Legendary pianist and composer Dave Brubeck (1920-2012) was famous for his iconic recordings of jazz classics like “Take 5,” “In Your Own Sweet Way” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk.” But Brubeck had another musical side for which he was also greatly admired. He was a prolific composer of jazz-infused sacred choral works, including a mass he titled To Hope! A Celebration.

On Friday, July 11th the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento will present the Brubeck mass, performed by the Cathedral’s choir and orchestra, soloists, and a jazz trio including sons Chris and Dan Brubeck on bass and drums, and Sacramento’s own Joe Gilman on piano. 

As far back as the l940’s, when he studied with renowned classical composer Darius Milhaud at Mills College in Oakland, Brubeck was blurring the lines between genres.  

“That was always a part of his musical personality, mixing classical sensibilities and jazz sensibilities together,” explains Gilman. “So you hear that a lot in this piece. Some of it’s very classical sounding but in a modern sense. So of it sounds like you might be listening to maybe someone along the lines of Copland or Bernstein or something like that.”

Brubeck premiered To Hope! A Celebration in 1980 and recorded it for the first time later that year. He made a second recording in 1995 at Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C.  

The 16-movement work combines the rhythmic vitality of jazz with the reverence of liturgical music as it moves back and forth between the choir, the orchestra, the soloists and the trio. Everyone on stage is reading from a musical score except for the trio. That's because when the spotlight shines on them, it’s all about improvisation. So, what does Gilman do at the piano in the meantime?

“I sit and await my turn to improvise something,” Gilman says with a chuckle. “Other than the fact Dave was the composer of it, that’s what he did in the performances as well. He would sit and listen and then interpret a little back and forth from the choir and improvise on certain harmonic sections of the piece.”

Gilman adds that improvising in this setting means taking a different approach than he would for a typical jazz solo.

“[It involves] stripping my normal vocabulary of bebop out of my improvisations and going more towards folk-like melodies, rhythmic melodies, somewhat bluesy I guess, and just having fun. But not so much in a Bud Powell-Oscar Peterson kind of vocabulary.”

When Chris and Dan Brubeck were considering who should join them on piano for the Sacramento concert, Joe Gilman was an obvious choice. Not only has he recorded two full CDs of Brubeck compositions, but Gilman also served as Musical Director at the Brubeck Institute in Stockton from 2005-2012 and was Artist in Residence from 2012-2014.

Perhaps the ultimate endorsement of Dr. Joe Gilman can be found in the comments of the jazz legend himself.

“One of our greatest teachers comes right from Sacramento,” Dave Brubeck told me in a 2008 interview. “Joe Gilman! The kids learn so much from him. He’s so brilliant.”

Gilman says he learned a lot from Dave Brubeck too … and not just about music.

“I don’t know if morality is the right word but he’s just a tremendous… was just a tremendous human being and great person to be around and an inspiration for me on how to present myself and function as a musician in this artistic world. Yeah, big inspiration that way, both personally and musically.

 

Pianist Joe Gilman joins bassist Chris Brubeck and drummer Dan Brubeck, vocalists Omari Tau and Jeanette Blakeney, and the Cathedral's Choir and Orchestra to perform Dave Brubeck's mass To Hope! A Celebration Friday, July 11, 2025 at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento. 

Sacramento artist Christian Gates, better known by his musical persona The Philharmonik, has made waves in the four months since his NPR Tiny Desk Contest win and the ensuing 10-city tour across the U.S.

After having competed in various contests over the years, Gates rose to the top over the thousands of other competitors with his original song “What’s It All Mean” — and the compelling video he made to go along with it. 

Set in an ordinary corporate office, the video ponders the meaning of working everyday along with other existential questions we all face. That idea, and its execution, is what made The Philharmonik’s submission stand out among the others. 

Since winning the contest in May of this year, The Philharmonik and his 9-piece band have toured the country, bringing their unique sound of hip-hop, funk, and soul to a whole new audience. Gates has several concerts lined up for the rest of the year, including one at the legendary Blue Note jazz club in New York City.

CapRadio Excellence in Jazz host Avery Jeffry recently sat down with Gates to discuss his upcoming concert at the Blue Note, and what his life has been like since winning the prestigious NPR contest.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Interview Highlights

On how he got his name

I started out on the violin in my middle school orchestra. I learned how to do everything and picked up more instruments. When I realized I was doing the entire process myself, I was like a one man orchestra. The Philharmonik is basically me being a one man orchestra. Later I realized that the definition of philharmonic in the dictionary is dedication to music. Although it means a city or an orchestra that’s dedicated to music, I interpreted it as my life being dedicated to music. I think that my life’s a testament to that. 

