Neptune—Numinous & Mysterious: Risa’s Stars Dec. 4 – 10

Esoteric astrology as news for the week of Dec. 4, 2019

Last Wednesday, Neptune (imagination, dreams, visions, etc.)—retrograde in Pisces for five months—turned direct. Retrogrades create deep internal musings. Neptune is the planet of hope, vision and religion, all developed in the Piscean Age. Neptune on the Soul level is imagination, dreams, music of the spheres, divinity. Neptune on the personality-building levels is disillusion, confusion and deception (experiences needed to learn discrimination and compassion).

Neptune makes us sensitive and refined. We can also feel confused; reality is veiled. We can be self-righteous, impaling those who disagree with us on swords of verbal cruelty. We sometimes enter into addictive behaviors to soothe ourselves from difficulties and the unknown. Neptune helps us see others’ wounds, develop compassion and empathy. We can also feel divine discontent, seeking the spiritual in a world of materialism. Neptune dissolves things away and parts the veils between worlds. It both veils and refines reality, creating numinous and mysterious realms all around us. Neptune beguiles us.

ARIES: Have any of your professional endeavors experienced too much expansion, setbacks or transformations? Has a chill, coldness or distance come over relationships? It’s good to introduce the practical in all interactions, plans and agendas. Is there a level of commitment being called for? Try not to let impulsiveness prevail. Travels, journeys, study, justice are part of all decisions to be made. Know that where lines cross, new realities emerge.

TAURUS: It’s important to have physical closeness at this time with someone, even if it’s a special pet. Your love nature needs a bit of care so Venus doesn’t feel left out. Venus watches over you, providing a sense of intelligent and loving well-being. Without love you can wilt, droop and fade away, feeling out of contact. Tend with care all resources held with another. Tend with care your loved ones.

GEMINI: None of your friends or partners consider life with you boring. You’re the Twins (two in one) of the zodiac, one face then another encountering the world. The purpose of your dual nature is to provide two realities to humanity, a sense of duality, a polarity, of this and that, so humanity can observe two sides of all issues. So few realize your function and gift. Do you? It’s foundational to having intelligence.

CANCER: Tending and caring for the well-being of everyone is your task due to your extreme sensitivity toward humanity and the life process. Sometimes you overlook yourself, believing others are equally nurturing (or should be, you think). That isn’t an astrological reality. Each sign has a different task to cultivate. Begin to nurture yourself. It’s most important, for it creates a sense of self-empowerment.

LEO: You are either a knight or a Joan of Arc, a king or a queen, a savior and a server. Lion or lioness, you’re able to captivate the hearts and minds of everyone, shower others with intense love while needing complete attention in return. In between these dramatic interludes, tend carefully to daily life, health and well-being, and to any small animals that come your way. Chiron entered your house of self-identity. That will change over time.

VIRGO: On the surface, you seem quiet, poised, calm, collected and rather cool and distant. Inside, you’re a vessel of desires and passion, love runs deep, and like Taurus, you’re very loyal to those you love, even after death. Here is a rule for Virgos: never criticize, never compare, never judge. Always praise instead. We become what we praise. That’s a mantram of reality.

LIBRA: You love being at home. You also love being with others, especially in a crowd working together. You love beauty, recognizing it (or its lack) everywhere. As we journey through relationships, we learn to discern outer beauty from inner, true intelligence from glamour, true love from false. Libra experiences many relationships in order to learn about and how to be in them. What are you presently learning?

SCORPIO: You have Saturn in your communication house. Saturn is the Dweller on the Threshold, the purveyor of tests to determine how strong you’ve become in the last seven years. Saturn makes us feel separate at times. Saturn lessens the intensity of emotions. You’ll be less consumed by passions and more directed toward developing the mind. With Saturn in your mental sphere, you increase in discernment, discrimination, balance, and poise. Attractive qualities!

SAGITTARIUS: Your extreme ideals can sometimes create havoc with life’s realities, so often you are filled with paradoxes and emotional vicissitudes. You see the potential for goodness in everyone. In relationships, you believe all needs will be met. You gaze at the stars; you have faith and practice positive thinking. For greater and real happiness, here’s a newer mantram (which I told Virgo): “We become what we praise.” Practice this new position.

