Sean J. O'Connell

Credit: Sean J. O'Connell

Leimert Park's World Stage In Danger of Closing

Sean J. O'Connell
Influential L.A. drummer Billy Higgins was known around the globe; closer to home, he mentored hundreds of local musicians. His non-profit performance space and workshop the World Stage opened in 1989 and, along with the Vision Theater, quickly became the centerpiece of the Leimert Park arts scene. But now, 12......
Credit: Piper Ferguson

Jonny Lang's Blues

Sean J. O'Connell
Blues phenom Jonny Lang was a day short of sixteen years old when he released his major label debut Lie To Me in 1997. He may not have been old enough to drive, but he had the voice and soulful guitar stylings of a truck driver on the eve of......
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Hizzoner Talks!

Sean J. O'Connell
The city hasn't been engulfed by flames, the Emmys weren't canceled and the 405 hasn't crumbled to dust (or gotten any slower, as best we can tell), thus Mayor Eric Garcetti has received mostly positive reviews for his first 100 days in office. That's certainly justification for the 222,300 people......
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Deitch Talks

Sean J. O'Connell
If there is one secret to financial success that restaurateur Michael Chow and outgoing MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch probably would agree on, it's the power of quality eyewear. The bespectacled lightning rods have left quite a mark on the art scene. Mr. Chow (of the eponymous restaurant) amassed a sturdy......
Credit: SJ O'Connell

Nirvana Pop-Up Tattoo Shop – Fingerprints Records – 9-24-13

Sean J. O'Connell
FLOWER SNIFFIN KITTY PETTIN BABY KISSIN CORPORATE ROCK WHORES That was the slogan emblazoned on the back of the first Nirvana t-shirt. The front depicted a simplistic drunken smiley face. Kurt Cobain's blotto logo has popped up everywhere: bumper stickers, clothing, candy. Now, twenty years after the release of their......
Credit: SJ O'Connell

Here's Where Five Jazz Legends Are Buried in L.A.

Sean J. O'Connell
Everyone's always saying that jazz is dead -- at least since the fuzz shut down New Orleans' Storyville in 1917 -- but jazz will never die. Musicians on the other hand can, do and have. And quite a few jazz legends are buried in L.A. In fact, it's pretty surprising......
Credit: Timothy Norris

Thundercat and Flying Lotus – House of Blues – 6-1-13

Sean J. O'Connell
Flying Lotus & Thundercat House of Blues 6-1-13 Bassist Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner can be a charming dude. He is quick with a goofy joke and has an enviable love of mischief. As a frontman, not all of that goofiness comes across, which is too bad but forgivable. His new Brainfeeder......
Credit: The Lighthouse Cafe

Five Historic L.A. Jazz Spots

Sean J. O'Connell
Have you hugged a jazz musician today? You should. For the second year in a row, April 30th has been declared International Jazz Day by no less a reputable organization than the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This year's host city is Istanbul. But why not L.A.? After......
Credit: Michael Wilson

Time to Do Away With the Word "Jazz"?

Sean J. O'Connell
In person, the bearded and bald-headed Nicholas Payton does not look like one of the most polarizing figures in modern jazz. The 39-year-old trumpeter is a calm and quiet presence. Whether he intended to or not, however, after posting a blog entry in late 2011 entitled "On Why Jazz Isn't......