KGB FM counts 38 years of a public spectacle they call Sky Show

"I sat in my room, and I listened to the music on the radio and I heard the fire works in the background." It's Coe Lewis, one half of the KGB FM morning show team on the phone to talk …

The spectral sounds of borderland will be showcased at La Bodega Aragon in Tijuana.

Borderland Baja is kind of a weird place. From the infernal desert expanses of Mexicali to the sacred hills of Tecate to the industrial wastelands and afterhours avenues of Tijuana, something supernatural lurks beneath the surface – beckoning from the …

With flutist Nicole Mitchell, pianist Myra Melford and trombonist Michael Dessen, Dresser presented "Sound and Image" at the SD Museum of Art.

Mark Dresser's final concert at the San Diego Museum of Art on August 29, was an ambitious and virtuosic affair -- combining the musical talents of Nicole Mitchell's flute, Myra Melford's piano, Michael Dessen's trombone, the leader's sonically expansive contrabass …

Rock and blues twosome treat fans to a free download.

Rambling rock and blues duo Little Hurricane recently posted an album’s worth of cover songs for stream and free download. Stay Classy (A Collection of Cover Songs) by little hurricane A nod to their San Diego roots, Stay Classy features …

From the cutting edge to multiple musician tributes, there's a lot of jazz happening.

Looks like another busy week in San Diego jazz, with something for just about everyone. Here are some prime picks: Aug. 29: Mark Dresser presents "Sound and Image" The bassist concludes his San Diego Museum of Art residency with a …

San Diego thrash and hardcore powerhouse teams up with French electro outfit for new EP.

This teaser just dropped for the ill Saint M featuring Justin Pearson EP A Pig’s Orphan, set to be released via Three One G records on September 24. Refresh browser if Soundcloud embed does not load. The album includes remixes …

Art passage hosts all-day open galleries, workshops, and live music.

Pasaje Gomez (located next to Hotel Lafayette between Third and Fourth streets on the east side of Revolución) is hosting the Tijuana Art Walk on Saturday, September 14 from noon to midnight. “[The art walk] was born with the idea …

Courtney Love performed a sold out show at the Belly Up Tavern August 25.

A capacity crowd greeted Courtney Love at the Belly Up Tavern on August 25, the twentieth show since she began her current tour on June 20. The night was opened promptly at 9 p.m. by Ginger Wildheart who played a …

A pair of locals takes five, and then comes back, but for vastly different reasons

Note: This story originally appeared in the street edition of the SD Reader. It was edited do to the word count restrictions of print. What follows here are my original conversations with Lafayette and Stoney B, each recorded on separate …

Ian Tordella, Justin Grinnell and Kevin Higuchi played the first set, Joshua White, Mark Dresser and Danny Campbell wrapped it up.

San Diego tenor saxophonist Ian Tordella has been organizing these "double-trio" evenings for the better part of the year now, but the August 24 hit at Dizzy's might just be impossible to top. For his part, the hornman unveiled a …

Members of Hills Like Elephants and River City rearrange and multiply.

Two nascent newcomers will be headlining the bill at Soda Bar (3615 El Cajon Boulevard - City Heights) on Friday, September 6. Diatribes will be making their debut following the release of their first single, “Hand Book for the Blind,” …

Relaxed and very loose, Marillo keeps creating.

Tenor saxophonist Joe Marillo has been a San Diego jazz institution since the 1970's and he continues to carry the torch into his august years as he demonstrated on 08/23, in celebration of his recently departed friend, Gary LeFebvre at …

Six contrabasses in one concert? Mark Dresser made it happen.

"Bass is the Space," was the operating theme for Mark Dresser's Aug 22 performance at the SD Museum of Art, as the virtuoso musician invited five other bassists to join him in various groupings to celebrate a different sort of …

Mission Hills record store celebrates with Monochromacy and Bonsoir.

To celebrate the first ever International Cassette Store Day, general manager Rick Tyner has invited a few local tape purveyors to participate at M-Theory Music on Saturday, September 7. Loathe-drone experimentalists Monochromacy will be doing an in-store performance at 3 …

TJ garage punks debut documentary at Casa de la Cultura.

