Cool Jazz in Westwood

June 2, 2014
Destination: Schoenberg Hall, UCLA

Cost: $7 for parking plus gas

I was lacking ideas for today’s outing, so turned to LA Weekly online (laweekly.com). It lead me to The Spring Festival of World Music and Jazz at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall.

This 2 ½ week festival is an annual event – previous shows this year featured the music of Bali, India, Mexico, and the Balkans, as well as an evening of Bluegrass.

Tonight’s performance, hosted by jazz guitar legend Kenny Burrell, showcased UCLA Jazz Combos. First up, a group of graduate students: The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble. These young men were magnificent. As I listened, completely engulfed in their waves of evocative piano, bass, vibes and searching horns - time and space stood still.

Several combos followed (many directed by Mr. Burrell, who serves as Distinguished Professor, Director of Jazz Studies), including some talented vocal stylists. My parking meter was running out – so reluctantly, I had to leave early. I was inspired and humbled by these disciplined young artists.

Incredibly, this performance series is free. One more reason to love L.A.