By Devon Wendell Paul Bley, who passed away at the age of 83 on Sunday, January 3, was always different. His polytonal approach to the piano stood out from the flocks of imitators copying Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, and Herbie Hancock. There was this amazing dissonance to his playing that reminded me of Bud… Read More An Appreciation: Paul Bley
By Don Heckman The first weekends of 2016 are upon us. And a glance at the music filling the Southland’s music arenas — from clubs to concert halls — is a reminder of the far-reaching pleasures available to Angelenos’ music fans. We’ve mostly been away from the Los Angeles area for the past year, spending… Read More Picks of the Long Weekend in Los Angeles – Jan. 7 – 10
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Dec. 3 – 5. (Thurs. – Sat.) The Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, presents a program of Bach and Mendelssohn. Violinist Gil Shaham is featured in a pair of Bach Concertos. The Philharmonic takes the spotlight with Mendelsohn’s Symphony No 1 and Overture for Harmoniemusik. An… Read More Picks of the Week: Dec. 2 – 6 (Wed. – Sun.) in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Chicago and New York City
By Jane Rosenberg On Saturday night the angels were singing in Los Angeles. Angela Meade in the title role of the Druid high priestess and Jamie Barton as Adalgisa sang Norma, Bellini’s bel canto masterpiece, to sublime effect. If the staging seemed a bit flat, the celestial singing of Meade more than compensated for the… Read More L A Opera: Bellini’s “Norma” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Nov.18, (Wed.) Brian Auger Trio. Organist Auger, one of the first jazz-rock crossover players of the ’60s, is still in action, still digging deep grooves. The Blue Whale. (213) 620-0908. – Nov. 19 – 22 (Thurs. – Sun.) Steve Tyrell. Always adept at bringing a song to life,… Read More Picks of the Week- November 18 – 22′ in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Milan
By Jane Rosenberg A beautifully conceived graphic depiction of a ship at sea under an immense canopy of stars, a libretto derived from a classic American novel, a score by a noted American composer, a superb conductor at the helm of the orchestra, and a uniformly excellent cast of singers. These were the ingredients that… Read More Live Opera: Jake Heggie’s “Moby Dick” at the LA Opera
The International Review of Music 