The pandemic did Catalina (both the woman and the club) no favors. It took a lot of effort and the support of jazz music fans from around the world to keep the club afloat. But she’s still here and so is her club. But Popescu still faces very changing times in the music industry.

Her dream, the shifting sands of live music and the future of her club were all on the table when we spoke last week. What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity. To see the full interview, please go to our YouTube channel.

About 13 years ago, you did an interview with Agenda Magazine where you were asked about favorite artists that had performed at Catalina. Part of your answer was, “There is really something to learn about somebody that is going through life in different places and different social environments.” You were in a different place as anyone would be after those 13 years. That also included the pandemic. How has your perspective changed on life, the business of live music and the role of live music in your own life? 

This period has been very difficult. We tried as much as possible to keep music alive even in that period. I still feel there is nothing like live music. Everybody tried all kinds of virtual things to do this. Yes, it was fine for the moment, but it’s nothing like live music. When we came back and we presented again live music, everybody that came to see the shows. They felt like they were born again. 

Did you feel born again in that moment, too? 

Absolutely. And believe me it wasn’t that easy. When we got back everything in the place was broken from not being used, including air conditioning, freezers, refrigerators, everything. So as we were fighting with all of that, we had the music going on. And believe me, that made the big difference. 

How have you seen the jazz scene change in Los Angeles since you first opened the club?

The jazz scene in Los Angeles has been having some ups and downs during all these 36 or 37 years. I have had times when jazz was very up and cool. And I have had times when the jazz was put to the backburner like nobody was interested. Now I feel that everybody’s thirsty for live jazz. And people come young, old, in between, and they enjoy every little bit of it.

Did the move from Cahuenga to Sunset Boulevard require a complete rethinking? Were there things that you learned in that move that you’ve now been able to apply for the 20 years or so that you’ve been on Sunset?

We looked for this place for more than three years prior to finding it, because we wanted to have a place which was bigger. But to resemble in some way the old place so people wouldn’t feel that they had to change everything. This was a warehouse before, so I designed everything to look almost like the old place. I still have people coming saying that they like better the other place. That was fine, but was very small. What I try [sic] to do is to find a place that had a lot of parking, to find a place that was safer and the place that had good sound.

What are the challenges in booking major jazz artists today? 

Big challenges. Especially after the pandemic. Everybody was sitting without doing anything. So when everything else opened, everybody felt that they are now in a pot of gold – which maybe was true. Some was not. But we still have a lot of problems booking because of pricing. Everything went up. The airline tickets are up. The hotel prices are up. Everything going crazy. And, of course, musicians, because they lost so much money, feel that they need to recoup everything.

Even before the pandemic artists like Brad Mehldau or Jason Moran can play a week at the Village Vanguard in New York. But when they come to Los Angeles, they feel the need to play Walt Disney Concert Hall or the Soraya. 

Here in Los Angeles they have more possibilities, more places to choose from. I don’t understand what the problem is. But now we are almost the only place still standing and we still have a very difficult time bringing these musicians that you mentioned because of prices. 

How do you work around that?

We find them sometimes on the way in a tour. So if they don’t have anything else, they would make a stop here. Or we try to do better price-wise. Even if we lose a little bit of money, it’s okay. I have to have a lot of thinking and a lot of calculation in everything that I do. 

I’ve spoken to several jazz artists who say that they would love to find a smaller venue in Los Angeles, but they suggest that you require they rent out the facility rather than being paid as booked artists. Is that true?

No, that’s not true. None of it is. 

How would they get that impression?

I don’t know. That’s never true to do that. Never. The way we work sometimes if somebody is totally unknown, we ask them for a deposit, and that is only to get them involved. The moment we got the people in and we got the show on, they get the deposit back. So no, that’s not true.

In the early days of the club your dream was to get Dizzy Gillespie there. Who in on your list of people you’d love to see perform there now? 

When he came and I saw him on my stage here, I had to pinch myself. I just couldn’t believe it. Who I would like to see? I would like to see more of the musicians I already worked with. Like the ones you mentioned, like Stanley Clarke, like Marcus Miller to come back. Probably he will be back in in October. I would like to see more singers like Oleta Adams. Let me see what else? Because we lost a lot of them. That was very painful.

Not too long ago we lost Ahmad Jamal. He was one of our dearest friends when we opened this place. Ahmad Jamal was scheduled to perform for the opening and we didn’t get the permit from the health department. So myself, my husband and Ahmad Jamal, we are here in the audience looking at the beautiful piano on the stage, not being able to [have a] show.

