James Lee Stanley, with John Katchur
Talent, tenacity and rave reviews are, sadly, no guarantee of success in music or any other artistic field, for that matter. But some of the most rewarding musicians are all the more impressive for remaining dedicated to their craft despite never breaking through to a broad audience.
Singer-songwriter James Lee Stanley — who performs a San Diego Folk Heritage concert Saturday in Carlsbad — is a prime example.
A former U.S. Air Force Chinese-language specialist, he is the only troubadour I can cite who has opened concerts for B.B. King, Linda Ronstadt, Les Paul, Robin Trower, Robin Williams, Dionne Warwick, Crystal Gayle, Return To Forever, Charlie Daniels, Robert Palmer and San Diego’s Stephen Bishop, among many others.
“He’s really, really good, really funny, and has been for many years,” says Bishop in the award-winning film documentary “The Opening Act: The Extraordinary Journey of James Lee Stanley.”
Tom Robbins, the recently deceased author of “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues,” hailed him as “probably the last great undiscovered singer-songwriter in America.”
At 78, Stanley has outlived some of the venues and radio stations that once featured him, including SDSU’s Montezuma Hall, Old Town’s Grass Roots Oasis and KIFM.
He has made 37 solo albums, most recently last year’s 17-song “The Day Today.” Stanley’s 1988 song, “The Dancer,” remains one of the most subtle and poignant pro-choice songs in memory.
Some of his many other credits include touring and recording with former Monkees mainstay Peter Tork; writing the 1983 dance-music hit “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” for his sister, singer Pamela Stanley; composing the music for the 1983 Emmy Award-winning animated CBS TV special, “Cathy”; and producing albums by Tork, Moody Blues’ alum Mike Pinder, Nicolette Larson and others.
Stanley also had a six-season run as a background actor on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager,” appearing as a singing Klingon, a Bajoran security deputy, and various other aliens.
“I never gave up the dream. Never stopped. I’m not a world-famous, rich guy, but I play for a living,” Stanley told a Sacramento Bee interviewer in 2006.
“People ask what would I have done if I weren’t a successful musician, and I say: ‘I’d be an unsuccessful musician.’ “
By any definition, James Lee Stanley is a dedicated artist whose talent is matched by his ability to hold and please concertgoers.
I first saw him in the mid-1980s in Pacific Beach on a double-bill with Don Dunn, the terrific San Diego-bred troubadour whose songs have been recorded by Joe Cocker, Diana Ross, Jose Feliciano, The Righteous Brothers, Mongo Santamaria, Hoyt Axton and Cher, among others.
In a more enlightened world, Stanley and Dunn would both be held in much higher esteem by a much broader audience. Either way, they and their music are well worth celebrating.
7:30 p.m. Saturday. Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 2020 Chestnut Ave., Carlsbad. $17-$20. sdfolkheritage.org
Joy Oladokun, with Luke Tyler Shelton
It’s too soon to tell if Joy Oladokun will become her generation’s successor to Tracy Chapman, who this 32-year-old Arizona troubadour cites as a key early inspiration. But Oladokun’s songs — which draw from folk, country, rock and more — are sufficiently well-crafted and stirring to suggest a sound future.
The Black queer daughter of Nigerian immigrants, she is rooted in gospel music but also has radio- and TikTok-friendly pop sensibilities. Her 2023 album, “Proof of Life,” finds her holding her own alongside such high-profile guest artists as Chris Stapleton and Noah Kahan.
Oladokun also has a sly sense of humor, as demonstrated with the opening line of “The Hard Way,” on which she declares: “Jesus raised me / Good weed saved me.”
Some of her songs address life in a world of increasing polarization and chaos. But Oladokun’s generally optimistic, “we will get by” outlook enables her to make inviting music even when addressing more daunting issues. A Chappell Roan-like breakthrough has eluded her thus far, but with more time for her music to evolve and her reputation to grow, Oladokun should be able to attract more listeners.
8 p.m. Sunday.: North Park Observatory, 2891 University Ave., North Park. $39.75. livenation.com
Intervals, with David Maxim Micic, Vola
It is unclear how many many all-instrumental Canadian progressive-metal bands are currently performing, let alone any whose careers stretch to two decades and are led by a guitarist who sounds equally inspired by Allan Holdsworth and Jeff Beck.
So take a bow, Intervals’ mastermind Aaron Marshall. His playing on six- and seven-string electric guitars is consistently tasteful and melodic, cleanly articulated and uncluttered even at its most accelerated moments.
His playing doesn’t match the innovative heights of Beck or former San Diego resident Holsworth — two of the all-time greats who are both sadly deceased — but, well, whose does? And if Marshall is developing a new audience for guitar-driven music that doesn’t pander to lo-cal musical tastes, so much the better,
7:30 p.m. Monday. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., downtown. $29/50 (general ission), $85 (reserved). houseofblues.com
