So let’s get right to my Jazz Best Bets for the Holidays:

Adam Shulman Plays Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas – SFJAZZ – December 24th – December 26th

This week’s Fridays at Five performance is running for three days. Appropriately it finds pianist Adam Shulman playing composer Vince Guaraldi’s music for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

The beloved half-hour cartoon first aired in 1965 and is considered amongst the best of all holiday specials. Shulman’s performance was recorded in December 2019.

Joining Schulman are bassist John Wiitala and drummer James Gallagher.

As with all Fridays at Five programming you need to have either a monthly membership ($5) or an annual membership ($60) to view the show. If you pop down to the end of these listings you’ll see what they have in mind for New Year’s Day (which would be included in either membership.)

Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival – Big Ears Festival – December 25th – January 1st

For eight consecutive nights, Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee is making available the Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival.

The line-up is as follows (note that all times are EST)

Dec 25 – Double Bill: Bugge Wusseltoft, solo (7pm) + Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity (8pm)

Dec 26 – Tord Gustavesen Trio (8pm)

Dec 27 – Double Bill: Bendik Hofseth’s Woodland (7pm) + Mathias Eick Quintet (8pm)

Dec 28 –  Double Bill: Silje Nergaard (7pm) + Ketil Bjørnstad, solo (8pm)

Dec 29 – Double Bill: Mats Eilertsen, solo (7pm) + Trygve Seim ‘Rumi Songs’ (8pm) 

Dec 30 – Double Bill: Hedvig Mollestad Trio (7pm) + Eivind Aarset Quartet (7pm) 

Dec 31  Double Bill: Beady Belle (7pm) + Arild Andersen Group (8pm) 

Jan 1  Double Bill: Elephant9 (7pm) + Nils Petter MolværTrio (8p)

Tickets are $8 per performance or all performances for $50. You must purchase the ticket for a given show on or during its scheduled streaming. Once you do, you’ll have 48 hours to replay the concert(s).

This is a great way to get introduced to some stellar jazz musicians you might not know.

Bill Charlap & Wynton Marsalis – Village Vanguard – December 25th – December 27th

Originally streamed in September, this Village Vanguard concert with pianist Bill Charlap and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is being re-streamed for the holiday weekend. This was an absolutely delightful concert and I strongly recommend spending the $10 to see these two brilliant musicians trading leads and sharing the stage.

Once you purchase a ticket to view the performance, you’ll have 24 hours to watch it.

Jeremy Pelt & George Cables – Mezzrow – December 26th – 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST & 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and pianist George Cables perform from New York’s Mezzrow for two live-streaming concerts on Saturday.

Pelt is a sublime musician whose album The Art of Intimacy Vol. 1 is one of my favorite jazz albums of the year. Cables is a jazz legend who has been recording beautiful music since the early 1970s. Together they are amazing. (Did you catch them together Live From Dizzy’s in October?)

There’s no charge to watch this concert.

Jane Monheit – Feinstein’s at Vitello’s – December 30th – 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST

Jazz vocalist Jane Monheit will be performing live from Feinstein’s at Vitello’s. She’s recorded a dozen albums (and also has a Greatest Hits record out). Her most recent record was 2016’s The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald. Monheit has been singing and recording professionally for almost half her life.

Tickets to watch the live stream are $36.75 (which includes a service charge). There is also an Encore post-show event which is available for $26.75 (also including service charges). This will feature Monheit in conversation with Brad Roen.

Chris Potter Quartet – Village Vanguard – December 31st – January 3rd

New York’s Village Vanguard is ringing in the New year with a concert by the Chris Potter Quartet. Potter plays saxophone and is joined by David Virelles on piano; Joe Martin on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums.

Since 1993 Potter has been releasing one critically-acclaimed album after another. His most recent release was There Is a Tide which came out earlier this year.

As a sideman, he’s recorded with Dave Holland, Pat Metheny, Paul Motian, John Patitucci and Steely Dan.

Ticket prices had not been announced at press time. Usually these shows are $10.

NYE in NOLA – Tipitina’s – December 31st – 10:00 PM EST/7:00 PM PST

Actor John Goodman is the host for a New Year’s Eve concert that’s going to have a little bit of everything and a whole lot of fun. A different artist will perform each hour from various venues around New Orleans as each time zone enters 2021.

Kicking the show off is Samantha Fish from Chickie Wah Wah. In the second hour leading up to New Year’s on the East Coast will be Anders Osborne live from DBA. The Central Time zone will have Galactic performing from Tipitina’s as their musical guide. The Mountain Time zone will have Rebirth Brass Band from The Maple Leaf. Finally the West Coast will start the New Year with the music of Dumpstaphunk from The Howlin’ Wolf.

Popping in along the way will be special guests Ani Di Franco, George Porter, Jr., Kermit Ruffins and Big Sam.

If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you know this will not allow you to go quietly into that New Year. Get yourself some beads, perhaps a costume or two, certainly some cocktails and let the good times roll.

Tickets are $29.99.

Emmet Cohen Trio – Live from Dizzy’s – December 31st – 7:30 PM EST/4:30 PM PST

Jazz pianist Emmet Cohen will be performing with Russell Hall on bass and Kyle Poole on drums in this New Year’s Eve concert from Dizzy’s at New York’s Lincoln Center Jazz. Joining the trio will be saxophonist Houston Person and vocalist Samara Joy.