On filming the video that rose to the top

There was a lot that went into it. I think there was this underlying obsession for me. I knew that, especially if you’re going to enter a contest as a musician, you have to know that everybody’s going to bring their best. And when you’re competitive, you have to look at things from a different perspective in order to have an advantage. I expect everybody to be a better musician, to be a better artist and to have a better song. I had to think differently. There was a quote that really inspired me by Arthur Schopenhauer. It said, “talent hits a target that no one else can hit, but genius hits a target that no one else can see.” I wanted to hit the target that no one else could see.

When everybody says you work in something that you love and you’ll never work a day in your life, I believe that’s a lie. In everything we do we work. We work on our relationships. We work on ourselves. We work on our passions. We work on resting. We work on improving. Everywhere in life is work. The work is always going to be there so it only makes sense that if I’m going to do a song that includes a tiny desk that I show up in a suit ready to work.

On how he’s keeping himself looking to the future

You hear a saying like, “this too shall pass,” and we only attribute that to negative things. But they also attribute to the positive things. Nothing lasts forever so I thought, “How do I ride this wave, and how do I catapult this into making a sustainable life and career for myself?” I’m still thinking about that and I’m still planning and executing off that move. I’m open and receptive to as many opportunities that come my way. I’m making sure that I put the videos on youtube and everybody’s like, “come here, come here come here.” By next year, I think we’re going worldwide.

On playing at the Blue Note jazz club

I was like, “really, the legendary Blue Note. We gotta do it, we have to.” What they’ve seen is what they’ve wanted. I’ll make a slight alteration because jazz is a big part of the reason why I’ve gotten here. We’re gonna bring some jazz and a few more chord changes for sure. They’re gonna be in for a treat. 

On staying grounded

Winning the NPR Tiny Desk was the runway for what I wanted to achieve and now I’m off the ground and we’re flying. It’s good to think in the realm of dreams, but I also want to stay grounded in the meantime and understand that this is still a business. This is still life, this is still a job and this is still work. I have to get up every day and I have people that I care about that I have to take care of. They believe in the vision and they show up for me so I have to show up for them. Now I feel like the pressure is higher than it ever was, but I also have a lot of success. I’m gonna be successful and I am. 

Imagine forming a new musical group, releasing your first single and picking up a Grammy nomination in the best arrangement for instruments and vocals category in the process. That’s what happened to the vocal ensemble säje (rhymes with “beige”) in 2020. 

Säje is derived from the first names of the group’s four members. “S” stands for Sara Gazarek, who says they submitted the group’s original “Desert Song” for Grammy consideration almost on a whim.

“It was one song on Spotify. We were without a record label. We didn’t have a manager. It was kind of a shot in the dark but, you know, it’s an honor,” she said. “Specifically in that category where arrangers are screening, and they decide which songs they think deserve the nomination. Most of the other categories are [won by] popular vote where kinda anyone can weigh in. So [it] definitely meant a lot to receive a nomination in that category.”

Although säje might be considered something of an overnight success, the members all have established solo careers. Gazarek herself has a pair of Grammy nominations and a stack of solo albums. She says joining up with Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick, and Erin Bentlage happened organically and has resulted in a distinctive sound and approach.

“The way that Amanda and Erin and Johnaye and I inhabit the vocal ensemble world, rooted in the jazz tradition, I think is pretty different than the trajectory of large vocal jazz ensemble music, using chord structures or harmonies that aren’t typically associated with that genre, or textures in our voices, changing the quality of the diction that we’re using in certain places,” Gazarek said. “There’s a real attention to detail in the same way that you might have in a solo jazz vocalist in terms of the spectrum of things that we’re able to call upon.”

Outside of academic situations, Gazarek said she hadn’t really sung in vocal ensembles until säje. She says being in the group requires her to exercise different musical muscles.  

“As a jazz vocalist, as a soloist, you have complete freedom to pick and choose what it is you want to do in any given moment in terms of phrasing and diction and tone and texture, rhythm and melody,” she said. “In ensemble music it’s like chamber music. You have to have incredible intention and things are meant to be very specific. So it’s forced me to have a certain command of my instrument that I don’t know that I had before.”

As a collective, säje has the freedom to guide their own course and create meaningful music of their choosing.

“It was just the freedom that we felt in looking around the room and recognizing that there wasn’t any kind of wall or barrier that we had to put up … in a room that is inherently populated predominantly by men,” she said. “That happens in music academia, in the music industry. And so it was exciting and thrilling to be able to create without any kind of concern about misinterpretations, or making sure that we were representing ourselves, or making sure that we were standing up to whatever expectation there was for us. We didn’t have an expectation.”

