Picks of the Week: May 14 – 19

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

Brenna Whitaker

- May 15. (Wed.)  Brenna Whitaker.  She could have been a ‘30s platinum blond star.  But Whitaker doesn’t just look good; she can sing, too.  This time out she picks a set of tunes to enhance the birthday of Vibrato co-owner Eden Alpert.  Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.   (310) 474-9400.

- May 15. (Wed.)  Lado B Project.  A lively evening of Brazilian music, featuring Otmaro Ruiz, piano, Larry Koonse, guitar, Edwin Livingston, bass, Aaron Serfaty, drums and Catina DeLuna, voice.  Brazilian music.  Vitello’s.    (818) 769-0905.

- May 16. (Thurs.)  Lisa Hilton. The ever adventurous pianist/composer Hilton continues her quest for new musical territories for her to explore. Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- May 16. (Thurs.)  John Proulx.  Singer/pianist Proulx has begun to claim a position in the rare category of male jazz singer.  Proulx, like his musical role model, Chet Baker, brings the flowing phrases of his instrumental playing to his vocal interpretations.    H.O.M.E. (House of Music and Entertainment)   (310) 271-4663.

- May 17. (Fri.)  Jim Snidero Group.  Saxophonist Snidero’s lengthy resume reaches from his own numerous recordings to performances with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Frank Wess. The Blue Whale.    (213) 620-0908.

Melissa Manchester

- May 17 – 19. (Fri. – Sun.)  Melissa Manchester. She’s been producing memorable music since the ‘70s, including “Midnight Blue” and “Don’t Cry Out Loud.”  Here’s a chance to catch her in one of her rare club appearances. Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- May 17 – 19. (Fri. – Sun.)  Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart.  This is a stellar organ trio if ever there was one.  Each of the players is an influence in his own right.  Don’t miss them.  Vitello’s.    (818) 769-0905.

- May 17 – 19, 23 & 25. (Fri. – Sun., Thurs., Sat.)  Mozart/Da Ponte Trilogy.  The Marriage of Figaro. The second of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s three year trilogy of opera by Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte.  The great comic opera is performed in a concert staged version by the Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Master Chorale and soloists.  Disney Hall.  http://www.laphil.com  (323) 850-2000.

- May 19. (Sun.)  Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.  Concerto Finale.  The LACO players offer a fascinating evening of concertos, including Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto, and an offbeat bassoon concerto performed with a 1927 silent film.  Add the Beethoven Coriolan Overture and anticipate an engaging program.   CAP UCLA at Royce Hall.   (310) 825-4321.

- May 19. (Sun.)  Deborah Voigt.  Critically acknowledged as one of the classical music world’s dramatic sopranos, Voigt – who roves freely from Wagner to Puccini – offers an intimate recital of works by Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Bernstein and more.  Valley Performing Arts Center.  (818) 677-8800.

San Francisco

Bela Fleck

- May 16 – 19 (Thurs. – Sun.)  Bela Fleck solo.  Banjo master Fleck has performed in every imaginable setting.  But he is especially compelling musically when he plays in the creative intimacy of a solo performance.  SFJAZZ Center Miner Auditorium.    (866) 920-5299.

Seattle

- May 14 & 15. (Tues. & Wed.)  John Hammond.  Praised by the likes of Tom Waits and T-Bone Burnett, Grammy-winning guitarist/singer/harmonica player Hammond keeps the blues alive in everything he plays.  Jazz Alley.    (206) 441-9729.

New York City

- May 14 – 18. (Tues. – Sat.)  Bossabrasil.  Featuring Dori Caymmi with special guest, Joyce.  Rio comes to Manhattan in the form of a pair of Brazil’s most versatile and gifted musical artists.  Birdland.    (212) 581-3080.

- May 14 – 19. (Tues. – Sun.)  The Gil Evans Project.  Directed by Ryan Truesdell.  An amazing week of music, featuring a large ensemble exploring the full range of Gil Evans’ extraordinary talents.  The selections for each night include Gil Evans’ music for the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, “Out of the Cool,” “New Bottle, Old Wine,” “Great Jazz Standards,” “The Individualism of Gil Evans,” “Miles Ahead,” “Porgy and Bess,” Check with the club for scheduling.  The Jazz Standard.    (212) 576-2232.

London

Roy Haynes

- May 15 & 16. (Wed. & Thurs.)  The Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band. The Fountain of Youth has had the biggest impact upon the leader, drummer and role model in this band.  At 88, Haynes is still playing with the imagination and energy of youth.  Ronnie Scott’s.   +44 20 7439 0747.

