Culture Crush: Five Ways to Stay Busy This Weekend

Events boasting music, art, wine and other delights are happening throughout the North Bay and online this weekend, and here’s a round up of what’s worth looking forward to.

Taste of Art
Toronto-based contemporary abstract artist Peter Triantos specializes in creating vibrant, large-scale works that incorporate his splashing-paint technique and expressive brushstrokes of colorful designs. Of Triantos’ most popular works, his “Napa Valley” series is a highly sought-after ode to the region. Seven of Triantos’ paintings are currently featured in the gallery space at Brasswood Estate in Napa Valley, and the artist joins winemaker Angelina Mondavi and Marcus Marquez for a virtual tasting of the new Brasswood Estate line-up, featuring the 2016 Pinot Noir, and a discussion on the inspiration for his “Napa Valley’ series on Friday, Sept. 25, at noon. Brasswood.com.

Bike Up
Since many people in the Bay Area are working from home due to Covid-19, the annual Bike to Work Day event that encourages commuting-by-bike is now “Bike to Wherever Days,” and bicyclists throughout the region are participating in activities the entire month of September.

The celebration is still going strong in its final weekend, and all three North Bay counties are hosting rides and other fun. Log your rides and win prizes from the Marin County Bicycle Coalition (marinbike.org) or the Napa County Bicycle Coalition (napabike.org) and participate in activities with Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition like a Bike Parade on Saturday, Sept. 26. Bikesonoma.org.

Hands-On Harvest
It’s Harvest Season, and that means work is in full swing in the North Bay’s vineyards and farms. If you’ve ever wondered what life is like for a local winemaker during this time of the year, Muscardini Cellars in Sonoma Valley is offering a chance to do just that with the interactive Harvest Experience & Blending Seminar. The three-part event includes a discussion with winemaker Michael Muscardini, vineyard-owner Dan Sanchez and Wine Club director Karen Hannah; a wine-blending event; and a harvest-inspired lunch catered by local purveyors on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 11am to 3pm. 9380 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood. $105. Muscardinicellars.com.

Birthday Bash
Beloved Bay Area musician and longtime member of the Jerry Garcia Band, Melvin Seals (pictured) always celebrates his birthday with a massive concert experience. Even though the pandemic has kept social gatherings on hold, Seals and friends are rocking out for his big day anyways, performing a virtual concert on his actual birthday via Light Rail Station in San Francisco.

Catch Melvin Seals & JGB in a very special one night event titled, “Cats On The Bandstand: A Very Melvin Birthday Show.” Joining Seals for this major event will be his band, which includes former Furthur and Dark Star Orchestra guitarist John Kadlecik, deSol drummer Jeremy Hoenig, and bassist John-Paul McLean. Also expect call-ins and other surprise appearances from legendary members of the Jerry Garcia Band family, like Grateful Dead publicist Dennis McNally and Jerry Garcia Band manager Steve Parish. Head to Light Rail Station’s Facebook page or Youtube channel on Sunday, Sept. 27. 4pm. Free. Lightrailstation.com.

Revisit the Summit
Each September, nonprofit Roots & Branches Conservancy hosts the Sound Summit music festival on Mount Tamalpais. The fundraiser always features cool bands and awesome sights, though this year’s fest was canceled due to social distancing. In lieu of the live event, Sound Summit is turning the clock back with a streaming event, “Sound Effects: SF Bay Area Musicians Relief,” featuring recorded live performances by Wilco, Los Lobos, Bill Frisell, The Stone Foxes and Matt Jaffe from Sound Summit in 2016. The streaming event benefits local artists through the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7pm. Free to watch; donations welcome. Soundsummit.net.

Alexander Valley Film Festival Brings Art House to Your House

The Alexander Valley Film Festival regularly screens engaging independent films and welcomes exciting filmmakers to Northern Sonoma County each fall, and this year’s AVFF—hosted by the Alexander Valley Film Society—will stay true to that mission while presenting a virtual version of the sixth annual film festival due to Covid-19.

