Aretha Franklin earned the title "Queen of Soul" after releasing several critically acclaimed timeless recordings that showcase remarkable talent in the soul genre. It's a debatable topic, for sure, since the pinnacle of any genre can be based on several factors such as popularity, talent, reviews or legendary staying power. Aretha is hard to beat in each of those categories since she is still well respected today, as are many artists in her league like Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Beyonce. The list of R&B/Soul artists in Sacramento is somewhat obscure since there are not that many venues in town that showcase the music despite being one of America's all tim

A dozen of the top Northern California bands, playing an Exciting, Eclectic, mix of musical genres (Rock, Country, Jazz, Funk, Soul, Big Band, World Beat …of course, Blues, and….wait for it….Yep…Gypsy Swing!) will gather at the Torch Club, 904 15th Street, on Sunday, October 7th, from 1pm to 8pm for the 6th Annual Blues for Life. (Inside and out in the parking lot…two stages!) This popular fundraiser, that has grown every year, benefits Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation, which raises money for expensive diagnostic breast cancer tests such as PET scans and mammograms for women in need. At Albie, we like to say, “Your wife, your mother, your sister, your daughter, your best friend... Wh

A cloud of incense, copious amounts of body hair and tree-hugging hippies vomiting love and sunshine all over each other. These are things that might come to mind when envisioning Wanderlust, a music and yoga festival nestled in the mountains of Lake Tahoe. While the love and sunshine part might be partially (and pleasantly) true, the rest couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, Squaw Valley was transformed over the weekend into a gathering place for fit, radiant and well-kept yogis and yoginis of all ages and backgrounds, arriving by land and air from various parts of the West Coast. Aimed at creating a community around mindful living, the festival’s mission is to encourage the p

On Saturday evening, Old Ironsides hosted a lineup that included Lauren Wakefield, who also plays with The Solicitors, and multi-SAMMIE award winner Crazy Ballhead, but it was The Tipsy Hustlers’ debut that I had come to see and, even though this was their first public performance since forming less than four months ago, they rocked the house with their unique blend of rock, soul, funk and a little bit of rap. They shook out any nerves they may have had with their first number, “Remember The Good Times,” lead singer and songwriter Ken Rudulph’s look back at his first big band, Mama’s Gravy, and the times they had in local places like Old Ironsides. The song had a sweet rockin’ rhythm and

It’s been eight long years. Eight long years to find the right people and pursue one's dreams again. You see, when Mama’s Gravy, long-time Sacramento funk-rock-soul-rap band broke up eight long years ago, everybody scattered. The boys in the band went their separate ways. For two of the original guys in the band, a second chance, eight long years in the making, is right around the corner. On Saturday, June 23 at Old Ironsides in Downtown Sacramento, those two former bandmates will hook up again on stage. Ken Rudulph (lead singer) and John Mullick IV (bass) will be joined this time by guitarist Xavier Altimiras Lupon and drummer John Linn to form a new band called The Tipsy Hustlers. T

Reggae music created a chill atmosphere for a dreadlocked and barefooted audience at Ace of Spades Sunday. With four reggae- and R&B-influenced groups set to perform, the night was filled with grooves and moves for the Love and Roots Tour. Starting off the night was Massachusetts band Massive Delicious. Formed by vocalist/guitarist Dylan Crawford, the group showed off their varied musical influences and talents with a short but enticing performance. Massive Delicious impressed the crowd with their transitions and layering. Reggae, soul and funk: All could be heard in just one song. They brought the vibe and energy of tranquility and peace with their jams. Alongside reggae influences, M

Sacramento's ever popular dance band HIP SERVICE returns to Harlows for a night of dancing and soulful surprises. Nationally recognized as "Best Dance Band in America," the 14 piece HIP SERVICE collective promises to deliver a memorable night of funky dance grooves. "There ain't no party like a Hip Service party!" We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Guest host for the evening is the beloved Sacramento radio personality Lee Perkins, hosting a benefit show for Soles 4 Souls. Bring an extra pair of shoes for donation, wear your most comfortable dancing pair and we'll see you on the dance floor. Usually a sell out, so buy yours in advance. Saturday, March 31 10 pm Ages 21+ Harlow's

The Soul of Sacramento, “What is it? Where is it? Let’s find it and celebrate it”. Facilitators: Kim Alexander of California Voter Foundation, Saxon Sigerson, AIA, Jason Silva, AIA and David Sarti, AIA. Sacramento is a place where people enjoy a unique quality of life – our goal is to create a resource to help people find what it is about our city that makes it such an enjoyable place to live? In an effort to create this resource we will be engaging event participants in a lively, interactive discussion, asking for your thoughts and feelings around a series of questions. Sample questions: • Where are the lovely courtyards? • Where is your favorite alley? • Which street might you walk do

New for 2012!!  Soul of the City is an engaging dialogue series between the public and the design profession on issues of importance to the community and the region with focus on improving communication, understanding and collaboration (formerly known as the 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue series).  Organized by the AIA Central Valley Chapter and the ASLA California Sierra Chapter, the dialogues are listed below for the year and the topics have come directly from the public and the profession from one of our dialogues last year.  We look forward to seeing everyone again this year for some engaging conversation!  See you at the first dialogue on February 29th, where we will kick-off the serie

Radiant Mexican Singer Martha Toledo Debuts in Sacramento; Songs Speak of Respect and Dignity for Latin American Women La Raza Galería Posada, Sacramento’s nonprofit hub for Latino/Chicano and Native arts cultural programming, continues to bring rare,compelling and exciting music concerts to their intimate performance space in Midtown. Martha Toledo is an internationally recognized performer whose commanding presence embodies the sensibility and majesty of the Oaxacan culture. A Zapotec singer from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Oaxaca, Mexico, her soulful sound evokes the pulsing, vibrant rhythm of her country's music legacy. Many of these songs carry the contemporary message of

