Santana’s Man in Watsonville Takes Center Stage

A&E
Music

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December 10, 2019

Santana’s Man in Watsonville Takes Center Stage

Talk about a quintessential Bay Area cultural experience.

With images spanning his entire half-century career projected behind him, rock god Carlos Santana led his band in the final show of its 2019 world tour on stage at the gleaming new Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors, last month in San Francisco. Marking the 50th anniversary of his breakout performance at Woodstock, Santana, energetic and magnetic as ever at 72, enraptured the capacity crowd not only with his instantly recognizable guitar playing, but also with stirring words in defense of a kinder, more harmonious world.

At the center of it all, right next to the man himself, was Watsonville native Andy Vargas.

Sharing the stage with Santana and his namesake band is certainly nothing new for Vargas. For two decades, he’s occupied a coveted spot in the rock firmament as lead vocalist in Santana. The most recent world tour was the 20th in which Vargas has participated.

Vargas knew when he first joined the band “that I was going to be a sponge, just learning from Carlos, for the rest of my life. I still learn something every day with him,” he says. “And it’s hard to catch up with him. He’s already done his two hours of meditation and prayer and has e-mailed me a setlist for the day when I’m just waking up.”

On Dec. 14, Vargas comes to the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz (sans Santana) for a show he calls El Sueño. He’ll lead his own band Souleros in a benefit performance that also includes the South Bay band Tortilla Soup and comedian Frankie Quiñones. Souleros is Vargas’s attempt—even in the band’s very name—to combine the style and spirit of R&B/soul with the Cuban genre of bolero.

The show is a fundraiser for the Andy Vargas Foundation, which provides musical instruments, musical mentors and college scholarships for kids in underserved communities, including his home town of Watsonville.

“The basic idea is to turn on the light bulb,” he says, “to let kids see that their dreams and aspirations, what they want to do with their lives, is limitless.”

Vargas can point to no better example than himself. His own musical upbringing can be traced back to his grandparents’ Watsonville record store, where as a kid he was surrounded by the latest recordings of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Ohio Players. His father Javier Vargas was (and still is) a widely respected mariachi singer and bandleader, known up and down the West Coast for his performances, but in Watsonville largely for his enthusiasm and willingness to teach local kids the joys of music.

Young Andy was playing in bands from his teenage years, and was a musical prodigy at Watsonville High in the mid 1990s—there’s a video on YouTube featuring Vargas at 14 performing at a WHS talent show to an audience of Beatlemania-style screaming girls.

He was still in high school when he first met Terry Melcher, the well-known record producer who was central in shaping the California sound of the 1960s. Melcher brought Vargas to L.A. and got him a record deal—though, thanks to fall out from music-industry consolidations and changes in ownership, the young singer’s debut record was never released.

But Vargas was brought to the attention of Carlos Santana by Melcher and Lou Adler, another record industry legend. At the time, Santana was experiencing a career resurgence with the 1999 release of his album Supernatural, which spawned his first hit single in years, “Smooth,” featuring Matchbox 20 vocalist Rob Thomas.

Despite its commercial success, Supernatural, loaded with guest vocal performances, exposed the band’s lack of a consistent lead voice. Santana put out the word that he was looking for singers.

Vargas was 20 years old when he was brought into Santana’s studio in San Rafael. “I saw him in the backroom through the window,” he remembers. “Yep, that’s the guy right there. Someone you see in books and magazines, someone you listen to your whole life, then you see him in person. Yeah, I was nervous.”

The entire band was on hand. Without a word, Santana struck up the band with monster hit “Smooth.” “I just jumped right in,” says Vargas. “By the way, he still does that. Nothing’s changed. He’ll get up and begin playing a song without even telling you what it is. You have to recognize the intro and jump right in.”

Vargas was quickly hired for a three-week tour, as a test run. A few days in, Santana and longtime conga player Raul Rekow sat Vargas down and told him they wanted him in the band as a permanent member. He made his recording debut on the 2002 album Shaman. He’s been an integral part of Santana ever since.

“It’s been quite a blessing,” he says. “I remember when I first joined, people would come up to me and say, weeks after the show, ‘Oh my God! I need another Santana concert.’ It’s like their soul needs it. And I’ve seen it consistently for years.”

Andy Vargas & Souleros perform a benefit for the Andy Vargas Foundation, with Tortilla Soup and Frankie Quiñones, on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 7:20pm at the Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35-75. andyvargas.com.

