Page 243 – Good Times

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Feb. 22-28

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February 21, 2023

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Philosopher John O’Donohue wrote a prayer not so much to God as to Life. It’s perfect for your needs right now. He said, “May my mind come alive today to the invisible geography that invites me to new frontiers, to break the dead shell of yesterdays, to risk being disturbed and changed.” I think you will generate an interesting onrush of healing, Aries, if you break the dead shell of yesterdays and risk being disturbed and changed. The new frontier is calling to you. To respond with alacrity, you must shed some baggage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Rightwing religious influencers are rambling amuck in the United States. In recent months, their repressive pressures have forced over 1,600 books to be banned in 138 school districts in 38 states. The forbidden books include some about heroes Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks. With this appalling trend as a motivational force, I encourage you Tauruses to take inventory of any tendencies you might have to censor the information you expose yourself to. According to my reading of the astrological omens, now is an excellent time to pry open your mind to consider ideas and facts you have shut out. Be eager to get educated and inspired by stimuli outside your usual scope.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I think we can all agree that it’s really fun to fall in love. Those times when we feel a thrilling infatuation welling up within us are among the most pleasurable of all human experiences. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do it over and over again as the years go by? Just keep getting bowled over by fresh immersions in swooning adoration? Maybe we could drum up two or three bouts of mad love explosions every year. But alas, giving in to such a temptation might make it hard to build intimacy and trust with a committed, long-term partner. Here’s a possible alternative: Instead of getting smitten with an endless series of new paramours, we could get swept away by novel teachings, revelatory meditations, lovable animals, sublime art or music, amazing landscapes or sanctuaries and exhilarating adventures. I hope you will be doing that in the coming weeks, Gemini.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The scientific method is an excellent approach for understanding reality. It’s not the only one, and should not be used to the exclusion of other ways of knowing. But even if you’re allergic to physics or never step into a chemistry lab, you are wise to use the scientific method in your daily life. The coming weeks will be an especially good time to enjoy its benefits. What would that mean, practically speaking? Set aside your subjective opinions and habitual responses. Instead, simply gather evidence. Treasure actual facts. Try to be as objective as you can in evaluating everything that happens. Be highly attuned to your feelings, but also be aware that they may not provide all facets of the truth.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is there anything in your psychological makeup that would help you do some detective work? How are your skills as a researcher? Are you willing to be cagey and strategic as you investigate what’s going on behind the scenes? If so, I invite you to carry out any or all of these four tasks in the coming weeks: 1. Try to become aware of shrouded half-truths. 2. Be alert for shadowy stuff lurking in bright, shiny environments. 3. Uncover secret agendas and unacknowledged evidence. 4. Explore stories and situations that no one else seems curious about.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The country of Nepal, which has strong Virgo qualities, is divided into seven provinces. One is simply called “Province No.1,” while the others are Sudurpashchim, Karnali, Gandaki, Lumbini, Bagmati and Janakpur. I advise Nepal to give Province No. 1 a decent name very soon. I also recommend that you Virgos extend a similar outreach to some of the unnamed beauty in your sphere. Have fun with it. Give names to your phone, your computer, your bed, your hairdryer and your lamps, as well as your favorite trees, houseplants and clouds. You may find that the gift of naming helps make the world a more welcoming place with which you have a more intimate relationship. And that would be an artful response to current cosmic rhythms.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Are you aimless, impassive and stuck, floundering as you try to preserve and maintain? Or are you fiercely and joyfully in quest of vigorous and dynamic success? What you do in the coming weeks will determine which of these two forks in your destiny will be your path for the rest of 2023. I’ll be rooting for the second option. Here is a tip to help you be strong and bold. Learn the distinctions between your own soulful definition of success and the superficial, irrelevant, meaningless definitions of success that our culture celebrates. Then swear an oath to love, honor and serve your soulful definition.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The next four weeks will be a time of germination, metaphorically analogous to the beginning of a pregnancy. The attitudes and feelings that predominate during this time will put a strong imprint on the seeds that will mature into full ripeness by late 2023. What do you want to give birth to in 40 weeks or so, Scorpio? Choose wisely! And make sure that in this early, impressionable part of the process, you provide your growing creations with positive, nurturing influences.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I recommend you set up Designated Arguing Summits (DAT). These will be short periods when you and your allies get disputes out in the open. Disagreements must be confined to these intervals. You are not allowed to squabble at any other time. Why do I make this recommendation? I believe that many positive accomplishments are possible for you in the coming weeks, and it would be counterproductive to expend more than the minimal necessary amount on sparring. Your glorious assignment: Be emotionally available and eager to embrace the budding opportunities.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Actor Judi Dench won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the film Shakespeare in Love—even though she was onscreen for just eight minutes. Beatrice Straight got an Oscar for her role in the movie Network, though she appeared for less than six minutes. I expect a similar phenomenon in your world, Capricorn. A seemingly small pivot will lead to a vivid turning point. A modest seed will sprout into a prismatic bloom. A cameo performance will generate long-term ripples. Be alert for the signs.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Most of us are constantly skirmishing with time, doing our best to coax it or compel it to give us more slack. But lately, you Aquarians have slipped into a more intense conflict. And from what I’ve been able to determine, time is kicking your ass. What can you do to relieve the pressure? Maybe you could edit your priority list—eliminate two mildly interesting pursuits to make more room for a fascinating one. You might also consider reading a book to help you with time management and organizational strategies, like these: 1. Getting Things Done by David Allen. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. 3. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “What is originality?” asked philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Here’s how he answered: “to see something that has no name as yet, and hence cannot be mentioned though it stares us all in the face.” Got that, Pisces? I hope so, because your fun assignments in the coming days include the following: 1. to make a shimmering dream coalesce into a concrete reality; 2. to cause a figment of the imagination to materialize into a useful accessory; 3. to coax an unborn truth to sprout into a galvanizing insight.

