This edition of Pano was originally emailed to subscribers on February 9, 2022. To receive Charles Donelan’s arts newsletter in your inbox each Wednesday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.
The first week in February of 2022 should go down in Santa Barbara's music history for several reasons. Thursday, February 3, marked the return of Joshua Bell to The Granada Theatre for an electrifying recital presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures . The next night, Friday, February 4, A&L brought down the same house with the first live performance by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) here since September 2018. One would almost think that things were back to normal, and in many ways, they were. Bell and Dugan were outstanding, as usual, and Marsalis and company were as brilliant as ever — which is very, very brilliant.
A big part of the thrill of hearing these musicians live was the sense of collective purpose generated by an enthusiastic audience. Sharing music has never seemed so precious, and the gratitude that filled the theater was palpable both nights.