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology Dec. 11-17

Rob Brezsny

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December 10, 2019

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Free will astrology for the week of Dec. 11

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Nobody knows really what they’re doing,” says Aries comedian Conan O’Brien. “And there are two ways to go with that information. One is to be afraid, and the other is to be liberated, and I choose to be liberated by it.” I hope you’ll be inspired by O’Brien’s example in the coming weeks, Aries. I suspect that if you shed your worries about the uncertainty you feel, you’ll trigger an influx of genius. Declaring your relaxed independence from the temptation to be a know-it-all will bless you with expansive new perspectives and freedom to move.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Creativity expert Roger von Oech tells us, “Everyone has a ‘risk muscle.’ You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day.” Here’s what I’ll add to his advice. If your risk muscle is flabby right now, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to whip it into better shape. Start with small, modest risks, and gradually work your way up to bigger and braver ones. And what should you do if your risk muscle is already well-toned? Dream and scheme about embarking on a major, long-term venture that is the robust embodiment of a smart gamble.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Many people engage in laughably feeble attempts to appear witty by being cynical—as if by exuding sardonic irony and sneering pessimism they could prove their mettle as brilliant observers of modern culture. An example is this lame wisecrack from humorist David Sedaris: “If you’re looking for sympathy you’ll find it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.” I bring this to your attention in the hope of coaxing you to avoid indulging in gratuitous pessimism during the coming weeks. For the sake of your good health, it’s important for you to be as open-minded and generous-spirited as possible. And besides that, pessimism will be unwarranted.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “You can shop online and find whatever you’re looking for,” writes pundit Paul Krugman, “but bookstores are where you find what you weren’t looking for.” That’s a good principle to apply in every area of your life. It’s always smart to know exactly what you need and want, but sometimes—like now—it’s important that you put yourself in position to encounter what you need and want, but don’t realize that you need and want.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Bachianas Brasileiras is a nine-part piece of music that blends Brazilian folk music with the compositional style of Johann Sebastian Bach. The poet Anne Sexton relied on it, letting it re-play ceaselessly during her long writing sessions. My painter friend Robin sometimes follows a similar method with Leonard Cohen’s album Ten New Songs, allowing it to cycle for hours as she works on her latest masterpiece. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to select a new theme song or collection of theme songs to inspire your intense efforts in behalf of your labors of love in the coming weeks. It’s a favorable time to explore the generative power of joyous, lyrical obsession.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “I’ve spent my life butting my head against other people’s lack of imagination,” mourned Virgo musician Nick Cave, who’s renowned for his original approach to his craft. I’m bringing this to your attention because I suspect you will be endowed with an extra fertile imagination in the coming weeks. And I would hate for you to waste time and energy trying to make full use of it in the presence of influences that would resist and discourage you. Therefore, I’ll cheer you on as you seek out people and situations that enhance your freedom to express your imagination in its expansive glory.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A scholar counted up how often the Bible delivers the command “Fear not!” and “Don’t be afraid!” and similar advice. The number was 145. I don’t think that approach to regulating behavior works very well. To be constantly thinking about what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about tends to strengthen and reinforce what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about. I prefer author Elizabeth Gilbert’s strategy. She writes, “I don’t try to kill off my fear. I make all that space for it. Heaps of space. I allow my fear to live and breathe and stretch out its legs comfortably. It seems to me the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back.” That’s the method I recommend for you, Libra—especially in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Isaac Newton (1642–1726) was one of history’s most influential scientists and a key contributor to physics, astronomy, mathematics, and optics. His mastery of the nuances of human relationships was less developed, however. He had one close friendship with a Swiss mathematician, though he broke it off abruptly after four years. And his biographers agree that he never had sex with another person. What I find most curious, however, is the fact that he refused to even meet the brilliant French philosopher Voltaire, who reached out to him and asked to get together. I trust you won’t do anything like that in the coming weeks, Scorpio. In fact, I urge you to be extra receptive to making new acquaintances, accepting invitations and expanding your circle of influence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): How did humans figure out that a luxurious fabric could be made from the cocoons of insect larvae? Ancient Chinese sage Confucius told the following story. One day in 2460 B.C., 14-year-old Chinese princess Xi Ling Shi was sitting under a mulberry tree sipping tea. A silk worm’s cocoon fell off a branch and landed in her drink. She was curious, not bothered. She unrolled the delicate structure and got the idea of using the threads to weave a fabric. The rest is history. I foresee a silk-worm’s-cocoon-falling-in-your-cup-of-tea type of event in your future, Sagittarius. Be alert for it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “It is the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires,” wrote Capricorn author Rebecca West. “It must abandon itself to its master passion.” That’s a high standard to live up to! But then you Capricorns have substantial potential to do just that: become the champions of devoting practical commitment to righteous causes. With that in mind, I’ll ask you: How are you doing in your work to embody the ideal that Rebecca West articulated? Is your soul loyal to its deepest desires? Has it abandoned itself to its master passion? Take inventory—and make any corrections, if necessary.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I would never try to talk you into downplaying or denying your suffering. I would never try to convince you that the pain you have experienced is mild or tolerable or eminently manageable. Who among us has the wisdom to judge the severity or intractability of anyone else’s afflictions? Not I. But in the coming months, I will ask you to consider the possibility that you have the power—perhaps more than you realize—to diminish your primal aches and angst. I will encourage you to dream of healing yourself in ways that you have previously imagined to be impossible.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “You owe it to us all to get on with what you’re good at,” wrote Piscean poet W. H. Auden. In other words, you have a responsibility to develop your potential and figure out how to offer your best gifts. It’s not just a selfish act for you to fulfill your promise; it’s a generous act of service to your fellow humans. So how are you doing with that assignment, Pisces? According to my analysis, you should be right in the middle of raising your efforts to a higher octave; you should be discovering the key to activating the next phase of your success—which also happens to be the next phase of your ability to bestow blessings on others.