CAPRICORN: You display deep constancy and dependability, and when loving someone, you’re there forever. Within all this reliability, steadiness and fidelity, there’s a spontaneous creature (you) seeking creative self-expression. Your true nature is artistic, imaginative and inventive. Often, being quiet and subdued as you traditionally are, others don’t recognize your true light. Over time this will change as the spotlight swings toward your accomplishments.

AQUARIUS: You will look at your work in the world and wonder at its connectivity with others. This connection with humanity is your life’s purpose. You know that “contact releases love.” Often we find you alone in an endeavor you have created. Always you must have freedom of movement and of choice. Always you need friends around. Be very vigilant and alert with finances. Be responsible with them. All that you need is always given.

PISCES: You have empathy and compassion. Often you see the potential in others and feel it’s your responsibility to bring that potential forward. Sometimes you take lovers (or friends) who are “potentials.” After a time, the potential is not the reality. You learn. Neptune and Chiron are hovering in Pisces. Anything held out to you dissolves. You stand alone. Here you grow.

Julia Nunes’ New Strum

During one of the recording sessions for Julia Nunes’ latest album Ughwow, her producer Shruti Kumar put her in a room with a microphone that had lots of washed-out echoing and reverb effects. Kumar told her to make noises—not even music, just noise.

“It was a huge wall of sound,” Nunes recalls. “I’ve never done anything like that. I pulled out whatever I felt, and it builds and comes in and out. It was true trial and error.”

The resulting song, “Not True,” is one of the singer’s most emotional efforts. A melancholy breakup tale, it’s a far cry from her breakthrough a decade ago, when she went viral strumming feel-good ukulele songs YouTube. This new record is a dark, R&B-infused pop record. As she sings “I could have sworn that my whole life was leading up to you,” she sounds like the saddest version of herself.  

Those visceral non-singing sounds are in the background, punctuating the emotion of the song and creating stronger dynamics as they weave in and out. It’s subtle, but it makes what could have been a straightforward ballad into something much bigger and more heart wrenching.

Nunes hadn’t expected to dive into this kind of experimentation for Ughwow. In January 2017, with demos ready for the record, she launched a Kickstarter campaign and thought that in a year, she’d have a complete album recorded, packaged and shipped. Instead, the album took two-and-a-half years to complete.

“It was a rough go. It had a lot to do with where my life was at,” Nunes says. “I was not doing great. Once I failed the deadline, I woke up failing every day. It wasn’t fun.”

It wasn’t just personal life struggles that delayed the album; she was also trying to broaden her musical palette. She wanted to move away from the ukulele-based songs she was known for, and had stepped away from that sound for a few songs on her previous record, Some Feelings. She liked those the best, so when she recorded demos for Ughwow, she set aside the ukulele and wrote mostly a capella. 

“With every record, I step further out of my comfort zone,” Nunes says. “It’s what made figuring out production so hard, because I had nothing to go off of. I would just have new ideas for the melody, and then want to change it. I could never be sure it was the right thing.”

She eventually hooked up with Kumar as her producer, which gave her focus. But it also meant being open to endless experimentation until the right version of a song emerged. She recorded as many as 20 different versions for some songs—sometimes slight variations, others completely overhauled with flipped beats or completely reworked production.

Nunes decided she needed to be honest with her Kickstarter backers by giving them private updates on her personal life and the state of the album, so that they didn’t feel cut out of the process. They were really supportive.

“It takes a lot of trust to give somebody money and to wait two years,” Nunes says. “I was able to tell them about my actual life, and everybody was like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe you went through that.’ It made it so I got more bonded and connected as artists and supporters. It’s like we went through something together.”

As far back as her first album, Nunes discovered that with Kickstarter, she could raise as much money as labels were offering her, but retain full control over the finished product.

“I think of Kickstarter as my record label. I think it’s really important to maintain total creative control and to have a direct relationship with my fans,” Nunes says. “I get offers every so often from record labels, and it always comes with caveats. I put my life into the music, and I don’t want anyone else to be able to control it.”