On the program will be music by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and some holiday classics.

Cohen has found a way to continue performing throughout the pandemic with multiple livestream concerts. He’s proven time and time again what a talented jazz pianist he is.

Tickets have a suggested price of $10. Additional donations are encouraged.

Hiromi: New Year’s Eve Countdown in Tokyo – Blue Note – December 31st – 11:00 PM EST/8:00 PM PST

Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi performs in this fundraiser for Blue Note New York from Blue Note Tokyo. The concert is scheduled to run about 75 minutes which means it will continue into 2021 making it a true New Year’s Eve concert.

Her most recent album is 2019’s Spectrum. It’s an ambitious solo album that includes her own version of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. In this version she takes some interesting liberties with Gershwin’s composition. (Marcus Roberts did the same thing and has a very different take on his Portraits in Blue recording). It’s definitely worth listening to and probably not going to be included in this New Year’s Eve show.

Tickets are $20 but additional donations are encouraged. Viewing will be available after purchase of a ticket through January 1st.

Maceo Parker – SFJAZZ – January 1st – 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST

Saxophonist and R&B legend Maceo Parker will make sure you enter 2021 with some funk in your step with this concert from 2015.

Parker regularly makes SFJAZZ his home for New Year’s Day. And what a great way to keep the party going.

He’s recorded 18 albums including this year’s Soul Food: Cooking with Maceo. He’s had an amazing career recording with James Brown, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Parliament, Prince and the Red Hot Chili Peppers – to name just a few.

Amongst the musicians joining Parker for this concert are Nikki Glaspie (Beyoncé, Dumpstaphunk, Nth Power) and P-Funk bass master Rodney “Skeet” Curtis.

As with all Fridays at Five programming you need to have either a monthly membership ($5) or an annual membership ($60) to view the show. If you pop up to the top of these listings you’ll see what they have in mind for Christmas weekend (which would be included in either membership.)

Lastly I want to direct you to QwestTV (owned by Quincy Jones). There is an incredible archive of concert performances, documentaries and profiles available. This library will certainly appeal to any serious jazz fan. There’s an end-of-year promotion that allows for two months of access for less than one dollar. You can sign up for that here.

The New Yorker recently ran a story about how impressive and valuable this library is.

That’s all for my Jazz Best Bets for the Holidays! I hope you have swingin’ holidays!

I have other Holiday Best Bets for you in Classical Music, Dance and Muscials/Cabaret if you want even more choices.

Photo by Les Anderson

The post Jazz Best Bets for the Holidays appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

This weekend’s choices range from several jazz performances to a topical one-woman show to a powerful dance performance and some great classical music.

If you’re looking for Halloween-themed events in our Best Bets, I want to point you to our special column dedicated to all things spooky you and your family can enjoy this weekend.

Here are our selection of the Best Bets at Home: October 30th – November 1st:

Reena Esmail’s Piano Trio – The Wallis – Now – November 19th

The world premiere of composer Reena Esmail’s Piano Trio took place last November in Seattle. It is a work that finds both Indian and Western classical music combined. As Esmail said about the work, “Imagine if you could say a single sentence, but it could be understood simultaneously in two different languages – that is what I aim to create through my music.”

Over the course of the next four weeks The Wallis will present a performance of one movement of her Piano Trio combined with insights and observations from Esmail and the three musicians performing the work. They are Vijay Gupta on violin, Peter Myers on cello and Suzana Bartal on piano.

Each movement will be streamed via Zoom. After that initial stream each movement can be found on The Wallis’ YouTube channel. Since the streaming events are on Thursdays, this week we have included a link to the YouTube page. If you want to watch subsequent performances on Zoom, you can go here to register for those.

Esmail is one of our most talented and interesting composers. This is going to be well worth your time if you love chamber music.

Kamasi Washington – Los Angeles Philharmonic – October 30th – November 29th

Jazz musician/composer Kamasi Washington takes to the Hollywood Bowl stage for a performance of the music he wrote for the film Becoming. This concert is part of the LA Phil’s Sound/Stage series and is free and available on their website. Becoming is the documentary about Michelle Obama’s book tour.

Along with the recently released Andra Day concert, this is a performance without the LA Phil.

Washington and his band perform his score. In addition to the performance, Washington will also be seen in an interview.

Of his work for Nadia Hallgren’s film, Washington told Rolling Stone Magazine, “Nadia asked me to write a song that would capture what the movie was saying about Michelle Obama. She’s a down-to-earth, brilliant queen who lives next door. She’s aware of who she is and what she has done, but she’s also aware of the people around her. So I tried to give that song a sense of depth and lightness. I thought, ‘If Michelle was going to write a song, what would it sound like?’”

Washington is one of our most exciting jazz musicians. I wouldn’t miss this.

Trio 3 & Vijay Iyer – Blue Note – October 30th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT – $10 Restream 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT

New York’s Blue Note will live stream a concert on Friday featuring the supergroup Trio 3 and they are joined for this performance by pianist/composer Vijay Iyer.

The members of Trio 3 are Oliver Lake on alto sax, Reggie Workman on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums. Iyer joined them for 2014’s Wiring.

Each musician has a lengthy career as both a leader and as a sideman. It is the combination of the three of them that makes truly unique music.