Homework: Resolved: The answer to a pressing question will come within 72 hours after you do a ritual in which you ask for clarity. freewillastrology.com.

How Mike Stern Glued Together a Comeback

Mike Huguenor

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December 10, 2019

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How Mike Stern Glued Together a Comeback

Mike Stern has had a hell of a career.

A bona fide shredder schooled in both jazz and rock, Stern was just a fresh-faced kid out of college when he was recommended to Blood Sweat & Tears by Pat Metheny. After a few years, he caught the ear of another New Yorker, a trumpeter named Miles Davis who tapped Stern for his band, and even named a song after him: “Fat Time” from The Man With the Horn. From there, Stern played with Jaco Pastorius and the Yellowjackets and received Grammy nods for his solo work. Jazz magazine Down Beat dubbed him one of the 75 Great Jazz Guitarists of All Time.

But in 2015, while crossing a New York street, a freak accident threatened to take him out of music permanently.

“There was some construction that was not supposed to be where it was,” Stern says. “Very camouflaged. It looked like a line in the middle of the road, but in fact it was elevated. I tripped on this thing.”

He broke both of his humerus bones, which connect the shoulder to the elbow. In addition, he had to have his right shoulder replaced entirely. He was left with permanent nerve damage in his right hand—he could no longer hold a guitar pick.

While many would have tossed in the towel, in the months after the accident, Stern fought through, looking for ways to adapt to his new situation.

“I was struggling to find something that would work, because the pick kept sliding around,” he says. “I was playing with a glove for a while, using Velcro, but that didn’t work.”

He thought of his friend Ray LeVier, a New Orleans drummer who had been seriously injured in a fire.

“He’s a great drummer, but he’s got really bad injuries on his hands. I said, ‘How do you do it?’”

The solution came from an unexpected source: that provenance of debutantes and drag queens, wig glue.

“It’s not like gorilla glue, or anything that’s bad for your skin,” Stern says. “Certain things are difficult, but I’m able to play, thank god.”

Stern crawled out of the wreckage and back to the top of his game. In 2017, just a year and a half after the accident, he released Trip, a dizzying fusion album that finds the guitarist continuing to push himself to the limit. Opening with a title track that sounds half-mad as it swirls feverishly into a spiral-staircase chorus, Stern plays with as much searching melodicism and fretboard shredding exactitude as ever.

This week, Stern comes to Santa Cruz on the heels of his second album since the accident, Eleven, a collaborative work with fusion keyboardist (and recent Grammy winner) Jeff Lorber.

“He’s got some stuff, man. I was surprised. He can really stretch out,” Stern says—high praise from a man whose Miles Davis nickname “Fat Time” refers to his ability to “let a solo fly.”

With five songs written by Stern and five by Lorber, Eleven sees two titans of fusion going hard in the paint for each other’s tunes, unearthing some monster grooves and some truly blazing melodic passages. Late-album track “Ha Ha Hotel” is a barn-burner. Written long before his accident, the Stern composition is full of high-flying guitar acrobatics and precise rhythmic stops. Performed now, with glue and tape, it sounds as sharp and full of life as a live recording of the song from 1996, nearly 20 years before his trip.

“I always like to do my recordings live,” Stern says. “It’s part of the beauty of people playing together—like we’re all conversing in a certain subject, which is the song.”

Though he’ll never get feeling back in his right hand, Stern has always had a deeper sense of feel than mere touch.

“I remember playing with Miles towards the end,” he says. “He was sick at one point, and he was still swinging his ass off—still playing his heart out, being creative and finding his way of playing, just doing it no matter what. I’m always saying: ‘Keep going. Keep pushing.’”

Mike Stern performs Thursday, Dec. 12, at 7 and 9pm at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $31.50 adv/$36.75 door. 427-2227.

Sagittarius, Sign of Silence: Risa’s Stars Dec. 11-17

Risa D’Angeles

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December 10, 2019

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Sagittarius, Sign of Silence: Risa’s Stars Dec. 11-17

Esoteric astrology as news for the week of Dec. 11, 2019

Sagittarius is a sign often hidden in the preparations for Christmas and Hanukkah. It’s hidden also by its symbols and stories—traveling far away, riding over the plains to monasteries, eyes upon the snowy peaks of Capricorn or gazing at the stars in wonder, in some desert region of hot sands and slow-moving camels. Sagittarius is the far-flung traveler, at home in any country and with all peoples. Sagittarius is a most important sign. It’s the “little gate” into heaven; the sign of silence, associated with vision, aspiration and a one-pointed direction toward goals. Sag is on a horse, forever galloping toward the signs of service (Capricorn is initiation; Aquarius, for humanity; and Pisces, saving the world). Sag’s esoteric symbol is the bow and arrow, reminding us that we must cultivate the right use of thought (arrows) and speech, allowing our arrows to be dipped first in honey before discharging them towards their target.

