Mahanthappa's Gamak: Jazz at the Studio
Blending Indian music with funk, rock and other elements, Mahanthappa, Fiucynski, Moutin and Weiss threw down on March 3.
Alto saxophone master Rudresh Mahanthappa delivered two blazing sets of hard to categorize music on March 3, fronting a magnificent group including electric guitarist David Fiucynski, bassist Francois Moutin and drummer Dan Weiss in an Athenaeum Jazz at the Studio …
Jason Robinson: Tiresian Rapture @ Dizzy's
The saxophonist scorched the Pacific Beach venue with Rob Thorsen, Duncan Moore, Ian Tordella and Joey Carano.
The March 1 performance by former San Diegan Jason Robinson at the New Dizzy's represented everything I love about jazz, and through the strength of his imagination, also brought out the best in four local players whose work I thought …
Rudresh Mahanthappa & Gamak live in University Heights, March 3
Mahanthappa has an instantly identifiable sound, and his band is full of ringers.
Sunday, March 3, figures to be a noteworthy day in the San Diego jazz-concert landscape for 2013. Daniel Atkinson, the jazz-program-coordinator for Athenaeum Jazz brings alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa to Jazz at the Studio, located at 4441 Park Blvd. in …
Jason Robinson at the New Dizzy's
Robinson is one of the most exciting saxophone players I've ever heard.
Fire-breathing former San Diego saxophonist Jason Robinson returns for a must-see concert on March 1, leading a core trio of bassist Rob Thorsen and drummer Duncan Moore, expanding to include special guest guitarist Joey Carano and saxophonist Ian Tordella. Robinson …
Joshua White/ Jeff Denson Project at the new Dizzy's
The house was full and the music superb.
The continued development of piano phenomenon Joshua White took a new turn on Feb. 23, in a cooperative venture with former San Diego bassist Jeff Denson in a superlative performance at the new Dizzy's with special guest tenor saxophonist Dayna …
Bop Moderno sells out the Museum of Making Music
This was the third gig for Bop Moderno, consisting of Peter and Tripp Sprague, Gilbert Castellanos, Gunnar Biggs and Duncan Moore.
Saturday, Feb. 16, the Museum of Making Music presented the San Diego debut performance of Bop Moderno a newly formed unit featuring Peter Sprague on guitar, Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet, Tripp Sprague on reeds Gunnar Biggs on bass and Duncan …
Danny Green plays Chick Corea @ the new Dizzy's
The complex music of Corea is a good fit for Green, who has loads of chops and an exquisite touch.
Local piano wizard Danny Green dropped into the new Dizzy's on Feb. 15, with a well-oiled group comprised of woodwind master Tripp Sprague, bassist Justin Grinnell and drummer Julen Cantelm for an evening devoted to the music of Chick Corea. …
Joshua White & Spiral at The Loft
White led this red-hot quintet through the music of John Coltrane with imaginative arrangements in front of a packed house.
Wednesday, February 13, piano virtuoso Joshua White, celebrated the musical legacy of jazz icon John Coltrane before a sold-out house at The Loft--fronting an all-star aggregation featuring bassist Mark Dresser, trombonist Michael Dessen, saxophonist David Borgo and drummer Duncan Moore. …
Brazilian Jazz Festival at the new Dizzy's, Feb. 17
Vocalist Allison Adams Tucker is organizing a huge concert of four shows by nine musicians.
The infectious sounds of Brazilian music come to the new Dizzy's on Feb. 17, when the fifth annual Brasil Jazz Festa returns to San Diego, featuring nine musicians, four bands playing four shows, beginning at 6 p.m. and ending... Vocalist …
Joshua White & David Borgo live at Villa Musica
An ultra-intimate exchange of spontaneously conceived music from two masters of the genre.
