Lou Lou's's Upcoming Shows

COMPLIMENTARY ENTRY | NO RESERVATION REQUIRED | SEATING ON A FIRST-ARRIVAL BASIS | NO DINNER SERVICE | 21+

ElectricLouieLand Presents: Sunday Sermons // 1st Sunday of the month jazz night led by Louie V. featuring San Diego and LA’s best players.

August 2nd featuring JOSHUA WHITE on piano & CHRISTIAN EUMAN on drums

10/4 - MATT SMITH

Matthew Elton Smith is a dynamic drummer and educator hailing from Southern California, known for his versatility and passion for all things percussion. Matthew’s first taste of the stage was when he was 10 years old, where he performed with his fathers surf band “The Jackstraws” at the San Diego County Fair, often wowing crowds with the infamous “Wipe Out” drum solo. These performances acted as a catalyst for Matthews musical development.

Driven by his love for original music, Matthew founded projects like themattsmithneujazztrio and JUICEBOX, each boasting multiple albums under their belts. His dedication to his craft led him to pursue a Bachelors of Music degree from Cal State Fullerton in 2012 and a Masters of Music in jazz drum set from the esteemed California Institute of the Arts in 2019. Notably, during this time he recorded his original compositions at Capitol Records which appear on the 29th and 30th Annual CalArts Jazz CDs.

Expanding his horizons, Matthew is serving as a jazz drum set instructor at Saddleback College since 2022. Alongside his teaching commitments, he shares his musical insights as a teaching artist with Citizen Americorps and CalArts Community Arts Partnership, respectively, where he guides young minds in music fundamentals and appreciation.

Matthew's influence extends beyond the classroom, as he conducts clinics at renowned institutions like Cal State Fullerton, Sonoma State University, and Sacramento State University. Drawing inspiration from mentors like Joe La Barbera, Swapan Chaudhuri, and Randy Gloss, Matthew refined his musical expression, enriching his compositions and distinctive sound.

Matthew continues to impart his expertise, nurturing the next wave of drumming talent. His dedication to the craft earned him recognition, including a feature in "Ripley's Believe It Or Not: A Century of Strange" for participating in 70 performances in 24 hours.

*GENERAL ADMISSION | 21+ | ALL SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVED | NO DINNER SERVICE | 7pm DOORS*

3x GRAMMY® Award-winner Fantastic Negrito releases his highly anticipated new album, Son of a Broken Man, on October 18 2024 via his own Storefront Records. The new album sees Fantastic Negrito encapsulating his inimitable style, from hard-hitting guitar riffs to expressive ballads, with the unexpected twists that have become his trademark. It stands as one of his most personal works to date, exploring family, deception, and the human desire to hide the true self as he dives deep into the struggle between father and son.

Born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, Fantastic Negrito's story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of music. By now much has been made of Negrito’s unique story – growing up in an orthodox Muslim household, a doomed major label deal, the near-fatal car crash that permanently damaged his guitar playing hand—as well as the remarkable redemption arc that began in 2015, when he won the first-ever NPR Tiny Desk Contest.

He has since earned three GRAMMY® Awards for “Best Contemporary Blues Album," and shared stages with everyone from Sturgill Simpson to Chris Cornell to Bruce Springsteen. He's collaborated in the studio with the likes of Sting, E-40, and Tank and The Bangas, performed on countless headline world tours and at festivals such as Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Newport Folk, and WOMAD, and founded the Revolution Plantation, an urban farm aimed at youth education and empowerment.

COMPLIMENTARY ENTRY | NO RESERVATION REQUIRED | SEATING ON A FIRST-ARRIVAL BASIS | NO DINNER SERVICE | 21+

The Antar Martin Aggregation: IG: @spinit_antar

Antar Martin is a bassist, composer and DJ in the San Diego area, that is well versed in many styles of music. His influences are taken from jazz, classical, hip-hop, indie, and other lesser traveled areas of music, all of which lend themselves to a uniquely curated musical experience enjoyed by many.

Antar has been playing bass since junior high school, his professional career took off during his time as a US Navy musician, and has led to performing with Charles McPherson, Kamau Kenyatta, Mikan Zlatkovich, Gilbert Castellanos, John Cain and Joe Morillo in addition to many other musicians in San Diego. He was also in the bass section of the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra for three seasons.

TWO SHOWINGS | 7PM & 10PM | NO DINNER SERVICE | 21+

Vocals: Allison Adams Tucker, Whitney Shay, Amanda Portela

Keys: Melonie Grinnell

Bass: Evona Wascinski

Drums: Joannah Sy

Percussion: Monette Marino

Trumpet: Elizabeth Howard

Sax/Flute/Clarinet: April Leslie

Lou Lou’s presents Women in Jazz: a killer 9-piece band of ladies coming together from all sides of the jazz family, including blues, soul, Latin, swing, new-jazz, and world music from the four corners of the globe. Co-led by Allison Adams Tucker and Whitney Shay.

4-star DownBeat Magazine-recognized multi-lingual vocalist, bandleader, and composer Allison Adams Tucker brings a globally minded, genre-bending energy to modern jazz—praised by LondonJazz News for her “marvellous articulation, great tonal accuracy, and dynamic drive” and by The Examiner as “lustrous in any language,” a singer who “clarifies every note within a hair’s breath.” A Southern California native raised on the Mexico border, she grew up immersed in diverse sounds—from a cappella and folk to punk and commercial work—before falling hard for jazz in 2005 and running with its freedom ever since. Her catalog spans four acclaimed albums and three EPs, including Come With Me (San Diego Music Awards Best Jazz Album nominee), April in Paris (recorded in Paris during 1st International Jazz Day), Wanderlust (cut in NYC with GRAMMY-winning producer Matt Pierson), and the ambitious RETRO Trilogy project (also recorded in NYC. A 5-time San Diego Music Awards nominee, Allison’s voice has landed everywhere from national ads to the “Saboteur” game soundtrack alongside icons like Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, while her performances have lit up legendary stages from Blue Note New York to Ronnie Scott’s London. Offstage, she’s just as impactful—producing global jazz events for two decades and keeping the music alive through her “GARDENSTREAM Live” series during COVID lockdown, proving that for her, jazz isn’t just a style—it’s a borderless, ever-evolving conversation.

With sparkly dresses, fiery tresses, and a talent rivaled only by her unstoppable hustle, Whitney Shay is one #busylittlesinger. The five-time San Diego Music Award winner, and Blues Music Award nominee is scorching stages at home and internationally throughout Europe and South America. Shay’s latest release on Ruf Records Stand Up! debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Album Charts, reached #1 on the Roots Music Report Blues Album Charts, and won the 2021 San Diego Music Award for Best Blues Album. Shay has received high praise from music critics calling the singer “a future blues icon” (Blues Matters!), “one of the next best things in soul music” (Blues and Rhythm Magazine), and “the epitome of a rising star” (Elmore Magazine). Shay’s tracks have also been placed in TV/film, including shows on NBC, Fox, HBO, Bravo, BET, Hulu, and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral. Whether in studio, on screen, or stage, Whitney Shay's electric energy, soulful style, and powerhouse pipes keep listeners connected and coming back for more.

Vocalist Amanda Portela brings a sultry, sophisticated presence to the stage. Her eclectic journey spans from leading Big Bands and Jazz Jams to exploring the soulful rhythms of Boleros and World Music. By weaving her deep Jazz roots into a refined, dynamic performance, Amanda delivers a sound that is both timeless and unforgettable.