I was able to find an interview that you did as part of a story about Geri Allen with the Los Angeles Times in 1992. She was about to make her debut at Catalina. You said, “She’s a young talent and her music is very exciting, very appealing. And the fact that she is a woman artist is a big thing to me.” How far has the jazz world come since 1992 in terms of advancing, supporting and recording women in jazz?

I don’t think it has advanced a lot in regards to that. She was a wonderful woman, wonderful performer and she was a wonderful mother. She was a great person. I have worked with a couple of other ladies. The women in jazz, you know, I am not sure they are at the place that they should be. 

What do you think it will take for them to get to to a more elevated level? 

I really don’t know. Maybe the society changes a little bit, maybe appreciating them more. I know they work a lot and they put all they have in their music. But it’s still very difficult as a woman. And in business, I am by myself now. I don’t have my husband with me since 15 years ago. So it’s not easy.

What would you like to see happen with Catalina Jazz Club when you’re no longer able to be a part of it on a daily basis?

I don’t know. I feel a lot of times if it’s not me here, nothing will happen anymore. Because you have to put all your heart and all your life into something that you love very much. You have to dream about it, to sleep on it, to eat with it, to do everything. So I don’t really know what will be. I really wouldn’t. But for right now I am planning to work and to have this place going until we finish our lease, then we’ll see.

When is that?

Eight years from now.

Let me take you back in time to that Easter weekend in 1987 when your dream came true and Dizzy Gillespie was on the stage at Catalina Bar and Grill. Anybody who was anyone was in the audience that night. If you could think back to who you were back in 1987 and look at where you are now, what would you have to say to the young version of yourself about everything that you’ve accomplished and everything you’ve endured and where you are today?

A lot of times people ask me if I would do it again. How would I do? What do I change? And my answer is I will never do it again, because it was very hard.

That Easter weekend was like the most exceptional and the hardest weekend of my life because I was going in it without knowing a lot. We had the best musician in the world, the most well-known. Everybody was coming to see him. We really didn’t know how to handle everything. I was trying so hard to make it and I made it. But it was very difficult.

The next day, Easter Sunday, my husband went out and he bought a whole lamb and invited everybody, all the musicians, to lunch and they had the best time of their life. That’s what happened in that Easter weekend.

I’ll tell you a little story from that time. I was seating people at the door and all kinds of people came in and I didn’t have any idea who anybody was. One guy was really pushy and I put him right in his place. Then when I went to a table, they said, “Oh, can you tell Miles to join us?” I said, “Miles?” So they said, “Miles Davis.” The one that I was pushing and I was really strong with – that was Miles Davis. I said to myself, Oh my God, what did I do because I felt very bad.

Looking back at the girl… I was not a girl, but I was much younger. I would say I grew up with this place. I turned into a very strong woman. Nothing bothers me anymore. I love all these people I work with. And if you don’t love music, don’t get in it. That’s all I can say.

Do you still love music?

I love music to the core of my heart.

To see the full interview with Catalina Popescu, please go here.

Main Photo: Catalina Popescu (Photo by Aaron Jay Young/Courtesy Catalina Jazz Club)

The post Catalina Popescu Still Loves Music Deeply appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

The show is called Like You’ve Never Heard Her Before. The performances will tell what precisely that name indicates, but suffice to say the show will be filled with classic songs from her days in The Supremes through her more contemporary recordings and songs she loves.

In addition to her singing career, Wilson has published two books: Dreamgirl – My Life As a Supreme and its follow-up  Supreme Faith: Someday We’ll Be Together. She is also quite active with philanthropic endeavors.

But it’s the music that will be front and center this weekend in Hollywood. So you want have to ask where did our love go, because it will be right there on stage performing for you.

The post Mary Wilson: Like You’ve Never Heard Her Before appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Over the course of our 45-minute conversation, we talked current events, the progress drag has made over the years and what disappoints her about drag as currently practiced.

How do you feel about the current controversy raging over the 1944 song, Baby It’s Cold Outside?

I say fuck ’em. It was written by a man for him and his wife to sing at parties. It was a playful back and forth. The lyrics aren’t suck me or die in the ice, are they? Now they are saying that Santa Baby is sung from the viewpoint of a prostitute. But what’s wrong with a Christmas prostitute? Mary Magdalen. There you have it! If anyone wants to be offended, please come to my Christmas show. Not only will I be singing songs that are offensive in their original format, I will be twisting them into filthy parodies which will leave snowflakes running for the door and crying.

