Washington family affair: dance by Lula, music by Kamasi
A new dance work by choreographer and dance educator Lula Washington, who heads up Lula Washington Dance Theatre, now celebrating 35 years of existence, will soon have its premiere. Nephew Kamasi Washington — he of the soaring brilliant career as a tenor saxophonist — provides the score. It’s Re-run home, from Kamasi’s EPIC cd on ...
Jazz the weekend away @ the Aero
Jazz on a Spring Day Stormy Weather Jazz’s greatest artists in vintage shorts, digitally restored by the Cohen Film Collection. Includes: “Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life” with Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday; “A Rhapsody in Black and Blue” with Louis Armstrong; “St. Louis Blues” with Bessie Smith; “Cab Calloway’s Hi-De-Ho”; “A Bundle ...
Let’s rock the glass armonica @ Velaslavasay Panorama
When we last visited the Velaslavasay Panorama, the charming former ‘Union’ movie theater converted into exhibition hall/theatre/gardens, we were shivering on a sojourn to the South Pole at a screening of silent-picture “South” (1919). The ‘polarizing’ event was part of the “Mush to the Movies” series co-sponsored by Los Angeles Filmforum. Coming soon to the ...
Four (special) hands better than two @ Piano Spheres
Aug
10
2015
Piano Spheres, the new-music presentation series devoted to showcasing contemporary works for the piano, offers as the opener to its 22nd season a double-barreled send-off, “Two Pianos, Four Hands.” The recital features a world premiere and performances by two leading lights of contemporary music. Thomas Ades’s “Concert Paraphrase on on Powder Her Face for Two ...
Clarion voice of songbird Judy Collins fills L.A. night sky 8
Yes, a songbird, thrush, warbler, coloratura, balladeer … she self-describes as a ‘troubadour.’ But who knew that folk-rock legend Judy Collins is also supremely entertaining, a raconteur spieling salty, even ribald stories all while innocently strumming her guitar? Tonight in a delicious free concert at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles, Collins lulled her audience like a ...
Being Judy Collins ~ at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles
Jul
7
2015
Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch and her amazing team at Levitt Pavilions have outdone themselves. We so look forward to the free concert by folk-rock warbler Judy Collins in the shadow of the Los Angeles skyline. Bringing high-quality, family-friendly musical fare to our city park – Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles. Judy Collins | Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles ...
Hold onto your hats ~ here comes VPAC’s new season!
A new season at a performing arts center arrives as a list, perhaps just like any list. But if you pause to peruse the rich offerings on tap at Valley Performing Arts Center in the coming season, 2015-16, you’ll feel the fun. Arts energy that is fun, youthful, excellent and diverse will emanate from Cal ...
Jacaranda’s summer party supreme 2
The architectural space of Rachlin Partners in Culver City provided the backdrop for the annual summer party of contemporary classical music society, Jacaranda, on a splendid Sunday afternoon in June. Filling the airspace was the music of Prokofiev and Philip Glass delivered in a blazing mini-concert by string ensemble, Lyris Quartet. Following the concert, the ...
Review: Lucinda Childs’ “Available Light” @ Disney Hall 6
It was the silver-mesh curtain draped across Disney Hall’s “McFries” pipe organ that gave the performance its first “wow” moment. Almost as though architect/set designer Frank Gehry tossed a throw-rug over a messy sofa to ‘red up for the guests. But Gehry’s living room is none other than L.A.’s stellar fantastic transformational concert hall named ...
Bass-ic instinct
May
24
2015
How low can you go? Woodwind players Yoon-Hee Jung and Eric Jacobs gave that question a resonant response on bass flute and bass clarinet, respectively, with their sonorous underpinnings at “Fits & Starts.” The concert of stimulating contemporary classical music, much of it avant-garde, was presented by Jacaranda at the Villa Aurora on May 16. ...