Josef Woodard

Zach Gill at SOhO, November 1, 2024 | Photo: Josef Woodard As just one of the unique features of last Friday's SOhO shindig “Zach Gill's underground dance party,” clubgoers were forced to enter through an attitude adjusting portal — by order of the artist-in-charge. A large, dark tented structure, turned shrine-like with accouterments and photos of belated music celebrities, was perfectly timed with Dia de Los Muertos celebrations and traditions on November 1. We passed through to SOhO's outdoor patio leading into the club proper, as if passing through a cleansing zone and arriving on an implied “other side,” to an acceptance of what Gill, our resident mystical tour guide and merriment counselor said late in the show, “what a weird and wonderful thing it is being human.” We've grown accustomed to expecting creative twists on standard pop music presentations from Gill, going back to shows with his band ALO — with a long history of shows in this very space — and on stages large and larger in his role as Jack Johnson's wily right-hand man. A man of many keyboards, Gill can also be counted on to bust out the mighty accordion for our listening pleasure, as he did on this night, to the tune of Madonna's “Into the Groove.” Also on this night, empowered and enabled by the Halloween/Dia de Los Muertos timing, he donned and shed various costumes and musical guises. At one point during the solo portion of the show, Gill busted into a song inspired by some advice from an old friend and the Independent's own Matt Kettmann — “protect yourself with appropriate apprehension” — and eventually stripped away his lab coat in outer layers to reveal a startling musculature outfit. Memories of anatomy book illustrations mixed it up with Halloween abandon at that moment. It was in keeping with a running theme of the evening, concerning the actual and metaphorical dimensions of snakes shedding their skin. Theatrical and conceptualist notions aside, Gill proved true to the advertising and also delivered on the dance party front. That aspect kicked into high yet rootsy gear with the impressive opener Katie Skene, a powerful singer from the blues/Americana/soul front. She also happens to be a badass guitarist, boasting a special and soulful way with slide playing on her Duane Allman-approved Gibson SG. Katie Skene at SOhO, November 1, 2024 | Photo: Josef Woodard After a solo set which included Gill's gleeful anti-anthem “Nonsense Brigade,” his fine band joined the stage — in lab coats, natch — and upped the energy ante, from Gill's classic “Joy” to a groove-lined take on Neil Young's timeless (and yet seasonally timely) “Harvest Moon” and the funk-fueled “Sweet Spot.” Magic happened, as well, on a slippery-grooved “Abracadabra,” with Skene joining in. Dance fever, of the underground, hippy sort, took over the room. Respects for legendary musicians who have passed on found a natural subject in the recently belated Phil Lesh, with a singalong version of the Grateful Dead tune “Ripple” — with its fitting refrain “let there be songs to fill the air.” The song fest concluded with Gill's own final encore, “Up from Down Below,” from his Life in the Multiverse album. In all, Gill's latest SOhO show was much more than another gig. It was an event , with muscle and blood and soul, and spirits having both flown and landed. Guests entered via the Dia de Los Muertos shrine zone at SOhO, November 1, 2024 | Photo: Josef Woodard Sat, Nov 09 10:00 AM SANTA BARBARA Sat, Nov 09 5:00 PM Santa Ynez Fri, Nov 08 5:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 10 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 17 11:00 AM Solvang Sat, Dec 14 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 5:00 AM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 4:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 5:00 PM Goleta Fri, Nov 08 9:30 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 09 10:00 AM SANTA BARBARA Sat, Nov 09 5:00 PM Santa Ynez Fri, Nov 08 5:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 10 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 17 11:00 AM Solvang Sat, Dec 14 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 5:00 AM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 4:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 5:00 PM Goleta Fri, Nov 08 9:30 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 09 10:00 AM SANTA BARBARA Sat, Nov 09 5:00 PM Santa Ynez

John Craigie performs at the Lobero Nov. 15| Photo: Savannah Lauren Finding a pithy description of where cult hero singer-songwriter John Craigie is coming from, and going, is a difficult task, testament to the unique creative voice/identity he has created for himself. But the Seattle paper The Stranger comes close to touching on the Craigie paradox, describing him as “the lovechild of John Prine and Mitch Hedberg with a vagabond troubadour edge.” In other words, Craigie operates in Woody Guthrie's line of work, but with a meta-mouth attached. He's serious, and serious about his comic asides.