Säje has a diverse repertoire. They’ve applied their singular sound to music by Joni Mitchell, YEBBA, The Bad Plus and Dolly Parton. And you might find something of a recurring theme in their setlists, which often feature songs written by women.

“I don’t think that we seek out female composers.  I think that we just seek out songs that mean something and it happens to be that the songs that we think mean something often are written by women,” says Gazarek with a bit of a chuckle.

Säje performs at The Sophia in Midtown Sacramento on Tuesday, Oct. 17th.

Salomé and Paloma perform with The New Traditionalists on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the Teagarden Jazz Festival.

The Teagarden Jazz Camp is a long standing Sacramento tradition It's a summer music program for teens to learn traditional jazz and early Americana, and it's supported by the Sacramento Jazz Education Foundation. 

The camp takes place at the Sly Park Education Center in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and has been running since 1986. While there, students learn music theory, improvisation and each gets to be in their own band. 

Pianist Salomé Ospina and clarinetist Paloma Cobbs-Silva are two longtime Teagarden campers — now high schoolers — who've been selected to perform at this year's Monterey Jazz Festival. The musicians are a part of the Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo, which was created in 2019 to feature top high school women jazz players from across the United States. Only 6 jazz players are selected from the whole country each year.

CapRadio’s Avery Jeffry sat down with the two young musicians to discuss their musical roots, the summer camp that got them into jazz, and the opportunity of a lifetime. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Interview Highlights

On getting started on their instruments

Paloma Cobbs-Silva: I'm a senior at Rio Americano High School and started playing the clarinet in fourth grade. I went to Deterding Elementary and it's actually required to be in the band program. 

They start everyone on little plastic recorders and for some reason, I just seemed to excel at it. My band director pulled me aside because she wanted to promote me to an actual instrument, so I chose the clarinet because it seemed the most like the recorder. I actually taught myself how to play music off of YouTube because I wasn't able to afford any lessons.

Salomé Ospina: I’m a junior and I go to Rio Americano High School. My parents are both musicians so I've been surrounded by music even before I was born. I started playing piano when I was six and played entirely classical until around the time when COVID started. I was never really in a school band until I came to Rio, and I feel really fortunate to have found a place there where I can use my abilities.

On meeting at jazz camp

Cobbs-Silva: We both went to the Teagarden Jazz Camp, which is an amazing camp run by the Sacramento Jazz Education Foundation. I went [the] summer before eighth grade, [Salomé’s] summer before seventh grade. 

That's technically where we met. It was the first time I ever had access to jazz education like that. That's really what sparked it for me and made me realize how amazing jazz is.

Ospina: They make it such a welcoming environment and put you with people that are the same level as you. They all really want you to get better. With the amount of time you spend with your band, you start to form a relationship with the other musicians. That's all that jazz is about, being able to communicate.

On playing in the Sacramento Jazz Education Foundation Honor Band

Cobbs-Silva: It’s called TNT, The New Traditionalists. We've been in it for a minute and it's just such a fun band to be a part of. We’re able to play the traditional style of jazz and I'm so fortunate to do that because that's my passion.

Ospina: In this band we rehearse weekly and having that consistency and being able to play music with other high schoolers is just amazing. We also get opportunities to play gigs around town. 

On playing at the Monterey Jazz Festival

Cobbs-Silva: For me, it's just an absolute dream come true. I've actually been trying to get into this group ever since freshman year and now that I'm a senior, it's kind of a big accomplishment. There's just so much opportunity for us at this festival to meet musicians our age from all across the country. It's just such a blessing.

Ospina: The fact that it's a six person combo from the whole country but I've known someone that's in this combo and we go to the same school, it's just really awesome that we both get this opportunity.

Cobbs-Silva: We've been practicing a lot in regards to the music we're playing. Salomé has an original composition, I have an original composition and a lot of the girls in the group are arranging tunes, too.

On advice to other young women getting into jazz

Cobbs-Silva: My biggest piece of advice would be to keep going and not give up. There have been many cases where girls start quitting music through high school because of the pressures of being a woman in jazz. It can be very scary and there are a lot of horror stories, but if this is what you love doing and you know you want to do it, then you’ve got to do it. Know that there is a very big community of women in jazz and we all love and support each other. Just don't give up.

Nanny Assis is a Brazilian treasure — best known as a percussionist, he’s also a soulful vocalist, a great guitarist and a blossoming composer. 

