Freebie of the week: The Little Village Foundation, a nonprofit record company and label with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles, was established to shine a light on talented and deserving blues and roots artists who might otherwise get overlooked, especially in today’s era of media saturation. The label was founded by longtime blues hero and musician Jim Pugh, who happened to be on keyboards at Taj Mahal’s SFJazz Center shows last week. This weekend, Little Village is celebrating its 10th anniversary and hosting its annual free showcase on West Saint John Street in San Jose’s Little Italy district near the SAP Center from 11 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Featuring many of the label’s musicians and some of the Bay Area’s top blues artists, the Big Easy Beer and Block Party lineup includes headliners Rick Estrin & the Night Cats; Kid Andersen, an ace guitarist and owner of the San Jose-based Greaseland studios, with his All-Star Band; acclaimed guitarists Chris Cain and Maurice Tani; “Bollywood Blues” harmonica player Aki Kumar; the Mighty Mike Schermer Band; and more. The music is free (reservations are required), and proceeds from beer sales go solely to the musicians and label. To RSVP, visit littlevillagefoundation.com.
The band strikes up—again: They call themselves “the soul of the city” and for good reason. The 30 professional musicians of the Golden Gate Park Band have been playing their hearts out in a special bandshell built specifically for them 125 years ago. The band, now conducted by music director German Gonzalez, actually dates to 1882, making it the oldest continuously operating musical organization in the city of San Francisco. Hear the players for free, as always, in a special “9 to 5: A Labor Day Celebration” concert from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Monday at the Spreckels Temple of Music on the Music Concourse at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. We’re thinking the “9 to 5” number Dolly Parton made famous from the movie of that name just might be on the program—who knows? Find out more at goldengateparkband.org.
Shell game: The Bay Area has a deep and rich history of sketch and improv comedy, from legendary acts as the San Francisco Mine Troupe to BATS Improv to Made Up Theatre. One of best known and longer running groups, which has a great name, is Killing My Lobster. The troupe performed its first gig on Valentine’s Day 1997 in a 25-seat theater in the Mission District. As for the origins of the name, well, it depends on who you ask. One claim says the name was blurted out when members of the ensemble were engaged in a rigorous discussion about Lauren Hill and the Fugees (with no further explanation). Another is that the original members were transplanted New Englanders who adopted a catch phrase “Dude, you’re killing my lobster.” In any event, the group is back with a new show premiering Friday titled “Legends and Laughter.” Its subject, the classically nerdtastic role-playing Dungeons & Dragon, seems ripe with potential. Killing My Lobster is reportedly considering calling it quits at the end of 2025. It’s yet another reason to catch the 90-minute show that runs through Sept. 13 at Eclectic Theatre, 448 Valencia St., San Francisco. Tickets run $12.51 to $76.54. Go to www.killingmylobster.com.
A dazzling duo: Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and singer Angélique Kidjo, both familiar and welcome figures at Cal Performances, join forces Saturday night at the Greek Theatre on the UC Berkeley campus to present their own collaborative program, “Sarabande Africaine,” which melds cultural and musical traditions from African lands with those of the West. Their concert is part of the presenting organization’s “Illuminations: Exile & Sanctuary” series of seven linked musical programs informed by academic research done on campus. The duo will be joined by pianist Thierry Vaton, percussionist David Donatien and special guest, Sudanese-American musician and multi-instrumentalist Sinkane; the touring program also played the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Performance time is 8 p.m. Find tickets, $60-$249, at calperformances.org.
Sumptuous soundscapes: Ambient music remains an oft-misunderstood genre. Many assume it’s elevator music with delusions of grandeur or something Brian Eno invented to irritate the bejesus out of his rock ‘n’ roll buddies. This weekend offers an opportunity to hear a classic of the genre that has a Brian Eno connection yet has nothing to do with electronic music. The concert features Edward Larry Gordon – aka Laraaji – performing his breakthrough 1980 album “Ambient 3: Day of Radiance” on autoharp, a stringed instrument like the zither and more often affiliated with country or Americana music than New Age. As the story goes, Laraaji bought the autoharp on a spur-of-the-moment decision at a garage sale and was playing around with it in New York’s Washington Square when Eno walked by and was transfixed. That led to Eno producing “Ambient 3,” which came to be recognized as one of the groundbreaking recordings in the series of Eno productions released during the dawn of ambient music. (Eno’s “Music for Airports” is probably the best-known.) Ambient music, defined more by layers of sound than rhythm and song-structure dynamics, is not for everyone. But those drawn to its quiet, soothing beauty have the chance to hear one of the genre’s most noteworthy recordings, played live by the artist who created it at 8 p.m. Friday at The Freight in Berkeley. Tickets are $39-$44 at thefreight.org.
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