SATURDAY: Seeing ‘Double’Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan,...

SATURDAY: Seeing ‘Double’

Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan, peerless purveyors of blues and humor, will offer their fans a chance to yuk it up at a CD release party at Ventura’s Ash Street Cafe.

The Santa Barbara duo’s latest is “Double Vision,” a collection of 14 tunes, most of them originals. “Perfect Woman” is one of the highlights of the new disc: Not only does she own a chain of liquor stores, she even lets him hold the remote. This song is getting air time on radio’s nationally syndicated “Dr. Demento Show.” Ball sings and plays harmonica and Sultan plays guitar. They’ve been at it for 15 years and have no days jobs, so something is going right.

The venue is at the corner of Ash and Main streets in Ventura. The 7 p.m. show will set you back $5. Call 643-7817.

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Made in Brazil

To experience another musical world entirely, proceed to the Oxnard Performing Arts Center when the Ballet Folclorico Do Brasil brings to the stage a variety of types of Afro-Brazilian music and dance.

The troupe--which celebrates traditional Brazilian dances, rituals, music and costumes--relocated from Brazil to Southern California, which has become something of a haven for Brazilian people and culture.

The performance, a benefit for performing arts programs at area schools, will be held at 8 p.m. The venue is at 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard. Tickets are $10, or $35 for a family of up to five. For more information, call 486-2424.

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SUNDAY: Conejo Valley Art Tour

A quartet of Conejo Valley groups are inviting art enthusiasts to take part in the Open Studio Tour--a chance to catch artists in their private, creative element.

All types of media will be represented on the tour, which includes 28 artists from Agoura to Camarillo. In addition to observing the artists at work, tour goers can view works both complete and in progress that can only be seen during the studio visit. Participating artists include Judy Koenig, Joseph Montague, Eric Slayton, Connie Tunick, Sheila Fein, Pamela Solakian and Dakotah F-B.

The tour is sponsored by the Thousand Oaks Arts Commission, the Arts Council of Conejo Valley, the Thousand Oaks Arts Assn. and Westlake Village Art Guild. The tour will begin at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, 2331-A Borchard Road, Newbury Park. Detailed maps for the self-guided tour will be available at 9:30 a.m. and the tour will continue to 4 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Call 495-5960.

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UP THE COAST

The Santa Barbara Design Showcase House & Gardens Tour will include a series of Sunday concerts that kick off this weekend. The fund-raiser this year will provide an opportunity to tour the historic Billings property in Montecito, built in 1925. The Sunday events begin at 10 a.m. and include concert, continental brunch and house tour for $25. This week, the Dusty Chaps perform bluegrass, swing, reggae and gospel music.

Proceeds benefit the Child Abuse Listening & Mediation program. Tickets for the house tour only are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. For ticket purchase and shuttle service information, call (800) 793-7666. There is no parking at the design house.

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GLANCE AHEAD

Live blues comes to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on Nov. 10 when the Phillip Walker Big Band visits the Forum Theatre stage, beginning at 3 p.m. Walker has been touted as “one of the 10 most important blues guitarists living today” by Guitar Player Magazine. The bill also includes vocalist Barbara Morrison and boogie-woogie piano specialist Rob Rio. Tickets are $20. Call 449-ARTS.