Unlike fellow Minnesota-born musician Prince, soprano Maria Jette never changed her name to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince—or The Artist Formerly Known as Maria Jette, for that matter. This Twin Cities native is making her way to California’s Central Coast for a Santa Maria Philharmonic performance, Masters in Vienna, on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Maria.
Among the various staples of her illustrious career, Jette’s voice garnered national attention over the last two decades thanks to her work on A Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keillor’s legendary radio variety show that aired live from 1974 to 2016 and spawned the acclaimed Robert Altman film of the same name. In terms of orchestral work, Jette has performed with various organizations across the country, including the San Luis Obispo Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, Sacramento Opera, and Portland Baroque Orchestra. Her résumé also includes ventures closer to home like the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota.
Part of the Philharmonic’s 2018-19 season, titled Feel the Music, the Masters of Vienna concert will highlight works from 18th and 19th century Vienna-based composers. Maestro Michael Nowak, music director of the Philharmonic, will open the program with Beethoven’s poignant “Coriolan Overture,” which will be followed by Mozart’s playful “Symphony No. 29 in A Major.”
Nowak is widely known for his local endeavors, including his collaborations with the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, and his role as artistic director of the SLO County-based Orchestra Novo, and his extensive Hollywood repertoire. To call his filmography as a conductor prolific would be an understatement—a list that includes feature-length films from nearly every genre known to man. Fences, Life of Pi, Body of Lies, American Gangster, The Fault in Our Stars, The Hangover, Blades of Glory, and director Peter Jackson’s King Kong (in case you were wondering which Kong) make up just a small fraction.
As Nowak conducts, Jette will serve the concert as its featured soloist, starting things off with two Mozart compositions for soprano and orchestra. Jette will also perform selections from Gustav Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn, or The Boy’s Miraculous Horn, a collection of songs based on German folk poems.
Individual tickets to the concert range from $15 to $45, but there’s a $60 per family deal available at the door only. The venue, Grace Baptist Church, is located at 605 E. McCoy Lane, Santa Maria. Call (805) 925-0412 or visit santamariaphilharmonic.org to find out more.
We need to talk about Kevin
Indie folk artist Kevin Graybill performs on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. at Blast 825 Brewery in Orcutt. Whether it’s supported by acoustic guitar or harmonica, Graybill’s voice has been compared to the singing styles of Jack Johnson and Sam Beam. Attendees are bound to hear plenty of his originals, but Graybill’s live shows usually include a handful of covers as well. Don’t be too surprised if you hear a Bobby McFerrin or Cyndi Lauper (a couple of Graybill’s choice artists) tune every now and again. Bleeding hearts of glass unite!
Originally from Seattle, Graybill currently resides on the Central Coast. In between recording new music and performing, Graybill teaches guitar lessons to all ages through Grand Central Music and Conservatory in San Luis Obispo on Mondays and Tuesdays between 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Visit kevingraybill.com to book a session or for more info.
Southern rock/country group Joe Daddy and the Sumthings follow Graybill’s Blast 825 performance at 10 p.m. The brewery also hosts two shows the night before on Friday, Feb. 22: Americana/folk act Shining in the Dark at 7 p.m. and rock band Nothing But Trouble at 10 p.m.
More music
Alternative rock group Carter takes center stage at Moxie Cafe in Santa Maria on Thursday, Feb. 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The cafe also hosts a solo set from rock cover artist Daniel Haller, known for his work with the Sound Investment Band, on Friday, Feb. 22, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m
Reggae, hip-hop, rock, and soul collide in the form of Santa Barbara-based ensemble Bomba Fiya, who perform on Friday, Feb. 22, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Naughty Oak Brewing Co. in Orcutt. Attendees can look forward to enjoying farm-to-table eats from Lido’s until 8:30 p.m., so don’t you dare be late! Also in Orcutt, Vino et Amicis Wine Bar welcomes rock/country soloist Keith Cox on Friday, Feb. 22 and musical duo Pricey Diggs on Saturday, Feb. 23. Both shows are from 6 to 9 p.m.
Anyone who’s seen Mary Poppins knows that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but can the same be expected from a spoonful of Spoonful? Find out for yourself during their blues- and rock-laden show on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Cold Spring Tavern. Better yet, show up early to catch Americana/rock band Oddly Straight the same day from 1 to 4 p.m. The tavern also hosts country group Dusty Jugz on Sunday, Feb. 24, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Contact him at cwiseblood@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Feb 21-28, 2019.