“Our theme this year is justice,” says Kathryn Hecht, executive director of the Alexander Valley Film Society. “Social, economic, environmental, and mental and spiritual unrest are at crisis levels. And that is exactly where art—namely movies—come into play. Film helps us process our reality, either directly or as a moment of interlude to relax and refocus.”

Now streaming online for five days, the 2020 AVFF will screen feature films, short films and student films, and present panel discussions and Q&A events between Wednesday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 27. Patrons can view the festival’s films and events from their computers and use Roku to screen it on their TVs.

The virtual offerings begin with an opening-night film, the 1955 French film Rififi. Watch the film online beginning the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 23, and then tune in at 8pm for a panel featuring Hecht and film-critic Jil Hales in a discussion of Jules Dassin’s quintessential caper film. All other films will be available for viewing starting Thursday, Sept. 24, at 9am and will remain available until Sunday, Sept. 27, at 10pm.

The festival’s feature-film lineup includes several new movies such as Critical Thinking, a biopic about an inner-city chess team that is directed by John Leguizamo; The Artist’s Wife, a drama about living with dementia that stars acclaimed actors Bruce Dern and Lena Olin; and Aggie, a feature-length documentary about art-collector Agnes Gund, who sold Roy Lichtenstein’s painting “Masterpiece” in 2017 for $165 million to start the Art for Justice Fund.

The festival’s short-film highlights includes 26.2 to Life: The San Quentin Prison Marathon, which tracks San Quentin inmates as they train for a marathon race as part of a prison running team. Director Christine Yoo, volunteer coaches Frank Ruona and Diana Fitzpatrick, and film-subject Markelle Taylor discuss the filmmaking journey and what is next in the process on Sept. 26 at 2pm.

Other featured online panels include an expert discussion covering the media’s representation of the transgender community on Sept. 24; a panel about new queer cinema and how it intersects with social justice on Sept. 25 at 2pm; a conversation on healthcare challenges facing vulnerable members of the community on Sept. 25 at 8pm; as well as many other events focusing on social-justice storytelling, equity in the arts and more.

In addition to feature-length and short-film presentations, AVFF once again spotlights several local student filmmakers, with two blocks of student films from Healdsburg High School, Santa Rosa High School, the Geyserville Unified School District and the AV Film Society’s film camps. Meet the student filmmakers during a panel on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 2pm.

To compliment the movies, AVFF will also team up with local restaurants and wineries to offer pick-up food and wine options for a fully immersive film experience. Healdsburg’s Barndiva offers dinner and wine on Sept. 23; Young & Yonder Spirits sells a summertime paella and cocktail pairing on Sept. 25; Trading Post in Cloverdale helps close out the festival with food and wine on Sept. 27.

Passes to this year’s virtual festival range from $75 to $125, and individual films can be screened for $15 each. All proceeds from the festival benefit Sonoma County students through the Alexander Valley Film Society’s year-round educational and cultural enrichment programs.

The virtual Alexander Valley Film Festival is taking place online between Wednesday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 27. Avfilmsociety.org.

Blues Masters Pair Up on New Record

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Fame harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite have a lot in common.

They both got their starts in Chicago in the ’60s. They both became widely acclaimed for their musicianship early in their careers, they both found success with their own bands and with other master musicians, and they both moved to the North Bay many years ago; Bishop living in West Marin and Musselwhite calling Sonoma County home part-time.

Since crossing paths and becoming friends, Bishop and Musselwhite have become musical compatriots, touring together since the 1980s in addition to touring with their own bands. They have also each continued to create critically acclaimed, award-winning music on vinyl. Though, they’ve never released a record together, until now.

On Friday, Sept. 25, Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite make their debut as a recorded duo with the release of their first collaborative LP, 100 Years Of Blues.

The down-home collection of music features Bishop and Musselwhite trading songs over the course of 12 spirited tracks that consist of nine originals and three reimagined blues classics.

“It all fell together so quickly and easily,” Bishop says in a statement. “We each brought about half the songs and recorded them all in one or two takes.”

The inspiration for the album came after Bishop and Musselwhite first joined forces in the studio to cut the original version of the song “100 Years Of Blues” for Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio in 2017.

Last year, the two performed a series of widely acclaimed stripped-down shows in which they swapped stories and songs, accompanied by pianist and guitarist Bob Welsh.

