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This week, Nefesh Mountain brings an array of roots music to Palo Alto, contemporary music ensemble Wild Up performs Julius Eastman’s ‘Femenine’ at Stanford Live, Appalachian folk artist Tanner Bingaman plays at Red Rock’s 2nd Story series in Mountain View, Music@Menlo concert unveils its 2024 season, author Yangsze Choo celebrates her latest work at Books Inc. Palo Alto and Jazz Mafia celebrates Fat Tuesday at The Guild.
Nefesh Mountain
Singer Doni Zasloff and multi-instrumentalist Eric Lindberg, the married couple and driving forces behind the band Nefesh Mountain, write and perform songs that incorporate Americana, folk, blues, bluegrass and jazz influences, along with infusing “Jewish tradition and soul into the beautifully diverse tapestry of American roots music,” according to their website. Touring year-round with their collective of instrumentalists, they’ve performed at the Grand Ole Opry and at many other venues and festivals across the country. On Feb. 9 they’ll roll into town to perform at an Earthwise Productions event at the Palo Alto Art Center, part of a series of four California shows. Their most recent release is this month’s EP “The Cabin Sessions,” a collection of covers and re-recorded originals.
Feb. 9, 8 p.m., Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium, 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto, $4.25-$18, eventbrite.com.
Tanner Bingaman
Appalachian folk artist Tanner Bingaman, who hails from Pennsylvania and offers both original songs and classics, will perform in downtown Mountain View as part of Red Rock Coffee’s 2nd Story series. 2nd Story shows, as the name suggests, take place at the venerable coffee shop’s upstairs space and feature independent artists from a variety of genres. Bingaman will be joined by Henri who, according to Red Rock’s event calendar, plays “energetic acoustic.”
Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m., Red Rock Coffee, 201 Castro St., Mountain View, suggested donation $10, redrockcoffee.com/2nd-story
Julius Eastman’s ‘Femenine’
Contemporary music ensemble Wild Up takes on composer Julius Eastman’s 1974 piece “Femenine” as part of a long-term project to perform and record Eastman’s works. The group will perform at Stanford Feb. 10. Eastman was “an activist who deployed his life experiences as a gay African American as the impetus to question what it means to be American and an artist, and the ideals of United States and western classical music,” Stanford Live’s website states. Stanford Live is also hosting two related events. On Feb. 9, Stanford music students will join Wild Up at Bing Concert Hall for “Gay Guerrilla: A Julius Eastman Community Experience,” performing Eastman’s “Gay Guerilla,” “Buddha,” and “Joy.” And on Feb. 11, Stanford New Ensemble, Marisol Montalvo, and Seth Parker Woods will perform “Gay Guerilla: A Hands-On Experience of the Life, Music, and Legacy of Julius Eastman” at Dinkelspiel Auditorium.
Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m., Bing Concert Hall, 327 Lasuen St., Stanford, ticket prices vary. live.stanford.edu.
Music@Menlo Season Unveiling
Summer seems months away right now thanks to February’s sodden start, but Music@Menlo is looking ahead to that sunniest time of year. The group holds a concert Feb. 10 unveiling what’s ahead for its monthlong chamber music festival held each summer. Festival founders and artistic directors Wu Han and David Finckel will announce the festival’s theme and lineup. Audiences will also get to hear Music@Menlo International Program alumni perform works by Edvard Grieg and César Franck and enjoy a reception with refreshments afterward.
Feb. 10, 4 p.m. at Spieker Center for the Arts, Menlo School, 50 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton. $40. musicatmenlo.org.
Yangsze Choo
California-based author Yangsze Choo comes to Books Inc. Palo Alto to celebrate her latest novel, “The Fox Wife,” which takes place in 1908 Manchuria and spins a tale of intriguing fox folklore, a family curse, a mother seeking vengeance, mysterious deaths, and an intrepid detective. Choo is also the bestselling author of “The Ghost Bride” and “The Night Tiger.”
Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Books Inc. Palo Alto, 855 El Camino Real #74, Palo Alto. booksinc.net.
Jazz Mafia
Valentine’s Day gets most of the love this time of year, but there’s another holiday that falls right before Feb. 14 on the 2024 calendar: Mardi Gras. To mark that famously over-the-top celebration, The Guild hosts Jazz Mafia’s Annual Fat Tuesday Git Down on Fat Tuesday itself. And what could be better for Mardi Gras than a New Orleans staple, the brass band? San Francisco-based musical collective Jazz Mafia brings its 10-piece brass band to the Peninsula, with guest artist Nicki Bluhm and featured vocalists Yvette Pylant, Erin Honeywell and Sólás B. Lalgee. It’s a fusion of Bay Area and Crescent City traditions — beads and king cake optional. Huney Knuckles opens.
Feb. 13, 8 p.m. at The Guild Theatre, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. $38-$78. guildtheatre.com.
