Results for "Los Angeles"

Sam First Records: Live Jazz on Vinyl

by Jim Worsley
March 6, 2023

Four short years ago I had the pleasure of attending and putting pen to paper (well, not literally anymore) about Sam First, Los Angeles' hottest new jazz, haunt, which had made a splash on the city's jazz scene. Subsequent visits further validated the hip vibe of modernism combined with vintage jazz. To say that the formula ...

Jun Iida

Born: May 15, 1991

Award winning trumpeter, composer, and educator Jun Iida is known for his dynamic and versatile contributions to the jazz and contemporary music scenes. With an impressive array of performances at renowned venues and festivals across the world, Iida has built a reputation as a skilled performer and a dedicated educator.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri as the son of Japanese immigrants, Iida was immersed in a broad range of musical influences during his upbringing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Iida’s musical journey has taken him from Los Angeles to Seattle, and he is currently an active figure in the New York music scene. His performance credits include Jazz at Lincoln Center (Shanghai), Pit Inn (Tokyo), 100BAN Hall (Kobe), Smalls Jazz Club, Nublu, and Soapbox Gallery (NYC), as well as a number of prestigious venues in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, such as Sam First, Blue Whale, The Baked Potato, Gold Diggers, SFJazz, Black Cat, Benaroya Hall, and The Triple Door. He has also performed internationally, with notable tours in Canada, the US, and China.

Jazz At LACMA: 30 Years Of Friday Night Jazz

by Chuck Koton
February 14, 2023

For more than thirty years, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has been presenting a free, swinging jazz concert every Friday evening. During that time so many jazz clubs in the Los Angeles area have come and gone: the Vine Street Bar and Grill, Charlie O's, Spazio's and Cafe Metropol, among others, have all ...

Pianist Louis Siciliano Releases 'Ancient Cosmic Truth' with Alex Acuña, Randy Brecker, Claudio Romano and Umberto Muselli

January 10, 2023

There are times in your life when you discover an artist that opens your mind to the infinite possibilities of the universe. For decades Louis Siciliano has been exploring the world of Electro Global Jazz by synthesizing a thousand years of Western musical tradition with ancient Indian, Persian and African musical cultures. So highly regarded as ...

2022: The Year in Jazz

by Ken Franckling
December 29, 2022

Current events impacted the jazz world in significant ways throughout 2022. In its third year, the coronavirus pandemic continued to lurk in some settings, while others recovered in robust fashion. Russia's war on Ukraine was felt by musicians and triggered an outpouring of support for its victims. Initiatives to ensure greater equity in jazz advanced. The ...

Walter Simonsen

Born: February 24

Walt is one of the most in-demand young musicians in the industry, and "This is Trumpetology," is just the latest example of his work.   He has performed with a wide variety of musicians, including Steve Miller, Grammy Award winner Mary Mary, Bill Holman, Bob Florence, Bob Mintzer, Radiohead, Of Monsters and Men, and Alicia Keys.  He has also performed in the 50th and 51st Grammy Awards and the 62nd Golden Globes.  Recent notable performances include 2015 Playboy Jazz Festival with Gerald Wilson and many Sinatra 100 celebrations.  His jazz arranging will be featured on the upcoming major motion picture titled, “Going in Style,” set for a 2017 release and he can currently be heard on the recent Michael Buble album, "Nobody but Me."

Adam Blackstone

On TV, radio or at a live concert at your favorite stadium, the Adam Blackstone sound has certainly permeated your eardrums. Blackstone is not only a multi-faceted bass player, musician, Emmy Award Winning Music Director and Grammy award winning writer, he is the musical mastermind behind the live shows of many of today’s biggest artists. 

He has served as the Musical Director for acts such as Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, Eminem and recently he cultivated the Super Bowl 54 Halftime Show alongside Shakira & J-Lo. With each new endeavor these artists become family and fall in love with Blackstone’s easy demeanor and standard for excellence

Pianist Lisa Hilton Debuts New Dynamic Quartet on 'Paradise Cove'

December 3, 2022

“I think we all need jazz in our lives these days,” composer, pianist, bandleader and producer Lisa K. Hilton writes in the liner notes for her 26th release, Paradise Cove (Ruby Slipper Productions). “From its inception ragtime, jazz and blues were created to boost moods or morale by America’s earliest composers, such as Scott Joplin, Ferdinand ...

The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra Performs Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite" at the Dunbar Hotel on December 9th

December 3, 2022

Following their hugely successful SOLD OUT concert at Catalina's in Hollywood last month, The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra are performing Duke Ellington's “Nutcracker Suite" at the historic Dunbar Hotel on Central Avenue. Michael Ellington, the Duke's great grand nephew, will be hosting the event. The Honorable Jan Perry, the Councilwoman responsible for the recent renovation of The ...

Christopher Lucas Wilson

Christopher Lucas Wilson is a hard-swingin’ jazz pianist, originally hailing from metropolitan Detroit. His musical journey brought him to Los Angeles for a decade before he eventually settled in Chicago, where he continues to perform, record, and hone his craft.

Christopher was first introduced to music on a Grinnell Brothers piano in his parents’ living room as a young child. It was the enlightening and liberating sound of swing that first drew Christopher to jazz. That feeling sparked an exploration of Detroit’s rich musical history, a city long known for its legacy of musical legends. He first studied with the late greats Bess Bonnier and Marcus Belgrave and would proceed to join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Civic Jazz Program, where he met esteemed bassist and educator Rodney Whitaker. By the time he graduated high school, Christopher was entrenched in swing and bebop and went on to further his studies in the jazz program at Michigan State University.