The new and improved Eastside Sinfonietta long playing CD "Don't Be Afraid," produced by Joe Berardi and Weba Garretson, was recorded and mixed at Catasonic studios in Echo Park. It includes 14 favorites of the Weill/Brecht/Eisler canon including "Sailors Tango" "Surabaya Johnny" and "Supply and Demand." The recording features Eastside Sinfonietta members Joe Berardi, Weba Garretson, Ralph Gorodetsky, Jason Payne and Tracy Wannomae.

Guest artists include Paul Lagues from I SEE HAWKS, Scot Ray, Dan Clucas, Joellen Friedkin, David Black, Ken Lasaine and the Mighty Echoes.

>>> Some backround on Weba...

Weba Garretson began her career as the lead singer of the new wave band "The Pearls" and was cast as the lead in Ann Jellico's "The Sport of My Mad Mother" directed by David Schweizer. She went on to work with Schweizer, Philip Littell and Jerry Frankel on "The Weba Show" an avant-garde cabaret act that ran for over two years at L.A.'s Lhasa Club, with special appearances at the Kool Jazz Festival, the Olympic Arts Festival and National TV.

From 1989-99 she toured with the performance art group SHRIMPS and sang at their debut at Lincoln Center's Alice Tulley Hall. She has appeared in almost every performance work by Donald Krieger from "Boy's Life" to "North." In addition, she was commissioned by MOCA to create a radio show for the "Territory of Art" series and has written and recorded songs for many film and commercials.

She and her husband, Mark Wheaton, have a recording studio based in Echo Park, CA that specializes in experimental audio and non-traditional musical forms.