From the Sagittarius Labors of Hercules, we read these words, the tasks of the archer: “Right use of thought, restraint of speech, and consequent harmlessness result in liberation; for we are held here by what we ourselves have said and done.”

Thursday, early morning, is the Sagittarius solar festival during the last full moon of 2018. “We see the goal, reach the goal and then we see the next goal.” Thursday is also the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe (patroness of the Americas). Friday is St. Lucy’s Day (lighted candles crowning her head), a Scandinavian festival of light illuminating the darkness. And, Friday and Saturday, in the night sky, the most active meteor shower of the year (Geminids) peaks. We’re called to catch the Light falling to Earth in this preparatory season of Advent.

ARIES: Will you be traveling? Are you thinking of new professional ideas and realities? Do you feel pressured to step up to the next rung of the ladder? Are you curious about a religious or spiritual reality? Every part of yourself is out and about in the world. Is there a sense that discipline and structure (Saturn) are needed to bring order to relationships? Tend to them carefully. They will see you to the end.

TAURUS: You think a lot about resources and how to provide safety and security for everyone. The future you know is a question, so you continue your important work. For many of us, the resources we seek are hidden in closets, drawers, storage units, and garages (yours). Bringing them out into the open is a good next step. Out into the fresh air to assess their value. Much will be discarded.

GEMINI: On your mind are relationships (one in particular), money, and how it’s being used practically. Your relationship is OK, but tend to it a bit more, with love and gratitude. Money and relationships go hand in hand. Especially now and for you. Assess all that you have and share with another. Update financial documents if needed. And consider all commitments. The ones from the heart last longest.

CANCER: You’ll find yourself embarking upon new spiritual goals, meeting those goals and discovering new ones. These goals affect your daily life and how you will live in the future. Share your goals with others, communicating with them the practicality of both spirituality and planning for the future. Use resources to accomplish goals. List them first. Take your time. Then you find all that you have will be useful, practical and transformed.

LEO: Your daily life has been expanding in many ways. Are you galloping toward far away and distant goals? Know you’ll be restrained if imbalances or disharmony occur. Choose travel as an art form. Take a camera, art supplies and a horse along (if you can). Several dog companions, too. There’s something you’ve wished to do for a long time. You return to the place where your heart resides.

VIRGO: Do you have excess energy but feel restrained by a lack of something? Are you spending much time and energy on things unseen? Do they rest in your heart, unspoken, in longing? It would be good if you concentrated on the season’s festivities by making your home cheerful and welcoming, filled with lights and things of nature. Do things differently this year. Joy comes when you are most creative.

LIBRA: Are you considering remaining home this holiday? It is a good idea this year. A deep transformative change penetrates your heart/mind, and many beliefs begin to have no validity. Disconcerting at first, you’re actually being led to truths previously not understandable. As old beliefs dissolve, a greater capacity to (give/receive) love occurs. You will then understand to “be of love a little more careful than of everything” (ee cummings).

SCORPIO: It’s time to ponder upon then articulate goals concerning money and resources, in order to make your future seem safe and practical. Your mind, moving equally between myth and the real world, needs to concentrate on building adequate resources for the times to come. These resources will not be only for yourself, but others will join you in your endeavors. You have the stamina to face great challenges. You are the warrior.

SAGITTARIUS: The entire introduction is about you. Read it slowly many times so its esoteric significances are absorbed and a new identity can emerge, along with new behaviors. As you seek truth and justice along with trying to feel joy, it’s most important to acknowledge you are always seeking new goals ahead. It’s good to list them, rework them, look for them. Watch birds fly out of marshes into the clear light of day. Turning into swans.

CAPRICORN: You stand within inner and outer realities, deeply personal and yet out in the world where humanity resides. There’s much responsibility and work accomplished, morning till night. At day’s end, you exhaustedly fall into bed, hoping sleep will bring physical, emotional and mental balance. Enough sleep does if there are no lights on during the night to interrupt your sleep cycle. Wear a mask if necessary. And drink more water. Saturn and Pluto are your companions.

AQUARIUS: Our outer reality is connected with our inner reality. What occurs in our outer life is based on what we believe, envision and have intentions for, and where we place our focus. You are aware, of course, that humanity is to bring forth the new culture and civilization, under the Aquarian Laws and Principles. What are your visions? What are your needs? Communicate with the devas. They wait for your voice to speak with them.

PISCES: Each day, there’s a new understanding occurring, which leads to new revelations. That actually is an esoteric rule—revelation emerges from understanding. How does understanding come forth? From suffering, grief and feelings of despair. You understand this line of poetry from Dante’s Divine Comedy: “In the middle of the journey of my life, I came to a dark wood and found myself and my way lost.” You are not lost; the way is not dark. Just keep walking.