Nate Chinen, in writing for the New York Times about a 2015 performance at the Village Vanguard, said of Trio 3, “One misperception about the jazz avant-garde is that it’s essentially reactive, a single-minded pushback against conventions of form. Whatever lump of truth or slander you might find in that idea, Trio 3, which is playing at the Village Vanguard, provides scant supporting evidence for it. 

“An alliance of eminent composer-improvisers now in their 70s — the alto saxophonist Oliver Lake, the bassist Reggie Workman and the drummer Andrew Cyrille — Trio 3 belongs squarely to the jazz avant-garde, both in process and pedigree. But there was no rebellious undercurrent in the group’s first set on Wednesday night, which moved briskly through its allotted hour, propelled by cooperative forces.”

Adding Iyer to this trio will make for a truly wonderful concert.

Tickets are $15. There is also a re-streaming of the performance at 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT.

Lila Downs – SFJAZZ – October 30th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

This week’s Fridays at Five concert from SFJAZZ features Lila Downs in a concert from May 2019 at the venue in support of her album, Al Chile.

Downs, who is from Oaxaca, rose to fame with her participation in the soundtrack to Julie Taymor’s 2002 film, Frida. She is the winner of one Grammy and three Latin Grammy awards.

As a friend said to me recently in an e-mail, “Hope you are able to watch Lila Downs! I love her and saw her concert in Portugal a couple of years ago!! Lively!!!”

Even though the clip we have from this concert is a ballad, expect lively for much of the performance.

Membership is required to watch the concert. Either a $5 monthly membership or a $60 annual membership. Tips are also encouraged during the streaming of the concert which will be split between the artists and SFJAZZ.

A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration – Jazz at Lincoln Center on PBS – October 30th

Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra have played with a veritable who’s who of jazz artists throughout their careers. But this weekend’s show on Jazz at Lincoln Center on PBS finds them sharing the stage with some of the biggest stars in the world.

Elmo, Bert & Ernie, Big Bird, Grover, Oscar the Grouch and more Sesame Street characters join the orchestra to sing songs from the show in A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration.

The one-hour concert, which took place October 2019, is scheduled to air on October 30th. As with most PBS programming, best to check your local listings for exact start times.

So if you want to go where the air is sweet….

Kristina Wong for Public Office – Center Theatre Group – October 30th – November 29th

We often wonder why our elected officials seem to lack a sense of humor. Or why they lack any awareness of the absurdity of it all. That isn’t the case with Kristina Wong who both serves in office and is also a performance artist with a wicked sense of humor.

She combines both those seemingly disparate sensibilities in a new one-person show called Kristina Wong for Public Office.

The 75-minute comedy performance becomes available at 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT from Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.

Kristina Wong for Public Office examines the role an artist, who is also a politician, can play in the democratic process. She also examines what that process is like, the history of voting and what it takes to run a campaign – all filtered through Wong’s unique perspective.

Tickets to watch Kristina Wong for Public Office are $10.

Four Quartets: 2018 Premiere – Fisher Center at Bard – October 31st – November 1st

In February of this year choreographer Pam Tanowitz’s Four Quartets was performed at UCLA’s Royce Hall. This work is a collaboration with Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, American painter Brice Marden and actress Kathleen Chalfant.

For two days this weekend Bard College will stream the 2018 premiere of Four Quartets. The work is inspired by T.S. Eliot’s monumental work.

Four Quartets is comprised of four different poems written by Eliot over a period of six years. They are Burnt Norton, Easy Coker, The Dry Salvages and Little Gidding. Thematically Eliot is exploring mankind’s place in the world and our relationships with both time and God.

Four Quartets is comprised of four different poems written by Eliot over a period of six years. They are Burnt Norton, Easy Coker, The Dry Salvages and Little Gidding. Thematically Eliot is exploring mankind’s place in the world and our relationships with both time and God.

The result of this collaboration has earned worldwide acclaim. Rightly so, it is a beautiful and powerful work.

Tickets range from $5 for Bard Students up to $25 to stream Four Quartets. (Pricing is based on your individual ability to afford tickets.)

There is another option as well. On Friday, October 30th at 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT, you can join the premiere of a documentary, There the Dance Is (In the steps of Pam Tanowitz’s Four Quartets). The film features interviews with the dancers, Tanowitz and Chalfant.

Prior to the screening there will be a live Q&A between Tanowitz and Alistair Macaulay of the New York Times. You will also gain early access to stream the performance of Four Quartets. Tickets are $100.

Modern Beauty – Pittance Chamber Orchestra – November 1st – 6:00 PM EST/3:00 PM PST

Pittance Chamber Orchestra is comprised of musicians from the LA Opera Orchestra. This weekend they begin rolling out a three-part performance series called Modern Beauty. The performances were all filmed during the pandemic and feature Grammy Award-wining pianist Gloria Cheng.

The first performance finds Cheng and bassoonist Judith Farmer performing Sonata for Bassoon and Piano by Billy Childs. Included in this performance will be comments from Childs.

Part two of the series will stream on November 8th and the third part will stream on November 15th.

There is no charge for the performances, but donations are strongly encouraged.

En 3×4 – Quinteto Astor Piazzolla – November 1st – 6:00 PM EST/3:00 PM PST

One could argue that Astor Piazzolla redefined the tango with his compositions and his playing. Quinteto Astor Piazzolla celebrates his work in this performance filmed live in Buenos Aires for CAP UCLA.

