Solomon 'El Coyote' Feldthouse Memorial Fundraiser

The family of Solomon “El Coyote” Feldthouse is raising funds to help with funeral and memorial expenses, and actualize the vision to create an anthology of his musical endeavors. There will be a befittingly psychedelic globally transportive musical memorial in the near future, once covid calms down and the family deems it a time when we can all cut loose and celebrate our El Coyote in proper fashion. If you are interested in being kept up to date and/or participating in the memorial with music or dance performance, poetry, culinary offerings, or in any other capacity that you are gifted in (video editing, sound engineering, etc.) please contact us. The family welcomes your love notes, memorabilia, photos, musical recordings, videos, concert posters, and any other gifts you feel compelled to share. We may be reached at [email redacted] or 1840 41st Avenue, Suite 102-248, Capitola, CA 95010.

 

 

Solomon Feldthouse—Captivating Performer, Multi-Instrumentalist, and Pioneer of Psychedelic Rock & World Music Dies at 81

January 20, 1940 – December 13, 2021

Born in Pingree, Idaho

 

Howl! Yip! Yip! Zagareet! The beloved Solomon “El Coyote” Feldthouse has left this Earthly plane! Solomon was a man of many names, many instruments, many stories, and seemingly many lives. His endless tales of adventures rife with culture, music, and dance seem almost impossible to fit into just one lifetime. Perhaps this was only the beginning and he’ll continue playing music into many other realms of existence, just as one would imagine this El Coyote would.

 

From his psychedelic sixties rock band Kaleidoscope formed in Los Angeles, to his heavily influential Middle Eastern music duo Sirocco formed in Santa Cruz, Solomon accomplished many successful musical endeavors spanning Eastern European Roma music, flamenco, rock and roll, folk, Cajun, and so on. His band Kaleidoscope graced the stages of such iconic venues as The Fillmore West, The Avalon Ballroom, and the stages of many festivals including the Berkeley Folk Festival and the Newport Folk Festival. Kaleidoscope can be found on concert bills alongside such rock legends as The Grateful Dead, Santana, The Who, Taj Mahal, and Jefferson Airplane.

 

Solomon was born David E. Scaff to his fiery young mother Mary in Pingree Idaho in a sheepherders wagon reminiscent of a gypsy Vardo, as he recounts. He never knew his father, but was told he was a young Hungarian Roma musician who died in an explosion laying dynamite. His mother later married Harry Feldthouse, whose surname Solomon adopted. With Harry being a captain in the Navy, Solomon and his mother traveled the world to bases where Capt. Feldthouse commanded. In each new territory, Solomon delved into the local culture. He sought out the music lovers and likeminded wild spirits, with the most influential being his time living in İzmir, Turkey with frequent visits to Spain. From these travels emerged El Coyote, the musician, the storyteller, the mysterious mythological creature captivating souls along his many travels.

 

Solomon seemed to always know a bit of something about everything. Once his interest was struck he would dive in head first, swim all the way to the bottom, add his own personal flair, and then move on to his next fascination: everything from snake venom harvesting, silversmithing, cobbling, and flamenco dancing. He was always generous with his knowledge and keen to teach an interested pupil, of which he had many. While living in Florida in his teens he took up diving for lost treasure. He recounted with intensity one of his most lucrative hauls, which was an enormous antique bronze ship propeller that weighed in at a few tons. He had to use a series of deep water salvage lifting bags to usher the heavy object to the surface where he scrapped the metal for a nice wad of cash. Following in his stepfather’s footsteps, Solomon also joined the United States Navy and served as a photographer’s mate chronicling artifacts for intelligence. Whenever he could, he would lock himself in the darkroom and practice flamenco guitar. When he left the Navy he played well enough that he started his own flamenco troupe, complete with flamenco dancers. During this time he worked at Sid’s Blue Beet (a.k.a. The Blue Beet), an iconic Newport venue that still operates to this day. He would spend his nights in various after hours clubs where all of the musicians, including many famous rockstars, would hang out after their gigs. He then went full throttle into the 60’s as frontman vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for Kaleidoscope.

