I’ll be joined by Jeanne Newhall and Robbie McDonald for this special Second Saturday! Both are brilliant singer/songwriters and Jeanne is a master interpreter of future standards outside of the Great American Songbook.
As usual, doors open at 7:30, music starts at 8 and music goes until about 10:30 with just short breaks to enjoy the homemade cookies and some bevvies. Pay what you can to support the musicians and this wonderful community event. Suggested donation is $25.
This is a night for friends, couples, singles and any combination or iteration! Ha! We never don’t need love in this world. But today it seems we need more and more. Agape, romance, whatever!
Prior to the show, starting on the Martin Luther King Holiday, Monday, January 19, 2026, donated artwork will be available for bids** in the Benefit’s online Silent Art Auction—which will close on show day, February 20, 2026. Co-curated by Spicer, the Benefit is being produced gratis by MoSamp Productions, with select segments directed by Phylliss Bailey Brooks. For further benefit details or questions, please go totillartistscollective.org.
Because the October 11 benefit sold-out, get your tickets now to support Highways with any of the three tax-deductible levels at EARLY BIRD RATES through Sunday, February 8, 2026: General Admission Benefit tickets @ $30**; Student/SeniorBenefit tickets @ $20** (incl. post-show dessert reception); and limited-quantity VIPBenefit tickets @ $55** (incl. the post-show dessert reception, and the exclusive pre-show reception/art showing, with a listing in the Souvenir Program). For benefit sponsorship options, please click here. Highways is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and its Tax ID is 95-4231812. For individual donations only, please click here.
Current sponsors for “From Emmett Till to SNCC & Beyond: Words + Music + Art” include: The Weingart Foundation; The William & Ellen Craft Foundation, The Justin Carr Wants World Peace Foundation (JCWWP) and Now & Zen Productions.
In addition, from now through Saturday, October 11, there is donated artwork available for bids** in the Benefit’s online Silent Art Auction—click here to bid. Co-curated by Spicer, the Benefit is being produced gratis by MoSamp Productions, with select segments directed by Phylliss Bailey Brooks. For further benefit details or questions, please go totillartistscollective.org.
Get your Early Bird discountsnow to support Highways with General AdmissionandStudent/SeniorBenefit tickets** (incl. post-show reception), as well as limited-quantity VIPBenefit tickets** (incl. the post-show reception, and the pre-show reception/art showing, with a listing in the Souvenir Program). By request Early Bird discounts have been extendedthrough this Sunday, October 5, withregular rates resuming on Monday, October 6. For benefit sponsorship options, please click here. Highways is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and its Tax ID is 95-4231812. For individual donations only, please click here.
Current sponsors for “From Emmett Till to SNCC & Beyond: Words + Music + Art” include: The William & Ellen Craft Foundation, The Justin Carr Wants World Peace Foundation (JCWWP) and Now & Zen Productions.
* (special multimedia performances)
** (silent art auction winning bids and benefit tickets are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law)
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in Ventura County and even longer to Ojai! Very excited to share the evening with Zoe. I’ll be accompanying her and doing my own music, too. Tell your friends and don’t miss it yourself! Happy that Zoe arranged this with Bernie Larsen!
DETAILS:
Artist:JASON LUCKETT
Jason Luckett Pasadena Residency: Second Saturdays Jazz Night+
Award-winning Bay Area journalist turned singer-songwriter Zoe FitzGerald Carter returns with her rich, honey-toned voice and vivid, literary songwriting. Touring her acclaimed album Before the Machine—inspired by memories of a pre-smartphone world—Zoe blends Americana, jazz, blues, and folk into songs that feel both intimate and timeless. The title track won first place in the Corpus Christi Songwriters Contest, with critics praising her voice for its “authority, experience, and character.”
She’s joined by acclaimed musician and writer Jason Luckett, whose soulful sound draws from classic singer-songwriters, jazz, soul, and samba. With seven albums released and performances around the world—including SXSW and Glastonbury—Jason brings depth, warmth, and thoughtful storytelling to every stage.
Zoe and Jason first met during an Aretha Franklin/Smokey Robinson tribute and have since shared stages across California and beyond, including an official FAR-West showcase. At Ojai Underground, each will perform a set of original songs, with Jason joining Zoe on harmonies and lead guitar.
