Kjerstin 'KJ' Williams

This May, the Caltech bands are putting on their 30th annual Bandorama concerts, and I’m so glad they asked me to come out, grab the microphone, and join in the celebration!  I got my start in jazz in front of the Caltech bands, so singing with them always feels like coming home.

These concerts are a great opportunity to hear the Caltech-Occidental Concert Band and both of the Caltech Jazz Bands.  And lucky you, you have two chances to catch the show!

When: Friday May 14 and Saturday, May 15 at 8PM
Where: The concert is in Ramo Auditorium, Building 77 on the maps at http://www.caltech.edu/map/. No tickets are required.

My demo project with the Conspirators has been immense fun! We’re hoping to mix it in the next couple of weeks, then I’ll be out and about drumming up new gigs. Meanwhile, since gigs are slow mid-demo, I’ve been digging into songwriting and bumping up against the limits of my own home recording technology. I’ve flogged my beloved Zoom H4, my ancient MacBook Pro (now affectionately known as Old Wheezy), and Garage Band to their limits. So what’s next? It’s time to turn our rec room into a rehearsal space and modest home studio. I can’t wait to share some of the fruits of the new space with you, dear Internet!

It’s been a whirlwind season of caroling, holiday concerts, and parties, but it’s drawing to a close.  It’s almost time to take a deep breath and charge into the New Year!

Though I’m usually in diva mode here, I thought I’d share a picture of the caroling group I sang with this year, courtesy of our director, Nancy Sulahian.  From left to right, you see John Yong, yours truly, Casey Glick, Rachel Salaiz, and Victoria Stolyar. It was a pleasure singing with such a talented group! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Next Friday, December 4, from 9pm-midnight, the Conspirators and I will be back at Pinocchio’s in Pasadena for a great evening of jazz standards, swing, and blues!

It’s a Friday deal that can’t be beat: wonderful music, no cover charge, tasty Italian food, and all ages are welcome. Come for dinner or hang out in the cozy lounge area — it’s the perfect spot to enjoy an hour or three of great tunes!

You can drop in or you can call them at (626) 791-7591 and make a reservation.

Pinocchio’s is at:
1449 N Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91104

My partners in crime? The Conspirators are Jim Van Deventer on tenor sax, Laurence Yeung on guitar, Jimi Hawes on bass, and Mike Ferrara on drums.

I sure hope to see you there!

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Facebook event page — invite your friends!

I’ve been busy in the studio with the Conspirators, so to whet your appetite for new tunes, I thought I’d post some live recordings from this year’s mischief.  Up first? Check out the Recordings page and grab the tunes I sang at the Raymond Scott tribute concert this May!

I wanted to give a warm welcome to anyone who came across this page thanks to the article in Rose Magazine. Please poke around, sign up for the mailing list by dropping line to news@kjerstin.com, subscribe to the calendar, enjoy a few tunes, and make yourself at home!  I hope to see you at a show sometime soon!

We’ll be back at our favorite Italian joint this Saturday, September 19!

As always, great food, no cover, a fabulous new lounge area where you can relax and enjoy your drinks and our tunes.

We’ll see you there!

You can drop in or you can call them at (626) 791-7591 and make a reservation.

Pinocchio’s is at:
1449 N Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91104

map

Facebook event page — invite your friends!

This Saturday, August 8, the Conspirators and I will be at
Pinocchio’s in Pasadena for a great evening of jazz standards, swing, and blues!

It’s a Saturday deal that can’t be beat: wonderful music, no cover charge, tasty Italian food, and all ages are welcome.  Come for dinner or hang out at the bar — we just want to see you there!  You can drop in or you can call them at (626) 791-7591 and make a reservation.

Pinocchio’s is at:
1449 N Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91104

map

My partners in crime? The Conspirators are Jim Van Deventer on tenor
sax, Laurence Yeung on guitar, Jimi Hawes on bass, and Mike
Ferrara on drums.

I sure hope to see you there!

It was wonderful to have so many friends and fans come out to the PJI last week for our “3rd of July Jazz Party!”  Jon Prentice got this great shot of Bill Watrous playing with us….

Bill Watrous with KJ Williams and the Conspirators (Jon Prentice)

The Conspirators and I are making our Pasadena Jazz Institute debut
THIS FRIDAY and we’ll feature a very special guest, Bill Watrous, on
trombone!  A strong showing from our local fans would sure make for a
great night and help us get invited back, so we’d especially love to
see you at this show!

The lineup for the night is phenomenal — in addition to us, you’ll see Steve Snyder, Kristin Korb, the San Gabriel 7, Nick Mancini, featuring Eric Marienthal, Bill Watrous, Katie Campbell, Dale Boatman, and Jennifer Hart! The PJI has a full menu and a full bar, so you can make a whole evening of it (but don’t forget your ID, or you’ll be stuck with a Shirley Temple) — the music won’t stop until well after midnight.

Who: KJ and the Conspirators (and 4 other GREAT bands!)
What: 3rd of July Jazz Party
When: 6-7PM Friday, July 3 (the other bands will continue on past midnight)
Where: Pasadena Jazz Institute
260 E. Colorado Blvd., Ste. 206, Pasadena, CA
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Ticket details:

There is a 2 item (food or drink) minimum.

Advance tickets: If you’re not on my email list and didn’t get the announcement, drop me a line at kj@kjerstin.com and I’ll forward you information about discounted advance tickets.

Reserved tickets: Tickets are $20 at the door.  You can make a reservation through me anytime before noon on Friday — this will make sure your name is on the list and that there’s a seat for you!   Just drop me an email at kj@kjerstin.com and let me know how big your party will be. (You can also take your chances and buy a ticket when you get there.)  Either way, please tell the person working will call/admission that you’re there to see KJ Williams and the Conspirators — they’re keeping track of who fills the seats, and we
really want to do this again!

I can’t wait to see you there!