Julia Nunes performs at 8pm on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15 adv/$20 door. 704-7113.

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology Dec. 4 – 10

Free will astrology for the week of Dec. 4, 2019

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In composing this oracle, I have called on the unruly wisdom of Vivienne Westwood. She’s the fashion designer who incorporated the punk esthetic into mainstream styles. Here are four quotes by her that will be especially suitable for your use in the coming weeks. 1. “I disagree with everything I used to say.” 2. “The only possible effect one can have on the world is through unpopular ideas.” 3. “Intelligence is composed mostly of imagination, insight, and things that have nothing to do with reason.” 4. “I’m attracted to people who are really true to themselves and who are always trying to do something that makes their life more interesting.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “I’m drowning in the things I never told you.” Famous make-up artist Alexandra Joseph wrote that message to a companion with whom she had a complicated relationship. Are you experiencing a similar sensation, Taurus? If so, I invite you to do something about it! The coming weeks will be a good time to stop drowning. One option is to blurt out to your ally all the feelings and thoughts you’ve been withholding and hiding. A second option is to divulge just some of the feelings and thoughts you’ve been withholding and hiding—and then monitor the results of your partial revelation. A third option is to analyze why you’ve been withholding and hiding. Is it because your ally hasn’t been receptive, or because you’re afraid of being honest? Here’s what I suggest: Start with the third option, then move onto the second.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I’ve got some borderline sentimental poetry to offer you in this horoscope. It may be too mushy for a mentally crisp person like you. You may worry that I’ve fallen under the sway of sappy versions of love, rather than the snappy versions I usually favor. But there is a method in my madness: I suspect you need an emotionally suggestive nudge to fully activate your urge to merge; you require a jolt of sweetness to inspire you to go in quest of the love mojo that’s potentially available to you in abundance. So please allow your heart to be moved by the following passage from poet Rabindranath Tagore: “My soul is alight with your infinitude of stars. Your world has broken upon me like a flood. The flowers of your garden blossom in my body.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Try saying this, and notice how it feels: “For the next 17 days, I will make ingenious efforts to interpret my problems as interesting opportunities that offer me the chance to liberate myself from my suffering and transform myself into the person I aspire to become.” Now speak the following words and see what thoughts and sensations get triggered: “For the next 17 days, I will have fun imagining that my so-called flaws are signs of potential strengths and talents that I have not yet developed.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): An interviewer asked singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen if he needed to feel bothered and agitated in order to stimulate his creativity. Cohen said no. “When I get up in the morning,” he testified, “my real concern is to discover whether I’m in a state of grace.” Surprised, the interviewer asked, “What do you mean by a state of grace?” Cohen described it as a knack for balance that he called on to ride the chaos around him. He knew he couldn’t fix or banish the chaos—and it would be arrogant to try. His state of grace was more like skiing skillfully down a hill, gliding along the contours of unpredictable terrain. I’m telling you about Cohen’s definition, Leo, because I think that’s the state of grace you should cultivate right now. I bet it will stimulate your creativity in ways that surprise and delight you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Juan Felipe Herrera praises the value of making regular efforts to detox our cluttered minds. He says that one of the best methods for accomplishing this cleansing is to daydream. You give yourself permission to indulge in uncensored, unabashed fantasies. You feel no inhibition about envisioning scenes that you may or may not ever carry out in real life. You understand that this free-form play of images is a healing joy, a gift you give yourself. It’s a crafty strategy to make sure you’re not hiding any secrets from yourself. Now is a favorable time to practice this art, Virgo.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In accordance with current astrological omens, here’s your meditation, as articulated by the blogger named Riverselkie: “Let your life be guided by the things that produce the purest secret happiness, with no thought to what that may look like from the outside. Feed the absurd whims of your soul and create with no audience in mind but yourself. What is poignant to you is what others will be moved by, too. Embrace what you love about yourself and the right people will come.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I swear I became a saint from waiting,” wrote Scorpio poet Odysseus Elytis in his poem “Three Times the Truth.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, you may be in a similar situation. And you’ll be wise to welcome the break in the action and abide calmly in the motionless lull. You’ll experiment with the hypothesis that temporary postponement is best not just for you, but for all concerned.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “My greatest asset is that I am constantly changing,” says Sagittarian actress and activist Jane Fonda. This description may not always be applicable to you, but I think it should be during the coming weeks. You’re primed to thrive on a robust commitment to self-transformation. As you proceed in your holy task, keep in mind this other advice from Fonda. 1. “One part of wisdom is knowing what you don’t need anymore and letting it go.” 2. “It is never too late to master your weaknesses.” 3. “If you allow yourself, you can become stronger in the very places that you’ve been broken.” 4. “The challenge is not to be perfect. It’s to be whole.” P.S. And what does it mean to be whole? Be respectful toward all your multiple facets, and welcome them into the conversation you have about how to live.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You can’t escape your past completely. You can’t loosen its hold on you so thoroughly that it will forever allow you to move with limitless freedom into the future. But you definitely have the power to release yourself from at least a part of your past’s grip. And the coming weeks will be an excellent time to do just that: to pay off a portion of your karmic debt and shed worn-out emotional baggage.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian playwright August Strindberg didn’t have much interest in people who “regurgitate what they have learned from books.” He was bored by stories that have been told over and over again; was impatient with propaganda disguised as information and by sentimental platitudes masquerading as sage insights. He craved to hear about the unprecedented secrets of each person’s life: the things they know and feel that no one else knows and feels. He was a student of “the natural history of the human heart.” I bring Strindberg’s perspective to your attention, my dear one-of-a-kind Aquarius, because now is a perfect time for you to fully embody it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “It’s no fun being in love with a shadow,” wrote Piscean poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. And yet she indulged profusely in that no-fun activity, and even capitalized on it to create a number of decent, if morose, poems. But in alignment with your astrological omens, Pisces, I’m going to encourage you to fall out of love with shadows. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to channel your passions into solid realities: to focus your ardor and adoration on earthly pleasures and practical concerns and imperfect but interesting people.

