San Diego Bayfest returns Saturday
Roots reggae champion Barrington Levy may not have created Jamaican dancehall music entirely on his own, but he is one of its key progenitors.
Only 14 when his first single came out in 1977, Levy was instrumental in establishing the bass-and-drum-heavy dancehall’s half-sung, half-spoken vocal style. His use of elongated vowels has become a trademark of Levy, who — like Bob Marley before him — has made the refrain “whoa-oa-oh” an intrinsic component of his singing, dating back to Levy’s 1985 hit, “Here I Come.”
His musical partners have included Bob Marley & The Wailers’ guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith, rappers Snoop Dogg and Shyne, and such bands as San Diego’s Slightly Stoopid and England’s Gorillaz.
Levy also teamed up with the Long Beach Dub Allstars, the group launched in 1997 by Sublime co-founders Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson. Perhaps not by coincidence, Levy’s performance here this weekend is as one of the six acts at San Diego Bayfest.
The headliner is the latest edition of Sublime, which features drummer Gaugh and bassist Wilson alongside singer-guitarist Jakob Nowell, the 29-year-old son of Sublime’s third charter member, the late Bradley Nowell.
Also performing at the 10-hour Bayfest is the 30-year-old Los Angeles punk-rock band Goldfinger, the 28-year-old Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere, Hawaiian surfer and singer songwriter Makua Rothman and Ventura reggae-rocker Kyle Smith.
1 p.m. Saturday. San Diego Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Highway. $75-$2,999. bayfestsd.com
The Peter Erskine Trio, with Bob Mintzer
Best known for his superb drumming in the seminal fusion jazz band Weather Report from 1978 to 1982, Peter Erskine was in his teens when he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra in 1972, followed a few years later by a stint in trumpeter Maynard Ferguson’s big band.
Erskine’s other collaborators over the years have ranged from Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan and Kate Bush to Chick Corea, Diana Krall and leading San Diego guitarist Peter Sprague.
Now the Director of Drum Set Studies at USC’s Thornton School of Music, Erskine is truly a musician for all seasons. The trio he’ll lead here Tuesday features Polish-born bassist Derek Oles and New Jersey pianist Alan Pasqua, whose resumé includes work with Bob Dylan, Santana and such jazz greats as drummer Tony Williams and former San Diego saxophonist James Moody.
Erskine’s trio will be joined by Yellowjackets’ saxophonist Bob Mintzer, who doubles as the chief conductor of Germany’s acclaimed WDR Big Band.
7:30 p.m Saturday. La Jolla Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, Wall St., La Jolla. $40-$45. (858) 454-5872, ljathenaeum.org/jazz-at-the-athenaeum
Dave Alvin & Jimmy Dale Gilmore with The Guilty Ones, and special guests Jon Langford & Alice Spencer
Depending on your musical preferences, leading contenders for 2024 “Song of the Summer” honors include Shaboozey’s country-pop jam “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Sabrina Carpenter’s suitably frothy “Espresso” and Kendrick Lamar’s Drake-eviscerating “Not Like Us.”
But for fans of earthy American roots music —and anyone who favors skill, tenacity and wit — Dave Alvin and Jimmy Dale Gilmore’s “We’re Still Here” is an easy winner. A lighthearted ode to longevity, it begins: If you’ve never had trouble you’ve never been alive / Well, I’ve had my share but I survived / The way up ahead may not be clear / But I ain’t worried because we’re still here.
It’s one of 11 winning songs from “TexiCali,” the endearing new album by Downey native and cancer survivor Alvin, 68, and Amarillo native Gilmore, 79. Expect them to heart at least some of these songs at their joint gig here with Alvin’s longtime band, The Guilty Men.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday Belly Up, 143 South Cedros Ave. Solana Beach. $32-$56 (must be 21 or older to attend). bellyup.com
