Jazz Jubilee returns to the Central Coast Jan. 12-15 

Every year around this time, hot jazz advocates the Basin Street Regulars hosts the biggest, best traditional, Dixieland, and New Orleans jazz festival to come to the Central Coast, Jazz Jubilee. Featuring four days of incredible music from a host of performers from all over the U.S. and as far away as Australia, the event has become a gathering for jazz lovers and an opportunity for many of these players to sit in with one another—there are always surprises.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Professor Cunningham And His Old School
• HOT JAZZ Professor Cunningham and His Old School is one of about 20 hot jazz acts playing Jazz Jubilee, and annual festival comprised of five venues throughout the SLO County hosting live music Jan. 12 through 15.

From Thursday, Jan. 12, through Sunday, Jan. 15, at five different venues throughout SLO County, you can see acts such as Cornet Chop Suey, The Midiri Brothers Septet, Professor Cunningham and His Old School, and 19 others. There're literally too many events to list here, but visit my805tix.com/e/jubilee2023/tickets for all the details.

"We're also presenting a number of free community shows at Puffers, Harry's and the pier in Pismo, the Agrarian Hotel in Arroyo Grande, Station Grill in Grover, SLO Farmers Market, leading up to and during the festival week," Curtis Reinhardt noted.

You'll hear everything from zydeco to early Harlem sounds, Django Reinhardt stylings to the Great American Songbook and Rat Pack-style singing, authentic Big Band dance music to boogie-woogie, stride piano, and early blues.

Jazz legend

Speaking of jazz, Cal Poly Arts is hosting Terence Blanchard featuring The E-Collective with Turtle Island Quartet at Cal Poly's Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Jan. 18 (7:30 p.m.; $45 to $65 at calpolyarts.org, and $15 student available in-person with a student ID at the Cal Poly Ticket Office).

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• Photo Courtesy Of Terence Blanchard
• JAZZ MESSENGER Trumpet player and composer Terence Blanchard featuring E-Collective plays the Performing Arts Center on Jan. 18.

Oscar nominee, five-time Grammy-winner, and 2018 USA Fellow Terence Blanchard has been a mainstay of the jazz world since his early days with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and later as a member of the supergroup The Jazz Messengers. He's also composed more that 40 film scores—including several for Spike Lee—and performed on more than 50.

"Blanchard will unite his internationally acclaimed band The E-Collective with the double-Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet for an unforgettable night of music in his homage to jazz icon Wayne Shorter," organizers say.

Also this week at Cal Poly, pianist and Cal Poly Music Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will give a recital Friday, Jan. 13, in the Spanos Theatre (7:30 p.m.; $20 general admission and $10 for students at (805) 756-4849). Expect work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sergei Prokofiev, and Maurice Ravel for the first half of the program, and various works by Frédéric Chopin for the second half.

The Cal Poly Music Department will present its annual Bach Week from Tuesday, Jan. 17, through Saturday, Jan. 21, with presentations and performances on campus and at the First Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo. There're are too many to list, but visit bachweek.calpoly.edu for details.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Drumline Live
• MARCHING BAND MADNESS Based on the marching band traditions of historically Black colleges and universities, DRUMLine Live mixes choreography and music, at the Clark Center on Jan. 16.

Step up!

DRUMLine Live comes to the Clark Center on Monday, Jan. 16 (3 and 7:30 p.m.; all ages; $35 to $55, and $20 for students and children, at clarkcenter.org). Drawing from marching band traditions of historically Black colleges and universities, this live show features dazzling choreography and explosive percussion, and will provide "a soul-stirring revue of some of America's favorite music," press materials explain. "With musical highlights from hip-hop, Top 40 (including Michael Jackson and Prince), American soul, gospel, jazz, big band, and other musical genres, the 30-member cast—a world-class ensemble of percussionists, musicians, and dancers—takes the audience on a journey infused with colorful, choreographed routines, vibrant costumes, and heavy doses of drum riffs and cadences."

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• Photo Courtesy Of Robby Klein
• OUTLAW COUNTRY Numbskull and Good Medicine bring country star Sam Outlaw to The Siren on Jan. 18.

SoCal country

Numbskull and Good Medicine bring Sam Outlaw to The Siren on Wednesday, Jan. 18 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Born Sam Morgan in South Dakota but raised in Southern California, the country singer-songwriter now resides in Nashville, specializing in classic honky-tonk and troubadour pop.

He has a new EP out, Hat Acts, which weaves together three original songs with three comedic skits "to create a surrealist storyline of honky-tonk melodrama set in Southern California," according to his website.

Also this week at The Siren, check out LA-based progressive bluegrass act The Storytellers on Friday, Jan. 13 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). Expect "traditional bluegrass, country blues, old time, and folk music as a basis for inspired improvisations and intrepid vocal harmonies."

Cubano-style party band Zongo All Stars and ska act The Upside play a Winter Solstice party on Saturday, Jan. 14 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $3 at the door).

Session guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally & Beer for Dolphins plays on Monday, Jan. 16 (6:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 plus fees at eventbrite.com), with local openers The Travis Larson Band, a prog-rock power trio.

Finally, Dale Watson and Matt Hillyer (of Eleven Hundred Springs) play on Tuesday, Jan. 17 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $17 presale at eventbrite.com). Watson's known for his "Ameripolitan" sound—a brand of alt-country that's accounted for more than 30 albums since his 1989 debut, Is There Something Wrong.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Tunnel Vision
• TUBULAR Surf-centric reggae act Tunnel Vision plays a three-band show at SLO Brew Rock on Jan. 18.

Surf's up

Surf culture-focused reggae act Tunnel Vision plays SLO Brew Rock on Wednesday, Jan. 18 (9 p.m.; 18-and-older; $18.50 plus fees at ticketweb.com). The four members grew up in the surf mecca of San Clemente with "instruments in their hands and skateboards and surfboards under their feet," according to their bio.

They list The Descendents, Black Flag, Misfits, Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, The Expendables, NoFX, Rancid, and Reel Big Fish as influences, but they say they've "incorporated a bit from all of their influences to create their own original sound that pays homage to the sounds of those that came before them while blazing their own path and style."

Dubbest and Pacific Roots will open the show.

EDM and Bigfoo

The Fremont Theater hosts EDM act Dirt Monkey (alias of Patrick Megeath), with opening act Jantsen, on their Full Circle Tour this Thursday, Jan. 12 (8 p.m.; all ages; $31.03 with fees at seetickets.us).

Though it's not music, you should know that Fremont also hosts comedian Felipe Esparza on his Bigfoo Tour on Saturday, Jan. 14 (8 p.m.; all ages; $39.50 to $65 plus fees at eventbrite.com). The Mexico-born standup began his career in 1994 and really took off after winning Last Comic Standing in 2020. He also hosts a weekly podcast called What's Up Fool?

Gold Circle and Tier 2 tickets include an after-show meet-and-greet with Esparza plus a tour laminate and lanyard. ∆

Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at [email protected].