Live Music: Dori Caymmi at a Jazz Bakery Movable Feast

By Cathy Segal-Garcia

Los Angeles, CA.  Here I am, sitting in the Kirk Douglas Theatre, waiting for the world-renowned guitarist/vocalist/composer/arranger/producer, Dori Caymmi, to come out to start the show. A beautiful theatre, slanted up seating, with a medium large stage on the floor, the newest and most intimate of Center Theatre Group’s family of theatres.

We scored a seat in the very front center, so I’m pretty turned on because I love being close to musicians.  Being a singer, I like to feel up close and personal, feeling like I’m actually part of the band.  There’s a stool in the center with an expectant mic, a piano and keyboard, a stool in the center back, and drums.  I’m excited!

The group, a quartet, comes out after an introduction from Jazz Bakery founder Ruth Price. Dori’s voice is at once beautiful and distinct.  A rich baritone, with depth of emotion that make my insides release.  Add that voice to a slow bossa beat, with subtleties of the rhythms and harmonies coming through the players…and it’s romantic and beautiful from the very first moment.

The music is harmonically leading and surprising, which is part of what makes it so amazing to listen to.  Within the same song, there are passages of different lengths, that are significantly different, but they relate and flow out of each other and into the next; like a river, running gently and endlessly, around rocks and curves, on and on.

The 2nd song showcased the pianist, Bill Cantos, singing his own keyboard solo… Wonderful!   Vocally exciting, and great musical ideas… motifs repeating and developing into an exciting build and gentle drop.

Dori Caymmi

A slow, painfully beautiful “Corcovado” was next.  How do the great Brazilian musicians create this gorgeous style, time and again?  Dori is having a love affair with the song, with the notes, the way they sit in the harmony, the Portuguese lyrics….

And yet right after, this sweetheart of a man makes a joke relating to his “depressed versions of Brazilian music,” before going into a mind blowing arrangement of “Brazil.”  I have never heard or imagined a more beautiful and interesting arrangement.  It took me at least  32 bars before I recognized it.  The form seemed different, the chords were definitely beautiful substitutions, and even the melody, sung and played by Dori at first, seemed only slightly familiar. At a slow, sensuous groove, with all the rest, it was truly a holy experience.

Jerry Watts on electric bass was a prominent part of the music.  A versatile and strong musician, in this setting, as each musician, he held his reins and released at just the right times.  Playing his bass like a guitar, his rhythmic choices seemed comfortable and perfect, even with their complexity.

The drummer Aaron Serfaty was unobtrusive in the best way, to say the least.  Percussive, as if adding to an orchestra, light and perfectly rhythmic on his small drum set

Dori , soon to be merely 70 (how lucky are we, to be able to hear him more) was relaxed and talkative in between songs…making the audience love him all the more.  He talked about his father and mother, Dorival Caymmi and Stella Maris, both famous Brazilian musicians.   And an upcoming recording project he will do with his sister (famous vocalist Nana Caymmi) and brother (famous musician Danilo Caymmi)…dedicated to their Dad.  Then he played one of his Dad’s hits …”Acontec Que Eu Sou Baiano.”   Dorival was known as “the poet of the seas of Bahia.”

It was difficult to make notes while I listened; the music was so touching to the soul and the ears that I didn’t want to be distracted from it.  And yet, when I’m excited by music, I want to write about it.

And speaking of making love to the songs…how about making love through the songs?  Like a good lover, the music and the musicians find a sensuous wonderful groove, lock into it, stroke it with notes and harmony until, building slowly and gradually, it’s obvious that it must release…

“The Harbor”…(sigh).  Dori told a beautiful and sad introduction about the music of his father…about how he would tell about seemingly simple things like stepping on pieces of wood in the water that led to the boats.  And how, now, there is no more of that; it’s all been commercialized.  Dori wrote “The Harbor” as an ode to the old way.

Brazilian musicians and singers tend to state the melody as written, milking it with the tone of the instrument and the emotion of the voice.  That’s why listeners fall in love with the basic songs, with their melody and harmony.  American jazz singers, however, learn that the songs of the Great American Songbook were written down very basically.  A singer learns them, then changes them – with the phrasing, the melody, the rhythm.  And I believe not even the composer expected or desired you to sing it as exactly as it was written.

One gets the idea that Brazilian composers want something else.  Or perhaps it’s the culture that leads the performing artists into this kind of musical perspective.  A perspective in which the language and flow of the story – via both the lyrics and the music — communicate deeply the imaginative tales of their rich history and culture.

I left the concert with a lovely CD, my soul filled with beauty, and a desire to sing with Dori.  The perfect response to a perfect musical evening.

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

Live Music: Alan Bergman at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.

By Don Heckman

Bel Air, CA.  Alan Bergman made one of his too-rare club appearances Wednesday night in an utterly captivating performance at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.   It’s always a pleasure to hear songwriters do their own music.  And even more fascinating when the songwriter is as fine a performing artist as Bergman.  In his mid eighties, his voice is still young and warm, his phrasing alive with interpretive expressiveness.

Alan Bergman

Of course it helps that Bergman and his wife Marilyn have written some of the most extraordinary song lyrics of the past few decades.  Working with such stellar composers as Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, Johnny Mandel, Dave Grusin and others, the couple has produced Academy Award and Golden Globe Award songs.  In 1983 three of their songs were included among the five Academy Award nominees.

Performing before a packed house crowd sprinkled with music and film world celebrities, Bergman presented the same relaxed demeanor he usually displays in his occasional live appearances.  Backed by the superb accompaniment of pianist Bill Cantos and bassist Kevin Axt, he led an intriguing musical tour through the far-reaching Bergman songbook (as well as the offbeat addition of a hilarious Cantos song, “Everybody’s on the Phone,” sung by its composer.)

Starting the set, Bergman noted that it would be an evening of love songs – of love in all its many manifestations.  And he delivered on the promise — not surprisingly, since love is the primary topic of so many of the Bergman songs.  But there was more, too – much more.

