Editor: Stefani Dias • Phone: 395-7488 • Email: sdias@bakersfield.com • Online: Bakersfield.com/Entertainment
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AT A GLANCE Grand opening events abound this week. . . . . . . . . Student writers to be celebrated at fair . . . . . . . . . . Western Street Rod Nationals roll into town. . . . . . Big cats will be showcased at Twilight Tour. . . . . . .
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Bike Month rolls in with multiple events. . . . . . . . . . . 21 Stefani Dias on the arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Mavis Staples to appear at World Records. . . . . . . . 25 Go & Do calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27
Improvisation key to Jazz Festival lineup
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BY CESAREO GARASA AND MATT MUNOZ
32ND ANNUAL BAKERSFIELD JAZZ FESTIVAL
For The Californian
or Bakersfield Jazz Festival director Jim Scully, last year’s event — the first without festival founder Doug Davis — provided a glimpse into what works, what needs work, and what has to work in regard to this venerable musical institution. “I’m not sure there’s enough column inches to get into it all,” Scully said. “Primarily, I’ve learned about the myriad moving parts that it takes to make this work, and really the all-encompassing task the festival has to be for it to be as successful as it should be.” “I think we’ve done a pretty good job in these two years, but there’s definitely room for improvement. And that something I’m always thinking about.” This year’s festival, the 32nd, sees a return to more audience-friendly acts such as Saturday’s headliner Poncho Sanchez among the esoteric, the enigmatic, the emotive, the energetic and the explosive. “I also think that the lineup, while exciting in its own right, is different than they’ve been in the past,” Scully said. “There’s still elements of pop and more contemporary jazz music while still maintaining a little more focus on improvisation. I also think the artists I’m trying to bring in tend to appeal to a younger demographic. I’m hoping that continues as the years go on.” As with every year prior, the festival helps raise money for music scholarships at CSUB; more than $20,000 every year for a variety of courses offered at the university. In going on, Scully sees a need to scout for more volunteer work to help not only the festival but, ultimately, the city around it. “Fundraising alone could be a full-time job,” Scully said. “Coordinating the volunteers could be a full-time job for three months. The team I have is amazing, but we could stand to have a few more bodies, a few more minds, and more helping hands throughout the year to potentially grow the event in the community.”
FRIDAY The main stage on Friday kicks off at 7 p.m. with the local Latin alternative rock and dance group Velorio, who are promoting their impressive 2017 single “Tus La-
COURTESY OF LAO TIZER BAND
The Lao Tizer Band, featuring saxophonist Eric Marienthal, headlines the Bakersfield Jazz Festival on Friday.
PHOTO BY MAGDALENA CRUZ
PHOTO BY SKIP BOLEN
Latin jazz legend Poncho Sanchez headlines Saturday’s lineup.
bios.” Consistently solid, they’re a good choice and a nice book-end to the festival in its entirety, allowing for a bit of musical symmetry between them and Saturday’s headliner Poncho Sanchez. Next up will be drummer and bandleader Carl Allen whose impressive resume includes an eight-year stint as Freddie Hubbard’s drummer — and later, his music director — as well as being the former artistic director of jazz studies at Julliard. The Milwaukee-born/New York-based musi-
cian will be bringing a bit of fiery East Coast cool to the festival as well as a bit of darkness straight from jazz’s heart. A ferocious performer, Allen swings from the soul, hits you in the gut and lingers in the mind. Closing out the night will be the Lao Tizer Band featuring saxophonist Eric Marienthal (formerly of Chick Corea’s highly influential Elektric Band) playing the kind of jazz fusion that festival audiences might be familiar with a bit of a twist. The band’s 2018 CD/
Bakersfield trumpet player Jorge Santos will perform Friday with the Viento Jazz Orchestra.
