The Basin Street Regulars Hot Jazz Society is thrilled to announce the 3rd Jazz Jubilee Central Coast 2026, a vibrant celebration of jazz music stretching from San Luis Obispo County to Santa Barbara County. This multi-venue, area-wide “à la carte” festival runs from October 18th to October 27th, 2026, featuring a mix of free and paid live music events across California’s Central Coast. Once again, the festival will be “orchestrated” by the Basin Street Regulars Hot Jazz Club.
We have booked an exciting lineup for the premier weekend of Jazz Jubilee Central Coast. Jazz Jubilee Central Coast extends from October 17th- 26th, but there are a few shows occurring October during this event which are being presented exclusively by the Basin Street Regulars and the SLO Jazz Federation.
On Sunday, October 18th at 4:00 pm, the First Presbyterian Church presents the Jazz Vespers Concert Series in San Luis Obispo. This month’s show features local favorite The Jazz Alley Review. There is no cover charge, but donations are encouraged to pay the band. The church is located at 981 Marsh Street (at Morro Street).
Friday, Oct 23rd: Cal Poly Fall Jazz Concert: The Art of Jazz – 7:30 pm Featuring selections exploring the diverse styles that have influenced 20th and 21st-century jazz performance. The concert will include performances by the University Jazz Band, Jazz Lab Band, and jazz combos. At the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center, SLO; Tickets are $17 and $22 general, $12 students and Jazz Federation members; details here: music.calpoly.edu/calendar/jazz.
Saturday, October 24th: Central Coast Schools Big Band Sound Off at the Cuesta Performing Arts Center. Cuesta and Cal Poly jazz bands are confirmed with more to follow. Details TBD. Tickets will be available soon through the CPAC Box Office.
Saturday, October 24th: Blue Street with Carl Sonny Leyland at The Siren in Morro Bay. This is a free show! 900 Main St., Morro Bay, 2:00 to 5:00 pm.
Saturday, October 24th: The SLO County Jazz Federation presents a great jazz concert with guitarist Bruce Forman who meets the Central Coast Jazz All-Stars at 7:30 pm at Mt Carmel Lutheran Church. The All-Stars include Inga Swearingen, Dave Becker, Marshall Otwell, Ken Hustad, and Darrell Voss. Tix are $35 and $25 on My805Tix.
All three of the Saturday shows are geographically close together and it is possible to view all of them that day.
Sunday, October 25th: BSR presents both Blue Street with special guest Carl Sonny Leyland as well as the High Sierra Reunion Jazz Band at the Pismo Beach Veterans Auditorium 11:00 to 4:30 pm. The prices for this show are $20 for silver members, $30 regular members and $40 for non-members. Tickets available soon on www.my805tix.com.
Blue Street
2026 marks the 43rd anniversary of the Blue Street Jazz Band, a true force of integrity, stability, and professionalism on the Dixieland Jazz Circuit. The Blue Street Jazz Band was established in 1983 by trumpet player Forrest Helmick and is currently under the leadership of trombonist Dave Ruffner. The band features the singing of Sherri Colby. Forrest passed away in December 2024.
Blue Street has been one of the most innovative groups in traditional jazz. Original songs and creatively conceived arrangements have been the hallmark of the band along with the musical expertise displayed by each individual member on their respective instrument. Traditional jazz is the cornerstone on which the band was built, but with their eclectic musical taste and versatile musicianship, the band is adept at playing Swing, Mardi Gras, Folk Songs, Marches, Waltzes, Latin Music, and Hymns. The band is capable of playing entire sets devoted to the music of Kid Ory, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, the History of Jazz, and Louis Armstrong. Audiences particularly enjoy the band’s Sunday morning gospel programs.