Homework: Evil is boring. Rousing fear is a hackneyed shtick. More: bit.ly/EvilisBoring

Music Picks: Dec. 4-10

Santa Cruz County live entertainment picks for the week of Dec. 4

WEDNESDAY 12/4

SALSA

ISSAC DELGADO

Timba is a salsa subgenre that incorporates elements of funk, R&B and afro-Cuban folk music. The term was coined in 1988 by Jose Luis Cortes, flutist for Cuban group NG La Banda. Timba has continued on, particularly with Issac Delgado—lead singer of NG La Banda, and later a solo singer on his own—who has become one of the biggest timba stars in Cuba. AC

7 and 9pm. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $31.50-47.25. 427-2227. 

GYPSY JAZZ

BARRIO MANOUCHE

With members from Spain, Brazil, France, Quebec, Columbia and California, it seems only appropriate that the international troupe known as Barrio Manouche is based in San Francisco. Where else but the Bay could such a blend of extraordinary influences come together for a Latin-jazz fusion spiced with European flavors from both sides of the continent? Barrio Manouche is not complete without their dancers, as much a part of the band as the musicians. They transform the shows into a sensory experience. Sophomore album Despierta is hot off the presses, and one of the wildest albums of the year. MAT WEIR

7:30pm. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $15. 479-9777.

 

THURSDAY 12/5

REGGAE

JUNIOR TOOTS

Junior Toots has a passion and fiery intensity for reggae that runs deep. Makes sense, as he’s the son of Toots Hibbert from the legendary group Toots and the Maytals, one of the greatest reggae voices ever. How does his son stack up to this legacy? Maytals fans will not be disappointed. He brings that old-school roots-reggae vibe to the stage with immense authenticity. This is a big show for Capitola’s Sand Bar, and will showcase the venue’s potential as the owners seek to expand their live-music offerings. AC

The Sand Bar, 211 Esplanade, Capitola. 462-1881.