After that tour, the three musicians came together in Greaseland Studios in San Jose, as well as in Bishop’s Hog Heaven Studios, to lay down their tracks. The result is a spontaneous and constantly surprising record of laid-back Blues jams and versatile, heartfelt performances. In addition, Bishop and Musselwhite each lyrically mix easy-going storytelling songs with potent protest anthems on their original tunes.

“This is us sitting down to play the music that we love and resonating together effortlessly because we’re coming from the same place on many levels,” Musselwhite says in a statement. “We see things pretty much the same. Musically it’s like falling off a log. It’s so easy and it just makes sense.”

100 Years of Blues’ is available digitally and on CD on Friday, Sept. 25, via Alligator Records. alligator.com.

Cinnabar Theater Plays to the Camera in New Production

As the North Bay continues to stay socially distant due to Covid-19, local theater companies are inventing new ways to perform, including Petaluma’s Cinnabar Theater. This week, the acclaimed organization goes online and opens its virtual run of the one-woman play, The Lady With All the Answers.

“Despite the restrictions of COVID-19, we want to provide the community with a unique theater experience, the opportunity to enjoy streaming theater from the comfort of your home,” says Cinnabar Theater executive director Diane Dragone.

Filmed in Cinnabar’s playhouse in Petaluma with a small staff on hand, the show stars Cinnabar veteran Laura Jorgensen as beloved advice columnist Ann Landers, aka Eppie Lederer, the midwestern woman who took over the popular advice column after Ruth Crowley, the creator of the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ask Ann Landers, died in 1955. Lederer wrote the column for 47 years, and she addressed several taboo topics in that time; writing columns about infidelity, addiction, and even the proper way to hang toilet paper.

The Lady With All the Answers is set in 1975 as Lederer struggles to write a particularly personal column. While she tries to find the words to address her readers, Lederer flips through old newspaper clippings and shares them with the theater audience—essentially talking directly to the crowd throughout the show. At one point she even surveys the audience to get their opinion on the toilet paper topic.

That presents a particular challenge to Cinnabar’s new virtual theatrical experience, though the staff and crew–under longtime director Michael Fontaine–have been preparing all summer, and Jorgensen as Lederer learned to interact with the camera as if it was the audience.

Cinnabar Theater was actually one of the first North Bay theater groups to invest in digital video technology, as the Bohemian reported in July, and before working on The Lady With All the Answers, the theater company honed their video skills by presenting two 30-minute episodes of a new online production, “The CinnaTriv Theater Game Show.” Hosted by another Cinnabar veteran, Clark Sterling, the “Jeopardy”-style game, in which three contestants are tested on their knowledge of all things theater, is available to watch on YouTube now.

The Lady with All the Answers begins streaming online Friday, Sept. 18, and features online performances Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm and 7:30pm through Oct. 4. Tickets are $20 for one device or $40 for multiple devices. Ticket sales will offset ongoing expenses and will support the cast and crew, including set designers, lighting designers, stage managers and videographers involved in the production.

“During these uncertain times, it’s important to keep local theater and the arts alive,” Dragone says. “These virtual performances require the same production efforts and cost as their live counterparts. We hope our patrons and the community will discover the same value, joy and entertainment in our virtual productions that we do in creating them. Theater allows us to escape for a time and encourages us to laugh and listen and be connected, even if we can’t be together in person.”

‘The Lady With All the Answers’ streams online Fridays–Sundays, Sept. 18–Oct. 4. 2pm & 7:30pm. $20-$40. Cinnabartheater.org.

Vote to Balance the Power

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The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors made the courageous, unanimous (5-0) decision recently to place the Evelyn Cheatham Effective IOLERO Ordinance on the November ballot as Measure P.

The massive national action and social education initiated by the Black Lives Matter movement raised public awareness. Appreciation to the Board for stepping in to ensure that the democratic will of the citizens will be heard in the fall election.

The Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) is a civilian county committee (staffed by an appointed director) created by the Board in 2016 to investigate the use of force by Sheriff’s deputies and complaints against Sheriff’s Office personnel. Measure P would give the IOLERO access to evidence, the power to interview witnesses and the legal authority to subpoena records.

