Four of eight works heard during the second weekend of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music took a decidedly retrospective look back that—big surprise—seduced audiences long-used to confronting the avant-garde’s cutting edge.
Nightlife News - page 25
B.B. King just won’t quit playing. He was doing farewell tours as far back as four or five years ago, and certainly he’s slowed down, but the man is 84 years old. He’s still vibrant and funny, and he can still play the hell out of a guitar.
Throughout its history, more than almost any other big jazz festival, San Jose Jazz fest’s mission has been to present a diverse array of styes. That tradition continues in 2010. Nevertheless, for some of us, the hottest attractions are the edgier, more obscure (I hesitate to say) “jazzier” sets.
When Morrissey blew off his single Bay Area appearance last year, who was there to take one for the team? This Charming Band, this area’s premier Smiths tribute band—aw hell, let’s just go ahead and say it: the best Smiths tribute band anywhere, period.
Coming out of the folk moment of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, Joan Baez became the voice of a generation of activists. She is also has one of her generation’s flat-out best voices, wielding it on a string of gold records that helped popularize her favorite songs by other artists through the years, from Dylan (who she helped launch to stardom) to Steve Earle.
Lee DeWyze’s father was a postman; he has the lyrics to “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens tattooed on one arm, perhaps in relation to arguments he had with his father about whether he should risk becoming an indie singer or go into the family business. Lee took the other path, and his post-American Idol album is due this fall.
This year’s San Jose Jazz Festival features everything from funk gods George Clinton, Maceo Parker and Tower of Power, to a whole stage devoted to blues, to salsa, to…oh, yeah, jazz!
It’s fun to sing anything in Fred Schneider’s voice! Try it right now with this SEN-tence! And now they have a new AL-bum! Now you can go out and FIND it! And maybe go SEE them!
Warren G’s career began with 213, a hip hop group that also included then-unknowns Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg. He went on to contribute rhymes to tracks on Dre’s The Chronic and Snoop’s Doggystle.
Keb’ Mo’ is devoted to the works of the mysterious guitarist Robert Johnson, and even played Johnson in a movie once, and he was a major consultant on the recent PBS documentary series on the blues.
