Category: Concert Reviews

Well, if the highest compliment you can say of a jazz soloist is that “he told a story,” then honky tonking singer songwriter Billy Joe Shaver is up there with Lester Young. Performing and answering questions in regards to his…

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The lost art of combining lyricism with improvisation and swing was on display like the a Renoir painting for all to appreciate when Ron Carter and his team of Donald Vega/p and Russell Malone/g gave the packed Hollywood club a…

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One of my best friends (who is a businessman) always says, “Everything is sales.” Once you think about it, he’s right; dating, raising kids, going to church and even playing music involve a degree of salesmanship. Wednesday on a perfect…

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So, what do you get when you mix a 79 year old hard bop drumming pioneer like Tootie Heath with Ethan Iverson of the popular trio The Bad Plus? Well, along with bassist Ben Street, you get a cooking recent…

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(Ed note-we have a new guest writer! Welcome to Joy Childs) By Joy Childs Perfect night.  Perfect backdrop.  Add in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Dustbowl Revival band, the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on Sat., July 5, and nighttime…

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Here’s the joy of summertime-going to music festivals and county fairs to see bands all together in one day. This lovely day by the beach in Del Mar, the Fair featured sets by a Beatles Tribute Band (The Fab Four-Not…

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Yes, I know that Johnny Rivers and Jimmy Webb were both recently reviewed here when they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the legendary opening of the Whisky A Go Go. This time around,the concert was a benefit to celebrate the…

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Touring around in support of his latest release One Is The Other, veteran drummer Billy Hart filled the hip Blue Whale with his team of Ethan Iverson/p, Ben Street/b and Mark Turner/ts delivered material that mixed intriguing rhythms, melodies and…

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  There are certain images that come to your mind when you reflect on various pianists. With Oscar Peterson, there’s fervent swing; Cecil Taylor flashes wild experimentation while McCoy Tyner evokes intense penetration. The hour and a half solo performance…

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Yes, I know I just caught pianist Vardan Ovsepian with his chamber orchestra with vocalist Tatiana Parra, but this time the roles are reversed, and the band has  been filtered. Tatiana, just landed from her home country of Brazil a…

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