Wednesday Aug 28 7:00pm
Lindsay White, To Wake You – TICKETS ($17/$12)
With influences from Bob Dylan to Ani DiFranco, Lindsay White‘s songwriting has earned recognition from Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, and American Songwriter. Her latest album Lights Out chronicles the experience of losing her estranged mother to brain cancer. The record earned her the 2018 San Diego Music Award for Best Singer-Songwriter. She recently organized the Lady Brain Collective, a supportive and collaborative group of local women pursuing careers in the arts. To Wake You is the musical marriage between Karolina Hausted and Mark Davis. In 2002 they crossed paths at a songwriters retreat on the Island of Samsø in Denmark. This coming together resulted in one co-written song before going on with their separate lives — Mark in California and Karolina in her native Denmark. Their second meeting was eight years later at the Copenhagen Songwriters Festival where the magic continued. They have been musical and life partners ever since.
Thursday Aug 29 7:00pm
Nolan Shaheed Band with Cathy Segal-Garcia – TICKETS ($17/$12)
Vocalist Cathy Segal-Garcia’s repertoire includes original compositions and modern interpretations of standards. Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times said, “Segal-Garcia’s most compelling quality is a warm, dark sound, luxurious enough to wrap a song in an envelope of lush timbres.” She has been a tireless supporter and producer of the L.A. jazz scene for years. She has recorded with and played with Ted Greene, Joe Dirorio, Larry Koonse, John Pisano, Ross Tompkins, Billy Childs, and Otmaro Ruiz among others. Nolan Shaheed was Marvin Gaye’s musical director and played lead trumpet with The Count Basie Orchestra. He is also a decorated athlete and owns a Pasadena studio which has recorded hundreds of great musicians and singers. He and Cathy have been working together for many years. They will be joined by Ed Vodicka on keyboards, Trevor Ware on bass, and Kenny Elliot on drums.
Always a gas when Nathan & Jessie visit the Blue Guitar. Nathan Rivera and Jessie Andra Smith have an unforgettable chemistry and a unique gypsy folk style. The duo has traveled all over the world sharing their music on streets and stages. Their sound is a fusion of jazzy folk and blues on resonator guitars and accordion, with an interesting interplay of harmonies between the two voices. Upbeat tunes rooted in the spirit of jazz, improvisation, storytelling, and humor. Dan Krikorian is a singer-songwriter and college basketball coach — yes, you heard me right. And he does them both really well. He is also a professor, and podcast host. This highly unusual intersection of careers offers a unique perspective on life and the connection of all its trials and triumphs. His musical style is a cinematic blend of poetry, melody, and storytelling.
Thursday Sep 5 7:00pm
Dave Tull Trio – TICKETS ($17/$12)
Dave Tull is a world-class jazz and big band drummer who has worked with such artists as Barbra Streisand, Chuck Mangione, and Michael Bublé. He is also an accomplished singer, songwriter, and bandleader. His new release, Texting and Driving, was the #2 most requested album in 2018 on SiriusXM Real Jazz (just under Arturo Sandoval, and just above Miles and Coltrane!) His trio has appeared at clubs and festivals all around the country. Joining Dave for this show will be Kevin Axt on bass and Joe Bagg on piano. Kevin attended USC on an orchestral scholarship studying with LA Phil co-principal bassist, Dennis Trembley. He has been a freelance musician in LA since 1982. Joe studied with the legendary jazz pianist Kenny Barron at Rutgers University where he obtained his Masters Degree. He spent time in the Army as a Russian linguist stationed in Germany, before moving to California where he has been a fixture on the LA jazz scene.
Bernie Taupin said of Ariana Gillis, “I’m staggered by how good she is… I can honestly say she’s the single most exciting artist I’ve heard in a long time.” Hailing from just outside Toronto, Ariana began taking singing lessons at the age of six. Her father, an award-winning songwriter himself, encouraged her to write her own material and learn to play guitar. After hearing her on XM Radio, roots music maven Buddy Miller got involved. He produced Ariana’s debut CD, which was released in June. Sweet Talk Radio was born out of a conversation between Kathrin Shorr and Tim Burlingame — two solo acts who came together by way of vocal harmonies and then, a kiss. The kiss led to a marriage, a son, and a lot of great music along the way. Gonna be an extra special evening, this one. Don’t miss!
Thursday Sep 12 7:00pm
David Arnay Trio – TICKETS ($17/$12)
Pianist David Arnay spent his formative years in Ithaca, New York. His keyboard work was essential to a series of original musical projects including a lengthy collaboration in the Zobo Funn Band, with influential guitarist/composer David Torn. In 1994 he joined jazz woodwind legend Bennie Maupin’s quintet which performed some of Arnay’s compositions. In 1997, Arnay released his first CD as a leader — Daddy’s Groove. The disc featured woodwind performances by Maupin and Bob Sheppard, with drummer Peter Erskine and bassists Alphonso Johnson and Dave Carpenter. His second CD was a self-produced trio project, Blues… And Then Some. With drummer Dave Tull and bassist Larry Steen, the album presented eight original compositions along with fresh arrangements of a few standards. The CD remains in regular rotation at KKJZ and beyond. After completing his master’s degree at USC/Thornton School of Music in 1999, David was invited to join the faculty. Arnay performed all keyboard tracks on guitarist Phil Upchurch’s CD, Tell the Truth. He will be joined for this show by Aaron Serfaty on drums and Corbin Jones on bass.
Thursday Sep 19 7:00pm
Greg Porée Group – TICKETS ($17/$12)
Greg Porée grew up in a multi-cultural environment in Los Angeles and his career in music reflects his upbringing. He has worked with a diverse group of musicians ranging from Ray Charles and Herbie Hancock to Diana Ross, Sting, and Phoebe Snow. His influences also cover a great chasm from Bach to the Beatles, and from Villa-Lobos to Motown. He was lead guitarist on the hit BBC show ‘Dancing with the Stars’ for eight years, and can be heard on landmark albums by Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Stanley Turrentine, Randy Crawford, Albert King, Ahmad Jamal, Benny Golson, Donald Byrd, and James Blunt. He produced groundbreaking solo albums in association with Sting for world music master Vinx, and was musical director for Sonny and Cher, The Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Joan Baez. He will be joined by Isaias Elpes on bass and Joey Heredia on drums.
Wednesday Oct 23 7:00pm
Eleni Mandell, Tony Gilkyson – TICKETS ($17/$12)
Eleni Mandell was raised in that “other” valley to the west. A big fan of L.A. punkers X and beatnik revivalist Tom Waits, who inspired her to learn the guitar and start writing songs. Before long she fell under the mentorship of Chuck E. Weiss, an associate of Waits and subject of Rickie Lee Jones’ “Chuck E’s in Love.” In 1998, she released, Wishbone, which spurred comparisons to Waits for its gritty atmosphere and to PJ Harvey for its dramatic vocal style. In 2003, our other featured artist, Tony Gilkyson, produced her acclaimed album, Country for True Lovers for which he enlisted some of L.A.’s top country-rock session players. Tony is a South Pas native son. His father, Terry Gilkyson, was a composer for Disney and a prominent folksinger. He put Tony to work in the studio at an early age. A guitarist with X for ten years, he has also played and recorded with Lone Justice, Dave Alvin, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, and K.D. Lang among others.