Saturday, February 9, the San Diego Center for the Arts hosted a duo concert by pianist Joshua White and multi-instrumentalist David Borgo at Villa Musica in the Sorrento Valley area. This was spectacular in every possible sense. White is a …
Along Came A Spider @ 98 Bottles
Nathan Hubbard's episodic compositions came to life in bold relief with Ian Tordella, David Borgo and Rob Thorsen.
Last night, at 98 Bottles, the true depth of San Diego jazz talent was dramatically reinforced with two burning sets of thoroughly modern jazz by Along Came A Spider a new group organized by drummer/composer Nathan Hubbard, featuring stellar input …
Larry Ochs, Donald Robinson @ Space 4 Art, Feb. 13
Expect incendiary exchanges from the long-time free jazz duo.
Curator Bonnie Wright's excellent cutting edge concert series, Fresh Sound, continues on Feb. 13 with a sure to be searing performance by saxophonist Larry Ochs and drummer Donald Robinson. For more than 30 years Ochs has been a key member …
Even more jazz choices this week
Nathan Hubbard comes to 98 Bottles. Mike Garson and Mikan Zlatkovich appear in consecutive nights at the new Dizzy's.
Turns out there are even more worthwhile gigs to attend in these first two weeks of February than I originally posted. Here are some important additions. Feb. 7 San Diego's most creative drummer, Nathan Hubbard will present Along Came A …
Tribute to Monk sells out 98 Bottles
Leading a superb quartet,Gilbert Castellanos burned through a set of Monk.
Trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos returned to 98 Bottles last night for A Tribute to Thelonious Monk, earning a sold-out house in the process. Fronting a solid quartet featuring two LA players, (drummer Dan Schenelle and bassist Katie Thiroux) alongside powerhouse pianist …
Peter Sprague, Gilbert Castellanos & Rob Thorsen @ The Westgate
Connecting with the language of bebop, the two San Diego jazz masters made daring music over the redoubtable pulse of Thorsen.
Utilizing a shared study of the music of Sonny Rollins and an encyclopedic knowledge of the Great American Songbook, San Diego jazz icons Peter Sprague and Gilbert Castellanos met on common ground last night at the Westgate Hotel unraveling a …
Early Feb. jazz opportunities
There are a slew of worthwhile gigs from now through Feb. 13, with more to follow.
The first two weeks of February are literally jam-packed with jazz opportunities, and a few unfortunate conflicts as well. Feb. 1 Gilbert Castellanoscontinues his series at the Westgate Hotel, this month featuring collaborations with world-class guitarists. Fittingly, the celebration begins …
Vibraphone Summit at the new Dizzy's
Tim McMahon, Anthony Smith and Pat Burke each brought their own personality to the instrument.
The new Dizzy's hosted the Vibraphone Summit last Sunday, bringing three top exponents to share their music with an all-star rhythm section. Tim McMahon, alongside Anthony Smith, with Pat Burke, manned the mallets, while guitarist Peter Sprague, bassist Rob Thorsen, …
Karen Marguth: swinging in P.B.
Marguth has all the tools, and she knows how to use them.
Fresno vocalist Karen Marguth breezed into the new Dizzy's on Sunday, January 27th, fronting a kind of California-All-Star group featuring LA woodwind specialist Nate Ketner, San Francisco bassist Sam Rocha, Fresno drummer Nathan Guzman and San Diegan Jason Wanner, for …
Daniel Jackson at the new Dizzy's
The tenor master featured a solid trio and a slew of guest musicians.
Local tenor saxophone giant Daniel Jackson, in a packed-to-the-rafters concert at the new Dizzy's, continued to demonstrate the salient features of his musicianship that have endeared him to so many. Leading an all-star group of pianist Joshua White, bassist Marshall …
Kamau Kenyatta at The Loft
Saxophonist/composer/pianist Kenyatta featuring a burning group with special guests in a mesmerizing set.
UCSD's The Loft presented an all too unique opportunity to catch some of San Diego's less visible but no less vital jazz musicians last night with a performance by the Kamau Kenyatta Group, featuring drum pro Richard Sellers, bassist Antar …