 

FRIDAY 12/6

HIP-HOP

1TAKEJAY

The 25-year-old artist known as 1TakeJay returns to Santa Cruz for the second time in two months with his big, big, big swag and “No Fucks”—both the name of his latest single, and how many he gives. The smooth, slow, bass-driven track also features AZChike, his long-time collaborator, friend and fellow Los Angelino, who will join him at the Catalyst. The last time this duo came through, they got litty for two sold-out crowds, complete with audience participation dance-offs and 1TakeJay scaling the sides of the Main Room balcony while he led the crowd in a sing-a-long of “Hello.” MW

8pm. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $22 adv/$24 door. 423-1338.

 

SATURDAY 12/7

REGGAE

ANUHEA

Anuhea is one of Hawaii’s most popular reggae artists. She’s also one of the biggest romantics, with lovesick island jams that will stick in your head and beg you to take the day off work to sit on the beach to dream about your true love. She brings her annual “All Is Bright” tour to Santa Cruz to celebrate Christmas reggae style … or is it Hawaiian style? You can expect at least a couple of her Christmas songs from her 2015 All Is Bright album to help warm up your December. AC

9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25 adv/$30 door. 479-1854. 

INDIE

DIIV

DIIV is a moody band. Within the first song on this year’s Deceiver, they get in both an “everything is nothing” and a “fuck it all,” while evoking Sonic Youth, Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine. Singer Zachary Cole Smith has been open about his struggles with addiction, and Deceiver is meant to be an honest encapsulation of those struggles. But for all its muck and murk, moments of light shine through, as on the gauzy “The Spark,” a warmly medicated dose of shimmering indie rock. MIKE HUGUENOR

9pm. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. $16. 429-4135.

COMEDY

EMMA ARNOLD

Emma Arnold was not popular in junior high. “But I did run a really solid Dungeons and Dragons group,” she points out. All of that changed when she became the Hamster Don of her middle school, stealing hamsters from the local mall in Boise and flipping them to pre-teens like some kind of pet store Pablo Escobar. Anyone jonesing for something small and furry knew Arnold was the plug. As a comedian, Arnold’s small-town charm fills up the stage, but underneath there’s still a ruthless black market hamster dealer waiting for the next big score. MH

7 and 9:30pm. DNA’s Comedy Lab, 155 S River St., Santa Cruz. $20 adv/$25 door. 900-5123

 

SUNDAY 12/8

SKA

THE SLACKERS

I’m sure this band’s name is deliberately ironic, since it’s one of the hardest working ska groups of the past two decades. Even though the band started in 1991, it didn’t really gain a notable following until the 2000s. When pop culture declared ska dead, the Slackers decided to work twice as hard, writing material and touring the country. Biggest record Wasted Days was released in 2001, and was further promoted by an in-studio performance on NPR. The group’s sound, while initially more along the lines of traditional Jamaican ska, has since evolved to incorporate more garage-rock and soul elements. AC

9pm. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $15 adv/$20 door. 423-1338. 

INDIE

MARCO BENEVENTO

Marco Benevento is a mercurial figure. As a songwriter, his music is like a groovier Shins, heavy on tight R&B rhythms and glittering synths. As a player, his keyboard magic is in high demand, having worked with members of The New Pornographers, The Shins and The Lumineers, as well as twee hot-shot Jon Brion. This year, Benevento released his seventh studio album, Let It Slide, a funky indie-pop record with a ton of groove and soul. Ironically, standout track “Baby Don’t Make Me Wait” makes you wait until the last minute before letting loose the record’s best melody. But I forgive him. MH

8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $19 adv/$21 door. 335-2800.

 

MONDAY 12/9

JAZZ

CHESTER THOMPSON QUARTET

Chester Thompson has never wanted for work. After paying dues on the Chitlin’ Circuit in the mid-’60s, he hit the Bay Area scene and hooked up with Tower of Power. He contributed soul-steeped foundation to TOP for about a decade before decamping for rock juggernaut Santana, a gig that ran for a quarter-century and included a monster hit album. Over the past decade, Thompson has been getting back to his roots, working regularly with reliably inspiring tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley. New York drummer Darrell Green, who came up on the East Bay jazz scene with Wiley, and former Steely Dan guitarist Drew Zingg round out the volatile combo. ANDREW GILBERT 

7pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $31.50 adv/$36.75 door. 427-2227.