Berlin

- May 17 & 18.  (Fri. & Sat.)  Lee Ritenour.  He used to be called “Captain Fingers” in honor of his high-speed dexterity.  But guitarist Ritenour has a more lyrical side as well, often employing octave melody style of his favorite musical model, Wes Montgomery.  A-Trane.    +49 30 3132 ext. 550

Copenhagen

- May 15 & 16. (Wed. & Thurs.)  Mark Whitfield.  Dubbed the “best young guitarist in the business” by the New York Times, Whitfield performs with a trio of prime Danish jazz musicians: Henrik Gunde, piano, Kasper Vadsholt, bass and Rasmus Kihlberg, drums.  Jazzhus Montmartre.   +45 31 72 34 94

Milan

Anat Cohen

- May 18. (Sat.) Anat Cohen.  Clarinetist/saxophonist Cohen is in the forefront of an impressive generation of female jazz instrumentalists.  She’s backed by Jason Lindner, piano, Stefano Bellani, bass and Daniel Freedman, drums.  Blue Note Milano.    +39 02 6901 6888.

Tokyo

- May 14 – 16. (Tues. – Thurs.)  Benny Golson Quartet.  Tenor saxophonist/composer Golson is still, at age 84, a player with a lot of music to express.  Hopefully he’ll also play some of his jazz hits such as “Killer Joe,” “Whisper Not,” “Along Came Betty” and more.  The Blue Note Tokyo.    +81 3-5485-0088.

Live Jazz: Medeski, Martin and Wood in a CAP UCLA concert at Royce Hall

By Mike Finkelstein

As the Medeski, Martin, and Wood show started at Royce Hall Friday night you got the feeling that the audience wasn’t just dropping in.   The balcony was open and there was a good vibe of anticipation in the hall.  People were ready for this.

Medeski, Martin, and Wood are a New York based trio specializing in nuanced jamming.  MMW describe each other’s musical approach and abilities as “wide open” and they don’t usually gig on the West Coast, so this was an opportunity for them to reach an audience that was clearly hoping they’d get here.   The band is known for their crafty sense of improvisation, and on Friday we got to see both an acoustic first- and electric closing-set from them.  The term acoustic applied mostly to keyboardist John Medeski, who sat at a grand piano with his back turned to the audience for nearly the whole first set. Bassist Chris Wood and drummer/percussionist Billy Martin played the same instruments for both sets.

Medeski, Martin & Wood

The first set was comparatively touchy-feely to the more focused and arranged second one.   The night began with a tasty bit of tuning, tinkering, and noodling that jelled beautifully.    As the set progressed, every moment was nudged along in turn by each of them.   Each idea had a connection to the next.  Sounds churned, jiggled, crashed, lunged, and rumbled quite often.  Sometimes it was dissonant, but not for long and it always led to something interesting.

The three guys approached the improvisation in the music much like jazz players, constantly playing off of each other, but it was apparent from the beginning that they also drew from progressive rock, blues, and spur of the moment curiosity.   In Martin’s words, “The more you accept who you are, the more free you are to express that.”   MMW never did let any one idea linger long enough to spoil, they just kept cycling in new lines.

As their material doesn’t have any vocals, they welcomed the challenge of keeping the music engaging, and each of the three had a wide range of tools to vary his sound.  Billy Martin had a couple of tables worth of hand percussion, whistles, small vibraphones, bags of bones, etc to satisfy any whim he might feel like following, as well as what seemed like a skillet or two hanging from his kit.

Chris Wood

Chris Wood played beautifully on bass all night and he did have several diversions to spiff up his sound, too.   He actually played slide bass at several points during the second set and showed us a very cool effect by bowing a drumstick on the bridge of the bass…it sounded like a bit like a theremin.   He also had a very busy technique where he would get mostly harmonic sounds by tickling the strings as he bowed them.  He played through delays and fuzzes, too.

Near the end of the first set Medeski brought out a tall thin wooden wind instrument, resembling a didgeridoo if only in appearance.   Martin identified it later as a pujama (fujama?) but it shall remain a mystery for now.  To play it, Medeski had to hold it from waist high to considerably above his head and as he held it arms down and blew on the mouthpiece, well, it looked a bit like some involved kissing was going on.  Strange.  Then he split it apart and played the top half horizontally.   It squealed a lot and hand placement controlled the dynamics.   Still strange.

John Medeski

For the second set Medeski rotated between several keyboard setups but used a Hammond organ and a clavinet most of the time.   The rich, swirling Hammond sound is so recognizable that it made the band seem a little less out there than they had been for the first set.  Wood played mostly on a Hofner electric bass but still kept his rotation with the acoustic stand-up going throughout.   At times he would turn the big bass towards Medeski and groove off him.  Other times, he would chew up the runs, and at still other times he would clearly lay back and savor the tone of the big bass notes.   You could see that he pretty much wore the groove on his face, as did Martin.

Billy Martin

Martin is a hard hitter but with a wide range of approaches.   He could be very light with the hand percussion and clearly thinking on the fly.   He doesn’t play with the classic light touch of jazz drummers but he was still both subtle and able to really let if fly in the heavy patches.   For him it’s all about improvising.  Drumming on anything available.  Primal.  Like a child wanting to know what it will sound like if he drums on it. Sometimes he would stand up to accentuate a cymbal stroke.   It only seemed as though he was tweaking a large machine.

