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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival - Woodchopper's Ball: Part 4-4

Read "Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival - Woodchopper's Ball: Part 4-4" reviewed by Simon Pilbrow


Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival “Woodchoppers' Ball" Four Points by Sheraton at LAX Los Angeles, CA May 23-27, 2018 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Panel 3: Cousins -Moderated by Ken Borgers Moderated by Ken Borgers, this panel featured Woody Herman alumni from the last phase of Woody's band and life, the 1980s. These were trumpeters Ron Stout and Mark Lewis, saxophonists Mike Brignola, Jerry ...

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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival - Woodchopper's Ball: Part 3-4

Read "Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival - Woodchopper's Ball: Part 3-4" reviewed by Simon Pilbrow


Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival “Woodchoppers' Ball" Four Points by Sheraton at LAX Los Angeles, CA May 23-27, 2018 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Concert 8: The Herdsmen -Bobby Shew meets Larry McKenna Trumpeter Bobby Shew is a well- known alumnus of the mid-1960s Woody Herman Herd, and has had a high profile career in jazz as a trumpeter and educator. Tenor saxophonist Larry ...

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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival - Woodchopper's Ball: Part 2-4

Read "Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival - Woodchopper's Ball: Part 2-4" reviewed by Simon Pilbrow


Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival “Woodchoppers' Ball" Four Points by Sheraton at LAX Los Angeles, CA May 23-27, 2018 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Concert 4: Keen and Peachy: Music of the Woody Herman Second Herd -Directed by Michael Berkowitz Woody Herman's Second Herd was one of the most exciting bands of early modern jazz, and achieved a high level of performance as it ...

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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival - Woodchopper's Ball: Part 1-4

Read "Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival - Woodchopper's Ball: Part 1-4" reviewed by Simon Pilbrow


Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival “Woodchoppers' Ball" Four Points by Sheraton at LAX Los Angeles, CA May 23-27, 2018 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 The Los Angeles Jazz Institute (LAJI), under Ken Poston, has continued for some thirty years to keep alive and celebrate jazz and its rich legacy, largely, but not exclusively, focused on West Coast Jazz, curating a large archive of recorded ...

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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival "Big Band Spectacular" 2017, Part 2-4

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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival Big Band Spectacular LAX Westin Hotel Los Angeles, CA May 24-28, 2017 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Jimmy Giuffre's classic, “Four Brothers," has been a much-loved anthem of the Woody Herman band since his Second Herd, and a great jazz landmark. Traditionally a saxophone tour-de-force, this performance was a recasting for big band of Brent's earlier clarinet choir arrangement ...

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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival "Big Band Spectacular" 2017, Part 3-4

Read "Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival "Big Band Spectacular" 2017, Part 3-4" reviewed by Simon Pilbrow


Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival Big Band Spectacular LAX Westin Hotel Los Angeles, CA May 24-28, 2017 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Saddleback Jazz Combo The young Saddleback five piece jazz combo featured a tenor and baritone sax frontline, with a rhythm section of guitar, electric bass and and a fine young drummer. They presented a loose set of Real Book 1950s-60s ...

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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival "Big Band Spectacular" 2017, Part 4-4

Read "Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival "Big Band Spectacular" 2017, Part 4-4" reviewed by Simon Pilbrow


Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival Big Band Spectacular LAX Westin Hotel Los Angeles, CA May 24-28, 2017 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Roger Neumann's Rather Large Band Roger Neumann has led this happy band for many decades. One current member, trumpeter Jack Coan, was also a foundation member in 1975. They play a repertoire of standards and classic jazz tunes, using the ...

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Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival "Big Band Spectacular" 2017, Part 1-4

Read "Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival "Big Band Spectacular" 2017, Part 1-4" reviewed by Simon Pilbrow


Los Angeles Jazz Institute Festival Big Band Spectacular LAX Westin Hotel Los Angeles, CA May 24-28, 2017 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Organised by Ken Poston, head of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute (LAJI), and advertised as the “Largest Big Band Festival of all time!," this was a fine exposition of many of the best big bands from the greater Los Angeles area and ...

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A Big Band Spectacular? You Bet Your Brass!

Read "A Big Band Spectacular? You Bet Your Brass!" reviewed by Jack Bowers


On May 23, Betty and I flew to jny: Los Angeles to attend the L.A. Jazz Institute's semi-annual ode to swinging, this one labeled Big Band Spectacular and slated for Thursday through Sunday, May 25-28. We rearranged our schedule to arrive a day early, even before Wednesday's “bonus" event, to attend the funeral of a longtime friend and colleague. As the service was held mid-afternoon Wednesday in Inglewood, we returned to the Westin LAX Hotel, scene of the week's events, ...

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Time Check: A Paucity of Riches?

Read "Time Check: A Paucity of Riches?" reviewed by Jack Bowers


On May 18, Betty and I flew to Los Angeles to attend Time Check: A Buddy Rich Alumni Reunion, a four-day panorama sponsored by the L.A. Jazz Institute and held at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, about a stone's throw or two from the LAX airport. We arrived early afternoon so we could also be present for the “bonus" concert that evening, billed as an all-star tribute to vibraphone great Terry Gibbs with Chuck Redd sitting in on vibes for the ...


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