The common denominator between music and food is that both unite folks. That’s the take from Khris Dodge. The head of the Tucson Jazz Society has combined the talents of Endea Owens and Janos Wilder.
The former is a jazz virtuoso and the latter is Tucson's culinary icon. Owens and Wilder will share a stage Saturday at the Rialto Theatre. Owens will deliver her mellow and moving tunes while Wilder will serve his signature J-Dawgs to the band and the audience.
“It’s a win-win,” Dodge said. “Janos is the patriarch of our food community. He understands that food and music bring people together. It's going to be a fun event.”
Wilder is looking forward to it, too.
“It’s going to be a good time,” Wilder said. “I’ll be preparing the J-Dawgs toward the end of the performance. I’ll make them for Endea’s team, and I’ll make enough to sell some to the public with all proceeds going to a charitable donation that I’ve yet to name.”
The J-Dawgs, Wilder’s creative take on the Sonoran hot dog, are an all-beef dog with smoked poblano crema, cholla bud relish topped with pickled cactus, while served on a traditional Mexican bun.
“They’re big city, fat snappy hot dogs,” Wilder said. “They’re not these skinny little hot dogs.”
The event continues Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Utterback Middle School for an afternoon performance by Owens and food prepped by Wilder.
“The Tucson City of Gastronomy will be having our chef ambassadors out at the Utterback School making a really cool lunch for the kids,” Wilder said.
“We’ll be using produce from the school gardens.”
The school garden workshop director, Moses Thompson, is ecstatic about the event, which is set for the school and community.
“It’s a great community event at the crossroads of music and food,” Thompson said.
“The timing is great. We just built new gardens, and the kids planted and harvested produce. The target audience is the school and neighborhood. We want to make this amazing thing accessible for the kids and families who go to the school. Those folks probably won't be at the event (at the Rialto). I think in some ways what will be happening at the school will be more special. We're partnering with African American Student Services for a really powerful event in which the children will see people who look like themselves, who have become successful."
It's all happening due to Endea’s participation.
Endea comes from an impoverished background, and she’s interested in childhood nutrition,” Wilder said. “This is all under the auspices of the Tucson Jazz Society,” Wilder said.
Expect the Jazz Society to have similar events in 2025. “We want to think outside the box and go beyond the norm presenting,” Dodge said. “We’re going to be creative and find ways to collaborate with other partners.”
Endea Owens & The Cookout w/Janos Wilder
WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
WHERE: Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress, Tucson
PRICE: Tickets start at $35
INFO: rialtotheatre.com
