Tickets and details here.
Fri. Oct. 11, 6pm: Otmaro Ruiz Quartet, Angel City Arts competition winner at Los Angeles County Museum of Arts.
Since landing here in 1989 from his native Venezuela, Otmaro Ruiz has turned heads 360 degrees, because we never know where to look. Sure, the pianist-keyboardist can play Latin-inflected stuff, and won a Grammy for arranging a version of the Brazilian classic "Girl From Ipanema." But we've also heard him trading verses with vibraphonist-composer Nick Mancini, and ripping into fusion with drummer Simon Phillips' Protocol II and with trumpeter Randy Brecker, among many other gigs. When he has a chance, as this evening, to lead his own quartet with windman Katisse Buckingham, drummer Clarence Penn and bassist Sezin Ahmet Turkmenoglu, you'll hear his even touch, melodic obsession and all-encompassing knowledge to full advantage.
Sat. Oct. 12: Kris Davis Trio, Steve Lehman & Garden of Klōns at REDCAT.
Listening to Kris Davis play piano, I thought, "She sounds like Monk," which was about the biggest compliment in my bag, since it implies imagination, humor, concision and a brilliant use of space. Then I noticed that she had taken a run at Monk's extremely difficult "Evidence," slowing it down so that each phrase shot out of the air like a burst from a sniper's nest, and I knew that this New Yorker by way of Canada had the real goods, and I recognized why she was able to hold the stage with the likes of Julian Lage on last year's live "Diatom Ribbons." Here her trio features bassist Robert Hurst (Marsalis duty, Charles Lloyd) and drummer Johnathan Blake. They'll be performing their current "Run the Gauntlet," dedicated to six influential women of jazz including Geri Allen, Carla Bley and Marilyn Crispell; sample/buy here. (Kris Davis photo by Peter Gannushkin)
Not many saxists would dare stand next to both Anthony Braxton and Rudresh Mahanthappa, but Steve Lehman has the altitude, the chops and the avant credentials. L.A. has been lucky to see this New Yorker more frequently since he's been teaching at CalArts, and hear his cutting alto tone and the long, twisting lines whose end you can never foresee. His trio features one of L.A.'s most in-demand drummers, Jonathan Pinson, and the "augmented" piano of San Diego composer Cory Smythe.
Sun. Oct. 13: Sasha Berliner, Elsa Nilsson's Pulses at 2220 Arts & Archives.
You get the feeling that Sasha Berliner picked vibraphone because it allows her to hit something and maintain an atmosphere at the same time. There's a certain quiet, persistent aggression in the young Bay Area malletwoman's music that easily folds in other musicians, and the local band she's gathered -- coloristic keyboardist Javier Santiago along with go-to bassist and drummer Logan Kane and Jonathan Pinson -- are great choices.
We caught Elsa Nilsson last year with Esthesis Quartet, cutting through everything on flute, her split tones, electronic effects and assertive improvisations leaving deep memories. Listening to her other work makes a similar impression -- that each note means something. Tonight her quartet features Brooklyn-via-Argentina pianist Santiago Leibson, New York bassist Marty Kenney and Chilean drummer Rodrigo Recabarren.
Thurs. Oct. 17: Mauricio Morales Sextet, Jeff Denson & Romain Pilon Trio featuring Clarence Penn at ArtShare L.A.
Mauricio Morales is a young bassist (and Iron Maiden fan) with a ton o' chops and a good ear, as well as a composer with a flowing, melodic touch. To celebrate the release of his new "Seven Days," he leads a sextet featuring guitarist Horace Bray, pianist Luca Mendoza, trombonist Ido Meshulam, drummer Roni Kaspi and saxist Edmar Colón.
Bassist and guitarist Jeff Denson and Romain Pilon established an admirable template for quiet groove, careful listening and space management several years ago with drummer Brian Blade; now they're doing it with Detroit skinsman Clarence Penn, who's worked with a constellation of jazz luminaries.