of San Francisco’s Americana music community, acclaimed for his bands 77 El Deora and Calamity & Main.

This afternoon at Bird & Beckett, Maurice with his duo partner, the American bassist Mike Anderson, will turn it down to deliver two sets of original material and some classics. Maurice’s 2013 CD, “Two Stroke,” set the mold for his duo treatments with Mike of songs well known from their full band arrangements, including, now, tunes from his 2017 release, “The Lover’s Card.” As a duo, Maurice and Mike performed the material live at Freight & Salvage to celebrate the CD’s release. He and Mike have returned to Bird & Beckett several times as a duo, a casual and intimate tour along some well-worn byways.

Mike plays in 77 El Deora as well as a slew of other projects, and works frequent sideman gigs with Christopher Ford, Eric McFadden, Victoria George, Jinx Jones and dozens more. You’ll hear a lot of Maurice this afternoon at Bird & Beckett. Do come out.