By Don Heckman Los Angeles – April 5. (Tues.) Junko Onishi Trio. Japanese pianist Onishi confirms her return to jazz action last year after a performance break of nearly a decade. She kicks off her American tour tonight with the backing of the sterling rhythm team of bassist Dwayne Burno and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Catalina… Read More Picks of the Week: April 5 – 10
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Mar. 1. (Tues.) Alan Bergman. It’s always fun to hear a songwriter perform his own songs. But it’s even better when the songwriter is also a singer with a richly nuanced interpretative style. In Bergman, you get all that and more. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. (310) 474-9400. http://www.vibratogrilljazz.com – Mar.… Read More Picks of the Week: Mar. 1 – 6
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Dec. 1. (Wed.) A Celtic Christmas. Irish Storyteller Tomaseen Foley creates a traditional night before Christmas, filled with dancing, music-making and holiday joy. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. (562) 916-8501. – Dec. 1. (Wed.) John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension. The ever-exploratory guitarist performs with a group reaching… Read More Picks of the Week: Nov. 30 – Dec. 5
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Sept. 21. (Tues.) Further. Featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. The music of the Grateful dead still lives, as Lesh and Weir, with an all star band take the classics “further” out. The Greek Theatre. (323) 665-3125. – Sept. 21. (Tues.) John Pisano’s Guitar Night. Pisano teams up for… Read More Picks of the Week: Sept. 20 – 26
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Sept. 14. (Tues.) Michael Bolton. One World One Love Tour. The title says it all for the music of the two-time Grammy winner, Bolton, whose soft-rock style has been appealing to romantics since the ‘80s. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. (562) 915-8501. – Sept. 14. (Tues.) John Proulx… Read More Picks of the Week: Sept. 14 – 19.
By Don Heckman The Picks of the Week are late this week — the result of last weekend’s busy coverage of the Playboy Jazz Festival. But better late than never, and here are my selections for at least the last part of the week. Los Angeles – June 17. (Thurs.) Braziliato. An evening of entertaining… Read More Picks of the Week: June 17 – 20
By Don Heckman Los Angeles ………………..HIGHLIGHT……………….. – Jan. 12. (Tues.) John Pisano’s Guitar Night. “A Tribute to Joe Pass” with Frank Potenza and many others. Pisano’s Tuesday night guitar jams have been one of the Southland’s most dependably engaging jazz gigs for years. Now Pisano – and his talented guests – are moving to Vitello’s,… Read More Picks of the Week: Jan. 11 – 17
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Nov. 16. (Mon.) Devon Wendell, Kevin Kelly and Tyler Kidd. Blues on the loose, featuring iRoM’s own “Doc” Wendell playing electric and acoustic guitars and harmonica. A chance to hear the reviewer in action. The Viper Room. (310) 652-7869. – Nove. 16. (Mon.) Elvis Schoenberg’s Orchestre Surreal. Schoenberg’s… Read More Picks of the Week: Nov. 16 – 22
The International Review of Music 