Steadfast opposition from Sheriff Mark Essick and the police officer’s association from Day One have stymied the work of IOLERO. The agency must be given the power to refer cases to a court for adjudication. Without that power, it’s just a talk shop for community activists.

Measure P will give IOLERO some teeth. We can place the Sheriff’s Office under civilian oversight and restore the balance of power that has been drained from the Board of Supervisors, who nominally has oversight of the Sheriff.

The County Sheriff’s Office and the police association for the deputies are already throwing up the usual lawfare PR flak about “legal flaws” in the Evelyn Cheatham Ordinance. This is a standard “stall and divide” tactic. Right-wingers have a bad intellectual habit of assuming that if they don’t approve of something, it must be illegal. This time, they failed.

The people of Sonoma County, confirmed by their elected officials, can use the power of the ballot to legally compel the Sheriff’s Office to accept public oversight of county law enforcement and to be accountable to the Board and citizens. You, dear citizen, make that happen by voting for Measure P in the November election.

It is our right as citizens in a democracy to have law enforcement that meets community standards. 

Ben Boyce lives in Sonoma.

Blame Game

Two waves of outrage greeted the news on Wednesday, Sept. 8, of Bob Woodward’s latest book, “Rage.”

The first was the President’s disclosure to Woodward that he knew as early as February—even as he was dismissing the coronavirus publicly—that the looming pandemic was far deadlier than the flu.

The second was that Woodward, long associated with The Washington Post, didn’t reveal this to the public sooner.

So, the public should blame Woodward for keeping this Administration’s obfuscation? No, anyone could argue that, but who would believe it? This Administration has lied to America and could still win an election in certain backward parts of this country and the media (FoxNews).

We are to blame for this Administration, principally for the failure to impeach.

Gary Sciford

Santa Rosa

Marin Loves Henry 1

I’m not commenting on the Sonoma County Sheriff’s budget cuts generally, but rather his specific threat of selling Henry 1, their rescue helicopter, in order to meet those budget cuts (“Scare Tactic,” Letters, Sept. 9).

I remind the Sheriff that since Henry 1 just rescued two Marin County firefighters on Aug. 22, at night, with a ring of fire surrounding them and little visibility due to smoke, he may want to rethink that threat. Right now the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office gets to be the hero every time they rescue someone, garnering love and support by just about everyone.   

I don’t know whether he is a fool overall, but THAT would be political suicide and probably result in lives lost that could have been saved … like our firefighters. Just sayin’.

Liz Froneberger, RN

Fairfax

A Chef’s Voyage

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While the premise of the film A Chef’s Journey focuses on following James Beard–award winning chef-owner David Kinch as he travels to France with most of his kitchen staff to celebrate 15 years of his 3-Star Michelin restaurant, Manresa, in Los Gatos, the film actually achieves something it didn’t likely set out to do. With an honest lens, A Chef’s Journey lays bare the reality of working in professional kitchens even at the highest echelons.

Right out the gate, Kinch’s team is clearly more nervous than excited about this international undertaking. The journey will entail the preparation of five dinners and four lunches over the course of just 10 days in three different acclaimed French restaurants (Le Taillevent, L’Oustau de Baumanière and Le Petit Nice) in Paris, Provence and Marseille. The mere logistics required to prepare Kinch’s refined California cuisine make one’s head spin. Throw in the fact that French cuisine has been the standard of excellence since the 17th century and no wonder the chefs are feeling the pressure.

This doesn’t mean Kinch’s heart isn’t in the right place. I met him a couple of times and he came off as intimidating; he was quiet, his arms were often crossed and he snuck sideways glances at me—as if he thought I might be untrustworthy. As food-writer Christine Muhlke points out at the start of the film, “David is very old school—he should be a 75-year-old chef in France.”

Contrary to what reality cooking shows would have us believe—most chefs are not limelight-seeking performers. Instead, the majority of chefs simply love to cook and feed people and they fundamentally understand that cooking is a craft that entails julienning hundreds of pounds of carrots and making gallons of stock from roasted bones and mirepoix. It’s not sexy work—it’s hard work and as Kinch points out, it’s not for everybody. 

