By Chris J. Walker
Blue Note LA is gearing up to launch its much-anticipated new Brunch Series. Beginning on September 27, there will be a 3-month Gospel Brunch residency featuring GRAMMY-winning keyboardist, composer and producer Cory Henry (presented by 102.3 FM KJLH). Henry brings his gospel sound and the Church Experience to the venue, with special guests joining him throughout the series.
The former keyboard prodigy began playing piano and organ when two, learning from his mother Marie, who was a choir director and multi-instrumentalist. At five he was dubbed “Master Henry” at their church due to his ability to accompany anything he heard in any key, was regularly featured and when six he debuted at the legendary Appollo Theater. In addition to the religious playing, Henry was a highly regarded sideman while in high school, due to working as a sideman at the Village Underground with top artists from New York and beyond.
Because of all that hyperactivity renowned reedist Kenny Garrett selected Henry to be his featured keyboardist in his touring band. The three years with Garrett put the former prodigy on a higher-level. That led to him performing and recording with a broad range of topflight performers from gospel, pop, rock, jazz, R&B and even hip-hop. Among them were Donnie McClurkin, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Michael McDonald, P. Diddy, Boyz II Men, The Roots, Kanye West and Snarky Puppy.
In 2011 Henry became a member of Snarky and won two Grammys with them. Before joining the fusion conglomerate, the keyboard wizard released his solo debut Christmas With You in 2010. Throughout his duration with SP that ended in 2018 Henry continued creating his own gospel/R&B/funk music and developed the Funk Apostles. They were on his Something to Say album recorded in 2019, coinciding with his move to LA, and released the first year of the Pandemic.
The keyboardist/producer/songwriting maintained his creative energy for two subsequent recordings Best of Me, an homage to his musical heroes Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and P-Funk, and Operation Funk (Live). The latter included saxophonist Kamasi Washington and guitarist Eric Gales as guests. That record was followed with Henry only playing his own songs for Live at The Piano in 2023, and he announced his departure from the music industry, and a desire to only perform for his own enjoyment.
Henry miraculously had a change of heart and embarked on an extensive endeavor that resulted in the 23-track Church released in February 2024. It was an exuberant gospel revival featuring his late mother Marie on the opener “Amazing Grace” and grandmother Dr. Janice McDonald. Additionally, the project included gospel star Kierra Sheard, Raphael Saadiq, the Tone3s, Robert Randolph, Charlie Bereal, McClurkin, John P. Kee, Kim Burrell, and the late Bishop Carlton Pearson. Church blew everyone away and Henry won the 2025 Grammy award for Best Roots Gospel Album.
The monumental win gave the singer/keyboardist/producer the impetus to return to the studio and create Devotion, which he described as “a testimony of my life as a grown man.” Henry expounded, “when I was making that album, it felt like I was making it for my little kid self. All the sounds of that album are like what I would have sounded like if I was 13 making that album.” The new record with appearances from Stevie Wonder, Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Jonathan McReynolds, Lena Byrd Miles, Lillian Lloyd, Aaron Marcellus and Jeff Bradshaw also represents his life in its present state. Henry said, “it’s my experience having a personal talk with God.”
Devotion and the three-time Grammy-winning singer/keyboardist‘s other albums and occasional guests will be intermixed during his spirit-evoking brunches to nourish attendee’s minds, bodies and souls.
Cory Henry Presents The Gospel Brunch Experience Residency at The Blue Note LA with Two Shows at 11:30 & 1:30
September 27
October 18
November 15
Blue Note Los Angeles
6372 W Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
310-855-3750
https://www.bluenotejazz.com/la/
The mainstream jazz section of the 2026 San Jose Jazz Summer Fest focused on connection, enlightenment and depth, rather than simply attempting to blow audiences away with showy instrumentation and acrobatic singing. Prime examples were Grammy-nominated vocalists Nenna Freelon, and René Marie who filled in for saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin on the mainstage.
Freelon exquisitely showcased originals from her Beneath The Skin album, a unique interpretation of “Skylark” and stressed the importance of AI—ancestral intelligence. Her superb Birds of a Feather multi-generational supporting quintet featured saxophonists Javon Jackson-tenor and Charles McPherson-alto, pianist Jeb Patton, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Willie Jones III.
Impassioned Marie worked with her trio that consisted of Quentin Baxter on drums, Rodney Jordan bass and Xavier Davis on piano and showcased originals from her various recordings. She began with South African influenced “Joy of Jazz” and afterwards shifted to hot swinging “I Like You” featuring the band stretching out. She also included beautifully sung bossa flavored ballad “Take My Breath Away” and Dinah Washington popularized standard “What a Difference a Day Makes” that overflowed with scorching scatting and hot band soloing.