Assis moved to New York City in 1999 and has collaborated with many jazz masters. His latest album “Rovanio” features jazz giants Ron Carter, Randy Brecker and Janis Siegel. 

“Great original compositions, a beautiful voice, inspired arrangements and very special guests. All these elements combined with an experienced musician make for a fabulous release,”Assis’s countryman, pianist Antonio Adolfo, wrote about the album.

Assis told All About Jazz, “Coming from Brazil, I have so many different styles and roots for my music. There’s so much information in one place, and it’s really strong in the culture, the dance and the music. And I figure I’m the glue for all that.”

CapRadio’s Gary Vercelli spoke with Assis about “Rovanio” and collaborations with different jazz performers.

Interview Highlights

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

On the influence of Brazilian composer and “Father of Bossa Nova”  Antonio Carlos Jobim

One of the first albums that really caught my attention was his album called “Urubu.” It was completely different from everything we think about Bossa Nova. He approaches music in a really percussive way. To me, this was like home, what we love here in Bahia. 

Ron Carter was on that album, and it reflects Bahia, but it’s also kind of psychedelic — it’s so many different things in one!

On approaching jazz great Ron Carter to participate on the album

I emailed him, and he responded right away. I sent him two songs, and the very next day, he responded. We found a date and followed COVID protocol. It was done in just two sessions. After that, we became close friends and we are already discussing possible future projects.

On adding lyrics to and performing Ron Carter’s “Mr. Bow Tie”

That’s a song that Ron wrote years ago for his father. I retitled it “No Agora.” It means “In the now; living in the moment.” During the pandemic, we didn’t really know what was going on or what was going to happen. In order to not be so anxious about what’s coming tomorrow, let’s just be present and be happy with this moment. Of Ron’s many great compositions, the melody and the harmony is what appealed to me in selecting that song.

On The importance of Janis Siegel and American vocal group The Manhattan Transfer

As a young boy, I found a Manhattan Transfer album on vinyl in the supermarket and loved it. One night, many years later, I was invited to a club in New York called 54 Below. I was knocked out by her and jumped backstage to tell her so. On this album, she not only sings a beautiful song written by pianist Fred Hersch, but she added lyrics to “Proponho” and “The Northern Sea.” So, she is very present and is a huge part of the album.

That album was about me turning 30 years old. That album was about me being a girl, being Black and turning 30 in America. The album exemplified a concept album, an album that tells a story. I like that kind of thing.

On the uniqueness of her voice

I always knew that [my voice] must be for a reason because it was so peculiar. I knew music and played piano, and wrote songs for fun. I had a friend whom I went to school with [at USC] who had a 4-track recorder in his dorm room.

I made these cassette tapes of me singing ideas to him. This other kid — who I went to school with as well — had a jazz band, and he was listening to my tapes and encouraging me to sing with his jazz band on Sundays. I fell in love [with music] as a whole process creatively.

On motherhood and how work/life balance has informed her music

The thing you get out of being a parent is that you learn how to figure things out. You get in the rhythm of making things work and coming out on the upside and doing what's best for everybody and not just for yourself.

That leaks into the way I do music and the way I am with my band.

On how she has realized her original dream of being in the film industry

I originally wanted to be an actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. I love working in the industry. I just did an animated film with [comedian] Martin Lawrence, and it's called "Sneaks."

It's about sneakers that talk. We're doing a pilot for a television series, and other than that [I'm keeping my eye out] for other deals [and everyday stuff.]

On recently announced an international tour with her band, The California Jet Club

I'm a bigger artist [now] and a lot better at my craft and songwriting. My musicians are also on that level, and we're really serious about what we do, and the album came out that way. 

We'll give everything we have when on the stage. All I care about is everyone being happy. I'd recommend you catch our live performances — highly.

Funk vocalist Dawn Silva’s moniker as the “Funk Queen” didn’t come out of nowhere — her legendary stints with Sly & the Family Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic, the Gap Band and as the frontwoman of The Brides of Funkenstein, she’s rightfully earned her crown.

She recently added “author” to her title after releasing her memoir “The Funk Queen Dawn Silva: An Autobiography.” CapRadio’s Chris Campbell spoke with Silva to learn more about the book and look back on her career.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Interview Highlights

On Silva’s high school’s musical group Windsong

Growing up in Sacramento, we would have a big talent show. It was the highlight of the year. I would rehearse every single day with the group Windsong. We didn’t get too far [in the industry] but we won a ton of talent shows.