Homework: What’s something you would love to do but were told never to do by someone you loved? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria Turns 45

Christina Waters

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February 21, 2023

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Forty-five years ago this week, Gayle and Joe Ortiz opened a tiny bakery in tiny Capitola Village. Scratch-made pastries, including croissants Gayle learned to make in Paris, attracted locals from the get-go. Five years later, after a gastronomic fact-finding trip to Italy, the couple added an Italianate deli crowned with a wall-sized rotisserie. With thousands of square feet devoted to specialties, sweet and savory, to consume in the sunny garden dining room or to take home, Gayle’s is an insanely consistent and popular Central Coast pit stop.

I’ve had countless coffee and pastry mornings with female colleagues and taken home countless items from bulging cold cases for heat-and-serve lunches and dinners. Nothing I’ve tasted from Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria has ever disappointed. Neither gigantic almond croissants, crunchy biscotti nor fresh sliced porchetta.

So, it was easy to bring home special items for our two-day Valentine’s graze. A boxed order of Miso-glazed Salmon and Sticky Rice with Shiitakes and Edamame looked intriguing, and so did the Valentine Chicken Piccata dinner, sided with long asparagus spears and voluptuous pasta formaggio laced with prosciutto and sage (both $23.95). We added an order of our favorite beet and orange salad ($5.50). Here’s where things always get difficult at Gayle’s. Pastry displays shimmer like the windows of Tiffany’s. For once, I didn’t hesitate. A single, substantial, beautiful Red Velvet Cupcake with a beautifully piped mountain of cream cheese frosting ($4.75) almost didn’t make it out of the parking lot.

