News & Culture in Santa Cruz, CA

09.19.07

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Photograph by Katie Cater
'Anilah': 11 inches by 14 inches gelatin print

Fall Arts Preview

Open Studios, Ravi Shankar and 'The Nutcracker' are coming. Do you know where your autumn arts schedule is?

An interesting trade-off happens this time of year in Santa Cruz: even as the warm sunny days slowly recede into cooler, longer evenings, our collective cultural life perks up. Art pops up all over the county like crazy autumn flowers, courtesy of the Open Studios Tour, curtains rise from Watsonville to UCSC on community theater and dance productions, and musicians and the people who love them pack the nightclubs.

It can all get pretty overwhelming, so we at Metro Santa Cruz, ever-thoughtful, are furnishing readers with a preview of the arts season to come. In these pages, Garrett Wheeler peers into rock & roll's near feature and sees a mind-boggling array of talent heading to town, from alt-rockers Ween to godfathers of punk Social Distortion to Robert Earl Keen. Andrew Gilbert gives the run-down on forthcoming jazz and world beat shows featuring stars like sitar master Ravi Shankar and Brazilian crooner Caetano Veloso, and Scott MacClelland tells classical music fans about the season's highlights. Matthew Craggs gives the low-down on the autumn's theater productions, Craig Gawlick rounds up the fall's literary events and our visual arts calendar finishes off the package. It's our way of saying, "We care. Now get off the couch, get out of the house and go get some culture. And here, take this. It'll keep you from getting lost."

Affectionately, Metro Santa Cruz

Photograph by Bari Miller
Arabesque: The Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre stages 'The Nutcracker' Dec. 14-16.

Staging Area

A wild array of theater and dance awaits this autumn

By Matthew Craggs

If all the world really is a stage, then theoretically you could find theater everywhere you looked in Santa Cruz. And in fact Santa Cruz and the surrounding communities have a diverse theater scene that encompasses everything from the traditional to the avant-garde, with this fall season being no exception.

Things start off with The Santa Cruz Follies (Sept. 19-22 at the Civic). In its 52nd season, the Follies is a variety show put on by local performers over 50. This year's production, An Evening With Gershwin, features plenty of singing and dancing.

Moving from the celebration of the classical forms of theater to the contemporary, the Actors' Theatre showcases Santa Cruz thespians' up-and-coming talent. On Sept. 20-22 and 27-29, the winners of the Actors' Theatre's Full-Length Playwriting Contest will see their scripts performed as staged readings. In October and November, Marian Olliker brings the one-woman show Miriama to the Actors' Theatre. Written and performed by Olliker, Miriama is a haunting and beautiful show that sends the curtains up on Oct. 25-Nov. 18.

The Actors' Theatre isn't the only place in town to see an amazing one-person show. UCSC's Arts & Lectures Series opens its 2007-2008 season with Daniel Beaty's Emergen-See! (Oct. 7 at Porter College Dining Hall), the story of what happens when a slave ship surfaces on the present-day Hudson River. Beaty is known for his appearances on HBO's slam poetry series Russel Simmons Presents: Def Poetry.

Improvisation also has its day this fall. One of the most difficult, dangerous and enjoyable forms of comedy, improv is a chance for actors and audiences to let down their hair and have a little fun. The Improvathon, hosted at the Actors' Theatre Oct. 14, is a 12-hour marathon of comedy featuring players from Um ... Gee ... Um, ScripTease and other improv groups. It's the Actors' Theatre's biggest—and funniest—fundraiser of the year.

Beyond that, ScripTease hopes to expose you to two more improv comedy productions. The troupe's Halloween-themed show is on Oct. 26, the Christmas show Dec. 8, both at the Pacific Cultural Center. Because ScripTease employs a set of audience-enforced rules that, when broken, require the actors to strip, only mature audiences are invited to attend.

On Nov. 5, former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins brings his spoken-word show to the Rio Theatre. The ex-punk star is a firebrand and all-around great entertainer. Several holiday offerings are in the works. Shakespeare Santa Cruz presents the musical rendition of The Princess and the Pea, directed by Paul Whitworth, Nov. 16-Dec. 19. Another children's show, The Elves and the Shoemaker, plays at the Henry J. Mello Center on Nov. 30. When two elves find a shoemaker in need of their assistance, they not only help the poor cobbler, they also save Christmas.

