the word contemporary

When a group has been around as long as Washington D.C.-based all-female Sweet Honey In The Rock (45 years) and still is a major force, their UCLA’s Center For The Art of Performance at Royce Hall concert was a monumental event. The a cappella sextet consisting of Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Barbara Hunt and Rachelle Rice were supported by their regular bassist Romeir Mendez, along with special LA guests percussionist Munyungo Jackson and saxophonist Azar Lawrence. Opening the show was Mayou Angelou’s poem “When Great Trees Fall” with the singers dancing afterwards to Jackson’s stirring percussive backdrop. From there, the singers went into orbit with their theme song filled with beautiful singing, sweet harmonies and an intoxicating rhythm.

Fully utilizing the musicians, the vocal sextet got jazzy with vibrant singing, chanting and scatting for “Celebrate,” along with “The Living Waters” and “Let There Be Peace.” It featured Robinson leading the sextet for the first time in two years after recovering from surgery, and included sax accents and soloing. Bass accentuated Nina Simone’s “Come Ye,” with Thomas A. Dorsey’s gospel classic “I’m Coming Home One Sweet Day” and Marvin Gaye styled “Wholly Holy” featuring Maillard wailing away to further impress the audience. Interestingly, the singer’s son Jordan Maillard Ware played violin for the poetic song “Dream Variations.”

Additionally, bass supported riveting spoken word. Bass with percussion supported “Oh, Sankofa” (Ghanaian phrase for reach back) that resoundingly focused on domestic terrorism, particularly lynching and the destruction of black Tulsa, OK in 1921 that drew strong crowd reaction. The song was further bolstered by a prerecorded video from Bryan Fair, Chairman of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, AL who talked about the punitive state of America currently and extolled Sweet Honey in The Rock’s vigilant crusade for social justice and equality.

Without the players the ladies presented traditional gospel songs such as “We Have Come This Far by Faith,” “Hush Li’ Baby,” “Do What the Spirit Say Do,” cascading “Echo,” “I’m on My Way to Freedom Land” and “I’m Gon’ Stand!!!” From a contemporary standpoint “It Doesn’t Matter Where You’re Living” concentrated on the issue of violence and drive-by shootings.

The show concluded with “The Lord is My Shepherd” done first traditionally, and then became funky with hip-hop and modern soul touches from the musicians. For more variety The Hearts of Fire Choir led by Kiki Shepherd joined in and included Alfie Woodard, Reginald VelJohnson, Rosie Lee Hooks, Jack Landron, Dawnn Lewis and many others to remarkably embellish the hymn as the audience clapped and sang along.

 

There are Christmas shows and then there is John Legend Holidays and Hits at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Legend one of 15 members, and the only Afro-American in the very exclusive EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners) club presented a concert with exceptionally high production values to mostly spotlight songs from his A Legendary Christmas album. The show included multiple backdrops, video and photomontages, a brass section, three backup singers, combo band and at least four costume changes. A black and white video shot vintage style of Legend singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” started the show to wow the audience.

Afterwards, the singer and band appeared live for modern soul versions “What Christmas Means to Me” and “Silver Bells” adorned by a flute solo. Legend whose birthday was the day before (Dec. 28) commented on how special Christmas was to him growing up in Ohio and continued with original Xmas themed “Bring Me Love” strongly accented by the backup singers. Classic R&B was also included through “Please Come Home For Christmas” with the bandleader playing piano and his brass section soloing and dancing around to amuse the audience. Alternately, torchy ballad “By Christmas Eve” had Legend playing solely and was lushly adorned by his accompanying singers, and truly a standout. Another was the interpretation of Vince Guaraldi/Lee Mendelson’s classic “Christmas Time Is Here’ with rousing accents from the horns.

Besides the Christmas album songs were sultry grooves featuring Legend’s very expressive signature singing for R&B/modern soul originals “Everything’s Alright,” “Tonight (Best You Ever Had)” and “Love Me Now” with near-symphonic band faire that included Carol of the bells. Although not a Christmas song, heartfelt ballad “Where Did My Baby Go” worked well with the themed program. Taking the romantic mood even further was “Slow Dance” with the singer encouraging everyone to dance and even invited a lady seated in front to dance with him for a moment, which of course excited the audience. They were also stirred up when Legend jumped up to sit on top of the piano for his guitar and back up singer laden “Save Room” and retro ‘70s sounding “Let’s Get Lifted.”

