Paige Baxter

Finding a good hair stylist is like finding a good hand bag; which can be one of a woman’s biggest challenges. I tried a celebrity stylist in Willow Glen. As far as I know he doesn’t do celebs, he just thinks that he is one. Mr. Celeb took a quick look at my hair and then turned me over to a shampoo girl. Mr. Celeb took all of 10 minutes to do the cut. He then called over another girl to blow dry and style. That will be $100 please. I wondered what did that C-note cover? Just the cut? The experience felt odd, and to make it worse I didn’t like my hair.

One afternoon I was up near SFO with some time to kill. Always on the search for that good hair cut, I happened into Roobik’s, in Burlingame. Martine listened to me, cut my hair to perfection, and that will be $18 please! Even though it means a trip to Burlingame; one of my life’s biggest challenges is solved.

The last time I was up there for my cut Martine told me about her daughter Paige. She is the drummer with a group called Wonderland Syndrome.

Wonderland Syndrome @ VooDoo Lounge
14 S 2ND ST, San Jose
Tonight – Friday, Oct. 2
7:30 PM

Roobik’s
1805 El Camino Real # B @ Trousdale Dr.
Burlingame, CA 94010-3202
(650) 697-424
* Ask for Martine

October 4th is just a couple of weeks away, so it is time for San Jose runners to get ready for the Rock ‘n’ Roll 1/2 Marathon. Though this news is exciting for the runners, and good for the city, for me it is just ho-hum. That was until I heard about the post race concert.

* Rock ‘n’ Roll 1/2 Marathon Post-Race Concert:
* Finish Line Festival Stage – Plaza de Caesar Chavez.

# 1 Jonny Lang – (Grammy winner) is the concert headliner.

# 2 It is free! – and open to the public. (the concert)

# 3 Lang is scheduled to take the stage around 12 PM.

Note: For the marathon – register online

A free music series at San Jose State University begins this weekend, continues Tuesday, and winds up next weekend, between August 22 and 30.

What kind of music you ask?
John Williams film scores, Lemony Snicket music, a legendary jazz vocalist, Beatles music a brass band, and more performed by Symphony Silicon Valley along with other artist.

The concerts, bottled water, harmonicas for children at the Family Concert and ice cream at the Brass Band Concert, are all free.

Saturday August 22, 7:00 pm
John Williams Film Scores

Maestro Bruce Hangen and the orchestra’s performance may include Jurassic Park, ET, Star Wars, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter.

Sunday August 23, 3:00 pm
Family Concert

A family concert, with Lemony Snicket music The Composer Is Dead and harmonica virtuoso Robert Bonfiglio playing Gershwin. The first 1,200 kids receive a free harmonica.

Tuesday August 25, 5:30 pm
Cleo Laine & John Dankworth

Jazz songstress Cleo Laine and saxophonist John Dankworth the “king and queen of British jazz.”

Saturday August 29, 7:00 pm
Classical Mystery Tour

A Beatles tribute band from the Broadway show “Beatlemania” joins the orchestra to perform classics from the Lennon-McCartney Songbook, strings and horns! Classical Mystery Tour conductor Martin Herman along with soloists Jim Owen,Tony Kishman, Chris Camilleri, and Tom Teeley.

Sunday August 30, 3:00 pm
Brass Band & Ice Cream Social

The 39-piece band led by Tony Clements, principal tubaist with Symphony Silicon Valley perform Bugler’s Holiday, Thoughts of Love, Holst’s Mars, and selections from Phantom of the Opera. The ice cream is free.

The concerts held on the grassy mall at San Jose State University; enter at 4th Street and West San Carlos. Bring a picnic and your beach chair. Arrive early!

408-286-2600 x 23

Sonny Landreth

The year’s penultimate Music in the Park Thursday evening concert featured Sonny Landreth, the “King of Slydeco”. Which turns out ot mean ripping Satriani-style slide guitar played to a blues drumbeat. The opening act was San Francisco-based Music for Animals, playing a kind of 80’s-90’s electropop, reminiscent of Pet Shop Boys. A very mellow scene, since the crowds weren’t overflowing the park like they do sometimes, and a lot of fun.

Music for Animals

John Santos at the Latin Stage.

Sunday wrapped up the San Jose Jazz Festival. I saw mostly out-of-town acts today like Spanish Harlem Orchestra. The closest thing to a local band I saw was SF native John Santos. I won’t give a complete run-down, instead here’s a couple photos of festival-goers dancing to latin jazz:

San Jose native Doug Ellington played with New Urban Groove at Temple Bar.

Saturday was the San Jose Jazz Festival’s big day with non-stop music from 10 am until 1:00 the next morning.

I was able to catch several shows, starting with Tito y su Son de Cuba on the Salsa Stage, an act that really got the dancers moving. Next was Santa Cruz-based Brazilian styled Samba Da. They also go the crowd moving with their energetic show.

Next I headed over to the main stage to see New Orleans songwriting and performing superstar Allen Toussaint. His act included several recognizable songs he wrote for other artists, and was capped off by an appearance of Mardi Gras Indians in full flowery regalia. Following Toussaint’s show, I headed over to the 48 Hour Jazz Club for the festival jam. The jam session let some enthusiastic festival-goers show off their stuff. The performances were remarkably solid for an all-comers jam, and all the combos I saw held together well.

In the club crawl I caught San Jose locals Doug Ellington and the New Urban Groove at Temple Bar. Ellington and his band played straight-ahead jazz with a little bit of uptempo rythm. To follow up I stopped in at the Hedley Club in the De Anza Hotel to see my neighbor Mike Brilliot playing with the Jazz Mechanics, but seats were in short supply so I headed over to Koji Sake Lounge to see the San Jose East Siders of Polyluv. Polyluv’s sound included psychedelic samples reminiscent of early Pink Floyd (think Obscured by Clouds or Meddle).

