Lins is a singer/songwriter who has had hits with such songs as “Love Dance”, “Começar de Novo,” “Velas Içadas” and “Dois Córregos.” His songs have been performed by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Michael Bublé and dozens more.

Of those many recordings, Lins gleans a lot about the artists themselves when he hears their interpretations.

“I love to see how the other artists understand my music,” he says, “and how they feel themselves with my music inside of them. Mostly it is so beautiful the way they understand. My music belongs to me, but I did each song with my feelings. I cannot impose my feelings to everybody. They have a different feeling about the music, but usually when they are talented they do incredible things.”

One singer whom Lins admires is one of his guest artists at the Bowl – Dianne Reeves. It isn’t just her vocal prowess that Lins responds to. “She is an incredible singer and she is very creative. She easily can keep the Brazilian pronunciation and spirit. She’s done some concerts in Brazil and she is very inside her music. We had a collaboration 20 years ago. It was the first time we played together and she sang two of my songs. She captured the Brazilian music easily. Sometimes I think maybe she was born in Brazil.” Lins cracks himself up with that thought.

Reeves won’t be the only previous collaborator joining Lins for the show. In 1985 GRP Records released an album called Harlequin. That album found Lee Ritenour, Davie Grusin and Lins recording together. It sold well and received three Grammy nominations. All three men will share the stage at the Bowl. Ritenour’s World of Brazil opens the evening. This won’t be their first reunion.

“I’ve done some shows with them. Especially in Japan. In October and November I’m going to play with them again in Japan. We are great friends and they love my music and I love theirs. This collaboration is always beautiful. At the end of my show they are going to join me, too. It’s going to be everybody on stage.”

Throughout his career Lins has written and recorded a countless number of songs. On his most recent album, Meu Pais, he had the opportunity to re-record his songs with Brasilidade Geral.

“They’re a great band from the state of Espirito de Santo, which is close to my state, Rio De Janeiro. We did some gigs together and finally they invited me to record this album. The musicians and the arranger are really great. They changed really well my chords. Sometimes people try to change my chords and it’s not that good. I used to change my own chords. Just to have fun and to go out of the routine of the same. I’m very unpredictable when I play live. I love to do that to make each show a different show. It’s my, how do you say, it’s my extreme game. It’s my version of skydiving. I love to take a risk on stage.”

In a 1995 New York Times review of Lins’s show at the Blue Note, critic Jon Pareles said that it seemed for the singer that, “Playfulness was as essential as romance.” Over two decades later, Lins thinks something else has become more important.

“It is still romance, but politics is always in my shows, too. All the time. The politicians in my country, they are really bad and still are. I have to criticize them. I always leave a hopeful message at the end because I don’t want to make the people [to leave] with their head down. We can turn that and change that for something better. But romance is still the center of my music. Love songs and beautiful poetry. In Brazil we use different metaphors and devices that [our] poetry has. I’m telling the audience something I really believe. Love is something you have to sing forever. The world is too violent, too crazy. We need to keep talking about love.”

Rio de Janeiro is famous for its carioca spirit. It’s a way of living that is laid back, non-judgmental and living life with utter joy that is part and parcel of being from the area. It is that spirit that Lins thinks might just make the world a better place.

“We try to spread that spirit with our songs and being on stage and the way we talk to the audience. We are so very relaxed and fun and enjoy a lot of music and we love to dance and sing everywhere. Especially in Rio. In Brazil we don’t have that problem of religions fighting one against the other. The fundamentalists and all that stuff. People of different religions, they sit at the table with a beer and talk about football, women, they talk about everything. This is a great lesson for the world. The way of living in Rio should be more spread out to the world. C’mon, people. Let’s have fun. Let’s enjoy life. It’s just one time. C’mon.”

For tickets go here.

Photos of Ivan Lins courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. Main photo by Teco Lamboglia.

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Ivan Lins, who will play with both his quartet and his big band, is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and the composer of multiple film scores. His songs have been performed by such artists as Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Sarah Vaughan, Chucho Valdés, Betty Carter, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Burrell, Toots Thielemans, Manhattan Transfer, and George Benson.

Lins recently joined Dianne Reeves for a concert of Brazilian music in San Francisco. Reeves is working on an album of all Brazilian music.

He also worked on a project called Harlequin where he provided vocals for this 1985 GRP Records release by Grusin and Ritenour. The latter is opening the show with his World of Brazil project.

Of particular interest in that group is vocalist Luciana Souza whose most recent album was The Book of Longing which found her performing with Chico Pinheiro (and Scott Colley.) She has also performed with Romero Lubambo.

In other words, everyone on this stage seems to have worked with everyone at some point in their career. I happen to know that there will be a Lins/Grusin/Ritenouer reunion as part of Wednesday night’s show.

Bring your caipirinhas, your cangas and your carioca spirit and have a great time. Aproveitem!

Read our interview with Ivan Lins here.

For tickets go here.

Photo of Ivan Lins courtesy of Arc Artists.

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July 10th: Tony Bennett

Does anything else really need to be said beyond his name? Less than one month prior to his 93rd birthday, this legendary singer returns to the Hollywood Bowl for another evening of standards interpreted like no other.