Expect a cozy, intimate evening of deeply human music—designed to slow time, open hearts, and offer a little refuge from the noise of the world.
Expect a cozy, intimate evening of deeply human music—designed to slow time, open hearts, and offer a little refuge from the noise of the world.
Expect a cozy, intimate evening of deeply human music—designed to slow time, open hearts, and offer a little refuge from the noise of the world.
Excited to start the year with friends from back in the day at UCLA all the way to new friends from Lineage Performing Arts Center. Early January is a funny time to organize sets, so I’ve invited a bunch of artists I love to create a sort of open stage. Most all are new to our stage and will be doing a song or two so I can introduce them to you. Guests are subject to change, but as of now I think it’s Robbie McDonald, Stefanie Naifeh, Sophia Kaminski, Patricia Bahia, David Crittendon, and Melissa Gordon.
Admission:Reserved seats $25.00 CCA Members: $20.00
Age restrictions:All Ages
Notes:
You already know the songs—”Eli’s Coming,” “And When I Die,” “Stoney End,” and the chart-topper “Wedding Bell Blues.” Join us for a special tribute concert celebrating the timeless music of Laura Nyro and The 5th Dimension, presented by Songwriters at Play.
Performers on December 7 include:
Jack Roberts, Donna Phillips, Zoe Fitzgerald Carter, Jason Luckett, Jeanne Newhall, Naomi Nektare, Toots Prichard, Pi Jacobs, and Steve key.
Enjoy 5th Dimension classics like “Workin’ On a Groovy Thing,” “Up, Up and Away,” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.”
We’ll also explore deeper cuts from Laura Nyro’s songbook, including “Sweet Blindness” and “Christmas In My Soul.”
This concert is produced by Songwriters at Play, the husband-wife team Steve Key and Bonnie Nelson-Key. A lifelong Laura Nyro fan, Bonnie will host the show. Past tributes at CCAT have honored artists such as Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan.
Excited to have a FAR-West Reunion for our November edition. We have my great friends, Joselyn & Don, and a new friend, Mz. Etta — who’ll I’ll accompany — joining us. RSVP on Facebook or right here below.
Montana-raised, Los Angeles-based music duo Joselyn & Don are celebrating the release of their third album “Lost & Found Highway,” which is receiving critical praise for its blend of soulful grit and intimate Laurel Canyon-esque songwriting. Its songs have been featured on NPR syndicated radio shows and recently charted on the Folk Alliance International radio chart. The duo tours venues across the West with their warm and engaging show, using their music as a way to share truth and build community.
It’s rare to find anyone in the blues, jazz, soul, funk, or R&B genres who isn’t familiar with her name. Arietta Ward, affectionately known as Mz. Etta has become an integral part of Portland’s vibrant and diverse music scene. She began her musical journey alongside her beloved mother, the late pianist and esteemed Northwest legend, Janice Marie Scroggins.
Because of her diverse musical background and unparalleled versatility, Arietta has been a Featured Artist-At-Large at the 2023 Sawtooth Valley Gathering festival in Stanley, Idaho, a beloved staple at the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival for many years & as a bandleader, opened for the Iconic Macy Gray at the famed Elsinore Theatre in Salem Oregon.
In addition, She has worked with acclaimed artists such as Esperanza Spalding, the late Obo Addy, Linda Hornbuckle, Curtis Salgado, Jarrod Lawson, Nigel Hall, Tony Ozier, Tyrone Hendrix, and Farnell Newton.
Nearly 50 of LA’s finest musicians will take the stage to celebrate The Beatles’ timeless catalog—sing along to your favorites, discover deep cuts, and soak in the magic. As always, we’ll kick things off with an acoustic opener to set the vibe.
Archetype Yoga 638 E. Colorado Blvd. Ste. 301 Pasadena, CA 91101 626-345-5676 Please RSVP to coordinate accessibility options. Elevator is in the back so we’ll need to meet you there.
In Playhouse Village in the heart of Pasadena, just around the corner from the Playhouse, plenty of parking on Colorado or in the city lot behind Urth Cafe.
Enter through the front, we’re on the third floor. Let us know if you need an elevator and will let you in the back through the alley. 626-345-5676