The first two songs, the jaunty “Nice and Easy,” followed by the poignant intimacy of  “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?, ” immediately revealed the creative depths of the Bergman’s love lyrics.

Alan Bergman

Other, equally far ranging tunes included the cri de coeur of “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” the stunning sequence of images in “The Windmills of Your Mind” and the unabashed expressiveness of “That Face” (actually written by Alan Bergman as a love song to Marilyn Bergman).

Add to that such breakout hits as “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and “Memories (The Way We Were).”

And there was some new material as well, including the whimsical description of the Bergmans’ working relationship – “One Washes, One Dries” – the rap style of “The Lord Made Woman,” and a gorgeously melodic partnership with composer Roger Kellaway on “A Place That You Want To Call Home.”

Mentioning some of the gifted composers he and Marilyn have worked with, Alan offered a brief but illuminating thought about their process, as lyricists.  “The words are on the tips of the notes,” he said.  “And we have to find them.”

That they’ve done precisely that was amply clear in the program of songs he sang.  While each of those songs is fully capable of standing on its own, his readings – for this listener – are the definitive versions.  I’ve heard Alan do a similar program several times in the past.  But on this night his performance was exquisite, lovingly grasping the fullness of each song, finding the magic linkages between the words and “the tips of the notes.”

Photos by Bobby Colomby.

Live Brazilian Music: Dori Caymmi at a Jazz Bakery Movable Feast

By Michael Katz

Ruth Price brought The Jazz Bakery back to its once and future home in Culver City this weekend, and Westsiders gratefully filled the Kirk Douglas Theatre to capacity Saturday night for a stunning performance by Brazilian composer/singer/guitarist Dori Caymmi. Caymmi boasts a family lineage that predates the samba and bossa nova movement of Jobim, Bonfa, Joao Gilberto and others. His father, Dorival Caymmi, was one of Brazil’s most enduring songwriters, perhaps best known in this country for “O Cantador” (“Like A Lover”); his siblings, Nana and Danilo, have long been a fixture on the Brazilian scene.

Dori Caymmi

Dori, silver haired now and humorously giving nods to age, has a haunting, darkly romantic voice. Singing almost entirely in Portuguese, he manages to communicate the feelings of loss and yearning almost intuitively. His rich, dark tones draw you into the music and his quartet ably provides the texture to fill in the linguistic gaps.

The first third of the ninety minute concert touched on songs from Dorival Caymmi’s era and beyond. Dori used the familiar melody of Jobim’s “Desifinado” as an opening bridge to “Aquarela Do Brasil.” Ary Barrosso’s anthem has stood up to all manner of interpretation; Caymmi’s is brooding, almost foreboding. He gave way to Bill Cantos on keyboards and synthesizer, and Jerry Watts on electric bass. If you are used to the sometimes lush accompaniment of strings and flutes that have supported Caymmi on his recordings and augmented much of Jobim’s music, the electronics can be a bit jarring at first, but Cantos handled them with a light touch, adding his own vocals later in the set. Mark Shapiro handled the full range of percussion instruments, contributing to the drama inherent in Caymmi’s voicings.

There followed one of Dorival’s compositions, a more upbeat, samba-like tune, and then Jobim’s “Corcovado,” introduced by Caymmi’s spare guitar fingerings, dropping down into a minor chord. Like many of the great Brazilian guitarists, Gilberto in particular, Caymmi uses the guitar in an almost surgical fashion. His performance is less a singer accompanying himself than a duet between voice and strings. Shapiro, in particular, is expert in adding the Brazilian rhythms unobtrusively and on “Corcovado,” Cantos contributed a falsetto vocal, skipping lightly over his keyboard patter.

The middle third of the evening was devoted mainly to Caymmi’s latest CD, Poesia Musicada, which sets to music the poetry of Paulo Cesar Pinheiro. Caymmi performed three songs, all in Portuguese, most of which defied any direct translation – “Estrelo Cinco Pontas” roughly comes to “Five Point Star” — but that was about the extent of it. Still, the romantic tenor of the poetry-set-to-music came through without much need for it. The third song, “Velho Do Mar,” an elegy to the coastal city of Bahia in the era when his father was a young man, communicated a longing for a world left behind that resonates especially well here in Los Angeles.

There were plenty of Caymmi originals left in the program, including “Obsession,” which Sarah Vaughan recorded in 1987 on her Brazilian Romance album (with English lyrics). Caymmi’s rendition, not surprisingly, is dark and dangerous, wordless in parts, with some outstanding keyboard work from Cantos. Toward the end of the set, Caymmi picked up the pace with three numbers from Brazilian Serenata, his 1991 CD that has had the widest following here. Voce Ja Foi a Bahia?, a samba written by his father, turned the mood upbeat, with Cantos again supplying a vocal accompaniment and Jerry Watts utilizing a rounded-off timbre on the electric bass to keep the tone pulsating. Caymmi closed out the set with “Amazon River,” the anthem that begins and ends Serenata, and brought the band back for “Ninho de Vespa,” – literally “Beehive,” a traditional samba-esque tune from the same CD.

All in all, it was a rewarding evening for the jazz-starved Westside. It was great to see the Kirk Douglas theatre filled and we can only hope that the new Bakery will be laying it’s foundation before too long.

Picks of the Week: June 5 – 10

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

- June 5. (Tues.)  “And Then She Wrote.”  Peter Marshall, Carol Welsman, Calabria Foti.  Five time Emmy Award-winning Marshall (Yes, he sings, too) is joined by the lovely singer/instrumentalists Welsman and Foti in an evening of great standards written by women. Vitello’s.   (818) 769-0905.

- June 5. (Tues.)  Corliss Dale and Lou Forestieri.  Pianist/arranger  Forestieri’s impressive resume reaches from Stanley Clarke to Mel Torme and beyond.  He and his singing wife Dale have released a pair of impressive albums of standards; Fascinating Rhythms and Crazy Rhythm.  Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.     (310) 474-9400.