On her experience with the famed soul collective Sly & The Family Stone as a background vocalist

When I got with Sly, I didn’t even know how to hold a microphone. The most significant thing that I learned from Sly is the “perfect vocal blend.” The first session I did with him, I was nervous and singing at the top of my lungs over the other [background vocalists].

The lesson he taught me was to blend with the unit and sound like a one-chord structure. Most people think singing background is simple, but it's a very complex art form.

On joining George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic Music empire

My first introduction to Parliament Funkadelic was when they toured with Sly & The Family Stone. We were the guest artists, and the show went extremely well.

When Sly left the tour, George Clinton was impressed with our vocal blend and asked [Silva and background vocalist partner Lynn Mabry] to do sessions with his acts. The first song we sang was “Get Up for the Down Stroke.”

… George had a different plan in mind for Lynn and I. Unbeknownst to us, he started putting things together for a group he called the “Brides of Funkenstein.” He had already approached Atlantic Records to do a deal and told us during a recording session. I was shocked.

On Silva’s experience with the Brides of Funkenstein

The single “Disco to Go” from the first album sold 300,000 [copies] in the first month of release and caught everyone off guard. The sophomore album was heavily played by the Detroit DJ the Electrifying Mojo, who had a lot to do with the lead single being a success.

It became a funk anthem. Rolling Stone magazine would later rank [the album] in their “Top 50 Coolest Albums of All Time.” The Brides were versatile and played in numerous music genres such as funk, rock and new wave and could fit into almost any genre.

… As with everything that’s great, the mothership [The Brides of Funkenstein] had a bumpy landing. As key musicians and artists started to leave the group, it was tantamount to the ingredients [of a recipe] changing, and so did the taste.

I eventually joined the Gap Band [as a background vocalist]. I had known them from when they toured with P-Funk. The Gap Band emulated the Brides of Funkenstein’s sound, so I agreed to go on tour with them.

On stepping away from the industry and eventually starting her own record label

[I] stepped away from the music industry in the 1990s. [It] was my way of taking a break and regrouping.

My mom got sick, and I decided to leave Los Angeles and move back to Sacramento to take care of her. I stayed under the radar from 1992 to 2000.

… I decided to start my own record label. I had shopped my album “All My Funky Friends” around to various corporate labels, but they told me that there was no market for funk. It seemed that funk was being systematically eliminated as it wasn’t being played on the radio.

My album had all the derivatives of the funk sound, but the industry wasn’t trying to market it or sign me. When I started my own label and released the album, it blew up. It led to licensing deals all over the world — United States, Canada, Holland, Japan, etc. I was now in the record business [as a label head.]

On her autobiography

I wrote the book so that young women of any color could be prepared for a road that can be brutal. The music industry has its highs, but the lows are very low. 

I hope to empower young women to make better-informed decisions on how to read a contract and know their publishing rights and their legal rights. A lot of these contracts are set up to benefit the corporate labels. You pretty much become a slave to the industry as many artists sign away their rights.

I also hope the book gives women artists the courage to set up, write their stories and never let anyone tell them that they can’t achieve their dreams. When someone tells me I can’t do something, I love to prove them wrong.

Multi-instrumentalist Grammy Award-winning artist and producer Robert Glasper has been at the vanguard of contemporary music for decades.

He’s been lauded for leading a resurgence in jazz, incorporating a myriad of musical styles around a jazz framework.

With the Blue Note Jazz festival coming to Napa at the end of July, CapRadio’s Chris Campbell spoke with Glasper about his music projects, key collaborations and what it means to be a role model and an ambassador for the jazz genre.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Interview highlights

On Glasper’s Black Radio album series

I had been trying to do that series for a while as [Black Radio 1 was] canceled three times … When we were finally able to produce it, I thought it was gonna be a cool underground record, but we ended up winning R&B album of the year [at the Grammy Awards.] The win changed how they looked at certain bands and certain genres of music and opened things up a bit. It’s been to collaborate with so many amazing artists on wax.

On Glasper’s commitment to mentoring artists

It’s important to me. I’m not here on my own. I feel like it’s my responsibility to do the same, to mentor and do whatever I can. I hate it when some [artists] don’t take responsibility.

You don’t say that when you cash those checks. You still [got here] on somebody else’s shoulders to reach that [level].

On what Glasper has planned for after the Blue Note Jazz Festival

[After the festival,] the immediate future is that I resume my Blue Note Jazz Club residency in New York. I will curate and start figuring out who my special musical guests will be.

I will be scoring another season of the HBO series “Winning Time,” which is about the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s, and there are a couple of musical projects in the works.