Music Picks: Dec. 11-17

Mat Weir

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December 10, 2019

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Santa Cruz County live entertainment picks for the week of Dec. 11

THURSDAY 12/12

INDIE

OMNI

Slipping in at the tail end of the decade, when “Best Of” lists have long since been filed, Omni’s Networker should not be overlooked. The Atlanta band’s first for Sub Pop, Networker is a quietly bold statement: a great collection of guitar-rock songs in the year 2019. “Guitar rock” in Omni’s hands sounds like a mix of Television and Wire, with juuuust a pinch of Steely Dan (see “Skeleton Key”). Throughout Networker, the Omni are sharp, zipper-tight, and just angular enough to give it all some nervous energy. MIKE HUGUENOR

9pm. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. $14. 423-1338.

CELTIC

JOHN DOYLE & MICK MCAULEY

In the world of Celtic music, there are few touring names as famous as John Doyle. As a founding member of the two-decade-running Irish rock group Solas, this Dublin-born musician made his name playing the music of his heritage. Today, Doyle lives in Asheville, a city called the “Santa Cruz of the South,” and has been touring the country, often solo, but sometimes with a kindred spirit, pulling from the plethora he keeps on speed dial. This go-around, it’s traditional Irish player and multi-instrumentalist Mick McAuley. MAT WEIR

7:30pm. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $20 adv/$22 door. 479-9777.

FRIDAY 12/13

ALT-COUNTRY

KASSI VALAZZA

Country singer Kassi Valazza grew up in rural Arizona. Not only did she have to deal with the brain-melting heat, but so often found herself alone in the massive desert expanse. Beautiful, yes. Scary, and lonely, indeed! As a country musician, she found herself drawn to music that evoked this same sense of loneliness—the kind that large, never-ending spaces instill in you on a base level. Her latest record Dear Dead Days captures this duality brilliantly with psychedelic soundscapes melding with traditional country twang. The record is a nostalgia trip, but not one that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. AC

9pm. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.

COMEDY

TWO DYKES AND A MIC

You’ve listened to all the podcasts. You jotted down your notes on how lesbians can be categorized by Sandra Bullock movies and stuck it on your refrigerator. You’ve compared your tools to the ones in Rachel’s Toolbox, and Bumble’s Bumbles reminds you of your own funny-sad online hookups. No doubt Two Dykes and a Mic offers a pair of the most hilarious yet approachable dykes around. Come see Rachel Scanlon and McKenzie Goodwin do their thing live, first with two individual sets and then podcast-style in real-time, a la “Ask the Dykes,” where you can finally ask Rachel and McKenzie if they want to be best friends with you! AMY BEE

7 & 9:3pm. DNA’s Comedy Lab, 155 S. River St., Santa Cruz. $20 adv/$25 door. 900-5123.

SATURDAY 12/14

HIP-HOP

DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN

It’s no exaggeration to refer to Del The Funky Homosapien as a west coast hip-hop legend. In addition to several brilliant solo albums, he founded Oakland’s Hieroglyphics crew, arguably the most talented emcees to call the Bay their home. And he’s also a member of Deltron 3030, one of the darkest and most imaginative hip-hop projects to emerge from anywhere. His other collaborations and individual solo albums are too numerous to mention. Plus, he’s not one to get caught up in his impressive resume. He keeps on creating, and keeps working to reinvent himself. AC

9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $26 adv/$30 door. 479-1854.

JAZZ

MARIA MULDAUR & JOHN JORGENSON

Like eggnog and brandy, somehow, Christmas music and swing go down well together. Led by Maria Muldaur (a veteran of both the ‘60s Greenwich Village scene and the Jerry Garcia Band) and gypsy jazz scion John Jorgenson, this “Holiday Swing” show promises a mix of jazzy Christmas classics alongside a number of rarely heard holiday songs from Christmas past. Will they play “Yuletide for Calvin Coolidge” or “A Ford Model T For Christmas?” No. Those songs don’t exist! Whatever they do play will be played with unparalleled skill and gay holiday spirit! MH

8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $34 adv/$39 door. 704-7113.

FOLK

MEREDITH AXELROD

If I hear anything even faintly ragtime in my house, I flap my hands and sing, “old-time, old-time” as loud and old-timey as I can. But Meredith Axelrod actually sings in true old-timey fashion, probably because she learned by listening to recordings made a century ago. She channels not just the sounds of Ragtime, Boogie, and Tin Pan Alley as it was recorded between the 1890’s-1930’s, but the spirit of the people who recorded it, bringing life to it in an eerie and devoted way. Maybe she showed up in a time machine, guitar in hand, and heard our old-timey call. AB

8pm. Lille Aeske, 13160 Hwy. 9, Boulder Creek. $20. 703-4183.