Orchestrated Folk, Mali Calls and Grooves, Bach Goes Public Last Weekend's Musical Menu Included a Bach-Polished Plaza Palooza, Malian Groove Machinist Habib Koite and a Harvest Mooning From the Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara Of all the impressive and varied music I wrapped my ears around in the past week, probably the most memorable moment arrived in the form of a pleasant and very public surprise. The setting: “Plaza Palooza,” the long-awaited grand opening of the 106-year-old Central Library's new plaza and revamped interior. A block party was in order, with a hefty slice of the citizenry joining in the celebratory fizz and buzz, moving between a bounty of booths, lip-smacking foodstuffs (from Mony's and Elubia's Kitchen), and historical displays, along with a schedule of music, dance, and speechifying. Suddenly, as part of the slot given over to Santa Barbara's cherished presenter CAMA, there came the purifying and galvanizing sound of Bach for unaccompanied violin, beautifully played by the gifted, young, and locally based violinist Sofia Malvinni . Time stood still and business-as-usual was blissfully disrupted, transformed by this rare encounter of Bach and the general public. More, please. When Mali Met the Campbell On the eve of hallows eve last week, Campbell Hall was thoroughly and predictably awash in good vibes. Such is the upshot of musical and emotional spirits whenever Habib Koité strikes up his band. Malian music royalty Koité, now 66, alighted the “world music” scene three decades ago with his infectious rippling guitar style and warming, griot-grounded vocal powers. He was one of the figures who helped train musical focus on the foundational values of West African music. And with his current all-star group — with masterful balafon player (and builder) Aly Keїta, kora player Lamine Cissokho, and percussionist Mama Kone — Koité affably commandeered a Campbell Hall show, celebrating MandéSila, the way of the Mandingo empire and West African culture. From an admittedly more ethnocentric perspective, the show reminded us once again — in bubbling real time — that West African music, far from being an exotic or esoteric slice of musicology, is a root source of American Gospel, blues, R&B, and many strands of pop music. Among the critical points of distinction are the elasticity of musical structures (theirs are not tidy, formulaic songs) and the hypnotic pulsations of a deep rhythmic undertow. In other words, Koité's Malian good vibe machine was well-oiled and ready for action, as expected. Harvesting a Celtic and Folky Orchestral Sound As it leans towards the milestone ten-year-old mark next season, the ambitious Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara has established its agenda, built up a hungry audience, and has a willingness to explore new twists and themes as it ventures future-ward. Founder, arranger, situationist, multi-instrumentalist, and fine singer Adam Phillips cooked up a tasty smorgasbord for last weekend's “Fall Harvest” program, including doses of his fascination for things Celtic and folklorically Spanish with a touch of lounge-suitable crooning on his slow, low-brew “Autumn Leaves” and a Neil Young's masterpiece “Harvest Moon.” Other highlights of the program, which I caught in the friendly environs of Trinity Episcopal Church (after Friday and Saturday stops at St. Mark's in the Valley and the Presidio Chapel), included a gorgeous accordion solo by Brian Mann on “Remember Me,” from the magical film Coco . (Mann, a go-to accordionist in various musical and show biz dimensions, played on the Coco score as well as on Encanto , and will appear at the special Arlington Encanto Sing-Along show on Thursday, November 14). In the “small group” category, fine violinist/fiddler Devyn Quarles and guitarist Josh Jenkins got cooking in a Celtic fashion, and cellist Jacqueline Greenshields took on a challenging solo arrangement of “Down by the Salley Gardens,” mixing melody in shifting registers with double stops and other gymnastically twining schemes. In a second set highlight, guest vocalist Kathleen Sieck stepped up to radiantly ennoble the tune with the hardest-to-pronounce title (unless you're hip to Gaelic), “ Bothan Àirigh am Bràigh Raithneach .” For those of us who are out of the know, the English title is “A Sheiling on the Braes of Rannoch.” You learn things at FOSB shows, in addition to benefiting from the warm wash of musical goodness, whatever the source or language. TO-DOINGS Next up in the always intriguing chamber music series in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art's Mary Craig Auditorium is the rightly acclaimed Cuarteto Latinoamericano on Sunday afternoon, November 10, at 2 p.m. Known for its adventurous instincts in programming, the quartet is presenting a “Tribute to the Americas,” with music of Brazilian great Héitor Villa-Lobos, George Gershwin, Argentine titan Astor Piazzolla, Samuel Barber's famed “Adagio for Strings” and Dvorak's “American” Quartet. Eminent American violinist Itzhak Perlman pays one of his periodic visits to Santa Barbara, in a UCSB Arts & Lectures concert at the Granada tonight (November 7), with a special aggregation of celebrated classical icons. He will be joined by two pianists, Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and the historic Juilliard String Quartet (whose most seasoned player now, for the record, is former Santa Barbaran Ronald Copes). Leclair, Mozart, and Chausson populate the program. We've been fortunate to catch the great American singer-songwriter-downhome-brainiac John Hiatt many times in town, going back to a show at the old Oscar's nightclub, in cahoots with Lyle Lovett and elsewhere. But hearing Hiatt in the intimate embrace of the Lobero Theatre, where he plays on Tuesday, November 12, counts as something special, and something to mark calendars for. The Hoosier turned Los Angeleno turned Nashviller (the hip quarter) leaned into the country side for 2001's fetching album Leftover Feelings , with dobro legend Jerry Douglas on hand to swap riffs and have a kindly musical chat. In other Lobero news, Opera Santa Barbara kicks off its compact but action-packed 2004-05 season on Friday night and Sunday afternoon, on the turf of Leoncavallo's Pagliacci (see story here ). For a hearty blast of Baroque music, proceed to the next CAMA concert, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra 's program Venetian Splendor: Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Gondola Songs , on Tuesday, November 12 (see story here

The new center, taking over the former Fiesta 5 theater downtown, opens its doors this weekend.