Captivating jazz was also happening on the SJJSF peripheral stages. Enroute to China, Grammy-winning, outstanding vocalist/songwriter/pianist Nicole Zuratis made a stop and showcased 21st century cross-pollinated songs for the Modern Songbook and Modern Songbook Society. Most were from her latest record The Devil I Knew and well supported by a robust quartet that included her husband Dan Pugach on drums.
Contrarily, Juno Award-winning, multiple DownBeat Rising Star and 2022 recipient of the Legend Award by the Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook, trumpeter/singer Bria Skonberg entertainingly spotlighted vintage music and performers. She had just released two new albums (one vocal and one instrumental) and made a point of informing the audience of the immensely talented women artists who have been unacknowledged, overlooked or disregarded.
Gretchen Parlota, an angelic sounding contemporary jazz/Brazilian vocal stylist impressively served up dreamy and atmospheric originals from her newly released record The Wise Ones. With Jacob Mann-keyboards, Alan Hampton-bass/guitar/vocals, and Christian Euman-drums she took the crowd on a loungey and genre expanding voyage that included an extended version of Herbie Hancock’s euphoric “Butterfly.” French Caribbean singer/bassist/model Adi Oasis exuded a similar vibe. She though, put more emphasis on neo-soul songs from her breakout record Lotus Glow, while also showcasing impressive bass playing.
San Jose homegrown drummer Sylvia Cuenca, based in New York has worked with a who’s who of jazz heavy-weights and led her Bridging Generations band. It included upcoming players Wallace Roney, Jr.-trumpet, Rico Jones-reeds and Will Martins-percussion, along with veterans David Kikoski-piano and Essiet Okon Essiet-upright/electric bass. At times the ensemble was reminiscent of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers hard-bop swinging, while also featuring originals by Cedar Walton and Kikoski.
Mike Clark’s Post Bop Quartet also utilized Kikoski and Essiet for the rhythm section, with trumpeter Eddie Henderson and saxophonist Craig Handy. Clark, the original highly sampled Headhunter drummer joked around a bit. In between his comedy the unit roared with scorching hard bop and post-bop compositions from their newest album Kuon Ganjo (Time Without Beginning). Among the featured tunes were Sonny Rollins’ “East Broadway Run Down,” Clark’s “Mganga” written for Henderson, the bandleader’s “Toys” from the Hancock canon and the timeless standard “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise.”
Cyrus Chestnut majestically injected solo classical into his set initially. Afterwards, the pianist adeptly played a 5/4 rendition of “Autumn Leaves” and traded off with drummer Cuenca and bassist Essiet. Following it was the abounding “Ami’s Dance,” influenced by a Dakar, Senegal dancer. Chestnut returned to classical for the slow jazz waltz “Prelude to George,” in memory of his longtime Czech band mate bassist George Mraz and Oscar Peterson’s suite-like “Salute to Bach.” Also included were high-flying versions of “It Could Happen to You” and Charlie Parker’s “Yard Bird Suite.”
Trumpeter Wayne Bergeron’s 17-person muscular Top Shelf Big Band had a long line of people waiting outside to get in. Once inside the ballroom they were treated to amazing performances and interpretations by the top-rated trumpeter and crew. At times the high energy and sometimes explosive set was almost like a master class as Bergeron and others talked about the music, its development, and special features which listeners couldn’t get enough of.
Going beyond jazz was vocalist Nicholas Bearde’s Charles Brown Project, hallmarking the innovator’s post WWII music. Notably, it incorporated Brown’s 90’s guitarist Danny Caron, along with original bandmembers bassist Ruth Davies and drummer Deszon Claiborne, and newer players, pianist John R. Burr and renowned Bay Area saxophonist Kristen Strom. They delightfully supported Beard’s velvet vocals for Brown’s incredible hits such as “Wish I Knew,” “Going Down Slow,” “Bad Bad Whiskey,” “Fool’s Paradise,” well covered “Please Come Home For Christmas” and of course “Merry Christmas Baby.”
In the realm of funk fusion was the three-year-old Parlor Greens organ trio. It showcased guitarist Jimmy ‘Scratch’ James from Seattle, organist Adam Scone from New York, and drummer Tim Carman from Boston. Musically, the instrumental band were a throwback to the Meters and Booker T and The MGs with a bit of Hendrix mixed in to totally blow the SJJSF attendees away.
Augmenting SJJSF even more was Destiny Muhammad, a popular Bary Area harpist whose music goes from Celtic to Coltrane, with nods also to Dorothy Ashby. Muhammad captivated the audience with heavenly playing, soulful singing and enlightening storytelling. Hawai’i-born Taimane is virtuoso ukulele player that literally can play anything. With a backing guitarist and percussionist, she astounded the audience with beyond belief covers of Led Zeppelin, Beethoven, flamenco, Pulp Fiction surf music, native folk music featuring the trio wonderfully singing and her own originals.
As would be expected, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2026 was loaded with top Latin acts. Among them were Joe Bataan, King of Latin Soul, East LA’s Three Sinseers, Grammy-nominated and deep-rooted Cuban mambo styled Orquesta Akokán and the Bay Area’s own Combo Tezeta.
