One of the many blessings of Central Coast living has been the vibrant live music scene. While I’m personally partial to classical music, that preference didn’t stop me from showing up wherever any kind of live music was playing. I especially remember (it seems so, so long ago) live music at our local wineries. How wonderful it was to kick back with a glass of wine while watching and listening to the performances of great local groups.

Like so much these past sixteen months, the pandemic forced live music into a state of hibernation–how I’ve missed it. And so, it’s been especially joyful to see our local musicians beginning to return to the stage.

To celebrate both the reawakening of our live music scene and our 130th anniversary, Point San Luis is holding a very special concert from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Jun. 26. A hundred dollars will secure your seat at one of only ten outdoor tables at the Point San Luis Lighthouse on a bluff overlooking San Luis Bay. The ticket price includes round-trip transportation from Avila Beach, breathtaking views, Sinor-LaVallee wine bottled exclusively for the lighthouse, a commemorative wine glass, charcuterie appetizers, and a gourmet boxed lunch. You can also tour the Lighthouse, Keeper’s Dwelling, and Fog Signal Building, where our Fresnel lens is on display.

Best of all, The Jill Knight Trio will take the stage. It promises to be an unforgettable afternoon.

Eric Williams, top left, plays bass and guitar while Brynn Albanese, middle left, plays violin. Bottom left, Scenic sunset view from Point San Luis looking out at San Luis Bay. Right, Jill Knight, of the Jill Knight Trio, plays guitar while her unmistakable, soulful vocals make entrance the audience. Contributed photos

Vocalist and guitarist Jill Knight has an unmistakable soulful sound. Hailing from Savannah, Georgia, her music delivers a southern texture blending Americana, Blues, and R&B. She’s toured and shared the stage with other artists like India Arie, Shawn Colvin, The Doobie Brothers, Chris Isaak, David Lindley, Los Lobos, Peter Rowan, and Phoebe Snow. Her accolades include an LA music award “best female vocalist” nomination, finalist at the Telluride Troubadour Competition, and finalist at the National Academy of Songwriters’ “songwriter of the year” competition.

Accompanying Jill on violin will be Brynn Albanese. Violin has been part of Brynn’s life since she was four years old. Her entire family is made up of professional musicians, including the legendary operatic soprano Licia Albanese. After graduating from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Brynn was Concertmaster of the Tanglewood Orchestra under Simon Rattle and Seiji Ozawa, member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, and an original member and principal second violin of the Metamorphosen chamber orchestra under the baton of Scott Yoo, now Music Director of the Central Coast’s Festival Mozaic. Brynn also performed in the Netherlands, where she played with the Residentie Orkest of The Hague under the baton of Jaap Van Zweeden, now Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. Avilones will remember Brynn from the world music ensemble Café Musique. She performed with the group throughout California and Europe from 2008 until the group disbanded in 2020.

Eric Williams will round out the trio, playing bass and guitar. Eric is a multi-instrumentalist, having mastered the guitar, bass, banjo, ukulele, and bouzouki, and has been a recording artist and album producer on more than one hundred albums. Eric has performed and toured with Tori Amos, Taj Mahal, Tracy Ullman, and Russian Balalaika Orchestras and has recorded with Grammy Award-winning Rita Coolidge. Like Brynn, he’s a Café Musique alum.

Tickets are on sale at My805Tix. For more information, email sanluislighthouse@gmail.com or call (805)540-5771. This fundraiser will directly benefit the ongoing restoration, preservation, maintenance, and operation of the Point San Luis Lighthouse.