DVD combo, “Songs From the Swinghouse,” recorded live in a three-day session at Conway Studios in Hollywood, includes three rather inspired covers of classic rock songs — their version of Led’s Zeppelin’s “Ramble On” is a standout — as well as some solid originals. Expect their set to run the gamut from the fleet-fingered (“16th Heaven) to the pensive (the darkly shimmering “A Prayer for Unity”) to the funky (“Pride (In the Name of Love)”), to the lovely (“To Touch the Sky”) with your toe tapping throughout. They’re
When: Gates open at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday Where: Cal State Bakersfield, 9001 Stockdale Highway Friday lineup: The Lao Tizer Band with Eric Marienthal, Carl Allen and the Art of Elvin, Velorio and Viento Jazz Orchestra Saturday lineup: Poncho Sanchez, Dave Stryker Quartet, Amina Figarova, Marlon Mackey, CSUB Jazz Collective, Kern County Honor Jazz Band and The Akoustics Admission: $64.50 for both days, $24.50 for students; $34.50-$44.50 for Friday only, $21.50 students; $39.50$54.50 for Saturday, $23.50 students; 50 percent off for CSUB alumni with alumni ID; free for children under 12 and current CSUB faculty, staff and students with valid school ID. Tickets available at vallitix. com. Information: Bakersfieldjazzfest.com
the missing link between The Dave Matthews Band and Snarky Puppy we never knew existed. Performing on the side stage will be the Viento Jazz Orchestra led by trumpeter Jorge Luis Santos and featuring some outstanding local talent that includes singer Juan Gonzales, backup singer Katyushka Sanchez, pianist Tony Rinaldi, bassist Jay Jay Hicks, trumpeter Brent Williams, trombonists Anthony Aguilar and Omar Murrillo, saxophonist John Calo, timbalero Jonathan Ulises Lujano and conguero Louie Pola. — Cesareo Garasa
SATURDAY Kicking off at 1 p.m., Saturday’s lineup promises an all-day jazzy spicy affair with everything from funk and fusion to traditional and hot Latin rhythms, sure to please jazz fans of every taste.
PONCHO SANCHEZ Ask any percussionist about their introduction to Latin jazz and the genre’s associated musical techniques and styles and most will point to the music of Poncho Sanchez as a gateway. Still active as one of Latin music’s Please see JAZZ | 24
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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, April 26, 2018
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CALM to host Give Big Kern nonprofits for Meet & Greet THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN
Give Big Kern Day is Tuesday, but the early birds at CALM are hosting an event for the fundraising campaign this weekend. On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the California Living Museum (10500 Alfred Harrell Highway) will host “Meet & Greet the Give Big Kern Nonprofits.” It’s a chance for guests to meet with representatives from more than 50 nonprofit organizations involved with Give Big Kern this year and learn about what they do. If they feel moved to do so, guests can also donate to the nonprofits then and there. Admission is $10, $7 for
GIVE BIG KERN DAY All events on Tuesday, May 1 Ring in Give Big Kern Day bright and early. Starting at 5 a.m. at the Liberty Bell downtown (Truxtun and Chester Avenues), Kern Community Foundation and Give Big Kern nonprofits will gather with Mayor Karen Goh to start off the day. May 1, 2018, will be named Bakersfield’s Give Big Kern Day. The KCF and GBK nonprofits will meet again at 9 a.m. at the Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting (1115 Truxtun Ave.) where Give Big Kern Day will be declared Kern County’s Official Day of Giving. Enjoy a meal at one of nine Rusty’s Pizza
seniors and free for veterans and active military members with ID. For
Parlor locations in Bakersfield and Lamont throughout the day, and the restaurant will give $1 to GBK for every sale of its Centennial Special Pizza (pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage and extra cheese). Go to rustyspizza.com for location information or call 835-5555 for delivery. The day will wrap up with the GBK After Party at Temblor Brewing Company (3200 Buck Owens Blvd.) where KCF and GBK nonprofits will gather to watch the leader board on givebigkern.org to see which agencies are leading in online fundraising. For more information, go to givebigkern. org.
this special event, kids 12 and younger will get in for free, with regular adult
admission. Just outside CALM, Give Big Kern sponsor Jim Burke
HENRY A. BARRIOS / THE CALIFORNIAN
Adam Qazi feeds the goats and sheep at the CALM petting zoo in March. CALM will host a Give Big Kern event on Saturday.
Lincoln will hold a “Driven to Give” test drive event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For every test drive of a Lincoln vehicle at the event, Jim Burke Lincoln will donate $20 to Give Big Kern nonprofits. That money will be used to give prizes to the
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tured artist and headliner. Her passionate, storytelling style of composition and improvisation is steeped in classical sophistication, but with contemporary leanings. She’s sure to set a cooler vibe, just as the festival program heads into the early evening.
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most celebrated artists, he also stands as one jazz music’s most respected global ambassadors. Born in Laredo, Texas, and raised in Norwalk, Calif., Sanchez’s career took off early after being tapped by vibraphonist Cal Tjader who took Sanchez around the globe. Following Tjader’s passing, Sanchez’s solo career took off in the 1980s helping establish the West Coast as a hotbed for the next wave of young jazz hotshots. Recording more than 30 studio and live albums, all backed by amazing musicians who perform with such precision, you’ll be hard pressed to find a tighter ensemble. In the spirit of his musical influences, Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Tito Puente, James Brown and his mentor Tjader, Sanchez’s live shows are a mixed bag of entertainment. You can dance, you can relax, or watch as each musician is given space to stretch out. Choice album picks: “Chile Con Soul” (1989) and the Grammy-winning “El Conguero” (1999). Expect a full dance floor.
