In 2012, I discovered Spanish-language rock, or “rock en español,” as I drove all over San Diego County with my radio tuned to 98.9. I loved the songs I heard, but since I couldn’t stop driving to Google the lyrics, I remained ignorant about band names, release dates, and song titles. Eight years later, music […]
Sammy Nestico wasn’t just a star when he moved to San Diego County in 2000—he was the very definition of a legend. His greatest fame came as staff arranger for the Count Basie Band from 1966 on, filling the shoes of predecessors like Neal Hefti, Thad Jones, and Quincy Jones. Work with Sinatra and Sarah […]
“No boundaries and no problems.” That is how Adrienne Nims sums up her life and her music. Whereas other musicians clearly and proudly define themselves as country performers, jazz artists, hip-hop creators, or musicians preserving the legacy of mediæval feminist composers, Nims confidently places herself outside the box of musical pigeonholing. “People want to categorize […]
This enchanting story begins in Europe during the romantic era when western civilization was on the rise, following the age of enlightenment. However, a movement away from those norms resulted in a period of intellectual and artistic rebellion. The turn of the nineteenth century saw legitimization of the individual imagination as a critical authority that […]
Like other workers, musicians had their own jargon. This professional argot provided a sense of camaraderie for jazz musicians. African-American jazz musicians called this jargon “jive talk” or “Harlem talk.” Some of the more famous practitioners and experts on this jargon were Cab Calloway, who published the first dictionary of jazz jargon called Cab Calloway’s […]
“I always wanted to do music. I wanted to spend as much time doing music as I could.” Rhea Makiaris is sitting cross-legged in a wicker chair outside her new digs in Lakeside, excited to find a new direction and a new commitment in her life. She is now a full-time musician. “Music brings joy […]
As if the year 2020 had not delivered enough anguish to the jazz community, on September 4, the profoundly soulful double bass icon Gary Peacock made his transition from this world into the unknown. He was 85 years old. Bass players are the heartbeat of jazz, and Gary Peacock was one of the most versatile […]
When they said World War lll would be fought with information they failed to mention that every single one of us would be on the front lines, or that we would be fighting against and amongst ourselves, or that the fire hose of falsehoods we are inundated with every day would infiltrate and infect everything […]
Author’s Note: I’ve long found that readers here in the San Diego Troubadour are really supportive not only of local music but also of the musicians themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every facet of society, including live music and the people that make that music. I’m really curious what musicians I know are doing […]