The Santa Cruz Ballet rounds out the 2007-2008 holiday season at the Civic Dec. 14-16 with a production of The Nutcracker, one of the most popular ballets in American theater.

Want more men in tights? How about some "absolute pleasure" courtesy of The Rocky Horror Show? The Mountain Community Theatre's presentation of the play that inspired the original midnight movie finds the naive and innocent Janet Weiss and Brad Majors caught in the often-too-hospitable clutches of Dr. Frank N. Furter. Plays at the Rio Theatre Oct. 31-Nov. 2 and Oct. 26-27 at Park Hall in Ben Lomond.

Dance is the name of the game at the Henry J. Mello Center, where a series of performances bring world dance to Watsonville. The Latina Genesis Dance Company performs Sept. 29, and the sixth annual Luna Gitana Bellydance Festival begins with an evening performance on Oct. 12. A third performance, Esperanza Del Valle, celebrates Mexican folk dancing. The Mexican Folklorico Dancing Company aims to embrace all aspects of the Mexican culture, both the indigenous roots and European influences. Performances are Oct. 19-21.

Coming off its production of Women on Fire, the Jewel Theatre's exploration of yet another culture, this one rooted in gender, I Do! I Do! is the story of the life and love of a couple through 50 years of marriage. Presented at the Broadway Playhouse, the play stars Lance LaShelle and Julie James in a musical celebration of marriage, family and songs of the heart. It runs Dec. 7-23.

Comedy or drama, farce or tragedy, Santa Cruz is overflowing with an active theatrical scene. And while Shakespeare may have pinned the world as a stage, he was wrong about all of us being the players, because sometimes you have to step out of the spotlight and take a seat in the audience.

Artistic Vision

Visual arts in Santa Cruz

By Lacy Pitman

Form and Function. Clay sculptures, glass, fiber and woven quilt and patchwork from artists including Liz Whittaker, Mark Levy and Richard Horton. Through Sept. 29. Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, 9341 Mill St., Ben Lomond. 831.336.3513.

Reflections of Italy, From the Mountains to the Sea. Oils, watercolors and photographs from all over Italy. Through Sept. 30. Lulu's at the Octagon, 118 Cooper St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.9804.

Truth in Advertising: A History of the Social/Political Movement in Santa Cruz. In the 1980s, a billboard alteration project took root in Santa Cruz. Truth in Advertising changed billboards to show political messages instead of glib advertisements. Bob Stayton's installation in the Atrium Gallery will show before and after pictures as well as local newspaper press coverage from the time. Through Oct. 21. The Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.1964.

That's My Park. Fine-art prints of the Santa Cruz coastal state parks will be displayed in the Aptos Chamber of Commerce Art Museum. Created by prominent graphic artist Michael Schwab, winner of numerous awards for his posters and logos for clients such as Apple Computers and Peets Coffee. Through Oct. 31. 7605-A Old Dominion Court, Aptos. 831.688.1467.

Oils, prints and scientific illustration by 2005 UCSC graduate Matt Farrar. Through Oct.31. Gabriella Café, 910 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. 831.247.3232.

The Good Books. Photographer Terri Garland's exhibit showcases Katrina Bibles and prayer books. John Goldberg's photography and painters Brian Rounds and Jeanne Soffen. Through Oct. 31. Many Hands Gallery, 510 Bay Ave., Capitola. 831.475.2500.

Howard Ikemoto and Julie Connell. The husband-and-wife painters, who maintain separate studios, display works informed by various aspects of the natural world. Through Nov. 4. Art Forum Gallery, Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.1964.

Rydell Visual Arts Fellowships 2006-2007 Rydell Fellows Hanna Hannah, Robert Larson, William Marino and Beverly Rainer are featured in this exhibition at the Solari Gallery. Through Nov. 25. Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.1964.

Things That Roll: History of the Decorated Car. The exhibition, in the Lezin Family Gallery, will display Harrod Blank's ArtCar photography and artifacts from ArtCar Fests. Through Nov. 25. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.1964.

Front St. Inc. A showcase compilation of fine art, mixed medium, collage, pencil drawings, sculpture and painting by mental health patients. Come meet the residents and listen to the inspiration and interpretation of their work with a free catered reception at the UCSC Graduate Student Commons on Sept. 18. Through Nov. 30. In Quarry Plaza, in the center of campus between Classroom Unit and Cowell College. 831.427.9343.