- June 6. (Wed.)  The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses.  The music from one of the most popular video games of all time is performed by a full orchestra.  The program features music based on story lines from “Ocarina of Time,” “The Wind Waker,” “Twilight Princess” and “A Link to the Past.” The Greek Theatre.  (323) 665-5857.

Fabiana Passoni

- June 7. (Thurs.) Fabiana Passoni.  Her sultry vocals have earned Passoni the title of Best Brazilian Singer Living in the U.S. from the Brazilian International Press.  Despite the difficult interruptions of a three year battle with cancer, her musical journey has continued to discover new areas of creativity.  She’ll be backed by a ten piece band featuring the stellar presence of, among others, pianist Bill Cantos and guitarist Kleber Jorge. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.    (310) 474-9400.  Also at Yoshi’s San Francisco on Sun. (See below.)

- June 7 – 9. (Thurs. – Sat.)  Freddy Cole Quartet.  If the voice sounds familiar, don’t be surprised.  He’s Nat Cole’s younger brother, and he’s fashioned those memorable vocal timbres into an appealing style all his own.  At a time when engaging male jazz singers are in short supply, don’t miss the chance to hear Cole in action.  Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- June 7 – 9. (Thurs. – Sat.)  Peter Cetera.  If the name doesn’t instantly ring a bell, think “Chicago.”  And, no, not the city, the great rock group of the ‘70s that rode to fame on Cetera’s memorable vocals.  Segerstrom Center for the Arts.     (714) 556-2787.

- June 8. (Fri.) Primus.  For nearly three decades Primus has been stretching the envelope in the style of Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd.  Also on the bill, Fishbone, a high visibility presence in L.A.’s alternative rock scene since the ‘80s.  Greek Theatre.   (323) 665-5857.

Ernie Watts

- June 8. (Fri.)  Ernie Watts.  Grammy-winner Watts’ versatile saxophone playing has been heard over the past four decades on more than 500 recordings in the company of artists reaching from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa.  And he’s still going strong.  LACMA.    (323) 857-6000.

- June 8. (Fri.) Big Phat Band.  Gordon Goodwin’s collection of L.A. all-stars perform selections from his always-swinging book of originals and re-invented standards.  Vitello’s.    (818) 769-0905.

- June 10. (Sun.)  Los Angeles Master Chorale. Tribute to Gorecki.  The superb voices of the LAMC close the season with a trio of sonically mesmerizing works by the great Polish composer, as well as the Brahms motet for chorus, Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein rein Herz.  Disney Hall.   (323) 850-2000.

- June 10. (Sun.)  Chickenfoot.  All-star rock group Chickenfoot – Joe Satriani, Kenny Aronoff, Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar – arrive in support of their latest album, Chickenfoot III.  Also on the bill – Black Stone Cherry. Greek Theatre.  (323) 665-5857.

San Francisco

Rick Braun

- June 8 – 10.  (Fri. – Sun.)  Rick Braun. Trumpeter/vocalist Braun, following in the Chet Baker footsteps, combining his warm and amiable vocals with an appealingly melodic trumpet style.  Yoshi’s Oakland.    (510) 238-9200.

June 10. (Sun.)   Fabiana Passoni.  Brazilian singer Passoni makes her second California appearance this week.  See above L.A. entry for more details.  Yoshi’s San Francisco.    (415) 655-5600.

Washington D.C.

- June 8 – 10.  (Fri. – Sun.)  Kenny Garrett. Cutting edge alto saxophonist Garrett’s early roots trace to a five year stint with Miles Davis’ electric bands.  But he’s traveled his own path since then, fully apparent in his latest album, Seeds From the Underground.  Blues Alley.  http://bluesalley.com/events.cfm  (202) 337-4141.

New York

Karrin Allyson

- June 5 – 9. (Tues. – Sat.)  Karrin Allyson. Twenty years after her debut album, I Didn’t Know About You, was released, Allyson continues to set standards for what great jazz singing can and should be – via her superb musicality, rich sense of swing and her utterly engrossing storytelling abilities.  Birdland.    (212) 581-3080.

- June 5 – 10. (Tues. – Sun.)  Renee Rosnes Quartet.  Pianist Rosnes, always a jazz adventurer, checks out fascinating territories with the world class companionship of Steve Nelson, vibes, Peter Washington, bass and Lewis Nash, drums.  Village Vanguard.   (212) 929-4589.

- June 5 – 10. (Tues. – Sun.)  Dudka Da Fonseca & Helio Alves.  “Samba, Jazz and the Music of Jobim”  An evening revealing, in delightfully rhythmic fashion, the creatively compelling links between jazz and the music of Brazil. With Anat Cohen, Claudio Roditi, George Mraz and Maucha Adnet.  Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola.    (212) 258-9800.

- June 7 – 10. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Charles McPherson. Alto saxophonist McPherson has been convincingly carrying the torch for bebop since he performed on the soundtrack of Clint Eastwood’s 1988 Charlie Parker film, Bird.   Jazz Standard.   (212) 576-2232.

London

Danilo Perez

- June 6 (Wed.)  Danilo Perez.  Panama-born pianist/composer/educator Perez’s career arc reaches from intimate musical relationships with Dizzy Gillespie to Wayne Shorter.  With a lot of stops in between, thoroughly establishing himself as one of the influential jazz voices of his generation.  Ronnie Scott’s.   020 7439 0747.

Picks of the Week: Sept. 26 – Oct. 2

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

Herbie Hancock

- Sept. 27. (Tuesday)  Opening Night Gala at Disney Hall.  The new season kicks off with a performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, performed by the stellar combination of Herbie Hancock, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.  Also on the program, An American in Paris and the Cuban Overture. Disney Hall.   (323) 850-2000.

- Sept. 27. (Tuesday).  Barbara Morrison Benefit.  Another opportunity to help one of Southland jazz’s greatest jazz vocal treasures in her hour of need.  Morrison’s medical expenses – the result of surgery associated with diabetes – have escalated, and she needs support.  The program of performers is unannounced at the moment.  Check with the club for details.  Vibrato Jazz Grill…etc.   (310) 474-9400.