The R&B, funk and contemporary jazz headliners were Patti Labelle, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Cory Wong, The Soul Rebels and Zapp Featuring Tuxedo. They all thrilled the Silicon Valley crowd with engaging soul music, soothing ballads and irresistible funk. That was especially true for 82-year-old Labelle, known as The Godmother of Soul, who took the audience down memory lane with vintage hits “The Right Kind of Lover” “New Attitude” and “What Can I Do For You,” along with her timeless soul/rocking mega chart-topper “Lady Marmalade” first released in 1974.
From a more 21st century standpoint Trombone Shorty incorporated touches of New Orleans trad, hard rock and neo soul. Brass band oriented The Soul Rebels included Texas HBC marching tinges into their set and totally rocked the mainstage. Guitarist Wong presented updated smooth jazz fueled by tasteful grooving and unlimited jamming. While electronic voice box hip-hop influencers Zapp, and funk/disco revivalist duo Tuxedo (Mayer Hawthorne-vocals and Jake One-producer/production) turned SJJSF into an outdoor dance floor.
2026 marked the conclusion of SJJSF Founder and Artistic Director Bruce Labadie’s long tenure that began in 1986 as a one-day free community event. Christian Vela will be his successor and usher in a new era for Bay Area music. For more info go to: https://sanjosejazz.org.
Ritchie Foreverat Grand Performances paid homage to Ricardo Esteban Valenzuela Reyes aka Ritchie Valens. Producer Bob Keane discovered him playing at a local movie theatre in 1958 and suggested shortening his last name to Valens. Shortly thereafter they recorded enough material for an album and scored Top 50 hits with “Come on Let’s Go,” (42) on the charts, “Donna” that skyrocketed to #2, and its uniquely Latin rocking B-side “LA Bamba” derived from a Mexican folk song that was recorded in Spanish.
By the end of 1958 the 17-year-old Pacoima-native was a national pop star and dropped out of high school to concentrate on his fast-rising career. Going with the momentum of his newly achieved status as a teen idol Valens joined other popular singers of the era for the 24-city Midwest tour called the Winter Dance Party. His fellow entertainers were Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, Dion & the Belmonts, and Frankie Sardo.
The extravaganza sadly ended on February 3, 1959, when Holly fed up with the frigid conditions on the tour bus booked a private plane from Clear Lake, Iowa. Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson joined him and only a few minutes inflight the small craft crashed, killing the passengers and pilot Roger Peterson. 12 years later singer/songwriter Don McLean poignantly documented the day with his enduring song “The Day The Music Died.”
Valens music has lived on since the tragedy, capturing the hearts and minds of generations of listeners ever since. Ritchie Forever honored his 85th birthday May 13 with a multidisciplinary mélange of live music, narration, and archival visuals. The program connected his 1950s legacy to the modern immigrant experience, honoring the rebel, romantic, and dreamer who refused to assimilate. The night additionally sonically bridged the past and present, featuring an all-star lineup of contemporary voices. Among them were Shannon Shaw (Shannon & the Clams), Joey Quiñones (Thee Sinseers), Bryan Ponce (The Altons), Denise Carlos & Hector Flores (Las Cafeteras), Angie Monroy (The McCharmlys), Irene Diaz, and Jose Varela (Cutty Flam).
On the Grand Performances’ stage was a mocked-up announcer both on the far-side with broadcasts of historic events from ‘40s and ‘50s, as Valens and other artist’s music was performed. Leading things off was “Come on Let’s Go” that recalled the excitement on the streets during the late ‘50’s. Lead singer Monroy and The McCharmlysserved up a lively mix of vintage rock, ‘60s pop and soulful rockabilly. Bryan Ponce from The Altons tearfully sang ballad “Darling Where Are You?” solely and with his band “We Belong Together.”
Joey Quiñones and Thee Sinseers sang “How Lonely is Lonely” and doo-woppy “Stay Inside Me.” Shaking thing up was Jose Varela comically singing “I Was Framed” to draw strong crowd reactions. On the other hand, Shannon Shaw enchantingly sang with the audience Valens’ “Donna.” Along the same lines, Denise Carlos & Hector Flores (Las Cafeteras) sang “Why Must I Be a Teenager in Love?”
Taking a breather from Valen’s songs, Alih Jey a Latin Music Grammy-nominee from the Dominican Republic sang Buddy Holly’s “Every Day.” There was also spoken word tribute with “Sleep Walk” by Santo & Johnny serving as the backdrop. Also, Irene Diaz serenely sang “The Day The Music Died” and “Earth Angel.”
