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Entries
The International Top Ten Jazz Releases 2011
These are the ten best CDs to cross my path in 2011, regardless of geography. Some of them were recorded in New York, LA, and Portugal. Even still, the San Diego connection remains strong. Bert Turetzky, Mark Dresser, Peter Sprague …
Top Ten San Diego Jazz Recordings 2011
San Diego is home to a large number of world-class jazz musicians. The talent pool is deep here. Three of the top-ten local recordings are also represented on my top-ten discs from anywhere (see tomorrow's Top Ten Global releases). Top …
Yoga Girl Rides Again
It gets complicated: Scott Wilson, a Santee blues rocker wrote, recorded, and released “Yoga Girl” in June. Then, in November, a hip-hop song with the same name surfaced. Same name, different song, and it got 450,000 hits on YouTube. David …
Silent Night with Soccer
If there be any doubt of the power of music, consider the Christmas Truce of 1914. After rushing to war in a spirit of carnival, the armies of World War I found themselves in a world of misery. The war …
Nate Jarrell–Chris Acquavella: Duo LaRé
Duo LaRé is comprised of mandolin virtuoso Chris Acquavella and rising star guitarist Nate Jarrell, ably assisted on several tracks by additional musicians Erdis Maxhelaku on cello, Harley Magsino on double bass, and Steve Haney on percussion. Recorded at San …
Christmas Eve Music
A Christmas Eve playlist. O Holy Night (Cantique de Noel) by Adolphe Adam has become a Christmas Eve standard. Initially it was resisted by French clergy because the political views of the lyricist, Placide Cappeau, were too liberal. Cappeau wanted …
And the Global Music Award Winner Is...Lori Bell !
San Diego flute master Lori Bell recently received a 2011 Award Of Excellence from the GMA, (Global Music Awards). "I found out about it, (the award), from the faculty at SDSU, who encouraged me to apply, then from I got …
Beach Fossils Wash Up in Tijuana
Saturday night I went to Tijuana. I ate tamales, drank Modelos, met some awesome people, and listened to even more awesome music. My friend and I caught a bus to downtown TJ for the Beach Fossils concert, and it could …
91X Figures It Out for Night 2 of Wrex
After the contretemps of 91X Wrex the Halls’ first night at the Valley View Casino Center, when ticket-holders were stuck in line trying to get into the pit, things moved more smoothly on Night 2. After an opening set by …
Adam Lambert Arrested in Finland
Adam Lambert, former American Idol contestant and San Diego County resident, was arrested in Finland Thursday after brawling with his boyfriend --Finnish reality-star Sauli Koskinen-- inside a bar in downtown Helsinki, reports online gossip-site, TMZ. Police officers arrested Lambert for …
Frank Zappa Would Have Been 71 Today - Viva La Bizarre!
Frank Zappa would have celebrated his 71st birthday today. The Zappas moved to San Diego in 1954. Thirteen-year-old Frank bought his first record player at Valley Music in El Cajon. He soon began buying used records in a retail vinyl …
Bobby Bradford Mark Dresser Glenn Ferris "Live in LA"
LA trumpeter/cornetist Bobby Bradford is a living legend of free jazz music. He grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and played with childhood friend Ornette Coleman, eventually replacing Don Cherry in Coleman's quartet years later, after a stint in the …
Universal Baby
One-time Escondido resident Benjamin Britten wrote a beautiful piece of Christmas music during his sea voyage back to England in 1942. The music was Britten's Ceremony of Carols. The piece is written for three-part treble choir and harp. Treble choir …