.The Editor’s Desk

Editor’s Note

During the first month of the year most of the country is hibernating. It’s winter, it’s cold and everyone needs a break after the tumult of the holidays. But not in our little town.

I thought in January we would get a breather, but musically, this month looks like July. We’ve got great national and local talents coming through. We have a surprisingly full schedule.

Every week managing editor Jeanette Bent and I wrestle with what articles will fit in the printed page and what we should run online. As one of the last bastions of print, we take the publication seriously and with reverence. Not everyone wants to read everything on their phone. We are one of the last free weeklies you can pick up and hold onto, combing through articles at your leisure, clipping them out and pasting them to your refrigerator or circling them and passing them on to friends.

So, this week we had six music articles to choose from and Jeanette came up with a brilliant idea: let’s scrap a cover story and let the music take over.

I wish I could tell you which of these shows you must see, because it’s like asking a parent which kid they liked best. The answer is all of them.

With Tommy Castro, you’ve got a blues man trying a first blues opera; The Third Mind is a conglomeration of world famous artists coming together for the first time, each of whom plays sold out shows; Wynton Marsalis says a singer like Cecile McLorin Salvant only comes through “once in a generation or two”.

 The Santa Cruz Symphony has steadily brought in new music and new ways to play it. This week’s performance features the U.S. premiere of Jean Ahn’s Jajang, Jajang for Gayageum and Orchestra, a world music mashup with roots in Korea. Then there’s Victor Wooten, who  is hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the “Top 10 Bassists of All Time.”

Finally, John Wesley Harding, who is famous as an indy artist, also tours under his real name, Wesley Stace, and is playing an intimate gig in Watsonville.

Which of these would you choose, if you only had to pick one? Let our readers know in the online comments below.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Kava | Editor

PHOTO CONTEST

SUN RISE Spotted this pair enjoying the sunrise the beautiful morning by the Bay. PHOTO Kathy Isonio

GOOD IDEA

People seeking jobs with the State of California or wanting to switch careers are encouraged to join a Virtual CA Career Forum (CACF) hosted by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Department of Technology, and Office of Data and Innovation on January 24, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/ for details.

 “At CDTFA, we give team members access to quality training, mentoring opportunities, and upward mobility programs to propel their careers,” said California Department of Tax and Fee Director Nick Maduros.

GOOD WORKS

The City of Santa Cruz is now accepting applications for its 2024 Master Recycler Volunteer Training Program. Over five Tuesday evening and two Saturday morning sessions from Feb. 6 to March 5 participants will train to become “Master Recycler Volunteers” in areas related to waste reduction and recycling.

 Applications will be accepted until 4pm on Thursday, Jan. 25 at  www.cityofsantacruz.com/recycleright

Saturday field trips will provide a behind-the-scenes tour of the Recycling Center where 30-50 tons of material is recycled every day, and a trip to the Grey Bears campus for a presentation on “Rethinking Your Purchases.” 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Not voting is not a protest. It is a surrender.”—Keith Ellison