ON the Beat | A Violin Virtuoso, a ZZ Topper, Master Orchestra, Accordion Times, and More

Nicola Benedetti | Photo: Courtesy

We have before us a big week in the little town, one of those jam-packed weeks of musical enticements on various stylistic fronts, pulling us out of the house if we know what’s good for us. The range of options appeals to fans of classical music (Nicola Benedetti), jazz (Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane, nodding to the centennial of Miles Davis and John Coltrane), blues and blues-rock (Billy F. Gibbons), Italian fusion guitar wizard Matteo Mancuso, and one of the nation (and world’s) great orchestras, the Chicago Symphony. Or all of the above.

Buckle up, and listen up.

Violin-Accordion Squeezeplay

When last we heard famed Scottish violinist Nicola Bendetti in town, she was just on the cusp of turning 30 and making her debut here as special soloist with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, wowing the crowd with her sublime take on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. When she returns on Wednesday, January 28 at Campbell Hall, Benedetti arrives as a more fully matured and matriculated musician and human, a new-ish mother (and wife of Wynton Marsalis) and the first female director of the esteemed Edinburgh Festival, since 2002.

She also arrives in a refreshingly unorthodox and casual setting, with a program of music of violinistic composers Paganini and Sarasate, Debussy, Bloch, and others realized in a lean quartet with guitarist Plínio Fernandes, cellist Adrian Daurov, and, most intriguingly, the stunning young accordionist Hanzhi Wang. Santa Barbara audiences know of Wang’s impressive artistry and reach, in classical realms and beyond, from her memorable performance with mandolinist Avi Avital at the Lobero Theatre in 2023.

Benedetti’s ample charms, easily flowing wizardry, and charisma are richly on display in this unique accordion-adorned format on her new and aptly-monikered album, Violin Café (hear ithere). The album ventures beyond classical repertoire to include Scottish tunes, featuring the droning hypnosis laid out by smallpipes master Brìghde Chaimbeul (who I was dazzled by in her avant-improv form at the Rhein river-hugging Monheim Triennale in Germany last summer).

But classical manners, in a left-of-traditional package, will be the order of things in Santa Barbara next Wednesday. The show, part of the UCSB Arts & Lectures season, is the kickoff date of a U.S. tour, and promises to appeal to diehard classical aficionados and broader-eared listeners and curiosity seekers.

Beethoven Brain Meets Mariachi

Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles at Marjorie Luke Theatre, 2026 | Photo: Josef Woodard

My head was happily buzzing with the sounds and idea bank of Beethoven on Sunday evening, following Santa Barbara Symphony’s Saturday night/Sunday afternoon marathon of Beethoven piano concertos. It was time to switch the genre channel, and how better to do that than to jump into some world-class mariachi music?

This was another installment of the fabulous ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara!series, now in its milestone 20th anniversary season, the series is a residency project for visiting Mexican and Latin-American artists, culminating in a Sunday night blowout at the Marjorie Luke Theatre. And it was time for another encounter with the sparkling and super-fine Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, the first all-female mariachi band in the country, which has never failed to impress in its shows in this series and the Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival, starting with its first edition, 28 years ago.

This was an emotional and inspiring evening on more than just the musical front. A largely Hispanic audience — on the “bring the entire family!” plan — packed the Luke, at a time when the nervous-making atmosphere in town and our country is ICE-y and Trump-terrorized. A beautiful sense of solidarity settled into the theater, as the series’ long-time organizer Alíz Ruvalcaba, was joined by

State Senator Monique Limón and Congressmember Salud Carbajal for introductions.

Carbajal, who was on the ground floor of ¡Viva el Arte! as a supporter, told the crowd, “It’s a difficult time in our country and our community … but we’re going to get beyond the challenges we’re facing and have a better tomorrow.”

Challenges seemed far away as the group, bedecked in vibrant red charro suits, jumbo sombreros, and tight choreography, in terms of stage moves and musical powers, reminded us that mariachi, well-played, is a joyous and celebratory music, but also one with aspects of musical sophistication it doesn’t always get credit for. Yes, it is great American music. Take that, King Tang.

Terrance Blanchard (left) and Ravi Coltrane perform at the Granada on January 27. | Photos: Courtesy UCSB Arts & Lectures

Homage to Men with the Horns and Visions

In an almost cosmic case of serendipity, Miles Davis and John Coltrane — two of the most formidable forces and lasting influences in all of jazz — were both born a century ago. It’s a jazz world milestone (sorry) worth noting and duly celebrating, and Santa Barbara gets a dose of proper respects paid when acclaimed trumpeter Terence Blanchard and Ravi (son of John) Coltrane show up at The Granada Theatre on Tuesday, January 27, for one of the significant jazz nights in the current UCSB Arts & Lectures season. (See Independent story here).

Licks A’Blazing, with Musicality Attached

Matteo Mancuso | Photo: Paolo Terlizzi, Sixhats Studio

Unfortunately for jazz and music fans with a want for catching the rare high-caliber jazz shows passing through town, a choice has to be made on Tuesday night, between Blanchard/Coltrane and the local debut of Sicilian fusion guitar wunderkind Matteo Mancusi at the Lobero Theatre. Buzz has been swelling around this guitar-slinger, now all of 29, whose dexterity and general musical approach (versus empty lick-spewing) attracted the likes of Dweezil Zappa and Steve Vai, who appears on his upcoming album, Route 96, dropping in April.

Matteo Mancuso – foto Paolo Terlizzi sixhats studio – Favara – Farm Cultural Park – 2023

We get a speedy, hearty taste of his stuff on his 2023 album The Journey (hear it here). This night promises to offer the most big-sound and sinewy electric guitar virtuosity since John McLaughlin brought his very plugged-in 4th Dimension band to the Lobero back in 2007. Mental seat belts suggested.

Speaking of Lobero-bound guitarists in the upper reaches of their respective pantheons, Billy Gibbons is headed to the room on Saturday for a special appearance with his act known as Billy F. Gibbons and the BFG Band. With the Top, as just recently seen and heard at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Gibbons is legendary as the leader of the band full of hooky classic, rich-toned riffs and a personal theatrical shtick — letting us know that they know that it’s only blues-rock but we like it.

With his BFG side project, Gibbons strips away the trappings and gets down to the business of extending the deep Texas blues tradition he is, at root, rooted in. Jokes may also be allowed this Saturday.

TO-DOINGS:

The best kind of déjà vu descends upon The Granada Theatre on Friday, January 23, with the welcome return of the august Chicago Symphony, courtesy of the CAMA presenting force. As it has on two previous visits, the orchestra will be led by luminary conductor Riccardo Muti, who retired from his music director position 2023 but remains an emeritus. Here is a chance to experience orchestral culture at one of its pinnacles. (See Independent story here).

Variety continues to be the spice of choice at SOhO, where this week’s doings include a timely tribute to the late, great Bob Weir on Sunday — featuring the Dead-reverential No Simple Highway, Ladyfinger, Jax plays Dead, and the McCrees. On Tuesday night, a triple bill hails from the adventurous outskirts of rock, with The Moon and Broken Glass, Do You Compute, and Saturn Death Dive.