Gilbert Castellanos (trumpet) plays at Panama 66’s Wednesday night jam.
For years, San Diego’s favorite destination for jazz on a Wednesday night was the jam session curated by trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos at Panama 66. He would feature performances in the early evening by students from his Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, and at around 8 p.m. Castellanos would move inside to the auditorium of the San Diego Museum of Art, where his pro-level jam would feature local heavyweights and a packed audience that frequently numbered in the hundreds. It was an ideal situation for the musicians, the fan-base and Panama 66 co-owners, husband-wife team Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman.