Jazz Reviews
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Bill Frisell and Joey Baron
At the Lobero Theatre, Saturday, January 12.
There were birdcalls on the sound system as the audience filed in for Bill Frisell and Joey Baron’s outstanding Jazz at the Lobero show on Saturday night, and the birds filled the hall with just the right ambience of natural beauty to prepare everyone for what was to come. Read story.
Herbie Hancock Quartet
At UCSB’s Campbell Hall, Sunday, November 11.
When Herbie Hancock introduced his band — Vinnie Colaiuta, drums; Nathan East, bass; and Lionel Loueke, guitar — at Campbell Hall Sunday night, he finished by saying, “I’m just the old man. I’m your neighbor; I live in L.A.” Read story.
Dianne Reeves
At the Lobero Theatre, Thursday, October 18.
It was obvious from the outset that the Dianne Reeves edition of Lobero Live would be a special one. Reeves had not played the Lobero recently, and it is a perfect venue for jazz. In addition, the Santa Barbara stop on her current extended tour was the only chance to hear Reeves with both her marvelous pair of guitarists (Romero Lubambo and Russell Malone), and a full rhythm section (which included Reginald Veal on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums). Read story.
Pink Martini
At the Arlington Theatre, Thursday, September 20.
Pink Martini was a great choice for the season-opening concert for UCSB’s Arts & Lectures, and the group brought their idiosyncratic and crowd-pleasing take on world music to a packed Arlington last Thursday. They opened with Ravel’s “Bolero,” a decision that bandleader and pianist Thomas Lauderdale acknowledged may have broken the law. Apparently, Ravel was bothered by some early adaptations of his most famous work and took an aggressive stance toward future non-standard arrangements. Read story.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
At the Lobero Theatre, Monday, August 27.
Dave Brubeck began Monday evening’s performance by pointing out that there was a music stand onstage — something unusual for this band, three of whom have played together for 30 years. Brubeck excused its presence by saying he is under some pressure right now. Clint Eastwood is making a documentary about him, and there will be cameras rolling when he takes the stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival next month. Read story.
Jane Monheit at SOhO.
What It’s All About
Jane Monheit, who was at SOhO for two nights last week, represents much of what is good and exciting about today’s vocal jazz renaissance. She is as comfortable singing in Portuguese as she is in English, and she takes pop songs to intimate, jazzy places. Her band, led by Michael Kanan on piano, is never less than fully alive and responsive, and her tone is crystalline. Read story.
Victoria Williams, Devon Sproule, and Angela Correa. At the Presidio Chapel, Friday, May 25
A Dog Named Happy
The Presidio Chapel, with its bright Mexican altar and candlelight, is one of the most romantic spaces in Santa Barbara and it made a great setting for this female singer/songwriters concert. If there were technical difficulties — and there were — chalk that up to the experience, as this was the first of what is said to be a series of musical evenings produced by Brett Leigh Dicks and sponsored by KCRW. Read story.
Harry Connick Jr. at
the Arlington Theatre
The Big Too Easy
It’s not like Harry Connick Jr. is a postmodernist. There is nothing smug about his long, hard labor in the orchards of what are essentially abandoned musical idioms like stride piano, big band, and crooner-mania. He may be calculated in his musical affectations, seriously working something that nobody else is doing to milk the nostalgia dollars. But in a live performance, it doesn’t come across as contrived. Read story.
Tierney Sutton at the Lobero Theatre
Vocal Voyager
Every so often, Santa Barbara plays muse to an artist on the verge of major stardom. Tierney Sutton, a Los Angeles-based singer who had a Grammy nomination this year, maintains a special relationship with our city through annual shows at the Lobero Theatre. Sutton was back on Saturday, leading her usual band and accompanied by long-time friend and associate, trumpeter Jack Sheldon. Read story.
Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. At UCSB’s Campbell Hall.
“Trumpet-playing band leader from New Orleans” must be one of the world’s most intimidating job descriptions. Who could possibly fill the giant shoes of Louis Armstrong and Wynton Marsalis? Yet Irvin Mayfield — experienced and savvy at the young-for-jazz age of 30 — steps up to the billing with style. Read story.
The Tierney Sutton Band at the Lobero
Lighting Things Up
In the search for a perfect night of jazz, one need look no further than the Lobero Theatre on Saturday, May 5, when Grammy nominee Tierney Sutton will be performing with her band. Sutton recently released the highly acclaimed On the Other Side on Telarc Records, and she clearly looks forward to performing this material for her beloved Santa Barbara audience. Read story.
Praise Song of Life
Soweto Gospel Choir. At UCSB’s Campbell Hall, Wednesday, April 11
Walking among the noisy, uplifted crowd coming out of Campbell Hall last Wednesday night made one thing very clear: The Soweto Gospel Choir knows how to celebrate. From the first rich and inviting note to the very last gracious bow, the renowned, award-winning South African group of singers, dancers, and musicians reminded everyone present of the pure happiness that can be found in the simple celebration of song. Read story.
Un Gran Día en El Barrio
Spanish Harlem Orchestra. At UCSB’s Campbell Hall, Tuesday, February 13. The line outside Campbell Hall for this concert was full of colorful people. Some were dressed to impress — and dance — in high-heeled shoes, while others were clearly there for a night of simply listening to the tremendous compositions of these East Coast musical masters known collectively as the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Read story.
Nobody Is Cooler Than the Bass Player
The Ray Brown Tribute Band; Christian McBride, Benny Green, and Greg Hutchinson
Pianists are cool; so are drummers, but nobody is cooler than the bass player. That’s the inescapable conclusion to be drawn from the concert that Christian McBride gave with Benny Green on piano and Greg Hutchinson on drums Thursday night at the Lobero. I have rarely seen a group take the stage with more confidence — and the Juilliard Quartet played here last month — but this trio walked on and took over. Coolness reigned supreme. Read story.
The New Face of Jazz
Madeleine Peyroux
At UCSB’s Campbell Hall, Wednesday, October 4. There was something equally charming and maddening about Madeleine Peyroux’s performance at Campbell Hall last Wednesday night. Dressed in a flowing gray dress and flip flops, with wavy hair hanging loose to her shoulders, Peyroux looked more like a European hippie than a modern-day Billie Holiday... Read story.
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