Opera Santa Barbara's production of ‘Pagliacci', November 9, 2024, Lobero Theatre | Photo: Zach Mendez Opera Santa Barbara , the treasured and resilient cultural institution, has long proven itself more than adept at delivering the goods on both tragic and comic ends of the opera repertoire spectrum. Rarely, though, has OSB successfully wrestled with a tragicomic and paradoxical beast on the order of Pagliacci , which opened OSB's new season at the Lobero Theatre last week with great panache and, yes, gnashing torment. In Leoncavallo's 1890 tale of a fierce cuckolded clown, the circus element comes to town and to the stage in the giddy and gag-lined opening of Act II. All the gushing and clowning mirth of the scene, duly captured in stage director Octavio Cardenas' fascinating staging, shifts abruptly into dark and murderous dynamics. Our spirit of comic glee is effectively wiped off our face as the gods of operatic tragedy descend to the bitter end. But enough with the sly allusion to last week's election night. Opera Santa Barbara's production of ‘Pagliacci', November 9, 2024, Lobero Theatre | Photo: Zach Mendez OSB, which does a stellar job of making opera a valid art form in our midst — by whatever means necessary — has triumphed once again. The company's season-opener boasted an impressive ensemble of singer/actors — especially the robustly voiced Robert Stahley as the tortured clown whose show must go on and his unfaithful wife Nedda, the gymnastic passion juggler boldly realized by soprano Alaysha Fox. Her lovers and betrayers Silvio and Beppo were also assuredly embodied by Benjamin Brecher and Matthew Peterson, respectively. (Pop culture trivia note: Canio's famed Act I closing aria “ Vesti la giubba ” has been oft-repurposed in many pop/commercial contexts, including a Rice Krispies commercial I can't now unhear: “no more Rice Krispies, we're all out of Rice Krispies…”) A flexible and supportive orchestral sound rose from the orchestra pit, crisply conducted by OSB's multitasking leader Kostis Protopaspas, and kudos were deserved for the suitably vintage and flamboyant costumes (managed by Stacie Logue), the work of scenic and projection designer Daniel Chapman and lighting director Helena Kuukka. But wait, there's more: this production was distinguished by a clever and well-suited staging scheme, which airlifted the original opera's 19th century comedia dell ‘arte setting to the realm of Italian cinema circa the mid-20th century neo-realism period. The first sound we heard in the Lobero was not Leoncavalo's overture, but the rickety whir of a period projector, as the curtain opened on a '50s -era Italian film set. The natural fourth wall framing of the Opera, with its teasing narrator Tonio (Ben Lowe) explaining away the drama's magic tricks, worked perfectly in cinematic garb. Studio lights and a bulbous vintage pickup truck set the stage alongside a mock vintage camera, occasionally used to film and project live footage of characters in action and in song. Further stage setting arrived as snippets of archival cinema flashed by — including Buster Keaton and Giulietta Masina from Fellini's La Strada . The whiff of Fellini ambience offers a foreshadowing of the second act's tragicomic abandon at the circus — as seen in the final scene of Fellini's In the theatrical balance of the many elements in this entrancing OSB concoction lies a framework which both draws us into the characters' angst and murderous impulses while distancing us from the grit and blood of the story. We can empathize with the opera's emotionally wrought characters, while settling back into the detached observer mindset, with its handy mantra “it's only an opera/movie.” Touche, OSB. Thu, Nov 14 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 23 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 28 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Dec 14 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 13 4:30 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 13 6:00 PM Virtual Wed, Nov 13 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 13 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 14 4:00 PM Lompoc Thu, Nov 14 5:00 PM Carpinteria Thu, Nov 14 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 23 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 28 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Dec 14 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 13 4:30 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 13 6:00 PM Virtual Wed, Nov 13 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 13 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 14 4:00 PM Lompoc Thu, Nov 14 5:00 PM Carpinteria Thu, Nov 14 7:30 PM Santa Barbara

