Eliza Gilkyson is coming to Santa Cruz for a new release show and she’s bringing the legendary guitarist Nina Gerber with her. The two will perform at the Kuumbwa on Thursday. Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.
Gilkyson, who has a brand new release out — “Dark Ages,” is a twice Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and activist who is one of the most respected musicians in folk, roots and Americana circles. Her songs have been covered by Joan Baez, Bob Geldof, Chris Smither, Tom Rush and Rosanne Cash and have appeared in films, PBS specials and on primetime TV.
A member of the Austin Music Hall of Fame, and an inductee into the Austin Songwriter Hall of Fame, she has won countless Folk Alliance and Austin Music awards, including 2014’s Songwriter of the Year and the “Song of the Year” Award at the Folk Alliance International Conference in 2021.
“I’m thrilled to play these shows with Nina Gerber, an extraordinary, musically eloquent, lyrical guitarist who makes things very exciting and spontaneous for me on stage,” Gilkyson said in a press release.
Eliza’s current release, Dark Ages, is an upbeat collection of songs; however, she pulls no punches in terms of the times in which we find ourselves and her sentiments regarding the current president.
“This record is reflective of the times we are going through in our country, personally and nationally. It is always important to me when making a record to strike a balance between the real concerns we are voicing about the accumulating losses we experience daily and the appreciation of all that we find in our lives that is precious—our communities, our loved ones, and the natural world that we deeply treasure. That’s certainly the spectrum contained in this new record. I can’t wait to share these new songs with you,” she said in a press release.
Kuumbwa Jazz is located at 320-2 Cedar Street. Tickets are $35-$45. For more information, go to www.kuumbwaajazz.org.
TOP PHOTO: Eliza Gilkyson and Nina Gerber