Interestingly, Legend and band also rendered Benny Golson/Quincy Jones’ “Killer Joe” for solid jazz. Platinum hit “Ordinary People” with the artist playing piano solely and soaring vocally had the audience singing along and could have easily ended show. Legend, though carried on doing “You & I (Nobody in the World)” with pictures of his wife and kids displayed and hip-hop fused “Green Light” to receive an over the top standing ovation. For the encore the artist sang poetic ballad “All of Me” solely with the audience’s help, and with full band Earl King’s New Orleans styled “Merry Merry Christmas” coolly accented by the brass. It was a fitting end for a very extensive and highly appealing nearly two-hour show.

 

 

 

text previews

Tower of Power was formed in Oakland in 1968 by tenor saxophonist and vocalist Emilio Castillo along with baritone saxophonist Stephen “Doc” Kupka. They initially called themselves the Motowns and started to perform at various local venues. Emilio wanted to perform at The Fillmore ran by renowned impresario and rock concert promoter Bill Graham. But with a name like the Motowns, he knew their chances were slim. The pair agreed to call themselves Tower of Power and recruited trumpet/arranger Greg Adams, first trumpet Mic Gillette, first saxophone Skip Mesquite, Francis “Rocco” Prestia on bass, Willie Fulton on guitar, and drummer David Garibaldi to complete the line up. They got a record deal in 1970 and released their debut studio album (East Bay Grease) shortly thereafter.

The album featured their unique brand of Oakland style funk that became the foundation of a stellar career that’s seen 18 studio albums, 7 live albums, 6 compilation albums, 8 singles, and 4 video albums. They’ve also been featured on tracks by renowned artists such as Aaron Neville, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, David Sanborn, Elton John, Huey Lewis, Little Feat, Michelle Shocked, Paula Abdul, and Santana. For close to 50 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in Rhythm and Blues music. No matter who you are, where you live, or your taste in music, Tower Of Power will find you. And once that happens, it’s all over. Tower Of Power is one of those rare bands who can claim to be the real deal, 100 proof, aged-to-perfection.

Former Tower saxophonist Lenny Pickett, current musical director for the Saturday Night Live band, says, “TOP is the world’s best rhythm and blues band.” In reality, Tower Of Power’s horn-driven, in-your-face sound is all its own!

A limited number of VIP tickets are also available. The VIP package includes a premium seat for the concert, early entry to the venue, exclusive pre-show meet & greet with members of Tower Of Power, personal photograph with members of Tower Of Power, VIP access to Tower of Power’s pre-show soundcheck, Q&A session, specially designed Tower Of Power tour poster autographed by the band (exclusive to packages only!), commemorative Tower Of Power pin set, exclusive Tower Of Power VIP merchandise item, Official VIP/meet & greet laminate, commemorative ticket. — $175 + applicable fees

Red TicketJanuary 18, 2019

Doors 6pm

Headliner 9pm

The Saban

8440 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com/saban-beverly-hills/ 888-645-5006

 

 

 

 

Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed CD When I Fall In Love, Chris Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop muisc and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards. Most recently, his latest album Impressions won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Performing worldwide and selling more than four million albums, he has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre.

Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music, including Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra. Hitting the road for as many as 300 days per year, the trumpeter has also performed with many of the finest symphonies and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues from Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House and the Real Teatro di San Carlo in Italy.

Impressions, Botti’s 2012 Columbia Records and Grammy winning release, is the latest in a stellar parade of albums – including When I Fall In Love (2004), To Love Again: The Duets

(2005), Italia (2007), and the CD/DVD Chris Botti in Boston (2009) – that has firmly established him as a clarion voice in the American contemporary music scene. Playing with his uniquely expressive sound and soaring musical imagination, Botti is joined on the disc by featured artists Andrea Bocelli, Vince Gill, Herbie Hancock, Mark Knopfler, and David Foster in a warm, intimate celebration of melodic balladry.

With Impressions and the albums that preceded it, Chris Botti has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world.

 

 

 

 

January 26, 2019 Door: 7:00PM
The Wiltern
3790 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
www.wiltern.com/LiveNation.com.
213 388-1400

 

 

 

One of the most acclaimed Hawaiian concerts to ever leave the islands, the Southern California Slack Key Festival takes fans on a Hawaiian musical journey that showcases GRAMMY-winning slack key guitarists, the best hula dancers in the world, special guest performers and a free to the public Island Marketplace.

