Any time Susan Holden thinks about ending her late husband Jonathan Holden's Rhythm & Roots acoustic music concert series, she asks herself one question.
Where else would these artists go?
"There are not many small intimate places that aren't barlike in Tucson," said Holden, who kicks off R&R's fall season with The Wiyos at Plaza Palomino on Friday. "I think we fill that need."
Holden had a tough decision to make about Rhythm & Roots after Jonathan, a longtime local promoter, died from a pulmonary aneurysm in January.
She loved the music. It was through her volunteer work with Rhythm & Roots that she first met Jonathan.
The two married three years ago.
But the idea of running a concert series, something that Jonathan did full time while keeping her day job as the marketing manager for the internet company Simply Bits, didn't sound feasible.
"It is really like having two jobs," she said.
Holden would have ended the series after its scheduled spring season wound down had it not been for the volunteers who stepped up to ask how they could help.
Holden saw an outpouring of support from local promoters, ticket outlets, radio stations, musicians and the community at large.
Today, she has a core group of 8 to 20 regulars who have pledged to help her put on shows.
"Tucson is such a loving and generous community," she said. "People help when you need them."
The Rhythm & Roots concert series continues on a smaller scale for the fall.
Five performances are on the books, starting with The Wiyos on Friday.
The Brooklyn-based group, brand new to the series, is not your typical Rhythm & Roots show, "but they are Americana," Holden said.
The Wiyos specialize in Tin Pan Alley-style music, and have opened on tours for big names, such as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.
The band's latest album, "Twist" is a high-energy musical interpretation of the L. Frank Baum epic "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."
"I thought to myself, 'If musicians like Dylan and Willie Nelson thought they were good enough, I should really look at these guys,' " Holden said.
Diunna Greenleaf, a Texas blues singer and another newcomer to Rhythm & Roots, follows The Wiyos at the plaza on Sept. 14.
"Bands want to come out west and stick their toe in the water, but can't play bigger venues like the Rialto or the Fox," Holden said. "It's nice to provide a venue where these musicians can build an audience."
Holden is more confident about the future of Rhythm & Roots now that she has received so much support.
"It has been an interesting journey," Holden said. "We get a little teary-eyed and want Jonathan to be here with us, but we know he would be thrilled that we are keeping it going."
If you go
• What: The Wiyos in concert.
• When: 8 p.m. Friday.
• Where: Plaza Palomino Suite 147, 2970 N. Swan Road
• Cost: $18 in advance; $20 at the door with discounts available. 440-4455.
Rhythm & Roots Fall Season
• Sept. 14 - Diunna Greenleaf.
• Sept. 28 - Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers.
• Sept. 29 - John Gorka.
• Oct. 27 - Incendio.
