By Don Heckman
Los Angeles
– Aug. 24. (Tues.) Sarah Chang. The gifted young violinist takes on the fascinating musical demands of the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, plays the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000.
– Aug. 24. (Tues.) Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. The Southland’s always compelling contribution to the top tiers of big band jazz makes an infrequent club engagement. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400.
– Aug. 24. (Tues.) Otmaro Ruiz Quartet. Versatile pianist Ruiz shares his views of Latin jazz with the talented vibraphonist, Nick Mancini. Charlie O’s. (818) 994-3058.
– Aug. 25. (Wed.) Gershwin Across America. What could be more entertaining than a warm summer night at the Hollywood Bowl, listening to the timeless melodies of Gershwin sung and played by a cast of musical all-stars. Featured artists include Monica Mancini, Jason Mraz, BeBe Winans, Nancy Wilson, St. Vincent, Shelly Berg, Arturo Sandoval, Tom Scott, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band and others. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000.
– Aug. 25. (Wed.) Dale Fielder Angel City Quartet. Saxophonist Fielder leads his quartet in an evening dedicated to a tribute to Wayne Shorter as well as selections from his own Suite Clarity. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210. .
– Aug. 25. (Wed.) Larry Goldings Quintet. Film music is on the menu for pianist Goldings, who leads his players – guitarist Anthony Wilson, trumpeter Josh Welchez bassist Gabe Noel and drummer Kevin Kanner in a program of music by the likes of Bernard Hermann, Henry Mancini, Nino Rota, Leonard Bernstein and more. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905.
– Aug. 25. (Wed.) Norah Jones. She burst onto the music scene with almost no advance warning. And she’s been spreading her wings musically ever since, revealing the broad, eclectic reach of her performing, playing and composing skills. The Greek Theatre. (323) 665-3125.
– Aug. 25 & 26. (Wed. & Thurs.) Jeremy Siskind. The talented young pianist offers a tribute to Oscar Peterson, backed by guitarist Graham Dechter and bassist Will Snyder. Wed. at Charlie O’s. (818) 994-3058. Thursday at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400.
– Aug. 26. (Thurs.) Beatlesfest. Led Zepagain. It’s tribute night on the Pier, with the sounds of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin spreading musical memories in every direction. Twilight Dance at the Santa Monica Pier. (310) 458-8900.
– Aug. 26. (Thurs.) Peter Erskine and Friends. Expect high quality, world class jazz whenever drummer Erskine is leading the way. And once again he’s got a band that knows how to deliver it. With Alan Pasqua, piano, Derek Oles, bass and Bob Mintzer, saxophones. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905.
– Aug. 26. (Thurs.) Galway Plays Mozart. Flutist John Galway – his instrument’s most visible performer — plays the Mozart Flute Concerto No 2, as well as Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Piston’s Incredible Flutist Suite. The Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, offers the Overture to Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000.
– Aug. 26 – 29. (Thurs. – Sun.) Frank Sinatra Jr. The Sinatra sound is alive and well in the voice and the style of son Frank, Jr. At a time when Sinatra imitators are showing up everywhere, it’s good to hear the music coming from such an original source. (323) 466-2210. Catalina Bar & Grill.
– Aug. 27. (Fri.) Cyndi Lauper. With 13 Grammy nominations, a pair of Emmys and a ton of MTV awards, Lauper continues to sustain musical stardom that reaches back to her hits of the ‘80s. Her guest stars are New Orleans’ Allen Toussaint and guitarist David Rhodes. The Greek Theatre. (323) 665-3125.
– Aug. 27. (Fri.) Dena DeRose. It took injuries to her hands to convince DeRose that she had vocal skills to match the quality of her piano playing. Fortunately recovered, she now does both. What she doesn’t do very often, however, is make Southland appearances. So don’t miss this one. Crowne Plaza Hotel. (310) 642-7500.
– Aug. 28. (Sat.) The Turtle Island Quartet. The ever-adventurous Turtle Islanders perform music from their new CD, Have You Ever Been… — featuring the music of Jimi Hendrix and founder/composer in residence David Balakrishnan. Grand Performances. (213) 687-2190.
