2015 Season to be Announced!

The Ventura Music Festival to announce 21st Festival lineup on January 12th.

VMF_14-15VENTURA COUNTY, CALIF:  The Ventura Music Festival (VMF) kicks off the new year with a special program and briefing at 5:00 pm on January 12th at City Hall.
Focus: the concerts and artists of its 21st Season May 1 – 9, 2015.

The briefing, which is open to the public, includes:
Remarks by Mayor Cheryl Heitmann, herself a former VMF Executive Director     .
Announcement of the 2015 program with video clips by Artistic Director Nuvi Mehta.
Performance by the winner of the VMF Student Jazz Competition, backed by the jazz trio Coda. The winner will have been selected the day before on Sunday, January 11th, in a program from 1 to 3 pm at the Wyndham Garden Pierpont Inn.

Press and public are invited to attend at no charge.

The VMF is already is selling tickets for its annual Latin Jazz Concert on Valentine’s Day, February 14th at the Majestic Ventura Theater.  It’s the very hot Pacific Mambo Orchestra, the surprise winner of the 2014 Grammy for Latin Jazz. This 19-member Indy PMO funded their debut album with an $11,000 Kickstarter campaign and took it all the way! Ticket – buyers should prepare to dance in their seats or on the dedicated dance floor. Tickets are $50 to $15, available by calling (805) 648-3146 or online at venturamusicfestival.org.

ABOUT THE VENTURA MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Ventura Music Festival is one of Ventura County’s signature arts events, presenting top classical, jazz and popular performing artists in various venues throughout the year. The festival was founded in 1994, and is a 501(c)(3) non
profit organization.
Media Contact: Susan Scott (805) 648-3146 x301
ss@venturamusicfestival.org

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FACTS at a glance:
Announcement & briefing on Monday, January 12, 5:00 – 6:30
City Hall Atrium
501 Poli Street

No charge: public is warmly invited
Light reception from 6:00-6:30

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze – 12/24 – 1/6

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
It’s a Wrap!
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

Crooked Eye TommyWe’re wrapping up 2014 and hoping for big things to come in 2015 for Ventura’s music scene.  First things first, let’s take a look at our options for closing out the year.  So many venues are pulling out the stops for New Year’s Eve beckoning patrons with some great music lined up.  Discovery has Crooked-Eye Tommy and Guy Martin with Spencer from The Vibe keeping the dancing going; Bombay Bar and Grill will have crowd favorites Mandex, Shaky Feelin’ and Rising Son along with two DJs Carlism and Darko; W20 at the Watermark will offer music from Dr M and ADD; and Shawn Jones will rock in the New Year at Grapes and Hops. All the aforementioned venues have a cover and offer special beverages and food.  Reservations are highly recommended to ensure admittance.

More venues offering music to bring in the New Year include Peirano’s with the Mighty Cash Cats, Gigi’s with Cynthia Manley, Keynote with Red Rhythm, the Wine Rack has Mark Heyes, Café Fiore with Mojo Box and of course Jonny Reese at Amigos has Toni Jannotta with some sexy jazz to warm up the evening at 6 and then the Iron Butterfly Experience will keep the party going until 1 am.

Play it safe and don’t drink and drive.  Cabs will be out in abundance; have their phone number handy or better yet arrange for a designated driver who you will shower with gifts for taking the bullet this time around.

Kudos to Josh and Adam at Squashed Grapes for bringing the talent this year.  They’ll be closing their doors after a Tillford Jackson Christmas special on Tuesday, December 23, until the end of the year, but they’ll be back January 2 with even more amazing jazz for 2015; Doug Webb with Danny Carey of Tool returns on January 9, they’ll have the Jim Calire Piano Trio on the 15, Karl Hunter’s Quartet on the 24 and so many cool jazz cats in-between.  Please, I beseech you; if you haven’t been in to check out this cool venue, make it a point to do so in 2015.

Jan and Jerry of Hi-Hat Entertainment has really been bringing amazing shows and artists to Ventura for quite some time now and 2015 looks to be a stellar year for them at their new venue, the Ventura Beach Club.  You won’t want to miss Albert Lee’s return to the stage along with Carl Sonny Leyland on January 2, and then on the 16th, it’s none other than Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown one of the earliest British blues bands touring since the mid Seventies.

I wish you love, joy and music for the New Year! Thanks for reading about Ventura’s music scene, much more to come in 2015.

If you have any music related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing?  Send all information short or long to  Pam@VenturaRocks.com.