- Sept. 27. (Tues.)  Emmylou Harris and her Red Dirt Boys.  12-time Grammy winner Harris brings rich expressiveness to everything she sings – whether interpreting other songwriters’ works or her own emotionally illuminating songs.  Also on the program – special guests Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller. The Greek Theatre.

- Sept. 28. (Wed.)  Marilyn Scott.  Veteran singer Scott has moved easily across the boundaries between jazz and pop, creating expressive pleasures wherever she goes.  She performs with Jimmy Haslip, Mitch Forman, Gary Novak and Mike Miller.  Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.

- Sept. 29. (Thurs.)  “Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Project”  Mary Wilson of the Supremes applies her elegant vocal skills to songs associated with the legendary actress/singer,  James Gavin narrates material from his Horne biography, accompanied by rare audio and video clips.  A Jazz Bakery Movable Feast.  The Musicians Institute.  (310) 271-9039.

Ravi Shankar

- Sept. 29. (THurs.)  Ravi Shankar.  The pioneer of Indian classical music, Pandit Shankar has been – since the ‘50s – bringing the subtle, complex, but immensely engaging music and rhythms of ragas and talas to Western audiences.  Disney Hall.   (323) 850-2000.

- Sept. 29 – Oct. 1. (Thurs. – Sat.) Tierney Sutton Band. Note that the title is not “Tierney Sutton and her Band.”  Because Sutton’s long term relationship with pianist Christian Jacob, bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt and drummer Ray Brinker has been one of complete musical (and practical) togetherness.  The results show up in every expressive note the band plays (and Sutton sings).  The performance celebrates her new recording – American Road, a compelling tour through musical Americana.  Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.

- Sept. 30. (Fri.)  Bill Cantos. He sings, and plays piano with the kind of subtle support that delights any one who works with him – especially singers. Add to that Cantos’ skill at crafting original songs with the sensitivity and rich lyricism of the Great American Songbook.  He’ll be in the company of his wife — singer/pianist Mari Falcone, bassist Hussain Jiffry and drummer Michael Shapiro.  Vitello’s.    (818) 769-0905.

Esperanza Spalding

- Sept. 30. (Fri.)  Esperanza Spalding. “Chamber Music Society.”   Singer/bassist Spalding is the hottest property in jazz after her 2011 Grammy award for Best New Artist.  But there’s a depth of art in her musicality that reaches well beyond her current visibility.  Still in her twenties. Spalding’s career looks to be long and fulfilling – for her, for her listeners and for jazz.  The Orpheum Theatre.    (877) 677-4386.

- Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. (Fri. – Sun.)  The Angel City Jazz Festival.  On Friday: The Nick Mancini Trio with Otmaro Ruiz and the Edgar Castaneda Trio with Andrea Tierra at Zipper Hall in the Colburn School of Music.  On Saturday: The Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra, Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura, The Kandinsky Effect and Rudresh Mahanthappa & Samdhi at the Ford Amphitheatre.  On Sunday: For People in Sorrow – an Homage to Alex Cline, and the Roscoe Mitchell Trio at REDCAT.  The Angel City Jazz Festival.

- Oct. 1. (Sat.)  The Strawbs and the Zombies.  Original Zombies members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone headline the 2011 incarnation of the sixties hit-makers.  The pop-rock Strawbs, who have passed through numerous editions since the sixties are also n the bill. The Canyon Club. (818) 879-5016.

- Oct. 2. (Sun.)  The New Directions Veterans Choir.  Made up of formerly homeless veterans of American military services, the Choir has appeared on America’s Got Talent, at the White House, on YouTube and numerous television shows.  Even more importantly, the members have found the choir to be a vehicle to help them find the help they need.  They are currently recording their first album, produced by veteran singer/arranger/a cappella expert Morgan Ames.    Vitello’s.    (818) 769-0905.

San Francisco

James Carter

- Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. (Fri. – Sun.)  James Carter Organ Trio. Master of a full range of saxophones, Carter sets up in the blues driven environment of the classic jazz organ trio format. Yoshi’s Oakland.    (510) 238-9200.

Seattle

- Sept. 27 – 29. (Tues. – Thurs.)  James Farm.  Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, Eric Harland. Redman’s too modest to describe James Farm as an all-star ensemble, but that’s what it is – a quartet made up of four of the contemporary jazz world’s most musically adventurous artists.  Jazz Alley.     (206) 441-9729.

Chicago

- Sept. 29 – Oct. 2. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Eric Reed. Pianist Reed spent some of his growing up years in L.A.  But, after Wynton Marsalis discovered him, while still a teen-ager, his career took off on a rising arc – everyone’s A-list piano player of choice. Jazz Showcase.    (312) 360-0234.

New York

- Sept. 27 – Oct. 1. (Tues. – Sat.)  The Music of Bud Powell.  Ethan Iverson, piano, Tim Hagans, trumpet, Greg Osby, alto saxophone, Joey Baron, drums, Lonnie Plaxico, bass, perform the music of one of bebop’s Olympian figures.  Expect to hear such classics as “Tempus Fuget,” “Un Poco Loco,” “Bouncin’ With Bud” and more. Birdland.   (212) 581-3080.

Daryl Sherman

- Sept. 27. (Tues.) Daryl Sherman.  Gifted singer/pianist Sherman brings wit, lyrical insights and musicality to everything she does.  This time she ushers in Rosh Hashanah with Cab Calloway’s “A Bee Gezindt” (“Abi Gezunt” ).  Don’t Tell Mama.      (212) 757-0788.

- Sept. 28 – Oct. 2. (Wed. – Sun.)  The Coca Cola Generations in Jazz Festival: Gerald Wilson and the Julliard Jazz Orchestra.  The Legacy Suite, with Anthony Wilson and Eric Otis.  Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola.  (212) 258-9800.

