Our (almost) always-stylish correspondent on the scene, Pam Howell, encounters a jazz fashion crisis in the latest edition of Jazz and the City. Also: Guitar fans get an earful this week including John Pizzarelli, John Pisano with Howard Alden, and Jeff Richman's All-Stars in gigs around SoCal. And as always, Tom Meek has all the details in this week's About & Out.
The Sweet & Hot Music Festival, taking place at the LAX Marriott over Labor Day Weekend, presents a diverse lineup of excellent musicians in a family-friendly environment at affordable prices. This year, the Festival features the likes of Ernestine Anderson, the Jack Sheldon Orchestra, Herb Jeffries, Ernie Andrews, the Jennifer Leitham Trio, and Banu Gibson, along with the world premiere of some unreleased Chet Baker recordings. There's also blues, gospel, children's music, a singing contest - as performer Ava DuPree puts it, "there'll be comedy, drama, magic, the bold, the beautiful, the young, and the restless, all served up with a little vaudeville on the side."
If it's Labor Day weekend, that must mean the West Coast Jazz Party & Brunch Cruise is happening at the Irvine Marriott Hotel and on Hornblower Yachts' Entertainer. The event, in its 14th year, features a packed weekend of jazz performances in diverse settings - by the pool, in the lobby, on a traditional large stage and, of course, on the ship. Performers this year include Terry Gibbs, Ken Peplowski, Houston Person, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, the Freddy Cole Quartet, Dave Frishberg, Jack Sheldon, Ron Eschete, the Susie Hansen Latin Jazz Band and many others - for over 33 hours of live jazz. The event takes place from Thursday, August 28 through Sunday, August 31.
Angel City Jazz Festival, taking place Sept. 1 on two stages at the Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood from 11am - 10:30pm, is an event featuring some of the most innovative jazz musicians from around the country and beyond. From acoustic piano trios to hard bop combos & avant garde ensembles, a wide array of genres will be covered. The eclectic program will place equal emphasis on established artists and emerging talent. Performers are selected for their commitment to creating cutting-edge original music. This year's lineup includes, among others: the Alan Pasqua Quartet, the Arthur Blythe Quintet, the Nick Mancini Collective, Nels Cline, Motoko Honda, Leni Stern, Andy Milnes's Dapp Theory, Elliott Sharp, Shane Endsley, Ian Rapien, Wayne Horvitz, and Satoko Fuji's Quartet.
Vocalist Shaynee Rainbolt will be performing at the Jazz Bakery in support of her new album, Shaynee Rainbolt SINGS Russell Garcia. Rainbolt is a favorite on both the San Francisco and New York City jazz scenes. Russ Garcia is one of jazz's foremost composers, arrangers and conductors, who at 92 still works regularly; he arranged and conducted this collection of 16 of his compositions, and, with his classic Four-Trombone Band, will also be appearing with her on this tour. The two first met when she looked up his email address to request permission to perform one of his compositions; the rapport was immediately obvious, and this historic album is the end result. The performance will take place on Sept. 8 at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City at 8:00 PM.
"Jazz musicians' appreciation of each other has kept the art form alive... It contrasts sharply to the competitive attitudes exhibited by many performers of classical music." -- Cliff
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My creed for art in general is that it should enrich the soul. It should teach spirituality by showing a person a portion of himself that he would not discover otherwise ... A part of yourself you never knew existed.
– Bill Evans