Going into the ‘60’s was ? And The Mysterios “96 Tears” and Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs “Woolly Bully.” “Land of 1000 Dances” by Chris Kenner that was covered by Thee Midnighters, Cannibal & the Headhunters and Wilson Pickett became a monstrous jamwith all the performers getting involved. Topping everything off was the 400-year-old “La Bamba” done both traditionally and as a rock song, much to the audience’s delight. A couple of days before the concert the Philosophical Research Society screened the biopic La Bamba for Ritchie Valens + with a panel discussion. For more info go to: www.ritchievalens.com, www.grandperformances.org and www.prs.org/
The Hollywood Bowl’s annual Smooth Summer Jazz party sometimes enlists as many as four or five different acts and can last almost six hours. This year it was streamlined down to only three groups and was under four hours. That was still plenty of time to get a good groove on. Each performer/group was distinctly different and thrilled the audience in very their own special way that presented a fun and totally entertaining jazzy/soul vibe.
Sheila E got the festivities going with a high energy mix of rock, funk, Latin and R&B with a unifying message of love and peace. The Beatles’ “Come Together” rocked the house featuring the bandleader drumming away and singing furiously before shifting to salsa grooving “Leader of The Band” that included her wailing on timbales.
In the audience was her 91-year-old father Pete Escovedo and mother Jaunita representing Oakland/SF Bay Area. That called for Sly & The Family Stone’s “Everyday People” and maintaining the spirit was Allen Toussaint/Pointer Sisters (also from Oakland) “Yes We Can Can) and E/Prince’s 80’s mega hit “The Glamorous Life.”
Saxophonist Boney James followed the percussionist/singer and mostly played a chill contemporary jazz set, highlighting songs from his catalogue. Among them was “Into The Blue” from his Body Language record that came out 27 years ago. Backing him was a hard-hitting band and they easily shifted to ’80s funk styled “Slide,” heavily influenced by his budding years as a keyboardist for Morris Day and The Time that’s on his 2024 Slow Burn project.
Additionally, the multiple Grammy-nominated reed player worked out during a James Brown-like interlude from the same recording, which perked up the crowd. James had a few other surprises up his sleeve. They were Herbie Hancock’s much covered breezy “Butterfly,” Sergio Mendes’ Brazilan flavored Batucada (The Beat) title of his 2013 release featuring a sizzling percussion jam and getting the audience to snap their fingers with attitude prior to playing Bill Wither’s classic “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
Concert closers The Commodores, came out blazing with a stadium-like presence and rocked the Bowl with a chopped-up medley of rocking R&B with “Are You Ready,” “Wild Thing,” “My Baby’s House” and “I Feel Sanctified.” After the initial stirrup the top-selling Grammy-winning Tuskegee, Alabama-based group settled down with the exultant “Easy” and country-styled “Sail On.” It stemmed from Kenny Rogers suggesting they do a country song.
The former Motown Records singers and musicians who once included pop icon Lionel Ritchie as a co-leader/songwriter eventually got into their classics. They fired up the crowd with dance floor R&B classics “Too Hot Ta Trot,” “Lady (You Bring Me Up)” and super funky “Brick House” to end the party with a blast. Intermingled into the very appealing set were silky ballads “Three Times a Lady” that inspired some to sing along and “Night Shift.” For more info go to: sheilae.com, boneyjames.com, commodoreslive.com and laphil.com
At the Blue Note after opening with her post-disco hit “Love’s Comin’ at Ya,” Tony-winning and Grammy-nominated singer Melba Moore, whose career spans the’70s to present times proclaimed, “Everything old, ain’t bad, so let’s go back and have a good time.” She continued with the hot dance grooving 1982 song “(Gotta Make Your) Mind Up Tonight.” The 80-year-old took a breather with the ballad “Falling” originally recorded with Freddie Jackson in 1986. Moving ahead to the present Moore with backup singers spotlighted her newly released silky soul single “Love Wins Every Time.”
However, after that she returned to the past, especially Broadway, which she credits for her overall success. Moore recalled be one the cast members for the 1970 musical revival of the satire Purlie (Victorious) written by Ossie Davis. Recognizing Moore’s talent Davis created songs for her such as the Tony-winning “I Got Love,” which she soulfully sang to draw abundant applause. Somewhat in the same category was the immortal “Stormy Weather,” which she strongly delivered as a tribute to Lena Horne. Going even further Moore paid homage to Ella Fitzgerald with a mostly wordless medley and scatted intensely to blow the audience away.
During the final moments of the crowd-pleasing show, the singer went back to disco, featuring her band she met the previous day before for a super funked out and lengthy version of the Bee Gee’s “You Stepped Into My Life” from 1978. Moore combined gospel, R&B and Broadway for Aretha Franklin’s beyond passionate “Lean On Me.” It written by J. Cobb and Van McCoy in 1970 and is on the B-side of Franklin’s “Spanish Harlem” 45 (nothing like Bill Withers’ 1972 classic) to beautifully ended an interesting and remarkable show. For more info go to: www.iammelbamoore.com and www.bluenotejazz.com/la.