- Oct. 2. (Sun.)  Creole Choir of Cuba.  Cuban only begins to describe this musical melting pot of singers/instrumentalists from the Camaguey.  Descendants of Haitians, they have created music rich with Cuban rhythms – the son and salsa – and Creole melodies, underscored by rich African chants and dance movements.  This is their first American tour.  Symphony Space.    (212) 864-5400.

Boston

- Sept. 30 – Oct. 1. (Fri. & Sat.)  Kenny Barron.  The lyrical, imaginative pianist has a resume reaching from Freddie Hubbard and Bobby Hutcherson to Stan Getz and Ella Fitzgerald.  But he’s best heard on his own, when his soaring melodies and pastel harmonies are front and center. Regatta Bar Jazz.    (617) 395-7757.

Miami

- Sept. 30 – Oct. 2.  Gunther Schuller. The full scope of composer/writer/educator/French horn player Schuller is hard to imagine.  His commentaries on jazz, classical music, ragtime and French horn technique have had a powerful influence throughout the music world.  His extensive activities (including several compositions that led the way during the Third Stream era) have earned him such recognitions as a Pulitzer Prize, a MacArthur “genius” award and acknowledgment as an NEA Jazz Master.  Schuller’s long weekend appearance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music includes: Friday: a lecture in Clarke Recital Hall; Sat: a concert featuring Schuller’s Concerto No. 1 for Horn; Sun. The Frost Chamber Players, with Schuller conducting his new composition Quintet for Horn and Strings  Gunther Schuller at the University of Miami.      (305) 284-4940.

London

Roberta Gambarini

- Sept. 27. (Tues.) Roberta Gambarini.  She may have been born in Italy, but Gambarini’s mastery of jazz singing stamps her as a world class original, regardless of origin.  Whether she’s finding the emotional heart of an American Songbook standard or scatting with the most fleet, swinging precision since the salad days of Ella Fitzgerald, she should be heard, at every opportunity.  Ronnie Scott’s.   020 7439 0747.

Tokyo

- Sept. 26 – Oct. 3. (Mon. – Mon.)  Natalie Cole.  Very much Nat “King” Cole’s daughter, Natalie Cole cruises the same eclectic musical waters, a convincing pop artist who has no difficulty dipping into the rhythms of jazz.  Blue Note Tokyo.    03-5485-0088.

Herbie Hancock photo by Faith Frenz.

Esperanza Spalding photo by Tony Gieske.

Picks of the Week: April 26 – May 1

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

- April. 26. (Tues.)  “The Music of Sonny Rollins.”  Tenor saxophonist Benn Clatworthy takes on the challenging task of exploring the music of a great jazz master.  Expect intriguing results.  With the Chris Colangelo Trio.  Charlie O’s.  (818) 994-3058.

Phil Upchurch

- April 27. (Wed.)  Phil Upchurch Quartet. Master blues and jazz guitarist Upchurch has been the go-to guy for jazz-driven funk, groove and beyond since the 1961 release of his platinum album, You Can’t Sit Down.  Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400.

- April 27. (Wed.) Gregg Bendian Trio Pianissimo.  Drummer Bendian, pianist Dave Witham and bassist Joel Hamilton get together to explore the adventurous arenas of Bendian’s compositional imagination.  Royal T.   (310) 559-6300.

- April 28. (Thurs.)  Orchestre Surreal.  Elvis Schoenberg (the musical nom de plume for composer Ross Wright), has assembled a large collective of studio musicians to leap the boundaries between jazz, classical, hip hop, funk and beyond. Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.  .

- April 29. (Fri.)  Norman Brown.  Guitarist/singer Brown invests his smooth jazz style with invigorating traces of Wes Montgomery, George Benson and r & b. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.    (562) 916-8501.

Bobbi Page

- April 30. (Sat.) Bobbi Page and the Dream St. Band.  Singer Page, guitarist Stan Ayeroff and their talented Dream St. Band are creating some compelling chamber jazz sounds with an unusual instrumentation that includes cello, bassoon, violin, bass, guitar, percussion and Page’s multi-hued voice. Vitello’s.    (818) 769-0905.

- April 30. (Sat.) Brian Stokes Mitchell.  He’s starred in everything from Kiss Me Kate to Kiss of the Spider Woman, bringing everything he sings to life with his rich baritone and convincing interpretive style.  Valley Performing Arts Center.   (818) 677-8800.

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Justo Almario

- May 1. (Sun.) Justo Almario Afro-Colombian Ensemble and Tamir Hendelman Trio.  Versatile saxophonist Almario leads an energetically charged journey through the rhythmic pleasures and improvisational inventiveness of Latin jazz.   The eclectic Hendelman, born in Israel, has developed a musical versatility that reaches from his role as Barbra Streisand’s accompanist to his own ever-evolving vision of the imaginative potential of the jazz piano trio.  Almario and Hendelman are featured in the first of 2011’s free Playboy Jazz Festival community concerts.  Beverly Hills Civic Center.  3:30 – 5 p.m.    (310) 450-1173.

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- May 1. (Sun.)  Bill Cantos Duo. Singer/songwriter/pianist Cantos displays some of the fine entries in his growing book of songs. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400.

Angelique Kidjo

- May 1. (Sun.)  Angelique Kidjo.  There’s nothing quite like the Angelique Kidjo experience, nothing like the emotional high she creates whenever she steps on stage.  A small, but utterly irrepressible package of sheer energy, the Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter from Benin matches her dynamism with superb musicality and gripping story-telling powers — whatever language she is singing.  She should be heard — and experienced — at every opportunity.   Luckman Fine Arts Complex.    (323) 343-6600

- May 1. (Sun.)  A Tribute to Billy Higgins.  The first annual KPFK 90.7 Hero Award has chosen the late, great drummer Higgins as its first honoree.  The musical tributes will be offered by a stellar ensemble that includes Charles Lloyd, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Cedar Walton, Gerald Wilson and more.  Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.

 Seattle

April 25 & 27. (Tues. & Wed.)  Pinetop Perkins Tribute.  Hubert Sumlin and Willie ‘Big Eyes” Smith recall the compelling music of the late blues pianist, who passed away in March at the age of 97.  Jazz Alley.   (206) 441-9729.

