By Don Heckman Charles Lloyd made one of his rare Southland appearances Saturday night a Royce Hall in a CAP UCLA (Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA) concert. And, as often happens with the iconic jazz saxophonist and flutist, one couldn’t help but wish that Lloyd would leave his Santa Barbara home for… Read More Live Jazz: Charles Lloyd and Bill Frisell in a CAP UCLA concert at Royce Hall
By Mike Finkelstein Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby brought their bluegrass collaboration to a CAP UCLA concert at Royce Hall on Friday night, playing to a very appreciative if not overflowing crowd. Backed by the amazing six-piece Kentucky Thunder bluegrass band, Skaggs and Hornsby took on music ranging from Bill Monroe to Rick James. At… Read More Live Music: Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby at Royce Hall
by Jane Rosenberg Elemental forces were at work on the stage of Royce Hall on Friday, October 4 when Lucy Guerin, the Australian choreographer, presented her North American premiere of “Weather” in a CAP UCLA concert. Nature’s seasons have long been a romantic lure for choreographers and composers – Petipa, Robbins, Glazunov, Tchaikovsky and Vivaldi,… Read More Dance: Lucy Guerin Inc. at Royce Hall
By Don Heckman Always eager to display their fascination with a far-ranging selection of music, the skilled players of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra once again showcased their remarkable versatility Sunday night in a CAP UCLA concert at Royce Hall. The program reached across more than two centuries, from Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in… Read More Live Music: The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at Royce Hall
By Don Heckman Bel Air. Israeli singer/songwriter Noa was back in L.A. this week. Which was great news to the full house crowd that showed up Tuesday night for her appearance at the American Jewish University. In an expansion of the performance she gave at Royce Hall early last year, Noa – who is known… Read More Live Music: Noa at the American Jewish University
By Mike Finkelstein As the Medeski, Martin, and Wood show started at Royce Hall Friday night you got the feeling that the audience wasn’t just dropping in. The balcony was open and there was a good vibe of anticipation in the hall. People were ready for this. Medeski, Martin, and Wood are a New York… Read More Live Jazz: Medeski, Martin and Wood in a CAP UCLA concert at Royce Hall
by Jane Rosenberg Simulating the movements of a medium at a Ouija board, a woman presides over the destiny of two male dancers who lie prostrate on the stage before her. Slamming her hands on an electronically amplified desk, she calls them to life like a malevolent puppet master waking her creations. Or is it… Read More Live Dance: Ultima Vez at Royce Hall
By Don Heckman At first glance, Saturday night seemed to offer one of the intriguing jazz events of the season: alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa appearing with his groups Indo-Pak Coalition and Gamak in a CAP UCLA concert at Royce Hall. Over the past decade, Mahanthappa, a second generation Indian American, has received significant recognition from… Read More Live Jazz: Rudresh Mahanthappa with Indo-Pak Coalition and Gamak at Royce Hall
By Mike Finkelstein Last weekend at Royce Hall, CAP UCLA presented another intriguing show, as Robert Randolph and the Slide Brothers delivered a unique clinic on how to make a musical point with a steel guitar. I’m not sure how many of us knew that the Slide Brothers use four or five non-identical steel guitars… Read More Live Music: Robert Randolph and the Slide Brothers at Royce Hall
By Mike Finkelstein Last Saturday night, veteran folk singer Steve Earle and his wife Allison Moorer played a stripped down show in a CAP UCLA concert at Royce Hall. They used a short rotation of his guitar, harmonica, and mandolin, with her guitar, accordion, and piano to give us all a reminder of how the… Read More Live Music: Steve Earl and Allison Moorer in a CAP UCLA Concert at Royce Hall
The International Review of Music 