We live in a culture where apology, a change of temperament or evolving ideological alignment are considered signs of weakness. This seems like an intractable, complex problem, but it’s simple to sidestep when you remember everyone who runs things here is stupid as hell and arrogant to boot, and that you don’t have to be […]
James Zeller
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Music Tonight: Thursday, May 22
The Creative Sanctuary is putting on another jazz gig at the Arcata Playhouse, the first in a series basking in the glow of the formidable works of Art Blakely and the Jazz Messengers. Tonight’s program is an homage to Horace Silver, the post-bop pianist and co-bandleader who brought the group to his highest peaks of […]
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Speedway at Nazareth
A little preface is needed before this week’s column gets rolling. It’s Memorial Day weekend in our stretch of the entertainment beat, coming a week after graduation at Cal Poly Humboldt. Which means that the front end of this piece will be heavy with a variety of live offerings, while the caboose is scant to […]
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Music Tonight: Sunday, May 11
More jazz on the docket tonight, when the Creative Sanctuary presents Jazz is Peace: A tribute to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn at the Arcata Playhouse tonight at 7 p.m. The line-up features a rogues gallery of top-notch musicians, including James Zeller, Katie Belknap, Danny Gaon, Ramsey Isaacs, Allison Muench, Matt Seno and Tree. There’s […]
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The Buddha of Suburbia
Following last week’s introduction, one might think I was being a little too hard on the Democratic Party, and some folks might be bothered by that. Fair enough. In my defense, I’m trying to help people — not the party, I have no love there — get through the denial and bargaining stages of grief, […]
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Music Tonight: Friday, Feb. 14
Ponies of Harmony, aka singer and trombonist James Zeller and guitarist and singer Katie Belknap, have put together a show at Synapsis tonight called All About Love, featuring poetic and musical musings on the nature of the evening’s theme. There is a vegan meal provided with soup, salad and bread from Brio, which must be […]
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Music Tonight: Saturday, Dec. 21
Here’s a trio of ways to celebrate the longest night of the year, laid out in chronological form for your discernment. At the Arcata Playhouse at 7 p.m., singer and trombonist James Zeller presents the music of Chet Baker (and other Capricorns). He will be joined by his usual cadre of talented cats, Gabe Lubowe, […]
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Under the Milky Way
When I was a boy, I had a recurring dream about a vast, white expanse, possibly snow, possibly fine sand, probably something entirely different. Across this ethereal tundra walked a procession of animals, creatures of all kinds from across the world. Giraffes, kangaroos, lions and cheetahs mingled with penguins, bright green frogs, tortoises, ostriches, butterflies […]
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Music Tonight: Saturday, Aug. 31
The Sanctuary has been the place for well-curated celebrations of some of the true jazz greats of our country. Tonight is one such event, and I suggest you Take the A-Train to J Street by 7 p.m. and pony up the $15-$30 sliding scale door fee to head into a little piece of Birdland. The […]
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L.A. Freeway
I’m dropping a Guy Clark song for this week’s title because a) it’s very good and b) it was brought to my attention by a dear friend and one of the brightest stars in our local music scene. Beverly Twist and I have known each other for years now and I’ve written a lot about […]
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Music Tonight: Saturday, July 6
The Sanctuary is continuing its successful jazz concert series, with this fourth installment, a celebration of the King of New Orleans and beyond, and the world’s biggest ambassador to jazz himself, Louis Armstrong. At 7 p.m., join James Zeller, Don Hammerstedt and company for an evening of the stuff that made the 20th century sparkle, […]
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Fanfare for the Common Man
While I am not a fan of historical hypotheticals and counterfactual guesswork, it is enticing to imagine what a different world we’d all be living in if instead of that homicidal hayseed from Missouri, Harry S. Truman, FDR’s previous sidekick Henry Wallace had been vice president when Roosevelt died. Wallace was an avid reformer in […]