Vocal powerhouse Whitney Shay performs with her group, The Hustle, at the Backyard Kitchen & Tap on Oct. 27. One of the area’s major talents, Shay can do it all, from bar room blues to melancholy ballads, but for this group, as their name implies, ’70s funk is added to the mix. With a set that includes originals and classics, it all adds up to a night of music that will be both fun for dancing or just as a soundtrack for a great night out.
Whitney Shay and The Hustle: Friday, Oct. 27 at the Backyard Kitchen & Tap, 832 Garnet Ave. 7:30 p.m. No cover. www.backyardpb.com San Diego’s top acoustic music showcase, Java Joe’s will be hosting a special Songwriter’s Showcase on Oct. 21. On hand will be a mix of local favorites and rising talent, including Jimmie Lundsford, Sven Erik Seaholm, Isaac Cheong, Dixie Maxwell and Lizabeth Yandez, showcasing a nice cross section of San Diego’s singer-songwriter scene. With Java Joe’s being known for giving such notables as Jason Mraz, Jewel, Steve Poltz and Gregory Page their start. It’s just possible that there is a future music superstar in this night’s mix of artists.
Songwriter’s Showcase: Saturday, Oct. 21 at Java Joe’s, 2611 Congress St. 8 p.m. www.javajoessd.com The visual side of jazz will be on display at Dizzy’s on Oct. 21 when the music venue hosts a special afternoon photographic retrospective featuring the work of Michael Oletta, “Images of Jazz.” Over the past four decades, Oletta has photographed jazz artists at locations around the world, but it’s his work chronicling San Diego’s vibrant jazz community that makes his work so special. Oletta has a wonderful eye for catching music’s magic moments, candid and otherwise, with definitive portraits in his portfolio of all of the San Diego’s jazz community’s main players from Mundell Lowe to Daniel Jackson. Michael Oletta: Sunday, Oct. 22 at Dizzy’s at Arias Hall, 1717 Morena Blvd. 1 to 6 p.m. Free. www.dizzysjazz.com. The traditional date and time of the acclaimed Pacific Beach Library Free Monthly Concert Series has been changed to Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. The 2017-2018 series kicks off on Oct. 22 with a performance from Son Antillano, featuring percussionist Charlie Chavez. Running through April, future events include performances from bluesman Earl Thomas and the MLK Community Choir, but this first concert will be devoted to the melodic rhythms of traditional Cuban music, as performed by Chavez and his quartet.
Son Antillano: Sunday, Oct. 22 at Pacific Beach Library, 4275 Cass St. 2 p.m. All ages. No cover. www.pblibraryfriends.org. How does singer Ron Silva do it? Over the past four decades, Silva has led numerous bands, some long-lived, some merely brief happenings, but all great. Blessed with a gritty, soulful voice, perfect for R&B and garage rock, Silva has been a member of such internationally-acclaimed groups as The Crawdaddys, The Nashville Ramblers and The Saturn V, but on Oct. 27 he brings his newest combo, Ron & The Reapers to Beaumont’s. Featuring Chris Davies on guitar, the band plays an eclectic mix of covers and deep blues cuts.
Ron & The Reapers: Friday, Oct. 27 at Beaumont’s, 5662 La Jolla Blvd. 9 p.m. 21 and up. www.beaumontseatery.com. With this year’s Halloween falling on a Tuesday, most venues are opting for holding events the Saturday prior, but for those who enjoy celebrating on the actual date, Tio Leo’s “Crypt Keepers Halloween” will be one of the best options. Onstage will be the combo Scary Sues Crypt Keepers Ghoul Quintet, aka Sue Palmer and her Motel Swing Orchestra, performing blues, jazz and R&B dance classics alongside such seasonal fare as Screamin’ Jay Hawkins immortal “I Put A Spell On You.” While costumes aren’t required, it’s always more fun to participate. Crypt Keepers Halloween: Tuesday, Oct. 31 at Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St. 9 p.m. 21 and up. Cover TBD. www.tioleos.com