Born in Lettsworth, LA on July 30, 1936, the undisputed King of the Blues, since the passing of BB King in 2015, Buddy Guy celebrated his 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl with legions of his fans and several guests. After a short video chronicling his background and importance in blues and music in general was shown, the blues icon came out smoking on guitar as he’s been doing since moving to Chicago during the late ‘50s.
Interestingly, the impactful Guy who’s a Rock And Roll Hall of Famer, nine-time Grammy-winner, 23-time Blues Award Recipient (formerly the W.C. Handy Award)and Billboard Magazine’s Century Award recipient for Distinguished Artistic Achievement, and Greatest Living Electric Blues Guitarist made no mention of his milestone birthday until the end of the concert or of his 2025 album Ain’t Done With The Blues. Instead, he intensely jammed away with little deviation from the setlist he traveled with for the three-month long BG90 tour that began on July 31st.
Probably the most notable aspect of the concert was the exceptional amount of profanity. Some is always present during his shows, but not to the extent of what was heard at the Bowl recently. For justification, he commented, “I used to keep it clean until hip-hop came around. Now I just say whatever the .… I want.” Also at 90, who in their right mind is going tell Buddy Guy to tone it down.
After original first song “Damn Right I Got The Blues” he reeled off a slew of very popular blues and R&B standards such as “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Cheaper to Keep Her,” “Rock Me Baby,” and “I’m a Kingbee.” They were all layered with his signature mix of sweet singing and beyond belief rock/blues guitar playing.
Also incorporated into the blues man’s set were Denise La Salle’s “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In,” King’s “How Blue Can You Get,” fellow Louisiana-native Bobby Rush’s down home and bawdy “Chicken Heads,” and his loungey/funky “Do Your Thing.” For Little Milton’s version of “Grits Ain’t Groceries (All Around the World)” the blues master wandered into the audience for frenzied playing that included junctures of the Cream’s psychedelic rocking “Sunshine of Your Love.”
Afterwards Guy’s special guests, his son Greg Guy, Joe Bonamassa and former protégé Christone “Kingfish” Ingram who opened the show with his impressive contemporary blues material, all jammed with him. After a bit of playing and singing during the session the legendary blues man bid the audience goodbye, leaving the others to continue wailing away. Earlier Guy mentioned, “There’s only three 90-year-old blues men around now, Bobby Rush, Willie Nelson and me.” For more info go to: www.buddyguy.net, www.christonekingfishingram.com and www.laphil.com.
Multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/songwriter Taj Mahal was born Henry St. Claire Fredericks in New York in 1942 and raised in Springfield, MA. Guitarist/singer/songwriter Keb Mo’ aka Kevin Moore was born in Compton, CA in 1951. Together, they are the Grammy-winning Keb Mo’, who honor traditional blues, while also incorporating strains of world music, gospel, folk and R&B to advance the genre.They recently appeared at the Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts, as part of the tour for their much anticipated second album, Room On The Porch, recorded in 2025.
Despite their age difference and dissimilar geographical backgrounds, the pair who met in the ‘80s, but didn’t start working together until 2017 (get the full story on their website) have a natural symbiosis, laden with incredible musicality. With their touring band Anne Harris-violin/vocals, Martina Menéndez-vocals/guitar, Dave Thornsworth-keyboards, Keb Hutchins-guitar, Casey Wasner-drums and Antoine Maimone-bass, they performed effortlessly, reeling off about twenty songs.
New easy-flowing blues shuffle “She Keeps Me Movin,’” mainly sung by Mahal got the party started. Mo’ followed with the Latin-tinged “(My Life With You is) Better Than Ever” as his co-bandleader accented with backing vocals, harmonica and amusing French lyrical touches. That gentle sentimentality ended with the harder edged blues tune “Don’t Leave Me Here” from their debut 2017 record that included powerful singing and the backing band laying down a pulsing backdrop.
The often-told downhearted blues theme, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” from the newer recording featured a rousing piano solo and sweet-sounding backing vocals. Older “Ain’t Nobody Talkin’” was gritty and soulful, resembling the Staple Singers in their heyday. While, newer “Junkyard Dog” was urban funk oriented with Mahal’s snarling chants further exciting the crowd.
Alternatively, acoustic roots music, with touches of Delta blues, country, folk and bluegrass have been essential to Mahal and to a lesser degree Mo’s music. To the audience’s delight Mahal played banjo and Mo played acoustic guitar for the tinder ballad “My Darling My Dear,” beautifully accented by Harris’ violin and backing vocals. Things became even more heartfelt when Mo took a moment to do a shoutout (something he normally never does) and thanks to a team at the nearby Torrance Medical Center who helped, “put his sister back together.” He also acknowledged his own recent heart surgery. That drew cheers from the attendees and shoutouts to Compton and Long Beach.