 San Francisco

John Scofield

April 29. (Fri.)  John Scofield Solo. Guitarist Scofield, whose versatility seems limitless, performs as a soloist in the resonant, echoing acoustic environment of Grace Cathedarl.  SFJazz Spring Season.    (866) 920-5299.

 New York

- April 26 – May1. (Tues. – Sun.)  Samba Jazz and the Music of Jobim.  Dudka Da Fonseca and Helio Alves with special guest Tonino Horta bring an irresistible air of musical authenticity to the linkages between samba, jazz and the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim.  Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola.   (212) 258-9800.

- April 30. (Sat.) Music of Steve Reich.  The 75^th birthday of one of America’s most idiosyncratic composers is celebrated with New York premieres of three recent works, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Double Sextet.  Performers include the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the Kronos Quartet and more.  Carnegie Hall.     (212) 247-7800.

 Washington D.C.

Manhattan Transfer

- April 26 – May 1. (Tues. – Sun.)  The Manhattan Transfer.  Decades together and the singers of Manhattan Transfer continue to surprise, enlighten and thrill their audiences with mesmerizing images of vocal jazz at its best.  Blues Alley.     (202) 337-4141.

 London

- April 27 – 29. (Wed. – Fri.) Eddie Palmieri and the AfroCaribbean Jazz All Stars.  Multiple Grammy-winning pianist Palmieri has been revealing the intimate connections between jazz and Latin music for decades. He appears with his stellar collective for a dynamic three night run. Ronnie Scott’s.   020 7439 0747.

 Paris

- April 26 & 27. (Tues. & Wed.)  Patricia Barber.  Pianist/singer/songwriter Barber has authoritatively established herself as one of the world’s fine jazz cabaret artists.  And what better place for her to display her skills than in the city that virtually invented the cabaret genre.  New Morning.  01 45 23 51 41.

Picks of the Week: Mar. 29 – April 3

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

Bill Cantos

- Mar. 30 (Wed.)  Bill Cantos Quartet. Pianist/singer/songwriter Cantos is a first call rhythm section player.  But he’s also a gifted performer in his own right, a songwriter whose works have the feel and the quality of the Great American Songbook. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.   (310) 474-9400.  

- April 1. (Fri.)  Dale Fielder. Veteran saxophonist Fielder moves comfortably, and authentically, across all four of the basic saxophones, from baritone to soprano in a style that is as entertaining as it is instrumentally impressive.   Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400. 

- April 2. (Sat.)  The Pink Floyd Experience. A high intensity, live audio-visual recreation of the legendary ‘70s band.  The performance features a complete recreation of the 1977 album, Animals, in its entirety.  Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.   (562) 916-8501.

- Mar. 31. (Thurs.)  Joe LaBarbera Quintet.  LaBarbera, everybody’s A-list drummer steps into the leader’s role with four of the Southland’s most gifted players: pianist Bill Cunliffe, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, trumpeter Clay Jenkins and bassist Tom Warrington.  Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905.

Lynda Carter

- Mar. 31 – April 2. (Thurs. – Sat.)  Lynda Carter. Many may still think of Carter as TV’s Wonder Woman. But in the decades that have passed since the show went off the air, she’s thoroughly established herself as a convincing musical artist.  Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210

- April 1 – 3. (Fri. – Sun.)  Ades and Stravinsky.  Thomas Ades conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance of Stravinsky’s Concerto for Two Pianos, Les Noce, and his own multi-media composition, In Seven Days.  Also in the performance: pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque, Nicholas Hodges and Gregory DeTurck, the Pikrovsky Ensemble and video artist Tal Rosner.  Walt Disney Concert Hall.   (213) 972-7211.

- April 2. (Sat.)  Bill Frisell Trio. An extremely versatile guitarist, Frisell leads a trio – with bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wolleson in a performance matching their live music to visual projections reaching from Buster Keaton to contemporary filmmaker Bill Morrison.  A UCLA Live concert at Royce Hall.   (310) 825-2101.

- April 3. (Sun.)  Takacs Quartet with Nobuyuki Tsujii.  The Takacs Quartet bring understanding and authenticity to Bartok’s String Quartet No. 1 and Haydn’s String Quartet No. 59.  They will be joined in the second half by pianist Tsujii in a performance of Schumann’s Piano Quintet. A UCLA Live concert at Royce Hall.   (310) 825-2101.

Branford Marsalis

- April 3. (Sun.) Branford Marsalis Quartet and the Terence Blanchard Quintet.    A pair of the most highly visible players on the contemporary jazz scene share the same state.  Hopefully, they’ll find a spot to do something together, as well. Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.   (714) 556-2787.

San Francisco

- April 1 – 3. (Fri. – Sun.)  Stanley Clarke.  The bassists’ favorite bassist takes some time off from his role in Chick Corea’s Return to Forever IV to display his virtuosic musical wares. Yoshi’s Oakland.   (510) 238-9200.

- April 2. (Sat.)  John Santos.  Percussionist, band leader and five time Grammy nominee Santos, a master of Latin traditional music, continually finds compelling relationships between jazz and Latin rhythms.   An SFJAZZ concert at Herbst Theatre. (415) 398-5655.

New York

Michel Legrand

- Mar. 29 – April 3. (Tues. – Sun.)  The Michel Legrand Trio. French pianist and composer Legrand has written the scores for dozens of classic films, collaborated with Alan and Marilyn Bergman on some equally classic songs and won three Oscars and five Grammys.  He’s also an appealing jazz pianist who rarely performs in clubs, so don’t miss this one. The Blue Note.   (212) 475-8592.

- Mar. 29 – April 3. (Tues. – Sun.)  Two Skirts and a Shirt.  Rene Marie, Carla Cook and Allan Harris. Three of  the jazz world’s unique and entertaining vocal stylists team up for an evening of wit, sass and song.   Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.   (212) 258-9800.

