Behind the Scenes
California Festivals & Reviews
by Chris J. Walker, Entertainment Editor
Reviews
Jackson Browne, the “Crown Prince” of the Southern California folk-rock scene never achieved commercial success on the level of his friends, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt or Crosby, Stills & Nash. Yet, received a hero’s welcome from a near capacity crowd at the Greek Theatre. In response, the singer-guitarist-keyboardist, an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2004) and Song Writers Hall of Fame (2007), launched into “I’m Alive” to draw affirming reactions. Truth be told, Browne could do no wrong before mostly graying rockers who came of age with his music serving as the backdrop.
The sensitive troubadour though made sure that the concert was more than just a nostalgic trip and interspersed slow-drawn “Barricades of Heaven” and soulfully-tinged “Time the Conqueror” from his recent CD. Browne also injected left leaning, politically oriented “Going to Cuba” and “I am a Patriot” into the show. During its first half he was laid-back, playing songs “In the Shape of a Heart” and “Take it Easy,” the Eagle’s hit he co-wrote semi-acoustically. However, for the second half he revved things up with “Doctor My Eyes,” “Just say Yeah” (ode to old girl friends) and “Running on Empty” to his fans’ delight.
Some consider Elvis Costello the modern rock version of pop icon, Burt Bacharach. However, for his recent tour that included a concert at the Greek Theatre, Costello went in a direction Bacharach, who he has actually recorded with, would probably never consider—blue grass and country gospel. Along the lines of Brother Where art Thou?, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, Costello’s latest projected, produced by T-Bone Burnett delves deeply into the genre and was supported by many of Nashville’s top players, also on the tour. They were, Jerry Douglas-dobro, Stuart Duncan-fiddle, Mike Compton-mandolin, Dennis Crouch-bass, Jeff Taylor-accordion and Jim Lauderdale-singer/guitarist, additionally a renowned songwriter.
The combination of material, musicians and the bandleader’s passion was truly a soul-stirring experience that was just short of a baptism. They reveled with "Down Among the Wines and Spirits, “"She Was No Good" and "Sulfur to Sugarcane," all from the new CD. However, the most significant was "Jailhouse Tears,” done poignantly, with Lucinda Williams (opening performer) as an emotionally packed lovers dialogue that brought down the house. For good measure, Costello did a few of his classic songs,
"(The Angels Want to Wear My) Red Shoes," "Blame It on Cain," and "Everyday I Write the Book."
The Heroes of Woodstock at the Greek Theatre coincided with the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. But the bands weren’t the most celebrated of the festival and their charismatic members either died or left afterwards. Examples were Janis Joplin and Big Brother and Holding Company, Ten Years After, without guitarist, Alvin Lee and the Jefferson Starship minus Grace Slick. If you can remember you probably weren’t there. Mostly intact Canned Heat featured guitarist, Harvey Mandell smoking on the psychedelic rendition of gospel staple, “Wade in the Water.”
Other Heat survivors, Adolfo de la Parra-drums, Dr. John-keyboards and Larry Taylor-bass jammed away for “On the Road Again,” “Going to the Country” and “The Boogie.” Joe Gooch, born seven years after Woodstock admirably replaced Lee, wailing on signature “Going Home” and “I Wish I Could Change the World.” Supplying comic relief, emcee, Country Joe MacDonald played the ‘Whale Song.” Jefferson Starship formerly the Jefferson Airplane led by original guitarist, Paul Kantner did “White Rabbit” and stirring “Wooden Ships” with Grateful Dead keyboardist, Don Constantine that drew strong audience reactions. All the bands, including Linda Imperial with Big Brother jammed passionately on “With a Little Help From My Friends” and the Airplane’s “Got a Revolution.”
Pop/country/rockabilly singer/guitarist, Chris Isaak is not stereotypical by any means and donned his trademark glitter jacket, while streaming videos on jumbo screens during songs at the Greek Theatre. Additionally, the truly 21st century artist made fun of him and band mates throughout the show. Most of the audience enjoyed the mix of comedy, titillation and music. Still, some just didn’t quite understand the point of it. Nonetheless, everyone responded favorably when Isaak got down to business with velvety ballad “Don’t Make Me Dream About You,” Roy Orbison inspired “Somebody’s Crying” and his haunting hit “Wicked World.”
In contrast, Susan Tedeschi, representing a new breed of blues women, focused solely on music. The singer/guitarist, presented hard-hitting blues and R&B, with feminine touches. ‘Rock to the Rhythm” was reminiscent of Buddy Miles’ rocking soul, featuring her saxophonist and other sidemen soloing. For ballad “What can be Done” Tedeschi sang tenderly and featured her guitarist doing a biting solo. Yet, for “Love Rules” and “It Hurt so bad,” a ‘50s styled tune full of hot playing her singing was overpowering. As a total surprise the soft-spoken artist pulled out Jimi Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic” and wreaked havoc, singing fervently and playing scorching guitar.
Progressive rock popularity propelled by groups such as Yes, King Crimson and Genesis has long pasted. What remains on the grand scale are Tool, Rush and Dream Theater, who are musically starker, unmelodic and lean to metal. Nonetheless, they emphasize virtuosity and solos. Dream Theater’s Progressive Rock Nation tour at the Greek Theatre pummeled an extremely enthusiastic audience. Opener “A Nightmare to Remember” was seventeen minutes long, while “Beyond This Life” was over a half hour and showcased guitarist, John Pertucci and drummer, Mike Portnoy, with guest guitarists Steve Vai and Dweezil Zappa joining in.
Beforehand, Zappa Plays Zappa celebrated Dweezil’s father’s music with Ben Thomas-vocals, Sheila Gonzalez-keyboards/reeds/vocals, Pete Griffin bass, Billy Hulting-marimba/percussion, Jamie Kime-guitar and Joe Travers-drums/vocals. Their long numbers were “Apostrophe” and “Black Pages, which started with a hard-hitting drum solo. Absurd hit “Montana” was interspersed with funky “Going Back to the Village of the sun” filled with energetic vibe, drum and guitar solos. Thomas amusingly sang Captain Beefheart-like for a bluesy love song and during “Broken Hearts are for Assholes” with Portnoy drumming. They quickly segued into Zappa’s thematic masterpiece “Peaches en Regalia” and ended with solo-laden encore, “Pound for Brown.” Big Elf and Scale the Summit opened.
Women in rock usually aren’t as hard-edged and self destructive as the ‘bad boys.” The Pretenders leader and founder, Chrissie Hynde, a true kick-ass babe who’s survived all the pitfalls of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll is the anomaly. The audience at the Greek Theatre displayed reverence for her with a standing ovation at the beginning of a near-twenty song long concert. Hynde in typical non-challant fashion played it down and got down to business doing Bo Diddley rhythms and shifting to the titled track of the band’s latest CD, Break up the Concrete.
A hit parade of songs followed, intertwined with the singer-guitarist’s sultry delivery, jamming riffs, and flippant wit. “Message of Love” and “”My City was Gone” had the crowd reveling, while hard-jamming “Kid Play” was dedicated to the deceased original band members. For a break from rocking material, Hynde and band did country-flavored “Love’s a Mystery” featuring tasteful pedal-steel, classic ballad “Angel of the Morning” and “Thumbelina’ dedicated to Elvis Presley. Returning to their own songs, they rocked with “Mystery Achivement, " ”Precious” and “Middle of the Road” as the encore. For contrast, murky and low key Cat Power, along with sedate punker, Juliette Lewis opened.
The Gypsy King’s music, a mixture of flamenco, gypsy, African and Middle Eastern rhythms and textures called Sevillana ignited the audience at the Greek Theatre. “Djobi Djoba” one the five-guitar/singer fronted entourage’s best-known hits occurred early and got everyone up dancing. Doing something not normally heard from by them, they sang in English slightly up-tempo “On My way Baby,” with plenty of multi-strumming. Changing things up, the French and Spanish natives went into a pop-like romantic ballad passionately sung by the two main singer/players, Nicolas and Andre Reyes.
For the second half of the show, the band started in a stripped-down mode, with just three guitars, bass and percussion for easy-flowing ballads. The relaxing mode eventually transitioned to full band for a tasty instrumental featuring the guitarists. Full-blown partying erupted during “Amour, Amour,” with the audience dancing and several ladies invited onstage to showcase their skills. The Gypsy Kings kept the excitement going with fast strumming and percussive jams, allowing everyone to solo. By this point, even the romantic ballads fired up the concertgoers and they sang along to “Bem, bem Maria.” Wrapping up a mostly high energy and tantalizing show the ensemble did venerable hit “Bomboleo” as an encore.