Guantánamo: pictures from home. An installation by Margot Herster created from images, text, audio and video offering a look at the lives of Guantanamo prisoners and their relationships with the U.S. attorneys representing them. Sept. 27-Dec. 1. Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery, Porter College, UCSC. 831.459.5667.

Open Studios Art Tour. The Cultural Council of Santa Çruz County's 22nd annual tour will take place during the first two weekends in October (6-7 and 13-14), with a special scaled-down Encore weekend Oct. 20-21. This year's tour features 292 open studio artists, including 60 first-time participants. For $20, patrons can buy a guide and map to all artists' studios, which will be open from 11am to 6pm each day of the tour. The purchase of the Artist Guide/Calendar also helps to directly support art and art education in Santa Cruz County.

Meanwhile, work by each contributing artist will be exhibited Sept. 29-Oct. 21.Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. Visitwww.ccscc.org for more information. 831.475.9600.

Day of the Dead Collection. Artists' interpretations of the Mexican holiday. Oct. 13-Nov. 11. Alma Gifts and Culture, 1705 Mission St., Santa Cruz. 831.425.2562.

Strange Truth. The Soho Beach Art League presents sculpture and painting exploring the beauty of the mind. Oct. 23-28. Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. 831.475.9600.

The National Figurative Exhibit. The juried show comes to the Art League, with a Nov. 10 reception. Nov. 3-25. Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. 831.475.9600.

On & Off the Wall V. Mountain Art Guild is the guest exhibitor. Reception Nov. 9. Nov. 7-17. Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, 9341 Mill St., Ben Lomond. 831.336.3513.

Visions of the Spirit: Religious Iconography. Paintings, nichos, crosses and more will be on display in this exhibit of modern and traditional interpretations of religious iconography. Nov. 17-Jan. 6. Alma Gifts and Culture, 1705 Mission St., Santa Cruz. 831.425.2562.

Gift of Art. A holiday theme in the redwoods. Nov. 21-Dec.22. Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, 9341 Mill St., Ben Lomond. 831.336.3513.

Luck of the Draw. Just in time for the holidays, the Santa Cruz Art League's annual inventive take on the raffle. Drawing Dec. 9, 2:15pm. Dec. 1-9. Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. 831.475.9600.

Surf City Art. Reception Jan. 13. Dec. 15- Jan. 13. Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. 831.475.9600.

Close to the Flame: In the Spirit of Burning Man. Contemporary and current art created at and for Burning Man is creative, experimental, transient and amazing. The Art Forum Gallery will house this visual and emotional expression of art, soul and spirit. Dec. 15-Feb. 3. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.1964.

All Lit Up

Bookshop Santa Cruz hosts an afternoon for the kids Sept. 22 when author Mo Willems reads from his latest Knuffle Bunny adventure, Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. This former Sesame Street writer won the Caldecott Honor for his previous Knuffle Bunny chronicle.

Hollywood sitcom writer Bill Bryan, who worked on shows from Night Court to Coach, appears at the Capitola Book Café Sept. 26 to read from his new novel, Keep It Real, about the ugly rise of reality TV.

On Sept. 27 at the Book Cafe, journalist and correspondent for KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle Michael Olson reads from Tales From a Tin Can, composed of first-person accounts of sailors who served on the destroyer USS Dale.

The inaugural Carmel Authors & Ideas Festival boasts an impressive lineup featuring Frank McCourt, Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Grogan and Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards. The event is scheduled for Sept. 28-30 at the Sunset Center in Carmel.

National Book Finalist Amy Bloom, author of A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You, Love Invents Us and the new novel Away, is hosted by Bookshop Santa Cruz on Sept. 30. Bloom is also the creator and head writer of the Lifetime Network TV drama State of Mind, starring Lili Taylor.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Susan Faludi comes to Capitola Book Café on Oct. 2 on a tour with her newest work, The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post 9/11 America. The author of Backlash and Stiffed won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction in 1991.

After writing a few books tackling the Greatest Generation, legendary newsman Tom Brokaw takes on those long-haired revolutionaries in his newest offering, Boom: Aftershocks of the Sixties. He'll be at the Rio Theatre Nov. 8 to read from and discuss his book.