Love Your Local Band: Joshua Lowe and Patti Maxine

Over the past decade and a half, local singer-songwriter Joshua Lowe found himself writing gentle songs about his family that didn’t quite fit his folk-rock group the Juncos. But recently, he’s been playing sporadic gigs accompanied by local lap steel guitarist extraordinaire Patti Maxine, and these vulnerable folk songs about the birth of his son and love for his dad work brilliantly in this intimate setting.

“They’re vulnerable songs,” Lowe says. “The depth of love that came from stepping in that role as father I hadn’t felt before. There are songs I haven’t played live because I get choked up. I’ve had to practice not falling so deeply into the emotions.”

A friend, Stephen Grillos, suggested recording an album of these songs. Lowe thought it was a great opportunity to get Maxine involved, to record what he calls his “heart” songs. The record, Family—a comment on both the record’s exploration of familial love and his work with Maxine—was released in August. On Dec. 6, the pair will do an official record release show.

“I see her as a grandmotherly energy in my life,” Lowe says of Maxine. “It feels right that it’s only Patty playing on these songs, as opposed to a full band.” 

Any of the hundreds of local musicians who’ve played with Maxine know that she improves any song.

“I’m very aware of the magic that is Patti Maxine,” Lowe says. “She’s a wizard when it comes to adding without overpowering.”

7:30pm. Friday, Dec. 6. Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Drive, Soquel. $18 adv/$20 door. 477-1341.

A Foodie Guide to Holiday Giving

A couple of great ideas here for fans of organic success stories and handcrafted culinary gifts.

First, there’s a screening of a beautiful documentary about a couple who traded city life for an empty 200 acres just ripe for farming. The Biggest Little Farm records the odyssey toward a stunning organic farm and a biodiverse design for living.

The screening is part of an evening of bold ideas and holiday schmoozing at DNA’s Comedy Lab on Dec. 5, which will begin with drinks and small bites. The screening starts after remarks from Mayor Martine Watkins and words from a Homeless Garden Project trainee. Terrific cinematography and a wake-up call to heed nature’s warnings. Sponsored by Patagonia

6pm on Thursday, Dec. 5, at DNA’s Comedy Lab, 155 S River St., Santa Cruz. homelessgardenproject.org. $20. 

Holiday Open House

While you’re in the groove, stop by the Homeless Garden Project’s Holiday Store Open House and First Friday Celebration.

Enjoy small bites, festive beverages and products made in HGP programs: from farm to workshop to you, the inquiring consumer. That includes lots of special-made products made by Friends in Cheeses—luscious condiments like culinary vinegars and ginger citrus pumpkin jelly. Also, those little jars of tart and spicy heirloom tomato jelly that we’ve come to love plopped down on top of a cracker frosted with brie. Makes a pretty and tasty addition to any holiday cheese plate.

You’ll also find organic baking mixes, natural bath and body products, hand-crafted jewelry—check out the earrings!—and hand-dipped beeswax candles. Tons of lovely items perfect for stocking stuffers while supporting a feel-good local culinary staple.

5:30-8pm on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Homeless Garden Project store, 1338 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.

Product of the Week

Winner of the top prize at the World Cheese Awards, Rogue River Organic Blue is seasonal and aged for 9-11 months. This fragrant masterpiece is wrapped in Syrah grape leaves and soaked in pear liqueur before coming to your house for $37/lb. (I paid $11 for a sizeable chunk that has lasted four meals.) Oregon’s Rogue Creamery has won lots of awards, but this is the first time an American cheese has taken the top honors in the competition’s 32 years.

One complex cheese, the blue is a major oral experience, if you know what I mean. Terrific with a shot of Jameson’s. Smooth yet angular, this beauty starts out densely loaded with Earthy notes and then opens into a sweet, very complex, buttery suite of flavors. Less is more. Pace yourself. Available at New Leaf Market. 

Wine of the Week 

Windy Oaks’ 2016 Sparkling Albariño is perfect for your holiday table. And yes, sparkling wine does go with everything. Toasty and complex, this sparkler is dry and fresh with a crisp finish. Grapes are harvested from the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County. Order yours by calling Windy Oaks at 724.9562, or stop by the handsome Corralitos tasting room at 550 Hazel Dell Rd. windyoaksestate.com. $49/$39 for wine club members.