In a trio format, everyone has a lot of musical ground to cover.  No body stayed in any one pocket for very long Friday night.  MMW take a very open eared approach to everything they do. They listen to each other very alertly and make the effort to react to the subtleties and dynamics of the moment.  We saw changes in one idea ripple through the band like water waves. All night, the sound morphed into something new.

The evening ended with a slow, haunting, mesmerizingly beautiful piece of music called, I believe, “Dracula.” It sounded nothing like the beginning of the evening but it had us in a trance.    The interplay between the keys and bass was so seductively spooky.  And this tune had the softest landing you could want, too.   Medeski played only a pianica, Wood grooved in slow mode on the long notes and Martin kept it light.  They really did set it down to rest pretty.   I wouldn’t have expected anything less.

* * * * * * * *

To read more reviews and posts by Mike Finkelstein click HERE.

Live Musical Theatre: “One Night With Janis Joplin” at the Pasadena Playhouse

By Don Heckman

Pasadena, CA.  The Janis Joplin legend surfaces once again in the powerful music and dramatic story telling of One Night With Janis Joplin at the Pasadena Playhouse. It’s shown up earlier in the film, The Rose, and the theatre piece, Love, Janis.  But never before with such convincing musical and historical authenticity.

Mary Bridget Davies as Janis Joplin

The role of Janis is portrayed by Mary Bridget Davies, who also played the lead in Love, Janis.  And, although the physical resemblance leaves something to be desired, Davies has done a stunning job of capturing the sound, the phrasing, and the intense musical passion of Janis, the original.

Created, written and directed by Randy Johnson, One Night…imagines a performance by Joplin in which she sings from her classic songbook and recalls her early life and its creative influences.  Her history is further illuminated by the far-ranging performances of Sabrina Elayne Carten in the role of “Blues Singer,” vocalizing the memory of Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith.  Supporting the nearly two dozen musical selections, the three-voice, back-up singing Joplinaires, and the eight piece band led by Music Supervisor/Bandleader/Guitarist Ross Seligman bring the late ‘60s Joplin musical era vividly to life.

For anyone, including this writer, who had the good fortune to experience the Joplin mystique live and in person, One Night…called up irresistible memories, especially in songs such as “Piece of My Heart,” “Ball and Chain,” “Mercedes Benz” and “Me and Bobby McGee.”  And given the amount of silver-colored hair in the packed house audience, one suspects that a majority of the enthusiastic listeners also spent time with Janis in places such as Winterland and the Fillmores West and East.  Maybe even her breakout appearance in 1967’s Monterey Pop.

The Joplinaires, Mary Bridget Davies and Sabrina Elayne Carten

The show’s visual design, with its moving platform, multi-leveled staging and flashing lights wasn’t exactly a replica of the Joshua Light Shows at the Fillmores.  But the results were nonetheless visually impressive (even with the absence of the cannabis fragrance that so often permeated the Fillmore events).

So too were the interstitial narratives by Davies, recalling Janis’ early musical experiences as well as the intimacies of her philosophical beliefs.  Although she often amusingly described herself just a “white chick singing the blues,” Janis was far more than that, and Johnson’s script has convincingly captured the remarkable breadth of her beliefs, her character and her music.

At its best, One Night…is neither a tribute show nor a simulation.  It’s a persuasive view of a memorable chapter in 20^th century life and music as seen through the prism of Janis Joplin’s vivid, but far too short life.

* * * * * * * *

“One Night With Janis Joplin” continues at the Pasadena Playhouse through April 21.

Photos by Jim Cox courtesy of the Pasadena Playhouse.

LIve Jazz: Amanda Brecker at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.

By Don Heckman

Amanda Brecker, a new face in the continually expanding jazz vocal field, made a rare Southland appearance Wednesday night at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.  Arriving shortly after the release of her new CD, Blossom (Decca), she spent a substantial portion of her two set-program singing the songs of James Taylor and Carole King that she covers on the album.

That’s a memorable repertoire, one that was the virtual soundtrack for many music fans in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s via songs such as “It’s Too Late Now,” “Sweet Baby James,” and more.

Amanda Brecker

In contrast, Brecker, who plays guitar and piano, also included a substantial serving of her own songs, many from Here I Am, her award-winning first album, released in Japan.

Conceptually, the combination is an intriguing career move for Brecker.  Her youthful energy, soaring vocals and contemporary interpretations open the classic King/Taylor repertoire for a potentially broader demographic than graying, boomer memorabilia seekers.  Probably even a younger audience.  Add to that her own imaginative songs, which have clearly been influenced by the King/Taylor singer/songwriter styles.

But the real key, of course, is how effectively she delivers it.  Her recordings have been well received, the work of a gifted young artist.  (Her creative credentials have clearly been enhanced by the legacy of her parents – Brazilian jazz pianist/singer Eliane Elias and jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker.)