Finally I wrapped up the day at the 48 Hour Jazz Club stage with Bad Traffic. This horn-heavy funk band is made up of students and recent graduates from Valley Christian High. They played enthusiastically, and had competent solos, but they had a hard time keeping it together when more than one horn was in action at once. Trumpeter and band-leader David Creel told me they hadn’t practiced together for most of the year while part of the band was away at college, leading to the jam-like style of their performance.

There’s one more day left to enjoy the festival, so don’t miss out. Spanish Harlem Orchestra will wrap up the Main Stage entertainment beginning at 6 pm, and northern California’s own Bettye LaVette will close the fest with a 7:00 show on the Blues Stage.

Sharon Jones had the main stage crowd dancing.

The 2009 AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival opened last night with some big soul music, blues, and straight-up jazz. I caught bits and pieces of four or five acts, and they all would have been worth seeing all the way through. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings was the headline on the main stage, and they had the house rocking. She had audience members dancing on stage and in the aisles after she demonstrated “The Groove”, “The Mashed Potato”, and more dances from the original days of soul and funk.

Meanwhile Kaye Bohler and her band were heating up the Hedley Club at the Hotel De Anza with sexy blues. And “sexy” was the key to Bohler’s act, as she worked the crowd, threatening to steal the men away from their wives, and singing songs that could teach the wives to keep their husbands.

At the 48 Hour Jazz Stage, where local bands are highlighted, I caught The Poblano Project playing “jazz with spice”. They were joined by set drummer Katie Hawn, and also did three numbers with a group of “young habaneros”, high-school aged up-and-coming musicians. I also caught a short piece of the CEO Jazz Jam, which was maybe more interesting for people-watching than for musical consistency. I think I recognized at least one of the CEO’s on stage (a “big name” in the electronics design industry) and saw San Jose city councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio in the audience. The bar at the 48 Hour stage, offering $4 beer, is one of the best-kept secrets of the festival.

The Festival continues today with Allen Toussaint headlining the main stage, local favorites SambaDa at 4 on the Latin Stage, Chris Cain closing out the Blues Stage, and of course dozens more bands. Tickets are $15 for one day or $20 for two days.

Altered Roots Quartet drummer Todd Wilder

The 2009 AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival was unofficially launched tonight with a show by Altered Roots Quartet at neighborhood hangout The Naglee Park Garage.

Altered Roots Quartet is a local band that’s been together in various guises for many years. Only about 4 years ago they came together in their current form. The band plays reggae songs in a jazzy style and jazz with a slightly reggae beat. One key to the band’s sound is that guitarist Andrew Sacco is also a luthier, or guitar maker. He built his own 7-string guitar, and also bassist Chris Wilder’s instrument.

ARQ will play, officially, at the San Jose Jazz Festival Saturday evening at 6 on the 48 Hour Jazz Stage in the Theater on the Square at San Pedro Square. After the festival their next gig is Friday, August 14, at Gordon Biersch Restaurant in San Jose (I’m giving you the date from memory, because GB’s doesn’t seem to update their web page regularly for upcoming shows).
More photos after the break.

I’ve been getting myself in gear for this weekend’s San Jose Jazz Festival with my Cab Calloway and Winton Marsalis CD’s in the car, and KCSM when the CD’s run out. This is the 20th annual San Jose Jazz Festival (okay, “AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival“), and it will be pretty much all over downtown San Jose from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. There will be 9 stages, plus food and plenty of “Extras“. And tickets can be had for only $15 per day or $30 for all three days, making it one of the biggest live music bargains of the year.

What caught my eye in this year’s festival program is the Club Crawl. The Crawl encompasses 13 downtown clubs, all with no-cover live jazz music on Friday and Saturday nights, running later than the outdoor stages. What I really like about the Crawl is that after you’ve seen superstars like Allen Toussaint and Bettye Lavette on the big stages, you can follow the Club Crawl and get a look at some hard-working local bands.

For example, on Friday:

• San Jose native Joe De Rose brings his trio to Hawg’s Seafood Bar
• Local vocalist Monica Marquis performs at Agenda Restaurant
• Keyboardist Kirk Tamura brings his Trio to A Perfect Finish Wine Bar

On Saturday:

• Northside native Doug Ellington and the New Urban Groove at the Temple Bar
• East Side based Polyluv at Koje Sake Lounge
• For night owls, Jazz Mechanics play at the Hedley Club in Hotel De Anza until 1:30 am

Check the Crawl webpage for specific times and more bands.

Note: The band in the photo is Bug Horn Rex. Its not officially part of the Jazz Festival, but they’re playing at the Naglee Park Garage Friday night from 6 to 9.

Looking for something fun and free for the family this evening? The 14th Annual Dancin’ on the Avenue in downtown Willow Glen runs today (June 20) from 5-10pm. This is always a fun event with lots to do for everybody. There’s a kid’s court full of games,arts and crafts  and face painting and of course dancing and music just  for  kids too.

Lincoln Street shuts down from Minnesota to Willow, with three stages of music and dancing throughout the event. Entertainment ranges from bluegrass, jazz and salsa to classical ballet, hip hop and belly dance. Visit the official site for a  list of performers. Look for plenty of great food and drink, much from local vendors as well.

Last year 30,000 people attended the event, so parking fills up fast. If you decide to park in the neighborhood, please be respectful of the neighbors. Here’s a map of the event and suggestions on parking.