 

Kaleidoscope was formed in 1966 with the original group consisting of our beloved Solomon Feldthouse, David Lindley, Chris Darrow, Chester Crill (a.k.a. Max Budda), and John Vidican. They soon began performing live in clubs, winning a recording contract with Epic Records. Their first single, "Please", was released in December 1966 followed by their first album Side Trips, released in June 1967. Their performances were unlike anyone had seen, often interspersed by solo instrumental breaks from Feldthouse or Lindley, with bellydancers or flamenco dancers occasionally gracing the stage. The band's second album A Beacon from Mars was released in early 1968. The title track, inspired by a Howlin' Wolf musical riff originally in his song "Smokestack Lightning", was recorded live in the studio and featured a long psychedelic electric guitar solo by Lindley, which later caused Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page to refer to Kaleidoscope as his "favourite band of all time."

 

An editorial review of Kaleidoscope’s Beacon from Mars album had this to say;

 

Wielding a battery of exotic instruments that once adorned a thrift-shop front window (bazouki, oud, vina, saz, doumbek), the Kaleidoscope was every bit as multi-hued and subject-to-change as the telescope full of bright bits of colored glass the band was named after. If there had been a prize for the most eclectic psychedelic outfit, L.A.'s Kaleidoscope would have had it stashed on a shelf between the hookah pipes and the bowling trophies in the band's rehearsal space... this wildly experimental outfit pioneered what would become the world-music genre by darting deftly between rock, folk, blues, Cajun, country, Middle Eastern, good-time ballads and Eastern European styles, with plenty of full-blown psychedelia on the side. It's an exotically diverse approach, explored to great effect on 1968's A Beacon from Mars, Kaleidoscope's second LP (the working title for the album was Bacon from Mars). Just float your head through the buoyant, sprawling, mystical title track; the driving, raga-esque "Taxim"; or the graceful opener, "I Found Out," which unfolds like the tender petals of a young rose. Beacon from Mars is an album no fan of '60s West Coast psych can afford to miss!

 

Later in his musical career as Sulyman El Coyote, he formed Sirocco with his dear friend and percussionist extraordinaire the late Armando Fojaco (a.k.a. Uncle Mafufo). Sirocco’s albums were an American bellydancer’s must-have. The band performed across the globe drawing loyal bellydancer audiences in with their highly improvisational music featuring traditional instruments which created an entrancing atmosphere. Solomon played masterful oud, zurna, diabolical violin, cümbüş, and was ethereal on the ney as well as a powerful vocalist. The list of unique instruments he played continues, for he also boasted expertise on saz, kanoon, mizmar, arghool, clarinet, and flamenco guitar. Uncle Mafufo was a master of melodic doumbek, adding powerful shades and complimentary textures with the drum.

 

Solomon’s gift for music and dance is a treasure he passed on to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. His influence has culminated in their family band, The Feldthouse Family Circus, which has been playing for years with many “adopted” Feldthouses in the mix.

 

Solomon also had a spiritual side, joining a Sufi community in California. He led the group in devotional music and was cherished by this community until his final days. During this time he made a Sufi record “The Name of the Beloved” with a Persian group, the Lian Ensemble.

 

Solomon is survived by former wives Marta, Wendy, Delys, and Nicki; his children Reuben, Sarinda, and Fairuza; his grandchildren Dawn, Ryan, Solana, Maya, Trianna, and Kayla; and great-granddaughter Szabina. He was predeceased by his mother, his son Solomon Benjamin, and Catherine, the mother of their daughter Fairuza. Beyond the complexity of this eclectic family, Solomon is also survived by many in-laws, cousins, friends, enemies, ex-girlfriends, musical partners, bandmates, students, followers, and many a complete stranger who has been and who will be touched by his art and music.

 

Again, if you are interested in being kept up to date and/or participating in the memorial with music or dance performance, poetry, culinary offerings, or in any other capacity that you are gifted in (video editing, sound engineering, etc.) please contact us. The family welcomes your love notes, memorabilia, photos, musical recordings, videos, concert posters, and any other gifts you feel compelled to share. We may be reached at El Coyote Memorial *at* gmail . com or 1840 41st Avenue, Suite 102-248, Capitola, CA 95010.