The Southern California Slack Key Festival – the first of its kind anywhere outside of Hawaii – set a major milestone for Hawaiian music events on the mainland when it debuted in 2008 and has garnered a huge loyal following – creating, cultivating, and renewing interest in Hawaii and its music.

This year’s Southern California Slack Key Festival’s line-up includes George Kuo, Kawika Kahiapo, Sonny Lim, Jeff Peterson, Jim“Kimo” West, Teresa Bright, Bobby

Ingano, and Kunia Galdeira.

Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar (ki ho’alu) is truly one of the world’s great acoustic guitar traditions, considered to be one of the oldest music traditions to still be a viable (other than just historical) part of a modern culture. Ki ho’alu, which literally means to “loosen the key,” is the Hawaiian language name for the solo finger-picked style unique to Hawaii. In this tradition, the strings (or “keys”) are “slacked” to produce many different tunings, which usually contain a major chord, or a chord with a major 7th note, or sometimes one with a 6th note in it. Each tuning produces a lingering sound behind the melody and has a characteristic resonance and fingering, with the thumb playing the bass while the other fingers play the melody and improvise in a fingerpicked style.

In addition to the concert, an Island Marketplace – free to the public – takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., complete with Shave Ice, Hawaiian food, and great Hawaiian products and crafts.

2019 Southern California Slack Key Festival

January 20, 2019 2:00 p.m.
The Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd (at Aviation Blvd.)
slackkeyfest.com or http://www.kalakoa.com/slackkey.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socalslackkeyfestival 800-595-4849

 

 

 

logo for blues previews

 

https://youtu.be/BmHwJ4V8Xfw
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
, touring in support of their latest Alligator Records release, STOMPIN’ GROUND, will perform at The Canyon in Agoura Hills on Thursday, January 17, The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Friday, January 18 and The Rose in Pasadena on Sunday, January 20, 2019. Over the course of his career, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tommy Castro — a six-time Blues Music Award-winner — has played thousands of shows to hundreds of thousands of ecstatic fans. Castro, along with his band, The Painkillers — bassist Randy McDonald, keyboardist Michael Emerson and drummer Bowen Brown — plays music that is guaranteed to fill the floor and raise the roof. With seemingly telepathic musicianship, the Painkillers bring an unmatched passion to Castro’s blue-eyed California soul and hard-rocking, good-time songs. Castro’s new album, KILLIN’ IT LIVE, will be released on March 1, 2019.

 

 

 

 

Tommy Castro & The PainkillersRed Ticket
January 17, 2019
9:00pm
The Canyon
28912 Roadside Dr.
Agoura Hills, CA
www.wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com
888-645-5006

January 18, 2019
8:00pm
The Coach House
33157 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA
www.thecoachhouse.com
949-496-8930

January 20, 2019
9pm
The Rose
245 E. Green St.
Pasadena, CA
www.wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com
888-645-5006

 

 

Taj Mahal’s career has been full of and defined by colorful twists and turns, unexpected whimsical ventures and a commitment to a muse that has long preferred freewheeling innovation to conformity. So there’s always the challenge of finding the right words and phrases to capture just what he’s meant to American music over the past half century. Miles Mellough, who wrote the stark and honest, no holds barred liner notes for The Complete Columbia Albums Collection, captures the complexities perfectly on several posts he penned on his blog Birds with Broken Wings after the box set came out.

“Here’s the thing, plain and simple,” he writes. “Taj Mahal has always been a conundrum; a man who is capable of mirroring many things to many people, and the reason why is because he’s an enigma — an alchemist and a contrarian…Through his music he’s been a dirt farmer, a man of gentry, and a Mississippi riverboat gambler. He’s played the role of the pious country preacher of old South camp meetings to a chain gang prisoner breaking rocks in the hot, midday sun. He’s been a hard-boiled harp player with a gold tooth and process blowing gritty on the South side of Chicago to a West Indies fishing boat captain sipping Banana Daiquiri’s with a St. Kitts woman…Like the blues tree with its many roots, Mahal has become the sum of many parts. But if you were to strip him of the elements that have come to define him publicly, you’d no doubt find that beneath it all he’s really just a simple man with a harp, a steel guitar, and a banjo in his rucksack; a man making music with a whole hell of a lot of heart and soul.”

Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band

January 19, 2019
9:00pm
The Canyon
28912 Roadside Dr.
Agoura Hills, CA
www.wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com
888-645-5006

 

Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University presents the Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite Duo. The Blues Hall of Fame inductees guitarist Elvin Bishop and harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite offer a sizzling blues jam session seasoned with decades of experience.

In their long careers, Bishop and Musselwhite have become synonymous with the blues tradition. “The blues cuts through and connects to listeners on a deeper level,” said Richard T. Bryant, Executive Director of Musco Center. “These two are masters of their instruments and together they are simply sublime.”

Their 2019 Grammy Award nominations for Best Traditional Blues Album proves their staying power. Rounding out the nomination category is Buddy Guy, who sold out Musco Center for the Arts in 2018. Bishop and Musselwhite will perform at Musco Center in their only joint Southern California show weeks before the 2019 Grammy Awards ceremony.

Elvin Bishop’s passion and pursuit of the blues first led him to the South Side of Chicago after humble beginnings on farms in Iowa and Oklahoma where he began sitting in on clubs with other guitar legends including Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. His time in the city evolved his playing into a unique Chicago blues sound that drifted further into progressive and experimental rock ‘n’ roll with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. His soulful guitar licks and rhythmic signature can still be felt today. As a member of the band, Bishop was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

After developing a sound on his harmonica influenced by Memphis rockabilly, western swing, and electric blues, Charlie Musselwhite continued his education in the Chicago music scene. Musselwhite developed his emotionally nuanced style alongside legends including Lew Soloff, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, and Big Walter Horton. “Legendary is an overused term,” exclaims Time Out New York, “but it’s also the only word that suits this heavyweight blues harpist.”

As a band leader and solo artist, Musselwhite has released more than 25 albums, as well as guesting on albums by many other notable musicians including Bonnie Raitt, INXS, Tom Waits and The Blind Boys of Alabama. Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2010, Musselwhite has recently toured with Cyndi Lauper and collaborated with Ben Harper, winning a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Blues Album for their collaboration Get Up!

 

 

 

 

 

Elvin Bishop and Charlie MusselwhiteRed Ticket
January 27, 2019
4pm
Musco Center for the Arts
Chapman University
415 North Glassell,
Orange, CA
www.muscocenter.org
844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726)

 

 

 

 

 

Text Special Mention

Strolling up to the stage donning a sleeveless and pant less sex kitten Star Trek outfit with above the knees boots, pianist Connie Han had everyone’s attention at Catalina’s. But it was her exceptional playing and interactions with bassist Benjamin Shepherd and Musical Director/drummer Bill Wysaske that kept the audience enthralled as she showcase numbers from her new CD Crime Zone. Straight out of the gate the trio launched into high-energy neo-bop jam “Fox-like” inspired by Freddie Hubbard’s “Intrepid Fox.” Eponymous “Groovy” from the new CD featured the bandleader coolly playing electric piano, with her band mates fluidly supporting and also soloing. Incorporated into the number for the close was Bob James’ funky signature instrumental “Westchester Lady,” which of course had the audience buzzing.

“The End of a Love Affair” was a return to acoustic piano with a slightly more relaxed feel, yet also tightly interpreted. It included a dazzling solo stride piano segment to further spotlight Han’s prowess and diversity, and was also bolstered by a dynamic drum solo. Equally high revving was the title track with the trio cohesively jamming away. Throughout the set the pianist displayed her music history knowledge, referencing different artists, including talking about innovativeness of Joe Henderson’s 1970s “Shade of Jade” (George Cables-piano) before impressively playing it solely. Somewhat similar in tempo and structure was original “Extended Stay” with full trio and featuring a bass solo.

Taking a break from the hard-hitting numbers was Mulgrew Miller’s cool swinging and hard-bop nuanced “The Sequel” that was a solid hit with the crowd. For even more variety Han switched to a ballad-like rendering of Steven Sondheim’s “Pretty Lady” that exhibited a softer side of her playing and went beyond jazz. For more info go to: www.conniehan.com

 

 

 

 

Grammy-winning pianist/composer/arranger/producer Bob James performed at Catalina’s to a packed house with his trio that included Michael Palazzola-bass and Ron Otis-drums. James new recording Espresso was highlighted and he didn’t waste any time getting into it, beginning with lightly funk driven“Bulgogi,” the first track. Afterwards he shifted to electric piano for his contemporary instrumental version of “Feel Like Making Love” that he originally recorded with Roberta Flack and drew affirming crowd reactions as the trio coolly grooved away. Staying in that vein he conjured up lightly funky “Night Crawler,” another vintage tune that allowed James to stretch out with his drummer, and bassist, who also soloed to strongly appeal to the club attendees.