- April 1. (Fri.) Malaby/Motian/Sanchez/Monder.  Saxophonist Tony Malaby, drummer Paul Motian, pianist Angelica Sanchez and guitarist Ben Monder join up in a dynamic, cross-generational jazz encounter.  The Cornelia St. Café.  (212) 989-9319.

Live Music: Alan Bergman at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.

By Don Heckman

Hearing Alan Bergman perform a program of his songs Tuesday night at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. was like hearing Johnny Mercer sing “One For My Baby” or Antonio Carlos Jobim do “Aguas de Marzo.”  I say “his” songs inclusively, since they really were songs with lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, with music by the likes of Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel, Dave Grusin and others.

Alan Bergman

When one considers what that list of songs includes – “The Windmills of Your Mind,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” “The Way We Were” and more – there was enough hit power in the program to make for an intriguing performance on that basis alone.

But that wasn’t what this evening was about.  The real center of attention was the slender, smiling figure of 85 year old Bergman, perched on a stool, singing with the sole backing of pianist Bill Cantos and bassist Trey Henry.  His singing, his way with a song, his utterly convincing ability to tell a story, were enough to mesmerize his listeners.  Add to that the extraordinary lyrics by the Bergmans, combined with the soaring melodies by their world class composer partners, and the result was that too-rare experience, a musical evening to remember.

Bill Cantos, Alan Bergman, Trey Henry

Every song, in its own way, was a highlight, its impact enhanced by the often whimsical, inside show biz narratives Bergman used as introductions.  Other pieces had additionally captivating moments: the jaunty swing (perfectly enhanced by Cantos and Henry) of “Nice ‘n’ Easy” and “It Might Be You”; the less familiar, but no less engaging “The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye” and “What Matters Most,” both written with Grusin; a delightful break in the Bergman part of the program for Cantos to sing “Everybody’s On the Phone” – his version, not the Jimmy Buffett tune.

As well as the most touching moment – Bergman’s tender rendition of his “That Face,” originally written in the late ‘50s as a gift to his then soon to be wife – topped off with a gentle smile in the direction of Marilyn Bergman, seated in the audience.

As I said, a memorable evening.

Bergman recorded most of these songs with full orchestra in the 2007 album, Lyrically Alan Bergman, his debut as a singer.  It’s a CD that should be owned by anyone with a love for American song.

But as the Tuesday night performance concluded, I found myself wishing for a Bergman recording of the same songs, complete with his humorous repartee, perhaps via a DVD video, with just a rhythm section, preferably Cantos and Henry with a sensitive drummer – say, Peter Erskine.  Why?  Because the musical airiness of the sound, the intimacy of the setting and the spontaneous empathy between singer and players brought these remarkable songs alive in way that warrants re-hearing and re-seeing.

Alan Bergman photo by Tony Gieske.  Performance photo by Adrienne Tripp.

Live Jazz: Herb Alpert and Lani Hall at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.

ByDon Heckman

Give Herb Alpert credit.  As one of the most successful musician/entrepreneurs in music history, he could easily kick back in his ocean-side compound, paint his paintings, make his sculptures and play some trumpet on the side, just for fun.

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall

But no.  Alpert and his wife, singer Lani Hall still seem compelled to put it all out there, to make new records, play new music and go out on the road.  It’s not exactly the way they were doing it back in the ‘60s, when Alpert was leading the hit-making, chart-topping Tijuana Brass, and Hall was singing with the similarly popular Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66.  But it’s still very different from simply settling into the luxurious leisure life that is so available to them.

Lani Hall

And they appear to be digging every onstage minute.  On Sunday night, while the rest of the music world was focusing on the Grammys, Herb and Lani were at Alpert’s Bel Air jazz room, Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc., enthusiastically playing their first gig in a cross country tour celebrating the release of their latest album, “I Feel You.”  By next week around this time, they’ll be performing in Lincoln Center’s Allen Room.

They opened with a funk-driven take on “Besame Mucho,” with the rhythm team of Bill Cantos, piano, Hussain Jiffry, bass and Michael Shapiro, drums laying down a sizzling propulsion that promised (and delivered) good tidings for the rest of the program.

The next few tunes – “Call Me,” “Fever” among them – underscored the premise that energizes Alpert and Hall’s music: the desire to find unique, contemporary interpretations of a full range of familiar pop material.

Bill Cantos, Lani Hall, Hussain Jeffry, Herb Alpert, Michael Shapiro

By the time they got to “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” “Black Magic,” “Blackbird” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” the recipe for that musical banquet was was clear.  It started with Alpert’s wispy, atmospheric trumpet sounds, sometimes played open, sometimes channeled through Miles Davis-like muted tones.  Add to that Cantos harmonically subtle backing, occasionally blended with his laid-back vocals the electrifying scat singing, Jiffry’s on-the-mark bass lines and Shapiro’s multi-layered percussive rhythms.  All of it providing a loving embrace for Hall’s mesmerizing vocals – soaring smoothly through touching ballads, briskly swinging rhythm tunes and utterly convincing bossa novas.

It’s a recipe that works well.  So well, in fact, that it provided convincing evidence as to why Herb Alpert, who already has three university music schools named after him, still feels the drive to get out there and do it all again.  And why so many listeners are so delighted to have him do precisely that.

Photos by Bonnie Perkinson.

Picks of the Week: Nov. 16 – 21

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

Johnny Mandel

- Nov. 16. (Tues.)  Johnny Mandel Big Band. Multiple Grammy winner, gifted composer/arranger/songwriter Mandel is one of the Southland’s true musical treasures.  This rare appearance with a big band serves as an early celebration of his 85^th birthday on November 23.   Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.   (310) 474-9400. 

- Nov. 16. (Tues.)  Tamir Hendelman Trio.  Versatile pianist Hendelman – a favorite of Barbra Streisand’s – celebrates  the release of his new Destinations CD.  With Ryan McGillicuddy, bass, and Dean Koba, drums.  Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.

