Anyone in the close-knit San Diego jazz community is surely aware of the award-winning Danny Green Trio. For almost a decade multi-instrumentalist Julien Cantelm has driven that group with a precise and infectious groove that defies easy categorization. Cantelm seems to employ Brazilian rhythms and even Indian talas as often as you will hear him […]
San Diego is home to a lot of world-class musicians, but for some reason (probably having to do with Bert Turetsky’s staking out the UCSD bass department in the late 1960s as a global center for bass instruction) we have a plethora of virtuoso bassists. As a bandleader, I’ve had the pleasure of playing with […]
Although originally from the East Coast, there can be no doubt that multi-instrumentalist William “Billy” Tisch has become an indelible part of San Diego’s music community. Anyone who has seen him on stage knows the man likes to play music. Actually, that’s an understatement. His enthusiasm truly adds to any performance and has made him […]
Rejuvenated Artistic Soul You know Jeff Berkley, right? The preeminent figure in San Diego folk-rock, anchor of our top folk duo, sideman to the stars, and producer of innumerable San Diego Music Award-winning albums over the last 20 years. That guy. You do know Jeff Berkley, right? Your favorite memory might be an intimate Berkley […]
Book Review Those hungering for a history of rock ‘n’ roll’s glory days, à la the Sixties, should latch onto a copy of Ed Ward’s book Michael Bloomfield: The Rise and Fall of an American Guitar Hero. Ward, a longtime music historian and journalist, was one of the original record reviewers in the early days […]
If you‘ve been following San Diego’s music scene over the past decade, you’ve certainly taken notice of Lauren Leigh Martin. A powerhouse singer, her own music’s sound touches on Americana, with elements of folk, country, and pop, topped by a wonderfully soulful voice. Meanwhile, she’s been a part of an impressively diverse set of bands […]
Film Review Movies, the authentically good ones, have the ability to reflect the best and the worst in humanity. If done well, we witness the highs and lows of the journey of life. The 2019 documentary, Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind, is as revealing as it is entertaining in its portrayal of […]
I doubt there’s a blues harp player on this planet that doesn’t know the name James Harman. His mastery of that instrument is only exceeded by his incomparable songwriting talents. I used to have some money, but it all got spent. Reached down in my pocket and I pulled up lint. Then add a voice […]
Tom “Tomcat” Courtney died last month. He was the Godfather of the Blues in San Diego, and among the last of the OG bluesmen in the world. He was our direct link to Lightnin’ Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, Johnny Shines, Smokey Hog, and all the past greats. He meant so much to so many, and the […]
