I\u2019m sure that one was in my dad\u2019s collection. Coltrane was a legend of the jazz idiom who I didn\u2019t learn much about until my college years, maybe later. Somewhere along the line, I did learn that \u201cBlue Train\u201d was one of Coltrane\u2019s most respected albums.<\/p>\n
The \u201cBlue Train\u201d concert on Saturday night features Brian Levy on tenor sax with an ensemble that includes Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet. The Castellanos-founded Young Jazz Conservatory will open the show at 6:30 p.m. If I weren\u2019t traveling this weekend for the holiday, I\u2019d be there. But I\u2019ll be there in spirit.<\/p>\n
![\"Comedian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sut-z-comedy-louisck.jpg\")
Comedian Louis C.K. will perform Wednesday at the San Diego Civic Theatre. FX
\nStandup comedy<\/p>\n
Maybe there\u2019s some truth in that cynical bromide \u201cAnybody can write a novel.\u201d Louis C.K. has.<\/p>\n
The some-love-him\/some-detest-him standup comic\u2019s novel \u201cIngram\u201d was released just a couple of weeks ago, just in time for joyous holiday gift-giving. It\u2019s described as a (when have you heard this before?) coming-of-age story.<\/p>\n
Could be Louis C.K. will tell you more about the book if you catch his \u201cRidiculous\u201d tour that arrives Wednesday at the Civic Theatre downtown. It\u2019s the tail end of a standup odyssey for him that began way back in April.<\/p>\n
![\"Classical](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sut-l-dance-swanlake.jpg\")
Classical Arts Entertainment brings its national touring ballet production of \u201cSwan Lake\u201d to the Balboa Theatre on Tuesday. (Classical Arts Entertainment)
\nDance<\/p>\n
Yes, Virginia, there is live dance during the holidays that is not \u201cThe Nutcracker.\u201d On Tuesday, Classical Art Entertainment\u2019s<\/a> International Ballet Stars will perform Tchaikovsky\u2019s timeless \u201cSwan Lake\u201d at 7 p.m. at the Balboa Theatre downtown.<\/p>\n \u201cInternational\u201d is the word for it, as dancers in the program hail from homelands including France, Japan, Ukraine, Moldovia and Italy. Among the many reasons for \u201cSwan\u2019s Lake\u201d iconic status is its White Swan\/Black Swan duality and, of course the \u201cDance of the Little Swans.\u201d<\/p>\n The School of Theatre, Television, and Film at San Diego State\u2019s recent production of the George Furth\/Stephen Sondheim musical \u201cMerrily We Roll Along\u201d marked my first experience with the show. \u201cMerrily\u201d is a 1981 musical that was not well received at first, though it continued to be produced, including at La Jolla Playhouse in 1985.<\/p>\n A revival a couple of years ago on Broadway starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez was a big, Tony-winning hit and now a filmed performance of that \u201cMerrily We Roll Along\u201d with that threesome is almost here. It opens in theaters Dec. 5<\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s a don\u2019t-miss for Sondheim fans, of which there are legion.<\/p>\n Studio session musicians are the unsung heroes of the recording business. One of the greats, bassist Leland Sklar, boasts a resume that includes supporting in the studio Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Carole King.<\/p>\n On Dec. 5<\/a>, Sklar will be at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad for a performance with songwriter\/pianist Patti Zlaket and a screening of Denny Tedesco\u2019s documentary film \u201cThe Immediate Family.\u201d\u00a0 The movie chronicles the careers of session musicians like Sklar as well as others such as Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel and Waddy Wachtel.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got LPs or CDs especially from the \u201870s, check out the credits and you just may see some of those same names there.<\/p>\n UCTV<\/p>\n University of California Television<\/a>\u00a0invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:<\/p>\n \u201cA Conversation with R.F. Kuang\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Writer R.F. Kuang has quickly become one of today\u2019s most daring and original voices in fiction, blending sharp social critique with rich storytelling. Her most recent novel, \u201cKatabasis,\u201d takes readers on a darkly witty descent into the underworld, where academia, ambition and myth collide. Known for tackling power, politics, and the human cost of ambition, Kuang first captivated audiences with \u201cThe Poppy War\u201d and later with the wildly successful \u201cBabel,\u201d both of which showcased her ability to fuse historical depth with page-turning drama.\u00a0 As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer\u2019s Symposium by the Sea, Kuang joins host Dean Nelson for a delightful conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University.<\/p>\n![\"Lindsay](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sut-l-stage-merrily.jpg\")
Lindsay Mendez, left, Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe in \u201cMerrily We Roll Along\u201d on Broadway. A live-capture film version of the show arrives on cinema screens Dec. 5. (Matthew Murphy)
\nFilm<\/p>\n![\"Drummer](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sut-z-music-sklar.jpg\")
Drummer Russ Kunkel, guitarist Waddy Wachtel, and bassist Leland Sklar in the documentary \u201cImmediate Family. (Magnolia Pictures)
\nScreening\/concert<\/p>\n