The first night we split the salmon, along with glasses of a light, grassy, peach-inflected Storrs Sauvignon Blanc 2021. With our Chicken Piccata the next night, we succumbed to an outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 from Gilroy’s Martin Ranch. With each bite, the cab proved a perfect choice. The chicken was succulent and tender, and the luscious cheese-coated pasta retained its firm texture, an authentic tribute to Gayle’s kitchen since we heated it in our oven before serving. Lots of cherries and plums in the opening, with a middle of granite and a finish haunted by oregano. A lovely wine to go with a lovely dish.

Everything in these take-home meals tastes fresh and pure, rather than the too-often muddy flavors that can happen with meals prepared in other kitchens and then microwaved at home. It’s a delicious formula Gayle’s has mastered. Dinner for two—or one if you’re Travis Kelce—for under $25.

The salmon dinner the night before was also excellent. The generous slice of thick steamed salmon filet had been sauced with creamy, almost sweet miso and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. With it came a rockstar side of sticky rice liberally embedded with fat green soybeans and generous slices of shiitake. Another side of wok’d baby bok choi and spinach quickly disappeared under our forks. So nice to dine on food as fine as many of our top restaurants yet enjoy the casual no-fuss ambiance of our own dining table, with lots of candlelight. And no sauté pans to wash!

Sophisticated comfort food and imaginative menus are as much a fixture of Gayle’s as are the down-homey meatloaf, lasagne or roast beef and potatoes to-go dinners.

And yes, that red velvet cupcake tasted as good as it looked. I removed a half inch of frosting to balance the cake and frosting into an adult ratio. Tender tangy cake, luscious tangy frosting. Happy 45th to Gayle’s, and happy Valentine’s to us!

Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria, 504 Bay Ave., Capitola, 831-462-1200; gaylesbakery.com

Big Basin Vineyards’ 2018 Homestead is a Festival of Flavors

Josie Cowden

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February 21, 2023

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Big Basin Vineyards’ 2018 Homestead is a Festival of Flavors

Blending several varietals might sound simple, but it takes a masterful winemaker to get it just right.

Big Basin Vineyards has nailed it with its 2018 Homestead ($28). A blend of 33% Carignane, 25% Syrah, 21% Grenache, 19% Mourvèdre and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s a big mouthful of tasty wine with spice-and-red-fruit-flavored Carignane leading the pack.

“Our Homestead represents the extraordinary granitic and limestone terroir of the Gabilan Mountains where we sourced the majority of the fruit,” winery owner Bradley Brown says. Homestead features several well-known vineyards in the area—Big Basin’s estate provides “the backbone.” An area map on the bottle’s back label shows each vineyard source in the Santa Cruz Mountains. And the front label depicts a California homestead, complete with a dog, rifle, banjo and rocking chair, painted by local artist Matt Jones. Visit mattjonesart.com to see other labels he designed for Big Basin.

Big Basin’s Feb. 24 Coastal Wine Dinner has already sold out. Make sure you get tickets early for 2024.

Big Basin Vineyards Santa Cruz Tasting Room & Wine Bar, 525 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz; 831-515-7278; bigbasinvineyards.com

Big Basin Vineyards Olive Oil

Also at Big Basin Vineyards is their 100% organic, extra virgin, cold-processed olive oil—now available for sale. “After two years lost to fires and recovery, our estate olive oil is back,” says Brown, adding that nothing captures the freshness of the olive harvest like their Olio Nuovo, “new oil.” Electric green-gold in color with aromas of artichoke and grass, it has a “very nice balance between pungency, richness and softness.” A limited amount was made, so check the website for info.

El Toro Bravo Rocks Sizzling Enchiladas

Andrew Steingrube

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February 21, 2023

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Hillary Guzman’s grandma Delia Rey opened El Toro Bravo in 1967, and Hillary started working there in 1999 temporarily but decided to stay when her father moved away. She says the restaurant is treated like a family member and emits a friendly vibe. Guzman defines the cuisine as traditional northern Mexican food. The menu masterpiece is the enchilada sauce: comforting, like a scratch-made gravy, locals rave about it. Enchilada filling options include ground beef, shredded chicken, prawns or crab grilled in lemon garlic butter. The tender and lean beef chili verde is another stand-out. The grilled cod soft taco is a good lighter option.

