With a nearly five-year run with both of her two trios – Jazzbos 3 Sunday brunch at The Cypress Inn in Carmel and regular Wednesdays at Cibo in downtown Monterey as Andrea’s Fault – Andrea Carter is a local music mainstay.
She is versatile. Call her a drummer, guitarist, vocalist or bandleader. And she’s experimenting with possibly becoming more.
Walking down Lighthouse Avenue near her home in Pacific Grove recently, she stumbled across Liz and Kevin Jacobs looking at a restaurant for lease. The threesome struck up at conversation.
“I instantly liked them and I blurted out, ‘Hey, I’m in a band if you ever wanna do music,’” Carter recalls. “Turns out that they were jazz lovers, and before you knew it I did a Monday night audition solo and the current series was born.”
Dubbed Andrea Carter and Friends, the duo-only, Fridays-only project launched Dec. 14 with Carter and her longtime guitarist Darrin Mitchell, who is one-third of Jazzbos 3. It resumes for a second installation of the series this week with Carter and ace local saxman, flutist, street percussionist (and the other third of Jazzbos 3) Ben Herod in tow, with a different partner playing with Carter every Friday through the end of the year. Bassist Rick Chelew will duet with her on Dec. 28, and the series may spill over into January of next year.
“Ben’s playing is the very definition of mellifluous – smooth and sweet,” Carter says. “He elevates me to become a more jazzy player myself. It’s just joyful playing with him.”
Meanwhile the Jacobs have settled in, and sustainable seafood destination Wild Fish – along with much of Pacific Grove’s main drag – is bustling on weekend nights.
“Music-wise we’re just testing the waters to see what works,” Carter says. “I’m excited to help launch their new music offerings and together create a memorable fine dining experience for their clientele.
“It’s an after-hours, jazz speakeasy kind of vibe. Really cool.”
ANDREA CARTER AND FRIENDS 6pm Friday, Dec. 21. Wild Fish, 545 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. 373-8523, wild-fish.com
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