By Don Heckman
Los Angeles
– Aug. 30 & 31. (Tues. & Wed.) Michael Wolff Quartet. Pianist and television personality Wolff does a live recording with the stellar ensemble of trumpeter/film composer Mark Isham, bassist John B. Williams and drummer Mike Clark. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905.
– Aug. 31. (Wed.) George Benson, George Duke, Marcus Miller and David Sanborn. It’s an evening of blues, funk, crossover and smooth jazz. But straight ahead jazz fans can rest assured that all of these high visibility artists are also firmly rooted in traditional jazz skills. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2040.
– Aug. 31. (Wed.) Janis Mann Quartet. Versatile singer Mann’s soaring vocals are underscored by solid musicality and a masterful story-telling skills. She performs with pianist Andy Langham, bassist Chris Colangelo and drummer Roy McCurdy. Charlie O’s. (818) 994-3058.
– Sept. 1. (Thurs.) Pat Tuzzolino. Watching Tuzzolino in action is to marvel at his eclectic skills, as he plays a synth keyboard with one hand, a bass synth with the other, while delivering warm, engaging, hard swinging vocals. He performs with guitarist Barry Zweig and drummer Billy Paul. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905
– Sept. 1. (Thurs.) The Ron Eschete Trio. Seven string guitarist Eschete manages to generate the sort of rich, harmonic textures and flowing rhythms that would seem to only be possible on a keyboard instrument. And he does so with far reaching creative imagination. Keyboardist Joe Bagg and drummer Kendall Kay will back him. Steamer’s. (714) 871-8800.
– Sept. 1 – 4. (Thurs. – Sun.) Charlie Haden’s Quartet West. Haden’s veteran, all-star band, one of the West Coast’s great jazz ensembles, celebrates their 25th anniversary. And it comes at an appropriate time, with pianist/arranger Alan Broadbent moving to the New York area in the near future. Hopefully Haden will find a way to keep the Quartet together, from time to time. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210.
– Sept. 2 – 5. ) Fri. – Mon. Sweet & Hot Music Festival. The 16th annual celebration of the timeless pleasures of classic jazz. The names are too numerous to mention. But suffice to say there’ll be over 200 musicians, 20 bands, 8 venues, 180 scheduled events and 4 dance floors – all sizzling with everything from New Orleans jazz to Swing and Bebop. The LAX Marriott Hotel. http://www.sweethot.org
– Sept. 3. (Sat.) Steve Huffsteter. Trumpeter Huffsteter’s extensive resume includes appearances with a complete lexicon of jazz and pop artists. Much honored by his musical associates, he’s too rarely heard on his own, in the spotlight. Here’s a great opportunity to experience the articulate subtlety of his playing. He’s backed by the Pat Senatore Trio. Vibrato.
San Francisco
– Sept. 1 – 3. (Thurs. – Sat.) Ivan Lins Quartet. Singer/songwriter/pianist Lins has been one of Brazil’s – and the world’s – great musical treasures for decades. Like all iconic artists, he should be heard at every opportunity – especially in a musically compatible setting such as Yoshi’s San Francisco. (415) 655-5600.
New York
– Aug. 30 – Sept. 4 (Tues. – Sun.) Ron Carter Big Band. At the pinnacle of a career that has embraced every imaginable musical setting, bassist Ron Carter celebrates the release of an album expressing his affection for classic big band jazz: Ron Carter’s Great Big Band. His assemblage of horn-playing all stars will be backed by the solid rhythm team of Carter, guitarist Russell Malone, pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Willie Jones III. Jazz Standard. (212) 576-2232.
– Sept. 1. (Thurs.) Roseanna Vitro. The Music of Randy Newman. Vitro’s jazz-driven exploration of the emotionally multi-layered songs of Newman has been one of the headline items of 2011’s vocal CDs. Hopefully the Recording Academy voters will have the good sense to give it a Grammy nomination. Here, she offers her interpretations up close and live. The Iridium. (212) 582-2121.
The International Review of Music 