Lotsa Hats, big Shoes Eric Fontana finally gets his disc out BY BOB GULLA

A few years back when Eric Fontana said goodbye to his longtime rock connection Mother Jefferson, he left the wild world of wiggy rock gigs behind. Today he dwells in the entirely more civilized society of theater, having spent much of the last two years appearing with a few Trinity Rep productions (Thunder Knocking On the Door, Nickel and Dimed) as guitarist and all-around versatile guy. When he’s not doing that, he’s schlepping his guitar around playing quiet (but still a bit crazy) solo gigs. And when he’s not doing that, he’s hanging out at Sound Station Seven making his own records and helping others make theirs as sort of a house musician. The fact is, the only way to make a living in this business is to diversify, and few musicians around town have done it as successfully as Eric Fontana.

"A great week for me," he says, "would be to do a crazy rock show in Newport one night, a great R&B show with the Nakeds with Clarence Clemons on sax the next, jazz in a big band at a wedding after that, and a quiet coffeehouse gig doing an acoustic thing to wrap things up."

Make no mistake, Mr. Fontana can do all of the above, having served as guitarist with Steve Smith’s terrific band for a while, and having studied horn charts at Berklee College of Music in order to learn more about jazz. (His fave guitarist of that ilk is Wes Montgomery.) Eric can also make CDs. He proves that on Hats & Shoes, a brand new disc he will release this Monday at the Met Café.

Of course, with all that Fontana had going on, the new album has been years in the making. "The CD was finished two winters ago," he says, "but then I got the gig at Trinity Rep, so I decided to wait until the following fall. But then I ended up doing a lot of traveling, playing shows all over the place, and wasn’t home that much. So something kept coming up."

When he finally found a small window of opportunity, Fontana stuck a stick in it to prop it up. After nearly three years of searching, it was the right time. "For me there has always been a bunch of fish in the frying pan," he says. "Let’s put it out."

Surprisingly, Hats & Shoes sounds zesty and fresh, despite having languished on the shelf for so long. "I’ve never gone for the sonic fashion of the day," he says. "I hate when something sounds dated."

Some of Fontana’s material dates way back to the late ’80s and just now is seeing the light of day. The simple strum on "Saturday Song," written in 1990, has a Seger-esque "Night Moves" quality as sung by, say, Jeff Tweedy. Another old one, the effervescent "Wake Up," is folk music breaking free of its self-absorption and busting into the daylight. There are intriguing nuggets all across the record, with Eric handling keyboards and guitar chores, and an assortment of helping hands: Bob Giusti, Chris Cook, Margie Wienk, and the Nakeds horn section, among others.

"In the big picture," Eric says, "I would like to be a recording artist, like the ones I grew up admiring — Springsteen, Billy Joel, Lucinda Williams. But in the meantime, I’ll do what I need to do to make a living."

Eric Fontana’s CD release party will take place this Monday, August 2 at the Met Café, with Pete Burr and Anna’s House.

TRIPLETHREAT. Tonight (Thursday, the 31st), a worthwhile bill goes down at the Call, featuring the ’Mericans, Honeybunch, and Sleepyhead. The ’Mericans, as many of you well know, are minded by Purple Ivy Shadows stalwarts Chris Daltry and Will Rice, and accompanied as of late by an antique drum machine and recent ’mmigrants Tom Baker and Jeffrey Underhill. And speaking of Mr. Underhill, Jeffrey also finds himself at the helm of Honeybunch, a woefully underrecorded but mightily appreciated jangly pop band which also features Lisa Underhill (voice, keys) and Rafael Attias (guitar, studio wizardry).

Believe it or not, Honeybunch has a new disc out, a five-song self-titled EP on the Bus Stop label — a long overdue one at that — they’ll most likely be peddling at the show. (They go on around 10 p.m.) The EP, which Jeffrey says is "pretty close to the band’s live sound," is a measured, pretty, and poignant serving of melodic ’60s pop. Jeffrey and Lisa sing and play delicately, while studio dude Attias helps to dilute the fragility with intrusions of sound. Tasteful without being precious. Feeling energized (and rehearsed!) after their recent San Francisco gig, the band will also welcome drummer David Narcizo for a portion of this show.

Sleepyhead are Chris O’Rourke and Rachel McNally, and could easily consider Providence their second home, given the number of times they’ve played here in a myriad of lineups. Fortunately, their formative years spent in the company of such questionable folk as Dung Beetle, Six Finger Satellite, and Velvet Crush did not incur lasting damage.

Come early, stay late. Great music for a mere $4.

BLUESPOWER. The 11th Annual Onset Bay Blues Festival is on tap on Saturday, led by two legendary bluesmen, Sugar Ray Norcia and James Montgomery, which means you’re gonna get some serious blues harp at the Gregerman Bandshell in Onset Village in Wareham, Massachusetts. The festival gets underway at 9 a.m., but the music kicks at 12:30 and it’ll keep on kickin’ until 7 p.m. Look for performances by Fatwall Jack, Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, and the Blue Gills to round out the slate. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the venue and are available throughout the region. The small fee ensures that the Onset Bay Association will be able to keep this traditional event going. For information or directions to the event, contact the Onset Bay Association at (508) 295-7072 or www.onsetvillage.com.

Wandering Eye. On Friday (the 1st), the Living Room boasts an all-ages show with the Toasters, M-80, Plan 17, and more. After the gig, M-80 heads to Detroit to hop on the Warped Tour, so let’s see them off in style. On Friday at the Ocean Mist, Diamond Eyed Jacks, specializing in Grateful Dead tuneage, will be playing a gig in celebration of Jerry Garcia’s birthday. The Rank Strangers, a local bluegrass outfit, will be opening. If zydeco is your thing, you can head to Stepping Stone Ranch on Saturday (the 2nd) in the lovely sticks of West Greenwich to boogie cha-cha to Leroy Thomas and the Zydeco Road Runners. Also on the bill are locals Slippery Sneakers and one of the busiest bands in show biz, Sasquatch and the Sick-a-Billys. The gig begins at 2 and runs to 8:30. The ranch has a great outdoor grass amphitheater, the original outdoor dance floor, a great food concession, wine and beer service, and camping is available. It’s a sweet place to spend a summer afternoon listening to great music. In fact, if you’re smart and want the four-square Zydeco treatment, you can cap off the night with a trip to Sal’s R&B Club in Johnston for an appearance by Rosie Ledet, who will also appear on Sunday (the 3rd) at the Spring House Hotel on Block Island with Buckwheat Zydeco.

Jackie O. and Illustrious Day will play at the Portuguese Festival in New Bedford on Saturday at 7:30. Jackie says a bunch of great bands will also be playing that day (all free), so it sounds like a good time.

E-mail me with your music bulletins: big.daddy1@cox.net