Since forming more than a decade ago, Hot Club of Cowtown has cheerfully ignored established musical borderlines to create a joyful and compelling sound that is very much its own. Case in point: The trio’s name is a reflection of its members’ love of the Django Reinhardt/Stéphane Grappelli music (creators of so-called “gypsy jazz”) of the Hot Club de France as well as Western swing as popularized by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys and others.

The band blends these two seeming disparate forms of music — jazz and country — and makes it work.

Hot Club of Cowtown has not locked itself into strictly adhering to these two forms of music; since releasing its first album 15 years ago, Hot Club has included spicy versions of fiddle tunes (“Orange Blossom Special”; “Cherokee Shuffle”), selections from the Great American Songbook (George and Ira Gershwin’s “Someone To Watch Over Me”), vintage American pop and jazz (Hoagy Carmichael’s “Star Dust”) and originals (Elana James’ “Reunion”; Whit Smith’s “Emily”) along with hot jazz stylings and Western swing classics (Bob Wills’ “I Laugh When I Think How I Cried Over You”).

Each member contributes a host of essential ingredients. Elana James (fiddle and vocals) combines technical mastery, a deep knowledge of fiddle styles from Oklahoma to Appalachia as well as Grappelli’s hot jazz violin. Whit Smith (guitar and vocals) lays down Django-esque lightning-fast, clear solos and inventive harmonic chords on his vintage guitar. Jake Erwin (bass and vocals), with his show-stopping slap-style playing simultaneously, provides the bass line and the percussion.

At Thursday’s show at The Palms, Hot Club of Cowtown will be playing selections from its broad catalogue as well as previewing numbers from its forthcoming album “Rendezvous in Rhythm,” which is due out later this year.

Tickets are available at Armadillo Music in Davis, Watermelon Music in Woodland, Pacific Ace Hardware in Winters and at the door if not sold out. For more information, call 530-795-1825 or visit palmsplayhouse.com or hotclubofcowtown.com.

That reminded me I must soon decide how I will vote on the water issues facing our community. In such case most of us turn to what we know and brewers know about water.

Brewers use enormous amounts of water to make beer. Under excellent circumstances brewers need nearly four barrels of water to make one barrel of beer. That number applies to very large modern breweries where they make stringent efforts to conserve water. In the use of any resource that might be dwindling in amount or increasing in price (or usually both) the first recourse to wise management is conservation. Brewers know that the cheapest water or cheapest energy is that not used.

Brewers must also have water of a certain quality or that can be treated to a required standard for brewing use. Generally speaking brewers prefer to use well water or bore-hole water because it is typically pure and consistent and free of microbes and easily treated. Surface water from rivers or lakes is generally less desirable because it may carry pollutants from agriculture, mining, industry, urban street run-off and even domestic sewage, for example, that is difficult to remove by the rather simple treatments that brewers prefer; think of the Sacramento River as an open drain for 27,000 square miles of Northern California. Furthermore, well/bore-hole water is generally more reliable.

For all these reasons, I have been curious and even suspicious of the debate now crystallized in the form of Measure I on which we shall all be required to vote on March 5. I like to understand what I am voting on before I vote for or against it; unfortunately the City Fathers have done a poor job of telling me what the problems really are that require such a monstrous and immediate outlay of money.

I feel quite well-informed about what will happen to my water bill if the city project goes forward as now proposed. For that I thank The Wary I, columnist in this newspaper; he has made every effort to understand the arcane water-rate structures of our future and to explain them clearly. From the efforts of The Wary I, I know that my water bill will rise substantially, though the methods by which it may be computed leave me gasping; though informed, my eyes are glazing over with incomprehension. Again, I like to comprehend what I am getting into before I get into it.

What I don’t understand, however, is the root cause for making the change and taking on this huge new investment.

For advice I turned to the city website and soon turned up a report written almost exactly four years ago by two men whom I know and admire and are experts in the field: Profs Ed Schroeder and George Tchobanaglous. The objective of their report was to explore and weigh the alternative strategies available and to advise how to spread the costs of change wisely.