On the program are seven different compositions: Verano Porteño, Camorra III, En 3×4, Soledad, Milonga del Ángel, Adios Nonino and Libertango.

The members of Quinteto Astor Piazzolla are Pablo Mainetti on bandoneón, Nicolás Guerschberg on piano, Serdar Geldymuradov on violin, Daniel Falasca on bass and Armando de la Vega on guitar.

There is no charge to watch the performance. However, donations are encouraged.

American Youth Symphony Fall Concert – November 1st – 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST

Since its inception in the early 1960s, the American Youth Symphony has afforded Los Angeles-based students the opportunity to perform symphonic works as part of a fully-functioning orchestra. They regularly perform live concerts (commonly at Royce Hall) throughout the year.

Obviously 2020 is a different year. For their Fall Concert, Music Director Carlos Izcaray has assembled a combination of remotely-lead performances and two in-person filmed performances.

On the program is Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments performed by the AYS Virtual Wind & Brass Ensemble, Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst performed by the AYS String Ensemble, the world premiere of Izacary’s Bloom, performed by a Percussion Trio and Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge also performed by the AYS String Ensemble.

Through the performance both Montgomery and Izacary will discuss the creation of their two compositions.

Tickets are free, but require registration. The link in the title will take you to details and provide access to register for the concert.

Beth Malone with Seth Rudetsky – November 1st – 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM EST

Tony Award-nominee Beth Malone is best known for her performance as Adult Alison in the musical Fun Home. She recently appeared in the 2018 revival of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. Earlier this year she starred as the title character in the off-Broadway production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

She is Seth Rudetsky’s guest this weekend for music and conversation about her life and career.

If you are unable to catch the live performance of Beth Malone‘s appearance, there is a re-stream on Monday, November 2nd at 3:00 PM EST/12:00 PM PST. Tickets are $25 for either date.

They are also making a VIP Upgrade available three hours prior to the live performance that allows a behind-the-scenes look at the sound check and prep for the live show. That’s an additional $25 and is only available on November 1st and requires the purchase of a ticket to the performance.

Those are our selections are your Best Bets at Home: October 30th – November 1st. As always, we offer a few reminders:

This weekend’s operas from the Metropolitan Opera are Boris Godunov on Friday, The Ghosts of Versailles on Saturday (which I strongly recommend) and Satyagraha on Sunday (another strong recommendation).

Table Top Shakespeare At Home features Cymbeline on Friday, Julius Caesar on Saturday and Antony and Cleopatra on Sunday.

You can stream all three plays in the Donmar Warehouse’s Shakespeare Trilogy on Film this weekend. St. Ann’s Warehouse is making Julius Caesar, Henry IV and The Tempest available.

The reading of David Mamet’s Race continues through Sunday.

Have a safe and enjoyable Halloween weekend. I hope you enjoy our Best Bets at Home: October 30th – November 1st.

Photo: Kamasi Washington (Courtesy of the artist)

The post Best Bets at Home: October 30th – November 1st appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, cultural events are picking up now that we’ve entered the traditional fall season. This week proves that point as we have 13 different shows for you to consider. Plus a few reminders, just in case you don’t find something you like. But seriously, what are the odds of that?

So here are our Best Bets: October 16th – October 18th:

Shipwreck – The Public Theater – October 16th – 12:00 PM EDT/9:00 AM PDT

Starting on Friday – for an open-ended run – is a radio play from The Public Theater called Shipwreck. This is a recent work from playwright Anne Washburn who was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2009.

The play was scheduled to be part of The Public Theater’s 2020 season and has been recorded and produced for listening at home.

In Shipwreck a group of friends have gathered in upstate New York. What starts out as a glorious day, suddenly turns dark and stormy. That applies to both the weather and to the relationships. It turns out that even close, liberal friends, can find their belief systems challenged in present-day America.

Performing Shipwreck are Mia Barron, Brooke Bloom, Phillip James Brannon, Rob Campbell, Bill Camp, Raúl Esparza, Jenny Jules, Sue Jean Kim, Bruce McKenzie, Joe Morton, Jeremy Shamos and Richard Topol. Saheem Ali directs.

When the Almeida Theatre in London produced Shipwreck in 2019, the play earned strong reviews. Amongst them was this comment from Michael Billington writing in The Guardian: “…this is an important play that not only examines the Trump phenomenon but also asks why he was elected: one character shocks his friends by explaining that he voted for Trump because a failing democracy needs a shock to the system. It is precisely the argument you sometimes hear in Britain about a no-deal Brexit being a catalyst for change.”

Andra Day – Los Angeles Philharmonic Sound/Stage – October 16th – 1:00 PM EDT/10:00 AM PDT

The fourth episode of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Sound/Stage online series starts running on Friday and it is the first one to feature a solo artist without the orchestra: singer/songwriter Andra Day.

Day is perhaps best known for her hit song, Rise Up. She’ll perform that song along with Gold (both songs are from her 2015 album Cheers to the Fall) and also Nina Simone’s classic song, Mississippi Goddam. She will also appear in an interview as part of the program.

Included in the program as well will be performances from Flypoet Summer Classic that was filmed at The Ford.