The band has a mixture of full-time professional musicians along with some very accomplished part-time players. The front-line features Dave Ruffner on trombone and Justin Au on trumpet. You can find Dave playing trombone on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Justin grew up with the genre, is a music educator in the Sacramento area and plays regularly with all the hot bands. He is one of the Au Brothers, all of whom play music on the trad jazz circuit. The rhythm section consists of drummer Rick Canfield, bassist Sam Rocha and Matt Bottel on guitar and banjo. Rick is a retired music teacher. He builds fine stringed instruments. Sam is a full-time musician in the Bay Area and performs nationwide with the Hot Club of San Francisco and other groups. Matt spent time in New Orleans playing banjo and designs major computer programs for major corporations and state governments. Special guest Carl Sonny Leyland will be sitting in on piano for the October shows. He is a pianist and vocalist of international renown. (More about Sonny below in this issue) The band’s vocalist, Dr. Sherri Colby-Bottel, is the Program Director and co-faculty, International Honors Program/A Program of SIT Study Abroad.
Since the early 1990s, the band has played every major jazz festival in the United States and has performed in Canada, Mexico, and Europe as well. The band has recorded twenty-five albums and seven videos.
Carl Sonny Leyland: Piano and Vocals
Originally from the South Coast of England, Sonny was drawn as a youngster to sounds of American music, including Traditional Jazz and Swing, Rock & Roll of the 1950s & early Country and Western. At age 15 he discovered boogie woogie. He went on to fully explore the piano blues genre, becoming an authority on early & obscure styles contained therein. Moving to New Orleans in 1988, Sonny immersed himself in Ragtime, early jazz, and Swing. Relocating to Southern California in 1997 he soon became a regular on the traditional jazz scene around Los Angeles. Leyland’s playing displays an infectious spontaneity, providing plenty of surprises for the listener. While he possesses the necessary vocabulary to pay tribute to the greats of old, he doesn’t limit himself to this & prefers to let each performance be an opportunity to say something new. His repertoire spans the Ragtime era through the 1950s, & includes a large number of self-written songs and instrumental compositions.
The High Sierra Jazz Band
High Sierra was a globally renowned traditional and Dixieland jazz ensemble based in Three Rivers, California. Active for 42 years from 1976 to 2019, the group produced 25 albums and toured worldwide before retiring at their home festival, Jazzaffair.
The High Sierra Reunion Jazz band will be led by Pieter Meijers, clarinet, soprano sax. He was the leader of the Isotope Stompers (1971-81), was a member of the Nightblooming Jazzmen (1983-96) and led the High Sierra Jazz Band (1999-2021) and the High Sierra Seven (2021-2023). He is now retired and lives in San Diego.
High Sierra Reunion Jazz Band Line-up:
Bruce Huddleston piano
Marc Caparone: trumpet
Howard Miyata: trombone
Pieter Meijers: clarinet
Katie Cavera: bass, banjo
Paul Hagglund: tuba
Riley Baker: drums
Tuesday, October 27th: Jazz Fed Jam Session at The Mark Bar & Grill, 673 Higuera St. in downtown SLO.7:00 to 9:00 pm, no cover charge.
The Oxford Suites in Arroyo Grande is offering BSR special rates throughout the year. For information about accessing this special rate, please e-mail Brianna Alvarado at briannaa@oxfordsuites.com.
In addition to our keynote shows over that weekend, there will be many other shows throughout the area at smaller venues and wineries, many of which are free. All of these shows are listed on our festival website: jazzjubileecentralcoast.com, or contact Rhonda Cardinal at rhondacardinal51@gmail.com or text (806) 907 2097. Curtis Reinhardt is the alternate contact, (805) 773 4173, curtis@curtisreinhardt.com.
We are very excited to have our premier weekend lined up and will continue to secure quality acts along the Central Coast throughout the 10 days of the festival. Stay tuned for additional events as we announce them.
Please visit jazzjubileecentralcoast.com for all of the latest updates.
Rhonda Cardinal is Festival Director of Jubilee by the Sea, an annual event hosted by the Basin Street Regulars in Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande, California. Visit the festival/club website at www.pismojazz.com.