DAVE STRYKER QUARTET If there’s an artist with bragging rights, it would be guitarist Dave Stryker, who will bring three decades of experience from every angle of the musical
nonprofits, like to those that raise the most money or engage the most volunteers. It will also help the Kern Community Foundation offset the cost of marketing materials. (Admission to CALM is not required to participate in “Driven to Give.”)
MARLON MACKEY
COURTESY OF VELORIO
Bakersfield Latin rock quintet Velorio are ready to rock Friday at the Bakersfield Jazz Festival.
COURTESY OF AMINA FIGAROVA
Acclaimed pianist Amina Figarova will take the stage Saturday.
spectrum. With a resume that reads like a who’s who of jazz titans, Stryker has performed with everyone from pianist Joey Calderazzo, trumpet master Randy Brecker, saxophonist Joe Lovano, and countless others, plus he also holds
the honor of performing as a featured sideman with sax legend Stanley Turrentine. That’s just for starters. Stryker’s virtuosity and adaptability as a sideman and a bandleader are one of the many reasons why critics such as the Village Voice have heralded him as “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” His latest album, “Strykin’ Ahead,” marks the artist’s 28th album as a bandleader and is filled with all of the guitarist’s signature brand of blending blues and straight-ahead jazz making his live shows as entertaining as they are a musical journey from the past to the present. Plus, with a cool surname like Stryker, what’s not to dig?
THE FUNKY KNUCKLES The Funky Knuckles will make you forget what you know about the Dallas music scene. A stellar group of young musicians with enough talent to keep you on the edge of your seat, together they straddle the worlds of jazz, funk and hip-hop for a genre-defying live experience. Composed of veteran producers and studio talents, members of the collective have worked with the “Queen Bee” herself, Beyonce, neo soul diva Erykah Badu, rapper Talib Kweli, guitarist Stanley Clarke, and more. Put in a YouTube search for “New Birth” for a preview of what promises to be one of the festival’s standout sets. I saw it last year when Ghost Note opened my ears to
what can best be described as the “sound of now.” The Funky Knuckles are: Wes Stephenson, bass; Cedric Moore, drums; Phill Aelony, guitar; Ben Bohorquez, saxophone; Evan Weiss, trumpet; and Kwinton Gray, keyboards. Woot.
AMINA FIGAROVA According to Figaroa’s bio, the Azerbaijan-born pianist began her musical studies in the classical realm with hopes of becoming a concert pianist. After transferring to the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1989 to continue pursuing a jazz education at its highest level, Figarova soon caught the ear of the worldwide jazz community. Since then, she’s continued touring the globe, as a fea-
The soulful vocals of Marlon Mackey have become synonymous with the local live music scene for sometime now. Whether in a small club or open-air community event, he can capture the moment with a variety of styles ranging from R&B to pop, jazz and funk. One of Mackey’s strengths is to delve into experimental territories without alienating his audience. Backing Mackey is a trio of Bakersfield musicians: keyboardist Tony Rinaldi, bassist Jared Gardnew and drummer (and Californian columnist) Cesareo Garasa. I’m never quite sure what Mackey will have up his sleeve each time he takes the stage, so don’t miss out. There might be a surprise or two. Opening the afternoon main stage will be the CSUB Jazz Collective, and the Kern County Honor Jazz Band. On the festival-side stage, attendees can enjoy Bakersfield’s very own The Akoustics who will treat listeners to a cross-section of contemporary pop and jazz hits, each with its own unique sonic touch. — Matt Munoz
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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2018
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Ho-ho-Mexico! ‘Merry-achi Christmas’ rings in the holidays with a Latin twist BY MATT MUNOZ For The Californian
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romising a Feliz Navidad unlike any Bakersfield has ever experienced, acclaimed group Mariachi Sol de Mexico will bring its popular “A Merry-Achi Christmas” show to the Fox Theater on Dec. 6. Under the direction of founder Jose Hernandez, the Grammy-nominated, best-selling ensemble is celebrating its 23rd year of bringing holiday cheer from south of the border. “Our holiday tour has become an annual tradition across the West,” said Hernandez during a recent phone interview. “It truly is a celebration of how Mexico celebrates Christmas with songs de posadas and all those beautiful traditions.” Combining a blend of classics such as “Jingle Bells,” “Oh Holy Night,” “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” and many more from the annual holiday songbook, the group arranges and performs the songs with colorful fanfare and splendor — mariachi style. “It’s a very beautiful form of music, and when you put it down on paper, it’s also very intricate. We’re talking
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIACHI SOL DE MEXICO
Tickets are currently on sale for Mariachi Sol de Mexico’s “A Merry-Achi Christmas” at the Fox Theater on Dec. 6.
