On Oct. 9, John Lennon’s birthday will be celebrated with a special performance at Dizzy’s by The Benedetti Trio. Featuring acoustic guitarist Fred Benedetti alongside his vocalist daughters, Regina and Julia, the concert will showcase the best of Lennon’s songs from his days with the Beatles through to his final solo hits. Song choices will include such favorites as “In My Life” and an amazing version of “Strawberry Fields Forever,” but whatever Benedetti chooses from Lennon’s vast collection of songs will be crowd-pleasers. Benedetti is a major talent with wonderful, fresh takes on the tunes that will please both diehard Beatles fans and anyone who appreciates gifted fretwork. John Lennon Tribute: Friday, Oct. 9, at Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive. 8 p.m. $10-$15. www.dizzysjazz.com Anyone craving a dose of funk and soul will want to hear Willovealot, appearing at Humphrey’s Backstage Live on Oct. 13. Led by guitarist Willie Lee Brown, the Imperial Beach-based group is a sure-fire dance floor filler, with smooth tunes in their set list from the likes of Sade, Al Green and George Benson, sprinkling in the occasional like-sounding original. For anyone who likes their music to have a danceable edge, Willovealot’s set at Humphrey’s is just the right midweek musical pick-me-up. Willovealot: Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Humphrey’s Backstage Live, 2241 Shelter Island Dr. 9 p.m. $12.
www.humphreysbackstagelive.com Spoken word aficionados will want to check out the The Pacific Beach Library’s free Wednesday evening concert series when it kicks off on Oct. 14 with, Celebrating Neruda. The musical spotlight on the poetry of Pablo Neruda will feature vocalist Coral MacFarland Thuet, Grammy-winning producer/pianist Kamau Kenyatta, contrabass virtuoso and UCSD Professor Emeritus Bertram Turetzky, as well as poet/narrator Chuck Perrin.
With music from acclaimed jazz performers matched to Neruda’s award-winning words, this event among the books and displays is perhaps the ultimate match of venue and event. Celebrating Neruda: Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Pacific Beach Library, 4275 Cass St. 7 p.m. All Ages. No cover. www.pblibraryfriends.org Excellent cover band Calphonics performs aboard the Bahia Belle on Oct. 17. Fronted by singer Melody Ebner, the band’s secret weapon is their horn section, particularly trombonist Elizabeth Lea, who adds a distinctive flavor to classic songs such as Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4” or even Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s soul standard, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Making Calphonics a must for fans of modern pop, the band includes current hits from the likes of Taylor Swift and Mark Ronson in their mix of over 100 songs. Whether you want to take advantage of the boat’s spacious dance floor or just enjoy the wonderful view, Calphonics offers up something for just about everybody. Calphonics: Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Bahia Resort, 998 West Mission Bay Drive. 9:30 p.m. 21 and up. $10. www.catamaranresort.com On Oct. 17, jazz fans won’t want to miss pianist Mikan Zlatkovich and his sextet performing a night of great movie themes at Dizzy’s. Backed by an all-star line up that includes saxophonist Tripp Sprague, bassist Katie Thiroux, Matt Witek on drums, singer Sasha Boutros and violinist Jamie Shadowlight, audiences will hear classics from throughout cinema history recast as modern jazz. Mikan Zlatkovich Sextet: Saturday, Oct. 17, at Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive. 8 p.m. $15-$20. www.dizzysjazz.com Herb Alpert inspired group, Jason Hanna & The Bullfighters perform at Brick by Brick on October 9 as part of a special night of burlesque, dubbed, Ole, Ole, Ole. Trumpeter Hanna is the perfect choice for such a show, providing a hip mid sixties era soundtrack for the Hell on Heels dancers, through such classics as “Spanish Flea” and “A Taste of Honey.” This unique, one time production should not be missed, Hanna’s band is top notch, complete with cool instruments such as vibes, making this show a feast for the ears, as well as the eyes. Jason Hanna with Hell on Heels: Friday, October 9, at Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Avenue. 8 p.m. 21 and up. $15-$30. www.brickbybrick.com