Factor in that country-folk-rockers, Loggins & Messina have only been together for about four years after reuniting from a twenty-nine year split and it’s easy to understand why loyal fans at the Greek Theatre were so excited. They’ve waited a long time with only the recordings, and the musicians’ solo projects to keep them going. On the other had, the singer/songwriting pair now in their early sixties were equally thrilled to still have plenty of supporters who very much have kept their music and popularity alive.
With that in mind, the seemingly halcyon era of the mid-seventies was revisited through songs, strongly propelled by a dynamic six-piece band. Yet, the duo started with a semi-acoustic set that included “House at Pooh Corner.” Transitioning into livelier full band songs they did new tune, the Beatles’ “Two of Us,” accented by violin and hot band interaction. Popular “Be Free,” as would be expected drew stronger response and featured Messina’s impressive mandolin playing. Multi-layered “Angry Eyes” on the other hand was a sizzling jam and showcased everyone’s playing. Loggins also charmed the audience with his singing and presence for hits, rollicking “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” ballad” A Little Peace of Mind” and Caribbean flavored “Vahevala.”
From their first gig at Woodstock forty years ago, Crosby, Stills & Nash have been much more than a group, and unofficially a voice of consciousness for a generation. Their appearance at the Greek Theatre was a celebration of the sixties and early seventies in addition to a concert. Crosby quipped that the first time they performed there they were more people in the distant trees than in the seats. Shifting to music the trio began in semi-acoustic mode, doing covers of the Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday.” James Taylor and Bob Dylan’s “North County Blues,” featuring Stills's guitar picking.
“Guinnevere,” with its hauntingly rich vocal harmonies quickly overshadowed the opening songs and whetted the audience’s appetite for more CS&N songs. The trio cunningly, mixed in newer, lesser-known tunes, along with the Grateful Dead’s “Uncle John’s Band” for a tribute to Jerry Garcia. The audience got a hint of the second half with classic “Our House” being one of the songs before intermission. The second half went beyond expectations with gems “Love the one You’re With,” ”It’s Been a Long Time Coming,” Crosby’s “Wind on the Water,” “Wooden Ships” and second encore song “Teach Your Children” all taking the audience into the upper stratosphere.
Pooling the talents of M. Ward, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Connor Oberst and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) the Monsters of Folk are an abundantly talented and fast emerging collective who finally recorded after initially forming five years ago. Their show at the Greek Theatre was part of their mega tour and highly anticipated. Initially, as full band the singer/songwriter foursome were hard-rocking and not in the least acoustical, especially during high energy romp “Soul Singer in a Session Band.” But when they individually did segments of their own songs, folk and strains of country were apparent during the course of over two and a half hours.
M. Ward captured the audience’s attention with “One Hundred Million Years,” “Chinese Translation,” and “Outa of My Head ,“ while getting the other members to help him intermittently. Following suit, Oberst showcased “Smoke Without Fire” with Ward supporting. James relaxingly performed “Bermuda Highway Blues,” “Look at You” and mournful “I Will Be There When You Die.” Mogis was more detached while doing “We Are Nowhere With,” “And It's Now “ and “The Big Picture.” Wrapping a near marathon performance the quartet come together for My Morning Jacket’s “Smokin' From Shooting” and their own “His Master’s Voice,”
Along with Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley is one of most important figures in blue grass music. His a cappella singing of “O Death” on the O Brother! Where art Thou? sound track brought a new legion of fans. However, Stanley has been a force since the forties, first with his brother Carter and later formed the Clinch Mountain Boys after his death in 1966. At UCLA Stanley commanded respect when he sang after several instrumentals featuring his ensemble. He did the song popularized by the Oscar sweeping movie. It was so pure and full of anguish that it sounded like he was on his Virginia mountain porch.
The backing Clinch Mountain Boys, which included his grandson skillfully matched their playing to the enchanting singing for variety Stanley’s son, Timothy performed “If I Lose” a standard country tune and also “Carter” in memory of his uncle. The elder Stanley returned to floor the audience with “I’m a man of Constant Sorrow.” He further excited everyone by playing banjo for rousing “Going up the Mountain.” Cherryholmes a family-based energetic entourage who opened joined in for barnburner “Orange Blossom Special.” Afterwards encore “Will the Circle be Broken” garnered a well-deserved standing ovation.
Comedian, Steve Martin has used a banjo as a prop for standup routines, but at Disney Hall he actual played it. He joked that his wife had been asking when was he going stop playing the “damned banjo.” That naturally drew laughs from the close to capacity audience and Martin injected tidbits of humor throughout the concert. Yet, when he played with the Steep Canyon Rangers, solid bluegrass pickers from North Carolina supporting his tour, he was dead serious. Furthermore, the songs performed from his debut musical recording, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, were his originals.
Standouts were "Late for School," featuring Martin singing, somewhat like his whimsical “King Tut” and "Daddy Played the Banjo," highlighted by Woody Platt’s vocals, the guitarist from the Steep Canyon Rangers. Also increasing the comedian/actor/directors credibility as a musician was the inclusion of a well-executed song with opening banjoist/singer/songwriter. Abigail Washburn and her husband, wunderkind “new grass” banjoist, Béla Fleck (he performed at UCLA days earlier with his world music ensemble that included classical/blue grass bassist, Edgar Meyer and Indian tabla player, Zakir Hussain). Of course, a bluegrass/country show isn’t complete without “The Orange Blossom Special,” which was the show-closing encore.
It’s unavoidable that singer/songwriter/pianist Regina Spektor, who performed at the Greek Theatre gets compared to women who have paved the way for her, most notably Tori Amos and Sarah McLaughlin. Yet, Spektor is definitely different (Russian/Jewish heritage migrating to the U.S. before turning ten), being more innocent and less intense musically, although classically trained. Nonetheless, Spektor is driven, creative and a fast emerging artist who is most importantly tapped into her own generation’s tastes. They notably prefer songs and themes that are buoyant, optimistic and poppy. If you want reality, turn on the TV and radio, read newspapers and magazines, or even more immediate-try finding a job.
Songs from her latest CD, Far were intermixed with the previous four to create a quirky and stimulating soundscape that included her mimicking a variety of characters. Crowd-pleasing Guns n’ Roses influenced “On the Radio” exhibited the singer/pianist’s rocking abilities. as well. But her other popular songs "Samson," "Us," "Hotel Song" and "Fidelity" were much more gentler, varied and offbeat. “Folding Chair” was a perfect example, with a wooden chair being used as a percussion instrument. However, Spector ended her show in a more conventional fashion with sexually oriented "Love, You're a Whore.”
As Kris Kristofferson began his concert at Disney Hall, donning a harmonica holder rig and acoustic guitar he disparaging stated, “Well, it ain’t Dylan.” Still, the singer/songwriter whose lengthy musical career has been overshadowed by impressive acting roles has written many songs that may not be copious as Dylan, but nevertheless are an impressive body of work. Some of his songs have been hits for Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton Waylon Jennings Roger Miller and even for himself, amounting to around four hundred and fifty different performers.
Closer to the Bone, the title track of his latest recording also conveyed the theme of the one-man show. His fans didn’t mind the starkness and seemed enthralled with the opportunity to see the Grammy Winning and Country Music Hall of Fame artist up-close and personal. Interestingly, he avoided between songs banter and performed in a straight-forward, no nonsense manner, going through a brisk eighty-five minute set with very little ado. His songs stood well and were thoroughly captivating, but left no room for listeners to sing or clap along. Within "Shipwrecked in the Eighties” he expressed gratitude and sorrow, regarding the recent loss of long-time creative partner and friend, Stephen Bruton.
Harry Connick, Jr. appeared at the GRAMMY Museum with none other than music mogul, Clive Davis to discuss their collaboration for his new CD, Your Songs. Their coming together was strictly Davis’s idea and he had been a long-time admirer of the singer/pianist and heard something in his music that made him think there was potential for wider appeal. Connick admitted that a structured approach was clearly not the norm for him, but he was open to trying it. Essentially, the focus was on material and the entertainer, who’s an extremely talented pianist primarily singing. Most importantly, Davis was involved with every little detail and Connick was thoroughly impressed by the executive’s attention.
