Notes from the Publisher

The irresistible lure of a Brian Culbertson show at Thornton Winery

Since April 2020, I have been to only one concert, one festival and inside one grocery store.

Entering any building––other than my own house and that of my next-door neighbors, a medical office for my COVID-19 vaccines, or to attend the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival (where all patrons were required to be fully vaccinated and wear masks)––simply did not happen. My errands were limited to a 1.3-mile radius from my home: to the drive-thru pharmacy, ATM, car wash, and occasionally, Starbucks (always masked at the window, of course). During those 18 months, I filled up my car with gas only twice, but called the Auto Club to jump my battery more than a dozen times. A corner of my dining room table that was usually covered with concert ticket stubs, boarding passes, parking vouchers and restaurant receipts from my pre-pandemic life were now replaced by a pile of brown paper bags, evidence of grocery deliveries. All in my earnest attempt to avoid the coronavirus, which has so far been successful.

However, when Thornton Winery announced that Brian Culbertson was kicking off its 2022 Champagne Concert Series, I did not want to miss his first West

Coast performance in three years. And, the multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer was featuring guest saxophonists Marcus Anderson and Marqueal Jordan, who are two of my favorites. Plus, vocalist Lindsey Webster, another fave, was the opening act.

Luckily, I was eligible for my second COVID-19 booster three days before the show. I was so excited by the anticipation of going out in the world that I forgot I hadn’t visited my hairdresser, sat in a pedicure chair, or had my eyebrows waxed since October 2021 in preparation for my last public outing. (By the way, I calculated a savings of nearly $4,000 by forgoing those luxuries during the pandemic). So, I quickly took care of that personal business, too.

On June 4, Craig Collier (our distribution manager) and I loaded up his SUV with the latest issue of Smooth Jazz News and drove 50 minutes north of San Diego to the Temecula Valley Wine Country. The weather, sunny and around 70 degrees during the day, was cool enough at sunset that I pulled my hair out of a ponytail and wore it down for once.

Seated at a table near the stage, we settled in with a bottle of champagne and a cheese plate, then were blown away by the incredible entertainment.

Webster’s vocals added to the sweetness of a breezy spring day. And when Culbertson and his band took the stage, it was pure … powerful … party vibes from the moment Chris Miskel smashed his sticks on his drum skins and Eddie Miller hit those head-bopping-worthy notes on his keyboard. Also exhibiting their individual music skills, bassist RiShon Odel, guitarist Darnell “Showcase” Taylor, trumpeter Michael “Patches” Stewart, Anderson and Jordan paraded around the stage, occasionally surprising the audience with choreographed dance moves, all in sync and led playfully by Culbertson.

It was such a fun and fulfilling evening that it reminded me of how essential live music is to our well-being. I was so inspired to continue this musical roll that I attended the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival at the new Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on the Embarcadero two weeks later. (Read more about that in my Jazz Buzz column, on page 28.)

After more than two years into this global pandemic, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that the coronavirus will be circulating indefinitely. And, because I want to resume my life, especially the

live music portion, I continue to mitigate my risk by keeping up with vaccinations, wearing a mask in public (even outdoors) and physically distancing as much as possible, while washing my hands frequently and carrying hand sanitizer wherever I go. With these precautions, I feel fairly safe attending public performances. Therefore, I’m looking forward to an exciting smooth jazz summer with more concerts at Thornton Winery, South Coast Winery’s Rhythm on the Vine Jazz Series and the Eric Marienthal & Friends benefit concert for High Hopes (featuring Euge Groove this year). And, since Art Good is continuing his fully vaccinated policy for all attendees of the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival, I’ve already made my hotel reservations and booked a seat on Catalina Express for the 35th annual event in October. Photo: Pat Benter To help you navigate your smooth jazz summer, we’re publishing our Annual Jazz Concert Series Guide in this issue, beginning on page 32. Darnell “Showcase” Taylor, Michael “Patches” Stewart, Marcus Anderson, Brian Culbertson, Marqueal Jordan, RiShon Odel and Chris Miskel We hope to see you out and about, enjoying all the unique and scenic venues this genre has to offer, whether they are enveloped in art festivals, steam train rides to concerts in a forest, or the culinary and spirit delights of wine country shows. Photo: Pat Benter

Lindsey Webster singing to the sold-out crowd at Thornton Winery’s Champagne Concert Series in Temecula, California