Longtime San Geronimo Valley drummer celebrates family, community with first album
Howie Cort, of San Geronimo Valley, has spent most of her playing the drums. Now, at age 65, she releases her first album, "Aunt June's Basement," which pays homage to where she first starting perfecting her craft as a kid.
If you live in the San Geronimo Valley, chances are you know Linda “Howie” Cort.
The valley resident has made her mark in the community for four decades, coaching a CYO basketball team, playing at local hot spots with her band, Howie’s Persuasion, and with Michael McQuilkin’s Family Music Hour, and working with the San Geronimo Valley Community Center and Lagunitas School.
And while she’s spent most of her career advocating for and supporting youth, the soulful drummer’s always found ways to continue her longtime love of music. At 65, she’s releasing her first album, “Aunt June’s Basement,” an homage to her 95-year-old aunt whose basement was where she started perfecting her self-taught drumming skills as a child.
Cort celebrates her 66th birthday and her album at 6 p.m. April 6 at Giaco’s Valley Roadhouse in San Geronimo, which will raise money for the community center, where she’s been a board member since 2016. Get tickets ($50) on Eventbrite.
Q How has living in the valley shaped you?
A In 1982, we got the opportunity to move to a ranch just past Devil’s Gulch and lived in a small bunk house. It was an incredible opportunity, and we had this little community we made our own. When we moved in, we had no kids, and when we moved out more than a decade later, there were six kids between the two couples. That was our first anchor. After being part of the ranch, having our children gave us the opportunity to meet so many more families and that was the real beginnings of our community. The Open Classroom shaped us as parents, developing relationships with other families and lifelong relationships with these kids that are close friends of our children. When my son was 4, I wanted to get back to work and I got a job at the YMCA and through them, I started an after school program at Point Reyes Station’s Red Barn in 1989, and started a bunch of basketball teams. My whole life I have been involved in community, mostly with youth.
Q Where does that passion stem from?
A My mom grew up in a big family. She’s the youngest of eight. Their family was very involved with community and we always had gatherings. My mom’s family was very giving and I think I just followed that path. It was a natural progression.
Q How did you get into drumming?
A I would spend a lot of time with my aunt June. Her son, my cousin Greg, was the absolute coolest. One day, I noticed the snare drum in his room. I started pounding on it and was like, this is very cool. Flash forward a couple of years, my cousin later had this drum set in the basement and I would come over and drum for hours. I would come upstairs and be like, “My hands hurt,” and my aunt would bandage my blistered hands. She never said I’m playing too much. I am dedicating this (album) to June because of that, and her supporting me in drumming. My junior high band teacher, Mr. B, started a stage band, which I got to be a part of — the only girl. I have been really lucky that I have been surrounded by so many encouraging people who weren’t saying, “That’s not what girls do.”
Q What have been some of your experiences in music?
A I recorded with another band (Transistor Rodeo) in the late ’80s, early ’90s, that was starting to get some traction. We played all the great venues in San Francisco and a monthly gig at Sweetwater and we started being an opening band for national touring acts like Etta James and Mary Chapin Carpenter. That was incredible. Things happen and bands break up. I continued playing with local bands. I don’t take myself too seriously. I take gigs because I want to have fun.
Q Why the album now?
A My husband, Dave, and I were talking and he said, “You really should put something down so you have a record of what you did.” This was my project. I had a great time doing it. I wanted to honor on the album the people I have known throughout the years. They are like my extended musical family and many of our kids went to school together. It’s all about community and family, that’s what I think this album represents to me.