‘Playing real good for free’ at Java Man
Leah Scott, 13, sings Franz Schubert’s “An Die Nachtigall,” (“To the Nightingale”) acapella, and in German, Sunday afternoon on The Strand during Fiesta Hermosa. The home schooled Lomita resident said she aspires to be a Broadway musical performer. She will appear in the upcoming “Matilda,” at the Haven Academy of the Arts, in El Segundo; and in the upcoming “Sound of Music,” presented by the Aerospace Players, at the James Armstrong Theater in Torrance.
Fleetwood and Friends at Fiesta Hermosa
by Garrick Rawlings
On a glorious spring, Sunday afternoon at the music-loaded Memorial Day Weekend Fiesta Hermosa, Scott Fleetwood and Friends held down the Java Man Stage for three hours. The casual crowd sitting, and standing all around Java Man’s corner, at Pier and Manhattan avenues, were treated to breezy beach-country originals, covers, and genre crossing mash-ups.
Fleetwood grew up in Connecticut, and studied music, and theater arts at Arizona State University. He moved to the South Bay the early 1990s
“Music has always been my first love, it was plan ‘A’, but I also worked mornings at the airport for American Airlines, and I was playing eight to 10 times a month (at night), and I kind of got burned out. So I put music to the side and readdressed the acting, that was plan ‘B.’ Sometimes I get lucky. I was on “Why Women Kill” (Paramount+) last year.
Joining Fleetwood on Saturday was Per Kjeller, of Sweden. The two became friends while performing at Orville and Wilbur’s in Manhattan Beach in 1992. Three years ago Kjeller gave Fleetwood a piece of music written by Urban Hådé, and asked Fleetwood to come up with lyrics for it. Kjeller produced and played most of the instruments on what became the country rocker “Blaze Through the Change.”
“This is what got me back into the music,” Fleetwood recalled. “I said, ‘Man, I really, really miss doing this stuff. I put that song out last year with a music video. It’s gotten 20,000 views on YouTube, (youtu.be/ljdm5D9ffNs), and 25,000 streams on Spotify. Then I put a song out about my kid, called “`It’s time,” with a great singer Tina Vonn. I did a music video for that one, too (youtu.be/gInKpA-1qd8).”
“My favorite music is country-rock. The Eagles are way up there, Dwight Yoakam is way up there, ‘90s country, Brooks & Dunn, I like the edgier stuff.”
“I do a regular gig at the AC Hotel in El Segundo, that’s my house gig. I’m playing the Hermosa Saloon Saturday Night (June 4), I play the Lighthouse on Pier Plaza, too.”
Fleetwood plays both solo and duo, often with Rob Witham, who joined at Java Man.
Beach Cities Symphony bassoonist Erika Snow Robinson sang backup. (Robinson ran unsuccessfully for the Redondo Beach District 2 Council Seat in 2021.
Also performing with Fleetwood on Sunday, for the first time was foot-drummer Anjilla René Piazza. Earlier in the day, Fleetwood saw Piazza perform with his friend, ukulele player Jack Tracy, on the same stage. Afterwards, Fleetwood invited Piazzar to sit in on a few songs. She ended up laying down solid percussion for the entire gig.
For more about Scott Fleetwood, including upcoming shows, visit
scottfleetwood.com, and facebook.com/scottcfleetwood. ER