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Entries
Mundell Lowe live at the new Dizzy's
Age is just a number for the remarkable guitarist, who keeps it real, relevant, and in the moment.
At 90 years sold, and a veteran of the swing and bebop era's of jazz, I'll bet guitarist Mundell Lowe isn't often placed in the free-jazz category. But after catching his show last night at the new Dizzy's, I couldn't …
Congregation finds its Deacon
I did it again. Much sooner than I thought I would. I went back to The Irenic because I couldn't resist Dan Deacon. I started listening to Deacon in college, circa 2008, after watching him open for Girl Talk. Deacon …
Hot, cold, and thick: SDSO
The San Diego Symphony started their concert with Too Hot Toccata. It was not long but it was hot. After the heat, things cooled off in a hurry. Even though we are in the midst of a Santa Ana, the …
Jamul: a musical journey
Getting stoned with a sage-scented woman in the chaparral bastion of Jamul.
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/28/34506/ From Neil Krug's photo series Jamul. Around this time three years ago, I posted a neighborhood blog about a house party in Jamul. The atmosphere is hard to pinpoint – a clash of belligerence, merriment, machismo, lust, and nihilism, …
Johnson Trio returns to 98 Bottles
Steph Johnson continues her musical journey with the expert support of bassist Rob Thorsen and drummer Fernando Gomez.
Steph Johnson photo by TOM HARTEN The Steph Johnson Trio returned to 98 Bottles last night, filing a new progress report on the singer/guitarist's incremental ascension into the jazz world--and earning high grades in the process. The trio is an …
Tom Harrell Chamber Ensemble in La Jolla
Harrell augments his working group with string and woodwind players to interpret the works of Debussy and Ravel.
The blending of chamber music with jazz has been an ongoing experiment for many years. Trumpet master Tom Harrell brought the ideas and music of Ravel and Debussy into the Athenaeum at TSRI last night for two sets of lushly …
A brief talk with an orchestral musician
I thought it might be nice to get a perspective from an orchestra member regarding this weekend’s San Diego Symphony concert. Igor Pandurski is a first violinist. A slight and charming accent to his English confirms that he did his …
Mark Dresser: defining the solo contrabass at UCSD
Dresser used the acoustically supreme Conrad Prebys concert hall as a duet partner in his creation of vivid sonic worlds.
"When you try to describe the indescribable,"warned British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, "the indescribable will get you every time." That may be, but here we go. Last night, contrabass magician Mark Dresser performed a solo concert at Conrad Prebys Music …
Immovable Objects' Gagin home from Australia, playing Oct. 26 @Eleven
“It was a long time coming,” says Matt Gagin, the man behind Immovable Objects, when asked about his recent move to Perth, Australia. “I was just ready to leave and some of the things that were and are happening in …
You gotta hear this: Lullabies for the Cursed
B-grade Hollywood thrillers and drive-ins were the inspiration for this collection of spook rock tunes released by local duo Picus Maximus.
When nighttime has fallen and the township retires, a flutter awakens a young woman's desires. --Rick Sparhawk Nothing better than two old and gifted friends in the studio, right? In this case, the two happen to be Jim Soldi and …
Bruce Cameron: jazz any way you like it
A local jazz legend jams and talks about then, and now.
The jam at Haritna, in La Mesa: on an achingly hot Thursday evening my friend Mousa, a giant of a man, slings up his tenor sax in the semi-dark and from memory, blows the opening line of "Sunflower" into the …
The day Nirvana played Off the Record — 21 years ago today (10-24-91)
Image by Scott Penzer http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/24/34269/ Who doesn't miss the staple-infested LP bins of Off The Record's late lamented Hillcrest locale? Those beat up bins survived hundreds of live concerts, with both bins and shows dating back to the store's original …
Miz Mandy's red carpet videos debut Oct. 27 @ Del Mar Plaza
Cinematic pop rocker Miz Mandy will premiere two music videos, “Rising Sun” and “The Cat’s Pajamas” on October 27 at Del Mar Plaza, with a free red carpet screening to include the cast and crew of both videos, which will …
Joshua White Trio at the Lyceum
Joshua White, in trio with bassist Mark Dresser and tenor saxophonist Ben Schachter, tore through a set of re-imagined bebop and original material in a mid-day concert.
In a special, one hour noon-time concert at the Lyceum Theater, pianist Joshua White and bassist Mark Dresser welcomed tenor saxophonist Ben Schachter to San Diego for a trio performance that celebrated and extended the jazz tradition before a substantial …
Out-of-town sabotage: Orchestra Nova
The musicians of Orchestra Nova had a conductor ready to step in for the first concerts of the 2012-2013 season. They were willing to go on with the sold out concerts which were an exploration of the music from the …
Irvine grant: Your Song, Your Story
The San Diego Symphony Orchestra has announced that they are the beneficiary of a $580,000 grant from the James Irvine Foundation. The grant will go to fund a program in 2013 called Your Song, Your Story. What is Your Song, …
Halloween party: Gonjasufi, Skrapez, Crimekillz, and Batwings
Warp Records' gravel-throated desert mystic Gonjasufi returns from the outskirts of Vegas to play a Halloween party at the Kava Lounge
South Bay hip-hop dready gone Vegas desert hermit Gonjasufi returns to his roots for an All Hallow’s Eve party on Saturday, October 27 at the Kava Lounge. “A lot of heads don’t know their shit,” Gonjasufi (aka Sumach Ecks) told …
Gregoire Maret at The Loft
Swiss-born Gregoire Maret is a chromatic harmonica virtuoso who rolled into town for this season's inaugural Art Power concert last night at The Loft. Leading a band loaded with ringers like bassist Matt Penman, pianist Federico Gonzalez Pena, and powerhouse …