Like the title of his latest release, Calabasas’ gift to the guitar Graham Dechter is Takin’ it There, which means like so many other Angelenos, he’s moving to NYC where his chances of paying back his tuition seem the best.…
Category: Concert Reviews
Diana Krall w/ Alan Broadbent@Hollywood Bowl 08.24.12
Ya know, she’s not the greatest vocalist in the world, but she’s got her own personal style, she makes it work, and she can SWING. She’s not the greatest pianist in jazz either, but again, she’s got her own style,…
Christian McBride Trio@Catalina’s 08.23.12
This past year or so, he’s put out discs that have him leading a small band, a big band and a collection of duets ranging from Dee Dee Bridgewater to Sting. So, what’s left for Philly’s Phinest bass player, Christian…
The Gipsy Kings@Nokia Theatre 08.18.12
No attitude. No on stage charisma. No light shows. No bimbo dancers. They don’t even sing in English!!! Yet, year after year, the Gipsy Kings ( just like on this 2 hour show at the comfortably air conditioned Nokia Center)…
Sara Gazarek@Vitello’s 08.19.12
It’s easy to see why singer Sara Gazarek chose the title of her latest release to be Blossom and Bee. Yes, it’s also the name of a famous song, and the disc is a tribute to vocalist Blossom Dearie. But,…
Memphis the Musical @The Pantages 08.08.12
If you want a musical with some real soul in it, give this show a try. Memphis tells the story of 50s era music, pre-rock, just at the cusp when gospel and R&B coalesced with white pop to create a…
Ravi Coltrane’s Quartet@Catalina’s 08.02.12
It takes a lot of moxie to not only take on the same career as a famous father (talk to Tim Berra, for example), but the exact same instruments of the iconic jazz master. Are the people in the audience…
The Neville Brothers, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Roddie Romero & The Hub City All-Stars@The Hollywood Bowl 08.01.12
All that was missing was oysters on the half shell (well, actually, the Bowl IS a half shell, so there you go!) during the nearly 3 hour musical celebration of sounds from The Crescent City. Interestingly, the only style that…
John Pizzarelli@Catalina’s 07.18.12
The first thing you do when you grab a seat for a John Pizzarelli concert (or is it a show? We’ll get to that!) is to ask yourself, “Am I coming to see a) a guitarist who also sings and…
Moncef Genoud @ Vitello’s 07.12.12
Rain in July? A Swiss jazz musician? Which one is the rarer feature in Los Angeles? Well, they both came to town this evening at the cozy Vitello’s jazz club, as pianist Moncef Genoud and his bandmates Banz Oester/dr and…