Busy musical weekend ahead
First things first. Several concert events take place tonight, so it’s going to be on you to make up your mind quickly if you don’t already have a ticket. Ranging from an international pop star to jazz/folk crossover, to jazz jamming, it’s another beautiful week of music ahead.
A top-flight duo with hands and hearts that express their love of multiple musical genres appears at The SandBox Sand City venue beginning at 7 p.m. Two-time Grammy-winning violinist Mads Tolling will be performing with top-flight pianist John R. Burr, someone many longtimers around here will recognize as a sparkling keyboardist who sat in with several local bands some years back. It’s kind of a loose memory for me, but trust me, he’s continued to create and collaborate with many great musicians up and down the West Coast and beyond. Together they will be making some sweet-sounding music which will include creative arrangements of songs by The Beatles and Toto and original songs from the artists’ repertoire. The two have an album recorded, but yet to be released due to the interruption from the pandemic.
I caught up with the Bay Areabased Tolling recently. He explained that he and Burr started to record the album just two days before the lockdown began in March 2020, at Blue Coast Records in San Mateo, known for hosting studio sessions that required super highquality audiophile kind of projects. That in itself speaks volumes at what level these musicians play.
“I met John, maybe, five or six years ago through a mutual friend, Steven Shore, a local producer,” Tolling said. “I’d met him before, aware of his contribution to a Windham Hill multi-artist recording. One of his tracks on there is ‘For The Asking,’ which we’ll play (tonight). He’s been able to integrate his sort of lyrical playing with folk traditions. That’s how I think of him, a very lyrical guy who likes to write his own music, make his own take on arrangements and makes them special in his own way. John and I started gigging around the Bay Area five years ago.”
Tolling is a Danish-born
stringed instrument player, primarily on violin, but he quickly learned the viola to audition for the Turtle Island Quartet. He landed the gig in 2003 and during his nine years with the band he won the two Grammy Awards for Best Classical Crossover Album, “4+Four” (2005) and “A Love Supreme — The Legacy of John Coltrane” (2007). Tolling founded his groups in 2008, releasing recordings that featured jazz greats Stanley Clarke, Russell Ferrante and Stefon Harris. When he was a student at Berklee College of Music, he was recommended to join bassist Stanley Clarke’s band through renowned jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. He’s performed over 100 concerts with Clarke worldwide.
“I’m trying to learn the mandolin right now, also similar to a violin,” he said.
Tolling has been playing with Bob Weir, the former member of the Grateful Dead.
“… in Bob’s band, actually the way it works there, it’s really called Bob Weir and the Wolf Bros. and the Wolf Pack. So I’m part of the Wolf Pack, which is essentially a string and horn section with violin, cello, trumpet, sax and trombone. What we’ve done is create these arrangements on top of old Grateful Dead tunes, to complement what’s already going on. So there are all these brand new arrangements that I don’t believe have ever happened on the music by the Grateful Dead. It’s always been sort of a jam thing. This is more orchestrated. We’re going to play with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center from Feb. 9-13, 2022. Like a symphony meets a rock band sort of thing. There’s a lot going on.”
Tonight you’ll hear a Burr arrangement of “Blackbird” by The Beatles that has been turned into a second line southern tinged tune retitled “Blackened Bird.” The song “Africa” by Toto, and a song by the late, great jazz giant, pianist McCoy Tyner are also on tap. Also, they bring new arrangements of music Tolling recorded with his group Mads Tolling & The Mads Men. The
band’s repertoire has music from the 60s; two songs that will be heard in concert are “A Taste of Honey” and “All Along The Watchtower.” Tickets are available at www.sandboxsandcity.com for $35 plus a small service fee. COVID protocols enforced.
Christopher Cross appears tonight at the Golden State Theatre, doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., with no opening act. His 1980 self-titled debut album won five Grammy Awards, including the “Big Four,” Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. The song “Sailing” carried Cross to this pinnacle achievement. In a career that spans over five decades, he has sold over 10 million albums and garnered the five Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and an Emmy nomination. A total of five Top Ten singles have his name on it. The Oscar win came from his collaboration with Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager for “Arther’s Theme” for the movie “Arthur.” Tickets are available at Eventbrite, linked from www.goldenstatetheatre. com. Prices are $35-$59, COVID protocols enforced.
OK, I’m going to have to fire off other shows you’ll want to check out. That third Thursday show I mentioned requires a reservation and a desire to drink some wine ($15 deposit per person, applied to food and wine). The Rough Jazz Combo (instrumental jazz and funk) appears this afternoon from 3-5 at the Folktale Winery Wine Garden. Some of our best musicians are in the mix, Jesse DeCarlo, guitar;
Zach Westfall, bass; Mike Shannon, drums; and Ben Herod, saxophone. Live music happens almost every day at Folktale, so check out the website/calendar for all the upcoming music at www.folktalewinery.com.
Monday, in collaboration with KTOM radio, Folktale presents Live in the Garden with Lindsay Ell. Doors at 5 p.m., show 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Hopefully this show will see clear skies, as last week’s surprise show with The Wood Brothers ushered in our first rain of the season. Be sure to dress warmly. Ell’s a hot new artist who just came off an opening slot tour with Blake Shelton, and she will be performing an acoustic one-woman show, with opening act Wild & Blue. Reserved seating is $75 for parties of 2-8, and standing room with cocktail table is $55 per person for parties of 2-4. Details and tickets at the above website.
Smooth jazz saxophonist Will Donato returns to the Coffee Bank Cafe Saturday, 7:30-10 p.m. He’s quite the entertainer and has a long roster of popular musicians he’s played with. Those of you who enjoy funky instrumental jazz with hijinks included will be sure to enjoy this show. His latest record is titled “Elevate,” available signed on his website www.willdonato.com. Check out his backstory and get your tickets ($35) at www.coffeebankcafe.com. The shows at the Carmel Rancho venue are all outdoors on its back patio (cool setup), so be sure to bring a jacket in case it gets more than chilly.