By Don Heckman
Los Angeles
– Sept. 5. (Wed.) Blues Night: B.B. King and the Tedeschi/Trucks Band. A great program, with a banquet of blues running the gamut from the masterful B.B. King to the Tedeschi/Trucks Band, with their spicy servings of blues, soul, rock and funk. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000.
– Sept. 5. (Wed.) Jennifer Leitham Trio. Bassist Leitham’s career has reached across the full panorama of the music business. But she may be at her best, both playing and singing in a trio setting, especially with high quality players such as Andy Langham, piano and Dave Tull, drums. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905.
– Sept. 5. (Wed.) Pat Senatore Trio. Bassist Senatore’s versatility is on display many nights as the bassist in the house rhythm section at Vibrato. Here, he’ll work with a challenging trio of rising young players: Josh Nelson, piano and Zach Harmon, drums. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400.
– Sept. 6 – 8. (Thurs. – Sat.) Roberta Gambarini. Italian-born singer Gambarini sings jazz with spirit and authenticity, moving comfortably from lush balladry to high speed scat singing. She’ll be backed by Mike Wofford, piano, Chuck Berghofer, bass and Harvey Mason, drums. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210.
– Sept. 6 – 9. (Thurs. – Sun.) Cage 100 Festival. John Cage, Henry Cowell, Erik Satie, Thurs: First Presbyterian Santa Monica. Fri: Miles Playhouse in Reed Park. Sat: Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club. Sunday: Annenburg Community Beach House. Jacaranda: Music at the Edge. (323) 483-0216.
– Sept. 7. (Fri.) Crosby, Stills & Nash. What is there to say about this classic trio of gifted artists? Forty three years after Woodstock, they’re still going strong, with the old songs and with the new. Don’t miss this opportunity to see and hear them in living color. Greek Theatre. (323) 665-5857.
– Sept. 7 & 8. (Fri. and Sat.) The Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks. The Los Angelesl Philharmonic, conducted by Bramwell Tovey. This annual program, matching a spectacular set of works by Tchaikovksy with the Bowl’s pyrotechnic geniuses. The Grand Finale will feature the Philharmonic, with dancers from the American Ballet Theatre, the L.A. Children’s Chorus and the USC Trojan Marching Band performing Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000,
– Sept. 8. (Sat.) The Gilbert Castellanos Quartet. Trumpeter Castellanos has a musical resume reaching from Dizzy Gillespie and Natalie Cole to Willie Nelson and Michael Buble. He’s been in such demand because of his ability to illuminate a song with everything he possesses. Castellanos performs with pianist Theo Saunders, bassist Pat Senatore and drummer Ramon Banda. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400.
– Sept. 8. (Sat.) Billy Childs Trio. Pianist/composer Childs takes a break from his chamber jazz with strings, and digs into the piano trio format with the world class support of John Clayton, bass and Jeff Hamilton, drums. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905.
– Sept. 8. (Sat.) Anthony Wilson Nonet. First call guitarist on every jazz promotors’ list, Wilson is also a first rate composer. And the Nonet – a kind of big/little (but very versatile) band format – is the perfect vehicle for the expression of his far ranging imagination. Blue Whale. (213) 620-0908.
– Sept. 9. (Sun.) Pink Martini. Call their music retrospective or call it old-fashioned, it’s still an eminently listenable pastiche of pop, standards, blues, cabaret and beyond. This will be a debut for Pink Martini and China Forbes, who will be making their first appearances at the Greek Theatre. (323) 665-5857
San Francisco
– Sep. 5 – 9. (Wed. – Sun.) The Jack DeJohnette Trio featuring Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. It would be hard to find a more engaging jazz evening than this one. Three world class players who move with utter ease from straight ahead jazz across genre lines. It doesn’t get any better than this. Yoshi’s San Francisco. (415) 655-5600.
Seattle
– Sept. 4 & 5. (Tues. & Wed.) Halie Loren. The rave reviews keep coming in about the extraordinary jazz skills of this gifted young singer. To read more about Halie Loren, read iRoM’s revew of her latest CD by clicking HERE. Jazz Alley. (206) 441-9729.
Boston
– Sept. 5. (Wed.) Cyrille Aimee. She has one of the great voices among her twentysomething jazz generation. And Aimees’ work – as a singer and a writer – is rapidly establishing her as a voice to watch in her generation. Scullers Jazz Club. Also on Sept. 7 & 8 at the Iridium jazz club. (617) 562-4111.
New York
– Sept. 3. (Mon.) Amram & Co. David Amram. He plays a lot of instruments – French Horn, flute, keyboards, hand percussion. But Amram’s six decade career took him through waves of newly emerging music and ideas. And it’s all there in his performances. Amram will be backed by Kevin Twigg, drums, John de Witt, bass and Adam Amram, percussion. Cornelia St. Café. (212) 989-9319.
– Sept. 4. (Tues.) David Binney. Adventurous alto saxophonist Binney is always in search of the newest sound, melody or rhythm, This time out, he’s exchanging all three of those elements with keyboardist Jacob Sacks, bassist Eivind Opsvik and drummer Dan Weiss. 55 Bar. (212) 929-2883,
– Sept. 4 – 8. (Tues. – Sat.) Oregon. It’s a band that has been together for four decades, and is still bringing new musical seasoning to various combinations of jazz and world musics. The results are always utterly compelling. Birdland. (212) 581-3080.
London
– Sept. 4. (Tues.) Claire Martin with Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. Martin’s been called, with good reason, “England’s finest jazz singer.” It should make for a compelling musical evening to hear her with Bennett, a veteran composer/musician with a lots of jazz experience. Ronnie Scott’s. (0) 20 7439 0747.
Berlin
– Sept. 4. (Tues.) Chieli Minucci Trio. A-Trane Jazz. I addition to his visibility in smooth jazz, guitarist Minucci also has a busy career as a film and television composer. He’ll be performing with the stellar rhythm team of bassist Gerald Veasley and drummer Dennis Chambers. A-Trane Jazz 030/313 25 50.
Tokyo
– Sept. 7 (Fri.) – Sept. 11 (Tues.) Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra. The great keyboardist and composer takes his swingingly authentic Salsa Orchestra on a tour that should produce many more Japanese fans. To read a recent iRoM review of Eddie Palmieri at the Hollywood Bowl, click HERE. The Blue Note Tokyo.
The International Review of Music 