John Vanore uses his big toned trumpet and flugelhorn to create some sonic landscapes with Ron Thomas on piano, Rhodes and Yamaha DX-7 for a wide range of musical moods. Except for when Vanore runs the Miles Davis voodoo down…
Category: Review
Trace Adkins@Chumash Casino 07.12.19
Any musician from any genre will tell you that the key to success is to have your own voice and a story to tell. And while he may be a C&W singer from the Texas/Louisiana side of life, Trace Adkins…
The Jazz Bakery Presents: Eric Alexander with Eric Reed Trio @ The Moss Theater 06.29.19
This past weekend at The Moss Theatre was a haven for fans of the tenor sax. On Friday the palates of the avant-garde fans were satiated by the whirling sounds of master David Murray, while on Saturday devotees of big…
The Jazz Bakery Presents: David Murray & Kehl E’Zabar @ The Moss Theater 06.28.19
After a long overdue absence, legendary tenor saxist David Murray finally returned to LA, not with vocalists or small groups from his latest recordings, but in a duet setting with multi-percussionist Kahil El’Zabar that had sparks fly in a myriad…
CAN YOU DIG IT?…Isaac Hayes: Shaft (Deluxe Edition)
AH! The early 70s when there was a surfeit of hip “Blaxploitation” films like Shaft and Superfly, and soulful soundtracks that pushed the musical envelope forward. Isaac Hayes’ 1971 soundtrack to the movie Shaft was a Afro-sheened, floppy hatted gauntlet…
Joe Bonamassa’s Rock Candy Funk Party@The Baked Potato 02.01.18
If you’ve ever seen Joe Bonamassa in concert with his “regular” band in mega theatres, you’d be in for a pleasant surprise to catch him at the Baked Potato with his Rock Candy Funk Party. Gone is the shark suit,…
Errol Rackipov Group: Distant Dreams
Errol Rackipov plays vibes and marimbas as he leads a sextet through a collection of his compositions and arrangements. The team of himself with Lubomir Gospodinov/ts-ss, David Leon/as, Martin Bejerano/p, Peter Slavov/b and Ludwig Afonso/dr is highly rhythmic, and Rackpov…
John Mayall Trio@The Broad Stage 08.25.17
Halfway through the 2 hour concert, John Mayall summed up the recently played song as well as his 50+ year career as he exuded “That’s the blues, man!” The 4 score and 3 year Bluesbreaker has more energy than artists…
A FORGOTTEN MINGUS SIDEMAN…Gene Shaw: Quintet & Sextet
If you’re a Charles Mingus fan (and if you aren’t, please explain yourself), you know that trumpeter Gene Shaw (1926-73) is probably his most obscure sideman. He did essentially a one-off with him, but that one session was the classic…
THE MERCEDES 80s…Cedar Walton/Pat Senatore/Billy Higgins: The V.I.P. Trio-Standards Volume 2
“Once upon a time there was a tavern…” Mary Hopkins If you were a jazz fan, life was good in the 1980s. For just $5-10, you could go to one of a plethora of clubs and see artists ranging from…