Yodeler with Guitar and R & B Roots Gets Those Feet Moving : Diane Lynne and the Stars & Stripes Band return this weekend to the Frontier Night Club, known for its spacious dance floor.

If you’ve never visited the Frontier Night Club in Santa Paula, this weekend would be a great time to check it out. This self-proclaimed “Home of Western Music, Music for Life”--is one of Ventura County’s original honky tonks. So don’t expect any line dance lessons, but do expect a spacious dance floor, high ceilings and great atmosphere.

Best of all, owner Shelby Montes has booked some top-notch bands. This weekend marks the return of Diane Lynne and the Stars & Stripes Band. Whether you like to line dance or do the couples thing, you’ll find this group will get your feet in gear. And Lynne’s vocals are a knockout.

This yodeling, guitar-playing, R & B-turned-country-singer has been lighting up the San Fernando Valley country music club scene since January, 1992. But the New Jersey native started her career on that other coast in 1982 as the opening act for an Elvis impersonator. She also played the Tri-State casino circuit. Her album credits so far are with a jazz fusion group called “Axiom” on Cexton Records. Their CD is entitled “Spirit of Light.”

But since Lynne’s conversion to country music two years ago she has opened for the Bellamy Brothers in Las Vegas. And she has collaborated with Nashville songwriter, Joyce Harrison, on some original tunes, which appear on Lynne’s demo tape.

“Throughout my career people always told me I should do country-Western,” said Lynne, who puts her professionally trained five-octave range to good use on contemporary and some classic country tunes.

“We welcome requests and can do popular songs and obscure ones like Reba McEntire’s ‘Fancy.’ ” Lynne also does justice to Patsy Cline favorites. But yodeling took some time to master.

“The first time I actually heard one of my mentors do it was Suzy Bogguss in a concert singing ‘Cowboy Sweetheart,’ an old Patsy Montana song. I kept listening to that song over and over until I got it. It is a feeling of intervals and placement--where you place the sound to determine which bones in your face it’s going to vibrate off of,” she explained.

Lynne said she’s concentrating on developing her vocal style. She’s backed by a solid, top-notch band that includes her husband and band leader, Gabe Lamog on bass, drummer Dean Brown, lead guitarist Barrett Tagliarino and Eddie Greeley on keyboards.

The band also played all the background on her two country demo tapes. And Greeley has written two new up-tempo country songs for her that haven’t yet been recorded.

The band’s lush vocal harmonies on “Many a Lonely Night,” present cowboy cha cha fans with a lovely change from the over-used “Neon Moon.” And pedal steel and mandolin riffs enhance “Country Girl.” This original fast, floor-polishin’ two-step has lyrics that praise all forms of country dancing.

“Country dancing is all new to me,” admitted Lynne. “But I really like to watch the cowboy cha cha and waltz. They’re very graceful. And sometimes I even get out there and join the line dancers, especially at Cinnamon Cinder in Burbank. And the fans really feel like they’re part of the show.”

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Cousin’s Country Saloon in Simi Valley has new times for dance lessons: 5 to 7 p.m. Sundays; 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. And now, in addition to her gig at Cousin’s, instructor Kathy Bailey teaches country dancing 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Schooner Time (5710 Los Angeles Ave. in Simi Valley, 526-1488).

Details

* WHAT: Diane Lynne and the Stars & Stripes Band.

* WHERE: Frontier Night Club, 1498 Harvard Blvd., Santa Paula. 525-3576.

* WHEN: 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday (also Feb. 25-26).

* COST: No cover charge.

* FYI: Later this month the group will perform at Cinnamon Cinder in Burbank and the Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth. For the band’s newsletter or for additional play dates, call (818) 988-6353.