October - 2019

Oct 29, 2019

SECOND ANNUAL RICHARD DEL BELSO ANIMAL RESCUE BENEFIT at Catalina Jazz Club

A famed Hollywood marketing executive and long beloved patron of the arts, Richard Del Belso never wrote a song or sang or played a note. Yet three and a half years after his passing, he was ever present in spirit at the Second Annual Richard Del Belso Animal Rescue Benefit at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood – a spirited, delightfully swinging fundraiser for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA) named for him by jazz singer and songwriter M

Jonathan Widran

Oct 27, 2019

MONICA WILLIAMS, Within Us All

In my earlier review of multi-flutist Monica Williams’ stirring debut album Journey of Tears, I complimented her for blissfully blending “her gorgeous flute melodies and deeply textured production with compelling storytelling throughout.” I referred to her narrative style for the simple reason that quite often with new age instrumental music, the artist leaves all interpretive activity to the heart and soul of the listener, leaving minimal clues as to the inspiration for the

...AND THE BLACK FEATHERS, Sociallusions

Jonathan Widran

Oct 24, 2019

...AND THE BLACK FEATHERS, Sociallusions

Not sure if the feisty, high energy Denver based foursome who dba …And the Black Feathers chose their ultra-hip name via their sense connection to symbolism, but let’s go there anyway. A black feather is often viewed as relating to negative energy, but that relationship can be a warning of negative energy to come or a protection against negative energy already in place. Or it can represent the closing of a finished chapter and the start of a new one that brings spiritual grow

Jonathan Widran

Oct 24, 2019

TUMMYACHE, Humpday

Now that singer/songwriter Soren Bryce made the effective transition from indie pop solo sensation to harder-edged front frontperson for badass alt rock band tummyache, we can in retrospect better understand why she called her 2018 album – the last under her own name – Discussions with Myself. Though the songs on that collection were infused with her trademark likeable but insightful, quirky intimacy, those self-examinations were obviously taking her to a deeper place – where

Jonathan Widran

Oct 23, 2019

KELLEY JOHNSON, Something Good

To paraphrase the title from a whimsical British Invasion hit co-written by Carole King, Seattle based vocal interpreter and sassy scatter extraordinaire Kelley Johnson is truly into Something Good on her fifth album – which also marks the start of her third decade as a recording artist. More than simply an exquisitely arranged set of slightly lesser known gems composed and/or popularized by Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, The Carpenters, Carmen McRae and Blossom Dearie, i

Jonathan Widran

Oct 23, 2019

ACCENT, Christmas All The Way

Hands down the most vibrant, festive and engaging jazz album of the 2019 holiday season, Christmas All The Way by international a capella sensation Accent is not only the most exhilarating way to make the spirits bright – it’s also a remarkable reflection of the notion that “it takes a village” to create Yuletide musical magic. Everything begins with the lush, intricate, sweeping and soulful harmonies of the six-piece vocal ensemble whose members hail from Sweden, France, Can

Jonathan Widran

Oct 23, 2019

LYNN CARDONA, Ophelia

In only three compelling, heart on her sleeve songs, gossamer voiced soul-jazz singer songwriter invites us into a fascinating interior world, where she’s unashamed to address suicidal thoughts and her slow emergence from a dark emotional time. Understanding that a difficult abusive childhood has found her grappling with depression most of her life isn’t a necessary requirement to appreciating her thoughtful, introspective and poetic - not to mention mad, jazzy cool - vibe an

CATHY SEGAL-GARCIA, Straight Ahead to the U.K.

Jonathan Widran

Oct 23, 2019

CATHY SEGAL-GARCIA, Straight Ahead to the U.K.

One of L.A.’s most prolific and wildly eclectic jazz songwriters and vocal interpreters, Cathy Segal-Garcia shares a tune on her latest album, the marvelously adventurous and supremely hip and quirky Straight Ahead to the U.K., that perfectly captures the deepest essence of her restless musical soul. Yet the spirited, rambunctious and bluesy “Gypsy In My Soul” (featuring Carey Frank’s snazzy B-3 foundations) is just one of the infectious delights on collection whose poignant

LORENA LEIGH AND KEVIN DANIEL at The Hotel Cafe

Jonathan Widran

Oct 17, 2019

LORENA LEIGH AND KEVIN DANIEL at The Hotel Cafe

Hands down, the coolest part of an evening at the Hotel Café is the whirlwind of cool, mixed genres you may experience in a single sitting. Sometimes stars – meaning brilliantly talented budding singer/songwriter stars – and quirky jellyfish queens who play the uke twist, twirl, vocalize brilliantly with laptop textures – collide and align on a single bill to start the night on the Second Stage. On the surface, down home Brooklyn based country/Americana powerhouse Kevin Danie

Jonathan Widran

Oct 17, 2019

BLUE LANDSCAPES III: FRONTIERS

The Further Improvisational New Age Piano-Flute Adventures by Longtime Friends and Musical Soulmates Robert Thies and Damjan Krajacic The success and wide-ranging acceptance in New Age circles of Robert Thies and Damjan Krajacic’s award-winning improvisational duo concept, Blue Landscapes, over the past seven years proves that unexpected, soul-stirring transcendence is possible when musicians are willing to venture outside their longtime areas of discipline/expertise and embr

DOUG MACDONALD & THE TARMAC ENSEMBLE, Live at Hangar 18

Jonathan Widran

Oct 14, 2019

DOUG MACDONALD & THE TARMAC ENSEMBLE, Live at Hangar 18

With the release of Jazz Marathon 4: Live at Hangar 18, the dynamic ensemble concept created originally in Hawaii by jazz aficionado Don Thomson and spearheaded later in Southern California by guitarist and musical director Doug MacDonald reaches fever pitch – and true to its concept, takes buoyant mighty flight - with groove, energy, snazzy improvisations and numerous wild zig zags in tempo and swingability. Applying the airplane/airport idea to the ever-evolving group via t

Jonathan Widran

Oct 14, 2019

ANNE PHILLIPS, Live at the Jazz Bakery

Whether intentionally or not, Conawag Records neglected to put a date on the spirited, engaging, history sweeping performance by songwriter and vocalist Anne Phillips on her new release Anne Phillips: Live at the Jazz Bakery. But it’s no matter, because timelessness is the defining artistic trademark of an extraordinarily eclectic artist who released her debut album Born to Be Blue in 1959 – and waited 41 years (maybe a record?) before putting out her follow-up Gonna Lay My H

THE JW VIBE

Music That Sticks To My Soul

SECOND ANNUAL RICHARD DEL BELSO ANIMAL RESCUE BENEFIT at Catalina Jazz Club

MONICA WILLIAMS, Within Us All

...AND THE BLACK FEATHERS, Sociallusions

TUMMYACHE, Humpday

KELLEY JOHNSON, Something Good

ACCENT, Christmas All The Way

LYNN CARDONA, Ophelia

CATHY SEGAL-GARCIA, Straight Ahead to the U.K.

LORENA LEIGH AND KEVIN DANIEL at The Hotel Cafe

BLUE LANDSCAPES III: FRONTIERS

DOUG MACDONALD & THE TARMAC ENSEMBLE, Live at Hangar 18

ANNE PHILLIPS, Live at the Jazz Bakery