San Diego music fans won’t want to miss the seventh annual Jazz on the Green music festival taking place on May 20 at Mission Bay High School. The event will help raise funds for the award-winning program under the direction of JP Balmat, recently named High School Teacher of the Year for SDUSD. Performing will be the school’s award-winning combos, with special guests joining in, including the MBHS Swing Choir with award-winning vocalist Steph Johnson, The MBHS Preservationists, with jazz vocalist Leonard Patton and The Mambo Orchestra, with trumpeter Brad Steinwehe. Anyone looking for the future’s top musicians, or simply wants to hear great jazz played with youthful verve, will this event.
Jazz on the Green: Saturday, May 20 at Mission Bay High School, 2475 Grand Ave. 11 a.m. All ages. $10. $5 students. www.missionbaymusic.com. Two of San Diego’s best blues performers, guitarist Robin Henkel and singer Whitney Shay, team up for a pair of performances at the Kona Kai Resort on May 19 and 28. Each is a headliner in their own right, but the pairing of Henkel’s manic acoustic blues and Shay’s brassy, emotion-packed vocals is truly inspired, with each artist driving the other to new heights. Loads of fun, these two world-class performers have a deep knowledge of music, a repertoire that’s second to none and the chops to back it up. Robin Henkel & Whitney Shay: Friday, May 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 28 at 11 a.m. at the Kona Kai Resort, 1551 Shelter Island Drive. www.resortkonakai.com. Hard rock fans won’t want to miss tribute band the Iron Maidens at Brick by Brick on May 20. An all-girl group performing the songs of their namesake combo, British heavy metal legends, Iron Maiden is a gimmick, but this quartet is more than up to the challenge, playing blistering versions of the group’s songs. Formed in 2001, The Iron Maidens are a breed apart from most tribute bands, actually going the next step and releasing albums of their recast song versions, making them the next best thing to the real deal.
The Iron Maidens: Saturday, May 20 at Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave. 8 p.m. 21 and up. $10. www.brickbybrick.com. On May 26, Dizzy’s will host a special tribute concert to late jazz legend Joe Marillo, who passed away last year. A beloved mainstay of local stages, many of Marillo’s collaborators will be on hand, including pianist Reka Parker, trumpeter Derek Cannon, bassist Jeff Blanco, drummer Bob Daniels and saxophonist Christopher Hollyday. Tribute to Joe Marillo: Friday, May 26 at Dizzy’s at Arias Hall, 1717 Morena Blvd. 8 p.m. $20. www.dizzysjazz.com. Marillo, who started performing with his own band in the early 1950s, mentored hundreds of performers through the decades, as well as booking shows to help give them more exposure. In the process he helped establish today’s vibrant music scene. This show is a wonderful way to give thanks to one of the best friends local music has ever had.
Tribute to Joe Marillo: Friday, May 25 at Dizzy’s at Arias Hall, 1717 Morena Blvd. 8 p.m. $20. www.dizzysjazz.com. It may seem a little early to check out music at 10 a.m., but early-risers heading to brunch at Humphrey’s Backstage Live on May 28 will have a special treat, with a performance from blues diva Mercedes Moore. She has a terrific set of blues standards, but it’s her originals that will impress the most, sounding like lost classics with instantly infectious hooks. Moore has become one of San Diego’s best blues performers, a firm festival favorite. If you haven’t caught her music yet, this intimate performance is the perfect way to do so.
Mercedes Moore: Sunday, May 28 at Humphrey’s Backstage Live, 2241 Shelter Island Drive. 10 a.m. humphreysbackstagelive.com. The 710 Beach Club continues its Tuesday Night Live series, mixing art and music, on May 30 with an appearance from Electric Elms. The Fallbrook-based band cites the 1960s as a key to their sound, and indeed songs such as “Peninsula” are reminiscent of such groups as the Band, Bob Dylan or Van Morrison. Meanwhile, they also showcase the poppier edge of the era with tracks such as “Out Of My Mind.” Anyone tired of the DJ bar scene along Garnet will want to check out this night of free live music.
The Electric Elms: Tuesday, May 30 at the 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave. 9 p.m. 21 and up. No cover. www.710bc.com.