After the informative and often amusing discussion that included their backgrounds, the producer/executive’s process, the singer/pianist’s influences and Q&A with the audience there was a short performance. Connick did three songs from his new recording with a talented combo afterwards. The numbers were swinging and balanced, making an enticing sampler/preview. They were: “The way You Look Tonight,” the Beatles “And I Love Her, filled with soothing guitar and saxophone accents, and Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa” done with cool starkness adorned by a saxophone solo.
Montreal Jazz Festival
The 30th Montreal Jazz Festival as the world’s largest, continued with its multifaceted array of high caliber concerts, club shows and free concerts, spread around the downtown area during a twelve-day period. Prior to the official festival getting underway, the Gary Burton Quartet including Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow and Antonio Sanchez were featured for special pre-festival concert.
As would be expected, the MJF does feature many artists who recently or soon will perform in California. Heavyweight bandleaders, Wynton Marsalis Lincoln Center and Maria Schneider’s Jazz Orchestras highlighted the opening day, with an amazing amalgamation encompassing the succeeding ones. Among them were Wayne Shorter’s Quartet, Tony Bennett, the Miles From India ensemble, Branford Marsalis’s Quartet, Kind of Blue @50th Jimmy Cobb’s So What Band and Sheila Jordan with the Jeff Johnston Trio.
Furthermore, Bill Frisell’s Quartet, Jamie Cullum, Dave Brubeck’s Quartet, Esperanza Spaulding, Kenny Garrett, Al Jarreau, Luciana Souza & Romero Lubambo, Eliane Elias, Stanley Jordan, Chucho Valdes’s Quintet and Brian Blade’s Fellowship Band were all part of the roster. As were Brian Seltzer’s rocking orchestra with Irma Thomas, Madeleine Peyroux, Russell Malone, Sado Watanabe, George Wein and the Newport All Stars, Patricia Barber and John Pizzerelli. Emerging Canadians singers who are beginning to get a foothold in the states, such as Melody Gardot, Sophie Millman, Susie Arioli and Molly Johnson also performed to draw noteworthy audience response.
Of special note, were the magnitude of cutting edge players scheduled, including Aaron Parks’ Trio, Anat Cohen’s Quartet, Lionel Louke, Hiromi, Robert Glasper Trio with Mos Def and the Bad Plus. Setting an example were influential innovators, Ornette Coleman and Lee Konitz with Minsarah (American, German and Israeli trio). From the eclectic standpoint, there were fusion/world guitarist, Al Di Meloa, genre-spanning Pink Martini ensemble, blues wonders Buddy Guy/Susan Tedeschi (double bill), old school funksters, Kool & The Gang and Charlie Haden Family and Friends doing a mostly country/folk program delighted enthusiastic audiences.
In the world category Lilia Downs (Mexican/roots), Joyce (Brazil), Vieux Farka Toure (Mali), Nigerians King Sunny Ade/Femi Kuti (double bill), Jamaicans Burning Spear/Toots & Maytals (double bill) and Rocksteady doing a free concert generated frenzied crowd reactions. That, however, was nothing compared to the excitement generated by R&B pop legend, Stevie Wonder’s free concert and rock/fusion wunderkind, Jeff Beck’s two shows with new band consisting of Tal Wilkenfeld-bass, Jason Rebello-keyboards and Vinnie Colaiuta-drums. They performed numbers from Beck’s Wired and Blow-by Blow vintage records that was accentuated by the Beatles’s “A day in a Life” as an encore.
Los Angeles home girl, Judy Wexler worked with the Jeff Johnston Trio, doing a diverse selection of standards and covers, while highlighting her well-received CD Dreams and Shadows. So Cal young lion, Gerald Clayton who recently migrated to New York worked with his new crew to fully engage and enthrall listeners with complex rhythms, harmonics and band interaction. Eleni Mandell, also a Californian maintained her unpredictable quirkiness and insightful intelligence with hard to categorize, sometime personal songs.
The amount of exceptional artists at the MJF is mind-boggling; still its most captivating attributes are the special series of concerts/jam sessions. Erik Truffaz focused his electronic wizardry on his impressions of Benares, India, Mexico and Paris in separate shows. Joshua Redman worked with amazing ensembles, highlighted by an unbelievable double trio. Bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons was included in the format doing duos with singer/ flamenco dancer, Sabrina Romero, and accordionist Jean-Louis Matiner, and with a quartet. Kenny Werner had only one night, but made the most of it with Scott Colley-bass, David Sanchez-reeds, Randy Becker-trumpet and Antonio Sanchez-drums.
In addition to the beyond belief selection of music, Montreal, the city beckons, with plenty to see and do in a vibrant and culturally diverse cosmopolitan setting. During the summer, the weather is generally cooler than California, with intermittent rainfall, but has warm nights, due to the humidity. It’s very accessible by foot and full of long boulevards overflowing with shops, restaurants and clubs. Most of the top attractions are close to central downtown.
The Basilica of Notre-Dame, completed in 1829 is the original and France has its replica. Parc du Mont-Royal is a park perched on the highest point of the city with a panoramic view and great for hiking and other outdoor activities. Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) is a historic area that was the original settlement. On the other end of the city is Montréal’s Botanical Garden featuring 21,000 species of plants. Parc Olympique hosted the 1976 Olympics and a popular landmark, along with the Tower Observatory built in 1922 to commemorate the end of WWWI and The Biodome, which features four distinct environments of North and South America. For more information and to plan for 2010, go to: www.montrealjazzfest.com and montreal.com/
Los Lobos
Los Lonely Boys
Greek Theatre
Latin rock fans had their pleasure doubled with East LA’s Los Lobos and San Antonio’s Los Lonely Boys. The groups have generational and regional differences, yet relate to the original Latin rocker, Ritchie Valens. Los Lobos, have been around since the early ‘70s and also dabble in world music. Los Lonely Boys are present day rockers, who emphasize jamming and appealing singing. Lobos opened with self-questioning classic, “Will the Wolf Survive?” full of stellar band play. Blues another strong aspect of the seminal band was touched on with “Peace,” which drew excited chanting and clapping from the audience.
Co-founder, singer/multi-instrumentalist, David Hidalgo strapped on an accordion for traditional Mexican oriented “Kiko and the Lavender Moon.” Cesar Rosas, singer/guitarist/co-founder alternately handled vocals in English and Spanish for Valen’s classic “La Bamba” to set the crowd in orbit. Lonely Boys had their work cut out for them and jumped into Jimi Hendrix styled funk jamming with “Love Don’t Care About Me” to gain favor. From there the Garza brothers trio, Henry-guitar/vocals, Jojo-bass/vocals and Ringo-drums took off into the rock/funk stratosphere, including Stevie Ray Vaughan-sounding blues jams “I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love” and “I ‘m a man” full of extended solos.
Monterey Jazz 2009
September in Monterey means the West Coast’s answer to Newport’s jazz festival. Like every year, the 52nd installment on stages around the Monterey Fairgrounds overflows with high caliber artists. The main stage features Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White Trio, John Scofield And The Piety Street Band, Pete Seeger, Susan Tedeschi, Hank Jones And Joe Lovano Quartet, and George Duke. Most notably, the Dave Brubeck Quartet will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Time Out, one of jazz’s most popular recordings that includes landmark hit, “Take Five.”
The large stage will additionally premiere a special piece by 2009 Commission Artist, Jason Moran and The Bandwagon, who will debut Feedback. It’s a tribute to the historic first U.S. appearance of the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Monterey Pop Festival 42 years ago. Also throughout the seven smaller stages/venues will be appearances by Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side All-Star Band, the Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars featuring Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, and Russell Malone; Esperanza Spalding; John Scofield, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joe Lovano with John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Individual arena tickets and group packages are still available and for more information go to: montereyjazzfestival.org.
Jackson Browne, the “Crown Prince” of the Southern California folk-rock scene never achieved commercial success on the level of his friends, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt or Crosby, Stills & Nash. Yet, received a hero’s welcome from a near capacity crowd at the Greek Theatre. In response, the singer-guitarist-keyboardist, an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2004) and Song Writers Hall of Fame (2007), launched into “I’m Alive” to draw affirming reactions. Truth be told, Browne could do no wrong before mostly graying rockers who came of age with his music serving as the backdrop. The sensitive troubadour though made sure that the concert was more than just a nostalgic trip and interspersed slow-drawn “Barricades of Heaven” and soulfully-tinged “Time the Conqueror” from his recent CD. Browne also injected left leaning, politically oriented “Going to Cuba” and “I am a Patriot” into the show. During its first half he was laid-back, playing songs “In the Shape of a Heart” and “Take it Easy,” the Eagle’s hit he co-wrote semi-acoustically. However, for the second half he revved things up with “Doctor My Eyes,” “Just say Yeah” (ode to old girl friends) and “Running on Empty” to his fans’ delight.
