JAZZ &BLUES VIEW

I hope you all had a blessed season and weathered it well, if a bit wet. I’m ready for spring to get me out of the house and back in the garden, but until then, I’m staying put with a good book, a warm house, and a glass or two of vino. I hope we can play more live music in the new year and return to where we were three years ago. We need all our Blue Monday fans to return and support Blue Monday on the second and fourth Mondays at Café Urbano.

Blue Monday continues with the House Band featuring: John Burt on sax, John Ady and Conrad Johnson on Bass, and Dave Hawkes and Cortez Flores on Drums, with special guests at each event. The jam is open, so come down! On Feb 6th and 20th, we are back jamming! We appreciate Chris Murphy and Gary Nelson, who help sponsor Blue Monday. Café Urbano has a full bar and food available in a friendly club environment from 7 to 10 PM. Urbano also has DJ dancing Tuesday through Sunday featuring Latin Based music.

By Eric Benson

There are some great shows at Gallo Center but also check out some great venues out of town: Yoshi’s Oakland’s best jazz shows, Kuumbwa Music Center Santa Cruz

You can enjoy some epic live shows this month. So turn off your computer and head out to see some excellent stage performances. You will learn a thing or two and be completely amazed by the talent.

Ours, The Black History Musical, presented by Schoolyard Rap, is an exciting and educational experience for learners of all ages. Written by the Billboard charting artist, Griot B, this show will take you on a journey through time where you will learn about the amazing stories not taught in schools. Listen to the bass bump, the treble tremble, and the rhymes recited and you will leave this show educated, uplifted, and entertained. Feb 17 7 pm

Jay Leno will be returning to the Gallo Center on February 25. He is back in action and will be bringing the laughs to Modesto USA, home of American Graffiti. All of his years as a stand up comic, plus the years on the Tonight Show have created a lot of laughs. You know what a car guy he is so it’s a perfect fit. Maybe have classic car parking up front?

The Prospect Theatre has one of the best events all year long with the Johnny Cash Birthday Bash on January 25. The Wrong Doers, Chris Doud, Mike Allsup, Patty Castillo Davis and more. This event sells out so do not dilly dally and get your tix ASAP. PS. They have a full bar at the theatre. www.prospecttheatreproject.org

By Chris Murphy

The Turlock Community Theatre is having a great season. Don’t miss Tower of Power on Feb 10 at 7:30. This legendary bay area horn band will blow your mind. If you are in Tower of Power, you are the best of the best.

Tix at: www.turlocktheatre.org

The West Side Theatre is presenting a Chicago Tribute on February 11. This is another great power horn section band you will love. Show at 8

Tix at: www.westsidetheatre.org

Its Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday Don’t miss out on the downtown Mardi Gras at Urbano with the Creole Jazz Kings. This will be total blast with New Orleans style jazz and New Orleans specialties. Get your beads and head downtown and celebrate February 21.

1016 H St $5 Cover 7-98:30

The Youth Empowerment Program presents its first talent show in partnership with The State Theater, An Evening of Black Joy featuring young men and women ages 12 – 26 to showcase their talents. A space for black youth in the community to embody their culture with a chance to win up to $1,000! We hope to see you there!

Doors open at 5:00 PM, show 6:00 PM

Tickets: $10 Formal Attire Required

The State Theatre presents the premier of Felix Austria! Compelled by the inheritance of a mysterious box of letters, American aesthete Felix Pfeifle, a young man from Modesto who begins the journey of a lifetime to reach the source of the correspondence: the last heir of the Holy Roman Emperors, aging Archduke Otto von Habsburg. The documentary captured the Best Documentary, Best Director and Best Editing Awards at the Milan International Film Festival.

Food & Wine at 5:30; Discussion at 6:30; Film at 7 p.m. Q & A after the film

Admission: $25 or $10 for students with ID www.thestate.org

This is just a small sampling of the amazing shows happening in our community this month. Ge the latest info on local events at www.modestoview.com

Be the Sunshine in Your Fitness

By Efren Martinez

The Holidays are nicely put away in the 2022 storage containers, and we are deep into Winter. Our next Holiday, Valentine’s Day, might not be everyone’s favorite. Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day can be a cruel reminder to those alone. Let’s admit it. It’s cold and dark by 5 pm, and most of us are waterlogged from the much-needed rain we had over the last 2 months. It’s enough to get you depressed. I admit it! I need a good dose of sunshine to be my happy self.

Regardless of what Holiday it is or what comes up. The Winter weeks after Christmas can be most depressing. All the beautiful lights and cheer are gone. So if you’ve been feeling down or depressed lately, you’re not alone. It’s natural during this time of the year to get the Winter blues. Friends, our minds, bodies, and Spiritual well-being require a certain amount of Sunshine to keep us all happy and healthy besides a fitness lifestyle. It perhaps also has to do with the lack of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is what we all get naturally from the sun, and we all must get enough of it. This is why I always increase my Vitamin D dose in the Fall and won’t scale it down till

It’s no secret that the sun influences all living creatures. The Egyptians thought it was so powerful that they worshiped it as a God. It was their God of the Sun, and they referred to it as Ra. Ok, I’m not suggesting we all worship the Sun as a God as the Egyptians did. Heck, we all know how that Civilization ended up. Still, there are a few things you can do naturally to help boost your mood and get into your Sunshine happy self. Always take advantage of any sunshine when you have it during the Winter. I know it’s cold outside, but if the sun is shining, make a point to go outside and let your face absorb the golden rays. It will do wonders for you. Eat as much Vitamin D-rich food as you can. A simple internet search can direct you to foods rich in Vitamin D. Escape the confines of any gym and choose to do your workouts outside. Surround yourself with positive funny people, wear bright clothing and learn how to break dance—just kidding about the break dancing. My point is to laugh as much as possible. Laughing keeps you shining inside and out. Choose a comedy over a drama. Friends, stay positive and surround yourself with positive, happy, fun people. Here’s a hint, you won’t find any of this on social media. It takes human interaction to achieve the “real” sunshine in your fitness and life.

The Month of Love

February is the month of love, and Ms. M sees it everywhere already. Stepping out this time of year means accomplishing an errand along the way, and today is no different. Grabbing the most delectable vegan bite from The Farmacy in downtown Modesto means stopping to get dry cleaning first. But it’s worth seeing the birds and bees falling in love as the buds attempt to bloom early. May your February be full of fun and love while you multitask. Here are some things to do on a budget.

Start the month off with fresh produce and a walk outside. Modesto Certified Farmers Market, winter market is open Saturdays. As of January 23rd, the market reopened for the winter season of 2023. While the Thursday market will open later in the season, you can still enjoy your weekly Farmer’s Market experience. For more than 40 years the Modesto Certified Farmers Market has supported the local community and benefits our areas farmers, artisans & craftspeople. More info: https://modestocfm.com/ In these times of high costs, Valentine’s Day can be a great time to keep it simple and see a movie. On February 14th, the State Theatre presents that wonderfully nostalgic and timeless romantic comedy When Harry Met

Sally. The movie centers around two friends who may or may not accept they are meant for each other since the moment they met. The film has two showings: 4 pm and 7 pm. Info: https://thestate.org/