Ukulele player as rock star? How about taking center stage at a symphony hall? Almost hard to imagine unless you’ve heard Jake Shimabukuro. An international phenomenon, Jake’s played loud rock on his uke in front of thousands in Japan, classical music with orchestras and jazz with the best of them in New York. He’s written…
The passing of a musical fairy godmother
By Jazz and Blues | Published January 25th, 2012RIP Etta James ( January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012). As my personal musical fairy godmother I will always remember Etta as a great woman and artist. Most noted for the song ‘At Last’, she sang it all – gospel, pop, soul, jazz and even some great funk music. She was beautiful person who left…
John Cruz on KZSC Friday
By Michael Bryant | Published January 25th, 2012Hawaiian John Cruz gets a chance to visit KZSC during our singer/songwriter “Friday Folk” show this week. He’ll talk about his visit with President Obama, the use of his music on TV’s “Hawaii 5-0″ and of course the craft of writing songs. Hear John Cruz live on KZSC Friday morning between 9 and noon with…
Jim Malcolm Wed Jan 25th
By Folk Department | Published January 24th, 2012Scottish singer-songwriter Jim Malcolm will be performing at Don Quixote’s in Felton, CA on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. Former lead singer of the well-respected band Old Blind Dogs, Jim has been touring the world with his guitar and harmonicas, singing the traditional songs of Scotland along with his own originals. He’s a master interpreter of…
New Program Schedule Begins
By Michael Bryant | Published January 23rd, 2012The Maya were right. The culture that invented drainage systems, numeric calendars and perfected chocolate are getting a lot of attention these days for their 2012 predictions (or lack thereof). One thing they nailed for sure – a great new program schedule on KZSC. How they knew is still a mystery; what you’ll find on…
A Smorgasbord Of Ska
By Program Review Committee | Published January 20th, 2012There seems to be a surfeit of ska music in the coming months. This bounty of musical nourishment will satisfy the ska-starved and the dance-deprived. Some of the bands coming to town include: Friday, January 20th – DAN POTTHAST – The Catalyst Saturday, January 21st – VOODOO GLOW SKULLS – The Catalyst Thursday, January 26th…
Dan “Daddy Squeeze” Newton, Wed Jan 18th
By Folk Department | Published January 17th, 2012From chilly Minnesota comes Dan “Daddy Squeeze” Newton to the Backstage Lounge (next to the Rio Theatre) in Santa Cruz, CA on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 8:30pm. A true master of the much maligned squeeze box, Dan’s repertoire covers a wide swath of original and traditional material, including influences of Gypsy Swing, French Musette,…
UCSC’s 28th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation
By Michael Bryant | Published January 17th, 2012World-renowned poet, writer and activist Nikki Giovanni will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation. Still committed to the struggle for civil rights and equality today, her talk will cover “The Privilege of Serving: Art and the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr”. The event takes place Thursday, February…
Paul Simon Special 1/24
By Michael Bryant | Published January 17th, 2012“Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die.” This mindset is part of the reason why Paul Simon still matters. Not content with reminiscing about Simon & Garfunkel, “Rhymin’ Simon” has continued to change and grow as a songwriter with a signature style. You can…
Coachella Madness
By Intro to Radio Instuctor | Published January 13th, 2012If you haven’t heard of this art-and-music packed festival before, Coachella is a three-day festival in Indio, California that for the first time is being held over two weekends. These weekends have an identical lineup of bands, including well-known acts like The Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, Cat Power, Radiohead, Miike Snow, and Dr. Dre &…