Napa Porchfest Update: “Slippery Nickels” and "Familiar Soul" at COPE

Stroll to the at 1340 First St. to hear the swinging sounds of the Slippery Nickels, a Napa trio specializing in jazz from the first half of the 20th century.

Their 2 p.m. set will be followed by a 3:30 p.m. performance by Famiar Soul, featuring singer and radio host Kellie Fuller of "Kellie in the Morning" on /.

Slippery Nickels

Featuring saxophonist Katherine Lautenbach, guitarist Mike Aviles and bassist/vocalist Eric J. Lansperger, the group plays a mix of ballads and toe-tappers.

The Slippery Nickels’ web site includes a handful of demo recordings – “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling,” “Lullaby of Birdland,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street” and “Alone Together” – that suggest an ideal band for summer-afternoon al fresco listening.

Familiar Soul

After the jazz set with Slippery Nickels, bassist Lansperger will perform again as part of Familiar Soul, whose members also include guitarist and singer Randy Nichols, drummer Mike Nichols, percussionist and singer Codany Holiday III, keyboardist Guy Arrustutto and Fuller.

Some of the band members "have made music together throughout the last 40 years," according to the Familiar Soul bio on the NapaPorchfest.org website:

"The odd man in is a new friend who was invited into the band after a little bit of eavesdropping encouraged him to introduce himself into a conversation about music in a Napa restaurant. All six members of the band feel a strong connection and they pride themselves in their compatibility as musicians and friends."

More than 40 bands with 120 musicians on 28 porches are taking part in Napa Porchfest, believed to be the first porch music festival on the West Coast.

The free festival takes place between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in historic neighborhoods around the city of Napa.

On July 29 Napa Porchfest got a plug on the morning broadcast of KQED-FM, when San Francisco Chronicle executive features editor David Wiegand likened it to the annual Fete de la Musique in Paris.

You can print a map and schedule here.

For an interactive map with photos of the porches and schedule of performers with links to biographies and videos, visit napaporchfest.org.

To learn more about the bands and the festival, click on the "" tag for a round-up of all the articles on Napa Patch.

Napa Porchfest is also on Facebook and Twitter.