SANTA CRUZ

Jake Blount, Mali Obomsawin join forces at Kuumbwa

Blount is a multi-instrumentalist from Providence, Rhode Island, who specializes in interpretations of traditional Black folk music. Obomsawin is an Indigenous musician from the Abenaki First Nations reserve at Odanak in Quebec who was a member of the folk-rock trio Lula Wiles and has performed styles ranging from free-jazz to American roots music as a solo artist.

In September, the two collaborated on the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings album “Symbiont,” which blends African and Indigenous futurism, and instruments such as synthesizers, drum machines and banjos that weave a narrative about a climate crisis that has been unfolding for centuries. The show will feature music that will give audiences plenty to think about.

The concert is 7 p.m. Thursday at Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St. Doors open at 6. Tickets are $36.75 at the door, $34.97 for advance general admission, $31.50 for members in advance and $18.50 for students. For more information, go to KuumbwaJazz.org.

Bay Area blues legend Tommy Castro returns to Moe’s Alley

Growing up over the hill in San Jose, blues guitarist Tommy Castro is no stranger to Santa Cruz. He has played in the area often, including a show at Moe’s Alley with his band The Painkillers last year. They will be returning to the venue for an afternoon show Sunday.

Since 1994, Castro has released 16 albums, performed with the likes of B.B. King and John Lee Hooker and won numerous awards, including two Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. His newest album, “Closer to the Bone,” will be released Feb. 7 featuring the lead single “Woke Up And Smelled The Coffee.”

The concert is 4 p.m. Sunday at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way. Doors open at 3. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the show. This is a 21-and-older concert. For more information, go to MoesAlley.com.

Greensky Bluegrass have colorful show at Catalyst

Everybody has an idea of what to expect at bluegrass shows, namely lots and lots of banjo picking and pedal steel vibrations. Greensky Bluegrass have plenty of that at their shows, naturally, but also a whole lot more. They perform with choreographed light shows, electric effects and a sound that goes beyond just bluegrass and invokes the spirit of rock and roll. In other words, keep your expectations of a typical bluegrass show at the door when coming to the Catalyst Club Sunday.

Based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Greensky Bluegrass have released nine studio albums since 2004, some of which were produced by members of Railroad Earth and Los Lobos, won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition in 2006 and collaborated with the likes of Phil Lesh and Billy Strings. They are currently at the start of their winter tour where they will be joined by Moon Taxi and Railroad Earth on certain dates. For their Catalyst show, they will be flying solo, but their live shows are enough to satisfy a bill on their own.The concert is 8 p.m. Sunday at the Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave. Doors open at 7. Tickets are $52. This is a 16-and-older concert. For more information, go to CatalystClub.com.

Meshell Ndegeocello to honor James Baldwin

Last year marked the 100th birthday of venerated author and civil rights activist James Baldwin, and singer Meshell Ndegeocello celebrated the occasion with the release of “No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin,” with songs paying tribute to Baldwin and other influential Black thinkers such as Audre Lorde. She will be performing the album at not one but two shows at Kuumbwa Jazz Monday.

Since her 1993 debut “Plantation Lullabies,” Ndegeocello has been an in-demand bassist who has recorded with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Chaka Khan, The Indigo Girls and more.

Her duet with John Mellencamp on a cover of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night” was even a No. 3 hit in 1994, and she has also made a name for herself as a solo performer blending funk, soul, jazz and hip-hop.

“No More Water” is an homage to Baldwin, who became an influential voice for human equality in the mid 20th century with books like “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Giovanni’s Room” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” as well as the essay collection “Notes of a Native Son.” His work had a profound impact on the civil rights movement, as he became friends with both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, and the LGBTQ+ equality movement, as his books also featured gay and bisexual characters. Baldwin received a Legion of Honor award from the French government, as he spent many of his years in Paris, a year before his death in 1987.

Ndegeocello will be joined by vocalist Justin Hicks, organist Jake Sherman, drummer and vocalist Abraham Rounds, and guitarist Chris Bruce.

The concerts are 7 and 9 p.m. Monday at Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St. Doors open at 6 and 8:30 p.m., respectively. Tickets are $63 at the door, $64.10 for advance general admission, $57.75 for members in advance and $31.50 for students. For more information, go to KuumbwaJazz.org.

This week’s calendar was compiled by Nick Sestanovich.