By Roger Crane, the Song Scout Background/Discussion Who would guess that such a lovely and enduring ballad – musically and lyrically – was written for and featured in a raucous Abbott and Costello movie, the 1942 Ride ‘em Cowboy. For jazz fans the movie holds yet another attraction. It was one of a handful of… Read More Keeping the GAS (Great American Songbook) Flame Burning: “I’ll Remember April”
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Oct. 28. (Tues.) Guitar Night with John Pisano. Like all of John Pisano’s Guitar Nights, this week’s features a world class assemblage of players: in addition to Pisano, you’ll hear guitarist Barry Zweig, bassist Chris Conner and drummer Tim Pleasant. Viva Cantina. (818) 845-2425. ‘ – Oct. 28,. (Tues.)… Read More Picks of the Week: October 27 – November 2
By Don Heckman It’s easy to take many musicians for granted. The musicians, that is, who create the infinite array of melodies, textures and rhythms that are the soundtrack of daily life. On television and film screens, Muzak, iTunes, videogame music tracks, favorite CD collections, and so on. “Studio musicians,” they’re called, usually with a… Read More Live Jazz: The Mike Lang Trio at Catalina Bar & Grill
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Oct. 31. (Wed.) Bob Sheppard and Friends. Halloween Party and Jam. With Larry Koonse, guitar, Dave Robaire, bass, Charles Ruggiero, drums. Wear a Halloween costume and get in free. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905. – Nov. 2. (Fri.) David Grisman Sextet. Special guest David Lindley. Mandolin virtuoso Grisman, moving easily across… Read More Picks of the Week: Oct. 31 – Nov. 4
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Oct. 17. (Wed.) Judy Carmichael Trio. Pianist/singer and all around dynamic entertainer Carmichael can bring a room to life with her powerful stride piano and deeply interpretive vocals. Click HERE to read a review of Carmichael in her last L.A. appearance. Vitello’s. (818) 769-0905. – Oct. 17. (Wed.) The… Read More Picks of the Week: Oct. 16 – 21
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Aug. 14 & 15. (Tues. & Wed.) Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour. Cirque du Soleil. The music and lyrics of Michael Jackson are the foundation for a show that “immerses audiences in Michael’s creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down,” performed by the incomparable artists… Read More Picks of the Week: Aug. 14 – 19
By Don Heckman It’s always a good night at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. when the club’s Music Director, bassist Pat Senatore, books some of L.A.’s finest players for a laid-back, quasi-jam session performance. On Friday night, it was a quartet led by alto saxophonist/flutist Gary Foster, with pianist Tom Ranier, drummer Ramon Banda and… Read More Live Jazz: The Gary Foster Quartet at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Sept. 13. (Tues.) Mozart’s Requiem. The Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, conducted by Bramwell Tovey, perform the masterpiece work, appropriately, two days after the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000. – Sept. 14. (Wed.) Carol Chaikin quartet. Saxophonist/flutist… Read More Picks of the Week: Sept. 13 – 18
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – May 31. (Tues.) Bruce Cockburn and Jenny Scheinman. Versatile guitarist/composer Cockburn performs selections from his latest album, Small Source of Comfort, with the aid of eclectic violinist Scheinman. The El Rey. http://www.theelrey.com (323) 936-6400. – May 31. (Tues.) Wayne Bergeron Big Band. One of the jazz world’s finest, most… Read More Picks of the Week: May 31 – June 5
By Tony Gieske Graham Carter’s Stan Kenton documentary, out this month, pits the emptiness of the Kenton sound against the emptiness of the recorded interviews, and lasts two hours. It’s a DVD called Stan Kenton: Artistry in Rhythm, Portrait of a Jazz Legend. Carter’s JazzedMedia label records such deserving artists as Irene Kral, Marvin Stamm… Read More DVD Review: “Stan Kenton: Artistry in Rhythm: Portrait of a Jazz Legend”
The International Review of Music 