.Wallace Baine & Mike Huguenor

Rhiannon Giddens casts quite a shadow in the realm of bluegrass and Southern folk these days. The singer-songwriter is a banjo and fiddle virtuoso, who first garnered critical praise for her work in the North Carolina-based combo the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Recently named the Frank Sinatra Chair in the Performing Arts at Santa Clara University, her insights were featured on the luminous Ken Burns special, Country Music. Giddens comes to Stanford to share her explorations in a new collaboration with Italian-born jazz pianist and percussionist Francesco Turrisi.

Before he started the Trims, singer Gabe Maciel was singing in a bolero group. Though they share little in common with Cuban ballad form, there is an earnest precision to Maciel's vocals that fans of bolero might recognize. Add that to a little Bloc Party, and just a touch of Joy Division, and you got the Trims. Last January, they released Julian Street, a strong case for them as one of the best young Chicanx bands in San Jose. As a special treat for their headlining show at the Ritz, legendary Bay DJ Chuy Gomez will be spinning through the night.