'Bird' is one of the films opening at the SBIFF Film Center in downtown Santa Barbara | Photo: Courtesy Fans, present company included, of Andrea Arnold's remarkable documentary Cow — a close-up portrait of a particular cow headed for a meat industry demise — should be duly alerted: her fascinating new film Bird is not a doc about aviary life. A more apt point of comparison is Arnold's moving film American Honey , in which gritty, mean street-ly lives of young characters deftly juggle edgy and dangerous lives with ultimately heartwarming resolutions. These films' happy endings are hard-won, but won nonetheless. In Birds , one of the inaugural films being screened at the new SBIFF Film Center (former Fiesta Five), birds figure into the narrative as emblems of mystical escapism and vehicles of deliverance in a film which manages to blend realism with flights of magic realism and transcendence. Birds of a mythical sort offer dreamy relief and literal rescue in the film's chronicle of the tough-but-still-innocent 12-year-old Bailey (in a stirring, award-worthy performance by young Kykiya Adams), in a tenement region of Kent, England. Even in her just pre-teen state, Bailey is cold and self-protective, presumably hardened by past experiences we aren't entirely clued in about. Contrasting her daily frictional life of an evil stepfather and friends entangled in drug dealings and other ambiguous criminality, she meets an eccentric elf-like character named Bird (German actor Frederick Rogowski), with a skirt and a cleft palate voice. They find common ground in his search for his real father, as she's trying to stitch together the shards of her fragmented family. A funny thing happens when we now see the likes of Barry Keoghan on the screen, so memorable are his cunning and bloodthirsty roles in Killing of a Sacred Deer and Saltburn (though he leans into sweeter, loopier airs in The Banshees of Inisherin ). From our first nerve-rankling encounter with Keoghan — as Bailey's flighty father, trying to win his daughter's approval of a new wife-to-be — we reflexively expect dark and possibly violent turns to unfold. Yet his underlying goodness and love for his children prevail, despite the gruff acid-tongued surfaces and drugworldly links (including possession of a coveted hallucinogenic-triggering toad). The visual language for Bird , via cinematographer Robbie Ryan, charts a smart course between indie roughness and polish, in keeping with the delicate thematic balance of peril and hope. Without calling undue attention to itself, the naturalistic visual elan entails hand-held camera and smoother stylization mixed with artful fly-in shots for atmosphere and vertical cell phone-style format. Recurring footnote imagery of butterflies, emblematic of fragile and desired-for innocence, blend with an ominous raven overhead — and ultimately directly in the magic realist mix. This Bird flies, with determination and grace.

We can always count on a hearty dose of blues — and variants thereof — when the venerable Santa Barbara Blues Society (SBBS) gets down to business at the Carillo Recreation Center, an ideal, spring-loaded historical locale for a historic music organization. Next up on the SBBS calendar is a hothouse show this Saturday night, November 16, marking the auspicious local debut of the Bay Area–based blues belter sensation Terrie Odabi. Possessing a powerful and soulful vocal instrument and an abiding link to true blues and R&B tradition of old, Odabi is a performer who wins friends and influences music lovers with an ear for timeless blues-gospel-soul music. At the Rec. Center, she'll be adorned with a band and horn section — the whole enchilada. Terrie Odabi | Photo: Courtesy, R. Haskins Music journalist/critic Lee Hildebrand, who has scribed for the San Francisco Chronicle and other publications, wrote about the singer in her formative public era: “Terrie Odabi is easily the most dynamic blues and soul woman to have emerged in the Bay Area since Etta James came out of San Francisco's Fillmore District in the 50s. Terrie has a powerful set of pipes, writes terrific tunes, leads a kicking band, and has onstage movements that perfectly match the rhythms of her material. Surely stardom awaits her.” In addition to a handful of nominations for the coveted Blues Music Awards, Odabi earned kudos from Living Blues for her 2016 album My Blue Soul (listen here ), whose song list includes the blues classic “Ball and Chain,” the gospel jewel “Wade in the Water,” and opens with a more pressingly contemporary original “Gentrification Blues.” Odabi sings and speaks for the ages, while checking the pulse of the present, including the dance floor imperative. Living Legend Fest Celebrity violinist Itzhak Perlman has graced Santa Barbara stages for many years, often presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures. But the ante of specialness was upped when Perlman came to The Granada Theatre last week, given the glittery imprimatur of an all-star entourage of friends in high places — pianists Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and the Juilliard String Quartet in tow. To boot, the local date was one of only three U.S. dates with this program and aggregation of living legends. The Tel Aviv–born Perlman, 79, has enjoyed a prominent general public profile since he emerged as a child prodigy on the Ed Sullivan Show in the late ‘50s. He is a much-laureled and widely known virtuoso, popular beyond just classical circles, but has never been known as a trailblazer or a musician who has much interest in the music of our times — or even the last century-and-change. At the Granada, the program deviated from predictability through repertoire choices: The centerpiece Mozart “Piano Quartet No. 2” — a showcase for Ax's focused insight — was framed by the French business of 18th century composer Jean-Marie Leclair's “Sonata for Two Violins” (with