Scotty Correa-Mickel-Guitar, Sax, Harmonica, Vocals
Scotty Correa-Mickel is currently playing in two bands, Cruzin’ and the Cabrillo Collage Jazz Band. He also performs in the duo format with Cruzin II, and performs solo playing acoustic guitar and singing. He is married (30 happy years) and makes his home in Santa Cruz.
Like many of us, Scotty started music lessons with Piano and Clarinet in elementary school. By High School he was playing rock and roll guitar, as well as playing sax in the high school band. In the ‘70s Scotty was frequently playing with local Santa Cruz bands like Morgan, and Funky Aptos. Later came Junk Food, a band Scotty led in the ‘80s.
A science teacher for some 30 years, Scotty has played guitar in countless classrooms and assemblies. He taught Music at Renaissance High School – and when that program was cut due to ... (don’t get me started on that!) – he continued to teach the program during the lunch period.
Scotty approached Billy in 2004 with the idea for a new project; a band with a broad base of styles with a foundation in Rhythm and Blues. Scotty serves as band manager and sings, plays guitar and saxophone.
Some of the songs Cruzin’ performs are his compositions. His love and joy bring a great sound to the music which he dedicates to you.
Bill Bortin - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Bill started playing guitar as a teenager when he traded his Olds trumpet for a Silvertone electric guitar belonging to a neighbor girl's boyfriend. And he has been playing guitar ever since.
Bill moved to Santa Cruz in 1966 and started the Sunday Matinee Jug Band with Jerry Best, David Adams, and Nathan Dennison. They modeled themselves after the Lovin' Spoonful and the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. Musical advice and help came from Ed James and Dick Yount of the Tikis, who later became Harper's Bazaar. They had a hit with Simon and Garfunkel's 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy), if you recall.
The "Sunday Matinee Jug Band" was the first band to play at the Catalyst when it was located in the old lobby of the Saint George Hotel.
Bill's first rock band was Loose Caboose, with Ed James on lead guitar, David Adams on bass, Gary Lamb on drums, Jerry Best on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Wayne Goodwin on violin, and Bill on rhythm guitar and harmony vocals. He has been in a lot of bands in Santa Cruz since those early days, and picked up the bass as a second instrument along the way. Bill performed on radio stations KKUP, KPIG, and KUSP as well as local and national television (Charlie Daniels Talent Round-up). Bill also won first place for an original song, "Thorns on the Vine", at the Redwood Mountain Fair.
For the past five years he has been playing in the band, "Cruzin'", with his firend Scotty Correa-Mickel. Bill and Scotty were joined in thier second year by friend Buck Hoelscher on bass guitar and mandolin. Crizin's original drummer Stretch Reidel went on to other ventures a year ago. Now on the Drums for Cruzin' is there friend Brad Posey, whose musical background is Rockabilly and Jazz.
Bill is a teacher second grade at Watsonville Charter School of the Arts, where he is able to be involved with a lot of music as part of the academic program. His "Cruzin'" bandmates joined him for a show at the Mello Center this June called "Looking for Elvis", with his son William singing a solo on the tiltle tune to open the show.
Buck Hoelscher - Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
Brad Posey - Drums
1963 - Started playing guitar and singing in a folk singing band at age 15 called Los Coplas in Seattle, WA
1964-66 – joined a rock band “The Centuries” while attending an Air Force military base housing Narimasu High School in Tokyo, Japan. Played rhythm guitar and vocals. This band was great. We performed many Beatles, Beach Boys, and Blues tunes. Most gigs were for our local high school teen clubs. However, this group was so good, we played on NHK TV. We toured Japan in a VW Van, and were slated to be The Beach Boys warm up band if needed, when they toured Japan. Carl Wilson gave our lead guitarist Ray Hayase, a Rickenbacker twelve string guitar!
1967- Played lead guitar/rhythm and vocals, for a group called “The Coachmen” for our teen club gigs in Japan.
1969 – Played lead guitar and vocals for a group “Spiral Staircase” while living with folks while attending college in Hong Kong when I was 19 years old. My 4 year younger brother Dennis played Bass guitar. We played for Hong Kong Shanghai Bankers Association parties up on The Peak, Hilton Hotel, Embassy parties, and regularly in the red light zone Wanchai, where our Vietnam troops U.S, Australian, and British often came for R&R direct out of combat from the jungles of Vietnam. That was quite an experience in the seamier side of life!
After this focused on graduating 1971 from the University of Washington, got married, got a teaching job with Junior High kids in Washington, coached, and played guitar for my students … no bands for many years… Living near Seattle, WA was preoccupied with building and completing a 36ft offshore cutter sailboat I named ”Pacific Crystal” launched in 1977. She’s currently moored up at Brisbane, CA. In the meantime, I retired from several careers: Teaching Math & World Geography, coaching Jr. High football & track, Building custom yachts, building custom homes, radio telegrapher and communications engineer for Radio KFS ITT Worldcom, and finally retired 2005 at VISA International, San Mateo, CA, as a Director of Computer Systems Engineers building systems test environments, to test new Visa programs/code.
In the mid-80’s my brother Dennis, introduced me to playing Mandolin. I took lessons, started playing every Friday night with “Sunshine” at her Fri. night Bluegrass Jam in Redwood City. Did this in earnest for many years until I moved to Santa Cruz in 1999. Also, actually built several F5 mandolins during this time. Scotty, came to one of our Bluegrass parties, and asked me to play Bass and Mandolin for his band, which we named “Cruzin” We love playing rock-n-roll and classic favorites!
Brad started playing music before he could add or subtract. The Drum Set appeared in 1958 and a group called “The Colossals”. Bassed here in Santa Cruz and playing from Colinga to San Jose.
There big brake came through an audition for a local Channel 8 teen program called “Trio-Teen Time”. After each program the Headliners from the TV Show appeared at the “Coconut Grove” in Santa Cruz and “The Colossals” were the house band.
Some of the Headliners that we played with were, Jerry Fuller, Mari Barris, Robin Luke, Adrisi Brothers, Jimmy Clanton, Frankie Ford, The Crests, Dick Carusso, Dorsey Burnett, Barry Devorzon, Larry Bright, The Edwards Brothers, Jan & Dean, Skip & Flip and many others.
As with all normal people (at least in the 60's) found true love, got married, had babies and went to work.
No time for things like traveling to far away places, staying up till all hours and having fun playing music. So it was off to work you go, the good old 9 to 5er.
Now that I'm old and gray, and the Kids have moved on, I'm trying to turn back the clock (HA HA). With the help of the "Santa Cruz County Jazz Society" and there on going programs. I was able to reinvent myself somewhat.
Playing with very talented locals at varius venues around Santa Cruz music sceen. I have been able to re-enter the music. And now a part of The Cruzin Band, and having a great time. Maybe not the same as I remember it, but, the FIRE is still burning