Meanwhile, the 222 app comes with six oysters prepared three ways: chorizo and cheese, spinach and cheese and lemon garlic butter and cheese. The dessert must-have is the sopapilla, a fried flour tortilla with cinnamon, sugar, vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. El Toro is open daily, 11:30am-9pm. Guzman talked to GT about her family’s resilience in the recent storms.

How did the storm affect the business?

HILLARY GUZMAN: We were affected in multiple ways. Financially, it set us back. We lost a lot of product and several business days, and our family did the clean-up ourselves. But most importantly, it was saddening to see our neighboring businesses affected too because, to us, they’re not just businesses; they are our personal friends. But we are a tight community, and I’m very optimistic we will rebuild and succeed.

How would you describe your family legacy?

We are not going anywhere; we are into our fourth family generation running this restaurant. We are the longest continually operating restaurant in the Capitola Village, and we have no plans on quitting. We come from a long line of stubborn, hard-working women. El Toro Bravo means “brave bull,” and that is us.

El Toro Bravo, 123 Monterey Ave., Capitola, 831-476-1553; eltorobravocapitola.com

Cabrillo College Baseball Preview

Local News

Quinn Southall

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February 21, 2023

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The Cabrillo College baseball team began its season under a new era of coaching that prioritizes individual development for the team’s betterment.

Seahawks manager Scott Masik fiercely stands behind the team motto: “1% better, every day.”

The first-year skipper made this his mission since taking over for longtime manager Bob Kittle, who did not return this season.

Masik signed with the Oakland Athletics after playing for Cabrillo in 2010 and 2011.

“Coming back here is an awesome opportunity because I’ve played on this field, and I know what it means to be a Cabrillo Seahawk,” he says.

Masik knows what it takes to build a winning team.

The Seahawks’ season got off to a rough start, as they won just three of their first nine games, including a 21-5 loss to San Joaquin Delta College.

Twenty-five of the 40 Seahawks are freshmen who are still adjusting to the vigor of college baseball, so the organization was prepared for the slow start.

“We’re a young coaching staff; we have a relatively young team,” Masik says. “We are trying to figure out how to win.”

Cabrillo’s roster has 13 players from high schools in Monterey Bay, but the rest are new to the area and traveled from as far as Hawaii. It’s a testament to the extensive recruiting process exhibited by all major Cabrillo sports—the basketball team has only one local player.

The Seahawks’ season is just ramping up, but it’s already clear they have considerable talent on their roster. Catcher Kawana Soares and pitcher Ian Sullivan—both sophomores with scholarships through next season—are team leaders and are here to ensure they win.

While Cabrillo lost its first four before winning three consecutive games, followed by another two losses, the Seahawks are confident they will figure things out as the season progresses.

Some positive takeaways early on include a dominant 10-3 victory against Laney College, a tough competitor.

“We know that coming into the season, it was going to be a tough stretch,” Soares says.

Last season, Cabrillo finished a mediocre 19-21 overall and 11-9 in Coast Conference South Division play.

During the offseason, the Seahawks worked tirelessly in the weight room to ensure each player was physically prepared for the intensity of the 40-game season.

“Every day is not going to be the best day of your life,” Masik says. “Baseball is a game of failure and adversity. We have a team who tries to take one step in the right direction every day.”

The focus has been on developing team chemistry—teammates have bonded through participating in non-baseball activities, like cheering for their Cabrillo peers at football and basketball games.

Following the losing streak, the team was more aware of the necessary adjustments.

“Our bats in the beginning, everyone was anxious; everyone was trying to swing the bat hard,” Soares says. “That was what kind of killed us; we didn’t have a lot of hits in our first couple of games.”