Some consider Elvis Costello the modern rock version of pop icon, Burt Bacharach. However, for his recent tour that included a concert at the Greek Theatre, Costello went in a direction Bacharach, who he has actually recorded with, would probably never consider—blue grass and country gospel. Along the lines of Brother Where art Thou?, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, Costello’s latest projected, produced by T-Bone Burnett delves deeply into the genre and was supported by many of Nashville’s top players, also on the tour. They were, Jerry Douglas-dobro, Stuart Duncan-fiddle, Mike Compton-mandolin, Dennis Crouch-bass, Jeff Taylor-accordion and Jim Lauderdale-singer/guitarist, additionally a renowned songwriter.
The combination of material, musicians and the bandleader’s passion was truly a soul-stirring experience that was just short of a baptism. They reveled with "Down Among the Wines and Spirits, “"She Was No Good" and "Sulfur to Sugarcane," all from the new CD. However, the most significant was "Jailhouse Tears,” done poignantly, with Lucinda Williams (opening performer) as an emotionally packed lovers dialogue that brought down the house. For good measure, Costello did a few of his classic songs,
"(The Angels Want to Wear My) Red Shoes," "Blame It on Cain," and "Everyday I Write the Book."
The Heroes of Woodstock at the Greek Theatre coincided with the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. But the bands weren’t the most celebrated of the festival and their charismatic members either died or left afterwards. Examples were Janis Joplin and Big Brother and Holding Company, Ten Years After, without guitarist, Alvin Lee and the Jefferson Starship minus Grace Slick. If you can remember you probably weren’t there. Mostly intact Canned Heat featured guitarist, Harvey Mandell smoking on the psychedelic rendition of gospel staple, “Wade in the Water.”
Other Heat survivors, Adolfo de la Parra-drums, Dr. John-keyboards and Larry Taylor-bass jammed away for “On the Road Again,” “Going to the Country” and “The Boogie.” Joe Gooch, born seven years after Woodstock admirably replaced Lee, wailing on signature “Going Home” and “I Wish I Could Change the World.” Supplying comic relief, emcee, Country Joe MacDonald played the ‘Whale Song.” Jefferson Starship formerly the Jefferson Airplane led by original guitarist, Paul Kantner did “White Rabbit” and stirring “Wooden Ships” with Grateful Dead keyboardist, Don Constantine that drew strong audience reactions. All the bands, including Linda Imperial with Big Brother jammed passionately on “With a Little Help From My Friends” and the Airplane’s “Got a Revolution.”
Pop/country/rockabilly singer/guitarist, Chris Isaak is not stereotypical by any means and donned his trademark glitter jacket, while streaming videos on jumbo screens during songs at the Greek Theatre. Additionally, the truly 21st century artist made fun of him and band mates throughout the show. Most of the audience enjoyed the mix of comedy, titillation and music. Still, some just didn’t quite understand the point of it. Nonetheless, everyone responded favorably when Isaak got down to business with velvety ballad “Don’t Make Me Dream About You,” Roy Orbison inspired “Somebody’s Crying” and his haunting hit “Wicked World.”
In contrast, Susan Tedeschi, representing a new breed of blues women, focused solely on music. The singer/guitarist, presented hard-hitting blues and R&B, with feminine touches. ‘Rock to the Rhythm” was reminiscent of Buddy Miles’ rocking soul, featuring her saxophonist and other sidemen soloing. For ballad “What can be Done” Tedeschi sang tenderly and featured her guitarist doing a biting solo. Yet, for “Love Rules” and “It Hurt so bad,” a ‘50s styled tune full of hot playing her singing was overpowering. As a total surprise the soft-spoken artist pulled out Jimi Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic” and wreaked havoc, singing fervently and playing scorching guitar.
Progressive rock popularity propelled by groups such as Yes, King Crimson and Genesis has long pasted. What remains on the grand scale are Tool, Rush and Dream Theater, who are musically starker, unmelodic and lean to metal. Nonetheless, they emphasize virtuosity and solos. Dream Theater’s Progressive Rock Nation tour at the Greek Theatre pummeled an extremely enthusiastic audience. Opener “A Nightmare to Remember” was seventeen minutes long, while “Beyond This Life” was over a half hour and showcased guitarist, John Pertucci and drummer, Mike Portnoy, with guest guitarists Steve Vai and Dweezil Zappa joining in.
Beforehand, Zappa Plays Zappa celebrated Dweezil’s father’s music with Ben Thomas-vocals, Sheila Gonzalez-keyboards/reeds/vocals, Pete Griffin bass, Billy Hulting-marimba/percussion, Jamie Kime-guitar and Joe Travers-drums/vocals. Their long numbers were “Apostrophe” and “Black Pages, which started with a hard-hitting drum solo. Absurd hit “Montana” was interspersed with funky “Going Back to the Village of the sun” filled with energetic vibe, drum and guitar solos. Thomas amusingly sang Captain Beefheart-like for a bluesy love song and during “Broken Hearts are for Assholes” with Portnoy drumming. They quickly segued into Zappa’s thematic masterpiece “Peaches en Regalia” and ended with solo-laden encore, “Pound for Brown.” Big Elf and Scale the Summit opened.
Women in rock usually aren’t as hard-edged and self destructive as the ‘bad boys.” The Pretenders leader and founder, Chrissie Hynde, a true kick-ass babe who’s survived all the pitfalls of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll is the anomaly. The audience at the Greek Theatre displayed reverence for her with a standing ovation at the beginning of a near-twenty song long concert. Hynde in typical non-challant fashion played it down and got down to business doing Bo Diddley rhythms and shifting to the titled track of the band’s latest CD, Break up the Concrete.
A hit parade of songs followed, intertwined with the singer-guitarist’s sultry delivery, jamming riffs, and flippant wit. “Message of Love” and “”My City was Gone” had the crowd reveling, while hard-jamming “Kid Play” was dedicated to the deceased original band members. For a break from rocking material, Hynde and band did country-flavored “Love’s a Mystery” featuring tasteful pedal-steel, classic ballad “Angel of the Morning” and “Thumbelina’ dedicated to Elvis Presley. Returning to their own songs, they rocked with “Mystery Achivement, " ”Precious” and “Middle of the Road” as the encore. For contrast, murky and low key Cat Power, along with sedate punker, Juliette Lewis opened.
The Gypsy King’s music, a mixture of flamenco, gypsy, African and Middle Eastern rhythms and textures called Sevillana ignited the audience at the Greek Theatre. “Djobi Djoba” one the five-guitar/singer fronted entourage’s best-known hits occurred early and got everyone up dancing. Doing something not normally heard from by them, they sang in English slightly up-tempo “On My way Baby,” with plenty of multi-strumming. Changing things up, the French and Spanish natives went into a pop-like romantic ballad passionately sung by the two main singer/players, Nicolas and Andre Reyes.
For the second half of the show, the band started in a stripped-down mode, with just three guitars, bass and percussion for easy-flowing ballads. The relaxing mode eventually transitioned to full band for a tasty instrumental featuring the guitarists. Full-blown partying erupted during “Amour, Amour,” with the audience dancing and several ladies invited onstage to showcase their skills. The Gypsy Kings kept the excitement going with fast strumming and percussive jams, allowing everyone to solo. By this point, even the romantic ballads fired up the concertgoers and they sang along to “Bem, bem Maria.” Wrapping up a mostly high energy and tantalizing show the ensemble did venerable hit “Bomboleo” as an encore.
Factor in that country-folk-rockers, Loggins & Messina have only been together for about four years after reuniting from a twenty-nine year split and it’s easy to understand why loyal fans at the Greek Theatre were so excited. They’ve waited a long time with only the recordings, and the musicians’ solo projects to keep them going. On the other had, the singer/songwriting pair now in their early sixties were equally thrilled to still have plenty of supporters who very much have kept their music and popularity alive.