Perlman and the Juilliard's Areta Zhulla in taut tandem) and the post-intermission romantic comfy chair business of Ernest Chausson's “Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet.” The latter piece gave ample expressive elbow room to Thibaudet and the quartet (including former UCSB professor Ronald Copes, now the oldest member of the group). The crowd here was weirdly distracting, frequently indulging in the dreaded faux pas of lusty applause between movements. At one point, after the first movement of the Mozart, a woman bellowed out “Excellent playing. Thank you!” — the equivalent of people yelling “We love you!” at a rock show. For those of us less moved by goopy, late Romantic repertoire, the Chausson felt thick and turgid, with wheels turning and themes churning in search of life beyond the gush of noes. Relief arrived at the end. On this night, Perlman was mostly in fine form, though with some notable rough spots along the way — but what he stands for as an eminent elder classical music statesman allows for laxer standards of listening. Chamber-ized Panorama of the Americas In the first of a series of inviting encounters with touring string quartets presented at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art 's intimate Mary Craig Auditorium, the respected Cuarteto Latinoamerico stopped in on Sunday afternoon for a fascinating survey of music from America — South and North. The concert's second half featured Czech-in-America composer Dvorak, and his optimism-pumping “American” quartet, following the requiem-like ruminations of Samuel Barber's famed “Adagio for Strings.” Barber's piece has become an unofficial anthem of mourning, often heard after 9/11, and somehow appropriate just now, in the wake of last week's tragic presidential elections. But the real meat and memorable content of the program came in the first half, especially with the opening of Brazilian master Heitor Villa-Lobos' fascinating “Quartet No. 17” — bearing the composer's signature mix of Euro-modernism and Brazilian folk influences. Gershwin's lulling “Lullaby” led into the feistier dynamics of “ nuevo tango ” master Astor Piazzolla's only dedicated quartet piece, “Four, for Tango,” perked up by swiping ascending shrieks from the string players and percussive effects — not your grandfather's string quartet syntax. Piazzolla got the last word, fittingly enough, in an encore of one of the composer's greatest hits, “ Libertango .” As it happens, we heard that piece as an encore during last month's Santa Barbara Symphony concert, in its orchestral arrangements with guitar (Pablo Sáinz-Villegas). This columnist's attitude: the more Piazzolla, the better, in whatever format. TO-DOINGS: In other Santa Barbara Symphony news, the next concert takes place on Sunday afternoon (a departure from the usual Saturday night/Sunday afternoon plan), in a program dubbed “French Connection.” Guest conductor/pianist David Greilsammer leads a program of Rameau, Ravel, Milhaud — and in an extra-French move, Haydn. Friday night at Hahn Hall, Camerata Pacifica's program-of-the-month club goes admirably contemporary, with music of living composers Niloufar Nourbakhsh (who impressed at the Ojai Music Festival), Helen Grime, and Thomas Oboe Lee (his Parodia Schumanniana features oboist Nicholas Daniel). Saint-Saëns kicks off the mostly 21st century party, with a pit stop in the 20th century courtesy of York Bowen's Viola Sonata No. 1. Outside the classical world highlights: kinder, gentler guitar hero Albert (“Country Boy at Heart”) Lee returns to SOhO, for an early set on Sunday night. Fans of King Crimson will want to head down to Thousand Oaks' Bank o' America Performing Arts Center on Thursday for the current road show incarnation called BEAT – Belew/Vai/Levin/Carey play '80s King Crimson (minus mastermind/guru Robert Fripp), featuring Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, guitar wizard Steve Vai, and drummer Danny Carey. Local trivia note: the lean ‘80s King Crimson played a set at the Mission Theater back in the ‘80s, before that historic venue morphed into the Metro Four. The beat goes on. Sat, Nov 16 10:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 16 10:30 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 16 3:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 17 2:00 PM Goleta Sat, Nov 23 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 28 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 6:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 16 10:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 16 10:30 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 16 3:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 17 2:00 PM Goleta Sat, Nov 23 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 28 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 6:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 7:30 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Nov 15 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 16 10:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 16 10:30 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Nov 16 3:00 PM Santa Barbara

Acclaimed Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers returns in recital mode, at the Lobero, with a rich and contemporary-leaning program.