They report that the quality of our water supply is decreasing with problematic levels of nitrates, selenium, heavy metals and total salinity; they do not record how much is present nor whether it is dangerous to water drinkers (thankfully I’m not one) or how they know this is true. But I’ll take their word for it. Also the security and reliability of our existing ground water sources is decreasing even as demand is rising. Again there is no evidence provided to support this assertion but, as things age, such a result can be expected.

So there is a supply problem.

There is also a disposal problem.

The quality of the waste-water produced by our treatment plant and our methods of dispersal cannot reliably meet current state standards, especially regarding selenium.

In both cases there is a possibility that the state will raise the quality standard required of drinking water and of waste-water alike; though predicting the future is tough work, this possibility suggests that Davis may run the risk of non-compliance and so may be subject to fines.

Ed and George examine a number of innovative solutions for conservation (as noted above that is a crucial part of any resource management), including fixing leaks and water redirection and re-use as well as new water sources; they provide tables that examine the advantages and disadvantages of various scenarios that are informative and worthy of study.

But here is a point that took me by surprise: apparently the Sacramento River will be able to provide water to the city of Davis, particularly in the summer months, only if there is water left over after all the other demands for water have been met; this is unlikely in most years! Since the summer is the high-use period when usage averages about 280 gallons per person per day that is when we shall need most help. They note that this supply could further be severely and negatively affected by climate change (I suppose mountain snowpack) and drought, and the requirements of the Delta and the peripheral canal, growth of other communities with priority and so on. And so, never mind what, our poor old much-maligned low-quality water supply and infrastructure will remain a crucial part of our future water system and supply.

Ed and George summarize their findings in “A Recommended Path Forward”; there are six points to this but I’ll summarize only the three relating to water supply:

* Obtain water from the Sacramento River;

* Drill new deep-aquifer wells; and

* Implement an aggressive program of water conservation.

Now, I might be the only person in the city of Davis lacking a solid base of information and understanding on this water issue and so doubtful of how I should vote on Measure I. I know my brewer’s suspicion of surface water warps my assessment but, I have to say, I was pleased to find the report of Profs Schroeder and Tchobanaglous online; it may help you too.

— Reach Michael Lewis at cymro@sbcglobal.net. Comment on this column at www.davisenterprise.com

Gallery 1855 located in the Davis Cemetery office, 820 Pole Line Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

There is a public reception and open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10.

For more information, call 530-756-7807 or visit www.daviscemetery.org.

Over the last 35 years, John McCutcheon’s songs have reflected and then been incorporated into the nation’s heritage. Not one to be consigned to a narrow category, the subjects of McCutcheon’s original songs range from the poignant sweep of history (“Christmas in the Trenches”), to daily life (“Room At The Top of The Stairs,” “Kindergarten Wall”), to current events both outrageous (“Ashcroft’s Army”) and hopeful songs of ordinary people transcending their situation (“Sara Tucholsky,” “Streets of Sarajevo”). No matter the topic, McCutcheon’ songs capture the eternal and enduring aspects of life and reflect them back with clarity, warmth, and verve.

Combining aspects of Pete Seeger and Will Rogers, Mr. Rogers and Bruce Springsteen, and a righteously passionate and impishly playful “everyman” sensibility, McCutcheon brings his gifts as a songwriter, musician and storyteller to each recording and performance. His 30-plus albums (receiving seven Grammy nominations along the way), his multiple award-winning children’s books and years of performing have earned McCutcheon a loyal following that crosses generations. The Palms is the only venue at which McCutcheon has performed every year since he started touring on the West Coast more than 30 years ago.

“It’s turned into a family reunion of sorts,” says McCutcheon, “with so many familiar faces out there.”