The modifications paid off, and Cabrillo went on a winning streak. The Seahawks began hitting their stride before two losses to San Joaquin Delta (10-0). But there’s a lot of time to figure things out, and progress is being made: Cabrillo (4-6) bounced back in extra innings with an 8-7 win over Diablo Valley College on Feb. 18.

“We’re taking this one game at a time,” Masik says.

Next, the Seahawks play West Valley College (3-7) on Saturday at 1pm in Santa Clara.

Community Bids Farewell to Seacliff State Beach Wharf

Todd Guild

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February 20, 2023

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Community Bids Farewell to Seacliff State Beach Wharf

Expecting a large crowd for a beach cleanup at Seacliff State Beach on Saturday, Save Our Shores printed 250 waivers for volunteers to sign before they got to work.

While that may have been enough for a run-of-the-mill beach cleanup, this was no ordinary event. Over a thousand people came to clean the beach and say goodbye to the wharf that once led to the Cement Ship but was decimated by a series of atmospheric river storms and a tidal swell in January.

It is unclear whether the pier will be rebuilt. Still, California State Parks has said it plans to use its limited financial resources to rebuild the damaged campground and other infrastructure.

Demolition is expected to begin this week.

Lu Robles-Sane, who came with her niece, says she originally moved to the area with her husband. After his death, strolls onto the pier and sitting on the benches have helped her through difficult times.

“I love it out here,” she says. “This is where I find my serenity.”

Robles-Sane’s niece Madison says that her brother used to go fishing on the wharf and that her great-grandmother told her about dances on the Cement Ship, which was intact and served as a local entertainment spot.

Ayla Urquhart, who says she is “basically 9-and-three-quarters,” pins a memory of the Seacliff Wharf onto a piece of driftwood. PHOTO: Todd Guild

Zina Urquhart said she and her daughter Ayla came to celebrate the Wharf.

“It’s really sad,” Zina says. “It’s been here for a long time, and it’s an icon.”

Capitola Hosts Benefit Concert

Local News

Todd Guild

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February 17, 2023

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The City of Capitola is hosting a concert to raise money for those impacted by the series of storms that ravaged the county in January.

The “Beyond the Flood” benefit concert will feature Jive Machine, the Alex Lucero Band and Joint Chiefs with Tony Lindsay. The concert is free, but proceeds from beer sales and T-shirts will go to Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, an organization that has already issued $510,000 in disaster grants.

The January storms caused millions of dollars of damage to the Esplanade. Capitola Mayor Margaux Keiser has estimated the damage to the Village at $2.6 million, with repairs to the Capitola Wharf clocking in at roughly $9 million.

The stunning damage to the village, in which the Wharf was cleaved in half and beach logs were slammed into Zeldas on the Beach and Tacos Morenos, prompted visits from President Joe Biden, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis.

Capitola Police Chief Andrew Dally said the idea for the concert came after a community beach cleanup that helped clear the beaches of the wreckage from the storms.

“There was just a lot of talk about what’s the next thing we can do,” he said. “It was really apparent that a lot of people in the community really wanted to step up and help with this.”

The public is encouraged to find alternatives to driving to get to the event, since parking is limited. A bicycle lot will be available.

Important Information:

What: “Beyond the Flood” concert

When: 12-6pm, Saturday

Where: at the Esplanade Park bandstand in Capitola

Schedule: Jive Machine – 12-1:30pm, Alex Lucero Band – 2-3:30pm, Joint Chiefs with Tony Lindsay – 4-6pm

Caltrans Blamed for Highway 9 Death

Local News

Drew Penner

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February 16, 2023

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On Wednesday, attorneys made closing arguments for a $72 million lawsuit against the California Department of Transportation that seeks to hold the agency partially responsible for the death of a pedestrian along Hwy 9 in the Felton area.

Attorney Dana Scruggs told the 12-person jury in the Santa Cruz County Superior Court that Caltrans’ failure to improve the section of road north of downtown led to the death of 22-year-old Josh Howard.