SUNDAY 12/15

INDIE

ARIEL VIEW

Ariel View is an all girl, queer-identified band on legendary punk label Epitaph Records—part pop-punk, part indie-rock, all heart. Debut album Until My Lungs Are Cleared just dropped and is filled with heartbreak of teenage love, wild nights with friends and the annoying moments of boredom in-between. MW

9pm. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10 adv/$12 door. 423-1338.

MONDAY 12/16

CHARLIE HUNTER & LUCY WOODWARD

Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodard are highly versatile musicians who have collaborated with a dauntingly diverse array of artists, but they both thrive best in gritty settings defined by dank, sinewy grooves, telegraphic melodic lines, and R&B-laced cadences. Hunter, the Berkeley-reared 7-string guitar star, keeps finding new ways to express the most fundamental musical truths. A consummate professional, Woodward has performed with Snarky Puppy, Pink Martini, and sang backup for Rod Stewart and Barbra Streisand. But even her most ardent fans might be surprised at her expert interplay with Hunter on their new duo album Music!Music!Music, a session that captures her in full gorgeous flower. ANDREW GILBERT

7 and 9pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $29.40-45.15. 427-2227.

Huxal Mezcal Brings the Smoke

Christina Waters

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December 10, 2019

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The word mezcal whispers of sensory magic. A cousin of tequila—and yet so different—this potent, double-distilled elixir made from the mighty agave succulent can thrill the senses, take the breath away and, if sipped properly, unleash haunting dreams.

So what better way to greet the new year than with a new hand-crafted mezcal, Huxal, produced by an alliance of Oaxaqueño artisans and local entrepreneurs? The seasoned skill of mescalero Don Bernardo and three generations of family artisans in the Mexican state of Oaxaca (a second home to many Santa Cruzans) combine to make Huxal mezcals. Huxal’s import team is led by Aptos residents David Camner and Sam Hernandez, sculptor and emeritus from Santa Clara University, along with their Palo Alto colleagues.

“It started with some local arts guys, family and friends going to Oaxaca, with whom Palo Alto has a sister city connection,” recalls glass blower Camner. “The idea was to support sending fire-fighting equipment to Oaxaca.” After a three-year search, the Huxal team found the ideal producers in the southern valleys of Oaxaca near Miahuatlan. “We were looking for consistent quality and sustainability,” Camner says. “And they had a nice clean palenque (mezcal distillery). It was ideal.” Camner and Hernandez met me at the cozy, boisterous Parish Publick House and brought along the Huxal product line for me to taste—four bottles of distinctive spirits, plus a jar of those famed Oaxaqueno fried crickets, or chapulines.

We started with Espadin, 40% alcohol, light, easy to like, and made from roasted and fermented agave hearts harvested at seven years of maturity.

Briefly, the making of artisanal mezcal involves harvesting the heart of the huge plant, roasting it in an underground stone oven, crushing it with an ox-pulled stone, then double-distilling in copper. The Espadin was smooth, Earthy and satisfying. I taste, rub some on my palms to release aromas, and sample the mezcal along with some sal de gusano—made of spices, crushed worm (hey, it’s traditional) and salt. Espadin’s middle bandwidth expands horizontally on my palate. Like each Huxal bottle, this one comes with a playful label by Hernandez, and it’s named for the variety of its source agave.

The bravura Barreno (100 proof), made from wild plants from the hills surrounding the Miahuatlán palenque, is the rarest. Hernandez opens a jar of small-batch prickly pear jelly. We sample it on Parish house bread chased by a sip of the complex Barreno. The terroir of the Oaxacan highlands, at 5,500-feet elevation, fills this beautifully balanced organic mezcal, intense with minerals, leather and that smoke signature from its fire roasted origins.

Completing the Huxal quartet are two mezcals made from the karwinskii agave.

The aromatic Cuishe is grassy, floral and fresh. The heftier Madrecuishe is more rounded and deeper in smokiness with a licorice heart. Both are close to 100-proof alcohol. “This is a primitive process,” Camner says with a smile. But the result is refined. The flavors are lavish, yet as elusive as a dream.

“It’s a multi-generational effort,” Hernandez explains. “We’re starting small, for pleasure and the aesthetics of it. And now our own families are involved.” While focusing on small-batch techniques, Huxal is now helping the producers and their families stay working in their small villages. Camner characterizes the ancient craft fueling the Huxal enterprise: “Artisanal, low-tech. Pure spirits.” A portion of every Huxal purchase brings decommissioned fire trucks and ambulances from California to Oaxaca, where the organic agave spirits are created by maestro Don Bernardo. It also makes for a distinctive holiday gift! Bottles available at Deer Park Liquors and Shoppers Corner ($80-100). At the bar at Parish Publick House and Palapas.

huxalmezcal.com.

Love Your Local Band: Come Fly With Me

Aaron Carnes

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December 10, 2019

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For more than 10 years, John Michael has been performing the music of Frank Sinatra solo and with various groups. In 2016, he approached local pianist Will McDougal about putting together a legit band to give the gift of Sinatra’s music to Santa Cruz. Come Fly With Me was born.