The Amanda Brecker Band

In addition, her performance at Vibrato was backed by the sterling accompaniment of guitarists Jesse Harris (who also produced Blossom) and Anthony Wilson, bassist Lee Sklar (who performed on some of the original King and Taylor recordings), pianist Jon Gilutin and drummer Mike Shapiro.

However, Brecker’s determined effort — along with Jesse Harris, her producer — to remain close, in concept and arrangement, to the original King/Taylor versions tended to somewhat limit her expressive potential.  And I couldn’t help but wonder what she might have done with songs such as “You’ve Got A Friend,” “I Don’t Want To Be Lonely Tonight, ”So Far Away” and “You Can Close Your Eyes” had she viewed them through the prism of her own creativity.

Nor did her originals, which were unfamiliar items, always emerge with the clarity they deserved.  Brecker is a song writer with a promising future.  But in performance, she would be well advised, at this stage, to frame her songs with the sort of brief introduction that could help draw her listeners into the heart of her musical story telling.

All that said, it was nonetheless a real pleasure to hear Amanda Brecker’s undeniable talents up close and personal. Amid the crowds of arriving female jazz singers, she’s one of a kind.

* * * * * * * *

Amanda Brecker photo by Bobby Colomby.

Amanda Brecker Band photo by Faith Frenz.

Live Music: Robert Randolph and the Slide Brothers at Royce Hall

By Mike Finkelstein

Last weekend at Royce Hall, CAP UCLA presented another intriguing show, as Robert Randolph and the Slide Brothers delivered a unique clinic on how to make a musical point with a steel guitar.   I’m not sure how many of us knew that the Slide Brothers use four or five non-identical steel guitars to build a marvelously layered sound.  But to watch as the four stations were set up across the stage you could feel the anticipation build.  What would this sound like?  And, how cool to get four of these contraptions firing at once in any room, be it a church or Royce Hall.  Bring it on!

The development of the Slide Brothers began in several Pentecostal churches back in the 1930’s.  In this Sacred Steel Style an amplified steel guitar, played sitting and tabled with a knife or a metal slide, is used to drive the melodic turns of a piece of music like a banshee.  It is a lightning bolt of sound that cuts through just about anything.

Robert Randolph

As a child, Robert Randolph was born into the House of God church in Orange, New Jersey and became fascinated with the Sacred Steel he heard in services.  He followed the pull of the steel guitar to become a monster player himself.  His heroes included pioneers of the style: Aubrey Ghent, Henry Nelson, and Chuck and Darick Campbell. The Slide Brothers lineup is basically Randolph playing onstage with several of the people from whom he learned the most about the style.

While the Sacred Steel music was confined under church roofs, Randolph didn’t listen to much else as a teen.  In the last ten years or so, he has become increasingly aware of and connected with secular blues music like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duane Allman, and Jimi Hendrix.   Randolph has brought the Sacred Steel out of the church, fitted it to some popular secular styles, and teamed up with his mentors to let the glory of the instrument speak for itself.

When the Slide Brothers came on we had the legendary Chuck Campbell and Randolph on pedal steel guitars, at opposite ends of the stage.  This, alone, represented 25 strings worth of harmonic possibilities.  In the middle were Aubrey Ghent and Calvin Cooke, and on the backline we had the booming rhythm section of Ray Holloman on bass and big Carlton Campbell (Chuck’s nephew) on drums.

Robert Randolph and the Slide Brothers

The music was tremendous, with the pulsating beat you would expect from Gospel music and the nuanced tones you would want from blues and even rock music. The Slide Brothers have just released a new album, Robert Randolph Presents The Slide Brothers, which features several familiar secular songs including, “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison, and the Tampa Red standard, “It Hurts Me Too.” Songs like “The Sky Is Crying,” made popular by Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” put a galvanizing perspective on the sound of this style. Hearing a familiar song done in a new style usually reveals a bit about the song and the players, too.  This was surely the case on Saturday.  On “Voodoo Child,” nobody sang the dark set of lyrics to the song.  But, they put the pedal to the metal instrumentally.

The sound was louder than usual for Royce and steel guitars do very well with a little extra lift.  Time after time, the Slide Brothers would pull the elements that make an electric steel guitar sound as big as a herd of elephants.   It was the nuances that made you take notice.   Slurred power chords and especially the sweet spot in the decay of a note feeding back.   The percussive chunk-a-chunk that pervades great rhythm guitar playing was also there, as was the wailing, writhing high notes.   Beyond that, organ voicings were also easy for the guys to reach on the pedal steels.  So, there were many options for which register they might choose — below the melody lines.   In the tradition of big amplified sound, the steels were sent through delay and distortion effects, and even wah-wah pedals.