Going even deeper into the memory vault was James’ tasteful version of Fats Waller’s classic “Ain’t Misbehaving,” also on the new album and filled with subtle playing that included intelligent solos from all. In sharp contrast was his burning and reggae tinged version of his old cohort Grover Washington’s enduring hit “Mr. Magic,” also a new selection that further revved up the audience, especially during hard-hitting piano and drum solos.

For a respite the bandleader continued with new classical/romantic flavored “Il Boccalone” solely that’s his favorite classic Italian restaurant in Tokyo. Reunited with the trio James launched into more tunes from Espresso such as contemporary burner “Topside” and genre defying up-tempo “Mojito Ride.” Dipping into his collection of compositions was the very popular “Westchester Lady” featuring pulsating grooving to also delight the highly vocal crowd and the show could have ended there. But, James for an encore served up his highly recognizable “Angela (Theme from Taxi)” to keep the audience happy, and received a very enthusiastic standing ovation.

 

 

To a highly receptive audience vocalist/composer/multi-instrumentalist Carmen Lundy performed at the Moss Theatre as part of the Jazz Bakery’s Moveable Feast series. For the special performance Lundy enlisted the services of Julius Rodriguez-piano, Kenny Davis-bass, Kassa Overall-drums and Andrew Renfroe-guitar. She began doing originals from her last three CDs Changes, Soul to Soul and Code Noir. Up-tempo “The Island, The Sea, and You” began the show and was adorned by resounding singing and swinging textures.

Contrarily, “Between Darkness and Dawn” and “Daybreak” were sung with urban urgency, and touches of funk and blues, especially from the guitarist who intensely cut loose during his solos. “Afterglow” was also upbeat, and Latin tinged featuring the singer daringly riding the crest of the musician’s wave, mostly created by the pianist to stir up the crowd. Along the same lines was “Second Sight” and “Don’t You Know How I Feel” that began with an engaging solo bass intro. Not to be forgotten, the drummer got the audience worked with a funky beginning that became hard driving “Kumbaya” with the audience singing along.

Lundy departed from the most recent CDs to serenely sing heartfelt ballad “These Things You Are to Me” that she wrote for her mother and recorded in the mid-‘90s. She also went back to her first recording Good Morning Kiss (1985) and sweetly sang the ballad title track. Both bashful and proud, the singer showcased poetic and emotively sung “Show Me a Sign” that was included on drummer Terri Lyne Carrington’s Grammy-winning Mosaic Project (Lundy’s only Grammy-winning collaboration) to impress the audience.

Additionally, she debuted newly composed and unrecorded songs “Beware The Calm” that was jolting with powerful singing and fiery band interaction, and lightly adorned slow drawn “Whatever.” After an over-the-top standing ovation, Lundy returned scatting and singing vibrantly for high-flying newer selection “Have a Little Faith” to receive yet another standing ovation.

 

 

Holiday spirit was jazzily celebrated through the double billing of The Manhattan Transfer with Herb Alpert & Lani Hall at Disney Hall. Significantly, both the groups have been together for around 45 years (47 for MT), with an abundance of songs and memories to share. MT got everyone immediately in the mood doing cool swinging songs from their The Christmas Album with “Happy Holidays,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” They were dazzlingly garnered with the accompaniment of Yaron Gershovsky Music Director/piano, Phil Palombi-bass and Ross Pederson-drums.
Later in the show the vocal quartet did a Brazilian tinged treatment of “White Christmas,” reasoning that only someone in a warm locale would dream of snow. MT also mentioned that Mel Torme wrote “The Christmas Song” in July, before beautifully rendering the ever-appealing song. From a traditional standpoint the group also remarkably sang “Hark! The Angels Sing” with only piano.
For the sake of nostalgia, Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegal, Alan Paul and newest member Trist Curless revisited their first recording, self-titled and released in1975, doing jiving “That Cat Is High,” coffee praising “Java Jive,” hip swinging “Tuxedo Junction” and R&B styled “Operator” featuring Siegal soaring. In memory of recently departed actress/director Penny Marshall the group wailed away doing “Choo Choo Ch’boogie,” which they sung in Marshall’s film A League of Their Own.
Moving into present times bossa flavored “Sometimes I Do” from new CD The Junction featuring Paul was showcased. Also new, “Cantaloop (Flip Out!),” somewhat of a mixture of Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island” and Us-3’s “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)” moved the group into contemporary and hip-hop as they scatted and rapped with hipness bolstered by the backing trio that was enthusiastically received. “Tequila/The Way of the Booze” from the new CD maintained the fun vibe and had moments with the audience singing “Tequila.” Ramping things up even more was their version of Weather Report’s “Birdland” with vocalists and band energetically reeling away to close out the show for a standing ovation.