With that in mind, the seemingly halcyon era of the mid-seventies was revisited through songs, strongly propelled by a dynamic six-piece band. Yet, the duo started with a semi-acoustic set that included “House at Pooh Corner.” Transitioning into livelier full band songs they did new tune, the Beatles’ “Two of Us,” accented by violin and hot band interaction. Popular “Be Free,” as would be expected drew stronger response and featured Messina’s impressive mandolin playing. Multi-layered “Angry Eyes” on the other hand was a sizzling jam and showcased everyone’s playing. Loggins also charmed the audience with his singing and presence for hits, rollicking “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” ballad” A Little Peace of Mind” and Caribbean flavored “Vahevala.”
From their first gig at Woodstock forty years ago, Crosby, Stills & Nash have been much more than a group, and unofficially a voice of consciousness for a generation. Their appearance at the Greek Theatre was a celebration of the sixties and early seventies in addition to a concert. Crosby quipped that the first time they performed there they were more people in the distant trees than in the seats. Shifting to music the trio began in semi-acoustic mode, doing covers of the Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday.” James Taylor and Bob Dylan’s “North County Blues,” featuring Stills's guitar picking.
“Guinnevere,” with its hauntingly rich vocal harmonies quickly overshadowed the opening songs and whetted the audience’s appetite for more CS&N songs. The trio cunningly, mixed in newer, lesser-known tunes, along with the Grateful Dead’s “Uncle John’s Band” for a tribute to Jerry Garcia. The audience got a hint of the second half with classic “Our House” being one of the songs before intermission. The second half went beyond expectations with gems “Love the one You’re With,” ”It’s Been a Long Time Coming,” Crosby’s “Wind on the Water,” “Wooden Ships” and second encore song “Teach Your Children” all taking the audience into the upper stratosphere.
Pooling the talents of M. Ward, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Connor Oberst and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) the Monsters of Folk are an abundantly talented and fast emerging collective who finally recorded after initially forming five years ago. Their show at the Greek Theatre was part of their mega tour and highly anticipated. Initially, as full band the singer/songwriter foursome were hard-rocking and not in the least acoustical, especially during high energy romp “Soul Singer in a Session Band.” But when they individually did segments of their own songs, folk and strains of country were apparent during the course of over two and a half hours.
M. Ward captured the audience’s attention with “One Hundred Million Years,” “Chinese Translation,” and “Outa of My Head ,“ while getting the other members to help him intermittently. Following suit, Oberst showcased “Smoke Without Fire” with Ward supporting. James relaxingly performed “Bermuda Highway Blues,” “Look at You” and mournful “I Will Be There When You Die.” Mogis was more detached while doing “We Are Nowhere With,” “And It's Now “ and “The Big Picture.” Wrapping a near marathon performance the quartet come together for My Morning Jacket’s “Smokin' From Shooting” and their own “His Master’s Voice,”
Along with Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley is one of most important figures in blue grass music. His a cappella singing of “O Death” on the O Brother! Where art Thou? sound track brought a new legion of fans. However, Stanley has been a force since the forties, first with his brother Carter and later formed the Clinch Mountain Boys after his death in 1966. At UCLA Stanley commanded respect when he sang after several instrumentals featuring his ensemble. He did the song popularized by the Oscar sweeping movie. It was so pure and full of anguish that it sounded like he was on his Virginia mountain porch.
The backing Clinch Mountain Boys, which included his grandson skillfully matched their playing to the enchanting singing for variety Stanley’s son, Timothy performed “If I Lose” a standard country tune and also “Carter” in memory of his uncle. The elder Stanley returned to floor the audience with “I’m a man of Constant Sorrow.” He further excited everyone by playing banjo for rousing “Going up the Mountain.” Cherryholmes a family-based energetic entourage who opened joined in for barnburner “Orange Blossom Special.” Afterwards encore “Will the Circle be Broken” garnered a well-deserved standing ovation.
Comedian, Steve Martin has used a banjo as a prop for standup routines, but at Disney Hall he actual played it. He joked that his wife had been asking when was he going stop playing the “damned banjo.” That naturally drew laughs from the close to capacity audience and Martin injected tidbits of humor throughout the concert. Yet, when he played with the Steep Canyon Rangers, solid bluegrass pickers from North Carolina supporting his tour, he was dead serious. Furthermore, the songs performed from his debut musical recording, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, were his originals.
Standouts were "Late for School," featuring Martin singing, somewhat like his whimsical “King Tut” and "Daddy Played the Banjo," highlighted by Woody Platt’s vocals, the guitarist from the Steep Canyon Rangers. Also increasing the comedian/actor/directors credibility as a musician was the inclusion of a well-executed song with opening banjoist/singer/songwriter. Abigail Washburn and her husband, wunderkind “new grass” banjoist, Béla Fleck (he performed at UCLA days earlier with his world music ensemble that included classical/blue grass bassist, Edgar Meyer and Indian tabla player, Zakir Hussain). Of course, a bluegrass/country show isn’t complete without “The Orange Blossom Special,” which was the show-closing encore.
It’s unavoidable that singer/songwriter/pianist Regina Spektor, who performed at the Greek Theatre gets compared to women who have paved the way for her, most notably Tori Amos and Sarah McLaughlin. Yet, Spektor is definitely different (Russian/Jewish heritage migrating to the U.S. before turning ten), being more innocent and less intense musically, although classically trained. Nonetheless, Spektor is driven, creative and a fast emerging artist who is most importantly tapped into her own generation’s tastes. They notably prefer songs and themes that are buoyant, optimistic and poppy. If you want reality, turn on the TV and radio, read newspapers and magazines, or even more immediate-try finding a job.
Songs from her latest CD, Far were intermixed with the previous four to create a quirky and stimulating soundscape that included her mimicking a variety of characters. Crowd-pleasing Guns n’ Roses influenced “On the Radio” exhibited the singer/pianist’s rocking abilities. as well. But her other popular songs "Samson," "Us," "Hotel Song" and "Fidelity" were much more gentler, varied and offbeat. “Folding Chair” was a perfect example, with a wooden chair being used as a percussion instrument. However, Spector ended her show in a more conventional fashion with sexually oriented "Love, You're a Whore.”
As Kris Kristofferson began his concert at Disney Hall, donning a harmonica holder rig and acoustic guitar he disparaging stated, “Well, it ain’t Dylan.” Still, the singer/songwriter whose lengthy musical career has been overshadowed by impressive acting roles has written many songs that may not be copious as Dylan, but nevertheless are an impressive body of work. Some of his songs have been hits for Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton Waylon Jennings Roger Miller and even for himself, amounting to around four hundred and fifty different performers.
Closer to the Bone, the title track of his latest recording also conveyed the theme of the one-man show. His fans didn’t mind the starkness and seemed enthralled with the opportunity to see the Grammy Winning and Country Music Hall of Fame artist up-close and personal. Interestingly, he avoided between songs banter and performed in a straight-forward, no nonsense manner, going through a brisk eighty-five minute set with very little ado. His songs stood well and were thoroughly captivating, but left no room for listeners to sing or clap along. Within "Shipwrecked in the Eighties” he expressed gratitude and sorrow, regarding the recent loss of long-time creative partner and friend, Stephen Bruton.
Harry Connick, Jr. appeared at the GRAMMY Museum with none other than music mogul, Clive Davis to discuss their collaboration for his new CD, Your Songs. Their coming together was strictly Davis’s idea and he had been a long-time admirer of the singer/pianist and heard something in his music that made him think there was potential for wider appeal. Connick admitted that a structured approach was clearly not the norm for him, but he was open to trying it. Essentially, the focus was on material and the entertainer, who’s an extremely talented pianist primarily singing. Most importantly, Davis was involved with every little detail and Connick was thoroughly impressed by the executive’s attention.
After the informative and often amusing discussion that included their backgrounds, the producer/executive’s process, the singer/pianist’s influences and Q&A with the audience there was a short performance. Connick did three songs from his new recording with a talented combo afterwards. The numbers were swinging and balanced, making an enticing sampler/preview. They were: “The way You Look Tonight,” the Beatles “And I Love Her, filled with soothing guitar and saxophone accents, and Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa” done with cool starkness adorned by a saxophone solo.
Montreal Jazz Festival
The 30th Montreal Jazz Festival as the world’s largest, continued with its multifaceted array of high caliber concerts, club shows and free concerts, spread around the downtown area during a twelve-day period. Prior to the official festival getting underway, the Gary Burton Quartet including Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow and Antonio Sanchez were featured for special pre-festival concert.
