The Dream Bowl

The Dream Bowl was a ballroom in Northern California that, when I was a kid, fascinated me each time I saw it in the 1950s on trips from Napa to Vallejo. Looking into its history, I was astonished at the parade of major musical acts that performed there from its opening in 1941 to its closure in 1969. It had Swing, Country & Western, and Rock bands during each of those eras. Near its end, I saw Santana, and the Grateful Dead at the Dream Bowl; both highly memorable experiences.

There was no shortage of examples bridging these various genres and musical periods as the music developed and styles mixed over time. The Dream Bowl – Where Goodman, Ellington, and the Grateful Dead Convene, is a celebration of music generally, and specifically, a deep-dive, with great respect and love, into the stories that happened within this incredible house of music.

As the subtitle suggests, there are profiles on those in the subtitle, as there are for John Coltrane, Johnny Cash, Sonny Rollins, Bob Wills, and more. Helping to bring the story to life, I was fortunate to be able to talk with people who actually performed there, and was fortunate also, to have attended many concerts at which the great musicians talked about in the book performed. Over a decade in the making, it truly was a labor of love. I hope you’ll dive in with enjoyment yourself.

Michael Amen