He asked the jury to assign 75% of the blame for Howard’s Feb. 2019 death to Caltrans and 25% to Jeremy Shreves, the motorist who was convicted of felony reckless driving in the crash.

The first question that jurors will face as they deliberate the suit brought by the victim’s parents, Kelley Howard and Dimitri Jaumoville: “Was Hwy 9 in a dangerous condition at the location of the subject accident?”

Scruggs said Caltrans knew the road was substandard and ignored the issue.

“If they’d fixed the road, it wouldn’t have happened,” Scruggs said.

Shelby Davitt, an attorney for Caltrans, said there’s only one person to blame for Howard’s death: Shreves.

“He shouldn’t have drifted towards that edge line,” she said. “He didn’t turn his wheel.”

She clicked to a screen with a giant blue “0” on it, indicating no pedestrian accidents had occurred there prior to Howard’s death.

“This area is safe when using reasonable care,” she said. “There’s no dangerous conditions at this location—the alleged dangerous condition was the narrow shoulder, but the shoulder does not create a substantial risk of injury.”

Davitt also said Caltrans wasn’t provided with any specific “notice” that Highway 9 could be a serious problem in that spot.

“There’s no accident history here,” she said. “Generally complaining about the road is not notice.”

She called the proposed $72 million in damages a “ridiculous” figure “pulled out of thin air.” Instead, she said, the jury could come up with a figure by adding up several different items meant to bring the family joy in memory of Howard.

One of the options she thought of was to provide 21 of the man’s peers with passes to Roaring Camp Railroad; another was making a donation to an animal shelter, since Howard loved cats.

She suggested $1 million might be a more reasonable sum.

Closing arguments are set to continue on Thursday.

Things to Do in Santa Cruz: Feb. 15-21

GT Staff

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February 15, 2023

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ARTS AND MUSIC

JUNGLE BROTHERS WITH WATZREAL AND KHAN Mike Gee (Michael Small), DJ Sammy B (Sammy Burwell) and Baby Bam (Nathaniel Hall) formed the Jungle Brothers in the mid-1980s in New York City. The result of one of their earliest sessions, Straight Out the Jungle, was released in early 1988. The album’s far-out cut “I’ll House You” is a collaboration with producer Todd Terry and an early experiment in what later became “hip-house.” The album’s Afrocentric slant propelled the Jungle Brothers’ entry into the Native Tongue Posse, a loose collective formed by hip-hop legend Afrikaa Bambaataa, which included Queen Latifah (and, later, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest). Although they predated De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets, the Jungle Brothers didn’t score mainstream notoriety—some believe they were ahead of their time. The trio implemented a rich combination of house music, Afrocentric philosophy, funk and jazz. While the group’s 1989 Done by the Forces of Nature didn’t quite blow up on the pop charts, many still regard it as a hip-hop classic. $22.50/$25 plus fees. Wednesday, Feb. 15, 9pm. The Catalyst Atrium, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. catalystclub.com

PIMPS OF JOYTIME WITH BLACK JOE LEWIS Brian J has produced albums for New Orleans heavyweights, including Cyril Neville (the Neville Brothers), James Andrews and Corey Henry (Galactic), plus Bernard “Pretty” Purdie and Cedric Burnside. Brian J’s band, the Pimps of Joytime, has released five studio albums and toured expansively, building a worldwide following. On the production of “La Vida,” Brian J plays all the instruments, flexing his skills as a multi-instrumentalist and producer. Meanwhile, when Joe Lewis and his band, the Honeybears, popped onto the national stage more than 10 years ago, many critics embraced him, but still, some maintained that the group needed more experience. “The dues of hard work, the delirious heights of the industry, disappointments and low-hanging fruit. Through this all, Lewis has only honed his mastery over gutbucket blues guitar” and his authentic voice. $27/$32 plus fees. Friday, Feb. 17, 9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com