There are certain performers who cannot imagine not performing – regardless of age. Amongst them are Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Angela Lansbury and Tony Bennett. For Bennett he just keeps singing – and aren’t we all the better for it?

Though he left his heart in San Francisco, he finds his home every couple years at the Hollywood Bowl. If you’ve never seen and heard Bennett – and even if you have – this is a concert you don’t want to miss.

July 12th & 13th: Cécile McLorin Salvant

If you look at the schedule for the Hollywood Bowl, this concert is listed as Cyndi Lauper with Orchestra. Not exactly jazz. Look at the second billing and you’ll see why this concert is listed amongst your best bets: Cécile McLorin Salvant returns to the Hollywood Bowl as an opening act. (She previously opened for Bryan Ferry in 2017.)

If you read Cultural Attaché on a regular basis, you know how much I am a fan of Salvant and her singing. She takes songs you know and turns each one into a master class of interpretation.  She is a three-time Grammy Award winner with her most recent win coming earlier this year when she was awarded Best Jazz Vocal Album for The Window.

Salvant will be joined by the Aaron Diehl Trio. You might recall we spoke with this talented pianist when he performed earlier this season with the LA Philharmonic. He told us then about Salvant:

“She’s a special artist because what she does that most people can’t do is make connections. And not just between Duke Ellington and say Herbie Hancock, but connections between art and human relations to that art and culture. She points things out – anything you can think about – she can make all kinds of associations. That’s so rare. That’s another level of artistry.”

When Lauper takes the stage she will be joined by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra under the direction of Thomas Wilkins.

August 14th: Ivan Lins and Friends: A Journey to Brazil

This evening will be an all-Brazil evening with two different ensembles taking the stage.

Opening the evening will be Lee Ritenour’s World of Brazil. Joining the Grammy Award-winning guitarist (who has long celebrated the music of Brazil) will be composer and pianist Dave Grusin, vocalist Luciana Souza, percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, harmonica stylist Gregoire Maret and guitarist/composer Chico Pinheiro.  That’s a very impressive line-up for an opening act.

The headliner of this concert is the Ivan Lins Quartet. Lins, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, is a master of Brazilian music. He’s a songwriter whose songs have been performed by such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Barbra Streisand, Sting and Michael Bublé. He’s also written music for Brazilian films and soap operas.

Lins will not only perform with his quartet, but also with his big band which will be conducted by John Beasley.

For this concert he will also be joined by special guests singer Dianne Reeves, four-person vocal ensemble New York Voices and guitarist Romero Lubambo.

August 21st: Herbie Hancock: Next Generation R+R=NOW

For those who like their jazz with more edge, this concert is for you. Herbie Hancock, who truly needs no introduction, has always been on the forefront of jazz. He’s also been a keen shepherd to those who have come, and are coming up, behind him.

This past January he celebrated the Edge of Jazz at Walt Disney Concert Hall with world premieres of works by Hitomi Oba, Vijay Iyer, Billy Childs, Kamasi Washington, Tyshawn Sorey and Hermeto Pascoal.

At this concert you will get to hear Hancock play some of his best known and most inventive compositions. But remember, he’s there as a mentor. So joining him for this Next Generation concert will be some very talented artists.

R+R=Now is a Blue Note Records ensemble that was put together by Robert Glasper. Glasper will be on keys with Terrace Martin on synthesizer and vocoder, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah on trumpet, Derrick Hodge on bass, Taylor McFerrin on synth and beatbox and Justin Tyson on drums.

Joining the concert is Noname, a poet, rapper and producer from Chicago. Earlier this year she released her new record, Room 25. Also from Chicago and on the bill is vocalist, producer, instrumentalist Phoelix. He’s collaborated with Noname and also Saba and Smino. In 2018 he released his second record, Tempo. A new song, BBS, was released in May.

September 12th: An American in Paris

This isn’t truly a jazz concert. Honestly it falls into the category of live music performed to a screening of the Academy Award-winning Best Picture of 1951. The Los Angeles Philharmonic will be playing the glorious George Gershwin music under the direction of Brett Mitchell.

George Gershwin always straddled the line between jazz and classical music. An American in Paris is most commonly found, as are his other major compositions like Rhapsody in Blue, in the concert hall. But Gershwin’s roots were always in jazz. An American in Paris is no exception.

And unlike films today, this Vincente Minnelli classic lets the music live front and center. From the classic songs performed throughout the film to Oscar Levant’s ego-nightmare brilliantly set to Gershwin’s Concerto in F to the staggeringly beautiful ballet choreographed and directed by Gene Kelly – this is a movie that knew where to put the emphasis.

The only other concert likely to include Gershwin this season will be Tony Bennett. Which brings us full circle.

For tickets to these concerts, go here.

Main photograph: Tony Bennett.  Unless otherwise noted, all photographs courtesy of the LA Philharmonic Association.

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Sunday’s headliner is The Ramsey Lewis Quintet. Also on the bill are Jazmine Sullivan, Charles Lloyd and the Marvels with special guest Lucinda Williams, Tower of Power celebrating their 50th Anniversary and more.

The program begins each day at 3 PM. As he has for several years, George Lopez returns as Master of Ceremonies.

Look for our interview with jazz legend Charles Lloyd later this week.

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