Bossa Zuzu Reinterprets Brazilian Music
The hot sounds of Brazil are coming on Wednesday, Feb. 29 to the Laguna Beach Live! Jazz Wednesdays Winter Series.
Bossa Zuzu, featuring Dan Reckard on saxophone, guitarist-vocalist Capital, and percussionist Jose Gurria, plays recent popular Brazilian music and original compositions to reinterpretations of classic bossa nova songs.
The two-set performance begins at 6 p.m., in time for sunset viewing downstairs in the Laguna Room of Hotel Laguna, 425 S. Coast Highway. Doors open at 5 p.m. with drinks and food available for purchase. Cover charge is $12 online and $15 at the door. Reservations can be made at www.lagunabeachlive.org up until noon on the day of the concert for one or more. Reservations for groups of three or more are recommended.
The winter series through April 11 features artists such as Graham Dechter, Joshua White and Jeff Hamilton. Info: 949 715-9713.
Bossa Zuzu draws its inspiration from Reckard’s stay in Brazil’s colonial capital. In Salvador da Bahia, the residential neighborhood Garcia embraces Aconchego da Zuzu or “Cozy of Zuzu.” The restaurant serves traditional Bahian food and hosts musicians playing bossa nova, samba and choro music nightly. Inside, everyone is treated like family. Strangers pull their tables together, servers sing along with the music and sometimes Zuzu herself, the 103-year-old owner, comes out of her house to dance the samba.
The restaurant’s unique spirit inspired Reckard, a Los Angeles musician, to establish the trio. Bossa Zuzu strives for melody and simplicity with instrumentation that has a light, warm and intimate sound.
An Evening with the Author Dean Koontz
Acclaimed author and Newport Beach resident Dean Koontz is the featured guest at a special event for Laguna Playhouse supporters April 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Barbara Barrett Demarco, host of KUCI’s Writers on Writing and Book Salon will introduce and moderate the evening.
Koontz will provide an insiders view of the literary world and speak about his experience.
Tickets are $50 per person and may be purchased by calling The Laguna Playhouse Box Office at 949-497-2787 Ext. 1 and online on www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
Uncorking a Second Wine and Food Fest
Laguna Beach Uncorked! an International Wine & Food Fest takes place on Saturday, March 10, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the Festival of Arts grounds.
Experience tastes from 25 wineries, a local brewery, sake producers and 24 local restaurants. A portion of the proceeds benefits CHOC Children’s Hospital.
General admission: $75 pre-sale. For tickets: visit http://lagunabeachfoodies.tix.com or call 800-595-4849 (4TIX).
Wine Festival Toasts its Fifth Year
The fifth annual Pacific Coast Wine Festival starts pouring March 3 at Newport Beach’s Island Hotel.
The event’s benefits Pacific Symphony’s education programs.
