Category: Concerts | Page 2 | TheUrbanMusicScene.com

Neo Soul Trio KING’s L.A. Concert Reveals Promise and Problems

Neo Soul Trio KING launches Fall Tour with Spirited Yet Problematic Hollywood Show
A Concert Reflection by A. Scott Galloway
October 3, 2016

For the past several years, twin sisters Amber and Paris Strother, and Anita Bias – collectively known as KING – have been building a fan base from Los Angeles outward with their loving homage to the synth, Moog bass and rhythm machine groove of the `80s via inspired original material and choice covers.

Jeff Beck Takes L.A. For a 50th Anniversary Soul Spin

Jeff Beck Roars into L.A. For Week of Classic Cars and Legacy Music
Event & Concert Reflections by A. Scott Galloway

On Monday night, August 8, `round about 6pm, English Blues-Rock guitar legend Jeff Beck hooked a right off Sunset into the parking lot of Mel’s Diner (location for George Lucas’ `50s nostalgia classic “American Graffiti”) in a 1932 Tudor to greet fans that had plunked down $500 in advance for a signed copy of his jaw-dropping new coffee table photo album/autobiography, “Beck01.” Heavy on pics (over 400 rare and unseen) with choicely edited 20,000 words of text, the tome is the ultimate big ticket souvenir for fans of Beck detailing his meteoric ascension in the world of rock guitar, his passion for classic cars and the colorful cavalcade of characters he has encountered along the way (from Albert Collins to Stevie Ray Vaughan). It was a casual yet exclusive burgers-n-beer kickoff event of two stellar evenings in Los Angeles that culminated in a star-studded commemorative “50 Years of Jeff Beck” concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday. Following this feting for what is only meticulous Genesis Publications’ 99th book since 1974, Beck roared back onto Sunset with two girls – one on the passenger seat, the other in her lap – into an intense Tuesday of rehearsals for the once in a lifetime gig.

Jeff Beck with 1932 Ford Tudor and his book, Beck01

L.A. Soul Music Festival Boasts Victorious First Year

Inaugural L.A. Soul Music Festival Provides Top Talent In A Casual Outdoor Atmosphere
Concert Reflections and Photographs by A. Scott Galloway

Southern California inaugurated another 3-Day outdoor summer music weekend event with “The L.A. Soul Music Festival” last week – a program targeting grown folks that love their soul music on the smooth, sexy and contemporary side. It took place on an under-utilized area of Griffith Park near the Gene Autry Western Museum, conveniently just off the 5 Freeway with plenty of blessedly free parking. Reasonably priced and punctually executed, each day of the festival from Friday to Sunday delivered 5 name acts between 6pm and 11pm with a DJ and emcee between each act keeping things lively and flowing.

Crowd

Kandace Springs Forward Like a Gazelle For The Long Run

Kandace Springs
Hotel Café’ (Hollywood)
Concert Reflections and Photographs by A. Scott Galloway

With no verbal introduction but instead a cool driving bass/drums groove that lures her to the stage like a lovely moth to a flame, singer/songwriter/keyboardist Kandace Springs stepped into the light a tall, confident and dazzling drink of something sparkling. Flashing a smile and striking a playful diva pose, she immediately sat down to her keyboard, politely introduces herself and where she’s from (Nashville, Tennessee), then commenced to getting’ busy, speaking of pending revolutions and the masses being far from ready.

“Why it gotta be like that, why it gotta be / Why it gotta be like that / Some dreams will live and some will die…”

Near-Perfect Playboy Jazz Festival Sunday Covers The Full Spectrum

38th Playboy Jazz Festival
Hollywood Bowl
Sunday June 12, 2016
Festival Reflections by A. Scott Galloway

Day 2 of the 38th “Playboy Jazz Festival” at the Hollywood Bowl was by far the more star-studded and highly anticipated of the weekend. Not only that, the cross section of artists provided a near-perfect representation of all the music that appropriately falls under the cornucopia of the art form – from New Orleans roots, Blues and Big Band to Latin, Funk-Rock, Contemporary and Ancient-Future takes.

George Lopez (Photo: Matthew Imaging)

12 year-old Joey Alexander Steals Day 1 of Playboy Jazz Festival

38th Playboy Jazz Festival
Hollywood Bowl
Saturday June 11, 2016
Festival Reflections by A. Scott Galloway
Photography by Matthew Imaging (except one)

George Lopez

Though big names were lacking, big fun was in full regalia for the opening day of this year’s Playboy Jazz Festival, due in part to amiable host George Lopez. Mist in the midday and a light sprinkling of pre-summer rain baptized the early acts and audience. Poetically speaking, it gave the high-achieving students of the Beyond the Bell All-City Jazz Band of an early taste of dues they have to pay on their way to the top.

Oya Serves Up Sizzling Salute To Prince

Oya Thomas “Tribute to Prince”
Skyloft (Laguna Beach)
Saturday May 28, 2016
Concert reflections and photographs by A. Scott Galloway

Vocalist Oya Thomas caught my attention a couple of years back with the beautiful Sunday morning song “Peace in the Valley” from her CD The Spirit of Oya. So I was stunned to receive an email invitation to a Saturday night show she was fronting in memory of Prince on Memorial Day. I knew she could sing and that she was also very nice on the eyes so when a last minute cancellation made it possible for me to see this show, I made that move.

English Singer Nao Unveils Mysterious Enigmatic Stage Presence In L.A.

Nao
The Roxy – West Hollywood, CA
Friday May 13, 2016
Concert Reflections by A. Scott Galloway
Photos by Michael K. Adams

Obscured in red light, Nao sings in a cockney neo soul alto over sinewy pulsing grooves and speaks with gracefully gesturing limbs as if languid and outstretched underwater. Though the music has a techno vibe, her backing is a power trio of guitar, bass (doubling on occasional synth) and way off in the corner stage left, drums – delivering Grand Funk bottom as she falls in with the guitarist parroting snaky unorthodox lines.

Ronnie Foster Sets Organ Ablaze in Smokin’ Rare L.A. Concert

Ronnie Foster Trio
Baked Potato
Saturday May 14, 2016
Concert Reflections and Photographs by A. Scott Galloway

I first got turned onto Ronnie Foster when he was part of George Benson’s incomparable mid-`70s Breezin’ band trading electric keyboard and acoustic piano chairs with the late, great Jorge Dalto. From that association I appreciated Ronnie not only as a player but also a composer (“Lady,” “The Wind and I”). Even though I eventually heard his earlier Blue Note solo LPs on which he was featured on organ and his post-Benson work primarily on Fender Rhodes, I’ve always thought of Ronnie as a sideman who came up thanks to a high profile situation.

Two Bands…Three Dimensions of Music

Christian McBride and José James Lead Diverse Ensembles of Excellence
Disney Hall
April 1, 2016
Concert Reflections by A. Scott Galloway

Toward the end of a Friday evening that more than fortified the strength, resilience and future of music called Jazz, tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum made a statement about people prematurely laying the genre to rest. Essentially he said that if you were drawing breath inside Disney Hall at that moment, you know better. Truth was spoken, sung, blown, plucked and pounded this night with a curious yet victorious double bill consisting of an acoustic “Super Band” culled from the roster of Detroit’s Mack Avenue Records headlining over maverick vocalist José James.

Mack Avenue Super Band (Photo: Michael K. Adams)

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