For details about the full Sound/Stage series, please check out our full preview here.

Henry IV – St. Ann’s Warehouse – October 16th – October 22nd – 7:30 PM EDT/4:30 PM PDT

Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse has partnered with London’s Donmar Warehouse to stream Shakespeare Trilogy on Film, three of his plays performed by all-female casts. They began by streaming the 2013 production of Julius Caesar last week. (Don’t worry, you have another chance to see it).

This week the 2016 production of Henry IV is streaming.

Phyllida Lloyd (who, for better or worse, was the director of Mamma Mia! both on stage and screen) directed all three plays.

In this version of Henry IV, the two Shakespeare plays have been condensed into one 135-minute play. Harriet Walter, who is perhaps best known for her roles in Sense and Sensibility and Atonement, plays Henry.

Ben Brantley of the New York Times, called Walter “one of the great Shakespearean interpreters of her generation” in his review of this production when it played St. Ann’s Warehouse in 2015.

He also said of Lloyd’s Henry IV, which is set in a women’s prison, “It’s a multilayered act of liberation. Prisoners are allowed to roam the wide fields of Shakespeare’s imagination; fine actresses are given the chance to play meaty roles that have been denied them; and we get to climb out of the straitjackets of our traditional perceptions of a venerated play.”

The third play in this trilogy is The Tempest, which will become available on October 23rd – October 29th. But fear not, the entire trilogy (which includes Julius Caesar) will be available for streaming at will October 30th – November 1st. All viewings are free.

Mary Stallings and Bill Charlap Trio – SFJAZZ – October 16th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

This week’s Friday’s at Five concert from SFJAZZ features vocalist Mary Stallings with the Bill Charlap Trio (which includes Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums). The concert is from March, 2018.

If Mary Stallings isn’t familiar to you, let me start by sharing this review from her concert.

“At 78, Stallings has entered territory that’s largely uncharted. Her voice sounds remarkably lithe and strong, and her gift for blues-tinged phrasing links her directly to matriarchs Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington.

“The only precedent for a world-class jazz vocalist sounding this good closing in on 80 is Ernestine Anderson (the extraordinary Sheila Jordan is still going strong at 89, but she’s a very different kind of jazz singer). Considering how relatively little Stallings has recorded, her performances feel like precious, ephemeral experiences, and she made the most of her time with Charlap’s trio, a unit that’s been touring and recording together for more than two decades.”

Those were the words of Andrew Gilbert writing in the San Francisco Classical Voice.

Stallings’ most recent album was last year’s Songs Were Made to Sing. She has kept some pretty fine company during her career: Tony Bennett, Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams and the list goes on. Her best known recording was Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings which came out in 1960.

This collaboration with the Bill Charlap Trio should be a great way to start your weekend.

Sticks & Stones – October 16th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

The story of David versus Goliath gets a new telling in the musical Sticks & Stones which was written by composer John McDaniel and lyricist/bookwriter Scott Logsdon.

A concert performance of Sticks & Stones will stream this weekend as a fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.

Teen bullying is the theme of Sticks & Stones with the Biblical story serving as the setting for the story.

An impressive cast has been assembled for the concert. Audra McDonald plays David’s mother, Nizevet. Javier Muñoz, who was the first actor to take over the title role in Hamilton after Lin-Manuel Miranda left the show, plays David’s father, Jesse. George Salazar, who appeared in Be More Chill, plays King Saul. Joshua Colley (2014 revival of Les Misérables) is David and Mykal Kilgore (Motown: The Musical) is The Prophet Samuel.

The concert will be available for streaming through October 20th. There is no charge to watch Sticks & Stones, but donations are encouraged.

Aaron Diehl Trio – Caramoor – October 16th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

Because I think he is one of the finest pianists working today, I’ve written about Aaron Diehl a few times and have interviewed him. He plays both jazz and classical music. (You can read the interview here.)

For this concert he’ll be performing standards and some of his own compositions with Aaron Kimmel on drums and Paul Sikivie on bass.

Rather than reiterate his credits or offer more praise, just listen to the music.

This concert is streaming from Caramoor in Katonah, NY which is a bit more than 40 miles from Manhattan. They are presenting the Aaron Diehl Trio in association with Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Tickets are free for Caramoor members. If you’re not a member, there is a $10 fee to watch the live stream concert.

Ben Williams Live – Blue Note New York – October 16th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

At the 2009 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Bass Competition, the musicians had a mightily impressive jury to win over. Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Dave Holland, Robert Hurst, Christian McBride and John Patitucci were the judges. They awarded 1st place to Ben Williams.

Williams will be performing live from Blue Note in New York on Friday.

In addition to the live stream listed above, there is an encore showing at 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT.

Lest you think his competition victory was a fluke, he’s gone on to work with George Benson, Terence Blanchard, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Roy Hargrove, Chaka Kahn, Pharrell and many more.

His most recent album is I Am a Man which was released earlier this year. It’s a terrific album. He also released an instrumental-only version called I Am a Man: Mentals.

Tickets for either the live performance or the re-stream are $15.

Los Angeles Dance Festival Week #3 – October 16th – October 18th

The third week of Los Angeles Dance Festival is upon us. The show, which runs two hours, becomes available at 9:00 PM EDT/6:00 PM PDT on October 16th and will remain available until 3:00 AM EDT/12:00 AM PDT on October 19th.

