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Pianist Joshua White seeks the history of the music he loves and layers it into his own sound. His confident delivery and endlessly engaging approach have attracted a fair amount of attention including a second-place finish at the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition in 2011 and constant appearances anywhere between San Diego and Los Angeles on any given night. Tonight, he'll be appearing at the Aliso Creek Inn with bassist Hamilton Price and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith. He spoke with us about five of those history-makers who have influenced him the most.

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Sean J. O'Connell

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour
Segerstrom Concert Hall
January 13, 2013

Sometimes people forget that jazz gigs can be fun. The musical knowledge required by some jazzbos leaves just enough room for the graduate students while everybody else goes somewhere warm and unobtrusive. Yesterday, the Monterey Jazz Festival tour, under the hypnotic charm of Dee Dee Bridgewater, presented a two-hour show that was at times very deep, occasionally goofy but always swinging.

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Photo Courtesy of Monterey Jazz Festival

This fall, the Monterey Jazz Festival will usher in its 56th annual performance along California's crystal coastline, 350 miles north of Orange County. Since 1958 the festival has hosted every major jazz musician conceivable. The first lineup alone included Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Milt Jackson, Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck and Max Roach. Since that first weekend the festival has expanded into an empire, drawing more attention to Monterey than Steinbeck could ever have imagined with school programs, a record label and now a band of touring ambassadors that include vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, bassist Christian McBride, pianist Benny Green and a handful of other ringers. In honor of their appearance this Sunday at Segerstrom Hall, here are five performances that helped to make the Monterey Jazz Festival one of the most important music festivals in the United States.

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CP Masters

Ninety Miles featuring Stefon Harris, David Sanchez & Nicholas Payton
Samueli Theater
December 14, 2012

Last year, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, tenor saxophonist David Sanchez and trumpeter Christian Scott recorded a terrific album in Cuba under the title Ninety Miles. The album was recorded with a Cuban rhythm section but is far from a guayabera-toting, Buena Vista society jam. Instead, the result was a hard-driving work that dug into a wide range of genres, firmly planted in the present. On Friday night, Harris and Sanchez brought their tour to Costa Mesa with trumpeter Nicholas Payton in lieu of Scott and a four piece rhythm section ready to blaze.

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Kimberly White / Reuters

Dave Brubeck, R.I.P.

Dave Brubeck, the great American jazz pianist and composer, died today in Norwalk, Connecticut--a day shy of his 92nd birthday. Many will recall Brubeck writing the standards "The Duke" and "Your Own Sweet Way" and his recordings of "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and his best-known tune, the 5/4 time "Take Five" that appears on the first million-selling jazz album. What I'll always remember is my interview with him that almost didn't happen.
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Ahmad Jamal Quartet

Segerstrom Concert Hall

November 24, 2012

82-year-old Ahmad Jamal is an undisputed master of the piano. His use of space and repetition hold a unique place in a genre that prizes dexterity and note count.On Saturday night, before a disappointingly spacious crowd (why were those choir seats empty in front and full in the back?), Jamal led his quartet through a brief set of standards that highlighted his mastery of the 88 keys of ebony and ivory.

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Craig Johnson

Dale Fielder

It's hard keeping a jazz band together. Most bands only last a few years before better offers or more stability step into break them apart. Baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, who appeared on over 600 albums, only worked with trumpeter Donald Byrd for three years. Those three years (1958-1961) happened to be during one of the biggest shifts in modern jazz and despite their short span as a unit, they managed to release 11 albums of classic hard bop. Local saxophonist Dale Fielder has always had a fascination with their brief collaboration and this Friday, as part of a nationwide Pepper Adams resurgence, he'll be paying tribute to the classic pairing at Soka University the best way he can, by bellowing his baritone saxophone through their songbook.

See Also:

*10 Jazz Albums to Listen to Before You Die

*John Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme': The Story Behind the Album

* Pat Metheny Unity Band - Segerstrom Hall - September 28, 2012

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Tizer--See Saturday at Spaghettini

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Because there are multiple decades of jazz, it's almost impossible to pick the top 10 albums of all time; the hip cats with their canes and cool shades will throw their used saxophone reeds in my direction and call me a young whippersnapper.  The debate is so polemic that I might as well write about the Top 10 abortion clinics.  But so many people out there, young or even a bit older, are curious about jazz, and they're not exactly sure where to start.  So, this list will highlight the top 10 jazz albums you must listen to before you die.  It's kind of like a jazz bucket list that ensures that you used your time on this Earth to hear some of the masterpieces of a true American music.  I'll be mostly in the 50s and 60s range, but will occasionally branch out.  So, here we go. 
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SJ O'Connell

Pat Metheny Unity Band
Segerstrom Hall
September 28, 2012

Pat Metheny is an incredibly accomplished guitarist. He has had to clear mantle space for 18 Grammys during his nearly 40-year career. Not just academies, but people love this man. Lots of people. I can't really say I'm one of them. Last night, before an ecstatic crowd of middle aged men and their lady friends, Pat Metheny's quartet worked through a set that lasted over two hours and included three encores.

See Also:

*Pete Escovedo, A Father of the Revolution, Comes to Seal Beach Tomorrow
*Poncho Sanchez and Marlon Brando Once Bonded Over Bongos
*Top Five Radio Pop Jams Featuring Vocal Duo Flo & EddieMore »