Short-lived television series notwith-standing, chef Anthony Bourdain's (Kitchen Confidential) success is in no small part due to his wildly successful books. His newest, No Reservations, is out soon and he will be at the Rio Theatre Nov. 16 to talk about food, tyrannical chefs, horrible customers and other facts of culinary life.

A Little Night Music

Fold up the beach towels and pack away the sunscreen—summer just left the building. But there's actually a lot to look forward to in Santa Cruz this time of year. Santa Cruz might not be the cultural center of the Western world, but there's no debating the fact that we get a steady dose of top-notch entertainers all year long. From rock & roll to reggae, there are shows coming up that shouldn't be missed.

No Excuses Maybe the greatest living old-school roots reggae band, Israel Vibrations, comes to the Catalyst Sept. 28, right on the heels of Bay Area hip-hop legend Del the Funky Homosapien (Sept. 22). The conscious rap at the Cat continues Oct. 6 with Midwest flow master Atmosphere.

The latest project from Jane's Addiction front man Perry Farrell, Satellite Party, comes to the Catalyst Oct. 3 for an alt-rock show that borders on cosmic exploration. Continuing the eventful week is Black Francis (Oct. 8, Catalyst). Mr. Pixie himself is as quirky as ever, delving into multiple rock & roll subgenres with irreverent enthusiasm. Southern California punk sensations Social Distortion headline back-to-back (to back) shows at the Cat Oct. 9-11. On Oct. 27 at Don Quixote's it's the Mermen, one of surf-rock's greatest ambassadors. Pop-punk superstars New Found Glory make an appearance at the Catalyst Nov. 16.

Experimental indie-rockers Akron/Family are joined by bluesy folk band the Dodos at the Crepe Place on Oct. 14. The wackiness continues into November as the dynamic duo known as Ween bring their over-the-top rock & roll satire to the Civic on Nov. 9.

On Oct. 5, country rocker Robert Earl Keen gives fans a Texas-size helping of y'allternative at the Catalyst. For more Americana, check out Tom Russell at Don Quixote's on Oct. 9.. The singer/songwriter's music has been recorded by, among others, the late, great Johnny Cash. Though there's nothing funny about war, political greed or homophobia, folk-poet Roy Zimmerman's comedic wit regarding such issues will surely get a few laughs at his Oct. 20 gig at Kuumbwa. On the same night the so-called countrypolitan outfit Southern Culture on the Skids performs at Moe's Alley. The country-rockers are making the drive from North Carolina to come party in Santa Cruz, so head down to Moe's and make their trip worthwhile.

The blues get a fair hearing this fall, with the Subdudes appearing at Moe's Alley Oct. 8-9, followed by the Radiators (Oct. 11, Moe's Alley) and Solid Blues, a party starring Mavis Staples, Charlie Musslewhite, the North Mississippi All-Stars and Joe Krown (Oct. 16, Rio Theatre).

Local Highlights Santa Cruz is lucky—we've got no shortage of impressive musical talents worthy of your night out. Among the best of the underground acts this fall are the Eastside band The Expendables. Though they probably won't be underground for much longer, the rasta-punks headline a show at the Catalyst on Sept. 29—the same night the area's most promising punk-rockers, The Achievement, play Monterey Live. Reveling in a different brand of reggae-infused rock & roll is Ribsy's Nickel, at the Cat on Oct. 4. The Chop Tops play the Crepe Place Oct. 21. Henfling's Tavern will host a Local's Night Halloween bash with local bad boys Honest Mistake, along with 3 Up Front and Salinas thrashers Hate for State (Oct. 31).

For the softer souls among us, Sept. 23 at Don Quixote's will feature Amy Obenski, Ariel Thiermann and Diane Patterson as part of the "Music For the Redwoods" event. The local singer/songwriters' performance benefits the Sempervirens Fund, a group dedicated to preserving local redwood forests.

On the Other Side Though we hate to admit it, there are shows that warrant a mandatory trek over the perilous steeps of Highway 17. Shows like Dave Matthews Band with Stephen Marley on Sept. 29 at Shoreline Amphitheatre. Also coming to the Shoreline (Sept. 22) are classic rock greats the Doobie Brothers, along with the Steve Miller Band, Greg Kihn Band and Big Brother and the Holding Company for the Summer Send-Off Show. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony play HP Pavilion on Oct. 17. Pop-rock superstars Maroon 5, along with the Hives, grace the stage at the HP Pavilion Nov. 6 for those drawn to the catchy phrases of new-school rock & roll. Go ahead, make the trip—just make sure you're safe to make the drive back home.