Throughout most of the movie the staff seems both bewildered and awkward, navigating unfamiliar kitchens, a language barrier and, dare I say, the less-than-welcoming French hospitality.

Thankfully, the film features plenty of beautiful food photography alternately paired with jaunty French tunes, romantic classical selections and, of course, chef David Kinch, who speaks honestly about mentoring staff, about his commitment to the best ingredients and about how he still enjoys going to work each day.
In the end, this film may be hard-pressed to hold the attention of non-chefs and non-food enthusiasts, but that makes it honest. What it does best is reveal the truth about cooking in restaurants. Kinch admits he doesn’t want to die cooking in a kitchen and says he has a plan. This admission leads me to believe he is preparing for the next chapter. And to hazard a guess, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he lands in Nice, down near the ocean—it’s warmer on the Mediterranean than it is in Santa Cruz, where he currently lives.

Mural Project Pops Up in Santa Rosa

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Santa Rosa, like other North Bay cities and towns, has been the focal point of numerous social-justice events and protests since the renewed Black Lives Matter movement began in June following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

In addition to protesting police brutality, the demonstrations and gatherings in Santa Rosa have celebrated diversity, with an emphasis on supporting the North Bay’s immigrant communities and people of color. 

That celebration is now visually realized throughout Santa Rosa in the recently launched SCAPE Mural Project. 

The artistic endeavor has so far completed the large “Trinity Mural,” currently placed on the side of 3 Disciples Brewing Company at Mendocino Avenue and Ross Street; and the project recently put the final touches on an expansive community mural that can be seen along Fourth Street businesses downtown near Courthouse Square.

SCAPE (Sonoma County Artists Propelling Equity) is a grassroots collective of local artists who are people of color, and SCAPE murals feature portraits of Black Indigenous People of Color, or BIPOC, as well as portraits of inspirational leaders in Sonoma County. 

SCAPE Mural Project’s lead artist is Rima Makaryan, a recent Montgomery High School alumni and first-generation Armenian immigrant, who also works on The Monarch Project, a Sonoma County group that makes art to tell the stories of immigrants and to empower the local community.

Other participating SCAPE artists include Féven Zewdi, a first-generation Eritrean immigrant, who states that the new murals’ purpose is to stir interest in the fight for racial equity and justice. 

“My community takes up notable residence here in Sonoma County,” Zewdi says in a statement. “It’s an honor for me to give my best for my tribe. Through my efforts with SCAPE I hope to spark curiosity, social and political awakening that push for collective solution-building that will impact socio-economic improvements for BIPOC communities.”

The SCAPE Mural Project’s “Trinity Mural” depicts Bernice Espinoza, a local lawyer who advocates for racial justice and criminal justice reform; Rose Hammock, a community educator and activist who is Pomo and Wailacki; and Joy Ayodele, a local student activist. 

“I am truly touched beyond words,” Joy Ayodele says about her portrait in the mural. “I am honored. Sometimes there are moments of discouragement and fatigue, so it’s really special to me to feel uplifted in this way.”

SCAPE Mural Project’s Fourth Street murals were done in cooperation with Santa Rosa’s downtown revitalization effort Open & Out, a program that has turned sections of Fourth Street into pedestrian-only zones with expanded outdoor dining options. The impactful murals that adorn the street feature portraits of several local activists, and the imagery reflects the stories of Indigenous people, Latin Americans, Black people and LGBTQ people.

While poor air quality forced the mural organizers to cancel a planned unveiling on Fourth Street this past weekend, the art is there for visitors to see, and videos and other content will soon be available on The Monarch Project’s website. Additionally, donations to the SCAPE Mural Project can be made on its GoFundMe page.

Schulz Museum Marks 70 Years of ‘Peanuts’ with Online Events All Season

The first “Peanuts” comic strip was published in seven newspapers on October 2, 1950. In the 70 years since then, “Peanuts”–written and drawn by longtime Santa Rosa resident Charles M. Schulz–has become one of the most beloved comic strips ever, with it’s iconic characters appearing in thousands of newspapers as well as animated films, live stage shows and more.