KANDACE SPRINGS “My father used to play me records when I was young, and I fell in love right away with all these great singers,” says Kandace Springs. “I learned to do what I do by singing along with them. Ever since, I’ve wanted to pay that forward by reminding people of how great these ladies are; we all owe them so much.” The world-renowned Blue Note/Capitol recording artist’s latest album, released in March 2020, is her most personal work yet. Entitled The Women Who Raised Me, it is her loving tribute to the great female singers who inspired her to begin her journey toward becoming one of our time’s premier jazz and soul vocalists. The album will feature interpretations of songs she first heard in Tennessee, including classics by icons such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Carmen McRae to ’60s legends Nina Simone and Dusty Springfield and modern masters such as Sade and Lauryn Hill. Springs will be joined by bassist/vocalist Aneesa Strings and drummer/vocalist Taylor Moore. $47.25/$52.50; $26.25/students. Friday, Feb. 17, 7pm. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org

CASS MCCOMBS + BAND WITH WEAK SIGNAL, Cass McCombs’ shades of frustration have fueled his music since he started. The approach has earned McCombs quiet acclaim over the years—in 2009, Catacombs was voted onto Pitchfork’s “50 Top Albums of the Year,” and the California native has toured with Arcade Fire, Band of Horses, Thurston Moore and the Meat Puppets. As an outsider voice for the marginalized, McCombs’ anti-establishment, indie rock roots extend back to 2003 when he first launched his website without mentioning his name or music. “We were very punk,” McCombs explains. “We wanted to destroy the music business —we didn’t want to have any promotional activity whatsoever. Everything was to be subversive.” The second song on McCombs’ 2022 Heartmind, his tenth record, “Karaoke,” is a “god-level burst of power-pop perfection,” as captivating as anything the musician has ever written. $22/$28 plus fees. Tuesday, Feb. 21, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. folkyeah.com

BASS DRUM OF DEATH WITH H.A.R.D. Say I Won’t is the first Bass Drum of Death album written, demoed and recorded with a touring band. Previously, frontman John Barrett had been doing everything on his own. But Barrett found freedom in working with collaborators that weren’t available to him before, opening a diverse world of songwriting. There’s an energy and vitality to the music driven by an added boost from new bandmates and a new perspective. The live recording process features layers of multiple parts and overdubs, then stripping it back to the song’s bones, keeping the raw wild heart of the music intact. “My first two records were made entirely by me alone with my gear, my laptop and a Snowball USB mic,” Barrett says. “They were just made quickly, cheaply, as an excuse to tour. I wanted to take my time with this record. Make something good that I was proud of in itself.” $20/$25 plus fees. Tuesday, Feb. 21, 8pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com

COMMUNITY

(RESCHEDULED FROM JAN. 28) MLK MARCH FOR THE DREAM This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1963 march on Washington for jobs and justice; it’s also the anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Now, more than ever, we seek to uphold the dream of Dr. King in establishing a community that will ensure political, educational, social and economic equality of rights for all people and eliminate racial hatred and discrimination. Dr. King said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Following the march, the 11am presentation will feature a variety of speakers, including NAACP Santa Cruz County Branch President Elaine Johnson, Rev. Curtis Blue, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, renowned local gospel and jazz singer Tammi Brown, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Justin Cummings, Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, Rabbi Paula Marcus of Temple Beth El and more. Keisha Browder, CEO of United Way of Santa Cruz County, will MC. All are invited to march and support the dream of Dr. King. Free. Monday, Feb. 20, 10am. Begins at Pacific Avenue and Cathcart Street to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. naacpsantacruz.com

Submit upcoming events HERE

Pinderhughes and Loueke bring ‘A Diaspora Journey’ to Kuumbwa

Andrew Gilbert

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February 15, 2023

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Pinderhughes and Loueke bring ‘A Diaspora Journey’ to Kuumbwa

Creativity seems to bloom around Herbie Hancock, the legendary pianist, keyboardist and composer who’s been mapping new musical territory for six decades.