As would be expected, the MJF does feature many artists who recently or soon will perform in California. Heavyweight bandleaders, Wynton Marsalis Lincoln Center and Maria Schneider’s Jazz Orchestras highlighted the opening day, with an amazing amalgamation encompassing the succeeding ones. Among them were Wayne Shorter’s Quartet, Tony Bennett, the Miles From India ensemble, Branford Marsalis’s Quartet, Kind of Blue @50th Jimmy Cobb’s So What Band and Sheila Jordan with the Jeff Johnston Trio.
Furthermore, Bill Frisell’s Quartet, Jamie Cullum, Dave Brubeck’s Quartet, Esperanza Spaulding, Kenny Garrett, Al Jarreau, Luciana Souza & Romero Lubambo, Eliane Elias, Stanley Jordan, Chucho Valdes’s Quintet and Brian Blade’s Fellowship Band were all part of the roster. As were Brian Seltzer’s rocking orchestra with Irma Thomas, Madeleine Peyroux, Russell Malone, Sado Watanabe, George Wein and the Newport All Stars, Patricia Barber and John Pizzerelli. Emerging Canadians singers who are beginning to get a foothold in the states, such as Melody Gardot, Sophie Millman, Susie Arioli and Molly Johnson also performed to draw noteworthy audience response.
Of special note, were the magnitude of cutting edge players scheduled, including Aaron Parks’ Trio, Anat Cohen’s Quartet, Lionel Louke, Hiromi, Robert Glasper Trio with Mos Def and the Bad Plus. Setting an example were influential innovators, Ornette Coleman and Lee Konitz with Minsarah (American, German and Israeli trio). From the eclectic standpoint, there were fusion/world guitarist, Al Di Meloa, genre-spanning Pink Martini ensemble, blues wonders Buddy Guy/Susan Tedeschi (double bill), old school funksters, Kool & The Gang and Charlie Haden Family and Friends doing a mostly country/folk program delighted enthusiastic audiences.
In the world category Lilia Downs (Mexican/roots), Joyce (Brazil), Vieux Farka Toure (Mali), Nigerians King Sunny Ade/Femi Kuti (double bill), Jamaicans Burning Spear/Toots & Maytals (double bill) and Rocksteady doing a free concert generated frenzied crowd reactions. That, however, was nothing compared to the excitement generated by R&B pop legend, Stevie Wonder’s free concert and rock/fusion wunderkind, Jeff Beck’s two shows with new band consisting of Tal Wilkenfeld-bass, Jason Rebello-keyboards and Vinnie Colaiuta-drums. They performed numbers from Beck’s Wired and Blow-by Blow vintage records that was accentuated by the Beatles’s “A day in a Life” as an encore.
Los Angeles home girl, Judy Wexler worked with the Jeff Johnston Trio, doing a diverse selection of standards and covers, while highlighting her well-received CD Dreams and Shadows. So Cal young lion, Gerald Clayton who recently migrated to New York worked with his new crew to fully engage and enthrall listeners with complex rhythms, harmonics and band interaction. Eleni Mandell, also a Californian maintained her unpredictable quirkiness and insightful intelligence with hard to categorize, sometime personal songs.
The amount of exceptional artists at the MJF is mind-boggling; still its most captivating attributes are the special series of concerts/jam sessions. Erik Truffaz focused his electronic wizardry on his impressions of Benares, India, Mexico and Paris in separate shows. Joshua Redman worked with amazing ensembles, highlighted by an unbelievable double trio. Bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons was included in the format doing duos with singer/ flamenco dancer, Sabrina Romero, and accordionist Jean-Louis Matiner, and with a quartet. Kenny Werner had only one night, but made the most of it with Scott Colley-bass, David Sanchez-reeds, Randy Becker-trumpet and Antonio Sanchez-drums.
In addition to the beyond belief selection of music, Montreal, the city beckons, with plenty to see and do in a vibrant and culturally diverse cosmopolitan setting. During the summer, the weather is generally cooler than California, with intermittent rainfall, but has warm nights, due to the humidity. It’s very accessible by foot and full of long boulevards overflowing with shops, restaurants and clubs. Most of the top attractions are close to central downtown.
The Basilica of Notre-Dame, completed in 1829 is the original and France has its replica. Parc du Mont-Royal is a park perched on the highest point of the city with a panoramic view and great for hiking and other outdoor activities. Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) is a historic area that was the original settlement. On the other end of the city is Montréal’s Botanical Garden featuring 21,000 species of plants. Parc Olympique hosted the 1976 Olympics and a popular landmark, along with the Tower Observatory built in 1922 to commemorate the end of WWWI and The Biodome, which features four distinct environments of North and South America. For more information and to plan for 2010, go to: www.montrealjazzfest.com and montreal.com/
Los Lobos
Los Lonely Boys
Greek Theatre
Latin rock fans had their pleasure doubled with East LA’s Los Lobos and San Antonio’s Los Lonely Boys. The groups have generational and regional differences, yet relate to the original Latin rocker, Ritchie Valens. Los Lobos, have been around since the early ‘70s and also dabble in world music. Los Lonely Boys are present day rockers, who emphasize jamming and appealing singing. Lobos opened with self-questioning classic, “Will the Wolf Survive?” full of stellar band play. Blues another strong aspect of the seminal band was touched on with “Peace,” which drew excited chanting and clapping from the audience.
Co-founder, singer/multi-instrumentalist, David Hidalgo strapped on an accordion for traditional Mexican oriented “Kiko and the Lavender Moon.” Cesar Rosas, singer/guitarist/co-founder alternately handled vocals in English and Spanish for Valen’s classic “La Bamba” to set the crowd in orbit. Lonely Boys had their work cut out for them and jumped into Jimi Hendrix styled funk jamming with “Love Don’t Care About Me” to gain favor. From there the Garza brothers trio, Henry-guitar/vocals, Jojo-bass/vocals and Ringo-drums took off into the rock/funk stratosphere, including Stevie Ray Vaughan-sounding blues jams “I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love” and “I ‘m a man” full of extended solos.
Monterey Jazz 2009
September in Monterey means the West Coast’s answer to Newport’s jazz festival. Like every year, the 52nd installment on stages around the Monterey Fairgrounds overflows with high caliber artists. The main stage features Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White Trio, John Scofield And The Piety Street Band, Pete Seeger, Susan Tedeschi, Hank Jones And Joe Lovano Quartet, and George Duke. Most notably, the Dave Brubeck Quartet will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Time Out, one of jazz’s most popular recordings that includes landmark hit, “Take Five.”
The large stage will additionally premiere a special piece by 2009 Commission Artist, Jason Moran and The Bandwagon, who will debut Feedback. It’s a tribute to the historic first U.S. appearance of the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Monterey Pop Festival 42 years ago. Also throughout the seven smaller stages/venues will be appearances by Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side All-Star Band, the Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars featuring Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, and Russell Malone; Esperanza Spalding; John Scofield, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joe Lovano with John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Individual arena tickets and group packages are still available and for more information go to: montereyjazzfestival.org.