Do you ever feel the need to warn anyone about your humor?

I always like to put in the ticket link, “Bunny is trashy and raunchy.” Don’t come if you don’t enjoy that stuff. Plus, why should Mariah Carey be the only holiday heffer who struggles to hit the high notes. It’s not fair!

How will you celebrate Christmas?

Christmas with an atheist! (She lets out a big laugh.) That could be the name of the show. Christmas is the day before my show opens in New York. I will probably shut up to conserve the few high notes I can hit.

What do you consider the highlight of The Stockings Were Hung?

I reworked Santa Baby and it was the biggest hit in Seattle. Not only because it suits my voice, but it’s a demented idea and it’s fairly PG. I’ve got so many Christmas tunes that I didn’t get enough started in time. I’d like to release a Christmas album next year. I’ve got some good ones. And drag queens always need good Christmas stuff to lip synch to.

Did you think at any point that drag would take you as far as it has?

Well, it obviously surprises you! Bianca Del Rio is getting ready to play Wembley Arena. To be honest with you, I’ve really only done my one-woman show in Los Angeles at Castita del Campo (in Silver Lake), but they were booked. But why not try something new? 

I haven’t been to Catalina and now I’m getting nervous. Every performer would like to see their talents be recognized and along with that comes bigger venues. And it’s thrilling to do so. As a direct result of RuPaul’s Drag Race making drag so popular, last year I played in Cardiff, Wales – twice! That’s never happened. Even though I’m not on Drag Race I do reap the benefits just by being associated with Bianca and Ru. 

What disappoints you most about the drag scene today?

I don’t think more drag means better drag and I’m seeing a lot of cookie cutter drag queens. Ru wears a flower, they wear it. Bianca wears lower lashes, they wear it. It’s not very authentic to copy. 

The other thing that disappoints me is the over-emphasis on looks and luxury make-up and specialty make-up. And lace-front wings which cost thousands. It’s not very democratic anymore. Drag is seen as deluxe. The younger queens feel they need these lace fronts in order to be RuPaul quality or whatever. 

Look at the winners: Jinkx Monsoon, Sharon Needles, Bob the Drag Queen, Bianca, Raja, Sasha Velour – they all have something unique. Typically the winner is someone who stands out, not cookie cutter. My secret is to slap on as much make-up as you can, appear in front of drunks and keep on moving.

A colleague of mine asked if you would adopt her. She’s mid-20s, dating seriously and loves drag.

Let me put it this way. I’m on the road a lot, so the only pets I can keep are mice and roaches. They feed themselves. The mice will eat the roaches and the roaches will eat the mouse droppings. It works out beautifully. I wouldn’t trust myself with a live human being.

Your Facebook page is very political. How important are socio-political issues to you?

I’ve always known drag queens to have an option. Strong opinions and they aren’t afraid to express them. I think drag queens are quick to call bullshit and I don’t want to ruin the line, but Bianca says something like, “we’re men in dressed with our nuts shoved up our ass in wigs.” 

Having said that, when I asked Lady Bunny about her predictions for the New Year, I expected her to go an a comic rant about Donald Trump, the investigations and more. Instead, I got a very knowledgeable expression of her thoughts, in particular, on the war in Afghanistan. But her concluding comment was spot on.

I don’t believe in God, but I do believe in good. And it’s not good what we’re doing. I feel a little freaked out, not by Baby It’s Cold Outside, but by this war. Peace on earth,, goodwill to men. That’s dead.

You expressed yourself so well. Are you announcing a campaign?

My shoes are the only platform on which I stand. I’m not. I’m here to throw stones at everyone politically. Some if works itself in my show. It’s mainly just laughs. And dirty stuff.

Images provide by Lady Bunny.

The post Drag Legend Lady Bunny Explains It All To You appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race regularly hear references to Lady Bunny. The two were roommates in Atlanta back in “the day.” Lady Bunny regularly performs in clubs around the world and is known for her quick wit, her topicality and her complete lack of fear in offending anyone and everyone.

How she will address the holiday season in The Stockings Were Hung is anyone’s guess, but the title is obviously a clue. But why is it in the past-tense? What happened to those stockings?

We’ll have an interview with Lady Bunny this week. Check back for some hilarious and outrageous comments from her.

