An Evening with Chris Botti

WHERE IT'S AT

The Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel has announced its 20th Anniversary Season: The Platinum Experience with a lineup you’ll be excited to find out about. We’ll get to that after talking about this Wednesday’s big concert event from the current season, An Evening with Chris Botti. There are still limited tickets available in the second ($95), third ($80) and fourth ($65) tiers, so if you’d like to hear some cool jazz trumpet and be entertained by the ever-popular two-time Grammy-winning crossover musician and his group, don’t delay going online at www.sunsetcenter.org to obtain them.

Jazz music fans locally have been consistent supporters of the Oregon-born/New York City-based performer who has played on the peninsula numerous times, including a few appearances at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival. His crystalline tone on his instrument has elements of the less-is-more aesthetic that his major influence Miles Davis brought to his music. His ability to make the trumpet sing has made him an in-demand sideman to some of the most vaunted artists in music, such as Sting, Barbara Streisand, Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Andrea Bocelli. His sound is such that fans of all kinds of music are drawn to his concerts where he never fails to bring with him a stellar group of musicians in his band. He is a warm and often times humorous entertainer.

As a recording artist he’s released a total of 14 albums, his first “First Wish” came out in 1995 and the most recent was the Grammy-winning “Impressions” in 2012. It was his 2004 release “When I Fall in Love” that kicked his solo artist career into high gear, propelling him to the distinction of being the largest-selling American instrumental artist, selling more than four million albums at last count. His crossover appeal not only is attributed to his own solo recordings, but to his work with these additional big names: Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Joshua Bell and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. According to an interview in The Spokane-Review in May 2022, Botti is working on a new album, but he’s yet to announce a release date.

The last of the KRML sponsored Terrace Hour series of free concerts at the Sunset Center is this Friday. The Bubba Pickens Band, a group of six local teachers who play a mix of original and cover tunes in a harmony driven bluegrass and folk music style, will be performing at 6 p.m. No tickets or reservations are required. Food and drinks are allowed in, but alcohol must be purchased at the venue. The bar opens at 5:30 p.m. Rain cancels the event. The Sunset Center will be hosting a farmer’s market this coming Thursday, June 15 with live music by TNT & The Explosions. There will be two more this year on Sept. 21 and Oct. 19. The farmer’s market opens at 4 p.m.

Now on to some music highlights from the 2023/24 20th Anniversary Series. Tickets have recently gone on sale for the Premiere, Ambassador, Benefactor or Producer level members of the Bravo Club. Act III and Club members have their turn to purchase tickets for the upcoming season on June 15 at noon. On June 21, tickets are available to the general public, including Prelude, Act I and Act II members. To get all the details please visit www.cart.sunsetcenter.org/donate/contribute2.

The opening concert will take place on Saturday, Sept. 30 featuring one of the Central Coast’s favorite rock ’n’ roll bands, the guys from East L.A., Los Lobos. The Righteous Brothers are scheduled for Oct. 13, Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer featuring Rakesh Chaurasia is coming up Nov. 14.

Jake Shimabukuro: Christmas in Hawai’i comes to town Dec. 17 and Jazz at Lincoln Center Live: Sing & Swing featuring Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack is the first music event of 2024 on Jan. 26. And then you can experience One Night of Queen, a two-hour stage show that pays homage to the theatrics and music of the legendary rock band Queen, on Feb. 23.

Another big name, Bruce Hornsby & yMusic Present: BrhyM is coming to the center’s stage April 4. There are still more music, comedy, dance, theater and beyond shows to check out on the website www.sunsetcenter.org under the Events & Tickets tab. You’ll also be able to find out more about the artists and their programs. If you have any questions or would like details about ticket sales, you can call the administrative office at 831-620-2040 or the Box Office at 831-620-2048.

The Artichoke Festival is back in town this Saturday and Sunday at the Monterey Fair & Event Center with a full roster of live music and a new comedy event for this year called “Thistle Be Funny Comedy Show.” The event itself has a themed name of “Thistle Be Fun: Artichoke Festival 2023.”

The obvious star of the show is the often misunderstood artichoke, a vegetable that for the uninitiated presents as an inedible thorny handful of greenery. But it’s pretty safe to say that anyone who lives in California, where nearly 100% of the vegetables are grown, and absolutely anyone within shouting distance of Castroville, where nearly two-thirds of the crop is grown annually, has been schooled on how to cook and eat the thistle, as it is called technically.

The artichoke was first planted in Castroville in 1922, and the first festival was held there in 1959. It stayed in that small enclave north of the Monterey Peninsula for the majority of the last 63 years, although it’s been held at the fairgrounds since 2014. Artichokes are prepared and sold in a variety of forms, including fried artichoke hearts, steamed & grilled, artichoke BBQ sausage sandwich, Artichoke french fries, burritos, street tacos, nachos and ice cream. There is an artichoke eating contest, chef demos, wine tasting, a farmer’s market and a silent auction.

The main stage entertainment roster on Saturday features 831 Allstar Band, John Michael Band, Wild at Heart and Mustache Harbor Hardcore Soft Rock. On Sunday is Banda La Prohibida, Chicano Allstars and Shane Dwight. On the main stage is where the eating contest and canasta contest also take place. The festival hours are 10 a.m. — 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. on Sunday. Adult admission is $20, seniors/military is $15, kids 6 — 12 is $10 and kids 5 and under are free. The Thistle Be Funny Comedy Show is a separate admission on Saturday night only, featuring K-Von and Jose Sardy for $40. Visit the event website for all the details at www.artichokefestival.org. To buy tickets in advance click the Buy Tickets button at the top of the page.

One of the newer theater companies on the Monterey Peninsula, New Canon Theatre Co., announced its inaugural Season 2 event a few weeks back and this Friday is its opening night performance of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “Much Ado About Nothing,” reworked to take place in a post WWII setting during the Hollywood Canteen era.The fledgling company doesn’t have a home theater, but instead operates as a moving pop-up production. Running for three weeks, the play’s 13-member cast will perform its immersive action at the Blue Fox Cellars tasting facility at 25 Pilot Road in Carmel Valley.

The play features live music from The Andrews Sisters and other artists. Seating is limited to 125 patrons, and is held in the outdoor back patio with a pavilion. Those coming should be sure to dress for what could be chilly weather and a blanket is also suggested for extra comfort.

New Canon founding Artistic Director Justin Gordon shares, “One of Shakespeare’s most lush, romantic and deeply witty comedies, “Much Ado About Nothing” offers a celebratory tonic at a time when our society yearns for levity, joy, and a hope for renewal. Set in a vibrant setting on the heels of violent conflict, this enduring love story celebrates how joy triumphs over mourning.”

Director Noah Lucé says he worked with Shakespeare’s raw material and in converting to a more modern era he identified the story’s thematic structure to ensure clarity for the audience and the language is updated for better understanding of the interaction.

“Ultimately, my goal is to take our audience on a nostalgic journey that seeks to answer the idea of how people deal with change and grow through acts of love,” Lucé stated.

Justine Stock is the producer of the play and Rebecca Bruemmer is the stage manager. Thursday is a preview performance where students are admitted free with valid ID. Showtime is 7 p.m. Friday is the Premier performance at 7 p.m. and an opening night reception is at 5:30 p.m., separate admission. Visit the website for details and tickets at www.newcanontheatre.org or call 831-275-1441. The play will run through June 18 on Thursdays — Sundays. On the third week of its runtime, it will run Thursday — Saturday. Tickets cost $45 for adults, $35 for senior/military and $15 for students, Sundays tickets are $5 off.