Sugaray Rayford and his band, with Michele Lundeen & Blues Streak
Vocal dynamo Sugaray Rayford is very likely the only former San Diego nightclub bouncer to win national honors at the annual Blues Foundation Music Awards in Memphis, where he this year took home the trophy for Soul Blues Album of the Year.
Of course, he may well be the only former bouncer from anywhere to earn such an accolade. But this Texas native and former U.S. Marine would command attention purely for his abilities as a robust singer and increasingly accomplished songwriter.
His Blues Foundation Award in March came for “In Too Deep,” the sixth solo album of his career. He sings with equal conviction whether performing blues, soul, R&B, gospel or — when the mood hits him — country.
The brassy, eight-piece band Rayford leads plays with punch and precision. His command of the stage — he stands 6-foot-5 inches tall — has become increasingly assured since he released his debut album, “Blues Alley,” in 2010.
Now an Arizona resident, Rayford co-headlined least year’s Gator by the Bay festival here. But he’s performed more often in Europe in recent years — including in France, England, Belgium and Romania this spring and summer — than in San Diego.
That makes his Dec. 16 Gourmet Blues Concert Series gig at Humphreys Backstage Live doubly inviting. The monthly series kicked off last month with a rare area showing by Detroit vocal stalwart Thornetta Davis and her band. They drew a sell-out crowd. The series will continue with a Jan. 13 concert by Mississippi guitar ace Mr. Sipp cq (real name: Castro Coleman), who on Nov. 10 earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.
7 p.m. Dec. 16. Humphreys Backstage Live, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island, San Diego. $65. (619) 224-3577, halfmooninn.com
Matthew Whitaker and his band will play perform two shows Sunday at The JAI at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla.
(Taylor Brandt)
Matthew Whitaker Quartet
Born prematurely and blind since shortly after his birth, 22-year-old keyboard virtuoso Matthew Whitaker performs on piano, organ and synthesizer with impressive verve. Jazz, blues and gospel are his specialties, and he’s an accomplished soloist and ensemble player.
The New Jersey native was just 10 when he opened a New York concert for Stevie Wonder and 13 when he became the youngest artist to win a Hammond organ endorsement deal in the company’s now-88-year history.
Whitaker’s second album, 2021’s “Connections,” finds him holding his own with such high-profile guests as fellow keyboardist Jon Batiste and violinist Regina Carter. His touring band boasts a fleet-fingered guitarist in Marcos Robinson, who brings biting blues-rock fervor to some of his spiraling solos.
5 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The Jai at La Jolla Music Society’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla. $68-$83. (858) 4590-3728. theconrad.org
Singer Laura Jane Willcock of The Tighten Ups is shown at her studio in Oceanside.
The Tighten Ups, with Laura Chavez and Harpco
Since forming in 2007, The Tighten Ups have become one of San Diego’s most formidable rock and soul bands.
Led by big-voiced singer Laura Jane Wilcock, the two-woman, five-man group includes a three-piece brass section. Its ace guitarist is Joey Harris, whose tenure with the much-beloved Beat Farmers began in 1985 following the demise of his excellent band, The Speedsters.
The Tighten Ups’ Sunday afternoon show at the Casbah has an added bonus. The triple-bill includes San Diego blues guitar favorite Laura Chavez.
3 p.m. Sunday. The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. $12 (must be 21 or older to attend). casbahmusic.com