Apr 27 Saturday
Join The Cool Hand Ukes weekly ukulele jam at Harbor Cove Cafe!All Skill Levels Welcome to Join.
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, or simply The Big Phat Band, is an 18-piece jazz orchestra that combines the big band swing of the 1930s and 1940s with contemporary music such as funk and jazz fusion. The band is led by Gordon Goodwin, who arranges, composes, and plays piano and saxophone with the band.
For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has challenged and reimagined what a string quartet can be, centering its work around the key issues of our time. Kronos has commissioned, performed and recorded works that engage with topics such as war and destruction, the climate crisis, social injustice and spirituality. Now, the multi-Grammy Award-winning quartet marks its anniversary with a program of new commissions, signature works from its vast repertoire, and pieces from its Fifty for the Future project.
Apr 28 Sunday
What do you do when you can play straight blues or Hendrix style hard rock with equal ease and finesse? A Virginia native, Eli was raised on a strict diet of blues, rock and with a slice of grunge. His guitar work and powerful vocals are moody but very dynamic in delivery that will cause a musical whiplash. “With his fittingly pockmarked voice and virility on guitars, Eli Cook sizes up the old blues music he so clearly values.” – Downbeat Magazine. Tickets are $20 and can be bought on www.NambaArts.com.
May 04 Saturday
Bagpipes with attitude. Drums with a Scottish accent. A blazing rock band and show so hot, it carries its own health warning!
It’s Bagpipes. It’s Rock. It’s Bagrock. AC/DC meets the poet Robert Burns. Where rock anthems sit comfortably alongside the great tunes from the glens and the mountains of Scotland.
It’s The Red Hot Chilli PIPERS – (NOT the Peppers!) -- a 9-piece ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards, and drummers -- who have been rocking the world from New York to Beijing to Melbourne and everywhere in between with musicianship of the highest order and a passion for pipes that will leave you breathless. The band has four music degrees from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and all the pipers and drummers have played at the top level in bagpiping.
May 05 Sunday
Join us for a night where music transcends, and be part of a globally celebrated experience right here in Ventura at NAMBA on May 5!Experience an unforgettable evening! The celebrated partnership of “one of the UK’s greatest guitarists” (BBC RADIO 2) with “the doyenne of Irish harpers” (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) and recipient of Irish music’s most prestigious award, Traditional Musician of the Year (Gradam Ceoil TG4), has toured in 23 countries on five continents to venues ranging from the tiniest of village halls to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Sydney Town Hall and Cologne's Philharmonie. Expect a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with striking new compositions - and Chris’ subversive wit! Praised as "brilliant, innovative" by SONGLINES and "dazzling" by THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, their performance is an electrifying journey through genres, described as "virtuosic, dramatic, original" by leading publications. Tickets are $22.50 online at www.NambaArts.com (plus a $2.50 service fee) and $25 at the door.
May 11 Saturday
May 16 Thursday
Following his win at the Chopin International Piano Competition in 2021, Bruce Liu experienced a star-is-born moment at London’s Royal Festival Hall in March of 2022. Summoned at the last moment to join the Philharmonia Orchestra for an all-Tchaikovsky program, Liu called for the notoriously difficult Concerto No. 2 as a substitute for the more commonly played Concerto No. 1. After an astounding performance and glowing reviews, Liu found himself shifted to an even higher level of demand.
May 17 Friday
Jarabe Mexicano captures the nostalgic spirit of their border roots with their brand of "Bordeño-Soul," which honors the musical tastes and cultural influences of its members. Jarabe, which translates to 'concoction,' highlights the eclectic mix of genres they g5rwperform ranging from Mexican Folk, Rock & Roll, and Norteño/Tex-Mex to Latin Rock, Trio Romántico, and popular Cumbia. Their traditional Mariachi string instruments and Norteño-inspired drums complement dramatic vocals in English, Spanish, and Spanglish, and show how this multi-generational ensemble embraces change while still honoring the past.
THREE FREE PUBLIC PERFORMANCESFriday, May 17 | 7 PM | Isla Vista School, 6875 El Colegio Rd, GoletaSaturday, May 18 | 7 PM | Guadalupe City Hall, 918 Obispo St, GuadalupeSunday, May 19 | 6 PM | The Marjorie Luke Theatre, 721 E Cota St, Santa Barbara
For more information please visit:https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/learn/viva-el-arte-de-santa-barbara/