SATURDAY: A Real ‘Find’One of the greatest...

SATURDAY: A Real ‘Find’

One of the greatest blues men you’ve never heard of--Doug MacLeod--will be showing off his vast repertoire during a performance, from 8 p.m. to midnight, at Cafe Voltaire in Ventura.

MacLeod has over 250 originals, many of them recorded by such stalwart players as Albert King, Joe Louis Walker and Dave Alvin. His latest release is an acoustic blues album titled “Come to Find,” which undoubtedly will be on sale at the gig.

The venue, in addition to having the requisite caffeine-laden rocket fuel disguised as coffee, also sells a zillion kinds of beer, plus they offer food as well. A fiver should cover an evening with MacLeod; and if you want to stay up really late, Jimmy Adams will play some acoustic bluegrass, country and folk music beginning at midnight. The venue is at 34 N. Palm St. Call them at 641-1743.

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Jazz Sessions

Jazz lovers in Ventura know where to go for the goods, to 66 California, where bassist and house bandleader Henry Franklin continues to guide the jazz policy.

The new year starts off nicely with the guest appearance Saturday of tenor saxophonist Michael Sessions, as well as pianist Dwight Dickerson. Sessions is a strong Los Angeles-based player who can go for broke in the Coltrane-ish direction, or coax a subtler melodic voice on demand. Check him out at 66 California St. in Ventura. The first set will begin at 8:30 p.m. and the music will continue till about 1 in the morning. For information about this free performance, call 648-2266.

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Another Raging Band

Raging Arb & the Redheads, the local party band, are in no danger of overwork, what with their less-than-relentless one-gig-a-month schedule, which brings us to Signicci, a spinoff band of Arb, featuring the ambitious two-thirds of the Redheads plus some significant others. Signicci will play at the Bombay Bar & Grill in Ventura.

“It’s an acoustic cocktail,” said guitarist Toby Emery. It’s also a lot of Rolling Stones songs plus Arb originals, all about six minutes long, and just right for dancing at the place that appreciates stuff like that.

Signicci begins around 10 p.m. and six bucks will get you through the door. The venue is at 143 California St. Call them at 643-4404.

UP THE COAST

The second annual Midwinter Music Festival--a monthlong celebration of the classical kind--will get underway this weekend with two performances by the Santa Barbara Symphony at the Arlington Theatre. The concerts, there are more than 10, will be held at various venues throughout the Santa Barbara area and include performances by the Anacapa String Quartet (Wednesday), London Chamber Orchestra (Jan. 22), Budapest Festival Orchestra (Jan. 25) and the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra (Jan. 28). For a complete concert schedule and ticket prices, call (800) 557-2224 or (800) 927-4688.

GLANCE AHEAD

Barry Van Dyke and Anne Lockhart will star in a benefit performance of A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters,” staged at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Forum Theatre. Proceeds from the production will benefit St. Jude the Apostle School in Westlake Village. Show times: 8 p.m. Jan 18 and 7 p.m. Jan. 19. Tickets: $45, $65 (includes prime seating and a wine reception with the cast following the performance). The venue is at 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Reservations are required for all tickets, which can be purchased at the box office or by calling 449-2787.