Getting back to unplugged music Mahal playing his resonator guitar leaped into the vintage “Rough Time Blues,” and his partner joined in for engaging singing and banter. That blew the audience away, and Mahal voiced his disgust for $15 hamburgers and recalled growing up when gas was ten cents a gallon and went up to 25 cents. In response, Mo’ played his own Delta/gospel flavored original “Hand it Over.” Mahal followed with Sleepy John Estes’ “Diving Duck Blue” that celebrated good loving and fantasized about drinking from a river filled with whiskey.
Before ending the good times, the rollicking octet showcased the title track of the new TajMo’ record. It evoked country hospitality and included inviting singing from Mahal, Mo’ and Harris, who also injected tasty bluegrass fiddling. Staying with the prevailing mood, they added Delta blues and folk rocking touches for Mahal’s vintage classics “Going up to the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue” and “Queen Bee,” which drew enthusiastic audience reactions. Closing the highly engaging show out and encouraging universal good feelings was “All Around the World” from TajMo’s first recording. For more info go to: kebmo.com/tajmo/ and ccpa.cerritos.gov.
Sugaray Rayford, an audacious big-voiced singer/songwriter from Tyler, TX started off the Broad Stage’s five-event blues series, curated by Emcee, The Reverend Shawn Amos, son of Wally (Famous) Amos. Right from the beginning Grammy-nominated and two-time Blues Music Award (BMA)-winner, Rayford told the audience. “This ain’t jazz tonight, this is blues and soul. That means I want to see booties wiggling and breasts jiggling. I’m going to be sweating, and I want to see you sweating (on the dance floor).”
After introducing his band, Drake “Munkihaid” Shining-Music Director/keyboards, Allen Markel- bass, Derrick “DJ” Martin Jr.-saxophone, Julian “JuJu” Davis-trumpet, Sky Garcia-drums and Oscar Jesus Bugarin-guitar, Rayford got down to business with the aptly rocking/soul tune “Time to Get Movin’.” “Take Me Back” and “Trying to Make a Living” maintained the vibe and after some prodding from the headliner, the crowd got on the floor to dance.
Melding blues and Motown was the original “You And I,” which energetic Rayford described as a nod to 1975, “when men and women danced together.” For a slight respite “No Limit to My Love” was a torrid danceable burner with the band working out “old school” style. While “Uh Huh” was a funky blues groove with soulful brass choruses dedicated his grandmother (Big Mama) who raised him.
After plenty of joking around about sex and big-legged women, Rayford took a moment to mention his wife of 31 years was in attendance and passionately sang the ballad “I Don’t Regret a Mile (I’ve Traveled in This Old World.” It also featured his trumpeter, drummer and saxophonist soloing and trading off, along with the other bandmembers getting involved, much to the audience’s delight. Somewhat in the same vein was Al Kooper’s (Blood, Sweat & Tears) upbeat “Nothing I Wouldn’t do For a Woman Like You” and original “Is it Just Me (Jesus).”
Rayford’s guitarist was also featured for the raucous blues number “The Train I Ride,” with the band wailing and him dancing to the crowd’s amazement. Equally amazing or disgusting, the 350lb/6’5’’ bandleader wrung out his sweat drenched shirt on stage and performed his rocky funk song “Blind Alley” that included scorching jamming from his band. The fun and jokes eventually ended with the band doing a 12-minute medley of their blues, R&B and funk tunes, with the audience still not getting enough. For more info go to: sugarayrayford.com and broadstage.org.
As one of the only living bandmembers of Miles Davis’s great quintets, along with bassist Ron Carter, the influential keyboardist hosted Herbie Hancock Celebrates Miles Davis at the Hollywood Bowl. Without a doubt, the concert spanning Davis’s achievements from the ‘50s up to the late ‘80s was ambitious and important, supplemented by an incredible roster of top-notch musicians.
Hancock, an extremely creative keyboardist/composer was an important sideman for Davis assorted ensembles from 1963 to1969. He first appeared on Davis’s 1963 recording Seven Steps to Heaven and his last involvement was on In a Silent Way in 1969. Although basically only about six years, Hancock’s role in what would be called Davis’s historical Second Great Quintet was monumental and mythical, and paved the way for modern 20th century jazz and beyond.
The first section of program focused on the trumpeter’s ground-breaking swinging orchestrated work with the legendary and innovative arranger/composer Gil Evans for the albums Miles Ahead (1957) and Porgy and Bess (1959). Vince Mendoza was the conductor with Terence Blanchard on lead trumpet, Christian McBride on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums, along with a host of other musicians. Hancock couldn’t resist pointing out there wasn’t a pianist for the outing. Nevertheless, it shined brightly with phenomenal renditions of “Springsville,” “New Rhumba,” the “Porgy and Bess Suite” and ballad “I Don’t Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone but You).”
