Robin Henkel Band with Horns

Robin Henkel is playing Tio Leo's on Thursday, October 15, and it's a big one: he's celebrating his 75th birthday. He'll be fronting the Robin Henkel Band with Horns, so the night is built around a full horn section rather than a stripped-down set.

If you're not familiar with his work, Henkel is a five-time recipient of 'Best Blues' at the San Diego Music Awards. The Band with Horns plays a blend of original music, vintage swing, blues, jazz and funk—the kind of set that pulls from a few different traditions at once. It's a sound that sits right in the middle of those styles, and the horns are a central part of it.

That's a band that's shared stages with some heavy names over the years. They've opened for Dizzy Gillespie, BB King, Bonnie Raitt, and Dr. John, among others. The range of those names—from the jazz of Gillespie to the blues of BB King and the New Orleans funk of Dr. John—gives you a good sense of the ground they cover. The set will lean into that same mix of swing, blues, jazz and funk, with Henkel's original music in the mix.

The show is at Tio Leo's Mexican Restaurant, 5302 Napa St, in San Diego. It starts at 7 PM, and there's a $12 cover at the door.