Tag: jazz

Intersections: Soundscapes of Identity and Connection.

A series of special concerts is coming up in downtown San Diego. Music lovers need to take notice!

Intersections: Soundscapes of Identity and Connection will offer audiences unique and memorable experiences. Concerts feature Daneen Wilburn, one of San Diego’s most compelling vocalists; Allan Phillips, an Emmy Award-winning composer, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist; and Peter Sprague, an acclaimed guitarist and composer. The concerts will be enjoyed in the state-of-the-art Guggenheim Theatre at UC San Diego Park & Market.

Andrew Waltz, Director of Arts Management at UC San Diego Park & Market, has provided the following:

I’m really excited to share the 2026 season of Intersections: Soundscapes of Identity and Connection at UC San Diego Park & Market.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about putting this season together is seeing a kind of arc emerge across the three performances: expression, exchange, and transformation.

We start with Daneen Whitley Wilburn, whose incredible voice and storytelling are deeply rooted in gospel, soul, jazz, and her own lived experience. There’s something powerful about music that starts from such a personal place and then connects with an entire room.

Then Allan Phillips takes us much further afield, bringing together Afro-Indigenous traditions, African and Latin influences, Brazilian rhythms, jazz, reggae, funk, and more. His work is a great example of how music travels, crosses borders, and grows through cultural exchange.

And we close with Peter Sprague & Friends, taking on the music of Paul Simon and hearing those familiar songs in a completely different way. I love ending the season there—reminding us that music we think we know can still surprise us when a great artist brings a new perspective to it.

I’ve also really appreciated building this season with Daneen, Allan, Peter, Kamau Kenyatta, and Yale Strom. There’s a real alignment among this group—not just creatively, but in the way they approach collaboration. Everyone has brought ideas, curiosity, generosity, and genuine excitement about what the series could become. That energy has made shaping these three very different concerts a lot of fun.

For me, that’s one of the best parts of this work: collaborating with people who are exceptionally good at what they do, but who are also open, engaged, and willing to build something together.

Three performances. Three very different musical journeys. From expression, to exchange, to transformation.

I can’t wait to share it with an audience.

You can learn more and purchase tickets by clicking the following links:

Intersection Concert featuring Daneen Wilburn, on Friday, September 11 • 7 PM – 8:30 PM.

Intersection Concert featuring Allan Phillips – Rhythms Without Borders, on Saturday, October 24 • 7 PM – 8:30 PM.

Intersection Concert featuring Peter Sprague & Friends, on Friday, December 4 • 7 PM – 8:30 PM.

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Rehearsal of Chicago the Musical at Rady Shell!

I got super lucky today. I was walking near the Rady Shell on downtown San Diego’s waterfront when I heard singing voices. I turned toward the San Diego Symphony’s beautiful outdoor venue and discovered Chicago the Musical in Concert was rehearsing for tomorrow’s evening performance!

I sat for a while–one cool thing about rehearsals at The Shell is the public is free to watch politely up close and listen. All I can tell you, anyone going to Chicago the Musical in Concert on Friday is most likely in for a treat!

All That Jazz… Cell Block Tango… Mr. Cellophane… All of the jazzy voices are amazing. I seriously thought I was at a Broadway production.

When I looked at the vocalists’ bios just now, I see that, indeed, they’ve performed in many world-class productions in the most prestigious venues!

Learn all about Chicago the Musical in Concert, and perhaps purchase tickets, by visiting the Rady Shell’s website here!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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Fine sculptures at the Valencia Park Library.

Seven very fine sculptures, each belonging to the San Diego Civic Art Collection, are located inside the Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library. I discovered them last weekend when I visited the library to experience a Black History Month event.

The bronze sculptures, most of them gilded and painted, were all created by Ed Dwight, an artist who resides in Denver, Colorado. The largest work, depicting Malcolm X, stands near the center of the library.

The other half dozen sculptures honor legendary American jazz musicians. They are displayed in cases inside the library’s community room. Their titles are: Eubie’s Boogie, Jazz Guitar, Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson, Fats Waller, Bessie Smith, and Miles Davis.

The artist has a remarkable and rather unexpected background! As search results from the San Diego Civic Art website explain:

Dwight was the first African American to be trained as an astronaut. Dwight began his career as an artist after many years working in various fields including the military, engineering, and real estate. His first important commission was a sculpture of Colorado’s first black Lieutenant Governor, George Brown, in 1974. Since then, he has been prolific in creating homages to the most significant contributions of black culture to American history. His work has focused on the history of jazz and its significant figures, as well as civil rights activists and African American pioneers…

It was difficult taking good photographs with reflections on the glass cases creating interference. I encourage everyone to check out the above link and see good images of all seven sculptures, or, better yet, head over to the Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library and begin your own exploration!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share this!