Hancock’s break ended after the first set, and he was called to duty for Miles Davis Quintet Reimagined and Electric Miles segments. The Quintet reunited him with longtime friend and former bandmate Ron Carter on bass, along with considerably younger cohorts, alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, Blanchard on trumpet and drummer Vinnie Colauta. They coolly blazed away on compositions from Davis’ first and second great quintets, beginning with the quintessential cool jazz tune “So What” from Davis’ top-selling album Kind of Blue.
That mode quickly shifted to post-bop/near avant-garde with Sorcerer 1967 as each bandmember inserted and subtracted layers, along with Carter’s less cerebral “81” from E.S.P. recorded two years earlier. However, what really commanded the audience’s attention was Hancock and Carter’s tender duet interpretation of the timeless ballad “My Funny Valentine,” which drew a standing ovation.
Concluding the far-reaching program was the Electric (fusion) aspect of Davis’ music with Carter departing the stage. Marcus Miller who basically was the Music Director for the last segment was his replacement and keyboardist/programmer Julian Pollack also joined the fray. They all got into it with the easily recognizable slow grooving, extended tribute to South African Bishop Desmond Tutu which the bassist composed for Davis in 1985.
Afterwards, Miller humorously introed and then transported the audience to Davis’ late ‘60s era (way before his time) through the atmospheric In a Silent Way. It included him soloing on bass clarinet and Garrett on soprano sax. The crew also briefly played snippets from the landmark Bitches Brew record. The bassist brought the crowd back the more familiar to him ‘80s by doing Davis’s styling of Cyndy Lauper’s “Time After Time” pop hit.
Wrapping up the special evening was the iconic trumpeter’s “Jean-Pierre,” a reworking of a French lullaby. It featured Carter returning to play and all the musicians soloing to the audience’s delight. Overall, the concert was very memorable and a large-scale undertaking. For more info go to: www.laphil.com.
Hard-bop trumpeter Elliott Caine, an Indiana University alumnus who was mentored by the renowned Dr. David Baker (creator of the first academic jazz program) performed with his quintet at The Den at the Montauck in Redondo Beach. In partnership with bandmembers, Chuck Manning-tenor saxophone, Bill Markus-bass, Michael Boito-piano and Don Littleton-drums, he showcased tunes from his newly released record Furiositee!
Straight out of the gate the quintet featured the title track that shined. It included fierce and slightly offbeat brass collectively and individually, along with hot rhythms resembling Charlie Parker, Monk and Art Blakey back in the day. From a more subdued perspective was “Permanent Revolution” bolstered by extended soloing from Manning, the bandleader, Boito and Markus. While, supple “Bossa For Kenny” was in memory of the band’s recently departed friend Kenny Elliott.
After a break the group returned with more original compositions, starting with the Lee Morgan-like hard swinging Le Supercool from the recording of the same name. It coolly showcased solos from all the players, including Markus turning in an “out of this world’ bowing, along with scorching tradeoffs with Littleton.
“Blue Reflection” returned to the new album and was based on a minor key progression coupled with a jazz waltz cadence. It was infectious and overflowed with stellar playing and solos. Although titled similarly, “Soul Reflection” was an introspective ballad featuring Caine and Manning playing in synch and also soloing independently.
“No Jive Boogaloo” was a take on Cannon Ball Adderley’s “Jive Samba” and with the bandmembers working out was equally captivating. To keep the quintet honest several standards were inserted into the sets, such as “Like Someone in Love” and a danceable Latin styled rendering of “East of The Sun.” For more info go to: www.elliottcaine.com and www.montaukinredondo.com/the-den.
Accomplished pianist Michael Wolff’s musical trajectory includes stints with legends Cal Tjader, Tony Williams, Sonny Rollins, and Cannonball Adderley, along with being Musical Director for Nancy Wilson and Arsenio Hall’s pioneering late-night TV talk show. At Sam First with Danny Janklow-reeds, Edwin Livingston-bass and Clayton Cameron-drums, he unleashed his creativity, and humor.
The bandleader’s original composition “Left Out” from his album Memoir initially developed on tenths he wasn’t sure he could play with his left hand was incredibly superb. With his quartet’s flawless interactions, it amazingly spanned blues, modality, hard bop, post-bop, meditation and even some avant-garde. The piece left nothing for him to say musically for the rest of the set.
Wolff had plenty more to play and joke about, continuing with the thematic “Movie Night” featuring the other bandmembers soaring as well. The tune was in regard to the few precious times he gets to spend with his busy actress/writer/director/producer wife Polly Draper and their sons of the same ilk Alex and Nat Wolff.
Totally flipping the script was the quartet getting funky in an abstract and post-bop way for the Temptation’s ubiquitous rally call “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” It inventively included snippets of Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance” and Miles Davis’ “In a Silent Way” and “Shhh/Peaceful” as a mash to draw strong applause. In response, the pianist jokingly played sang the opening chorus and said he presented to the Temptations, who said. “We’ll take it from there.”
