By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Sept. 10 (Tues.) Rachmaninoff and Gershwin. “Romantic Favorites.” The Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya with piano soloist Daniil Trifonov, performs a program of richly colorful, early 20th century music. Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000. – Sept. 11. (Wed.) George Benson Inspiration Tour. A Tribute To Nat “King” Cole.… Read More Picks of the Week: Sept. 10 – 15
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Mar. 6. (Tues.) John Pisano’s “Guitar Night.” Pisano takes his ever-entertaining, ever-popular “Guitar Night” to a new venue. To celebrate the move, the featured guest is veteran guitarist Mundell Lowe. Lucy’s 51. Toluca Lake. (818) 763-5200. Mar. 6. (Tues.) The Gonzalo Bergara Quartet. Guitarist Bergara and his crew bring… Read More Picks of the Week: March 6 – 11
By Tony Gieske It’s a Churchillian task to write about Nellie McKay‘s performance Saturday at Catalina’s. There she stood in all her Debbie Reynolds-ness, offering a figurative “blood, toil, tears and sweat,” among other exudations, in a skit that rivalled the works of Imogene Coca, Fran Leibowitz, Dorothy Parker, Fran Landesman or Alice Ghostley, with… Read More Live Music: Nellie McKay at Catalina Bar & Grill
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – July 6. (Wed.) The Ernie Andrews Quartet. The stylish, versatile Andrews – as convincing with a ballad standard as he is with the blues — performs with the bebop-driven alto saxophone of Richie Cole, and the stellar rhythm section of Art Hllary, piano, Richard Simon, bass and Ralph Penland,… Read More Picks of the Week: July 5 – 10
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Oct. 25. (Mon.) Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. Los Angeles has a full crop of big bands, performing with some (if still not enough) frequency. And the Big Phat band is one of the best, collectively and individually. Hearing them at Vitello’s is like having them perform for your… Read More Picks of the Week: Oct. 25 – 31
By Michael Katz So here we are again, nestled under the oaks at the Garden Stage at the Monterey Fairgrounds, listening to a young saxophone player named Ben Flocks send sweet solos into the misty evening. It’s barely 6:30 on Friday night, friends old and new are gathering around the metal benches whose backs, like… Read More Live Jazz: The 53rd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival (Day 1)
The International Review of Music 