Robert Randolph can flat out fly on a steel guitar.   He peeled off several stunning pentatonic runs that evoked and perhaps eclipsed a standard electric guitar.  Impressive, as there are no frets on a pedal steel guitar.  But then he would delve into the steel’s harmonic voicings for striking contrast.   His foil on stage right was Chuck Campbell, a big presence on a bench behind his steel.  His style leaned more towards composed, swirling chordal movement.   Together they covered some wide and serious tonal ground, while balancing each other’s sound.

To be sure, most of us had never seen anything like this and probably won’t until we go see them live again.  Not a lot of people do what Randolph and the Slide Brothers are doing.   It should be delightful to see where they turn for material in the future and how they arrange it when they get there.

Otis Taylor and his band from Boulder opened the show with an impressive set of songs that were rooted in blues but branched out in funkier directions to come across as some intriguing rock music.   Taylor’s band featured the animated performance of Anne Harris on violin and the very hot licks of Shawn Starski on lead guitar.  Taylor himself had a warm way about him and the set’s energy got the audience primed for the treat awaiting them with the Slide Brothers.

To read more reviews and posts by Mike Finkelstein click HERE. 

Live Song: Sally Kellerman at Vitello’s

By Don Heckman

Studio City, CA.  Sally Kellerman was at Vitello’s again Wednesday night. So were a lot of the songs she sang in her previous few bookings at the venue.  And it occurred to me that – if Sally was going to repeat the same material — then I might as well also repeat some of my comments about those previous reviews.  For full disclosure, I’ll print those previous comments in italics.

She started her set, appropriately, given the approaching holiday with “My Funny Valentine.”  But the next six tunes – “How Sweet It Is,” “The Look of Love.” “Walk on By,” “Spooky,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” and “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” – were done in an identical sequence she’s used in the past — more than once.

Sally Kellerman

            There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that.  At her best – which is almost always the case, Sally’s performances are all utterly mesmerizing.  And this one was no exception, despite the repetitious material.  Hearing (and seeing) Sally wrap up her set with “Don’t You Feel My Leg” is only one of the many pleasures she offers.

            And what became crystal clear – in these repeated numbers, as well as such newer items in the Kellerman catalog as Hall & Oates “Say It Isn’t So” — was the utterly appropriate believability that Sally brought to each of her interpretations. 

  

Sally Kellerman

          Yes, she’s an experienced actress as well as a singer, but it wasn’t just theatrical skills that she brought to her songs, as she moved with consummate ease across a stunning gamut of musical emotions.  Some were hilarious – as when she wound up singing one of the songs while reclining on the floor.  Others had the bold and brassy touch of a blues singer.  Still others had the intimacy of expressive whispers in one’s ear.

            In addition to the older blues-oriented tunes, Sally’s set was enriched by songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s, done in her own fashion.  And one couldn’t help but speculate that a recording devoted to material from the period could help bring Sally’s inimitable talents to an audience that still thinks of her as Hot Lips. Even though she is much more.  At her best, and in a crowded female vocal field, she is one of the rare true originals.

Those previous four paragraphs, describing her past performances, are completely applicable to Wednesday night’s appearance.  All of which underscores the extent of her abilities.  The songs may have been sung before, but what she brought to them was the expressive authenticity of a true musical story-teller.  Now its time for Sally to find more stories to tell.

* * * * * * * *

Photos by Faith Frenz.  

Picks of the Week: Feb. 5 – 10

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles 

Sally Kellerman

- Feb. 6. (Wed.)  Sally Kellerman.  The inimitable Ms. Kellerman is back, this time with an evening of Valentine’s Day songs in a program titled, appropriately, “Love.”  Don’t miss it.  Vitello’s.    (818) 769-0905.

- Feb. 7 – 10. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Robben Ford. Guitarist Ford, who moves easily across boundaries from blues to jazz and beyond, celebrates the imminent release of his new album, Bringing It Back Home.  Catalina Bar & Grill.  (223) 466-2210.

- Feb. 8. (Fri.)  Bill Cunliffe Big Band.  “Bach to the Future.”  Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated pianist/composer/arranger Cunliffe leads his big band in his jazz imagining of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.  Later, starting at 9:30 p.m., pianist John Campbell will perform in a new Vitello’s weekly event – Piano Night in the downstairs dining room.   Vitello’s.   (818) 769-0905.

- Feb. 8 & 9. (Fri. & Sat.)  Rhythm of the Dance.  Irish step dancing in all its colorful variations, delivered by an expert company of dancers.  Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts  (562) 916-8501.

Wayne Shorter

- Feb, 9. (Sat.)  Wayne Shorter Quartet with Esperanza Spalding and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  Saxophonist/composer Shorter presents the world premiere of a work for Esperanza and the L.A. Phil, commissioned by the Philharmonic.  Disney Hall.  (323) 850-2000.  www.laphil.com

- Feb. 9. (Sat.)  Rob Lockhart Quartet.  Versatile saxophonist Lockhart, an A-list sideman, steps into the spotlight.  He’s backed by pianist Josh Nelson, bassist Pat Senatore and drummer Mark Ferber.  Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.   (310) 474-9400.