Ventura Music Photos: December 2014

Discovery – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Guy MartinGuy Martin


Discovery – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Crooked-Eye Tommy
Crooked Eye Tommy


Grapes and Hops – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Shawn Jones
Shawn Jones


Saloon BBQ – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Mark Sellers
Mark Sellers


The Wine Rack – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Mark Heyes with Brad Swanson (singing)
Mark Hayes


Bombay’s – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Mandex!


Amigo’s – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Iron Butterfly Experience


Bombay’s – December 20, 2014
Kiss Mas
Kiss Mas


Bombay’s – December 20, 2014
Bloody Mary Morning
Bloody Mary Morning
Amigo’s – December 20, 2014
Ray Jaurique and the Uptown Brothers
Ray Jaurique and the Uptown Brothers


Gigi’s Cocktails – December 20, 2014
Pull The Trigger
Pull the Trigger


Billy O’s – December 19, 2014
The NaVaNaX
The NaVaNaX


Peirano’s – December 19, 2014
Ruben Estrada and Friends
Ruben Estrada


Hi Hat Entertainment at Ventura Beach Club – December 19, 2014
Kim Wilson, Carl Sonny Leyland


ddd

Pennywise and The Dickies

Cliff MontgomeryOMG!!! Wouldn’t you know it?  I finally get scheduled for knee surgery, the one that will finally end the pain I’ve been enduring the past few months, but it’s on the same day as Pennywise and The Dickies??!

Pennywise has been touring in support of their eleventh studio album, Yesterdays, on Epitaph Records.  The band’s date with The Dickies and D.I. hit our local Majestic Ventura Theater with a vengeance.

We’re eternally grateful to Cliff Montgomery for stepping up and covering the show for us. Cliff…you rock!!  (See Cliff’s work:  http://www.cliffpics.com/)

PENNYWISE:

Pennywise

PENNYWISE Merchandise:
http://www.pennywisemerch.com/
PENNYWISE Yesterday:
http://www.epitaph.com/artists/album/705/Yesterdays


THE DICKIES The Dickies

D.I. D.I.

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze – 12/10 – 12/23

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
Christmas is Rockin’
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

Robert CrayThe Robert Cray Band played to an exclusive audience at the offices of Fitzgerald Hartley on Friday, December 5.  The group had been playing at different Southern California venues over the past week as a part of a special project by Steve Jordan (Sonny Rollins, Keith Richards, John Mayer). They’ve been filming and recording to celebrate 40 years of the Robert Cray Band. Cray was in fine form playing his standards and a few covers as he welcomed top notch musicians to the stage including sax wizard Tom Scott, Steve Jordan and harp master Lee Oskar from War; the band’s rendition of “Slipping Into Darkness” was just one of the highlights of the evening.   Oh! Shawn Jones opened.  Always love the Jones!

I’m looking forward to the Dickies and Pennywise at the Ventura Theater on Friday, December 12.  Since I heard they’d be in town, I haven’t been able to get “Stuck in a Pagoda with Tricia Toyota” out of my head.  I figure seeing the Dickies live should be the cure.  The Theater is also getting into the Christmas spirit with an afternoon Toy for Tots Holiday Sing-a-Long; the doors open at 3, performance at 4 and it is free to the public, you’ll want to take the whole family for this one.

Squashed Grapes has been having some pretty exclusive artists stopping in.  Saturday, December 6 he had the Michael Barsimanto Trio with Mitch Forman (Stan Getz, Pat Metheny) on piano and Chris Colangelo (Count Basie Orchestra, The Tonight Show Band) on bass.  Barsimanto (Freddie Hubbard, Billy Preston, Mark Isham).   Bruce Forman who has performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s films, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of our Fathers and Hereafter, is scheduled for Wednesday, December 10.  And to really get into the Christmas spirit, don’t miss Tilford Jackson’s Christmas Special on Tuesday, December 23rd.

Ventura’s Winter Wine Walk was a complete success; not only did the event sell out, but Main Street was full of activity from noon well into the night with vendors stretching three blocks and live music at Main and California jam packed with family and friends enjoying the sounds of The Midnight Band and a snowfall to culminate the festivities.  My VenturaRocks.com booth was well attended and we sold many shirts which should turn up under many Christmas trees this season.

Speaking of which, are you still looking for a unique gift idea? Well the gift of music is always a holiday favorite and giving a local band’s CD not only puts a smile on the recipient’s face, but it also helps our local artists.  It’s a win-win situation!  You can go to VenturaRocks.com Artist page to see which bands have CDs available, but of course many of our local artists CDs can be found in Very Ventura on California Street at the VenturaRocks.com Listening Station.

If you have any music related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing?  Send all information short or long to  Pam@VenturaRocks.com.