  On Saturday September 3, a broad, multi-genre group of area musicians will join together to present a benefit concert for Somalian refugees. “March to the Beat of One Heart” will be held at Antiquite Maison Privee, 2114 P Street in midtown Sacramento. The event runs from 5 pm-11pm and there is $10 minimum donation. The concert, in association with the Midtown Business Association and Swell Productions, will feature ten Sacramento musical acts playing for a common goal of assisting victims of the war and drought-ravaged region. 100% of the proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, a worldwide humanitarian aid organization, and their efforts in Somalia. Guitarist and concert promoter

One of the joys of concert reviewing is traveling far out beyond my comfort zone and seeing a performance of someone who is not normally on my radar. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m pretty narrow in my music tastes. I’ve got a couple of things that I really like and everything else gets a big, fat “meh” in my book. It’s not that I don’t want to listen to new and different things, I just never seem to get around to it. Attending the Sade show at the Power Balance Pavillion on Wednesday evening, I gleefully threw caution to the wind and stepped into an unfamiliar musical landscape.  Admittedly, I did enter with some preconceptions about Sade’s music. In my mind, Sade is to melancholy sl

Seeing a lack of regular jazz shows in the central city, Grady O’Bryant sought to fill that void with a weekly series called Jazz on J at Shenanigans bar on J Street. Jazz on J features a local jazz band every Thursday. The first Jazz on J show was on Feb. 17. Grady worked with saxophonist Ava Lemert to create Jazz on J, which had its fourth show Thursday. Lemeret performs every week before the featured band. “Grady and I met up at Shenanigan’s to talk about putting something together,” Lemert said. “He and I are the creators of the series. Grady had the idea that he wanted to put something together. Maybe have something every week.” Every Thursday, from 6 - 7 p.m., local jazz artist A

  or·gone  n.  A universal life force, a cosmic unit of energy, the creative force in nature.   Orgone  n.  A nine piece soul/funk ensemble from Los Angeles.  A staple on the Festival circuit (High Sierra Music Fest, Moe.down, South by Southwest, Jazzfest, to name a few) Orgone has opened for the likes of Al Green and Sharon Jones, and toured with the Roots and Greyboy Allstars. "With a rooted sense of funk, soul, afrobeat, deep rhythms and an intimate understanding of dj culture as well as each others' individual talents, Orgone seamlessly slides through multiple styles and dynamic performances. The group continuously injects whatever they play with a heavy brand of raw funk power." (o

A double shot of the deepest Chicago and Texas blues--from the some of the biggest living legends of the genre are arriving in town this Sunday to play an afternoon all ages concert in Sacramento.“BLUES ON THE GREEN 2” stars The Blues Broads and the Nick Gravenites Band. Honored emcee is blues radio legend and harp man, Mick Martin. Sunday, Sept. 26 The Green @ Capital Public Radio/ southernmost corner of Sac State University 7055 Folsom Ave./Sacramento    Doors: 1 PM      Showtime: 2 PM  With a wall of soul sound that could tumble Jericho, four powerful women singers stand at the front of the stage and make believers of every audience member. Rocking, scolding, testifying and torching,

It was a "Soulful" weekend indeed! Following on the heels of the V101.1 Soul Jam, the Sounds Of Soul Awards rounded out the weekend’s music events. The awards ceremony was held Sunday evening at The Crest Theatre. The show displayed a variety of talent in the categories of R&B, jazz, hip-hop and gospel. Several local performers graced the stage in an exciting line-up, which kept audiences curious to see which artist and genre would come next. Although the event headlined Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Tatyana Ali as the host, she was unable to attend. Despite her absence, promoters and emcees of the awards ceremony said "the show must go on." The audience agreed and the show never skipped

Phenomenal singer, songwriter and guitarist Raul Midon is ready to excite audiences at Harlow’s at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The musician will bring his sensational vocals to the stage for one night as a part of the tour for his new album, “Synthesis.” Midon’s sound is a fusion of jazz, soul and pop music steeped in Latin influence. Critics have often compared his vocal style and talent to the likes of Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway. Yet this artist is by no means a replica of those musicians. Instead, Midon is a certifiably unique talent and in a league of his own. He has a distinct sound that’s raw, clear and precise – a musical message that cannot be understood by merely reading the lyr

Freddie McGregor, the Grammy-nominated international reggae legend who has been performing since the '70s, is bringing his soulful rhythm to downtown Sacramento. The concert will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Queen Sheba's Ethiopian Restaurant on 1704 Broadway. Originally from Clarendon, Jamaica, McGregor has sang, played and produced reggae music with many different styles throughout the years, including Rastafarian, lovers rock, ska and rocksteady. The height of his national recognition came in the early 1980s, when he released the hit song and album "Bobby Babylon." Other popular titles include "Big Ship," "Push Comes to Shove," "Just Don't Want to be Lonely" and "I was Born a Winner,

I Watch a Leaf I watch a leaf, bound in a tiny pool Dismal flora, unmindful it is dead Autumnal wind, used as pushing tool This parking lot puddle, bumping its edge I watch the leaf; dried, brown, crescent crumble While its friends, they twist and roll they are free Scent of shop donuts, build tummies grumble Winds slash and lash my skin, howling a plea I watch a leaf, the leaf of my shared grief Who doesn’t want to die, meet brevity From time no relief, life span, living brief Out of grasp or my hands, longevity Honor all seasons, vanity, false belief Walk away from composting of, this leaf     Foggy is ths Bridge Foggy is this bridge, its seamed with soft lights Thick is the m