- Feb. 9 & 10. (Sat. & Sun.)  The Russian National Ballet Theatre. One of Russia’s finest ballet companies presents a pair of classics.   Sat.: Sleeping Beauty.  Sun.: Cinderella.  Valley Performing Arts Center.    (818) 677-3000.

- Feb, 10. (Sun.)  Ann Hampton Callaway.  “The Streisand Songbook”  Pianist/singer Callaway, who moves easily from jazz to pop to cabaret, offers a program of songs associated with Barbra Streisand.  Disney Hall.  (323) 850-2000.

San Francisco

- Feb. 7 – 10 (Thurs. – Sun.).  Dave Holland.  Bassist Holland displays his far-reaching musical versatility in four unique programs.  Thurs: Solo.  Fri.: Duo with Kenny Barron.  Sat.: Quintet.  Sun.: Dave Holland Prism.  SFJAZZ at Miner Auditorium.     (866) 920-5299.

Washington D.C.

Joshua Redman

- Feb. 7 – 10 (Thurs. – Sun.)  Joshua Redman.  The always adventurous, Grammy-nominated saxophonist stretches the musical genre-boundaries in search of new and compelling improvisational ideas.  Blues Alley.   (202) 337-4141.

New York City

- Feb. 5 – 9.  (Tues. – Sat.)  Lou Donaldson Organ Quartet.  He’s one of the still active iconic jazz saxophonist, performing this time in the grooving environment of an organ quartet.  Birdland.    (212) 581-3080.

- Feb. 5 – 10. (Tues. – Sun.)  Ron Carter Quartet.  Carter is not only a brilliant bassist and composer, he’s also a stimulating leader who knows how to assemble an imaginative jazz group.  This time out, he’s with pianist Renee Rosnes, drummer Payton Crossley and percussionist Rolando Morales-Matos.  The Blue Note.    (212) 475-8592.

Paris

Marianne Faithfull

- Feb. 9. (Sat.)  Marianne Faithfull and Bill Frisell.  It’s a fascinating combination.  Pop star/actress Faithfull has been an iconic figure since the ‘60s.  Versatile guitarist Frisell seems determined to try something new in every outing.  The combination should be intriguing.   New Morning.   01 45 23 51 41.

Copenhagen

- Feb. 7 & 8. (Thurs. & Fri.)  Leszek Mozdzer/Lars Danielsson Duo.  The names may be unfamiliar to English-speaking jazz fans, but pianist Mozdzer and bassist Danielsson play together with a spirit of jazz togetherness that reaches beyond the limits of languages. Jazzhus Montmartre.    (+45) 70 263 267.

Milan

- Feb. 7 – 9.  )Thurs. – Sat.)  Billy Cobham. Veteran drummer Cobham has assembled a band of players from France and England into a collective of true international jazz.   Blue Note Milano.    02.690 16888.

Tokyo

Monty Alexander

- Feb. 8 & 9. (Fri. & Sat.)  Monty Alexander: The Harlem-Kingston Express.  It’s a perfectly named band, with Jamaica-born pianist Alexander blending his impressive jazz playing with the traditional sounds and rhythms of his roots. Blue Note Tokyo.   03-5485-0088.

* * * * * * * *

Sally Kellerman, Wayne Shorter and Joshua Redman  photos by Tony Gieske.

A Twist of Doc: The 2013 NAMM Convention Performance Highlights

 By Devon “Doc” Wendell

The 2013 NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) convention took place in Anaheim California between Thursday, January 24^th and Sunday, January 27^th. Despite throngs of inebriated metal heads roaming the Anaheim streets, instrument booths in the convention hall, and thousands of music merchants packed into the Anaheim Convention center like sardines, there were several stellar musical performances by some legendary names and innovators in the music industry, especially in the jazz and blues categories.

Here are some of 2013 NAMM’s many concert highlights:

On Friday night, Hammond Organ presented its two-plus hour “Hammond Soul Summit” Concert at The Anaheim Marriot, which featured some of the instrument’s greatest and most influential practitioners.

Dr. Lonnie Smith

Kicking off the show was the legendary jazz and funk Hammond B3 pioneer, Dr. Lonnie Smith performing with the incredible Chester Thompson (Tower Of Power and Santana) and Larry Goldings (Al Jarreau, Maceo Parker, John Mayer).  The three organ titans performed a loose and funky rendition of Smith’s classic “Keep Talkin’.”  Backed by a dynamic rhythm section (Jay Didimo on drums and Jack Maher on electric guitar), Smith and Thompson began swapping bluesy organ licks, trying to upstage one another, pushing the exchanges to ecstatic heights. The energy was electric and took the predominately rock loving NAMM audience back to school. Goldings soloed on an acoustic piano preset on his electric keyboard, playing jazz-fueled gospel chops while Thompson and Smith comped rhythm changes and walking organ bass lines behind him. Unfortunately, they were only allotted time to play one number.

