Castellanos, Jazz on Tap at Dizzy's
Trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos will bring a special ensemble to Dizzy's this Friday, July 1. The band will include his regular pianist, Irving Flores, Lorraine Castellanos on vocals, bassist Evona Wascinski, and on percussion...tap dancer Claudia Gomez Vorce. These days, the …
Charles McPherson's Jaw-Dropping Virtuosity
Stalking the stage with intensity, Charles McPherson snapped his fingers briskly and tore into "Crazeology" (a bebop staple based on the harmonic sequence of "I Got Rhythm") in lockstep with trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos. The alto saxophonist has arrived at a …
Jeff Kaiser Doesn't Need Permission
When free jazz trumpeter / electronics specialist Jeff Kaiser wants to put out a record, he doesn't have to shop demos around or hope for corporate approval. Kaiser moved to San Diego four years ago, having spent a long time …
Holly Hofmann Wraps Up New Recording
Flutist Holly Hofmann has been doing her thing in San Diego for years now, both as a renowned musician and a concert series curator. Last month, she finished up her latest recording, "Turn Signal" at Studio West in Rancho Bernardo. …
Anat Cohen Sells Out Wall St.
Tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Anat Cohen is coming to San Diego on July 1, at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, 1008 Wall St. La Jolla. Unless you've already got your tickets, be advised that the performance is sold out. …
Summer Jazz Band Camp at UCSD
Summer jazz clinics, or camps, are a staple of sorts for universities that have viable jazz programs. There are also a few privately run institutions, the most well-known being Jamey Aebersold's summer jazz workshops, this year being held at the …
No Rest For Mark Dresser
Noted contrabassist and UCSD professor Mark Dresser maintains the busiest of schedules. He has several active ensembles including Trio M with pianist Myra Melford and East Coast drummer Matt Wilson, another trio with Melford and trombonist Michael Dessen, a Southern …
Re-Thinking Monk at the Saville Theatre
Pianist Joshua White kicked off the summer season of KSDS Jazz 88's concert series last night at the Saville Theatre. His quartet recruited two young cats from LA, bassist J.P. Maramba and drummer Jens Kuross, and a wily San Diego …
NYC Guitarist Elliott Sharp Plays Bonnie Wright's
Iconoclastic NYC guitarist/bassist/saxophonist Elliott Sharp made his first performing visit to San Diego on June 7, when outward-leaning promoter Bonnie Wright snagged him on his way to gigs in LA and San Francisco for an "invitation only" show at her …
Jason Robinson Send-Off Concert
Saxophonist Jason Robinson made his impending exit from the area official with a blistering 2 hour plus concert on June 2, at Dizzy's. A healthy crowd of friends and fans gathered for the affair, which featured some of the best …
Peter Sprague at the Hollywood Bowl
Local jazz guitarist Peter Sprague will play the opening night prime-time slot at the Playboy Jazz Festival tomorrow evening as a member of vocalist Dianne Reeves' group. Sprague got the gig with Reeves several years back on the recommendation of …
Give It Up For Joe Marillo
Saxophonist Joe Marillo was instrumental to many of us in the baby-boom generation of San Diego jazz fans. Originally from Niagara Falls, New York, Marillo's career began playing R&B on the East Coast. After spending 10 years in Las Vegas …
Meet Bob Magnusson
Doublebassist Bob Magnusson has been holding down the bottom end for thousands of San Diego jazz moments since the late 1960s. His father was a classical clarinetist, and Bob spent 12 years playing French horn before taking up the bass …
Percussion Discussion : Duncan Moore
Oceanside drummer Duncan Moore was born in Des Moines, Iowa and began learning the instrument at the age of 8. Percussion studies continued through high school and led him to the University of Iowa, where he majored in music and …
Meet Kevyn Lettau
I first heard Kevyn Lettau in 1977, at Robb Field in OB, with Peter Sprague's Dance Of The Universe Orchestra. She sang "Over The Rainbow" and "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and even then, as a teenager, she …
Musician Profile : Gunnar Biggs
Carlsbad doublebassist Gunnar Biggs has lived in San Diego since the age of 5, and has been an important part of the jazz scene here for over 30 years. Biggs was talented enough as a high school student to be …
Musician Profile : Mike Wofford
Pianist Mike Wofford was born in Texas, but grew up in here in San Diego. He began playing around 7 and was drawn to jazz by the time he hit 16. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles and …
Gilbert Castellanos: Night of the Cookers
Ask San Diego trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos who his influences are, and you'd better have a notebook -- or a recorder. I managed to write down Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown, Booker Little, and Kenny Dorham. Suffice it to say the man …
Musician Profile : Rob Thorsen
Since moving back to San Diego in 1989, doublebassist Rob Thorsen has become a ubiquitous and vital member of the local jazz scene, performing initially with tenor saxophonist Daniel Jackson and pianist Mike Wofford. Thorsen has made several recordings of …
Meet the Composer : Anthony Davis
Composer and pianist Anthony Davis has been teaching at UCSD for several years now, so you can add Professor of music to his titles. Davis had already recorded two galvanic titles by the 1980s, "Of Blues and Dreams" a free …