UPCOMING
FESTIVALS
Schedule subject to change
Sept 02-06 Fall Strawberry Festival
Camp Mather, bordering Yosemite National Park
209-984-8630
www.strawberrymusic.com
Sep 03-04 Monster Beach on Long Beach Labor Day Weekend
Stage Pavillion on Main Beach, Long Beach
Sep 08-09 Temecula Valley International Film & Music
Festival
Tower Plaza – Temecula
(951) 699-5514
www.tviff.com/
Sep10-12 Long Beach Lobster Festival
Rainbow Lagoon - Long Beach
562.495.5959
www.originallobsterfestival.com
Sep 11 OLD TIME BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
Lower Lake
707.995.2658
www.andersonmarsh.org/Bluegrass/AMIA-Bluegrass.htm
Sep11-12 Capitola Art and Wine Festival
Capitola Village – Capitola
(831)475-6522
www.capitolachamber.com/artwine.html
Sep11-12 Mountain View Art and Wine Festival
Downtown - Mountain View
www.miramarevents.com/mountainvie
Sep11-12 Power to the Peaceful
Speedway Meadow, GG Park - San Francisco
415.865.2170
www.powertothepeaceful.org
Sep11-12 Webster Street Jam
Webster Street – Alameda
www.westalamedabusiness.com
Sep 11-12 Anaheim Septiembre Sixteenth Street Fiesta
Anaheim & Broadway –
www.visitusa.com/.../anaheim-septiembre-sixteenth-street-fiesta-anaheim-ca/
Sep 11-12 Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival
Ghirardelli Square and on Beach Street
San Francisco
www.ghirardellisq.com/
Sep-12 CTMS Equinox Festival
9015 Wilbur Ave., Northridge
ctmsfolkmusic.org/equinox/faq.html
Sep 14 – Nov 20 San Francisco Jazz Festival
www.sfjazz.org
866-920-JAZZ
Sep16-19 Route 66 Rendezvous
35 blocks Downtown San Bernardino
909) 388-2934
www.route-66.or
Sep 17-19 Millpond Music Festival
Millpond County Park
760-873-8014
www.inyo.org/millpond.as
Sep 17-19 American River Music Festival
530.622.6044
www.americanrivermusic.org/festival.php
Sep17-19 Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey County Fairgrounds
(831) 373-3366
www.montereyjazzfestival.org
Sep17-19 Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival
Ports O' Call Village - San Pedro
lobsterfest.com
310.798.7478
Sep 17-Oct 31 Anaheim Oktoberfest
German Cultural Center – Anaheim
(714) 563-4166
www.thephoenixclub.com
Sep 18 “BLAZIN’ HOG” BBQ Competition and Zydeco Music Festival
Hwy 49/Fairgrounds Road, Mariposa County Fairgrounds
www.blazinhog.com
Sep18-19 Clovisfest: Celebrating the Real California
Old Town Clovis – Clovis
www.clovischamber.com/events/ClovisFEST.aspx
Sep 18-19 Lafayette Art and Wine Festival
Mount Diablo Boulevard
925-284-7404
www.ci.lafayette.
Sep 18-19 Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival
Chinatown - San Francisco
(415) 982-6306
www.moonfestival.org
Sep 18-19 Santa Clara Art and Wine Festival
Central Park
(408) 615-3140
santaclaraca.gov
Sep 18-19 Artwalk on the Bay
Hilton San Diego Bayfront Park
619.615.1090
www.artwalkonthebay.org
Sep 18-Oct 17 Northern California Renaissance Faire
10031 Pachecho Pass Hwy 152 Gate 5 – Hollister
408) 847-FAIR
www.norcalrenfaire.org/
Sep 19 Almaden Valley Art and Wine Festival
Almaden Lake Park - San Jose
www.almadenwine.com
Sep 24-26 West Beach Music & Arts Festival
West Beach - Santa Barbara
(805) 845-6658
westbeachfestival.com
Sep 24-26 Sebastopol Celtic World Music Festival
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
707-829-7067
ww.cumuluspresents.com/celtic
Sept. 25 “SCDH HARVEST FESTIVAL of DULCIMERS” Culver-Palms United Methodist Church,
4464 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City
(562) 861-7049
www.scdh.org/
Sep 25-26 Taste of Morgan Hill
Downtown
(408) 779-9444
www.morganhill.org/
Sep 25-26 Adams Avenue Street Fair
San Diego
www.gothere.com/AdamsAve
Sep 25-26 Pacific Coast Fog Fest
Palmetto Ave
650-355-8200
pacificcoastfogfest.com
Sep 26 Abbot Kinney Festival
Abbot Kinney Boulevard – Venice
www.abbotkinney.org
Sep 26 Oktoberfest
Encinitas
www.sandiegocoastlife.com
Oct 01-02 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
Speedway, Lindley & Marx meadows in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
http://strictlybluegrass.com/
Oct 01-03 Sonoma County Harvest Fair
Sonoma County Fairgrounds - Santa Rosa
707.545.4200
www.harvestfair.org/
Oct 01-03 California Avocado Festival
Carpinteria
805) 684-0038
www.avofest.com
Oct 02 Montrose Oktoberfest
Honolulu Avenue – Montrose
(818) 249-7171
www.montrosechamber.org
Oct 02-03 KVMR Celtic Festival
Nevada County Fairgrounds
530-265-9073
www.kvmr.org/celticfestival/
Oct 02-03 Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair
310) 545-3713
www.mbfair.org
Oct 02-03 Oceanside Harbor Days
www.oceansidechamber.com
Oct 02-03 Morro Bay Harbor Festival
(805) 772-1155
www.mbhf.com
Oct 02-03 Clayton Oktoberfest
Main & Marsh Creek Road
925-672-2272
www.claytonoktoberfest.com
Oct 03 Castro Street Fair
San Francisco
(415) 841-1824
www.castrostreetfair.org
Oct 08-10 Bazaar Del Mundo/ Santa Fe Market
Courtyard - San Diego
(619) 296-3161
www.bazaardelmundo.com
Oct 09 Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival
(805) 897-1962
www.santabarbara.com
Oct 09-10 San Carlos Art and Wine Faire
www.sancarloschamber.org
Oct 09-10 ThirtyFourth Riverbank Cheese & Wine Expo
Downtown – Riverbank
(209) 863-9600
www.riverbankcheeseandwine.org
Oct 10 Little Italy Festa
India Street btwn. Ash and Grape Street - San Diego
619-358-9512
www.sandiegocoastlife.com
Oct 10 San Marcos Grand Fall Festival
Via Vera Cruz - San Marcos
(760) 744-1270
www.sanmarcoschamber.com
Oct 16-17 California Lemon Festival in Goleta
805-967-2500
www.lemonfestival.com
Oct 16-17 Affaire in the Gardens Art Show
Beverly Gardens Park - Beverly Hills
(310) 285-6830
www.beverlyhills.org
Oct 16-17 Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival
(650) 726-9652
www.miramarevents.com
Oct 16-17 Campbell Oktoberfest
(408) 378-6252
www.campbellchamber.com
Oct 17 Escondido Downtown Street Faire
Grand Avenue
760) 745-8877
www.downtownescondido.com
Oct 17 Sherman Oaks Street Fair
www.shermanoaksstreetfair.org
Nov 04-11 Anaheim Fall Festival
(714) 999-3456
www.anaheimfallfestival.com
Nov 05-11 Taste of the World Festival - Los
Angeles
877-45-TASTE (82783)
tasteoftheworldfestival
Nov 06 -11 Winter Tapestry Arts Festival 2010
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds - San Jose
408 494 3590
www.tapestryarts.org
Film Festivals
Sep 15-26 Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival
Glen Ellen
707-935-3456
www.wcff.us
Sep 24-26 The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
760-322-1463
cinemadiverse.ning.com
Sep 29-Oct 03 San Diego Film Festival
619.582.2368
www.sdff.org
Oct 05-09 Artivist Film Festival (Hollywood
www.artivist.com
Oct 7-17 Mill Valley Film Festival-San Rafael
www.cafilm.org
Oct 14-19 Bel Air Film Festival (Los Angeles
www.belairfilmfestival.com
Oct 15-17 Big Bear Horror Film Festival (Big Bear Lake
www.bigbearhorrorfilmfest.com
Oct 15-28 San Francisco Documentary Festival
415.820.3907
www.sfindie.com
Oct 16 ZedFest Film Festival & Screenplay Competition (North Hollywood)
sites.google.com/site/zedfest/the-film-festival
Oct 22-25 Hollywood Film Festival
www.hollywoodawards.com
Nov 04-11 AFI Fest ?1.866.AFIFEST
www.afi.com
Nov 12-13 Shockfest Film Festival-Hollywood
www.shockfilmfest.com
Nov 12-14 LA Film Weekend-Beverly Hills
www.lafilmweekend.com
Nov 12-14 MockFilmFest-Hollywood
www.mockfilmfest.com
Nov 15-Dec 06 Zero Film Festival-Los Angeles
zerofilmfest.com
Nov 25-28 Dawn Breakers International Film Festival-San Diego
www.dbiff.com
Greek Theatre
When
you have GQ looks, were in Sting’s band and from Oregon, it’s hard to
be taken seriously. Chris Botti disparagingly commented about his
background, but was serious about music during his show at the Greek
Theatre. To insure success he assembled Billy Childs-piano (arranger
for recordings), Geoffrey Keezer-keyboards, Mark Whitfield-guitar,
Billy Kilson-drums and Tim LaFame-bass. Botti started off mellow, doing
classical based “Ava Maria” solely and quickly sequed into ballad “When
I Fall in Love” before the band started jamming away.Botti schooled the audience on Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue and launched into an exquisite performance of its “Flamingo Sketches.” After classical “Emmanuel” he featured sub violinist, Caroline Campbell, who played beautifully after overcoming technical difficulties. Sy Smith (Whitfield’s cousin) dominated on an entrancing version of “The Look of Love” that eventually turned funky. She sang several other ballads, along with the band and the violinist doing another classical tune. Following a rocking Police song to cap a great show, Botti rendered “In the wee Small Hours of the Morning,” featuring John Mayer singing. Talented singer, Renee Olstead opened with a short set highlighted by original ballad “A Love That Will Last” and swinging “Well, Alright You win.”