It’s been over 26 years since Erykah Badu came along and changed the sound of soul music, blazing onto the scene with elegantly restrained vocals birthed in love, life and empowerment. All of these themes are painted against a canvas of melodic jazz-soul, hip-hop vibes.

Badu is performing tonight at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. In anticipation of her performance, CapRadio’s Chris Campbell spoke with Badu about her “Unfollow Me” tour, her latest business venture and how she frames herself musically after a quarter century in the industry.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length

Interview highlights

On the genesis and concept of the Unfollow Me tour

The Unfollow Me tour is a tongue-in-cheek way to invite my fans to the show. Unfollow me is “Badu-ism” for me — it should encourage you to follow your own path and bring forth your own gifts and own understanding. It’s jokey and a moment to reflect at the same time.

On co-headlining the tour with Yasiin Bey, the artist formerly known as Mos Def

We have toured before. We have the same kind of energy and intent when performing. We are present in our performance and in our music as well. We share a sonic sound and a metronome. It feels natural, good and right.

On remembering her albums through word associations

Worldwide Underground — tour bus. We recorded the whole album on the tour bus. It was really a Worldwide Underground. Whoever wanted to get on the album in whatever city would get on it, recording it was the antics of the tour bus.

New Amerykah Part One & Part Two — Andre Harrell. I was at the Electric Ladyland working on a body of music, about 30 to 40 songs, and I was trying to choose what goes where and pair it down to one album. Andre Harrell was there and said, “Why don’t you just make it ‘Part One and Two?’”

Baduizm — Innocence. Youth. Possibility. Creative juices.

Mama’s Gun — Funk. Electric Lady Studio. Musicianship.

On the launch of her cannabis company

I’m working on my first cannabis line. I always wanted to be part of the cannabis conversation, and now I have this opportunity.

I have a perfect partnership and released my first strain called “That Badu.” I took on the task of joining the cannabis conversation where women are concerned — women growers, users, doctors, spiritualists, scientists, dispensary owners, etc., who use cannabis in their work. 

I’m happy to join in creating products around this line that speaks to a woman’s needs.

On where she sees herself in terms of her influence on music

My best work is still inside of me. I've had fun and had the opportunity to create; however, I wanted to create and stay in alignment with myself the whole time and not lose myself in the 25-year process.

I find myself in the present. Today, I'm only thinking about this tour. Putting a tour together is very taxing. I have my hands in all the pots. It's taking a lot of work — designing the set, sequencing the songs, etc.

On her personal mantra

To each his own — that's my philosophy. I don't know what's right for you; you don't know what's right for me … Unfollow Me. I say it every morning.

Bay Area neo-soul singer Tracy Cruz was born in Quezon City on the island of Luzon in the Philippines before moving to San Jose. Her foundational years were spent saturating herself with a fusion of the indigenous sound of various Tagalog ballads and American pop, soul and R&B.

Cruz’s vocal coaches mentored and enhanced her Filipino vocal style with an even more vibrant, soulful, and kaleidoscopic aesthetic. CapRadio’s Chris Campbell selected five songs that celebrate the span of her career.

“Weathered Down” — Tracy Cruz (Feel’osophy)

Cruz’s first project —“Feel’osophy,” released in 2008 — represented itself well alongside the works of other contemporary soul artists such as Maysa, Jill Scott and others.

The project provides a breath of fresh air in the indie soul music community with its timeless vibe and bright, uplifting lyrics built around the topics of love, hope and happiness.

“Love’s Galaxy” — Tracy Cruz (Universoul Symphony)

Her sophomore effort, the 2011 release “Universoul Symphony” was a happy amalgamation of soul, jazz, R&B, hip hop and indigenous music reimagined into an elegant and hypnotic subterranean listening experience.

“Golden Soul” Acoustic Version — (H3artifacts) – Tracy Cruz

After “Universoul Symphony” was released, Cruz took a break from the industry, dedicating her time to balancing motherhood with her artistry.

She reemerged armed with a trilogy of EPs in 2017 and 2018 titled H3artifacts, Art of Facts, and Purple H3artificats, with all three dropping in rapid succession, each showing off a greater amount of introspection in her songwriting.

“Keep Our Soul Alive” — Tracy Cruz (The Art of Facts)

This EP traces the arc of a breakup, the resilience needed to regain her groove and the celebration of attending a deeper understanding and self-love. Cruz’s strength is in her vulnerability, which is clearly distilled in her voice.

“Keep Our Soul Alive” also features a tune with Grammy-nominated producer Brandon Williams.

