Alto saxist Owen Broder continues to create albums in tribute to famed Ellingtonian Johnny Hodges, but this time focusing on two landmark small group albums Hodges was featured on, Back to Back and Side By Side. He’s joined by like…
Category: Concert Reviews
Tedeschi Trucks Band and Little Feat @ The Greek 06.09.24
Two bands that are carrying on a legacy, one sticking to one’s lane, and the other looking for other worlds. Opening up things was the venerable and respected Little Feat, which has always been considered a “musician’s band” during its…
Lao Tizer Band@Triunfo Community Park 06.08.24
Yes, there is a local jazz scene, and there are local jazz artists for the Thousand Oaks area. In other words, the musical culture here does not only consist of tributes to Neil Diamond, Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac. One…
Michael O’Neill @ The Grape Ventura 06.06.24
It only took 40 years for guitarist Michael O’Neill to take time off from his stints with the likes of George Benson, Ronnie Foster and Barbara Streisand to release his own solo album and put together a few gigs to…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Stephane Wrembel featuring Jean-Michel Pilc: Triptych Phase I, II, III
Just when you think you’ve pegged Stephane Wrembel, here he puts out three albums that are going to surprise you. He links up with pianist Jean-Michel P ilc, which make seem incongruous until you remember that all the French love…
Veronica Swift @ The Sun Rose 05.15.24
There’s an old adage, “you either build from your twenties, or recover from your twenties” The saying is fitting for Veronica Swift, who celebrated her 30th birthday on her second of four Wednesday residencies at the acoustically adroit Sun Rose.…
Tu-NER@The Baked Potato 04.11.24
While it is true that King Crimson has officially ended its reign, the ripple effect of Robert Fripp has been heard and felt most successfully by two bands created by touch guitarist Mark Reuter and Crimson alumnus drummer Pat Mastelotto.…
Steve Smith’s Vital Information @ The Baked Potato 05.04.24
Look, I’ve seen just about all the great drummers. Not Catlett, Jo or Philly Joe Jones, but definitely Rich, Roach, Cobham, Mason, La Barbera, Bellson and De Johnette, to just throw in a few names. What is it about Steve…
Ethan Iverson@Sam First Bar 04.05.24
Believe it or not, Ethan Iverson’s Friday night’s set with Peter Erskine/dr and Darek Oles/b was the first time the pianist has played in Los Angeles as a leader. He’s been here many instances with The Bad Plus and served…
Kandace Springs @ The Sun Rose 04.04.24
In this day of singers weaned on Auto-Tune, it’s rare to find a vocalist who not only sounds real, but sounds both relevant and invigorating. Kandace Springs, playing piano and keyboards while delivering music mostly from her most recent album…