This week’s line-up features Charlotte Katherine & Co (modern dance), Nannette Brodie Dance Theater (modern dance), Kybele Dance (multi-cultural contemporary dance), Poets In Motion, MarieElena Martingano & Camryn Eakes, John Castagna (contemporary ballet), Louise Reichlin & Dancers/Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers (contemporary dance), The Dance Narrative Project, Lula Washington Dance Theatre (modern dance) and SIDFIT South Korean Artists: Lee Jihee, Kim Jubin. 

Atilla – SF Opera – October 17th – October 18th (begins 10:00 AM through 11:59 on 10/18)

This marks the second weekend of opera productions streamed by San Francisco Opera this fall. This weekend finds a rarely performed opera by Giuseppe Verdi: Atilla.

Verdi’s opera, his ninth, had its premiere in Venice in 1846. The libretto was based on Zacharias Werner’s play Attila, König der Hunnen (Attila, King of the Huns) and was written by Temistocle Solera.

Atilla isn’t an easy man to please. Odabella, a prisoner of war, hopes to kill Atilla in retribution for his killing of her father. Ezio, a Roman Envoy, wants to cause havoc in the empire with Atilla’s help. Instead he infuriates him.

Amongst those who have survived the carnage that is dividing the empire is Foresto. He reunites with Odabella who had assumed he was dead.

Meanwhile Attila has a dream where an old man tells him not to enter Rome. He disregards the advice and marches in. In doing so, he sets off a series of events that will ultimately lead to his death.

This 2012 production marked the return of Atilla to San Francisco Opera after 21 years. Ferruccio Furlanetto sings the title role. Ana Lucrecia García sings Odabella. Diego Torre is Foresto and Quinn Kelsey sings the role of Ezio. Gabriele Lavia directed and Nicola Luisotti conducted.

In looking up reviews of this production, my favorite quote comes from Joshua Kosman writing in the San Francisco Gate. He wrote, “…it was a swift, short onslaught marked by ferocity and thunder. The difference was that only the title character died, and everybody else had a grand time.”

Atilla runs 1 hour and 50 minutes. It will become available at 1:00 PM EDT/10:00 AM PDT and ends on Sunday, October 18th at 11:59 PM PDT/2:59 AM EDT on October 19th.

Speaking Truth to Power – Orpheus Chamber Orchestra – October 17th – October 22nd

Most classical music fans are well-acquainted with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Egmont Overture. Fewer are familiar with the subsequent nine pieces that follow which call for soprano, narrator and orchestra.

In Beethoven’s work (inspired by a play by Johann Wolfgang Goethe) he used the story of Lamoral, Count of Egmont, whose execution prior to the start of the Eighty Years’ War inspired a movement that led to Netherlands’ independence.

The composer was using this work as a statement against Napoleon.

The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has commissioned a new translation to reflect our present-day world. Egmont was adapted by playwright/translator Philip Boehm.

Joining Orpheus for this performance are Liev Schreiber as the narrator and Karen Slack singing the soprano parts.

Schreiber won a Tony Award for his performance in the 2005 production of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross. He also starred in the Showtime series Ray Donovan.

Slack made her Metropolitan Opera debut in their 2006 production of Verdi’s Luisa Miller. She also sang the role of Emelda Griffith in Terence Blanchard’s Champion at San Francisco Opera. (That production will be streaming next week by SFJAZZ beginning on October 21st.)

The concert was recorded in Beechwood Park in Hillsdale, New Jersey, following social distancing guidelines.

Speaking Truth to Power begins streaming at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT on October 17th and remains available through October 22nd. Tickets to watch the performance are $15.

Lizz Wright – Mandolin – October 17th – 9:00 PM EDT/6:00 PM PDT $15

I’ve seen singer Lizz Wright several times in concert. From the first time I heard her 2003 record, Salt, I was hooked. She has a beautiful voice and has a unique ability to make each song she sings her own.

Rather inexplicably she has only recorded five other albums since her debut. The most recent was 2017’s Grace. She does appear on No Beginning No End 2 by José James which was released earlier this year.

If you don’t know Lizz Wright, I strongly encourage checking out this concert. If you do, you know how terrific it’ll be.

Ticket are $15.

March – Los Angeles LGBT Center Anita May Rosentein Campus Parking Lot – October 17th – November 15th

Our first live and in-person event (and the reason the title of this column was changed). The venue is the parking lot below the Anita May Rosentein Campus at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Sixteen cars will be admitted per performance. The audio will be broadcast to you through your radio.

The title of this play is March and it was conceived and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera. The cast has contributed to the writing of the play during exercises and rehearsals.

A pandemic is gripping the world in March. The time could be a quarter century into the future – or not. Three Trans/Gender Non-Confirming women need to find a place where The Military will not find them. Not much is known beyond that. A little mystique never hurt anyone, did it?

The cast of March includes Miss Barbie Q (MJ), Chad Christopher, Matthew Clark, Amir Levi, Marcelino Mendoza, Coretta Monk, and Roland Ruiz.

What makes this so appealing is that Rivera is one of the most interesting and talented writer/directors working in Los Angeles theater. I have no idea what to expect from March, but I have absolutely no doubt that it will be fascinating.

Performances take place only on Saturday and Sunday. There are two performances each night. One at 7:30 PM and one at 9:00 PM. The per car price to attend is $20.

