Sean J. O'Connell

Herbie Hancock Celebrates Peace Hollywood Bowl 8-29-12 Better than...the Republican National Convention. Let's get this out of the way early: I like peace. Obtaining peace and air conditioning are my two highest priorities these days and peace is winning by a mile. I also like pianist Herbie Hancock. He's a......

Esperanza Spalding & Anita Baker Hollywood Bowl August 22, 2012 I came into last night's show expecting more from Esperanza Spalding and less from Anita Baker. The audience was clearly prepared for something else. Last night, in what amounted to a generational battle of stage-craft and radio-friendly grooves, Baker may......

When jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek first arrived in Los Angeles from Seattle slightly more than a decade ago, she had a tight sense of swing and a demure set of pipes. She was a little unprepared for the expectations of a formal jazz education at USC. "I remember being really......

Antibalas The Echoplex 8-14-12 Better than...outrunning the delirious coyotes in my neighborhood. I was asked more than once leading up to last night's Antibalas show, "Why would you listen to a band that sounds so much like Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti when they could just listen to one of......

Grandaddy Henry Fonda Theatre 8-13-12 Better than...drinking $8 Pabsts at home. Up until the last week, the Grandaddy quintet had not performed on stage together in six years. How many bands have come and gone since that time? How many bands will form and break-up before Grandaddy returns to Los......

Friday, August 10th Dale Fielder LACMA Saxophonist Dale Fielder has been honking around Los Angeles for some time now. He has recently gravitated towards the underappreciated majesty of baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams. Friday's appearance in front of LACMAs 202 streetlamps will be a preview of his newest album in tribute......

Most cocktail jazz gigs are not particularly rewarding on an artistic level, but they aren't supposed to be. They pay well but they usually go on for too long and most people there aren't listening to you. Of course, there are benefits. I once played a solo gig on a......

USC Jazz Quintet Levitt Pavilion Pasadena 7/22/12 Better than... drinking beer alone in a Pasadena park. Last night in Pasadena, USC offered up their best and brightest jazz crew to revel in a little school pride and highlight the impressive capabilities of staff and alumni for a cool evening under......

This summer, the Mars rover Curiosity will finally reach its destination after a nine month journey. Tomorrow, while the space module prepares to roam the Red Planet looking for dust, signs of life and a perhaps a good place to put our stuff once the Earth is destroyed, pianist Josh......