Beat Farmers

The season gets off to a spectacular start with Dobet Gnahore, a captivating singer, dancer and songwriter from Ivory Coast. She left a vivid impression last year as part of Putumayo's Acoustic Africa tour with Mali's guitar legend Habib Koite and South African vocalist Vusi Mahlasela, and makes her Santa Cruz debut as a headliner at the Attic on Sept. 21 as part of a 13-city North American tour.

The Monterey Jazz Festival offers a cornucopia of jazz talent Sept. 20-23, from bona fide legends such as Ornette Coleman, Gerald Wilson, Sonny Rollins and Dave Holland to rising young talents like vibraphonist Smith Dobson V, keyboardist Craig Taborn and trumpeter Sean Jones. While reserved seats in the arena are sold out, savvy music fans know that grounds passes offer the best value.

For pure energy, nothing tops Bulgarian-born Gypsy saxophonist Yuri Yunakov and his Romani Wedding Band, who raise the roof at Cayuga Vault on Sept. 22. Yunakov is a deliriously passionate performer whose band delivers raucous tunes so fast and furious there's nothing to do but dance.

Anyone suffering from post-Monterey Jazz Festival blues should head straight to Kuumbwa on Oct. 1, when the brilliant, mercurial trumpeter Dave Douglas presents his latest quintet. The band features a hometown favorite, the prodigious Santa Cruz-raised saxophonist Donny McCaslin.

In the hands of a master, the Hammond B3 organ is a wondrous instrument capable of lithe bebop lines, swelling orchestral crescendos and irresistably thumping funk. Gene Ludwig, who makes a rare California appearance at Kuumbwa on Oct. 4, is an old-school B3 wizard who cut his teeth in smoky neighborhood joints where you had to groove to keep the gig. His trio features Donald "Duck" Bailey, the veteran drummer who made his mark as a founding member of B3 legend Jimmy Smith's seminal mid-1950s trio.

Grooving has always been a prime directive for jazz guitarist John Scofield, who focuses on the music from his new CD This Meets That at Kuumbwa on Oct. 9.

With her captivating voice and sly stage manner, Kiran Ahluwalia delivers teasing Punjabi folk songs and sensuous ghazals, a highly refined form of poetry and love song developed in 11th-century Persia and still hugely popular in Pakistan and India, where Ahluwalia was born. She plays with her quartet, featuring jazz-steeped guitarist Rez Abbasi, at Cayuga Vault on Oct. 11.

In what promises to be the jazz vocal event of the season, Nancy King and Claudia Villela, two wild and crazy singers with a surfeit of talent, share the bill at Kuumbwa on Oct. 15. Both women are revered by their peers, too little known on the national scene and liable to make your hair stand on end with the beauty of their off-the-cuff inventions.

A hero of Zimbabwe's struggle for self-determination, the charismatic guitarist and composer Oliver Mtukudzi now tours the world singing songs full of uplift and wisdom while his nation disintegrates from misrule. He performs with his marvelous band Black Spirits at Kuumbwa on Oct. 25.

On a jazz scene overflowing with brilliant drummers, Cuban-born Dafnis Prieto stands out as one of the most inventive. He's become a New York mainstay over the past decade, and he brings his fascinating Absolute Quintet to Kuumbwa on Oct. 29.

At 82, sitar legend Ravi Shankar has lost none of his expressive power. Perhaps he's inspired by the presence of his daughter and protégé, Anouska Shankar, who divides her time between Indian classical music and dance-inducing club tracks. They perform at the Civic on Nov. 4.

With his big, burly sound, Joe Lovano is one of the most powerful tenor saxophonists of the past quarter-century. His latest quartet showcases several important new voices, including the ravishing bassist Esperanza Spalding, thrilling Cuban drummer Francesco Mela and veteran pianist James Weidman at Kuumbwa on Nov. 5.

Brazilian superstar Caetano Veloso has been an international creative force since the late 1960s, when he helped launch the Tropicalia movement. His book of songs is as rich and beautiful as that of any living composer, and he keeps adding new chapters. He performs with a rock-influenced combo at the Civic on Nov. 16.

