By Michael Katz Summertime has always meant the opportunity for long road trips, the most notable joy of which is putting my favorite music on the stereo and cranking it up as I cruise into what Ed Abbey called the Back of Beyond. In the old days I would spend untold hours in preparation, transferring… Read More Traveling Music: Five For The Road
By Michael Katz UCLA’s Royce Hall had a nightclub-like feel to it Friday night, as a modest but enthusiastic crowd gathered on a rainy night to hear the Mingus Dynasty, a septet of New York based players exploring the oeuvre of the late bassist and composer Charles Mingus. Most of the group are veterans of… Read More Live Jazz: Mingus Dynasty in a UCLA Live Concert at Royce Hall
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Jan. 31. (Tues.) Anthony Wilson. He’s had a lot of visibility the past few years backing Diana Krall, but Wilson’s a certified jazz star in his own right – as a performer, a composer and a band leader. This time out, he gets back to basics with guitarist and… Read More Picks of the Week: Jan. 31 – Feb. 5
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Oct. 18 – 20. (Tues. – Thurs.) John Scofield. Always looking for new musical adventures, guitarist Scofield has moved through every imaginable jazz variation, including – among others –blues, gospel, pop, funk and beyond. But he’s always been a solid bebop master, as well. Lately, he’s been going back… Read More Picks of the Week: Oct. 18 – 22
A New Male Jazz Singer on the Scene By Roger Crane To a jazz writer and jazz fan, there is little that is more satisfying than discovering new worthy talent. And when that new talent is a male jazz singer, it is time to shout “hallelujah” from the rooftops. In recent years, there have been… Read More Live Jazz: Mon David at the Culver Club in the Hotel Radisson
By Don Heckman As it begins its 27th season, the San Francisco Jazz Festival — SFJAZZ — has become well-established as one of the world’s most far-reaching, creatively diverse musical events. Now encompassing three seasons – with around 100 annual concerts in Fall, Spring and Summer – it is the imaginative offspring of Executive Director… Read More Q & A: Randall Kline and SFJAZZ
The International Review of Music 