By Don Heckman I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. A night at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill, Jazz…etc. is a great way to hear jazz. So here it is – again. Last Saturday night we were in Vibrato’s comfortable room at the top of Beverly Glenn, seated at one of the club’s best… Read More Live Jazz: The Larry Koonse Quartet at Vibrato Grill, Jazz…etc.
By Don Heckman Los Angeles – Mar. 23 & 24 (Mon. & Tues.) Manhattan Transfer and Take 6. The two most masterful vocal ensembles of the past few decades get together for the first time. No wonder it’s called “The Summit” as they perform at the start of a national tour. Catalina Bar & Grill… Read More Picks of the Week in Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, London, Copenhagen and Tokyo
By James DeFrances Los Angeles. Last Thursday at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. Caesar Jazz Balladeer caught the attention of clubbers in a new way. His angle on the standards was as unique as his proximity to Los Angeles. Only in town for Grammy festivities, Caesar – who lives in Rhode Isand – left his… Read More Live Music: Caesar Jazz Balladeer at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
By James DeFrances Bel Air, CA. Piano legends from years gone by came to mind during John Proulx’s show Tuesday night at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz etc. If you’d have blinked you may have thought Art Tatum or Thelonious Monk were caressing the mighty grand piano on that stage. Proulx’s emotive playing style is… Read More Live Jazz: The John Proulx Trio at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
By James DeFrancis Bel Air, CA. Last Tuesday night Pat Senatore, artistic director of Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz etc…, sardonically told me, “Christmas week is a big time for malls, not jazz clubs.” But as the lights dimmed and I looked around the room it occurred to me that something was altogether different about… Read More Live Music: Freda Payne at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
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 Bel Air, CA. Some of the best nights for jazz in Los Angeles take place on the week nights when the city’s prime jazz destinations – Catalina Bar & Grill, Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc., the Blue Whale and beyond – schedule appearances by the Southland’s finest side men (and side women). By the… Read More Live Jazz: Bob Sheppard with the Pat Senatore Trio at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc.
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 As the warm days of September wind to a close, while autumn is just beginning to arrive, the bookings are light at clubs and concert venues around the world, but there’s still some very special music to hear. Los Angeles – Sept. 25. (Thurs.) Pat Senatore Trio. Bassist Senatore and his trio… Read More Picks of the Week: Sept. 24 – 28
By Don Heckman It’s another hot week, with a lot of venues still in the midst of their Summer hiatuses. But there’s still some fine, selective music to hear. Los Angeles – July 29. (Tues.) Amanda McBroom and George Ball. Musical theatre and cabaret star Amanda McBroom and actor/singer George Ball present a program of… Read More Picks of the Week: July 29 – Aug. 3 in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York City, London, Paris and Tokyo
The International Review of Music 