Vinny Golia teamed with Nathan Hubbard; David Borgo with Jeanette Kangas.

The small group of people behind the San Diego Center for the Arts keep putting on increasingly dynamic shows for the jazz/creative music community -- and while these performances haven't caught on with the public at large as of yet …

One of this year's best concerts, for sure.

Dan Atkinson and the folks at Athenaeum Jazz pulled off one the best concerts of 2013 with the Oct. 9 appearance of the Dave Douglas Quintet-- a riveting and perfectly paced concert that rippled with muscular solos and compostional detail. …

Mintz's group blended jazz from the tradition with thoroughly modern music in a dynamic performance.

KSDS Jazz 88 brought in a veteran group of improvisers playing music grounded in the tradition while looking to the future on Oct. 8, when the Billy Mintz Quintet performed at the Saville Theatre for the "Jazz Live" series. The …

The Dave Douglas Quintet hit La Jolla on Oct.9, Vinny Golia joins SD musicians on Oct. 12

As usual, there's a lot of jazz coming up this week, but I want to alert fans of the music to two concerts in particular: Oct. 9- The Dave Douglas Quintet, Athenaeum Jazz at TSRI Unlike so many of the …

Following a hit at The Blue Whale in LA, White's band exploded in Pacific Beach.

Piano man Joshua White likes to mix it up, constantly experimenting with groups of different personnel as part of his inexorable quest for growth as a musician. On Oct. 5, White assembled a brand-new group featuring NYC drummer Damion Reid, …

The trombonist gave props to the legend at 98 Bottles.

Young trombone master Matt Hall brought a potent mix of emergent talent and veteran experience into 98 Bottles for his Tribute to Duke Ellington concert on Oct. 4, including pianist Ed Kornhauser, violinist Nora Germain, drummer Brett Sanders and bass …

Ben Schachter brought long-time East Coast associates in for an exciting show.

98 Bottles was the spot for a rare appearance by saxophonist Ben Schachter's "East Coast" trio with bassist Leon Boykins, drummer Matt Scarano and special guest John Swana on EVI, (Electronic Valve Instrument) Oct. 3. Opening with the Ornettian "For …

Three basses? Two drummers? Somehow these cats pulled it off.

Tenor saxophonist Ben Schachter brought together a large and unusual ensemble into Dizzy's on Oct. 2, for a wonderful and unique musical experience. Think of this group as a double-trio with special guest: on stage left Schachter lined up with …

Solo percussion in Barrio Logan.

New music champion Bonnie Wright's Fresh Sound concert series continued on Oct. 1 with a dynamic evening of solo percussion by mallet specialist Ian David Rosenbaum performing before a large and enthusiastic house at Bread & Salt in Logan Heights. …

The LA trio graced the Saville Theatre stage to fund-raise for KSDS Jazz 88

Mainstream jazz got some serious representation on Sept. 29 with a rare afternoon concert by LA's Jeff Hamilton Trio who tore through two sets of boppish activity in support of Jazz 88.3 Playing sans-amplifier, bassist Christoph Luty used the bow …

Rosenbaum will perform on marimba and other percussion instruments at Bread & Salt.

Adventurous music promoter Bonnie Wright continues her dynamic concert series Fresh Sound with an evening of solo percussion by Ian David Rosenbaum on Oct. 1 at Bread & Salt, located at 1955 Julian Ave, at 8 pm. This is the …

Long, loose interpretations of classic material with lots of improvisation.

Hungarian trumpeter/flugelhornist Kornel Fekete-Kovacs blew into Dizzy's on Sept. 26, fronting a red-hot band comprised of LA pianist Mike Garson, flutist Lori Bell, bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Duncan Moore for a night of loose improvisation on mostly standard material. …

Creative organ-trio music live in La Jolla

Dan Atkinson and the folks at Athenaeum Jazz kicked off their Fall Series of concerts at TSRI on Sept. 25 with a bang, featuring the Larry Goldings Trio with Peter Bernstein on guitar and Bill Stewart on drums. Opening with …

Plenty of jazz happening, with a mix of local and international talent.

There's a busy week ahead for San Diego jazz fans with top-flight musicians from Hungary, NYC, and LA all making local stops. Sept. 25 Larry Goldings Trio Goldings brings his organ group to Athenaeum Jazz at TSRI, featuring guitarist Peter …

A full camera crew from San Diego State filmed the concert.

Guitarist Jaime Valle brought the all-star Colors of Latin Jazz to Dizzy's on Sept. 20, for an exciting evening celebrating the wide arc of the art form -- and featuring lithe vocalist Coral MacFarland-Thuet, virtuoso pianist Allan Phillips, with the …

Mikan Zlatkovich led a very strong sextet featuring Daniel Jackson, Lori Bell, Jamie Shadowlight, Bill Andrews and Duncan Moore.

San Diego piano powerhouse Mikan Zlatkovich began his Sept. 14 concert at Dizzy's fronting a potent trio featuring bassist Bill Andrews and drummer Duncan Moore, on a surging interpretation of the Cole Porter classic, "So In Love." By the time …

Eric Byers combined cello with laptop electronics very effectively.

Bonnie Wright kicked off the Fall schedule of her Fresh Sound series on Sept. 13 at brand-new venue Bread & Salt with a full, enthusiastic house taking in an amazing performance of solo cello + electronics by string virtuoso Eric …

Nice opportunity to catch some rising stars.

One of the coolest things about Chuck Perrin and Dizzy's, is the opportunity he provides San Diego's next wave of improvisers to showcase their abilities. Tonga Ross-Ma'u is an emerging talent who capitalized on that exposure on Sept. 12, fronting …

It all starts on Sept. 12, with multiple choices ahead.

There is compelling jazz and new music to experience three nights in a row this weekend. Sept. 12, Tonga Ross-Ma'u at Dizzy's Multi-instrumentalist Ross-Ma'u will be playing the piano, focusing on his original material with a trio of top-flight improvisers, …

Lorraine Castellanos is a vocal natural.

Lorraine Castellanos, fronting an ad hoc group featuring guitarist Joey Carano, bassist Rob Thorsen, drummer Fernando Gomez and her trumpet-master husband Gilbert Castellanos, celebrated the career of the recently departed Eydie Gorme at 98 Bottles on Sept. 7. There is …