Tijuana lo-fi garage quartet San Pedro el Cortez have been all over the place lately, playing dates everywhere from Mexico City to Kensington. (Refresh your browser if Soundcloud embed does not appear.) Most recently, they’ve been hitting up key cities …

Dresser will team with five other bass players to explore the low end possibilities.

Contrabassist Mark Dresser continues his Thursday evening residency at the San Diego Museum of Art on August 22, at 7 pm with a show featuring six bassists in various configurations, including bass legend Bert Turetzky, and Joe McNalley, who is …

A wrap up of the daytime lineup at Indie Fest 8's Craig Yerkes Stage Saturday August 17, with Lyrical Groove, Steve Grand, Beach, The Morgan Leigh Band, Kevin Wood and Michael Bowman

Crowds were light but enthusiastic at the daytime portion of the eighth edition of Indie Fest. Held at Liberty Station NTC, August 16-18, the three day event showcased film all three days, with the Saturday addition of music on five …

SD jazz veterans hit hard on this trio session.

Mikan Zlatkovich, Bill Andrews and Barry Farrar, the piano/bass/drum trio collectively known as Lower Left have been playing together for 10 years, and it shows in the interplay on this new release Just Sayin'. Serbian born Zlatkovich is both a …

Leading a string-heavy quartet, the bassist dazzled a packed house.

There are some nights when the music is just so good, it defies description. When contrabass virtuoso Mark Dresser opened his 3 night residency at the San Diego Museum of Art with NYC pianist Denman Maroney, drummer Kjell Nordeson and …

Local producer debuts on experimental bass and beat label Liquid Geometry

Local producer Boarsley dropped his debut EP, Sabertooth, on Liquid Geometry today. Sabertoother EP by Boarsley Stand by for an album review, but in the meantime, check out this ridiculous video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvHwBn35wVI

Dresser and Maroney go way back. Nordeson is originally from Sweden and the violinist must be something special.

"It's a first outing with this band. I'm excited," says contrabass master Mark Dresser who opens his concert series at the San Diego Museum of Art on August 15 with a quartet featuring NYC "hyper-pianist" Denman Maroney, drummer Kjell Nordeson …

Multi-genre electronic music night celebrates birthday at The Merrow in Hillcrest.

On Saturday, August 17 multi-genre bass music night SD Union celebrates three years of drum & bass, dubstep, hip hop, breaks, and beyond in the first large-scale event at recently-opened Hillcrest lounge, The Merrow (formerly the Ruby Room). “When we …

The third annual Village Walk features performers of all genres in intimate Carlsbad venues.

Attention musicians! The ninth annual Carlsbad Music Festival want to pay your act to perform at the Village Walk on Friday, September 20. Any artist of any style from San Diego County can apply for a 20-minute performance in a …

Taylor is equally impressive as a singer and horn player.

Non jazz bars are the proving grounds for young jazz musicians-- kind of a Petri dish to learn and ply their craft under trying circumstances, and with the right attitude, a musician like vocalist/trumpeter Teagan Taylor can make people who …

Hard bop and burning tempos characterized this sterling performance at 98 Bottles

A standing room only crowd gathered for the debut performance by the Coast Bop quintet at 98 Bottles on August 10, drinking in the kinetic energy and virtuosity offered up by this unusual amalgamation of individuals. Two members of the …

Soda Bar hosts beat artists and MCs from labels including Warp, Brainfeeder, Stones Throw, A.1.R., and beyond.

On Sunday, August 11, local beat collective Kill Quanti are bringing an all-star hip hop and experimental beat showcase to Soda Bar (3615 El Cajon Blvd ) with headliner and Stones Throw artist Jonwayne topping the bill: Chicago-based Warp and …

The saxophonist capitalized on a rare San Diego visit from NYC pianist Rob Schneiderman, who was a vital force in the SD jazz scene back in the day.

There's nothing quite as exhilarating as experiencing four masters create in the moment. Thirty years ago, some of the finest jazz heard in this city came from tenor saxophonist Mark Lessman pianist Rob Schneiderman and a recent Iowa transplant drummer …

Joshua White's latest distillation of Monk took on a new sonic density.

One of the greatest advantages of having an artist of the stature of Joshua White in town is the ability to experience his inexorable development through the prism of multiple performances -- gauging material from both constant and varying ensemble …

Michael Alan Hams and Dan Harumi (Room E) present a free clinic exploring technology and drumming.