Keala Settle & Seth Rudetsky – October 18th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

Anyone who saw The Greatest Showman knows who Keala Settle is. She introduced the song This Is Me to the world in her role as Lettie Lutz, the bearded lady in the film. She is Seth Rudetsky’s guest this week for his conversation/concert show.

If you only know Settle from that film, you’re missing out. She was memorable as Norma Valverde in Hands on a Hardbody. It’s a role that yielded multiple nominations including a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She’s appeared in the musicals Les Misérables, Waitress, Hairspray and South Pacific.

If the Sunday live performance does not work for you, there will be an encore showing of the concert on Monday, October 19th at 3:00 PM EDT/12:00 PM PDT. Tickets for each showing are $25.

That’s the official list of Best Bets: October 16th – October 18th. A few reminders before we go:

Donizetti Week at the Metropolitan Opera concludes this weekend with Maria Stuarda on Friday; Roberto Devereux on Saturday and Don Pasquale on Sunday. You can read our full preview here.

Table Top Shakespeare: At Home has the following plays this weekend: Henry VI, Part 2 on Friday; Henry VI, Part 3 on Saturday and Richard III on Sunday. You can read our preview here.

Part 2 of Evelina Fernández’s A Mexican Trilogy is now streaming from Latino Theater Company. The play is called Hope and will be available through October 22nd. For details read our preview here.

That is my complete list of your Best Bets: October 16th – October 18th. Whatever you choose to watch, I hope you enjoy!

Photo: Aaron Diehl (Photo by Maria Jarzyna/Courtesy AaronDiehl.com)

Update: Center Theatre Group has changed the dates for Luis Alfaro’s trilogy of plays. Though originally announced to start this week, they have been rescheduled to start November 6th. We have removed “Electricidad” from this weekend’s Best Bets.

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Amongst the artists performing are Chick Corea in a solo concert from his studio, Wadada Leo Smith performing solo trumpet and piano and cutting edge musicians like trumpeter Theo Croker and singer Melanie Charles.

So let’s get right to the music. Here is Jazz Stream: October 6th – October 11th:

The Le Bouef Brothers – Smalls – October 6th – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PM PDT

No reason to be shy about this one, identical twin brothers Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf are considered amongst the most adventurous and creative musicians working in jazz. And a little classical. In fact, they straddle and blur the lines between the two to create music all their own.

Their most recent recording was Imaginist which was released in 2016 and finds the brothers working with JACK Quartet.

Remy plays alto sax and Pascal plays piano. For this gig from Smalls in New York, they will be joined by Martin Nevin on bass and Allan Mednard on drums.

The Melanie Charles Quartet – Smalls – October 8th – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PM PDT

Melanie Charles is a singer, songwriter, flautist born in Brooklyn and of Haitian descent. Any attempt to pigeon-hole her music into just one style would be foolish. Jazz, soul, Haitian music and more find their way into her music and the end result is mesmerizing.

Her most recent album, The Girl with the Green Shoes, was released in 2017. In 2019 she released a single called Trill Suite, No. 1 (Daydreaming/Skylark) which pairs Aretha Franklin’s song Daydreaming with the Hoagy Carmichael/Johnny Mercer song Skylark. The result is amazing.

For this show she will be joined by Axel Laugart on piano, Jonathan Michel on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums.

Janis Siegel with John Dimartino – Birdland – October 8th – 7:00 PM/4:00 PM EDT

You know Janis Siegel as one of the founding members of The Manhattan Transfer. Her work with that famous vocal group has been acknowledged with ten Grammy Awards.

John Dimartino is a fixture in the New York jazz scene. His most recent album, Passion Flower, celebrates the music of Billy Strayhorn.

He and Siegel collaborated on 2014’s Night Songs and, along with Nanny Assis, comprise The Requine Trio. Their album, Honey and Air, was released in 2015.

For this concert Siegel and Dimartino will be performing music by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, bossa nova, new jazz songs and the Great American Songbook. If you’ve ever heard Siegel sing, with or without The Manhattan Transfer, you know she can swing!

Tickets are $23.50 

Wadada Leo Smith Solo – Vision Festival Healing Soul – October 8th – 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT

The Vision Festival Healing Soul launches on Friday and each day they are offering access to a full day of programming online. They start very strongly with trumpeter, composer, improviser and multi-instrumentalist Wadada Leo Smith. He will be performing solo trumpet and piano.

As someone who has embraced music from multiple cultures and stands as one of the finest avant-garde musicians in jazz, this should be a very interesting concert.

Amongst my favorite albums he’s recorded is A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke with Vijay Iyer. The video below shows how powerful his music is and how impactful just a solo trumpet can be.

$16.74 (that includes service charges) will also give you access to Jazz Response to Humanity in Crisis – in and outside of the Jazz Community. This is a Roundtable discussion with William Parker, Amirtha Kidambi, Fay Victor, Arturo O’Farrill, Gerald Cleaver, and JD Allen; moderated by Patricia Parker. 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

Bill Charlap: An Evening of Solo Piano – Live From Dizzy’s Club – October 8th – 7:30 PM EDT/4:30 PM PDT

Pianist Bill Charlap will perform songs by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Kern, Hoagy Carmichael and more when he takes to the piano for this solo concert from Dizzy’s Club in New York.

