Gualala Arts Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961
“The tunes all swing, have a vintage vibe & are extremely well-recorded… Everything is here, from Benny Goodman to waltzes, old Top 40 dance tunes, 60s rock group melodies & classic easy-listening vocalist arrangements… The music is contemporary Americana in the basest form…wildly inventive, clever & humorous.” – John Apice
The Whale & Jazz Series will welcome the spirited sounds of Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 2 p.m. at the Gualala Arts Center. Presented by Gualala Arts and Fred Adler, the concert promises a nostalgic yet adventurous blend of music inspired by classic American cartoons.
Tickets are $28 in advance, +$5 day of, available at the Dolphin Gallery, Gualala Arts Center, or online at GualalaArts.org. For those wishing to support the arts $100 sponsor tickets are available, which include select seating, can be found online.
New York native and ensemble founder Jeff Sanford leads the group while performing on saxophones and flutes. Since relocating to San Francisco in 1976, Sanford has played with the San Francisco and Napa Valley symphonies, jazz legends including Clark Terry and Regina Carter, and toured internationally. He also teaches big band music in Palo Alto and San Carlos.
The ensemble’s creation was sparked when Sanford inherited 16 cabinets of sheet music from a fellow musician, including works by Raymond Scott — a pioneering 20th-century composer whose zany, kinetic pieces became synonymous with Looney Tunes soundtracks. Scott’s boundary-pushing compositions remain a cornerstone of the orchestra’s repertoire.
The concert is a celebration of both musical innovation and the cultural impact of cartoons, offering an experience that is at once entertaining and deeply rooted in Americana.