Today's Jazz Events

There's plenty of jazz to love this Valentine's week around SoCal with appearances from Denise Donatelli, Virgil Donati, Pete Escovedo, Alex Acuna, Kevin Kanner, and Jennifer York. Read more in this week's About & Out by Tom Meek.

CD Review: If you're prone to something a bit "outside" the predictable; something that's gutsy and challenges the status quo on all fronts, then Fred Ho and the Green Monster Big Band's CD Celestial Green Monster is definitely your cup of jazz tea. Read more in the latest edition of Dee Dee's Jazz Diary.

The 10th annual Newport Beach Jazz Festival will take place over Valentine's/President's Weekend, Feb. 11-14 at the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa. Over 80 artists are in the lineup, including Ken Peplowski, Dave Frishberg, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, The Heath Brothers, Holly Hofmann Quartet with Strings and Barbara Morrison. Saturday, Feb. 13 will showcase the first-ever Battle of the Big Bands between the UCLA and USC jazz orchestras, conducted by Charley Harrison and Bob Mintzer.

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From Feb. 6 through Feb. 19, the Brand Library in Glendale will present a series of programs that pay tribute to the vibrant Los Angeles area jazz scene. Organized around the exhibit The Performance Portraits of Bob Barry, programs will include music and dance performances, film screenings, and panel discussions with artists and educators such as photographer Bob Barry and American Jazz Museum CEO Greg Carroll, along with musicians such as Peter Fish, Frank Potenza and Dr. Bobby Rodriguez.

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Carnaval is the annual "Celebration of Life" that takes place throughout Brazil. It is an all-consuming party of fun, feathers, fantasy and outrageous costumes. On Saturday, February 20, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Club Nokia/LA Live will transform its massive dance floor into a true Brazilian party, for the first time in Downtown LA. At the heart of the 2010 celebration is the legendary Carnaval band direct from Bahia, Trio Eletrico Armandinho, Dodo & Osmar. Heating up the dance floor will be the Brazilian Nites Samba Dancers, plus sessions of en masse dance floor choreography, caipirinhas, Brazilian arts and crafts, Havaianas, and giveaway souvenirs of Mardi Gras beads, tambourines and shakers.

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Sunday, Feb. 21, saxophonist Bob Sheppard will lead a Master Class and Playing Hang from 11am-4pm at Vitello's in Studio City. This is part of LA JAZZPRO's Master Class Series featuring world class musicians in a professional and intimate setting. Participants will have the opportunity to play with Sheppard and his rhythm section.

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In a career spanning more than 40 years, Keith Jarrett has come to be recognized as an exceptionally creative and uncompromising artist, having achieved worldwide acclaim as an improviser of unsurpassed genius; a master of jazz piano; a classical pianist of great depth; and as a composer who has written hundreds of pieces for jazz groups, orchestra, soloists and chamber ensembles. On Monday, March 15, at 8:00 p.m. Jarrett will present an evening of solo piano improvisations at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

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From July 9-11 in Temecula, jazz fans will once again converge for the 7th Annual Temecula Valley International Jazz Festival dedicated to and in honor of Ella Fitzgerald. Headlining the festival again this year is Grammy Award winner Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Band. Not only a world-class conguero, Sanchez is also storyteller. Behind the choice of every song there's a tale Sanchez delights in telling, with his congas and seasoned ensemble doing the talking. Also appearing are Brian Auger's Oblivion Express and the Coryell Auger Sample Trio.

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