By Don Heckman
Los Angeles
– Aug. 17. (Tues.) Tuesday Classics at the Bowl. Leon Fleisher plays Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. Pietari Inkinen conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Sibelius’ Finlandia and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000.
– Aug. 17 & 18. (Tues. & Wed.) Steve Tyrell. Singer Tyrell continues to affirm his fascination with the classics of the Great American Songbook. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400.
– Aug. 18. (Wed.) The Neville Brothers. It’s a night to celebrate the great musical heritage of New Orleans. Also on the bill, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and the Trey McIntyre Project. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000.
– Aug. 18. (Wed.) Cheryl Bentyne & Mark Winkler. The Manhattan Transfer’s Bentyne teams up with singer/songwriter Winkler to celebrate the swinging legacy of West Coast Cool. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210. .
– Aug. 18. (Wed.) Chopin, Schumann and the Bliss Oboe Quintet. Music to honor the bicentennial’s of Robert Schumann and Frederic Chopin. Glendale Noon Concerts. At twelve noon in the Sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Glendale. Free.
– Aug. 19. (Thurs.) The Clare Fischer Latin Sextet. Fischer’s compositions and arrangements are always impressive, and never more so than when he’s writing in a Latin mood for the group he once called Salsa Picante. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905.
– Aug 19. (Thurs.) Jews on Vinyl. A live performance of music linked to the exhibition, Jews On Vinyl, celebrating Jewish recorded music from the ‘40s to the ‘80s. Featured artists include International vocalist Hedva Amrani, veteran jazz cellist Fred Katz and singer Sol Zim (“the Tom Jones of cantoral music”) The Skirball Center. (310) 440-4500.
– Aug. 19. (Thurs.) Henry Franklin Quartet. Bassist Franklin leads a dynamic group of Southland’s finest. With Kasami Washington, tenor saxophone, Theo Saunders, piano, Tony Austin, drums. Charlie O’s. (818) 994-3058.
– Aug. 20. (Fri.) Bobby Bradford Mo’Tet with visual artist George Herms. A fascinating evening of interplay between music and visual art. LACMA (212) 857-6000.
– Aug. 20. (Fri.) Carol Welsman. Singer/pianist Welsman knows how to bring a song to life, whether she’s delivering a Peggy Lee classic, a memorable bossa nova or a French chanson. While doing so in an irresistibly swinging setting. Boston Court Performing Arts Center, Pasadena. Jazz Bakery Moveable Feast. (310) 271-9039.
– Aug. 20 – 21. (Fri. & Sat.) Tchaikovsky Spectacular. And “Spectacular” it is, with Baiba Skride playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Adding to the music pyrotechnics, Bramwell Tovey leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Capriccio Italien and concludes with the 1912 Overture complete with fireworks and the USC Trojan Marching Band. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000.
– Aug. 20 – 22. (Fri. – Sun.) Lenny White’s Anomaly. Drummer White supports his fascinating new recording, Anomaly, once again demonstrating the musical versatility that has marked his high flying career since the days with Chick Corea’s Return To Forever. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210. .
– Aug. 21. (Sat.) Al Green. The Pointer Sisters. It’s rhythm and soul night at the Greek with the Reverend Al’s legendary groove and the Pointers’ memorable hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s. The Greek Theatre. (323) 665-3125.
– Aug. 21. (Sat.) Ron Eschete Trio. Guitarist Eschete presents his unique, seven-string stylings in Henri’s intimate jazz room. The BackRoom at Henri’s. (818) 348-5582.
– Aug. 21. (Sat.) Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. The GCLA singers celebrate their third performance at Disney Hall with a program of contemporary choral classics as well as the newly commissioned The End of It All, by John Tejada. The program also includes the mixture of music and spoken word in the Harvey Milk Schools Project. Disney Hall.
– Aug. 21. (Sat.) Fiesta Argentina: Tango, Cancion de Buenos Aires. A dynamic evening of Argentine music and dance, featuring clarinetist Zinovy Goro, flutist Pablo Goldstein, singers Esther Segovia, Osvaldo Roval, Carlos Bossio and Claudio Ortega with the Otero Dance Company. Ford Amphitheatre. (323) 461-3673.
– Aug. 21 & 22. (Sat. & Sun.) Sunset Junction Fair. The 30th annual Sunset Junction Fair has its familiar collection of music (on five stages), arts, crafts, rides and games. Check the website for the lengthy program of acts, but don’t overlook Saturday’s live Miles Davis Bitches Brew Remix led by Davis’ nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn, Jr. Sunset Junction Fair.
– Aug. 22. (Sun.) Gail Pettis. Seattle jazz singer Pettis takes time off from her orthodontics practice to showcase her first rate jazz vocal skills. Helen Borgers hosts. KJAZZ Sunday Champagne Brunch at the Twist Restaurant in the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.
San Francisco
– Aug. 20 & 21. (Fri. & Sat.) Patrice Rushen. Keyboardist Rushen makes the most of her ability to reach across the spectrum of jazz genres. Yoshi’s Oakland. (510) 238-9200.
– Aug. 20 – 22. (Fri. – Sun.) Charanga Habanera. A youthful band of Havana players mix traditional sounds and rhythms with contemporary textures in a strikingly visual presentation. Yoshi’s San Francisco. (415) 655-5600.
New York
– Aug. 17 – 21. (Tues. – Sat.) Geri Allen Trio 3. Pianist Allen leads the stellar trio of Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman and Oliver Lake in a celebration of the Mary Lou Williams Centennial. Birdland. (212) 581-3080.
– Aug. 17 – 22. (Tues. – Sun.) Hiromi. Japanese keyboardist Hiromi accomplishes the rare feat of juxtaposing her convincing straight ahead playing against well-crafted fusion sounds. The Blue Note. (212) 475-8592.
– Aug. 17 – 22. (Tues. – Sun.) The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. An evening of works by the man who created some of the most memorable songs of the late 20th century. Performed expertly by The Trio Da Paz, with Joe Locke, Harry Allen and Maucha Adnet. Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. (212) 258-9595.
– Aug. 19 – 22. (Thurs. – Sun.) Al Foster Quartet. Veteran drummer foster leads the way with a pack of superb young jazz lions. With Gerald Clayton, piano, Chris Potter, tenor saxophone, Doug Weiss. Bass. The Iridium. (212) 582-2121.
The International Review of Music 