Music

Topo, in Fiddler on the Roof, was a Klezmer musician, “schlepping his way from shtetl to shtetl… a distinctive image of pre-war Jewish life in the Ashkenazi communities of Eastern Europe,” according to worldmusic.net.

What began with the Noah and Kelly Dorrance's passion for music and wine has grown into an annual festival that brings people together through a shared commitment to making a difference in the world.

Charles Lloyd will headline the Sunday, June 14, show at Bacchus Landing, marking his 10th time playing for a Healdsburg audience. In fact, festival founder Jessica Felix reminds us that his first visit was in 1997 with drummer Billy Higgins—two years before the first Healdsburg Jazz Festival.

“I chose the name Mon Rovîa because at first when I was doing music, it was mainly for myself,” said the performer in a late-August interview. “But then I realized that I wanted to pursue music for other reasons outside of myself, like telling stories about the world and so many things that are going on, especially about my country and its history. Nobody really knows much about Liberia.”

As a recording artist, if a person hangs around long enough, they get to look back at their body of work. And if they’re really lucky they not only get to revisit their canon, they even get a shot at reinterpreting and reimagining these earlier fruits of their labor. That’s what Alejandro Escovedo has done with his latest album, Echo Dancing. It finds him using the past to shape the future.

Now widely known as “The Harlem Nutcracker,” Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn wrote it for Columbia Records, along with film scores and other work. It was met with a sensational reception

This year brings the second Healdsburg Winter Jazz Festival, which starts Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Harmon Guest House’s Merritt Hall and concludes Sunday night, Feb. 1, at the Healdsburg Community Church. It once again showcases a diverse line-up of jazz talent, genres and venues. A total of six programs are being presented at off-beat stages, with a suitably wide-ranging menu of music.