Articles by Walter Atkins
The Guitar Trifecta At The Peacock Lounge
by Walter Atkins
A enjoyable way to start the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday Weekend began with The Guitar Trifecta at the Peacock Lounge, located on historic Haight Street in jny: San Francisco on January 12 2024. The GT consisted of Bay Area guitar stalwarts: Calvin Keys, Lloyd Gregory and Carl Lockett. Julia, a surprise guest vocalist, contributed a few songs at the end of the session. The Trifecta's invigorating evening performance included tasty renditions of “Sunny" and “Misty" in their ...
read moreJudith Hill at Yoshi's
by Walter Atkins
Vocalist Judith Hill brought her exhilarating live concert to the East Bay music landmark Yoshi's in Oakland's historic Jack London Square. It was definitely a family affair evening with her father Robert “Pee Wee" Hill and mother Michiko Hill on bass and keyboards respectively. Drummer John Staten rounded out the top notch band that performed to a full house. Hill's guitar solos and keyboard skills complemented her evocative vocals throughout the high octane session. The boisterous audience showed their appreciation ...
read moreNapa/NOLA 2023 At Grand Reserve at the Meritage
by Walter Atkins
WHO DAT! It's was an ecstatic day of New Orleans inspired music, wine and food in scenic Napa presented by Blue Note Napa's Summer Sessions program. The luxurious Grand Reserve at the Meritage Resort & Spa hosted the festive Mardi Gras excursion to the Big Easy. Napa Blue Note's artists line up consisted of: MJ's Brass Boppers, Raw Oyster Cult, Dumpstaphunk with Ivan Neville, DJ Harry Duncan, and Galactic with a guest appearance by Cyril Neville. The romantic ...
read moreSan Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023
by Walter Atkins
César Chávez Square San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023 San Jose, CA August 11-13 2023 This year's 2023 edition of the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest was a magnificent presentation of different musical genres, ranging from local to international artists. Each day of SJZSF 2023 offered a robust and extensively varied program of: jazz, world music, Hip hop, salsa, soul, blues, NOLA, swing and so much more. The Fest's rich programming featured: Marcus Miller, Gregory ...
read moreBuddy Guy Damn Right Farewell Tour 2023
by Walter Atkins
A collection of photos from the Buddy Guy Damn Right Farewell Tour concert at Stern Grove in San Francisco on August 6, 2023 featuring Eric Gales. In front of one of the largest San Francisco Bay Area crowds (estimated 10,000) seen in recent memory, the eternal Buddy Guy brought his Damn Right Farewell Tour to a heavily sun-soaked Stern Grove on this Sunday afternoon. The highest elevation of the Grove's hillside was covered by legions of dedicated blues ...
read moreLisa Fischer And Grand Baton At Freight & Salvage
by Walter Atkins
Lisa Fischer And Grand Baton Freight & Salvage Berkeley CA Friday July 28 2023 Acclaimed versatile vocalist and Grammy winner Lisa Fischer (Tina Turner, Rolling Stones) graced the spacious Freight & Salvage in jny: Berkeley's downtown Arts District for multiple weekend performances. The Minnesota native received superb support from her long standing touring group Grand Batonwhich was band leader/guitarist JC Maillard, bassist Richie Goods and drummer Thierry Arpino. Fischer opened with the uplifting ...
read moreFillmore Jazz Festival 2023
by Walter Atkins
This year's 2023 edition of the San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Festival, felt like a breath of fresh air with its inclusive artist lineup, crafts booths and food vendors. It was nice to report weather wise, the chill was gone. The climate was warmer compared to other years. The extensive roster featured some FJF favorites and new faces. Saturday's lineup had: Kim Nalley, Charged Particles, Groove 8, Keys All-Stars Trio, Ricardo Scales' Highway to Heaven Choir, Lori Carsillo, Loafers & Sneakers, ...
read morePamela Rose At The Sound Room
by Walter Atkins
Popular San Francisco Bay Area vocalist / composer / educator Pamela Rose held court at the recently relocated Sound Room in downtown Oakland. Accompanied by long time musical friends guitarist Danny Caron, B3 organist Wayne De La Cruz and drummer Mark Lee, Rose presented new material nicely sprinkled with some old favorites. Rose's stellar band played “Wake Up" to get the house rocking. When the tune was finished, she thanked them and introduced the individual members. Rose loved ...
read moreJeremy Cohen: Raymond Scott Reimagined
by Walter Atkins
Raymond Scott Reimagined is an engaging collaborative project with Quartet San Francisco, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and the Grammy winning acapella group Take 6 on two tracks. The album is a thoughtful and stylish interpretation of Raymond Scott's legacy. It is also interspersed with audio tidbits featuring Scott's singular musical approaches. The album kicks off with the enticing “Powerhouse," familiar to anyone who has watched a Warner Bros Looney Tunes cartoon. “Toy Trumpet" is a tasty composition ...
read moreSamara Joy At Healdsburg Jazz Festival 2023
by Walter Atkins
The 25th Anniversary Healdsburg Jazz Festival covered nine days (June 17-25, 2023) of exceptional music presented with great cuisine and wines. Some of the featured artists included: Dianne Reeves, The Bill Frisell Trio, John Santos, Sheila Heath's Billie Holiday Project, The Festival also held a Pharoah Sanders & Joey DeFrancesco Tribute Concert with Gary Bartz, Brian Ho, Nicolas Bearde, Marcus Shelby, Tomoki Sanders and many others. Samara Joy, the 2023 Grammy Award Winner for Best New Artist & ...
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