Author Archive
PHOTOS: Final Day @ Jazz Fest 2013 (Trombone Shorty, Black Keys, Meter Men with Page & More)
The final Sunday at Jazz Fest is always, without fail, an extra magical day at the Fairgrounds and yesterday's sunny and cool ending to the annual Fest provided an exclamation point on another year for the event. For the seventh and final day, Jim Brock captured the action from... more
PHOTOS: Jazz Fest 2013 (Phoenix, Frank Ocean, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Galactic and More)
After a soggy Thursday and Friday, Saturday marked a long overdue clearing of the skies and (slight) drying of muddy conditions that persisted at the track on days four and five (not dissimilar from what you saw yesterday at the Kentucky Derby, Go Orb Go!). Our man Jim Brock was... more
PHOTOS: Jazz Fest 2013 (Willie Nelson, Jerry Douglas, Papa Grows Funk and More)
Jim Brock continued his extensive coverage of the Fairgrounds action at Jazz Fest 2013 on Friday, capturing sets by the incomparable Willie Nelson, the world's greatest dobro player Jerry Douglas, the soon-to-be defunct Papa Grows Funk and more. Continue back for continuous coverage from the Big Easy throughout the weekend... more
PHOTOS: Jazz Fest 2013 (Widespread Panic, Patti Smith and More)
Our intrepid photographer Jim Brock continues covering the Grounds at Jazz Fest 2013 managed to truck through the rainy and muddy conditions yesterday to capture some of the action yesterday. Continue below for shots from sets by the headlining Widespread Panic (setlist here), the legendary Patti Smith, Henry Butler, Glen... more
PHOTOS: Jazz Fest 2013 (Weekend One)
A notably wet Weekend One at Jazz Fest 2013 is in the books and Jim Brock shares his images from B.B. King, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews Band, Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, John Mayer, Midnite Disturbers and more in the gallery below. Check them out loop back for more from... more
PHOTOS: Jazz Fest 2013 (Andrew Bird, Ben Harper and More)
The Jazz Fest train rolled on Saturday in the Big Easy and Jim Brock was on the Grounds once again to capture the magic. Continue below for photos from the always star-studded Voice of the Wetlands Allstars set, Ben Harper, Allen Toussaint, Stanton Moore, Anders Osborne, Tab Benoit, Andrew Bird... more
PHOTOS / RECAP: Gary Clark Jr. @ The Roxy, LA, CA 4/16/13
Photos by Jim Brock / Words by Jim Brock and Wesley Hodges Gary Clark, Jr. and the world are a good match. When Clark, Jr. tears into “Don’t Owe You a Thang” live, your hair’s messed up, your car is blocks away and you’re wondering what just happened. Heck, these days,... more
PHOTOS: Rebirth Brass Band @ The Mint LA 3/26/13
Recently, the legendary and GRAMMY-winning Rebirth Brass Band stopped in to The Mint in Los Angeles for two sold out Tuesday night shows. Check out the photo gallery after the jump.
