Drummer Kendrick Scott’s latest Oracle album A Wall Becomes A Bridge was presented in a passionate fashion, with the four songs in the first hour-long set at Blue Whale stretched out from concise 5-7 minute themes into rich opuses. Mike…
Category: Concert Reviews
Christian McBride Big Band@The Soraya 04.26.19
Grammy Award winning bassist Christian McBride has carved out a career best known for his own trio work as well as teaming up with the likes of Pat Metheny, Chick Corea and Sting. For the first time for Los Angeles…
The Jazz Bakery Presents Peter Erskine and Daniel Szabo’s “Visionary” at the Moss Theater
If anyone knows about fusion in music, it’s drummer Peter Erskine, who is best known for his work with the legendary band Weather Report. This evening he presented pianist and composer Daniel Szabo who together with Erskine melded the sounds…
Will Brahm’s CD Release@The Blue Whale 04.12.19
Guitarist Will Brahm has shown a versatility of his instrument that allows him to fit in with muscular big bands led by Gordon Goodwin and Elliot Deutsch as well as working the more supportive role with vocalists Jane Monheit, Sara…
Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour @ Campbell Hall UCSB 04.08.19
During its 61 years of history the Monterey Jazz Festival has always provided some of the veterans of the jazz scene; likewise the 11 year touring All Stars has in the past included long time legends. For this most recent…
Caetano Veloso’s Ofertorio @ The Ace Theatre
“This is my way of celebrating reproduction” So joked Grammy winning Caetano Veloso, as he sat and sang amongst his three sons Moreno, Tom and Zeca during a 90 minute family fest of song. The father, in rich voice and…
MercyMe @ Microsoft Theater 04.05.19
“This isn’t gospel music,” so said the sound man as I asked for a setlist for the MercyMe concert. Having only learned about the band from the inspiring movie , and thinking gospel music in terms of Sister Rosetta Tharpe,…
The Jazz Bakery Presents Abdullah Ibrahim’s Ekaya Septet @ The Moss Theater 03.31.19
In two settings Sunday evening, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim showed why the NEA designated him a Jazz Master. The evening began with a 1+ meeting between Ibrahim and a theatre filled with young students, peppering him with questions about his career…
The Jazz Bakery Presents Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita’s “Transparent Water” @The Moss Theater 03.23.19
A merging of sounds was created from diverse regions of the world, as Cuban’s Omar Sosa was joined by Senegalian Seckou Keita on the kora and percussionist Gustavo Ovalles from Venezuela. What united these three artists was a musical tribute…
The Jazz Bakery Presents Alicia Olatuja@The Moss Theater
Not only has Alicia Olatuja shown that she has an important voice since getting attention from her singing at President Obama’s Second Inauguration, but she showed the audience at the Moss Theater that she has something important to say with…