Wishing you a warm and cozy Thanksgiving holiday, however you celebrate or not. More and more people in my age group who didn’t procreate spend the holiday among friends, who are now their family. This is one of those holidays that is open to interpretation. May your traditional or improvised day be filled with food, friends, family and fun. Onward into the brightly lit and festive December holidays and into the New Year.
The events and dances I have on my list, which I’m checking twice to see who’s been naughty or nice, or helpful, are fairly scarce over the weekend following Thanksgiving. So if going out after a big meal is your jam on Thanksgiving Thursday, Sly McFly’s on Cannery Row, bottom of Prescott Street, is open with Bazooka Jones playing 8:30-11:30 p.m. The Hackjammers play Friday, 9 p.m.-midnight, and Saturday night Scarlett performs for your listening and dancing pleasure, 9 p.m.-midnight. All are cover bands who play songs that will get you up and dancing should you be so inspired. All have no cover charge.
Mike Beck & The Bohemian Saints
Friday and Saturday night, blanketing Monterey County from the south to the north is Mike Beck & The Bohemian Saints, a guitar band known for its classic rock and country rock tunes, and originals from Beck. The core of this band that draws longtime locals out to where they’re playing is Beck, a Monterey County native who has made a name for himself in the cowboy troubadour tradition and as an expert B-Bender guitar player, and Tom Ayers, another native to the area who has long been recognized as one of the area’s hottest guitar players. He is a sought-after sideman for projects north and south and for his occasional special projects, like when he portrayed Bob Dylan. He was great in that role.
Both Beck and Ayers no longer call Monterey their home base, but they have not forsaken their fans here and make regular appearances in the neighborhood. Ayres has been living up in the Bay Area for quite awhile now, although still gigging with local players on occasion. If he’s not out with Beck and the Saints, he’s a regular with Los Survivors who are primarily booked out at Stonie’s off the Monterey-Salinas Highway near Salinas. Beck is a bonafide cowboy, and he has been working with horses from the U.S West to Norway nearly his entire life. He currently calls Montana home, but he often is out on the road playing one offs or contributing to Cowboy Music Festivals. He fairly recently was a participating member of a Ramblin’ Jack Elliott tribute concert in San Francisco. His songs reflect the history in Monterey County and his experiences working the horses and ranch life. Beck has a good website where you’ll find all sorts of info and videos to hear and see what the band is like.
The Friday night show at Fernwood Resort in Big Sur gets started at 10 p.m., the usual time for shows at the Tavern following dinner service. Only for those 21 and over, the show runs until midnight. There is no cover charge. Being down in Big Sur for this show means you either live in and around the village, are visitors staying at the hotels or camping, or Peninsula folks who make the 45-minute drive south with the intention of being good to drive home safely, perhaps you have friends there to stay with. Saturday at the American Legion Hall in Carmel, Dolores & 8th, the show runs 7-10 p.m., and there’s a $20 cover at the door.
Latin Jazz Collective
While there is an interesting list of touring artists to be aware of in the coming week or two and beyond, which I will get to in a minute, it’s my pleasure to continue to support our local musicians when the opportunity arises. Among the top bands in our area is the Latin Jazz Collective, a seven-piece high-energy Latin Jazz ensemble that performs a blend of original compositions and acclaimed familiar jazz standards with arrangements that reflect the authentic Latin rhythms they are so well-versed in. Their two performances at the 2017 and 2023 Monterey Jazz Festivals brought the Garden Stage listeners to their feet, standing O baby. Their performance was electrifying.
The Collective has a trio of leaders, percussionist John Nava, saxophonist Stu Reynolds and drummer Martin Binder. The remaining members are pianist/music director/arranger Kevin McCullough, bassist Steve Uccello, trumpeter Brian Stock, and trombonist Felix Diaz. These cats are going to knock your socks off in the intimate environs of Wave Street Studios Dec. 5, 7-10 p.m. This show is brought to you by SLV Presents, and tickets are $30 plus service fee in advance, available here: https://www.wavestreetlive774.com/events/latin-jazz-collective-at-wave-street-studios.
Collective members have shared the stage, recorded, and performed with the likes of Carlos Santana, Pete Escovedo, The Yellow Jackets, Malo, Kim Stone (Rippingtons), Wayne Wallace, and many other well-respected artists from around the world. Members of the Collective maintain active performance schedules as band leaders, arrangers and music educators throughout the Central Coast and Bay Area. The group has two full-length recordings available for purchase on the website www.latinjazz-collective.com.