Wrapping up the enjoyable set was Bounce, lead track of an album that was released after Wolff survived a near-death four-year bout with cancer. It’s detailed in his book ON THAT NOTE: A MEMOIR OF JAZZ, TICS, AND SURVIVAL a bestseller and 2023 Jazz Journalist Association “Book of the Year” Nominee. The number was written in remembrance of his early career tenure with Tjader and swung hard. Additionally, it contained embedded reminders of Les McCann’s “Compared to What” as Janklow blazed away and the rhythm players generated a mesmerizing merging of hard bop and Latin rhythms. For more info go to: www.michaelwolff.com/ and www.samfirstbar.com,
The 2026 National Endowment of the Arts JAZZ MASTERS Ceremony was held at Disney Hall, It honored four distinguished artists and those who have strongly advocated for jazz in Southern California. The host for the event was Mary Anne Carter, current NEA Chairman. Also in the house for the occasion were 2004 Jazz Master Herbie Hancock, actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer Debbie Allen, and former California Poet Laureate and NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. The initial ceremony began in 1982, and the fellowship recipients then were Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan and Sonny Rollins.
Moreira who was unable to attend was first and after a video clip about him, he was musically represented. Eyedentity, an ensemble lead by his singer/daughter Diana Purim and her husband vocalist/percussionist Krishna Booker with others including saxophonist Justo Amario were amazing. Through Moreira’s and Hermeto Pascoal’s stupefying Afro-Brazilian fusion compositions they boldly exemplified the honored musician’s themes and made new fans. Purim accepted the award for her father and said, “He gave so much of his lifeforce and spiritual energy to connect with musicians and audiences in the most authentic and intimate way.”
This year’s honorees were master percussionist Airto Moreira, vocalist/pianist Carmen Lundy, pianist/singer/educator Patrice Rushen and radio personality/educator Rhonda Hamilton. Much like other award shows, each person was introduced and their special abilities or accomplishments were briefly described. Before receiving the fellowship, a video capsulizing them was shown, with a performance following and the recipients getting their awards.
Multi-instrumentalist and multidisciplinary artist Lundy was given the same treatment. She performed with her backing quartet, Andrew Renfroe-guitar, Julius Rodriguez-piano, Ben Williams-bass and Terreon Gully-drums to showcase a few original compositions. Among them were bossa-flavored “Everything I Need,” gorgeously sung ballad “Old Friend” that garnered strong applause, and swirling/scat wrought “After Glow.” Lundy admitted she was surprised to be honored and that the NEA knew of her. Also, she thanked her mother, Ovita Lundy Francis. She recognized her daughter’s talent at four when she could play church music by ear and encouraged her to pursue her dreams.
Afterwards, Carter acknowledged the passing of several previous NEA Jazz Masters during the calendar year. They were Eddie Palmieri, Sheila Jordan, Jack DeJohnette, Sonny Rollins, Abdullah Ibrahim, and just recently Cassandra Wilson.
The chairman shifted to the AB Spellelman NEA Jazz Masters Fellow for Jazz Advocacy, created in 2005 for those involved in the advancement of jazz appreciation, such as On-air Personality Rhonda Hamiliton. She has been an ambassador of the idiom for 50 years in Boston-WBUR, New York-WBGO as one its first announcers, in LA-KKJZ, along with NPR, XM Satellite Radio and the program Nissan Murano Crossover Style in Japan. Her video familiarized the attendees with her background and method for presenting jazz.
Since Hamilton isn’t a musician, her drummer husband Michael Carvin, pianist Yayoi Ikawa and bassist Dezron Douglas covered the performance aspect of her segment. They superbly played Ellington’s soothing ballad “I Don’t Know About You” and a sweeping version of “Softy as in a Morning Sunrise.” Hamilton thanked her husband of 40 years, calling him a Jazz Master, and expressed her amazement for being recognized after 50 years with the AB Spellelman award.
The program concluded with pianist, singer, producer, film/TV composer and educator Patrice Rushen being awarded and called a cultural anchor by Carter. Rushen’s accompanying video detailed her philosophy, background and approach to playing. She was on tour at the time and longtime friend; colleague and Terri Lyne Carrington accepted on her behalf. The drummer with an amazing and special octet that included Orrin Evans-piano, Paul Jackson Jr.-guitar, Hubert Laws-flute, Bob Sheppard-sax and Sheila E-percussion spanned Rushen’s catalogue.
They began with the engrossing “L’Espirit de Joie” and ended with the ebullient neo-soul jaunt “When I Found You” bolstered by special guest, vocalist Lalah Hathaway. After the music, Carrington gave props to the bandmembers and called Rushen a big sister and mentor who put her up and helped her get a car when she first moved to LA. The drummer also considered the keyboardist/singer/educator to be a music titan and genius, who transcends genres and has helped and guided many young musicians. For more info go to: www.arts.gov/honors/jazz,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMyhSgJX-j4 and www.laphil.com.