Now, Santa Rosa’s renowned Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center celebrates the comic strip’s Platinum Anniversary and covers other timely topics with a fall season filled with public programs.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Schulz Museum will present the fall season entirely online, meaning “Peanuts” fans around the world will have the opportunity to join in the fun from the comfort of their own home.

Right now, the museum is already offering fall online classes for kids, running through October and featuring art and cartooning classes led by professionals.

This Wednesday, Sept. 16, cartoonist Joe Wos hosts an online class for ages seven and up on drawing endangered animals with simple step-by-step instruction. Also on Sept. 16, artist Barbara Golden begins a six-week class on Manga and anime art for students in grades seven to ten. A full list of classes can be found online now.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, the museum hosts a live event, ‘Telling Her Story: How Women are Changing Animation’ that will feature three women from Pixar Animation Studios’ Story Department–Aphton Corbin, Valerie LaPointe, and Louise Smythe–in conversation with Pixar Animation Studio’s Animation Department head Becki Tower. The conversation will examine how women are impacting the animation industry and how audiences experience animated films in the 21st century.

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the museum offers an interactive crafting class based on the new book Peanuts Origami, in which participants can learn to fold paper to create characters like Charlie Brown and Snoopy while they learn a bunch of fun “Peanuts” trivia along the way.

The museum opens October, the comic strip’s anniversary month, with a live conversation between Charles Schulz’s widow, Jean Schulz, and cartoonist Stephan Pastis (“Pearls Before Swine”) on Saturday, Oct. 3. Schulz will share stories about her husband’s legacy in the world of cartooning as well as the strip’s ongoing popularity.

Next, presented in conjunction with the exhibition, “Lucy! Fussbudget to Feminist,” the museum hosts a live event, ‘Women Rising: Local Leaders Speak Out’ on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The live conversation features Camilla Gray-Nelson (owner of Dairydell Doggie Dude Ranch and Training Center), Jennifer Reichardt (owner and winemaker at Raft Wines), and Vivienne Wei (author of Labor Force) sharing the challenges and successes they’ve experienced in their careers.

Another anniversary party, ’70 Years with the Peanuts Gang,’ commences on Saturday, Oct. 17, when author Simon Beecroft presents his new book, The Peanuts Book: A Visual History of the Iconic Comic Strip. Charles M Schulz Museum curator Benjamin L Clark and archivist Sarah Breaux join Beecroft in conversation, charting the evolution and endurance of the “Peanuts” characters.

October wraps up at the museum with an online drawing party focusing on ‘How to Draw Peanuts Halloween.’ Learn how to depict Charlie Brown in his ghost costume, Lucy in her witch hat and mask, Snoopy as the WW1 Flying Ace and the Great Pumpkin with instruction from Atlanta-based cartoonist Robert W. Pope on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Fall 2020 at the Charles M Schulz Museum continues in November and December with more drawing classes and live conversations on topics such as the Black experience as told through graphic novels and comics. Advanced registration is required for all online events. Visit schulzmuseum.org to sign up for these events now.

Marcus Shelby Takes the Lead at a North Bay Jazz Institution

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After more than two decades running the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, founder and longtime Artistic Director Jessica Felix recently announced her retirement effective at the end of September.

When she leaves, Felix will welcome acclaimed composer and bandleader Marcus Shelby as the festival’s new artistic director. Shelby takes over the role on Oct. 1, with an eye towards the community.

“I believe that Healdsburg jazz, through Jessica Felix, has built one of the strongest foundations possible with a commitment to the art form,” Shelby says. “I want to bring to the table my strengths; part of that is my love for collaborations, and bringing musicians together with other artists. I’m looking forward to being a part of the Healdsburg community, not just as a musician or artistic director but being conscious about the city and how it’s changing, and then seeing how the festival itself can be a strong community partner year-long.”

Shelby is a beloved figure in the Bay Area jazz scene, having first established himself by leading both the Marcus Shelby Trio and the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra. He’s also a composer-in-residence with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and has taken on a variety of roles at SFJAZZ, including a stint as a resident artistic director.