Marty Grebb

Up next, Marty Grebb (Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Etta James) took the stage, backed by some of the greatest session players in the world (Reggie McBride on bass and Alvino Bennett on drums) with special guest, 12 year old blues guitar virtuoso, Ray Goren.  After a Jimmy Smith-esque blues shuffle showcasing the young Goren’s fiery electric blues guitar runs and Grebb’s down-home B3 style, another guest was introduced — Marty Grebb’s old musical partner from the Buckinghams,  Dennis Tuffano, on vocals.  Together, Tuffano and Grebb sang The Buckinghams’ 1967 hit “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.”

Though it was hard for Tuffano to come close to topping Grebb’s soulful, Ray Charles- inspired vocals, he proved to still have the fire. This was the most nostalgic and exciting moment of the convention. Goren played some tasteful B.B. King style licks with the maturity of a musician 3 times his age, proving that he’s definitely someone to watch out for.

Larry Goldings

Larry Goldings returned to the stage with his trio (Jack Maher: guitar, Jay Didimo: drums), performing a brilliantly original arrangement of the Sonny Rollins classic “Doxy.” Golding’s imagination, fluidity, and inspiring skills incorporated many of Rollins’ saxophone lines in his organ solo and made it look easy.

Although many hard-rock acts dominated the main stage throughout the convention, Nick Smith And Friends performed a set of pure jazz at 4:00pm on Saturday.  Tonight Show keyboardist Smith was joined by an all-star band consisting of Marvin “Smitty” Smith: drums, Cory Jacobs: keyboard, Trevor Ware: Upright bass, James Manning: Electric bass, Antonio Julius: trumpet, Ray Fuller: guitar, and Kamasi Washington on tenor sax.

Nick Smith

Performing a set of hard-bop originals such as “Alternative Way,” “Slow But Surely” (a masterful tribute to Thelonious Monk), and “Tony Williams” (a salute to jazz drum legend Tony Williams), Nick Smith And Friends proved to be one of the most consistently brilliant jazz bands around today.  Amazingly (believe it or not), Nick Smith played with the syncopation and humor of Monk and virtuosic energy and fluidity of McCoy Tyner in what I can already predict will be among my top ten performances of 2013. Marvin “Smitty” Smith’s bombastic drumming pushed the entire band to play beyond their comfort zone, which is what true improvised jazz is all about. And Kamasi Washington’s playing brought to mind the adventurous spirit of a young Wayne Shorter or mid-60s Joe Henderson.

Even the band’s final tune, “Yeah” (which was a slight venture into funk/fusion) felt fresh and fun without the typical clichés of those genres. Nick Smith And Friends’ too short set was filled with an understanding and love of the history of hard-bop, modal jazz, with just a hint of fusion.  Later that evening Muriel Anderson’s “All Star Guitar Night” was presented by Yamaha guitars, and a benefit and silent auction for The Music For Life Alliance took place at The Anaheim Marriot’s Platinum Ballroom.

Though the big name acts like Stanley Jordan, Robben Ford (who received The Guitar Player Certified Legend award at the event) and host and performer Muriel Anderson were the big name draws of this “exclusive” event, it was some of the lesser known names who were the most interesting of the long showcase.

Mimi Fox

.

.

Jazz guitarist Mimi Fox performed elegant and thoughtful versions of Wes Montgomery’s “Four By Six” and Chic Corea’s “Five Hundred Miles High,” using open harmonics and sweeping arpeggios, all while playing lead and rhythm simultaneously. It was easy to see why Fox has been sought after by Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, and Branford Marsalis, among others.

.

Ian Ethan Case

.

Ian Ethan Case is a young guitarist with a style that is both sonically and visually original and unorthodox in all the best ways. Case’s performance at this showcase surely had many six-stringers rethink the possibilities of the guitar. Case plays a double neck acoustic guitar in a unique and percussive manner, strumming the six string side of the guitar with one hand, while fretting chords and lead sequences on the 12 string side with the other hand, over the neck of the guitar while occasionally thumping his fists on the instrument’s body, creating polyrhythms. One must see this to believe it. His ideas were endless, playing a style that had elements of country, acoustic rock, and bluegrass, but is a completely unique sound nonetheless.

Case’s ballad “Anthony’s Lullaby”, dedicated to his infant son, had a dream-like, dissonant yet dark, melodic quality to it. It was refreshing to witness a guitarist who has created his own style and is not emulating a host of other players.

Vocalist Toots Hibbert and guitarist Carl Harvey are know for their work in the prolific reggae band Toots And The Maytals, but their acoustic, Delta Blues renditions of the Maytals’ classics “Reggae Got Soul” and “54-46 Was My Number” was a brilliant departure for these two men from the reggae world.  As both men strummed acoustic guitars, with Harvy playing an occasional piercing lead, Hibbert’s vocals sounded like a cross between the late Reverend Gary Davis and Richie Havens.  Their country blues arrangements gave the songs new fire and soul. This was pure blues without any of the affectations that many guitarists of other genres who try to conquer the blues are often guilty of falling back on.

