Cloudfire
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Cloudfire

Cloudfire's unique sound combines oud, dulcimer, bansuri flute, didjeridu, and a metallophone built from scrap
playing with more familiar instruments such as saxophone, electric bass and drum set.

The members of Cloudfire bring a range of musical experience, from rock and folk to world, jazz and classical.
Exploring modes from around the world in an improvisational format, their sound goes from subtle or intense
to dreamy and ethereal. The resulting sound is both comforting and surprising at the same time.

Living on the California coast,
north of the Golden Gate and
west of the San Andreas fault,

Cloudfire is . . .

Gretchen Barton
photo credit © 2010 Barbara Pratt

Gretchen Barton (oud, dulcimer, bansuri flute) has been making music on stage the past few years with Sofyan, Rock Rose Tribal bellydance troupe (Rakkasah in Richmond, Tribalfest in Sebastopol, Caspar Community Center, Harvest Hafla at Arena Theatre) and as a guest musician of the Mendocino Stories & Music Series.



Janet DeBar
photo credit © 2011 Barbara Pratt

Janet DeBar first heard a didjeridu ten years ago in the Mojave desert. She has been learning to play since then. The didj is her first and only musical instrument, although she does have fourteen of them. She lives on the coast at The Sea Ranch where local harbor seals sometimes clap in appreciation of her solos.
Janet passed away in August, 2021.



Harrison Goldberg
photo credit © 2011 Barbara Pratt

Harrison Goldberg has performed on tenor, alto and soprano saxophone with a variety of groups, including Neon Egypt, Tabula Rasa, Legend and Baku; he sometimes adds hand percussion or spoken word to Cloudfire's sound. An alumnus of Berklee College of Music, Harrison has literally spent a lifetime in music from East to West Coast. Visit his website: Harrison Goldberg Arts.



Dave Jordan
photo credit © 2011 Barbara Pratt

Dave Jordan is Cloudfire's bassist, playing grooves on a left-handed electric bass guitar. A refugee from Silicon Valley, he is also Cloudfire's recording engineer and web designer. Before moving to the coast, Dave played keyboards with Limbic Sanctuary, an eclectic folk-rock band.



Leon Schneiderman
photo credit © 2011 Barbara Pratt

Leon Schneiderman (drums, metallophone) was a member of the theater group Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo and a founding member of Oingo Boingo. During the group's early years he built original instruments, sets, costumes and theatrical devices, which contributed to the group's memorable and unique shows. He now sculpts and builds / plays percussion instruments.





In Memoriam

Lynn Stoller Lynn Stoller
Lynn Stoller was nearly born in the window of a department store to bohemian puppeteer parents from Greenwich Village. In 1972, he dropped out of IBM and opened Up The Creek Records in Boulder Creek. He began playing Indian tamboura and middle eastern percussion in the '80s; he was a founding member of Cloudfire.
Lynn passed away in July, 2009.





Special guests: 2013 - 2014
Cloudfire & Friends

Johny Qwest Heubel
Multi-instrumentalist Johny Qwest Heubel joins us on kora, guimbri, yalai tambur, flute and percussion. He performed in several groups with Lynn Stoller, including Bhakti Tribe, which released their recording Ancient Waves in 2007.

Karl Young
Karl Young has studied shakuhachi flute for over 20 years. His primary sensei are Kaoru Kakizakai and Riley Lee, both masters in the dokyoku tradition and students of Katsuya Yokoyama. In 2011 he released a jazz CD, Lost in the Wood.

Tim Mueller
Tim Mueller is a sensitive and creative guitar improviser.
Tim performed on Audio Radiance, released in 2007.



Special guest: 2007 - 2009

Zoë Presley
Zoë Presley joined us for our performance at Art in the Redwoods in 2009. Her
inspired - and inspiring - vocals appear on several tracks of our CD, You'll Be Fine.
A Sufi teacher and professional singer, Zoë has performed and recorded with
Portland bluegrass group, Cross-eyed Rosie.

contact: cf@pacificwoodsstudio.com

© 2008-2023 Cloudfire

Pacific Woods Studio