 

Opening husband and wife group Herb Alpert & Lani Hall performed for about the same amount of time (75 minutes), but at a much brisker pace. Christmas music by way of a medley, with a projected montage of pictures and videos, and an electric chorus and violin augmented. Alpert played trumpet with his regular band, Bill Cantos-piano, Hussain Jiffry-bass/vocals and Michael Shapiro-drums/vocals. Later an instrumental jazzy version of Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “White Christmas” with a symphony (digital) were injected into the show at different points. For extra measure, the sidemen sang, “Let it Snow” and Alpert shifted to “Jingle Bell Rock,” while Hall sang “The Christmas Song” with husband accenting

Departing from Xmas material the band continued doing “Moondance” and were joined by Hall who serenely sang along in between tantalizing jamming and the trumpeter’s solo moments. Sergio Mendes Brazil ‘66 grooving “O Pato,” and “One Note Samba” were mixed in a medley with Alpert’s contemporary jazz hits “Rise” and “A Taste of Honey,” along with Tijuana Brass songs “Whipped Cream,” “The Lonely Bull” and “Tijuana Taxi.” The trumpet also took a moment to sing Burt Bacharach’s “This Guy’s in Love With You” to his wife, with the crowd’s help.

Hall, who stood by patiently beforehand, shined singing Carole King’s “Up on the Roof” with only piano supporting. She then shifted to a medley of Mendes songs, such as “The Look of Love,” “Upa,” “The Fool on the Hill,” “Parsley, Rosemary & Thyme,” ”Like a Lover” and of course “Mas que Nada.”

Wrapping up the show was contemporary styled “Putting on The Ritz” from the new CD Music Volume 3-Herb Alpert Reimagines The Tijuana Brass, synced to a video shot on one camera without any edits. As expected, Hall and Alpert are also in the video.

 

 

 

 

 

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Jazz Muse Concert SeriesRed Ticket
“Voices of Jazz – Exploring 3 Legends:
Nina Simone, Carmen McRae & Shirley Horn”

Janis Mann-vocals
Peter Smith-piano
Ken Wild-bass
Kendall Kay-drums
January 19, 2019
San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Doors open at 7 pm / Show starts at 8 pm
janismann.com

 

 

Mr. Musichead, celebrating 20 years as a premier boutique art gallery and its owner Sam Milgrom, teamed up with Los Angeles Jazz Radio Broadcaster and Producer LeRoy Downs and All Music Television Founder & CEO Frederick Smith, Jr to present Just Jazz featuring a lineup of internationally recognized jazz artists. From 6:30pm to Showtime, before each show, tune into “The Jazzcat” LeRoy Downs as he spins one hour of supreme, eclectic jazz live on SoundsandColorsRadio.net direct from the Mr Musichead Gallery! Downs will play music and interview the weekly artist as jazz patrons are arriving for the performance, enticing listeners to come on out and be a part of the Curated Jazz Experience!! A portion of the proceeds from each show will be donated to a local charity.

Doors Open: 6:00pmRed Ticket
Drinks & Appetizer Reception: 6:30pm
Live Music: 7:30pm
Jan 9th Somi
Jan 16th TBD
Jan 23rd Mark Dresser Quintet
Jan 30th Daniel Rosenboom & The Orenda Records Quintet

Other upcoming artists include Marquis Hill and more…
Mr Musichead Gallery
7420 W. Sunset Blvd (across from Guitar Center)
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323-876-90046
www.mrmusichead.com
www.SoundsandColorsRadio.net
www.allmusictelevision.net
www.TheJazzcat.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 20
TBD
January 26
Matt Wilson Quartet feat: saxophonist Jeff Lederer
January 27
Black Art Jazz Collective Co-Op
Moss Theatre
New Roads School at The Herb Alpert Educational Village
3131 Olympic Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Jazz Bakery’s Moveable Feasts
jazzbakery.org
(800) 838-3006
“Concerts and Conversations with Southern California Jazz Legends” made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. KJAZZ 88.1 – official media sponsor.