There was only one problem: Sinatra was always backed by huge orchestras. McDougal put his mind to work on transposing those fantastic, big-band pieces so they’d be just as snappy played by a seven- or eight-piece band.

“We try to stay as close to the original arrangements as possible,” McDougal says. “Sometimes it’s like choosing which kid you like more. You only have two horns. It’s about staying true to the parts everybody knows. But also to feature the singer.”

The group’s first show was in July 2017. They’ve since done a special Valentine’s Day show, because nothing says romance like the music of the Rat Pack. But there’s also something distinctly festive about Sinatra. That’s why Come Fly With Me is doing their first ever Christmas-themed show.

“It seems that Christmas is the time that jazz becomes modern again,” McDougal says. “There’s people that listen to jazz all year long, but for the normal population, you start hearing it in the mall and on the radio more around the holidays. Everybody likes those Rat Pack Christmas carols.”

Come Fly With Me will play two sets; all Christmas songs first, featuring tunes from Sinatra’s 1958 album Christmas Songs By Sinatra, as well as other holiday favorites from Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby. The second set will be classic Sinatra songs—the ones you’ve been waiting all year to hear.

7:30pm. Wednesday, Dec. 11, Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $15 adv/$20 door. 479-9777.

Film Review: ‘Waves’

Lisa Jensen

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December 10, 2019

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No, it’s not a surfing documentary—unless you want to make some strained metaphor about riding the waves of life.

But the gripping domestic drama Waves is an often-fascinating piece of filmmaking that encompasses euphoria, tragedy and every conceivable emotion in between in depicting a solid American family unit sliding in and out of crisis. The movie is written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, who establishes himself as a filmmaker worth watching with a particular voice and viewpoint.

While some incidents in this story of a middle-class black family in South Florida seem like they could have been torn from screaming headlines, Shults humanizes everything with his skilled and careful attention to the personal relationships that guide our lives—between parents and children, siblings, and couples both new and long-established. The story is often intense, but Shults’ characters are so involving, and his filmmaking so astute and focused, that he keeps us reeled in.

Shults plunges us into the middle of everything with a long, careening opening montage of daily life for high school senior Tyler (an excellent Kelvin Harrison Jr.)—reckless driving with his girlfriend, Alexis (Alexa Demie); wrestling practice at the school gym, with his coach’s ferocious motivational speeches; spatting with his kid sister, Emily (Taylor Russell). Their dad, Ronald (Sterling K. Brown), runs his own contracting business, for which his warm, loving wife, Catharine (Renee Elise Goldsberry) does the books.

Ronald is a forceful presence in the family. He doesn’t let his kids get away with any drama, makes sure they get to church (where the sermon is on love and forgiveness), and behave with respect. His standards are demanding, but he has a close relationship with his only son, whether they’re arm-wrestling at the diner after church or working out in their home gym, where he dispenses advice and philosophy. “We can’t afford the luxury of average,” he tells Tyler. “We have to work twice as hard.”

Although the plot hinges on major events, the movie draws its power from the accumulation of small details. Much of the story is told from Tyler’s viewpoint (which means that there’s a lot of reeling camerawork, neon colors and loud, throbbing rock music). He faces issues with Alexis, gets some bad news that might jeopardize his wrestling, and starts sneaking his dad’s painkillers.

As the movie cruises along, there are plenty of moments when it all might explode. But Shults keeps us guessing about when and how that explosion will come, while, in the meantime, we become more involved with the characters and how their stories might play out. And because we don’t know exactly where it’s going, we feel what finally pushes the family to the breaking point even more keenly.

The cast inhabits their characters beautifully; we never feel like we’re watching actors at work. With the dynamics between them constantly evolving, one false note could throw the whole thing off-balance, but everything here rings true. Russell is especially impressive as kid sister Emily. Mostly in the background at first, until a tender, pivotal scene with Tyler, she emerges with quiet poise and unexpected strength as the movie’s focus shifts to her.

Like a composer for opera or musical theater, Shults creates a recurring theme for each character in terms of mood—serious and a bit edgy for Ronald, frenzied and hormonal for Tyler, wistful serenity for Emily. Sometimes their inner soundtracks clash, but sometimes tentative harmonies emerge.

Some moments in Waves are difficult to watch, but that’s the trade-off for a movie that delivers this much emotional intensity. It wouldn’t affect us so deeply if we didn’t care so much about these characters.

WAVES

*** (out of four)

With Taylor Russell, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Sterling K. Brown. Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults. An A24 release. Rated R. 135 minutes.

A Pelican Ranch Rosé to Remember

Josie Cowden

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December 4, 2019

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As longtime owners of Pelican Ranch Winery, Phil Crews and his wife Peggy certainly know their onions when it comes to making wine. And as a chemistry professor at UCSC, Phil also knows a thing or two about blending components.