Andrew Bird
Greek Theatre
It’s hard to say whether violinist/singer, Andrew Bird’s charm or talent won over the Greek Theatre audience. Perhaps it was a combination of the two as the indie band-leader rambled aimlessly through ethereal songs, such as “Why," "Sweetbreads” and “"Opposite Day" that wavered between classical, folk and rock, with touches of gypsy and German polka. Most of Bird’s songs began with him setting up a loop of himself playing violin and the band joining in afterwards to play over it. Sometimes, he would whistle in between singing and playing to further enchant the audience.
During idle moments the Chicago-based bandleader would talk randomly about music, weather and being on the road. Somehow he was able to nonchalantly inject that it was also his birthday. Shortly afterwards, the admiring audience sang “Happy Birthday,” which seemed to actually touch him and leave him speechless. Of course, that didn’t last long and he was back bantering and leading his four-piece band consisting of Martin Dosh-drums/keyboard, Jeremy Ylvisaker-bass/saxophone and Mike Lewis-guitar. Bird’s most popular song “A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left,” which is as offbeat as the title suggests drew the most noticeable audience response, along with closer “Weather Systems.”
Ash Grove Summer
Intra-National Event
The legendary Ash Groove (1959 to 1973) once a sanctuary for 50 and ’60s folk and blues icons lives on. It was celebrated through an Intra-National fund-raising series on the tranquil grounds of a private Santa Monica residence. Bluesman, Bernie Pearl, whose father, Ed founded the venue was an early performer, featuring new tunes from his CD, Old School Blues, Acoustic/Electric and Delta blues standards. Coming from a different perspective, while injecting humor and satire was political singer/guitarist Roy Zimmerman, whose material was akin to a stripped down version of the Capitol Steps.
Singer, Sheila Nichols who also played guitar and keyboards was on the same wavelength, adding personal insights to highlight her new CD. Shifting to cutting Latino orientations, Conjunto Los Pochos and Richard Montoya of Culture Clash celebrated LA culture and diversity with the audience singing along. The youth brigade was highlighted by the racially diverse Get Lit Players’ contemporary spoken word and poetry that touched on political awareness and personal expression. Not surprising, singer/guitarist Michele Shocked took their themes to a more dynamic and entertaining level. However, S.H.I.N.E Mawusi Women’s Drum Alliance inspired everyone to participate in meditative rhythms and long jams. For more information go to: www.AshGroveMusic.com.
Herbie Hancock
Lang Lang
Hollywood Bowl
Throughout his long and very celebrated career, Herbie Hancock has maintained an adventurous spirit and ventured where many wouldn’t dream of going. Yet, time and time again he comes out favorably and almost saying, “What’s all the fuss about?” His partnership with Chinese wunderkind pianist, Lang Lang at the Hollywood Bowl (part of a world tour) seemed a stretch and at times Hancock was clearly out matched by the virtuoso’s speed and creativity. Nonetheless, the venerable Grammy-winning jazz master held his ground, sticking to the familiar with a solo medley of his classics such as “Cantaloupe Island,” “Dolphin Dance” and “Maiden Voyage” during his solo portion of the show.
Lang during his solo section played a beautiful liebestraum and also went into very fiery passages. Together, the pianists played a Gershwin program, highlighting numbers from Westside Story and Rhapsody in Blue with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by John Axelrod that delighted a mostly classical audience. For the encore they delved into the featured
composer's work through an improvisational program that was fun and lively. As a special bonus, singing sensation, Josh Groban joined Hancock and Lang to sing “Love Walked Right in,” which had many of the ladies swooning.
Michael MacDonald
Boz Scaggs
Greek Theatre
Scaggs, also a guitarist started out mellow rendering Allen Tousaint’s R&B and jazz “Hercules.” Midway through his set, “Low Down” his best-known song energized the audience.“ Easy-flowing Isn’t it Time” prominently featured his back-up singer and Scaggs got back in the spotlight with silky ballad “Look What You’ve Done to Me.” His upbeat “Lido” got the crowd up and dancing. Interestingly, Scaggs closed with “Loan Me a Dime,” his perennial Bay Area hit. MacDonald helped on keys and vocals to make the slow-drawn number a very soulful affair.
Tori Amos
Greek Theatre
Although only a drummer and bassist supported alternative singer/pianist, Tori Amos, her performance had plenty of firepower. Much like a guitar hero, she was greeted by adulating fans upon entering the stage and launching into Middle Eastern-themed “Give” from her latest release, Abnormally Attracted to Sin. Amos had a solo moment for the beginning section of “Graveyard” and with her players bombing away went into signature confessional gothic/gospel hit “Cornflake Girl” to ignite the audience. She played classical piano intermittently throughout the nearly two and half hour-long show with “Bells for Her” being the most brilliant standout featuring her frenetically playing two keyboards.
“Mary Jane” an overt stoner tale about a young man continued in the same vein that sometimes bordered on operatic singing. The singer/pianist’s focused went to “Fast Horse” with her driving band rejoining, who later jolted the audience with the vintage song “Precious Things.” Making sure to strategically intermix new songs from the current CD, Amos finished her crowd-pleasing set with rocking and mystical “Strong Black Vine.” As would be expected, fans demanded an encore. Amos obliged with several more selections and “Big Wheel” was the standout that inspired everyone to sing and clap along.
Jonny Lang
George Thorogood
Greek Theatre
Jonny Lang, who broke out in the ‘90s while a teenager was a cool mixture of funk and blues, with a taste of rock edginess. He probably won’t win over blues traditionalists, nonetheless, he’s a commanding singer and player who totally enthralled the Greek Theater audience. He took them to church doing gospel-drenched “Turn Around.” Taking it down a level or two, the vocalist sweetly began “Red Light” with the band minimally supporting that quickly shifted to an up-tempo emotionally charged tune full of solos, spurring the audience to sing along.
Lang and band quickly seguewayed into a soulful rendition of “Livin’ for the City,” powered by his backup singer. Wrapping a memorable set that was too short, he served up “I am (so in Love With You)” a cold jam full of torrid singing and band solos. Headliner, George Thorogood had the crowd stoked with his lovable “bad boy” tunes melding Chuck Berry 50’s rock with blues for “Rock Party Tonight,” Bad to the Bone, “I Drink Alone” and songs from new record The Dirty Dozen. Still, his homage to John Lee Hooker, covering” House Rent Blues” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer” show where his heart is.
Lyle Lovett
Madeleine Peyroux
Greek Theatre
Lyle Lovett disarmed the Greek Theatre audience with his off-kilter wit
and dry delivery bolstered by a big band and four backup singers. He
smarty featured all of them throughout an extremely entertaining show.
Most notably during gospel-ignited “I Will Rise up/ Ain't no More Cane”
and “Praise the Lord I Have a Friend," with everyone clapping along
Alternately, the self-effacing band-leader held his own during
country-swinging “Choke My Chicken,” tongue-in-cheek “Penguins,
”country classic “Stand by Your man” and “Here I am,” his
philosophical inquiry.In contrast, the offbeat singer-songwriter went into bluegrass romp “Keep it in Your Pantry,” traditional country through “Home is Where My Horse is” and let the band cut loose for “Wild Women Don’t get the Blues,” boldly accentuated by a female backup singer. Also a surprise and delight was Spanish-tinged ballad “You Were Always There,” with an acoustic guitar solo. Wrapping up the evening before a gospel encore, Lovett lit up the amphitheater with doo-wop drenched “My Baby Don’t Tolerate.”
Billie Holiday influenced Madeleine Peyroux opened doing a
quick set highlighted by Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the end of Love,”
reggae-tinged “I Must be Saved” and occasionally endearing the audience
by singing in French.
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