The post Lady Bunny: The Stockings Were Hung appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Australian Alcorn has traveled the world celebrating The Divine Miss M with a combination of singing, storytelling and of course, dirty jokes. “I will never forget it you know…”

Since Midler has spent much of the last year on Broadway in Hello, Dolly! it is unlikely we will see her touring any time soon. So if you want to relive the energy, wit and vocal stylings of Midler, and don’t want to pull out Bette Midler Live at Last from 1977, Alcorn’s show will give you the Midler fix you need.

The post The Divine Miss Bette appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

The following musicals all have one thing in common:  Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Grind, Jelly’s Last Jam, Fosse and Wicked. At one time or another, they all had Tony Award-winning actor Ben Vereen as part of their cast. The man who also charmed people with his performance as Chicken George Moore in the original television miniseries Roots, will be performing for two nights at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood. The shows are on Friday and Saturday.

Vereen won his Tony Award for his performance at the Leading Player in Pippin. The musical was written by Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson. Pippin was choreographed and directed by Bob Fosse (who won Tony Awards in both categories for the show.)

Vereen has been highly acclaimed for his cabaret shows. He’s had an amazing career and has also suffered some real setbacks including a very bad day in 1992 where he crashed his car and six hours later was hit by a car and critically injured while walking in Malibu near his home.

Ever-resillient, Vereen made a complete comeback and returned to film, television and the Broadway stage. In other words, he still has plenty of magic to do.

Main photo courtesy of BenVereen.info

“Pippin” photograph by Martha Swope. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

The post An Evening with Ben Vereen! appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

I recently spoke with Young who was refreshingly candid and not afraid of talking about the pros and cons of a career that, so far, has been primarily defined by that one role. But if it comes with some baggage, it also appears to come with plenty of rewards.

In Stephen Holden’s New York Times review of your show at Café Carlyle in 2016 he said, “For all the security that Jersey Boys gave Mr. Young – he could presumably have a career singing Four Seasons hits ad infinitum – that musical style loomed as a musical straitjacket. He has successfully freed himself.” Did you feel straitjacketed by your success with the show?

I wouldn’t say straitjacketed. My eyes were wide open. I definitely understood that there was the risk of being associated with something so huge. There was the risk of running into Yul Brynner territory with that character. But, everyone knows Yul Brynner. I consider myself fortunate to be so closely attached to something forever. In the musical world you could be associated to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” or “Itsby Bitsy Teenie Weenie Polka Dot Bikini.” It could be a lot worse. This was a feather in my quiver, but where do you go from here?

Let me ask you your own question then. Where do you go from there?

Everyone who has some passing association with Jersey Boys is doing a Jersey Boys tribute show. I’m the only one now going in a different direction and I made it difficult for myself in some regard. I’ve been able to do my own songs and covers of other work. I’m always going to cover some Jersey Boys songs. Just like when you see Patti LuPone, you’ll be disappointed if she doesn’t sing from Evita.  I have songs that are Jersey Boys-adjacent: The Platters, Roy Orbison, so if they come with Jersey Boys on the brain, they will certainly get that flavor, but I can also spin off into other directions.

What expectations did you have for you career after winning the Tony Award and did what followed meet your expectations?

What else can you feel but unbridled joy when everything is going the way you wanted? But even in the midst of it, I’m a very different person than the impression that people got from my playing a character who had an 8th grade education. I’m saying this with humility, as an introduction to an anecdote. I was so convincing that I was this kid from Jersey that once I was in a restaurant and people were in the booth next to me and they were talking about Christian Hoff. [He played Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys.] “That guy earned his Tony, he was acting. That other kid is just a kid from Jersey.” Someone is insulting me and complimenting me and not realizing it. [Young was born in Sacramento.] I came up in off-Broadway with avant garde stuff. Spring Awakening was the kind of aesthetic that got me excited. I was doing do-wop. It was confusing for me.

How long did it take for you to get out from under Jersey Boys?

Years later a lot of interesting things happened. I developed a vital and successful art career. I made my own album [My Turn] and have gone into clubs with a successful club career. I was a member of The President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities during the Obama administration. These are things that were unexpected. I went into another direction. Sometimes it was lonely, but it was definitely rewarding.

The show you are doing on Saturday is called Introducing John Lloyd Young. What does that ultimately mean in the context of this performance?

I’ve evolved this set over time where I touch on Jersey Boys, but also give the audience a sense of who I am – which is a singer who can do a lot of different styles and is very steeped in the interpretation of lyrics. My main influence was Sinatra growing up and he was a real interpreter. I really get under the lyrics. I feel this is the perfect stage to call it an introduction to me.