 

 

 

 

A celebration of the Music of Harry Warren

Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna, December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and lyricist. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for BestSong eleven times and won three Oscars for composing “Lullaby of Broadway”, “You’ll Never Know” and “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe”.
He wrote the music for the first blockbuster film musical, 42nd Street, choreographed by Busby Berkeley, with whom he would collaborate on many musical films.
Over a career spanning four decades, Warren wrote more than 800 songs. Other well known Warren hits included “I Only Have Eyes for You”, “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby”, “Jeepers Creepers”, “The Gold Diggers’ Song (We’re in the Money)”, “That’s Amore”, “The More I See You”, “At Last” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo”.
Ron Levy-keyboards
Luther Hughes-bass/narration
Becky Hughes & Dale Boatman-vocals
Special Guests
The Primrose Lane Choir

Luther’s 1st House Concert of the Year!
January 13, 2019
2 pm
Home of Becky & Luther Hughes
Westminster, CA
Contact Becky: rebeccagh54@gmail.com
(714) 615-1954
Complimentary wine, soft drinks & snacks
Suggested Donation:
Non Members $20
Students $10
CalJAS Sponsors and Patrons FREE
Non Members Welcome

 

Long Beach, kicks off the New Year with critically acclaimed vintage pop singer-songwriter Kat Edmonson as part of Carpenter Center’s Cabaret Series. Edmonson, who has toured worldwide with Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, Jamie Cullum, and Gary Clark, Jr., will perform 20th century standards alongside her bubbly originals. Kat Edmonson brings both the songs and sensibility of the Great American Songbook into the 21st Century with an airy voice and sly touch. Her self-produced debut album Take to the Sky (2009) drew on America’s Tin Pan Alley songwriters and reached the Top 20 on the Billboard jazz chart. Her sophomore album, Way Down Low (2012), was called “one of the greatest vocal album I’ve ever heard,” by The Boston Globe critic and received a warm reception from NPR and The New York Times. Her voice and songs have been popular choices for soundtracks and commercials alike leading to 2016 when she played the Night Club Singer in Café Society by Woody Allen.

Edmonson will perform hits from the Great American Songbook and original songs from her latest album. Released in 2018, Old Fashioned Gal tells a timeless Hollywood story, rich with images of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers wrapped up in a romantic dance number, brought gracefully into the present, with the fresh perspective of a progressive woman in the digital age. “A handsome showcase for her songwriting…nostalgic in tone but clear-eyed in the application,” said NPR, Edmonson sings of self-motivation, protesting being “liked” on Facebook, and longing for personal connection in fast-moving times.

Kat Edmonson comes to the Carpenter Center’s cabaret series, known as “Club Carpenter,” having emerged over the last decade as a distinctive voice in American contemporary music. The Center’s series is known for veteran nightclub stars such a Maureen McGovern, who performed in back-to-back standing ovation performances at Carpenter Center in December, as well as new acts such as Mandy Harvey, who performed at Carpenter Center in 2016 before her break-out on America’s Got Talent. This series is made possible in part by Season Media Partner KPCC 89.3-FM.

 

 

 

 

Kat Edmonson
January 16-17, 2019
7 pm
Doors open at 6 pm
Carpenter Performing Arts Center
6200 E. Atherton Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
CarpenterArts.org
(562) 985-7000.

 

 

2018-19 season highlights
Feb. 16
The Soul Rebels
The Theatre at Ace Hotel
March 20
An Evening with Lettuce and John Scofield
The Theatre at Ace Hotel
March 23
Roberto Fonseca & Fatoumata Diawara
The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Mar 28
Zakir Hussain & Masters of Percussion
UCLA’s Royce Hall
Mar 30
Nano Stern
The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Apr 7
Ofertório
Caetano, Moreno, Zeca & Tom Veloso

The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Apr 12
The Gloaming
The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Apr 19
Anoushka Shankar
UCLA’s Royce Hall
Subscriptions and individual tickets on sale at:
cap.ucla.edu
310.825.2101

 

Any information to be considered for this column can be sent to: chrisjwalker1@earthlink.net