AN OLYMPIC CARNAVAL AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL By Don Heckman What a great weekend. A remarkable synchronization , featuring performances of two remarkable Brazilian events . One is at the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro. As much as we’d all like to fly down to Rio, few Olympics fans will have ample funds for… Read More HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEKEND IN LOS ANGELES
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 Don Heckman Herb Alpert’s at it again, encouraging young talent to display their skills by acknowledging their abilities with supportive rewards. Today, in a lunch at the Herb Alpert Foundation in Santa Monica, the 21st annual Herb Alpert Award in the Arts was presented to five exceptional mid-career artists. The awards recognize past… Read More The Herb Alpert 2015 Award in the Arts
By James deFrances What do jazz standards, Iceland and Bel Air have in common? Simple…the answer is the dynamic blonde haired Iceland-born diva Anna Mjoll. Last Friday night at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc., Mjoll crooned to a thoroughly filled house of diners and jazz enthusiasts alike. Only a day after Alpert and his wife… Read More Live Music: Anna Mjoll At Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
By Don Heckman – Nov. 6 – 9. (Thurs. – Sun.) Steve Tyrell. Add an amiable Texas twang to a jaunty sense of swing and a convincing way with a lyric, and that still doesn’t add up to the magic that happens when Tyrell digs into the Great American Songbook. Catalina Bar & Grill. http://www.catalinajazzclub.com… Read More Picks of the Weekend in Los Angeles: Nov. 6 – 9
By Don Heckman Bel Air, CA. Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. became a very special place when Herb Alpert took it over a few years ago, transforming a small venue in a mini-mall at the top of Beverly Glen into a fine food connoisseur’s delight and a world class showcase for jazz. And it becomes even more… Read More Live Music: Herb Alpert and Lani Hall at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
By Don Heckman Describing Herb Alpert as a philanthropist doesn’t accurately identify the full generosity of his activities over recent decades. Many of his awards have been institutional, to UCLA, USC, CalArts and beyond. And in each of those cases, his generosity has had a significant impact upon the effectiveness of their music education programs.… Read More Here, There & Everywhere: The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts
By Don Heckman Bel Air, CA. It was another rare performance to remember Tuesday night at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. On stage, veteran jazz trumpeter, band leader and club owner Herb Alpert and his wife, singer Lani Hall, were backed by their fine rhythm team: pianist/keyboardist Bill Cantos, bassist Hussain Jiffry and drummer Michael Shapiro. Offering… Read More Live Jazz: Herb Alpert and Lani Hall at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
By Don Heckman It’s always a pleasure to hear Herb Alpert and Lani Hall up close and personal. The veteran showbiz couple, whose prolific careers reach back to the ’60s, are still at the peak of their considerable creative powers. On Thursday night at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc., the elegant, Bel Air night club founded by… Read More Live Music: Herb Alpert and Lani Hall at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
By Don Heckman The 2013 summer season of jazz at the Hollywood Bowl clicked into place Wednesday night with the performances of Herb Alpert, Lani Hall and Sergio Mendes. Alpert and Hall, in particular, offered a musically rich, rhythmically energetic program of material ranging across jazz classics and American Songbook standards spiced with the music… Read More Live Jazz: Herb Alpert, Lani Hall and Sergio Mendes at the Hollywood Bowl
The International Review of Music 