Your first appearance in Los Angeles was back in 2008 when Lea Michele had her show at Upright Cabaret. She brought you on stage to do a little battle of Sondheim songs. I can’t remember for the life of me what she did, but I know you sang “Multitudes of Amys,” a song written for Company. What are your memories of that night?

It was rapturous getting to sing with Lea at that point and also just playing an LA club for the first time. I was new then. It was exciting to me. I’m a Sondheim fan – always have been.

In April this year you did a press event at 54 Below where you talking about Broadway singers being asked to do a 2-1/2 hour take straight through. What motivated that comment and do you feel like there isn’t enough respect for Broadway performers today?

We know discipline. We show up on time and we do our job. We don’t peter out on the 20th take. I did 1300-1400 performances of Jersey Boys. If you can sustain a performance for 2.5 hours and then you show up on set and you are only doing 2 pages per day – it’s a walk in the park for someone with theatre training. We have chops and discipline. You are showing up live every day and you have to give the 1000th performance the same energy you gave on the first performance. [Director] Des McAnuff taught me a really great lesson – and I’m probably most grateful to him for this lesson. It’s obvious. He said, “Every time you get up on stage, it’s their anniversary, their birthday, their first time at a show. It’s a big experience for them. You can’t walk through a show when you are a special occasion for somebody.” And I’ve never forgotten that.

The post John Lloyd Young’s Unexpected Career appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

American Ballet Theatre La Bayadère – Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

July 13-15

In 1980 Natalia Makarova’s production of La Bayadère had its debut with the ABT. It was the first time the ballet had permanently entered the repertoire of Western ballet companies. The ballet is set in India and depicts the relationship between a temple dancer, Nikiya, and her lover Solor. If it were simply a love story, there would probably be no story. Vengeance gets in the middle of their love. For those familiar with Moulin Rouge, you might find a few similarities between this ballet and the final show Harold Zidler puts on with Satine and Christian in the film.

The real highlight of this engagement is the opportunity to see ballet superstar Misty Copeland. She will be performing only in Friday night’s show. But don’t let that discourage you from seeing a different performance. There are many very very fine dancers at ABT including Isabella Boylston, Jeffrey Cirio, Here Seo, Cory Stearns, Gillian Murphy, Devon Teuscher and Christine Shevchenko. thisis a great opportunity to see a ballet that has been part of the company for nearly 40 years and makes full use of the company.

Barbara Morrison – Catalina Bar & Grill

July 13-14

If there is one person who regularly celebrates the deep tradition of jazz in Leimert Park and helps keep it alive it is vocalist Barbara Morrison. She holds an annual “Broadway in the Park,” and has monthly “Jazz in the Alley Events.” There’s also the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center there, too. Oh, and she’s also quite a good singer.

Morrison has performed with jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Etta James, Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, the Count Basie Orchestra, Mel Torme and others. This weekend she has two concerts at Catalina Bar & Grill where she will sing her heart out.

Arrival & Departure – Fountain Theatre

Official opening July 14th (runs through September 30th)

Writer/director Stephen Sachs was inspired by David Lean’s classic film Brief Encounter. It’s a classic love story about two people who meet at a train station casually. But when their feelings grow more deeply than either could have imagined, the consequences for their personal lives grow immeasurably as well. You know this can’t end well!

In Arrival & Departure the couple is a deaf man and a woman who is hard of hearing. The production is performed by both hearing and deaf actors.

Every Act of Life – Outfest at the DGA

July 15th (second showing July 22)

Even if the name Terrence McNally doesn’t ring a bill, no doubt many of the the plays and musicals he has written will:  The Ritz, The Rink, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Lisbon Traviata, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, Ragtime, The Full Monty, The Visit and Anastasia are just some of them. Anastasia is currently playing on Broadway. The Visit and Kiss of the Spider Woman both starred Chita Rivera .

Every Act of Life is a documentary about this four-time Tony Award winner is by producer/director/writer Jeff Kaufman. Marcia S. Ross is also a producer on the film. It is an intimate and detailed look at this prolific writer and is considered a must-see film for fans of theatre.

The first screening is being held on Sunday at the DGA. There is a subsequent screening on July 22nd at Regal LA Live.

When the film was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival, there was a Q&A moderated by Frank Rich. Here is an excerpt from that evening:

Verdi’s Otello – Hollywood Bowl

July 15

In this one-night-only concert performance, Gustavo Dudamel conducts the LA Philharmonic with tenor Russell Thomas in the title role of Otello. Julianna Di Giacomo plays Desdemona and George Gagnidze plays Iago. What makes this concert particularly compelling is that Thomas is a Black opera singer performing a role that is regularly played by white singers in make-up. We spoke with him about the responsibility of being the first major Black tenor to play the part in major theatre in America. It’s an interesting conversation and worth your time. For fans of opera, this is a must-see concert.