As a card-carrying member of the club which believes the world — and certainly the West Coast — is in dire need of strong, dedicated jazz clubs, I was excited about the buzz around the club Libretto in Paso Robles. Here, in an elegantly appointed entry in the classic basement jazz club tradition, an impressive roster of jazz artists, some of household name renown, perform in a pristine setting before a respectful listening crowd. All the pieces are in place in this modest but welcoming jazz haven, founded by intrepid music loving entrepreneur and pianist Corey Jordan — born and raised in Paso and returned after a ten-year Los Angeles stint with his wife Kate. To back up: what's this, a model jazz club in the center of Paso Robles? The city was once characterized as a cowboy town, an unfair and incomplete stereotype. In the comforting embrace of the Libretto, the closest encounter to cowboy culture might be if a musician opted to channel Sonny Rollins' version of “I'm an Old Cow Hand.” It's fair to say that a dominant reckoning force has made an urban-style enterprise like the Libretto, and the general transformation of Paso Robles in general possible: blame it on the wine. The vast expansion of the wine industry in Paso Robles over the past decade and change — with 200-plus wineries in a region where there were 35 a decade ago — has turned this formerly sleepy and semi-rural Central Coast city into a magnet for tourism, wine enthusiast thronging and such unexpected signs of civility as a true blue jazz club. Considering these factors, it made sense to make a recent pilgrimage to Paso for a 36-hour “close escape” geared around the potent forces of jazz and wine. I timed the trip according to the Libretto calendar, noticing that the stellar and storied pianist John Beasley — one of the finest pianists based in Los Angeles, with strong European ties — would be holding court with his trio in the club. They did not disappoint. Presqu'ile patio | Photo: Josef Woodard Neither did our winery repasts, framing the jazz night out. Our palates and bellies were suitably pampered through dream visits to Presqu'ile in Santa Maria, on the way up, and at Paso's Villa San Juliette the next day. We decamped overnight in the large new and comfortable Oxford Suites (don't miss the ample breakfast), sampled wine and atmosphere at the Hotel Cheval's Pony Club and dove into a jumbo gourmet pizza at Della's for dinner, pre-show. Although the family-owned Presqu'ile is situated less than two miles off the 101 corridor, the compound feels like a world away, in the best way. The winding verdant property is crowned by an enchanting hilltop restaurant and tasting zone with a panoramic and untrammeled view all the way to the ocean. Cuisine-wise, we were treated to the lavish and healthy Chef's Mezze Picnic, with savory flavors converging in new ways, and an ingredient list including vegetables and herbs from the nearby garden. Our tasting flight highlighted other products of the property: 2021 chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah from the in-house vineyards and a special secret stash taste of the nebbiolo, my favorite. Villa San Juliette in Paso Robles | Photo: Josef Woodard It was a different story and scene at Villa San Juliette , nestled in another hilltop perch — off in the picturesque Estrella District AVA northeast of Paso proper. The winery is the pet project of Ken & Julie Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe, British entertainment entrepreneurs responsible as the architects of TV's American Idol , as we quickly learn from reports and photographic evidence in the gift shop. Enchanted with the region, they bought the winery in 2005 and elevated its status into an award-winning operation. Of the flight offered us, the favorites came with the imprimatur of high ratings from Wine Enthusiast : the 2023 pinot gris and especially the 2021 Alicante Bouschet. From chef Rache Ponce's menu, my Shrimp Po' Boy paired nicely with the rose of grenache and my wife Peggy once again beat me on the healthy fare index, with the locally sourced and evocatively-hued Beet Hummus. We were lulled into an extended stay on the compound with a view, far from any madding crowd — only the sizable crowd gathered here on a lovely Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, on the jazz case, I caught up with Libretto's creator Jordan the morning after my memorable Libretto hang at his other “day job,” running the hip and popular coffee spot Amstrdm . It was here that Jordan, a classically-trained pianist himself and audio engineer, first started performing and inviting fine musicians to play, during the COVID haze. He was then presented with the option of taking over the basement location, the former basement of the Paso Robles Opera, and Libretto was off and running — and ideally fitted with a special Steinway D 9-foot concert grand. Amstrdm in Paso Robles | Photo: Josef Woodard Emboldened by the sophisticated