Last week Dizzy’s Club, a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, re-launched their streaming concerts. They have started strong and this concert will certainly be one of this week’s highlights.

There is a suggested price of $10 to watch the show live. If that timing is not convenient for you, there will be a rerun of the concert three hours later at 10:30 PM EDT/7:30 PM PDT.

Abraham Burton Quartet – Smalls – October 9th – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PM PDT

Growing up in Greenwich Village in the 1970s and 1980s would provide a great location to explore the world of jazz in New York. That’s precisely what tenor and alto sax musician Abraham Burton did. No wonder he ended up playing jazz music.

Though he doesn’t have a large catalog of recordings as a leader, he has recorded and performed with some of the genre’s biggest and brightest stars including Kenny Barron, James Carter, Roy Hargrove, Louis Hayes, Roy Haynes, Christian McBride, Jackie McLean, Mulgrew Miller, Nicholas Payton, Wallace Roney, Jimmy Smith, Horace Tapscott and Jimmy Woode.

He is a featured performer on the 2011 Grammy Award winning album Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard.

Joining him for this gig will be Dezron Douglas on bass and Eric McPherson on drums

Thelonious Monk Celebration – SFJAZZ – October 9th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

Jazz legend Thelonious Monk would be 103 this year. Two years ago, on the occasion of his 101st birthday, SFJazz celebrated him with a concert that featured three pianists: Joanne Brackeen, Helen Sung and Kris Davis.

Brackeen is a 2018 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. Her career took off when she became the first female member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Stints with Joe Henderson and Stan Getz followed before she struck out on her own. She is also the composer of over 300 pieces.

Sung began playing classical music, but switched to jazz and has never looked back. She has worked with such artists as Terri Lyne Carrington, Regina Carter, Ron Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry and one of my personal favorites, Cécile McLorin Salvant. Her most recent recording is 2018’s Sung with Words: A Collaboration with Dana Gioia.

Davis is a highly-acclaimed pianist who was named DownBeat Magazine’s Rising Star Pianist in 2017 and Rising Star Artist in 2018. She has performed and/or recorded with Terri Lyne Carrington, Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Julian Lage, Ingrid Laubrock, Tony Malaby, Eric Revis, Tyshawn Sorey, Craig Taborn and John Zorn.

Registration is required to view the show. Monthly membership of $5 or annual membership of $60 are your options.

Theo Croker – Blue Note – October 9th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

Can music be in someone’s blood by virtue of their relatives? If so, Theo Croker is blessed as this impressive trumpeter is the grandson of the legendary Doc Cheatham. Croker’s father is, amongst other things, a civil rights activist. If you combine the two you start, but only just, to paint a picture of who Theo Croker is.

Early in his career he was associated with singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, but has established a music and style all his own. Collaborations with Common and Ari Lennox live alongside his five albums. His most recent album, Star People Nation, was released last year. It’s a stunning record that offers a contemporary approach to jazz.

This concert will be streamed live from Blue Note in New York. Joining Croker will be Mike King on piano, Eric Wheeler on double bass and Shekwage Ode on drums.

Tickets are $15. There will be a re-stream of the concert three hours later at 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT.

The Cyrus Chestnut Trio – Smoke Jazz and Supper Club – October 9th – October 10th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

I first became aware of pianist Cyrus Chestnut when I heard his 1966 album Earth Stories. From there I immediately picked up everything I could find. I still do.

His playing is, in a word, sublime. He plays everything from standards to music from Charlie Brown television shows to spirituals to classical music. Kaleidoscope, his most recent album, was released in 2018.

This weekend he’ll be playing two shows from New York’s Smoke Jazz and Supper Club. Each performance will feature Peter Washington on bass and Willie Jones III on drums.

Tickets are $11 (which includes the $1 service charge).

To purchase tickets for Friday go here.

To purchase tickets for Saturday go here.

Chick Corea Live in Concert: From Mozart to Monk – October 10th – 4:00 PM EDT/1:00 PM PDT

When you have received 65 Grammy nominations and received 23 of the awards, when you are a NEA Jazz Master, when you’ve recorded 14 albums with Miles Davis (including Bitches Brew) and when musicians from all genres hail your work, you don’t need an introduction. (Of course, that was an introduction, wasn’t it?)

Chick Corea will be performing live from his studio on Saturday. The show is called From Mozart to Monk which reflects the pianist’s versatility. This is a one-time only event. There will be no re-stremaing of the performance. You see it (which you should) or you don’t (at your own peril.)

Tickets are $20.

Melissa Aldana Quintet – Smalls – October 11th – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PM PDT

Saxophonist Melissa Aldana won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 2013. She is a member of the all-star jazz ensemble Artemis and she’s good. Real good.

If you read Cultural Attaché you know we’ve written about her before. So rather than repeat those details, simply listen to the music.

For this gig from Smalls in New York, she will be joined by Charles Altura on guitar, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Pablo Menares on bass and Kush Abadey on drums.

Which of these concerts will you watch? The established artists or the newer performers who continue to make jazz exciting two decades into this century? You can get a taste of it all with any or all of these eleven concerts.

That’s Jazz Stream: October 6th – October 11th. Enjoy the music

Photo:Theo Croker (Photo by Sam Croskery/Courtesy of DL Media)

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