PHOTOS: Galactic @ El Rey Theatre, LA, CA 2/28/13
NOLA funktet Galactic toured up the west coast last week, making a stop at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre for a show in front of a notably lively and packed out El Rey Theatre. Special guests included Lyrics Born, Lateef The Truth Speaker, Corey Glover, Latyrx and Corey Henry. Jim... more
PHOTOS / RECAP: Robert Randolph and The Slide Brothers with Otis Taylor @ Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA 2/23/13
We’re all told to respect our elders, to learn from the generation before and to pass along tradition. Wise words musically speaking, and fundamental to any jazz or blues playbook where family legacies span generations and old sounds are regularly rediscovered and reimagined. Now, I hail from about as... more
PHOTOS / RECAP: 3 Brave Souls (Beasley, Jones, Bruner Jr.) Jazz up Culver City
Earlier this month, “3 Brave Souls” held an album release event at the Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City, CA. The theatre is just one of many ongoing performances held by the Jazz Bakery as they await construction of their Frank Gehry designed new home next door. John Beasley... more
PHOTOS / RECAP: Billy Cobham’s Spectrum 40 @ The Mint LA 1/26/13
Mahavishnu Orchestra is in the pantheon of jazz fusion pioneers replete with black hole density, volcanic intensity and ridiculous virtuosity. I had never heard anything quite like John McLaughlin’s searing fretwork, Jan Hammer’s prog-funk sounds and Jerry Goodman’s violin thrown to the front of what truly seemed to be an... more
REVIEW / PHOTOS: Gregg Allman @ Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA 1/11/13
Gregg Allman’s life is a road well traveled for sure. As much thrive-r as survivor, his blues have the resume to match (40+ years on the road and hard knocks you wouldn’t wish on anyone). Last year’s T-Bone Burnett produced “Low Country Blues” is a seminal record that embodies the... more
CONCERT RECAP: Dragon Smoke @ The Mint LA 12/12/12
Certain celestial alignments skip decades, if not lifetimes, or at a minimum, involve covering great distances at greater expense. Think solar eclipses, Comet Hale-Bopp or if you get around, the aurora. Even then, there is the unexpected cloud cover that can scotch the most anticipated and well-planned events. While the... more
Austin Peralta, L.A. jazz pianist and Flying Lotus collaborator, dead at 22
Hearing the news of Austin Peralta’s passing at just 22, is beyond incomprehensible. At 13, Peralta had already established himself as a jazz pianist bearing the burden of comparisons to giants like McCoy Tyner. At 15, he was playing alongside giants like Ron Carter. This kid, from West Los Angeles,... more
CONCERT RECAP: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals & Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers @ Wiltern LA 11/2/12
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals played to a packed Wiltern in the midst of her Fall “all request” tour. The generous set was in the audience’s sweet spot with many sing-alongs that had GP working the front of the pit to connect with as many fans as she could. Potter... more
PHOTOS: The Bad Plus @ The Mint, Los Angeles, CA 10/9/12
The Bad Plus packed it in at The Mint last Tuesday night for An Evening With set that brought the wow factor with every song - a set heavy on tunes from their brand new record Never Stop. Photographer Jim Brock was there to capture the magic as it unfolded.... more
CONCERT RECAP: Red Baraat @ The Mint, Los Angeles, CA 10/4/12
Since I last caught up with Red Baraat in February, the self-described “Brooklyn dhol’n’brass” (by way of a second line) outfit has been to the White House, played Bonnaroo and High Sierra, performed at the TED conference, toured Europe and the UK, and returned to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass this weekend.... more
CONCERT RECAP: Bombino @ The Mint, Los Angeles, CA 9/18/12
Tuareg guitarist Omara “Bombino” Moctar was born in a nomadic encampment in Niger in 1980. Some 26 years later he was playing alongside Keith Richards and Charlie Watts in California. The here to the there and now is an amazing life of cultural and political conflict, creativity and inspiration that... more
CONCERT RECAP: The Revivalists @ The Mint, Los Angeles 9/11/12
Surprise moments at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival can happen any time. One of mine came this year when The Revivalists kicked off the Fest from the Gentilly Stage before noon on the opening Friday. While the New Orleans band has played the Fest the past few years,... more
RECAP: Terence Blanchard Quintet @ Catalina Jazz Club, Hollywood 8/17/12
Photos and Review by Jim Brock There are few musicians I can point to who are more visually evocative than Terence Blanchard (and I’m not just talking about his 20+ year filmography). Blanchard paints fully expressed textures with sound, creating jazz that is emotive, vibrant and at times, startlingly beautiful. I... more
CONCERT RECAP / PHOTOS: Honey Island Swamp Band @ The Mint LA 8/14/12
Review and Photos by Jim Brock / Jim Brock Photography It’s apropos that the Honey Island Swamp Band would return for a summer gig at The Mint following an appearance at Outside Lands the weekend before. After all, the Bay Area figures so prominently in this NOLA band’s origin story: Stranded... more
REVIEW / PHOTOS: Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang @ Grove of Anaheim – 8/10/12
Photos and Review by Jim Brock / Jim Brock Photography Into the blues or not, it was impossible not to look forward to the crossroads on the road summit of Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang - two giant slingers for the ages. Myself, I’ll get me some 8/12-bars all night long... more
