That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

Los Angeles
Considering its wealth of talent, Los Angeles doesn’t have the kind of vital
jazz scene that thrived along Central Avenue, where Buddy Collette, Howard
McGhee, and many others set the pace in the ’40s and ’50s. Still, jazz clubs
today feature great music and larger venues like the Walt Disney Concert Hall
(wdch.laphil.com/home.cfm).
Disney’s venue is one of the world’s architectural wonders, and jazz plays
a small but essential role in its programming. Wynton Marsalis, the Maria
Schneider Jazz Orchestra, and Wayne Shorter have all performed there, and
the Los Angeles Philharmonic hosted a Django Reinhardt Festival. Because
the Disney hall was designed primarily for acoustic performances (it’s the
home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic), it’s a great place to hear live jazz.
In warmer months, the Greek Theatre (www.greektheatrela.com) and the
Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com) are spectacular places to hear
jazz under the stars (the Hollywood Bowl is home to the Playboy Jazz
Festival, which I cover in Chapter 14).
Other great venues for hearing live jazz include
Chapter 18: Ten Great Cities for Jazz
� Catalina Jazz Club: The Los Angeles Jazz Society hosts a jazz brunch
at this leading club, where evenings feature talent like guitarist Kenny
Burrell, vocalist Tierney Sutton, and Coltrane’s onetime bassist Dr. Art
Davis. Check out the Jazz Society at www.lajazzsociety.org and the
Catalina Jazz Club at www.catalinajazzclub.com.
� The Jazz Bakery: This venue is the only seven-night-a-week nonprofit
jazz venue. This place features touring stars like pianist Billy Childs, guitarist
Bill Frisell, and saxophonist Benny Golson. Visit the Web site at
www.jazzbakery.com.
� The Lincoln: Sizzling jazz and grilled T-bone steaks make a great combination
at this steakhouse in beachfront Santa Monica. Call 310-828-3304
for more information.
� The Mint: This venue has great blues and jazz, mixing national and local
acts. Check out www.themintla.com.
� Steamers Jazz Club and Café: Latin jazz is an essential part of this
place’s weekly menu of jazz. www.steamersjazz.com.
The Los Angeles Jazz Institute is a lively focal point with a great Web site (www.
lajazzinstitute.org), extensive archives, and a solid concert season. If
you’re a jazz writer, a historian, or just a fanatical fan, this is the source of
West Coast jazz history. The archives include personal collections from Gerry
Mulligan, Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, and other L.A. heroes.
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