Impressions from MJF 56, Friday Night By Michael Katz If you are the type of person whose entertainment values revolve around baseball and jazz, you could be forgiven for thinking that there are Cubans everywhere. Baseball has recently given us young stars such as Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers, Yoenis Cespedes of the A’s and… Read More Live Jazz: Friday at the Monterey Jazz Festival 56
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Sept. 18. (Wed.) Gina Saputo. Emerging young jazz vocal star Saputo shares the stage with a talented group of L.A.’s finest singers — Courtney Lemmon, Dave Damiani and Mark Christian Miller. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210. – Sept. 18. (Wed.) The Sammy Cahn-cert. Vocalist Kurt Reichenbach sings the… Read More Picks of the Week: Sept. 18 – 22
By Michael Katz Every year I head up to the Monterey Jazz Festival with a battle plan for seeing as much of the three days and over 500 artists as reasonably possible, and every year that plan gets shredded almost from the opening notes. Musicians whom I’d intended to sample (like Gregory Porter last year)… Read More Preview: The 56th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival
By Michael Katz The infectious beat of Cuban music has been part of the greater American consciousness since the post-World War II era. Desi Arnaz’s band came into our homes every week in the fifties and sounds from Havana were frequently heard in clubs from Miami to New York. Despite Fidel Castro’s repressive regime and… Read More Live Latin Jazz: Arturo Sandoval, Natalie Cole, Omara Portuondo, the Buena Vista Social Club and Ninety Miles at the Hollywood Bowl
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Aug. 23. (Tues.) Clay Jenkins. Good Signs CD concert. Trumpeter Jenkins celebrates the September release of his new CD with the stellar band on the album — guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Tom Warrington and drummer Joe LaBarbera. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905. – Aug. 24. (Wed.) Alan Ferber Quartet. Versatile trombonist… Read More Picks of the Week: Aug. 23 – 28
Chico & Rita Directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando Screenplay by Fernando Trueba, Ignacio Martínez de Pisón Music by Bebo Valdés By Fernando Gonzalez “Chico y Rita” has been presented at several film festivals but does not yet have commercial distribution. It is being reviewed here for its evocation of a significant period… Read More Film Review: Chico & Rita
The International Review of Music 