clientele lured to the city via the vines, the enterprising Jordan heeded the edict “build a classy jazz club, with a fine piano, and they will come.” But there were important distinctions: the 62-seat club involves a members-only plan during the week, with public-invited weekend sets. Jordan, who became acquainted with the L.A. based musician scene during his period spent there from 2008 to 2018, understands the needs of traveling musicians and has an apartment for the visitors above Amstrdm. When Beasley brought his superb and flexible Circle Trio to the space last month, the pianist told the crowd “I was here a year ago. As soon as I walked in a saw the piano, I thought ‘this is the place.'” This was most definitely the place for any level of jazz fan to be on this October weekend in this town. Beasley and his empathic comrades — bassist Edwin Livingston and drummer John Davis — demonstrated an unusually deep degree of empathic dialogue over two sets. Livingston walked the critical fine line of support, interplay and intriguing solos. Beasley's playing was ever fluid and alert, and he engaged in some fiery, free-spirited riff-swapping with drummer DK. A varied set list touched on some of Beasley's musical connections and projects over the years, starting with the opening take on “I Hear a Rhapsody,” with a sly quote of Miles Davis's sing-song-y riff from “Jean Pierre,” a nod to Beasley's own work with the late period Davis in 1989. On a sensitive balladic take on Thelonious Monk's “Ask Me Now,” Beasley channeled his accoladed way with Monk, as heard in his venturesome MONK'estra Big Band. From another big band angle, he led his trio through a tune from his new Corea tribute album Return to Forever , with his arrangements delivered by the Frankfurt Big Band (an album which earned two Grammy nominations last week). He folded in alternate chords and harmonies on “Maiden Voyage,” by one of his obvious influences, Herbie Hancock. Late in the second set of the night, the trio dove into the heady turf of Joe Henderson's “Serenity” and the late, great Wayne Shorter's “Marie Antoinette.” By then, the trio had loosened and heated up, while navigating the tight turns and structural frameworks that mattered. For a taste of Beasley's business in this enlightened room, he will return with his “Holidazed Jazz Trio” on December 15. Other shows of notes this year: the excellent vocalists Jane Monheit (December 5) and Sara Gazarek (November 22), pianists of note Tamir Handelman (December 8) and Greg Karukas (December 14) and stellar vibraphonist Tyler Blanton (December 13). Although I was thoroughly enjoying the moment and the place and the music at Libretto, a certain nagging thought kept tickling my mind. Call it jazz club envy: why can't Santa Barbara have a spot like this? For now, this special space warrants a stop or a dedicated trip up the 101. Make it a 36-hour getaway. Or more, wine and jazz budget permitting.

Singer-Songwriter-Story-Spinner Corner Santa Barbara County's music calendar has long cast light on the special musical species of the singer-songwriter with storytelling attached. The driving agenda is embedded in the very name of the now 23-year-old series “Tales from the Tavern,” bringing tasty sounds and between-song tale-spinning to the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez. The most recent series wrapped up last week with a popular, the “western” singer and cowboy entertainer Dave Stamey , who packed the place and, according to series co-creator Ron Colon (who runs the machine with his sister Carole Ann), is also the best-seller on the series' in-house record label. Stamey comes to work neatly-attired, in white shirt and tie, a vest and clean ‘n' pressed jeans, and his songs are likewise neatly-crafted and catchy, well-stocked with wisdoms and witticisms. Last week's set list included “The Purgatory Cantina,” “Buckaroo Man,” a singalong “They Call the Wind Mariah,” and his wistful, mortality-glimpsing waltz “For the Sake of the Moon.” A few weeks back, another Tales veteran, Jeffrey Foucault , demonstrated his own impressive work and voice (“voice” as in a collection of interwoven talents — singer, writer, guitarist and vibe-maker) in a very different Santa Ynez Valley venue of note, Lost Chord Guitars. The intimate and invitingly warm and clear-toned room was launched by famed studio designer and guitarist Chris Pelonis — whose resume includes a key role in Jeff Bridges' band — and his wife Kim back in 2019, as a dual personality high-style guitar store by day and performance venue by night. The latter personality has ramped up considerably in the post-pandemic days, making Lost Chord one of the area's more enticing rooms suitably for sitting and listening up. And sipping on an adult beverage. Lost Chord made for an ideal atmosphere for the special musical brew of Foucault and his hand-in-glove band — featuring young guitarist Erik Koskinen, whose opening set was ear-openingly fine. The