For the third and final installment in his Drum Days of Summer series, percussion coach Michael Alan Hams presents a free drum clinic featuring special guest Dan Harumi, a local multi-instrumentalist and beatmaker who puts out music under the alias …

Bass and beat label Liquid Geometry hosts Australian producer Bosstone at Kava Lounge.

Last minute party advisory! Tonight, Liquid Geometry brings choice bass&beats to the Kava Lounge with headliner Bosstone, a soft-spoken producer from the outskirts of Melbourne who stirs up the vibes via juke, trap, and R&B-infused whoppers. Catch a glimpse of …

Slocum's compositions came to life with the able assistance of Josh Nelson and Dave Robaire.

Matt Slocum the New Jersey- based drummer and composer returned to KSDS' Jazz Live on August 6, fronting a potent trio featuring LA heavyweights Josh Nelson on piano and Dave Robaire on bass for an evening of music mostly culled …

A large crowd gathered at Dizzy's to take in the singer's tribute to Django Reinhardt.

Vocalist Allison Adams Tucker has a lot of fans, as the standing room only situation on August 4 at Dizzy's soundly reinforced. And, why not? Tucker has a strong and pure voice with implacable intonation and superb enunciation, and she …

New Spring Valley music venue and cocktail lounge hosts Three One G weirds.

This Friday, August 9 is an ideal time to check out The Bancroft, a live music bar that recently opened in the former location of Fannie’s Cocktails (9143 Campo Road), with a free show from Three One G duo Secret …

Strange Stage Stories from San Diego Musicians: Chris Biggin (We Are Sirens), Chris Faust (promoter), Matt Bozzone (Todo Mundo), Garrison Bailey and Suzanne Shea's meeting with Joan Baez.

Matt Bozzone (Todo Mundo): "At a show on our current tour the power cut out on us, but we just kept playing the song and broke out into some drum solos. The power turned back on, so we went right …

Australian tunesmith Joe Algeri made a rare solo appearance at Lestat's Coffeehouse on August 4.

Australian songwriter Joe Algeri performed to a small, but enthusiastic, crowd on August 4 at Lestat’s. The Perth based musician was playing the last date on a two week tour around the Midwest and West Coast, which kicked off on …

Bill Perrine combines archival footage with interview from local legends to provide a glimpse into the "next Seattle" that never was.

Once upon a time, San Diego was poised to conquer its supposed inferiority complex (thanks, L.A.) via an explosive music scene that had onlookers proclaiming America’s Finest City as “the next Seattle.” Nothing ever really came of that, or – …

Gilbert Castellanos welcomed Azar Lawrence, Alphonse Mouzon, Hamilton Price and Joshua White into a meditation at 98 Bottles.

The spiritual gravitas of jazz icon John Coltrane hung thick in the air at 98 Bottles on August 4, especially when tenor saxophonist Azar Lawrence steered the ensemble into what would become a blueprint for the evening: a free rubato …

Take a joy ride from Tijuana to Los Angeles with All My Friends.

The folks behind Tijuana’s All My Friends Music Festival have teamed up with Goldenvoice to offer a round-trip party bus to the 10th annual, two-day FYF Fest in Los Angeles. The bus will take off from Plaza Rio in Tijuana …

Tijuana's La Legendaria Ballena has all the fixin's to become your new favorite watering hole.

Yesterday, I posted about Los Angeles outfits Habits and Mothers of Gut touring to San Diego to play The Griffin. The groups just added a date in Tijuana this Sunday, August 3 at La Legendaria Ballena beneath the arch on …

Gilbert Castellanos hooks up with jazz legends to honor the jazz legend.

Trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos continues his musician-tribute series on August 3 at 98 Bottles with a night devoted to the legacy of jazz pioneer John Coltrane featuring two absolute legends of modern music: saxophonist Azar Lawrence and drummer Alphonse Mouzon, with …

Ex- Halloween Swim Team outfit Habits and Mothers of Gut tour from LA to join Kodiak, Vaginals, and Sound Lupus in Morena.

TOAST Presents invites you to party like you don’t have a real job in the morning this Monday, August 5 at The Griffin (1310 Morena Boulevard - Linda Vista), where they’ll be pairing a lineup of local freaks with touring …