- Nov. 16. (Tues.)  Le Kat.  “Jazzy, bluesy and a lil’ naughty” is the way Le Kat’s ultimate cabaret act – with its mix of swing, blues and bohemian sophistication – is described.  Ivan Kane’s Café Was. (323) 466-5400.

- Nov. 17. (Wed.)  Bill Cantos.  Pianist/composer Canto’s skills reach from primo accompaniment and solid solo work to the writing of songs with the distinct qualities of the Great American Songbook.  He appears with his wife, singer Mari Falcone.  Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400.

- Nov. 17. (Wed.)  Jair Oliveira. The son of Brazil’s singer Jair Rodrigues, Oliveira is a gifted singer/songwriter/instrumentalist in his own right, bringing a contemporary touch to classic Brazilian rhythms.   The dynamic, always exciting singer/dancer Katia Moraes opens the show.   Conga Room. (213) 745-0162.

Lainie Kazan

- Nov. 18 – 20.  (Thurs. – Sat.)  Lainie Kazan. Name an area of the entertainment business and Kazan’s been there, as a star, from Broadway and cabaret to films and television.  But there’s nothing quite like hearing her bring songs to life in an intimate jazz setting.  Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.

- Nov. 18. (Thurs.)  Grand opening of the LAX Jazz Club.  The jazz room at the Crowne Plaza LAX is transformed into the Southland’s newest .  The Dee Dee McNeil Quintet.  With Rickey Woodard, saxophone, Theo Saunders, piano, Richard Simon, bass and Quentin Denard, drums.  LAX Jazz Club.   (310) 258-1333.

- Nov. 19. (Fri.)  The John Altman Big Band. Alto saxophonist Altman’s resume also includes a long list of genre-crossing successes as a composer and arranger.  This time out, he fronts a group of L.A.’s finest players performing a collection of his swinging big band charts.  LACMA.   (323) 857-6000.

Richard Thompson

- Nov. 19. (Fri.)  Richard Thompson with Harry Shearer and Judith Owen.  “Cabaret of Souls.” Thompson’s musical satire — direct from London’s Royal Festival Hall — is a collection of new songs and music by the veteran guitarist, songwriter and former member of Fairport Convention.  With other guests, as well as the Idyllwild Arts Academy Orchestra.   UCLA Live at Royce Hall. (310) 825-2101.

- Nov. 19 & 20. (Fri. & Sat.)  Renaud Garcia-Fons.  Bassist Garcia-Fons takes his five-string instrument on a tour of music embracing jazz, classical, flamenco, new musette and stops in between.  Samueli Theatre OCPAC.  (714) 556-2787.

- Nov. 20. (Sat.)  Menahem Pressler and Richard Stoltzman with the New York Chamber Soloists Orchestra.  An evening of piano and clarinet classics from Mozart and Brahms.  Pianist Pressler performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major. Stoltzman displays Mozart’s magical touch with the clarinet in the Clarinet Concerto in A Major. And together, they perform Brahms’ Sonata No. 1 for Clarinet and Piano. UCLA Live at Royce Hall.  (310) 825-2101.

Billy Childs

- Nov. 20. (Sat.)  Billy Childs Jazz Chamber Ensemble.  Childs continues his adventurous exploration of the common ground between jazz and classical with the Sonus String Quartet and his own group of regulars — Bob Sheppard, saxophones and flute, Larry Koonse, guitar, Carol Robbins, harp and Marvin “Smitty” Smith, drums.  Vitello’s.  (818) 769-0905.

- Nov. 21. (Sun.)  Sylvia Brooks.  The elegant Ms. Brooks applies her dark sound and sophisticated style to songs from her latest album Dangerous Liaisons.  Catalina Bar & Grill.  (323) 466-2210.

- Nov. 21. (Sun.)  Tom Scott. Saxophonist Scott takes a break from his busy career as an arranger, composer and conductor to reaffirm his impressive chops as an adventurous jazz player.   KJAZZ Sunday Champagne Brunch.    (323) 491-1000.

San Francisco

- Nov. 16 & 17. (Tues. & Wed.)  Nnenna Freelon. Six-time Grammy nominee Freelon is one of the uniquely original voices in the growingly crowded field of female jazz singers.   Yoshi’s Oakland.    (510) 238-9200.

- Nov. 17. (Wed.)  Kyle Eastwood.  Bassist and film composer Eastwood leads a sterling quintet of rising jazz artists.  Yoshi’s San Francisco. (415) 655-5600.

Denny Zeitlin

- Nov. 20. (Sat.)  Denny Zeitlin.  Solo jazz piano.  Musician/psychiatrist Zeitlin is always a pleasure to hear.  But never more so than when he’s playing solo, exploring the outer limits of his far-reaching improvisational imagination.  Piedmont Piano Company, Oakland.  

- Nov. 21. (Sun.) Dave Mason.  Founding member of Traffic and a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, guitarist Mason is out there, affirming his credentials as a rock star.  Yoshi’s San Francisco.  (415) 655-5600.

New York

Sheila Jordan

- Nov. 16 & 17. (Tues. & Wed.)  Sheila Jordan and Steve Kuhn.  82^nd Birthday Celebration. Numbers don’t mean a thing when it comes to the birthdays of Sheila Jordan.  Still vivacious and full of spunk, she continues to define the meaning of great jazz singing.  And with long time associate Steve Kuhn at the piano, it gets even better.  Jazz Standard. (212) 447-7733.

- Nov. 16 – 20.  (Tues. – Sat.)  Phil Woods Quintet.  Veteran alto saxophonist Woods has surrounded himself with a group of the finest contemporary players: Brian Lynch, trumpet, Bill Mays, piano, Steve Gilmore, bass and Bill Goodwin, drums.  Birdland.   (212) 581-3080.

- Nov. 18 – 21. (Thurs. – Sun.)  Paul Bley and Charlie Haden.  Pianist Bley and bassist Haden have a history going back to the ‘60s.  Their empathic musical connections will be apparent in every fascinating note they play.   The Blue Note.   (212) 475-8592.

Billy Childs photo by Bobby Colomby.