by
Bill Kopp on May 21, 2018
Henry Threadgill has a well-deserved reputation as a jazz innovator. Working with unusual ensembles that include instrumental combinations not often thought of in a jazz context, Threadgill has made a series of boundary-pushing albums beginning in the 1970s and continuing today. For his efforts, the composer, saxophonist and flutist has earned many…
Continue reading »
by
Avi Salem on May 17, 2018
Matt Beilis may be the only singer-songwriter who has opened for both Inspectah Deck and REO Speedwagon. After trading in his cushy job in the finance sector for a gig in a piano store, he began uploading original compositions to YouTube, where he caught the attention of celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Ryan…
Continue reading »
by
Kristin Lam on March 21, 2018
It’s a little more than a week until her performance at the Montalvo Arts Center, and Nicole Lizée is still looking to recruit one final band member: a cricket. The insect has been chirping incessantly since she took up residency at Montalvo as a participant in the center’s Lucas Arts Program.
Continue reading »
by
Kristin Lam on February 21, 2018
Words and music can be transformative, as they have the power to shape how people see, and are seen, in society. Two-time Grammy-winning musician and co-founding member of Living Colour Will Calhoun, along with acclaimed poets and performers Danez Smith, Monica Sok and Julian Talamantez Brolaski, aim to break boundaries, erase stereotypes…
Continue reading »
by
Yousif Kassab on February 7, 2018
The ’90s were absolutely crazy. Photoshop had every advertising agency going overboard with zany fonts, bowling shirts were suddenly a fashion statement and hip Gen X-ers all over the country decided to hit the dance floor to the sounds of big band. The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies rode this wave with aplomb, dominating…
Continue reading »
Those luddites among us who still subject themselves to the grueling gauntlet of Christmas shopping in brick and mortar stores are well aware that from Black Friday through Dec. 24, the local mall is some kind of fresh hell.
Continue reading »
by
Yousif Kassab on September 6, 2017
The Empress of Soul brings her silky contralto voice back to the Bay Area for one night. Considering the seven-time Grammy winner’s extensive repertoire of standards and original material, a fantastic show is assured. Fans can expect to hear classics, like her 1973 No. 1 hit, “Midnight Train to Georgia,” as well…
Continue reading »
by
Camille Miller on August 2, 2017
Veteran comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno spent 17 years at the helm of America’s flagship late-night television talk show. After passing the mic to successor Jimmy Fallon in 2013, Leno has been active as a touring standup comedian, appearing in about 200 live performances a year across the U.S. and Canada.…
Continue reading »
by
Camille Miller on July 21, 2017
This artistic exercise in listening features five site-specific works of sound-based art by distinguished national and local artists. In One Voice, Taraneh Hemami interlinks speaking, lullabies, whispers and shouts within a sculptural installation of tube-like clusters. Sound artist Walter Kitundu invites guests to sit in a handmade rocking chair and listen to…
Continue reading »
For the past two weeks, the Montalvo Arts Center has been the host of the OneBeat international music consortium and residency program. Montalvo has served as a temporary home, recording studio and performance space for 25 musicians, aged 19-35, from all over the world. They’ve come together to share the musical traditions of…
Continue reading »