Along Came Betty
Another of our fine jazz groups, Along Came Betty, performs Dec. 7, 2-4:30 p.m., at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel, Fourth and Guadalupe. Created with an interest to perform post bop material, the group has expanded its repertoire to include classic jazz standards and original tunes in the bop tradition written by former pianist Biff Smith, who has sadly passed on. Today the very talented key master Bill Spencer sits in the coveted piano chair, and the group’s founder Patrick Tregenza still drives this talented group of players from his drum kit. Local luminary, trumpeter/flugelhornist Brian Stock, joins another fine horn player, saxophonist Paul Tarantino, to bring horn harmony to the front line, a hallmark of the bebop era of jazz. And bassist Pete Lips, one of our finest swingers on stand-up bass. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. for a wine and light fare reception that is included in the $45 ticket price, available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jazz-at-the-cherry-presents-along-came-betty-tickets-1925846772539?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Christmas ballet
If there are ballets on the bill, it must be Christmas time. A string of three are being offered to area ballet enthusiasts, engaging audiences of all ages with the dynamic and colorful spectacle ballet brings to the stage. Wednesday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m. at the Golden State Theatre is a Classical Arts Entertainment production of “The Sleeping Beauty” set to the iconic score by Tchaikovsky, with choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. A truly international cast of dancers come together from France, Italy, Georgia, Great Britain, Ukraine, Japan, Moldova and Kazakhstan. This is a two-act ballet with an intermission. Tickets range from $45 to $122, discounts for advance tickets, available at www.goldenstatetheatre.com.
At the Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel, Dec. 5 and 6, the annually presented Smuin’s “The Christmas Ballet” showcases its signature repertoire of classical and contemporary dances set to festive tunes. There are new works added every year, keeping the ballot fresh, while beloved favorites evoke nostalgia. The Dec. 5 production begins at 7:30 p.m., and the Dec. 6 show has a 2 p.m. matinee with a pre-performance talk beginning at 1:15 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at www.sunsetcenter.org.
K-pop
Every once in awhile I’m given something to contemplate whether my readers would be interested to hear about it. I figure a generally mature audience may have children or grandchildren with an interest in K-pop music. It’s a thing that is mostly aimed at very young music fans, having its currently high profile popularity founded on the success of key early artists like Seo Taiji and the Boys, and the viral success of Psy’s “Gangnam Style” song in 2012. Then along came BTS and the global phenomenon of K-pop music became a major draw.
Coming this Friday to the Golden State Theatre is a K-pop girl group called ARTMS. Fairly new on the scene, the Modhaus-produced five-girl project is making a name for itself on all social media platforms, and the old-fashioned way, touring. Five very young, pretty girls will dance and sing for your entertainment, 7 p.m. Friday. Tickets range from $60 – $130 at www.goldenstatetheatre.com.
Pink Martini
On the other hand, Dec. 4 at the Golden State, Pink Martini is back with an all-star lineup, presenting a program titled A Season of Stars. The Portland, Oregon-based “little orchestra” led by the incomparable Thomas Lauderdale, always presents a great program of contemporary music and this one is an all new holiday show, featuring three of the band’s favorite singers and long-time collaborators. Led on stage by NPR’s dashing Ari Shapiro, the soulful Edna Vazquez, and the sensational America’s Got Talent finalist Jimmie Herrod, these three vibrant voices will bring the spirit of the holidays to a whole new level. Tickets range from $92 – $139, advanced available at the above website.
Also coming up
A heads up for a couple upcoming shows you might want to get your tickets for. PacRep and SLV Presents are bringing Beach Boy Al Jardine and the Endless Summer Band back for two benefit concerts, Dec. 16 -17 at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel. The opening band at 7:30 p.m. is The Big Survivors. Proceeds from both shows will benefit the artistic programs of the Pacific Repertory Theatre. For details and tickets visit www.PacRep.org or visit the PacRep Box Office at the Golden Bough, Monte Verde Street between 8th and 9th. Ticket prices vary for both shows.
An announcement was recently made about singer/songwriter Aimee Mann’s “22 1/2 Lost In Space Anniversary Tour” stop at the Sunset Center Theater, March 8, where she’ll perform “Lost in Space” in its entirety. Standard tickets are $65 and $95. There is a VIP w/Sound Check Experience for $200. Tickets went on sale to the public Nov. 21, and at this time there are still a lot of good seats available at www.sunsetcenter.org.