rhythmically and stylistically,” said Hernandez. Founded in 1981, the group built by Hernandez rose from humble beginnings in Southern California working the mariachi music circuit. In 1986, the group’s reputation began to flourish working as the house band at Hernandez’s Cielito Lindo restaurant in South El Monte, where the group continues to perform
regularly to this day. Known for its performances of mariachi standards, the group also became known for pushing the boundaries of the genre, by recording its own mariachi-fied adaptations pulled from the American pop songbook: “New York, New York,” “Recordando a Glenn Miller,” a medley of big-band hits, a Beach Boys tribute and Elvis Presley, all
becoming showstoppers at performances. Humbled by success, Hernandez has taken the group from the restaurant to the road, garnering a cross-section of fans of every demographic along the way. But it wasn’t until a promotional tour of Mexico in 1998 that Hernandez says he saw the musical impact they were having outside California.
“When EMI Capitol sent us to Mexico, a lot of the mariachi from Plaza Garibaldi (known as the home of mariachi music in Mexico City) were asking us to do a lot of songs from our album ‘La Nueva Era Del Mariachi’ (The New Era of Mariachi). They thought that I had used studio musicians to record the big-band stuff. When they heard us live for the first time playing those songs, their jaws were hanging down. So, after the release of those early albums, it really changed the way mariachi musicians looked at themselves and the possibilities of music for mariachi ensembles to play.” For this latest anniversary holiday tour, Hernandez says old and new fans will be treated to a selection of new additions including Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite,” Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus and more. “There are selections that we do every holiday tour: ‘Oh Holy Night’ and ‘Sleigh Ride,’ ‘Feliz Navidad,’ music that is fun for the kids, so we keep those classics in the show. What changes is the other 50 percent of the repertoire.” The group’s latest album titled “Leyendas de
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‘A MERRY-ACHI CHRISTMAS’ With Mariachi Sol de Mexico When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 Where: Fox Theater, 2001 H St. Admission: $25 to $65 plus service charge. Tickets available at Fox theater box office or at ticketfly.com Information: 324-1369
Mi Pueblo” is a tribute to those legendary artists of the genre including the late great Pedro Infante, Javier Solis, Jorge Negrete and living legends such as Vicente Fernandez, to name a few. “People love those tributes and we mix it up. That’s why the tour does so well,” he said. But at the Fox, the primary focus will be Christmas, and the group’s brand-new “Merry-Achi Christmas” will be for continued enjoyment at future holiday fiestas. Released today, the album will be available for purchase at the show. “I really want to invite all families to come out and enjoy this program,” Hernandez said. “I can say it is bilingual because I do speak some English during the show as we celebrate the music from different regions of Mexico: Veracruz, Hidalgo, Jalisco. If you want to expose your kids to Mexican culture, this is the show you should attend.”
Let the spirit move you in Ovation’s ‘Christmas Carol’ BY STEFANI DIAS sdias@bakersfield.com
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hostly visitors seem more appropriate for a show around Halloween but that’s not the case when you’re visiting Ebenezer Scrooge. The man who could out-grinch the Grinch is due for his seasonal comeuppance in Ovation Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol.” Director Joe Lowry said he’s excited to bring the Broadway musical version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale to the 19th Street theater. He wrote in an email, “I believe this production will delight audiences, and help prepare them to experience Christmas with youthful eyes and a light spirit.” For those less familiar with the tale, it is a story of redemption for Ebenezer
‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL THE MUSICAL’ Where: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Ovation Theatre, 4311 19th St. Tickets: $30-$35. 866568-2846. theovationtheatre.com.
Scrooge (played by Ken Burdick), a miser shut off from the world who finds himself reconnecting with the joys of the youth by the visitation of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley (Dominic Demay), and three Christmas ghosts. That trio — Ghost of Christmas Past (Jennifer Resolme), Ghost of Christmas Present (Nate Logan) and Ghost of Christmas
Yet To Be (Kelci Cerri) — help him find salvation by reminding him of who he once was before life changed him. The show also stars Rosie Ayala, Nichole Michelle, Fred Cremer as Scrooge’s employee Bob Crachit and Josephine Resolme as Crachit’s grievously ill son Tiny Tim. The show features large dance numbers including “Mr. Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball,” “The Streets of London” and “Christmas Together,” as well as a very special and thrilling ghostly number titled “Link by Link,” the director said. Lowry said the show’s intimate staging “provides a unique experience for audiences to feel a part of the tale.” He said, “My goal is to
PHOTO BY TODD POWERS
Nate Logan is the Ghost of Christmas Present in “A Christmas Carol.”
remind them to enjoy the Christmas season and perhaps discover their own lost childhood wonder of the magic of Christmas.” Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @ realstefanidias.
PHOTO BY TODD POWERS
Ken Burdick is Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” at Ovation Theatre.