Los Blancos stays busy
One of the Salt City’s best blues bands, Los Blancos performs twice in Armory Square this weekend.
At 10 p.m. Friday, April 1, the quartet kicks out the jams at Gio’s, 207 Walton St.; 299-6174; no cover.
Then from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 3, they’ll perform for the Blues Brunch at Empire Brewing Co., 120 Walton St.; 475-2337; no cover. Los Blancos is also booked for brunches there April 10 and 17.
The band – guitarist Colin Aberdeen, keyboardist Mark Nanni, drummer Mark Tiffault and bassist Steve Winston – will play music from their recent discs, “Taj for Breakfast” and “Just This Once.”
Hammond organist at OCC
Onondaga Community College’s Legends of Jazz Series concludes at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 2, as the Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio kicks off Jazz Appreciation Month at OCC’s Storer Auditorium.
After more than five decades and more than 70 albums, Smith has made his name synonymous with the Hammond B3 organ. Jazz Times magazine recently described him as “a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a turban.”
The Buffalo-born musician was selected as Organ Keyboardist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association five times over the past decade.
Admission to the concert is free; 498-2944.
Ward & Bryant on Kellish Hill
The husband-and-wife duo of Dick Ward and Carol Bryant will present their unusual blend of acoustic guitar and vocals at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Kellish Hill Farms, 3192 Pompey Center Road, 4.2 miles from Route 92 in Manlius or .5 mile north of Route 20. Admission costs $6. Refreshments and snacks will be available; rhbamericana.com; 682-1578.
Bear Cats roar in Canastota
Syracuse’s Bear Cat Jass Band, led by 91-year-old cornetist Dick Ames, will perform a free concert from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at the Canastota Public Library, 102 West Center St. in Canastota.; 697-7030.
The swinging octet will perform later this year on July 20 at Johnson Park in Liverpool. Music by the band and an interview with Ames is presently featured on Local Artist Spotlight on Radio LPL; lpl.org.
For Bear Cats info, call 637-6398.
Sock Hop at Bella Domani
Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Famers Dan Elliott & The Monterays play a Spring Sock Hop from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, April 8, at Bella Domani, 5988 East Taft Road, in North Syracuse. It’ll be a night of dinner and dancing featuring an Italian buffet with seafood choices and desserts for $15. For info, call the band at 363-6050 or Bella Domani at 458-2514.
The April 8 sock hop is sponsored by WSEN Oldies 1050.