“Find A Way” — Tracy Cruz

Cruz’s musical journey continues to trend upward. Now based in the San Francisco Bay area, she is heavily involved with one of the largest Grammy chapters in the nation as a voting member. She’s also a GRAMMY U mentor and was recently voted in as its chapter governor. The program focuses on helping artists through mentorship, diversity, and inclusion while advocating social, cultural, and gender equality.

She continues to give back to the music community by taking artists under her wing and giving them vocal instruction and emotional support in the same fashion that her vocal coaches originally gave her.

Cruz uses her music and advocacy to enrich and uplift the Bay Area community while keeping it musically in a way that tugs at the heart and uplifts the soul. The concluding track of this installment is her latest single, “Find A Way.”

Iconic singer Tina Turner died last month at the age of 83 in her Zurich home.

Born Anna Mae Bullock, Turner began her career in 1957 as Little Ann with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm and later debuted as Tina Turner in 1960. She rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue soon after.

During this time, the band made a string of hits, including “A Fool in Love,” “River Deep — Mountain High,” “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine,” “Nutbush Limits” and many more.

CapRadio’s Chris Campell gathered five standout songs by the artist in remembrance of her life and illustrious career.

Proud Mary by Ike & Tina Turner (Workin’ Together)

The Ike & Tina Turner Revue proved to be one of the most exciting and explosive performance groups of the time, and they would tour extensively, opening for the Rolling Stones and enjoying immense crossover success. But with the highs enjoyed by their commercial success came the lows of the business.

Ike was heavily addicted to cocaine, which fueled his abusive behavior towards her. He began attacking her in the mid-1950s, with his attacks growing more vicious throughout the years. The abuse reached its climax when in July 1976, after a performance at the Statler Hilton in Dallas, Ike and Tina got into a physical altercation, which prompted Tina to flee with only 36 cents and a Mobil gas card. She would never go back to Ike again.

By the early 1980s, Tina was considered a nostalgia act, performing at hotel ballrooms and small clubs. However, in 1983, she signed with Capitol Records, and they greenlit a full studio album that she would record in two weeks. The single, “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” was written by songwriters Terry Britten and Graham Lyle and was initially offered for R&B songstress Phyllis Hyman, who wanted to do the song. Still, Arista Records CEO Clive Davis would not allow her. 

The song was then offered to dance music queen Donna Summer, who never got around to recording it. Some months before Turner recorded the song, the British pop group Bucks Fizz was offered the song, but recorded a tepid version of it. In Tina’s hands, the song was lightning in a bottle.

What’s Love Got To Do With It by Tina Turner (Private Dancer)

"Private Dancer" could be described as one of the greatest comebacks in music history when it was released. It also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The song also became Tina's first and only No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. At age 44, she was the oldest woman solo artist to top the Hot 100.

Tina was in high demand like never before and would act in films like Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). She also ended up recording some of the movie's soundtrack, including the hit "We Don't Need Another Hero."

In 1986, she released her next album, Break Every Rule, which reached No. 1 in four countries and sold over five million copies worldwide within months of its release.

Typical Male by Tina Turner (Break Every Rule)

Tina's tour in support of the "Break Every Rule" album would prove to be the third highest-grossing tour by a woman artist in North America that year and set a then-Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience for a solo performer. Later that year, Tina would also receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1995, Tina returned to the studio, releasing "GoldenEye," written by Bono and the Edge of U2 for the James Bond film GoldenEye. Her next album, "Wildest Dreams," would follow.

In Your Wildest Dreams by Tina Turner (Wildest Dreams)

With more than 150 million records sold worldwide, 12 Grammy wins, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, Kennedy Center Honors and more, Tina Turner is one of the best-selling and most decorated music artists of all time.

It’s difficult to understate Tina’s enduring legacy. Musically, she has influenced numerous artists ranging from Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe and Jennifer Hudson all the way to Joan Osborne, Joan Jett and Lady Gaga. But beyond music, she made an even more indelible mark.

She has inspired generations of women as a powerful advocate against domestic abuse, providing a roadmap for women on how to empower themselves and show resilience in the face of trauma.

Her incredible life and career are like a roller coaster ride, with indescribable highs and breathtaking lows, with a vibrant and ebullient spirit that transcended music while becoming an iconic artist that impacted generations.

Better Be Good to Me by Tina Turner (Private Dancer)

The last song of this segment is taken from Turner’s signature album “Private Dancer,” as we hear a tune that captures the essence of Tina, her manifesto to the world. Here’s “Better Be Good To Me.” Check it out.

This summer Napa will be at the center of the jazz music universe when the Blue Note Jazz Festival touches down July 28 through 30.