A decade ago, Shelby began working with the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, when Felix hired him to bring his Black History Month programming to local schools. Following that, Shelby created and directed the Healdsburg Freedom Jazz Choir.

“Jessica has created a culture that is very pro-artist,” Shelby says. “Artists love to play at Healdsburg Jazz. I speak as one artist, but I know this from talking to others—Jessica has made that a core value of Healdsburg Jazz.”

Something else that Shelby says will continue at Healdsburg Jazz is a commitment to the art form and the artists who create it, as well as a commitment to education that will match the commitment to presenting performance. Recently, Healdsburg Jazz has offered monthly online Zoom presentations on jazz and jazz history.

For Shelby, taking on the role of artistic director for Healdsburg Jazz Festival in 2020 means facing unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic that already canceled this year’s event, originally scheduled for last June.

Undaunted, Shelby is already working with the festival’s Board of Directors on strategizing for the 2021 festival, as well as working to continue the year-round concerts and education programs that Healdsburg Jazz regularly hosts, such as a virtual world premiere live streaming concert on Saturday, Sept. 26, featuring acclaimed musicians Charles Lloyd, Zakir Hussain and Julian Lage playing together as trio for the first time ever.

“Every challenge presents ways of being innovative,” he says. “Since we’ve gone online, we’ve expanded our borders. We’re in communication not only nationally, but internationally. With that, when we are able to bring our festival back in person, we’re hoping that this is one way we build a larger audience that will come to this beautiful place and enjoy the music and culture we provide.”

Healdsburg Jazz presents the Lloyd-Hussain-Lage Trio performing live online Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7pm. Admission by donations of $15 and up. healdsburgjazz.org.

Culture Crush: Five Ways to Stay Busy This Weekend

Look forward to art, music, wine and more in the North Bay through Sunday, Sept. 27.

Alexander Valley Film Festival Brings Art House to Your House

Virtual fest screens films and presents panel discussions Sept. 23-27.

Blues Masters Pair Up on New Record

Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite make their album debut as a duo.

Cinnabar Theater Plays to the Camera in New Production

One-woman show about Ann Landers opens virtually Friday, Sept 18.

Vote to Balance the Power

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors made the courageous, unanimous (5-0) decision recently to place the Evelyn Cheatham Effective IOLERO Ordinance on the November ballot as Measure P. The massive national action and social education initiated by the Black Lives Matter movement raised public awareness. Appreciation to the Board for stepping in to ensure that the democratic will of the...

Blame Game

Two waves of outrage greeted the news on Wednesday, Sept. 8, of Bob Woodward’s latest book, “Rage.” The first was the President’s disclosure to Woodward that he knew as early as February—even as he was dismissing the coronavirus publicly—that the looming pandemic was far deadlier than the flu. The second was that Woodward, long associated with The Washington Post, didn’t reveal...

A Chef’s Voyage

While the premise of the film A Chef’s Journey focuses on following James Beard–award winning chef-owner David Kinch as he travels to France with most of his kitchen staff to celebrate 15 years of his 3-Star Michelin restaurant, Manresa, in Los Gatos, the film actually achieves something it didn’t likely set out to do. With an honest lens, A...

Mural Project Pops Up in Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa, like other North Bay cities and towns, has been the focal point of numerous social-justice events and protests since the renewed Black Lives Matter movement began in June following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. In addition to protesting police brutality, the demonstrations and gatherings in Santa Rosa have celebrated diversity, with...

Schulz Museum Marks 70 Years of ‘Peanuts’ with Online Events All Season

The first "Peanuts" comic strip was published in seven newspapers on October 2, 1950. In the 70 years since then, "Peanuts"–written and drawn by longtime Santa Rosa resident Charles M. Schulz–has become one of the most beloved comic strips ever, with it's iconic characters appearing in thousands of newspapers as well as animated films, live stage shows...

Marcus Shelby Takes the Lead at a North Bay Jazz Institution

After more than two decades running the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, founder and longtime Artistic Director Jessica Felix recently announced her retirement effective at the end of September. When she leaves, Felix will welcome acclaimed composer and bandleader Marcus Shelby as the festival’s new artistic director. Shelby takes over the role on Oct. 1, with an eye towards the community. “I believe...
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