By Devon Wendell So the year 2015 is quickly winding down. And although there are no signs of any healthy seasonal changes here in the belly of Hollywood California, the cold and heartless calendar never lies. This means the Grammy awards are rapidly approaching. It has become an invalid and overly predictable cliché to bash… Read More The Grammy Awards: Hope, Love, and Jazz
By Devon Wendell I can’t believe I missed out on Kind Of New by Jason Miles and Ingrid Jensen when it was released this past spring. It’s been a busy few months but after finally “discovering” this album recently, I thought it certainly merited a write up. Kind Of New is far from being just… Read More CD Review: Jason Miles And Ingrid Jensen “ Kind Of New” (Whaling City Sound)
As we move into the first weeks of 2015, the iRoM Picks of the Week will begin to reach beyond the Los Angeles-centric choices of the past few years. We will, of course, continue to survey L.A.’s ever-changing banquet of musical pleasures. But we will also begin to highlight and emphasize a broad range of… Read More Picks of the Week: January 5 – 11
Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project (Motema Music) By Devon Wendell Legendary and iconic bassist and composer Rufus Reid has been a major contributor to the jazz scene since the late ‘60s. Reid has collaborated with some of the music’s greatest pioneers such as: Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, J.J. Johnson, Benny Golson, Jack DeJohnette, Stan… Read More Jazz CD Review: Rufus Reid’s “Quiet Pride”
By Devon Wendell Pianist and composer Helen Sung has quickly established herself as a jazz veteran over the past decade, performing and recording with icons such as; Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, T.S. Monk, Lonnie Plaxico, and Terri Lyne Carrington to name a few. She is one of the most consistently brilliant recording artists… Read More CD Review: Helen Sung “Anthem For A New Day” (Concord Jazz Records)
By Devon Wendell Photos by Bonnie Perkinson This year’s choice of performers at The 34th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival may have had both the serious jazz fan and struggling jazz musician recoiling in disgust, but even the most stubborn jazz aficionado can’t deny that fun and diversity dominated the festival. Before covering Sunday’s highlights,… Read More The Playboy Jazz Festival 2012: Sunday’s Program at the Hollywood Bowl
By Michael Katz I told myself I had finally come to terms with the Playboy Jazz Festival. This year I would enjoy it for what it was: an eight hour party at the Hollywood Bowl, a sort of Bar Mitzvah/Quinceanera for grown-ups, with perhaps half of it (on a good day) dedicated to actual jazz,… Read More The Playboy Jazz Festival 2012: Saturday’s Program at the Hollywood Bowl
The International Review of Music 