The three-day festival will return with Grammy Award-winning producer Robert Glasper as the artist-in-residence. Comedian Dave Chapelle will host all three nights.

Guests can expect performers like Mary J. Blige, Big Freedia, Chance the Rapper and DJ Jazzy Jeff over the course of three nights. CapRadio’s Chris Campbell spoke with Robert Glasper about how the festival was born and what he hopes attendees will take away from it.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Interview Highlights

On the origins of the festival

The festival originated from my residency at New York’s Blue Note [Café]. I would do five to six weeks of performances during the month of October and November and would have special guests come through. 

So last year, [the organizers] were like “we should make this into a festival.” So, it became a thing — a festival that still gives you the intimacy of a small club. It’s dope to have something that started off in a small club end up evolving into this.

On this year’s festival lineup

To have De La Sol and Chance the Rapper [in the lineup] means we’re just touching all of the different vases of hip-hop there. There’s Mary J. Blidge, BJ the Chicago Kid, Nas, Digable Planets [and more.] 

The festival touches on so many different aspects of Black music from the 1980s to the early 2000s, including amazing DJs like Jazzy Jeff. It’s something for everybody.

On how the festival will mark the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and it’s connection with jazz genres that were born out of struggle

We all come from the same mother, you know what I mean? I always say that hip hop was birthed from jazz. Jazz is the mother of hip-hop. So many of those break beats that are from hip-hop come from jazz records. 

There’s that lineage there … hip hop and jazz come from necessity, come from struggle —  hardcore struggle. What it really comes down to in modern music, those two [are the] struggling musics of African Americans in America.

On comedian Dave Chapelle serving as the MC for the festival

[Chapelle’s] show was like a modern soul train in a way where it really gave a lot of [underground artists] a platform. People loved that show. He’s always been a big supporter of me — this is not something that he just slapped his name on. He’s been a music lover from the beginning: He’s a real one.

Photo courtesy of Blue Note Jazz Club

The Blue Note Jazz Festival will take place July 28 through 30 in Napa. Three-day and VIP passes are available on their website.

 

CapRadio Classical and Jazz is celebrating Women in Music all month long, including four spotlights on local musicians who have made an impact in our community. 

It can be difficult to take that first step, in both music and in life. Waiting for the right opportunity to come along works sometimes, but often it doesn’t. Whether it’s learning a new piece or simply starting a new chapter in life, you’ve got to set it in motion somehow.

Vocalist and bassist Casey Lipka believes that the answer is simple. Just show up.

Lipka is an instrumentalist, vocalist and composer that splits her time between Sacramento and Los Angeles. A consummate collaborator, she has formed several of her own groups, toured with the popular Sacramento rock band CAKE, and has composed music for ballet dancers and museum installations among others. 

Lately she’s focused mainly on original music, including a debut solo EP that’s out this month. 

Lipka recently spoke with CapRadio Classical Host Jennifer Reason to discuss expressing herself through music and the power of simply showing up. 

Interview Highlights 

On what drew her to playing music

I started as a singer and bass is my bridge to the world of instrumental music. I am drawn to jazz music, but I also love singer-songwriter music and pop music. Anything that reaches me, and that could be anything. 

On her current musical projects 

I'm part of a folk trio that I love and adore called Dear Darling, but I'm very excited about my solo debut EP It's called "Show Up" and the music reflects on themes of what “showing up” looks like. I believe that sometimes that can be the hardest part, to show up even when you're scared to ask for help, to take a break, to express care for people that you love, to make space; and this is a body of music that reflects on those themes. It was time, and it is the time to show up. One of the songs on the album is called "Better Get Going," and it is about just that. Go do the thing. You can talk about it, you can think about it, you can dream about it, but go do it.

On getting into coaching 

Following your dreams is brave and courageous and scary and challenging. I found the world of coaching and went through a year-long coaching certification program that really transformed my life. It has been so transformational for me that it's a part of how I would like to walk through the world.

On the music scene in Sacramento

Sacramento is a place where you can really foster dreams and ideas. There is space. There are venues. There is community here. There's people that are willing to say, “yes, let's go play that thing,” and “oh, I’ll support your idea,” or “oh yeah, I'll meet you and do this thing,” or “hey, I don't know what's happening but I want to be there,” and that is so special. Sacramento is a place that is filled with possibility.

On the future of her career

I think I used to have an idea of where I wanted exactly to go, but I feel much more grounded in my purpose as a human being and as an artist, which is to uplift and inspire through creativity, collaboration and connection. As long as I am doing that, I'm happy.