– Aug. 28. (Sat.) Charmaine Clamor. The Philippines’ gift to the world of jazz singing gets better and better with every performance, spreading her extraordinary musical versatility in all directions. Hopefully she’ll offer a glimpse into the songs on her soon to be released new album, Something Good. And this time out, it won’t cost a penny to hear and see this world class artist at the Levitt Pavilion in a free concert in MacArthur Park. (213) 384-5701
– Aug. 28. (Sat.) Jeri Brown. Brown, whose voice is one of the jazz world’s most remarkable instruments, takes a break from her teaching activities in Canada to make a very rare Southland appearance. If you haven’t heard her yet, you should start now. Café Metropol. (213) 613-1537.
– Aug. 28. (Sat.) Ashley Maher. Imagine the lyrical depths of Joni Mitchell embraced by the vital rhythms of Africa, and it still won’t quite describe the songs and singing of Maher, who deserves far more attention than she has received. She performs with Haiti’s Jean-Paul. The Kara Mack Band opens. The Talking Stick, Venice.
– Aug. 28 & 29. (Sat. & Sun.) Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines. A great way to spend a late Summer weekend – an entertaining program of music in a delightful outdoor setting. Featured artists include Tom Scott, Kenny Washington, Oscar Hernandez and David Benoit. But there’s much more, from the Peter Sprague String Consort and the Jeff Tower Big band to Henry Franklin, Yves Evans, Graham Dechter and many others. The inimitable Bubba Jackson is the master of ceremonies. Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines.
= Aug. 29. (Sun.) Kleber Jorge. Brazilian singer/guitarist Jorge, former lead guitarist with Sergio Mendes, has also performed with everyone from Dori Caymmi to John Patitucci. He celebrates the opening of a new Sunday brunch series at the Tiato Market Garden Cafe in Santa Monica. (310) 866-5228.
San Francisco
– Aug. 24 & 25. (Tues. & Wed.) Lenny White and Anomaly. Drummer White celebrates the release of Anomaly, his first album in ten years, Determined to “put the rock back into jazz-rock,” he thoroughly succeeds in the task. For a review of his performance at Catalina Bar & Grill last weekend, click here. Yoshi’s Oakland. (510) 238-9200.
– Aug. 25. (Wed.) Bob Dylan and His Band. A rare and special event. And it begins with what will surely be a virtual “happening” outside the theatre before the show begins. Why? Because all tickets are general admission and will be sold only on the day of the show. $60, cash only, no credit cards, and no advance tickets will be sold. Box office and doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show. Line-ups will be allowed no earlier than noon on the day of the show. The Warfield, San Francisco.
Aug. 26 – 28. (Thurs. – Sat.) John Zorn. A three night Zorn festival. On Thursday he performs in a duo with composer Terry Riley; on Friday he plays Alhambra love songs at 8, and is joined by the Aleph Trio at 10; on Saturday he appears with the Rova Saxophone Quartet. Yoshi’s San Francisco. (415) 655-5600.
New York
– Aug. 24 – 28. (Tues. – Sat.) Richie Bierach. Pianist Bierach, a favorite of Stan Getz and Chet Baker, among others, performs with trumpeter Randy Brecker, violinist Gregor Huebner, bassist George Mraz and drummer Billy Hart. Birdland. (212) 581-3080.
-Aug. 24 – 29. (Tues. – Sun.) Saxophone Summit: Salute to James Moody. Special guests: Tues. — Chris Potter; Wed. – Eric Alexander and Antonio Hart; Thurs – Jimmy Heath; Fri. – Lew Tabackin; Sat. – Ada Rovatti; Sun. – Joe Lovano. The Blue Note. (212) 475-8592
– Aug. 24 – 29. (Tues. – Sun.) The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. An evening of works by the man who created some of the most memorable songs of the late 20th century. Performed expertly by The Trio Da Paz, with Joe Locke, Harry Allen and Maucha Adnet. Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. (212) 258-9595.
– Aug. 26 – 29. (Thurs. – Sun.) Lee Konitz. The veteran alto saxophonist, one of the jazz world’s true original artists, displays his extraordinary improvisational skills in the company of the alternating rhythm section teams of Ethan Iverson/Larry Grenadier (Thurs. & Sun.) and Reid Anderson/Jorge Rossy (Fri. & Sat.) Iridium. (212) 582-2121.
– Aug. 26 – 29. (Thurs. – Sun.) Gerald Clayton Quintet. Rapidly rising young pianist Clayton expands his trio with a pair of equally promising young instrumentalists – trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and alto saxophonist Logan Richardson. The Jazz Standard. l (212) 576-3323.
The International Review of Music 