McCutcheon will weave his musical and story-telling spell at The Palms Playhouse, 13 Main St. Tickets are available at Armadillo Music in Davis, Watermelon Music’s Woodland branch, Pacific Ace Hardware in Winters and at the door if not sold out. For more information, call 530-795-1825 or visit palmsplayhouse.com.

That’s the ticket

What: “Bark! The Musical”

Where: Sacramento Theatre Company’s Pollock Stage, 1419 H St.

When: 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 17

Tickets: $15-$38

Info: Show is rated PG-13 for mild language and adult situations; www.sactheatre.org

“Bark! The Musical,” directed by Michael Laun with choreography by Jacob Montoya, is now entertaining audiences on Sacramento Theater Company’s Pollack Stage. A portion of the proceeds will go STC’s partner for this production, the Sacramento SPCA. Adoptable dogs will be on display at some productions, and a poster of dogs up for adoption adorn the lobby.

This show is somewhat of a phenomenon. After making its debut in Los Angeles in 2004, it received rave reviews, ran for two years, and became the third longest running show in Los Angeles history. It ran seven months in Chicago and has played in little theaters all across the country, as well has having had a Portuguese translation for showing in Brazil.

This isn’t exactly the dog-lovers’ answer to “Cats.” The scale is much smaller, and the dog-specific parts of the costumes (by McKayla Butym) are limited to collars, leashes and pads for hands, but it is as earnest as a puppy begging you to love it.

This a show built by committee. The book is by Mark Winkler and Gavin Geoffrey Dillard, music by David Troy Francis, lyrics by Dillard, Winkler and Robert Schrock, with additional lyrics by Jonathan Heath and Danny Lukic.

There are 23 songs that give us a glimpse at life from a dog’s perspective. Titles such as “Whizzin’ on Stuff,” “Fooood!” “Howling Just to Scare Away the Blues,” and “Dirty, Filthy Old Flea Bag” let the audience know immediately what to expect, though it is less clear with songs like “Mighty Mutt from Mars” or “Senorita la Pepita.”

Dog lovers will recognize each of the characters by their breed. King, the Labrador retriever (Armond Edward Dorsey), is missing his master, who has grown up and gone away to school. He awaits the day when they will be together again. His interpretation of “Dog’s Best Friend” and the later “Grassy Field” are both very emotional, while his story of being neutered was very funny.

Jessica Goldman is listed as Boo, the cocker Spaniel, but was unable to perform on opening night, so her role was played by Meghan Greene, from STC’s Young Professional’s Conservatory. Greene is a sweet and cuddly cocker Spaniel, though her voice did not have the power of her co-stars. She did, however, give a touching rendition of “Pound Song,” telling the story of losing her pups when they were rounded up by the dog catcher.

Golde, the bulldog was played by Miranda D. Lawson. Golde is the comedian of the group, always with a cynical, sardonic aside. Her depiction of a dog wearing a neck cone is hilarious.

Tyler Wipfli is Chanel, the French poodle. Owned by a gay couple and dressed in pink and feathers, Chanel’s favorite time of the week is when she and one of her owners listen to opera together. Her song “Il Cane Dell’Opera” was one of the highlights of the show, and displays her musical training (she is a Music Theater major, studying voice at Oklahoma City University).

Sean Patrick Nill plays Sam, the pit bull mutt. He and King vie for yard superiority. His “M-U-T-T Rap” is another highlight, which lists just about every breed in the book, comparing them to plain vanilla mutts.

Rocks, the Jack Russell pup is played by a “please love me!” Scottie Woodard, so eager to please and a continually wagging tail. Rocks presents the only real “story” of the evening, trying to learn how to bark, and getting lessons from the older dogs.

The dogs remind us that their needs are simple — a handful of kibble, fresh water, a loving hand to pet them, and a place to call home. “Bark” is a reminder to go home and give our pets a scratch behind the ears and a tummy rub and let them know how glad we are that they are in our lives.

And if you have no dog in your life currently, the SPCA will be happy to help you find your own forever friend at one of the performances.