Results for "Los Angeles"

The Collective Organizer: Kyle Knoke

by B.D. Lenz
March 12, 2025

It's no revelation that the U.S.A. is a big country and the “fruited plains" is a vast area with “spacious skies." While that's great for agriculture and makes a pretty song it's not so good for touring musicians. The distances between venues can often deter prominent jazz musicians from traveling this region as jazz clubs aren't ...

BackRhoades Productions Presents: The Altadena Aftermath Benefit Concert—A Night of Music for a Cause on Thursday, February 27, 2025

February 20, 2025

This live and in-person event will be hosted at the Gardena Cinema Theater, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena, CA 90249. Showtime is from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM Admission $30. The livestream is $10. BackRhoades Productions | EventBrite The Eaton Canyon fire disaster has left many Altadena families in dire need of assistance. In response, BackRhoades ...

Liz Cole

You know that scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when Terry Jones’ weird, pale prince character tells his overbearing father he doesn’t want land or a wife–he’d rather just… he’d rather just… sing?

That scene really captures my musical journey.

I grew up in a musical household in California. My parents introduced me to everything from Bartok to Blue Mitchell, and one of my favorite toys was a box of rhythm instruments my dad kept in the hall closet. It’s no wonder I picked up the trumpet at the age of nine and played that thing right up until my first lease agreement specifically said “no horns.”

Gravity and Resurgence: The Many Dimensions of Dexter Gordon

by Arthur R George
February 6, 2025

Long Tall Dexter; swinger, bebopper, saxophone balladeer; acting the dissipated genius expatriate who was not unlike himself in the movie Round Midnight; his dressed-up persona “Society Red;" the laconic elder statesman of his later years. Dexter Gordon is all those things, but more than a kaleidoscope of caricatures. Those who trace their lineages through ...

Mina Choi

Active since: 2024

Mina Choi is a Korean-born, Los Angeles-based jazz pianist, composer, and conductor whose music uniquely blends jazz, classical, and the rich traditions of her Korean heritage. With years of experience as both a performer and educator in California, Mina’s work reflects her personal journey, characterized by beautiful melodies, intricate rhythms, and colorful harmonies. Each composition tells a story, inviting listeners to experience a deep emotional connection to her music.

Mina has performed at renowned venues across the United States, including Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, The Queen Mary, Catalina Jazz Club, and The Blue Whale Jazz Club. She has studied under prominent jazz figures such as George Cables and Bill Cunliffe, whose guidance has shaped her unique musical voice.

The Jazz Kissa Owner: Danny de Zayas

by B.D. Lenz
January 21, 2025

When you read the title of this column there's a good chance you asked yourself, “what the heck is a jazz kissa?" I had never heard of them either until a recent interview I did with photographer Philip Arneill about his photo collection dedicated to the dying institution that is the jazz kissa (read that interview ...

Jonathon Grasse: The Life & Music Of Eric Dolphy

by Lawrence Peryer
January 18, 2025

Today, the Spotlight shines On author Jonathon Grasse. His new book, Jazz Revolutionary (Jawbone Press, 2024), traces Eric Dolphy's journey from the clubs of 1940s jny: Los Angeles to his groundbreaking work in jny: New York City's avant-garde jazz scene.Eric Dolphy's revolutionary voice in jazz was silenced far too soon. He was an artist ...

Stratøs

Born: October 1, 1996

Michigan native Stratøs is a saxophonist, composer, producer, photographer, and cinematographer whose presence in the Los Angeles scene is rapidly growing. Having embraced the melodies of the Cool School early in his development, Stratøs now leaves behind a unique sonic imprint as a producer. His affinity for analog textures is felt not only in his music, but his photography. By combining the two, he’s created an entire ecosystem brimming with life. Stratøs is a three-time winner of the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award from 2019-2021. Additionally, he was awarded the ASCAP Foundation’s Johnny Mandel Prize as well as being selected as a National Sawdust New Works Commission Contest winner. The latter granted the composer the opportunity to write for the world renowned JACK Quartet.

Tania Grubbs: The Sound of Love

by John Chacona
January 16, 2025

Meet a person from jny: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and you are likely to get a Chamber of Commerce-worthy commendation of their city's greatness. When it comes to jazz, the civic pride is more than warranted; the Steel City was home to immortals such as Earl Hines, Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey and Kenny Clarke. Vocalist Tania Grubbs ...

Saxophonist/Composer Javon Jackson And Poet Nikki Giovanni Nominated For NAACP Image Award In 'Outstanding Jazz Album' Category

January 12, 2025

Javon & Nikki Go to the Movies, a collaboration between the groundbreaking poet and activist Nikki Giovanni and saxophonist/composer Javon Jackson, has been nominated for a 56th NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Jazz Album. Recognized as the nation’s preeminent multicultural awards show from an African American point of view, the NAACP Image Awards ...