The Senegalese vocalist Youssou N'Dour is a giant of West African music who forged the hugely influential percussion-driven mbalax style. With his keening, spiritually charged tenor, N'Dour is a riveting performer, moving with ease between traditional acoustic settings and international stages with the likes of Sting and Peter Gabriel. He performs at the Rio Theatre on Nov. 28.

Classic Style

Remember when classical music was neatly and clearly defined, like a particular category in a library or the "classical" section of your favorite record store? Those days are certainly long gone. Moreover, and with special thanks locally to the Cabrillo Music Festival and New Music Works, classically informed orchestral and chamber music has moved back to the forefront amid an expanding renaissance of new American music.

Internationally acclaimed pianist Adam Neiman opens the Cabrillo College Distinguished Artists series on Sept. 23 in a program of Ravel, Rachmaninoff and Mussorgsky's original Pictures at an Exhibition, at the Erica Schilling Forum on the Cabrillo campus. (In February, the unique series will host a 15-year-old pianist from Vancouver and his 13-year-old violinist sister.)

The Santa Cruz County Symphony enters its 50th season with concerts on Sept. 29 and 30, respectively at the Santa Cruz Civic and Watsonville's Mello Center, with Golden Galas preceding each concert. Maestro John Larry Granger, entering his 17th year as music director, has constructed a season that "honors the past and celebrates the key players of today, including the orchestra, donors and our audience." The opening concerts will feature Sheryl Staples, associate concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, in Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D. The program reprises Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Moravec's Spiritdance, originally commissioned by the symphony in 1989, plus the famous Ravel orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. On Nov. 3, at the Civic only, Granger conducts Wagner's Siegfried Idyll and other pieces.

Phil Collins' New Music Works season begins on Oct. 6 at the UCSC Music Hall with homerun-hitting composer Aaron Jay Kernis at the piano for his own Two Awakenings and A Double Lullaby, of 2006, with soprano Ann Moss, guitarist David Tanenbaum and violinist Axel Strauss. Kernis has appeared as composer-in-residence at the Cabrillo Festival several times. The same NMW program will also include, among others, Terry Riley's When Bad Things Fall From the Sky, a "flamboyant and ballsy"—as Collins puts it—protest against George Bush's invasion of Iraq that Riley began in jail in Nevada City where he and folk-guru Utah Philips found themselves after a big street rally opposing the war. On Oct. 30, Collins will "exhume" his original score for the legendary silent film Nosferatu in a screening and live performance at the Del Mar Theatre. Collins will conduct members of the NMW all-star ensemble in the dissection.

UC-Santa Cruz Arts & Lectures opens its '07-'08 classical lineup Oct. 17 with the sensational American violinist Hilary Hahn. Now 27, Grammy-winner Hahn has wowed the music world with her technical precision and artistic maturity. For her Music Hall recital—expected to sell out—she offers Charles Ives' First Sonata, well-known sonatas by Brahms and Franck, and one of Eugene Ysaÿe's solo sonatas.

Now in their 29th season, the Santa Cruz Chamber Players begin with "United Nations," a program of nationalistically charged impulses by Copland, Kodaly, Smetana, Turina and Villa Lobos, Oct. 27-28 at Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos. While violinist Rebecca Jackson takes the lead here, oboist Carol Panofsky is the boss for the Players' next program, Pastoral Fantasy, Nov. 17-18, with works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Bach, Grieg, Nielsen and others. Four additional programs plus two add-ons fill out the '07-08 season, all at Christ Lutheran.

UC-Santa Cruz Division of the Arts presents the UCSC Orchestra, featuring violinist Roy Malan, in works by Astor Piazzola and Lou Harrison with Nicole Paiement conducting, Nov. 9. Paiement returns Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 with Handel's rarely performed but widely admired oratorio Jephtha, with the UCSC Baroque Ensemble, Chamber Singers and soloists. The UC Concert Choir puts on a 17th-century French holiday Fête Galante Dec. 7 featuring Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Messe de Minuit pour Noel. All events in the Music Hall on campus.

Before the end of the year, various other presenters—Ariose Singers, Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus and Santa Cruz Chorale among them—will offer fall and seasonal programs. Watch the Metro Santa Cruz calendar for details, and for other programs in the winter and spring seasons of the above presenters.