By Don Heckman What is there to say about a Festival that loses its way? It’s a question that kept running through my mind during the 36th annual Playboy Jazz Festival Saturday and Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl. That’s not to challenge the quality of the sounds beamed from the Bowl stage to a capacity… Read More Live Jazz: The 36th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl
By Don Heckman Hollywood, CA. George Benson’s tribute to Nat “King” Cole at the Hollywood Bowl Wednesday night was a major musical effort. He could have simply performed a program of Cole-related songs with a small group comparable to the classic Cole Trio. Instead, Benson and the L.A. Phil elected – as Cole occasionally did… Read More Live Music: George Benson Salutes Nat “King” Cole at the Hollywood Bowl
By Devon Wendell Photos by Bonnie Perkinson This year’s choice of performers at The 34th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival may have had both the serious jazz fan and struggling jazz musician recoiling in disgust, but even the most stubborn jazz aficionado can’t deny that fun and diversity dominated the festival. Before covering Sunday’s highlights,… Read More The Playboy Jazz Festival 2012: Sunday’s Program at the Hollywood Bowl
By Michael Katz I told myself I had finally come to terms with the Playboy Jazz Festival. This year I would enjoy it for what it was: an eight hour party at the Hollywood Bowl, a sort of Bar Mitzvah/Quinceanera for grown-ups, with perhaps half of it (on a good day) dedicated to actual jazz,… Read More The Playboy Jazz Festival 2012: Saturday’s Program at the Hollywood Bowl
By Michael Katz Monterey, California. Sunday at Monterey began with a group of precocious teenagers and ended with an ageless octogenarian, concluding a festival that had highlights from every corner of the musical world. The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, MJF’s signature contribution to jazz education, is more than just a group of talented kids gathered… Read More Live Jazz: The 54th Monterey Jazz Festival — Sunday
By Michael Katz In 1995 I decided on a whim that it might be fun to drive up the coast and see the Monterey Jazz Festival. A bunch of my favorites were performing there: Chick Corea, Gene Harris, Toots Thielemans and John Scofield. I hadn’t been to the Monterey Peninsula since a family trip in… Read More A Guide to the 54th Monterey Jazz Festival
By Michael Katz This is the time of year when Monterey Jazz Festival diehards pour over the newly released lineup, plotting strategy for seeing as many of the 500 + artists spread over six venues as humanly possible. This year’s 54th Monterey Jazz Festival, September 16-18, promises to be one of the best. To begin… Read More News/Preview: The 54th Monterey Jazz Festival
The International Review of Music 