James Hill

Ukulele master James Hill and bassist Bakithi Kumalo (bassist on Paul Simon’s Graceland album) brought some much needed humor to this event, performing a witty reading of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean,” with Hill singing and playing the chord changes on ukulele and Kumalo playing the funky bass line on a small, short scale bass.  The sound of Hill playing those syncopated minor ninth chords on a ukulele made his performance one to remember for a long time. Although Hill is a skilled musician, it’s rare and refreshing to see an artist at an event like this who doesn’t take himself too seriously and isn’t afraid to show it.

So that’s it for my NAMM 2013 highlights. At a huge event like this, it’s quality over quantity as there were hundreds of performances during the four day convention.

Like most of the NAMM attendees, I’m exhausted yet already curious about next year’s lineup of showcases and events.

* * * * * * * *

To read more reviews and posts by Devon Wendell click HERE.

Video of the Day: The Perpetuum Jazzile Choir Sings “Wave”

The Perpetuum Jazzile Choir from Slovenia is a superb ensemble of young singers whose repertoire reaches from jazz, pop and Swing to bossa nova, funk and gospel.  They’ve toured Europe, Canada and the U.S., performing the music of Jobim, the Beatles, Van Halen, Lady Gaga and beyond, usually done in rich a cappella harmonies and rhythms –- and always with striking musical authenticity.  Here they perform Jobim’s “Wave.”

* * * * * * * *

Thanks to Roger Crane for turning us on to this remarkable musical collective.  To see and hear more videos by Perpetuum Jazille click HERE.

Live Jazz: Michael Feinberg at The Blue Whale

By Cathy Segal-Garcia

Los Angeles. Michal Feinberg, writes All About Jazz,  “is a vibrant young bassist/composer whose voice conveys a distinct musical vision, (he) continues to bring fresh ideas to life with music that incorporates jazz, hip hop, and rock, as well as influences from his Middle Eastern and Eastern European heritage.”

At this time Michael is 25 years old, living on the east coast.  Already having played for years with such fine jazz musicians as Slide Hampton, Ambrose Akinmusire, Lee Ritenour, Kenny Werner and many others, he is making his way via recording, touring, teaching, garnering attention from magazines and receiving awards.

Michael Feinberg

Last Friday, in Michael’s second visit from New York to perform at L.A.’s Blue Whale, the Feinberg band’s first set found him playing with Louis Cole on drums, Miro Sprague on piano and Phillip Dizack on trumpet.  Guitarist Brent Canter (new on the L.A. scene, but already making inroads) was invited to come up to play at the end of the set.

They opened with a Branford Marsalis song — “Black Widow Blues.”  Having not heard the piece before, I’m not sure how it sounds when Branford does it, but this version was fun.  Louis Cole was playing the sort of intriguing beat that is right up his alley — funky but with a straight 16^th notes feeling, and so creative.  Michael on (electric) bass, laid down a groove that drove the music on, with energetic matching and counter-rhythms.  And the theme was played between solos from everyone, with lots of shifting dynamics and full-on volume when they were building excitement.

Each player played well in this format, never crowding each other or the music, but playing full out.

Miro Sprague

.

Pianist Sprague, currently at the Thelonius Monk Institute, has numerous impressive accomplishments in his resume, touring/teaching/recording with some fine artists.  And no wonder.  This young man’s touch on the piano has sensitivity, space, and interesting harmonic perspectives.

Phillip Dizack

.

.

Trumpeter Dizack has received sparkling reviews, filled with comments such as “potent,” “guts” and “grand vision.”  And he was indeed amazing to listen to — clear minded, with beautiful technique and great ideas.

Louis Cole

.

Drummer Cole attended USC, and grew up in a musical family.  I’ve seen/heard him several times, always intrigued by his combination of pop styles with jazz rhythms. Much of the music now played by younger jazz-oriented musicians such as Cole is great for fans of newer styles, and especially for younger listeners. It’s edgy at times, the volume is often louder, and it’s intense.  But it sustains the basic improvisational nature of jazz, while being completely in the here and now.

The Blue Whale is only three years old, but has already proven itself in many substantial ways.  The owner, Joon Lee, has been featured on NPR.  On New Year’s Eve 2011/2012 NPR did a broadcast from the club featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater.  And the highest quality musicians, from literally all over the world, are seeking out the Blue Whale as a desirable place to play. The environment is creative, and the room feels warm and intimate, great for acoustic playing and close listening.  There is no stage, with bands usually setting up at the end of the room.  Seating is mostly ottomans, with some chairs if a body needs one.  There’s good lighting and excellent sound.

On the angled ceiling, several Rumi quotes speak to the higher callings of ourselves, regarding music…

“I should sell my tongue and buy a thousand ears when that one steps near and begins to speak.”

To read more about Cathy Segal-Garcia on her own website, click HERE.