Wisconsin-born and now New England–based artist drew on songs from The Universal Fire , number 15 in a discography going back to 2001, and an eagerly-awaited first album since pre-pandemic and drew us into his distinctive and rough/refined song world. Among the places he stopped in his setlist were the moody new “Monterey Rain” and “Des Moines,” a personal favorite, and not only because I popped out there. Foucault is welcome in these parts anytime. After being in the dark for too long, I finally rubbed the fuzz out of my brain and got to hear what the fuss was about this guy John Craigie , whoseblend of insight and sly humor warmed up the Lobero Theatre last week (read Don Brubaker's review soon). His job description is nailed by the singer-songwriter-storyteller moniker, but with the addition of left field comedian (comparisons to Mitch Hedberg follow him, along with nods to John Prine and Woody Guthrie). Craigie, whose work alongside locals Jack Johnson and Glen Phillips make him an honorary city key-holder, has released another juicy album, Pagan Church , but the tunes that struck deepest to this newbie were his uniquely poignant “Mallory” (about connecting with a deaf woman at a house concert) and his anthemic “I Am California,” closing the Lobero show in a bath of bittersweet waltz time bliss. Saturday Night Fever, Mass and Blues Division The Santa Barbara Master Chorale's fall program qualified as an adventurous variation on choral tradition, bringing the fresh and invigorating sound of Argentine-retooled Mass tradition to the First Presbyterian Church over the weekend. SBMC, now a ripe 55 years deep, is currently led by director David Lozano Torres, who cooked up this “Vengan domingo” program — with the Argentinian-flavored liturgical works of Martin Palmeri's Misa a Buena Aires (Misatango ) — the ancient mass tradition meets tango — and Ariel Ramirez folk music-tinged Misa Criolla We were treated to the impressive vocal attributes of soprano Camila Lima and tenor Felipe Prado, along with tango-associated bandoneon playing by the masterful Korean Shinjoo Cho. Also in the mix, local hero Tony Ybarra's ensemble, featuring the fine flutist Melody Collins. It was not, alas, your grandfather's choral concert. A bouquet of kudos is deserved. After the Masses on Saturday night, I raced over to catch the second set of the Santa Barbara Blues Society wingding at the Carrillo Rec Center, where Oakland-based soul-blues-spiritual singer Terrie Odabi was busy making a strong and impactful impression in her local debut. Fittingly, the religious spirit continued for this music-seeker, as she led her hot band through her version of the classic spiritual “Wade in the Water,” reminding the crowd that spirituals/gospel are a bedrock of the blues, R&B and virtually every facet of American pop music (the last point being my own). After that opening, though, the powerhouse singer got down to feistier, danceable business (setting the Rec Center's spring-loaded dance floor to jiggling) with steamy groove tunes and a closing “You're Gonna Miss Me” by her “blues shero” Big Mama Thornton. She cleverly folds social commentary into her party-timing music, as well: “Doing Nothing Ain't Enough” refers to her day job as a case worker in Oakland upset about the fate of homeless children, and her “Gentrification Blues” (from her album My Blue Soul ) lives up to its title. Here's hoping this will be the first of many Santa Barbara visits from this blues/soul/gospel queen. Lee's Licks, and Heart Ever-tasty and never-hubristic guitar hero Albert Lee — who, for the record, lived briefly up around Painted Cave — made one of his periodic gig stops at SOhO on Sunday, and both thrilled and soothed a large happy crowd. Lee, well-known for his work with Emmylou Harris, rubbing elbows and licks with Eric Clapton and many other gigs, is now 80 and he delivered the supple guitar mastery we eagerly want, on Richard Thompson's “Tear-Stained Letter” and the extended solo margins of his anthem “Country Boy at Heart.” But, moving over to piano crooner mode, Lee also impressed with his sensitive piano man mode on tunes by Jimmy Webb, his old ally Rodney Crowell's “Gain Control Again” and the touching Glen Campbell number “A Better Place.” Ending back in dust-kicking mode, Lee broke out his lick palette on rockabilly legend Johnny Burnett's “Tear it Up.” Which he and his ripping fine band did handily. TO-DOINGS: CAMA , responsible for the dazzling Philharmonic Baroque concert at the Granada last week, shifts locales this week to the Lobero, where CAMA's chamber-sized “Masterseries” opens with the always-welcome violinist Anne Akiko Meyers (see story here ). Coming off of double wins last week at the Latin Grammy awards (for her recording of Alberto Marquez' Fandango with the L.A. Phil) Meyers, joined by pianist Fabrio Bidini, will offer up an enticing, mostly contemporary-yet-accessible program of Glass, Morton Lauridsen, Marquez, Corelli and more.