New Tradition

Consider ordering your next holiday meal from New Leaf Community Market. They offer everything from non-GMO, antibiotic-free Diestel turkeys to house-made dishes like buttermilk mashed potatoes, local desserts from Beckmann’s Bakery, and plant-based and gluten-free entrées and sides. Convenient one-stop pick up. Check online for New Leaf’s holiday menu and reserve your meal up to Dec. 23 at newleaf.com/reserve.

Film Review: ‘Knives Out’

Middling, but not without surprises, Knives Out is Rian Johnson’s mystery about a group of greedy heirs in ugly holiday sweaters. They’re the descendants of writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), author of The Menagerie Tragedy Trilogy and other best-selling bafflers.

The morning after his 85th birthday party, the old man is found with his throat cut in an apparent suicide. The deceased was no stranger to the macabre. “He basically lives on a Clue board,” says investigating Lt. Elliott (Lakeith Stanfield of Sorry to Bother You and Atlanta); it’s a turreted Victorian manor floating in a sea of dead leaves, with hidden entryways, creaky floorboards and sinister doodads galore. In a prominent place is a lifesize jolly-sailor dummy in homage to Sleuth, the play starring Lawrence Olivier and Michael Caine (and later, the film starring Caine and Jude Law).

Harlan’s parasitic family isn’t exactly weeping over the senseless waste of human life. They include designer Jamie Lee Curtis, whose business was propped up by Harlan’s checkbook and her loafer husband Don Johnson. Their son is a professional wastrel (Chris Evans handles this anti-Captain America role well). Another son is the grumbling Michael Shannon, limping on a cane; he’s furious at the old man’s refusal to sell his work to the movies.

Johnson’s twist is that we know how Harlan died early on. Involved was his good-hearted nurse and companion Marta (Ana de Armas), but she’s exempted from the lineup because she had nothing to gain from the will. In addition, she has a tic; she must always tell the truth, lest she vomit on the spot. (This apparently isn’t a real sickness. Johnson may have read of the tanguin ordeal in Madagascar, in which accused liars prove their guilt by barfing.)

On scene is Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, “Last of the Gentlemen Detectives,” recently profiled in the New Yorker (“I read a tweet about the article,” says another suspect, Toni Collette’s Joni, burnished by unnatural skin bronzers.) Craig uses a Southern accent with more molasses in it than the one he had in Logan Lucky. This diction increases Craig’s likeness to Robert Mitchum. What’s all his own is the satisfactory way Craig wears his fine clothes, dandles his cigar and utters Gothic comments about this house full of “vultures at the feast, knives out, beaks bloody!”

To him, the case is a sort of doughnut, the hole beckoning. This metaphysical doughnut is mirrored by a frightening living room sculpture: hundreds of knives, all blades pointing to a vortex.

Johnson gets us out of the house for an encounter with a mildewed old gatekeeper (M. Emmet Walsh) who puts his faith in the sturdy VHS player he’s been using for decades. There’s also a car chase—justly described by a character as “the dumbest of all time”—through a dozing milltown, with only one old witness who lacks the energy to do a double take at the speeding Hyundai careening past him.

The airweight movie is a little furry; we wait in vain for some crack in old Harlan’s stern benignness; he has such good reasons for his iron-willed decisions that you want to see a touch of evil revealed. Knives Out is also strangely sexless—unless Miss Marple is the sleuth, Agatha Christie-oid entertainments usually have a bit of plunging neckline and a suggestion of kink. A scene of Evans and de Armas drinking beer at a country inn with Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown” playing in the background is about as heated as it gets.

Johnson’s superb emulation of Hammett and Chandler in his debut Brick (2006) gave us a more energetic mystery, and this sputters a bit by comparison. But he does have a purpose beyond pastiche: Knives Out is Thanksgiving entertainment for those seething at their relatives over the turkey carcass. Johnson introduces a political element, revealed when the cast starts snapping at each other about the policies of the unnamed Trump; half of these idlers fear dispossession by alien hordes, as represented by Marta’s undocumented mom. One member of the clan is an alt-right 16-year-old who never raises his face from his cellphone; he probably stands in for the little pishers who hounded Johnson about the politics of his The Last Jedi as if they thought Darth Vader would read their tweets and ask for their CVs. And so, Knives Out addresses contemporary turmoil in the cozy world of the manor-murder mystery.