The post The 5 Shows You Need to See: This Weekend in LA (7/13-7/15) appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Scare Pair: Usher House/Canterville Ghost – LA Opera at The Broad Stage

June 22 & 24

Two one-act operas by Gordon Getty are on the bill for Scare Pair. The first is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. The second is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost. This program is part of LA Opera’s goal of reaching out to other parts of the city with opera productions (just as they did with Matthew Aucoin‘s Crossing recently at The Wallis.) Sara Jobin conducts and Brian Staufenbiel directs.

LA Writers’ Workshop Festival 2018 – Kirk Douglas Theatre

June 23

Over the course of approximately 8 hours on Saturday, Center Theatre Group is presenting the reading of three new works from up and coming playwrights in Los Angeles. The first reading is of A Kind of Weather written by Sylvan Oswald. The play deals with gender transition and how we define ourselves. Next up is New Life by Dan O’Brien. Two unlikely people, a war correspondent in Syria and a playwright battling cancer team up to pitch a television show. The final reading is of Zakiyyah Alexander’s How to Raise a Freeman which looks at a contemporary middle class Black family trying to raise their son. Tickets are available for individual readings or for the entire day. Breaks are built into the schedule and there is a reception before the first reading and one at the conclusion of the last.

That’s Entertainment: Gershwin to Sondheim – Pasadena Pops at the Arboretum

June 23

The Pasadena Pops, lead by Michael Feinstein, launches their summer season with a concert of jazz tunes, show tunes and modern classics ranging from Porgy and Bess to Follies and more. Special guests joining this concert include Liz Callaway, Brighton Thomas and Aaron Lazar (who will soon be part of the tour of Dear Evan Hansen.)  These concerts take place at the LA Arboretum and allow for picnics on the grounds prior to the start of the concert.

Dianne Reeves – Walt Disney Concert Hall/KJAZZ Summer Benefit Concert

June 23

For it’s Summer Benefit Concert, local jazz and blues radio station KJAZZ (88.1 FM) has tapped Grammy winning jazz singer Dianne Reeves to headline. You might remember back in December Reeves had to cancel her appearance at Walt Disney Concert Hall due to illness and Dee Dee Bridgewater took her place. This opportunity to see this amazing singer and help one of our best local radio stations is the perfect way to make up for her missed appearance last year. Opening the concert will be what is billed as the KJAZZ All-Stars: Joe LaBarbera, Justo Almario, Eric Reed and Mike Gurrola.  VIP tickets have sold out, but there are some general admission seats still available.

Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich – The Sorting Room at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

June 23

Composer Marcy Heisler and writer/lyricist Zina Goldrich have been working together since 1993. They have written several musicals together (Junie B. Jones, Dear Edwina) and have collaborated with Julie Andrews for a musical adaptation of her book The Great American Mousical and they also contributed songs to her show Julie’s Green Room on Netflix. But if you were to ask to name a song they wrote that everyone might know, it would no doubt be Taylor the Latte Boy. The duo will be in concert as the second attraction in this summer’s The Sorting Room series at the Wallis in Beverly Hills.

The Skivvies – Catalina Bar & Grill

June 24

You can’t be easily embarrassed if you attend this show, nor could you be shy if you wanted to perform with The Skivvies. They are so named because Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley, along with their bandmates, all perform in their underwear. This isn’t just a gimmick, they are seriously talented musicians. And if you are a special guest joining them, you’ll be expected to do the same. And they do have special guests lined up for this appearance on Sunday at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood. They include Rachel Bloom, Brett Ryback, Megham Amram, Payson Lewis and several others. When they perform in New York they have had some of Broadway’s biggest stars join them. And some are more modest than others:

The post The 6 Shows You Need to See: This Weekend in LA (6/22-6/24) appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

22-time Grammy Award winning Corea has worked on and off with the Elektric Band since the 80s. And they cover a diverse range of sounds as these two music videos from the 80s will show:

With ten shows, Corea will no doubt pull from his vast catalog. Since he usually plays much bigger venues, the opportunity to catch him at Catalina Bar & Grill is one not to be missed.

The post Chick Corea Elektric Band appeared first on Cultural Attaché.