For his bright 2018 Rosé of Zinfandel, grapes are harvested from Prosperity Grape Field in Fiddletown, Amador County. With its warm Mediterranean climate and an elevation of nearly 1,700 feet, Fiddletown is producing some splendid fruit from its vineyards.

“This is classic, dry, pink-style Rosé with fresh strawberry and rose petal nose,” Phil says.

I always think of Rosé as a happy wine. And as it gains popularity, more and more lovers of the grape are buying Rosé. It’s an easy-drinking wine with a party-time appeal. Pelican Ranch’s 2018 vintage—its latest release—comes with a convenient screw cap. Clocking in at $20, it can be found at markets and liquor stores all over town.

Sandwiched between Sante Adairius Rustic Ales and Drink La Vie (probiotic juices) in Capitola, Pelican Ranch is in a happening spot. You can try wine, beer and juice all in one day!

Pelican Ranch Winery, 100 Kennedy Drive, Capitola. 426-6911, pelicanranch.com.

Personal Chef Ponza

Many of you will remember the delicious cuisine prepared by Kirsten Ponza as executive chef at Chaminade in Santa Cruz. Ponza is now a personal chef and baker, preparing everything from meals in your home to baking whatever you need for a party, wedding or celebration. You can contact her at pe***************@gm***.com or 331-5491.

Wine Makes a Wonderful Gift

It’s that time of year when you’re wondering what to buy Uncle Fred and Cousin Joe for Christmas. Wine makes such a great gift. Shop for local wines and you will be supporting winemakers and vintners all over the Santa Cruz Mountains. An ideal gift would be a Passport or two for wine tasting, available at the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association and many local wineries. scmwa.com.

Black Point Market Pioneers the Beach Bodega

Jordy Hyman

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December 4, 2019

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Black Point Market Pioneers the Beach Bodega

Once an employee of the Point Market at Pleasure Point, Sasha Nemonchok partnered with the owners this year to develop his vision for a sister store on East Cliff at 14th Street, right above the beach and the eponymous Black Point.

It’s a reinterpretation of the bodegas of Philadelphia with a strong Santa Cruz spin—a friendly mix of corner store, cafe and deli, top shelf and bottom, staples and luxuries. Black Point Market stocks necessities, from sunblock and candy to beer, wine and kombucha. House Chef Hunter pours espresso and slings hot and cold sandwiches, soups, fresh-baked cookies and pastries, and other prepared entrées and sides.

What’s the vibe you’re going for?

SASHA NEMONCHOK: I wanted a bodega-like feel. It’s your corner market. It’s your one-stop shop. Whether you’re a local or just passing through for a day or a week, we just wanted to make sure we had what you would need. So the basics like your butter and milk and eggs, baking supplies, things that you might need in a pinch, like, ‘Oh my god, I need corn starch,’ or something like that. A little bit of beach stuff.

We’re making a point of appealing to everyone, so that just means we typically have an affordable option and then an upper-scale option. Fancy honey, cheap honey. Fancy hot dogs, cheap hot dogs. Everyone deserves to be here, is kind of our mentality.

What’s happening at the deli?

Gourmet-to-go sounds a little pretentious, but maybe convenient comfort food is one way to put it. We’re focused on nostalgic sandwiches, sandwiches that bring back memories, so like chicken salad and tuna salad, those are key. We make an authentic Cuban. There’s a hoagie, and that’s an east-coast-style sub packed full of ham, capicola, salami. Meatball subs should be coming pretty soon here. Our meatloaf is insane… all fresh, made from scratch. It’s all chef-driven, straightforward, simple food, nostalgic food.

Black Point Market, 2-1400 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz. 713-5842, Instagram: @blackpoint.market, facebook.com/blackpointmarket.

LATEST ARTICLES

LATEST ARTICLES

LATEST ARTICLES

LATEST ARTICLES

THURSDAY 12/12

INDIE

OMNI

9pm. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. $14. 423-1338.

JOHN DOYLE & MICK MCAULEY

7:30pm. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $20 adv/$22 door. 479-9777.

FRIDAY 12/13

ALT-COUNTRY

KASSI VALAZZA

9pm. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.

COMEDY

TWO DYKES AND A MIC

7 & 9:3pm. DNA’s Comedy Lab, 155 S. River St., Santa Cruz. $20 adv/$25 door. 900-5123.

SATURDAY 12/14

HIP-HOP

DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN

9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $26 adv/$30 door. 479-1854.

JAZZ

MARIA MULDAUR & JOHN JORGENSON

8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $34 adv/$39 door. 704-7113.

FOLK

MEREDITH AXELROD

8pm. Lille Aeske, 13160 Hwy. 9, Boulder Creek. $20. 703-4183.

SUNDAY 12/15

INDIE

ARIEL VIEW

9pm. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10 adv/$12 door. 423-1338.

MONDAY 12/16

CHARLIE HUNTER & LUCY WOODWARD

7 and 9pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $29.40-45.15. 427-2227.

WAVES

Personal Chef Ponza

Wine Makes a Wonderful Gift