Knives Out

Directed by Rian Johnson. Starring Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis and Chris Evans. PG-13; 130 Mins.

A Turkey-Ready Bargetto Merlot

Bargetto Winery’s 2017 Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve Merlot can hang with some of the best reds around. It makes an impressive statement on any dinner table—and also a tasty pairing with steak, lamb chops and other hearty foods. 

This Reserve Merlot ($40) is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) from Kennedy Hill Vineyard in Los Gatos, but the majority of the grapes come from Regan Estate Vineyard, Bargetto’s own prime-location plot of land overlooking the Monterey Bay.

“The Reserve Merlot has a beautiful deep garnet color and opens with intense and complex aromatics,” Winemaker Bobby Graviano says. “Notes of black currant, plum, black cherry, cranberry reduction, and brown sugar fill your nose and entice the palate.” The flavors of the Merlot and the Cab “marry beautifully,” he adds.

Bargetto is one of the few local wineries open daily—from noon-5 p.m.—except on Thanksgiving Day.

Bargetto Winery, 3535 N. Main St., Soquel. 475-2258, bargetto.com.

Discretion’s Big Win

Kudos go to Discretion Brewing. They won two medals for beers featuring local ingredients: a gold for a Shimmer Pils in the German-style Pilsner category, and a bronze for Ten Million Flowers, a honey-orange Kolsch (in the Alternative Fermentable Beer category). Discretion’s cozy spot behind Café Cruz is a great place to go for well-made ales and tasty grub.

Discretion Brewing, 2703 41st Ave. Ste. A, Soquel. 316-0662, discretionbrewing.com.

Fish Lady’s New Anchor

The Fish Lady, based in Soquel for many years, has relocated to Capitola, adjacent to the Capitola Produce Market and across the street from Gayle’s Bakery. Known for her ultra-fresh fish and other produce, the Fish Lady (Sharon Hadley) now offers one-stop shopping. You can buy your tomatoes and spinach at Capitola Produce, and all your fresh fish and meats at The Fish Lady. 

The Fish Lady, 700A Bay Ave., Capitola. 475-6044, thefishladysoquel.com

Central Coast Creamery’s Cheesy New Abbott Square Outpost

Reggie Jones knows a thing or two about really gouda cheese. After 20 years in the cheesemaking biz, Jones opened his first manufactury, Paso Robles’ Central Coast Creamery, more than a decade ago. 

Last month, he opened a new Santa Cruz outpost. The Abbott Square shop sells grilled cheeses (including a goat-cheese melt), charcuterie and 10 flavors of sheep’s milk ice cream.

Central Coast Creamery sources as close to home as possible, which Jones says can be a challenge since there are only a few dairy farms left in Monterey, and none in Santa Cruz.

Why open a store here? 

REGGIE JONES: It made sense for us to go into Abbott Square. They approached us. My family and I have spent a lot of time in Santa Cruz, too. We have a cheese called Seascape that we actually named after Seascape Resort in Aptos. 

What got you into making cheese? 

I don’t have a cool story about how I’m a fourth-generation cheesemaker or anything like that, but I graduated college in 1991 and there were no jobs. I had a biological sciences degree and I got a job in a lab of a mozzarella factory and it stuck. 

When I opened Central Coast Creamery, we started with a goat gouda. All of the goudas that were being made were coming from overseas, and we figured that there was room in the market for a domestic gouda. 

What’s the deal with sheep’s milk ice cream? 

We had a sub-leaser in our facility, Negranti Creamery, and she was the first one in the U.S. to make sheep milk ice cream. When the Abbott Square opportunity came up, it seemed like a good partnership since there isn’t much dessert in there right now. You don’t have to add cream to sheep milk ice cream. The final product is lower in fat and easier to digest than cow milk ice cream. The flavors change out, they’re seasonal. 

centralcoastcreamery.com.

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