Ambassadors of Happy Jazzing, with Brains Attached
When Delfeayo Marsalis brought his sharp, party-timing, and abidingly swing-empowered Uptown Jazz Orchestra (UJO) to the Lobero Theatre last Friday, it was more than just a Mardi Gras week soiree. This Marsalis bro, a fine trombonist and bandleader on a mission, manages to prove that it is possible to balance the qualities of a feel-good jazz paradigm — one that could appeal to listeners not necessarily into the hard stuff of jazz — and serious jazz aesthetics. In short, the UJO let the good times roll, while also injecting some serious musical chops and undertows.
On this night, there was no lack of New Orleans-ian bons temps rouler spirit and simple groove treats, starting with the three-chord opener “It’s All Over Now” and closing with a third encore, the second line-pulsed “Lil Liza Jane,” the final track of last year’s bold UJO album Crescent City Jewels. Marsalis, a witty and educational spokesperson between tunes, like his brothers, showed his verbal patois early on, giving personalized introductions to each bandmember (“He’s a legend in his own mind”), and quipping that the white bassist, Jason “Smiley” Stewart was “our original DEI hire.”
Marsalis himself, an engaging soloist, generally opted to lend the soloing spotlight to other impressive players, including the fine bone players, the trumpeter Andrew Baham, saxist Khari Allen Lee, and other strong musicians in the ranks. The set list ranged from the Count Basie chart on Benny Carter’s “The Legend” to a version of the N’Awlins go-to anthem “St. James Infirmary,” showcasing the florid finery of Cuban pianist Victor Campbell.
For my money, the highlight of the show came with its most jazz-rooted tune, an arranged take on the Joe Henderson classic “Inner Urge” (also on the latest album). Here, the players got a chance to show their wares over more complex chord changes. Another high point came with Marsalis’s buoyant tribute to Nelson Mandela, tapping into the South African musical tradition of expressing deep joy even amidst adversity. They oughta’ send a copy to Elon.
Outside world references aside, where they belong, the UJO’s feisty fun Lobero show was just what Doctor Feel Good ordered in this stressed worldly moment.
Not Just Folk, in the Big House
All things considered on the dense calendar of 2025 concerts so far, the one that struck deepest for me was Sunday night’s intimate-yet-powerhouse return of the Great American pairing of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Put them in the broad and ambiguous Americana camp if you must, but this unique country-folk duo has created a sound world all their own, at once rootsy and progressive, old soul and “new thing-“ish.
A happy sense of organic growth and triumph washed over the SRO house at the Granada, more than twice the size of the Lobero Theatre, where last we caught the Welch/Rawlings experience. Periodically fortified by the loamy, simple joys of acoustic bassist Paul (Punch Brothers) Kowert, Welch magnetized this with her rich vocal wisdom — never fussy or “look at me” flavored — while Rawlings worked his restless, inventive fretboard magic on his signature 1935 Epiphone archtop guitar and entwined his snug harmonies.
The two-set night included beauties from their fine new album Woodland — such as “North Country” and “What We Had” — and timeless Welch jewels like “Orphan Girl,” “Revelator,” “Look at Miss Ohio,” and “Everything is Free” — from her 2001 debut but with a weirdly digital music-age relevance in the here and now.
Late in the show, they followed up a brooding moment with an old timey dance tune, him on banjo and her on slap-happy ham-boning and clogging between verses. Cover tunes included the hoary standard “Make Me a Pallet On Your Floor,” which she said she learned from Doc Watson, and an ecstatic hallelujah of a finale, the treasured spiritual of “Fly Away.”
Welch praised the splendor of the Granada, especially its sonic wiles. “You’re so lucky in this town,” she told the rapt crowd. “You have an embarrassment of nice-sounding rooms.” This pair is welcome back to any of these rooms, any old time.
TO-DOINGS:
Speaking of jazz charting its path into the warming environs of the Lobero, this Friday marks the return of a local phenom: Lloyd goes Lobero. That would be veteran jazz legend Charles Lloyd, who has hailed from Montecito for a few decades now and has made the Lobero his local venue of choice. For the saxophonist and cosmic raconteur, the show on Friday, March 14 — one day before his 87th birthday — will mark his official 20th time playing the room, where, among other memorable moments, he recorded the album Sangam, for the ECM label in 2004. The album marked the debut of a trio with two drummers, Lloyd’s regular drummer Eric Harland and the late, great table master Zakir Hussain, whose passing last December ushers back fond memories of the Sangam breakthrough. We heard it here first.
This Friday’s Lloyd appearance finds him in a promising new Delta Trio setting, with his long-time and ever-empathetic ally Jason Moran on piano and the wonderful and too often-undersung guitarist Marvin Sewell (who Santa Barbarans have heard in the company of Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson). See John Zant’s story on Lloyd here.
The much-cherished Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara (FOSB) is known to be an avid traveler through world cultures and time, without the help of Priceline. As founded, led, and arranged by multi-talented ringleader Adam Phillips, the FOSB has, over the course of its nine years together, taken trips to various musical cultures and such familiar home turfs as ’60s pop music.
But the ensemble always seems most at home when diving into the pool of Celtic music, as they will this weekend with the “Up the Irish (and More!)” program, so calendar-mandated by St. Patrick. There are three chances, in three sacred locales, to catch the luck of the Irish show: at Goleta’s Live Oak Unitarian Church on Friday night, the downtown Presidio Chapel on Saturday night, and Los Olivos’ St. Marks-in-the-Valley church on Sunday afternoon.
In other Irish musical news, serious choral music is the main business and focus of the venerable Santa Barbara Choral Society, but things get looser and party-flecked come time for its annual fundraising event — this year’s being the “ShamRockWood Gala at Rockwood” on Saturday, March 16. Irish pub grub, craft beer, and other diversions will accompany the musical likes of The Decent Folk band, the Kule Klub Ukelele group, World Champion Irish dancer Alanna Callaghan and Will Bremen and band (Bremen is also a fine “serious” singer, and cleans up real well as a member of the SBCS). See Madeline Slogoff’s story here.
Over at SOhO, the not-so-saintly Paddy’s Day celebration gets underway courtesy of The Worried Lads, featuring Spencer Barnitz, accordionist Brett Larsen, and others, stoking a years-old tradition. On Sunday, versatile vocalist Kimberly Ford brings her artful Joni Mitchell tribute project Dreamland to the SOhO stage.
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