In the case of Berkeley-reared flutist/vocalist Elena Pinderhughes and Benin-born guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke, the seeds for their new suite A Diaspora Journey were planted on the road in Hancock’s band.

“Lionel and I have been playing together in Herbie’s group for years,” Pinderhughes says from her Los Angeles home. “We’d often spend downtime in rehearsals experimenting together—it was an idea in the back of our heads that we should do a project.”

When Kuumbwa approached Pinderhughes about submitting a grant to The Creative Work Fund, the 27-year-old immediately reached out to Loueke. A Diaspora Journey illuminates the rhythmic DNA that courses from West Africa and South America to the Caribbean and the U.S. The world premiere of their five-part suite at Kuumbwa features a stellar quintet powered by drummer Justin Tyson, electric bassist Burniss Travis, who also plays with the drummer in pianist Robert Glasper’s band. Elena’s older brother, acclaimed pianist/keyboardist Samora, rounds out the collective.

“A big part of A Diaspora Journey is the element of ritual, with chants and multiple people singing, but we’re not setting her words to music,” Pinderhughes says. “There are some lyric-based parts, but it’s not a narrative. The subject is vast, and there are so many stories within the ‘Diaspora,’ so we think it can be told from A to Z.

“It’s not a timeline-based thing or story,” she continues. “We’re trying to highlight the similarities between so many different people’s stories. A rhythm you thought came from Brazil, and it’s also in Barbados. There are these connections between Puerto Rico and Benin and Ghana, with these rhythms that come from the same family tree. Different parts of the suite highlight different types of music.”

In conjunction with Monday’s world premiere, Pinderhughes and Loueke will discuss the new work on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Kuumbwa with Santa Cruz-based Speak For Change podcast host Thomas Sage Pederson, sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Black Health Matters Initiative.

In many ways, the 49-year-old Loueke hails from one of the Diaspora’s sources, as the tiny West African nation now known as Benin was for centuries a major point of embarkation for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. His music embodies a post-colonial journey that maps onto these deep historical fissures.

The third of five brothers, he was raised in an academic household where his father, a mathematics professor and his mother, a high school teacher, encouraged his creative pursuits. Musically precocious, he moved to the Ivory Coast in 1990 to study music at the National Institute of Art, where he soaked up the sounds of jazz guitar greats Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and George Benson.

Loueke refined his playing during four years at the American School of Modern Music in Paris, eventually earning a scholarship to Boston’s Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he realized that the traditional music he grew up playing in Benin and his passion for jazz was deeply enmeshed.

“I could combine all the different rhythms and the melodies I was playing back home with the harmonies I was studying,” he explains. “Before that, I never really saw that they were all related. It was almost like a puzzle and finding the last piece.”

In 2001, all the career pieces came together for Loueke when he was tapped for the elite master’s program at the Thelonious Monk Institute. By the end of the first year, he’d been recruited by trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and he’s been on the road ever since, touring the world with iconic jazz musicians like Hancock and Dave Holland and the late Chick Corea.

“I’m gravitating more toward my own music now, but then these guys are not going to be here forever,” Loueke says.

Pinderhughes is also focusing more on developing her original music than her sidewoman gigs. As she prepares to release a very different project focusing on her original songs, A Diaspora Journey marks her emergence as an up-and-coming composer in the jazz community.

“I’ve stepped back from a bunch of things, and I’ve been saying no to a bunch of one-offs,” she says. “I’m still working with Common, Herbie and Christian Scott. The three of them keep me pretty busy, and if my brother calls, I’m there. But I’m taking this year to finish my album.”

Elena Pinderhughes and Lionel Loueke perform Monday, Feb. 20, 7pm at Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $36.75; $42.00; $21.00/students. kuumbwajazz.org

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Pinderhughes and Loueke bring ‘A Diaspora Journey’ to Kuumbwa