CRITICS' PICKS : MUSIC.Cool L.A. jazz: Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. jazz of the '50s never quite got the respect it deserved. Often maligned ma·lign tr.v. ma·ligned, ma·lign·ing, ma·ligns To make evil, harmful, and often untrue statements about; speak evil of. adj. 1. Evil in disposition, nature, or intent. 2. and overlooked by New York-based jazz historians, the West Coast ``cool school'' was notable for a relaxed, laid-back approach. Significant players included trumpeter Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and singer. Specializing in relaxed, even melancholy music, Baker rose to prominence as a leading name in cool jazz in the 1950s. , alto saxophonist Art Pepper Art Pepper (September 1 1925–June 15, 1982) born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr. in Gardena, California, was an American cool jazz alto saxophonist. He began his musical career in the 1940s playing with Benny Carter and Stan Kenton. , pianist Lennie Tristano, baritone saxophonist-arranger Gerry Mulligan, drummer Shelly Manne and arranger Gil Evans. The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach was the unofficial headquarters of this subtle style, which Miles Davis kicked off on his influential 1950 album, ``Birth of the Cool.'' In honor of the cool school, Baker's onetime bassist Hersh Hamel Ham´el v. t. 1. Same as Hamble. has penned a suite in two movements called ``WestCoasting,'' to be performed by an all-star ensemble Sunday in a free concert at the Madrid Theatre in Canoga Park. The suite features vocalist Allison Wedding, tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins, trumpeter Ron Stout, trombonist Andy Martin, guitarist Larry Koonse, drummer Ralph Penland and Hamel on bass and vocals. After working with Baker, Hamel signed on with Pepper's outfit, staying for almost 20 years. The Madrid is at 21622 Sherman Way, Canoga Park. Show time is 3 p.m. and there is no charge. Information: (818) 347-9419. - Fred Shuster Classical guitarist: John Williams - the classical guitarist, not the composer/conductor - made his concert debut more than 40 years ago. Today, he continues to be one of the most famous guitar virtuosos in the world, turning out hit albums on Sony Classical and attracting compositions written for him by such composers as Stephen Dodgson and Andre Previn. Williams comes to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center (which is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States). The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. for one performance only tonight, with a varied recital showcasing his talent for lyrical, expressive playing. The program includes Bach's Suite No. 4 in E, BWV BWV Backwater Valve BWV Bachwerkverzeichnis (cataloging prefix for works of composer J.S. Bach) BWV Board Walk Villas (Disney resort) BWV Borderless World Volunteers 1006a; Albeniz's Mallorca, Op. 202 and Cordoba cor·do·ba n. See Table at currency. [American Spanish córdoba, after Francisco Fernández de Córdoba (1475?-1526?), Spanish explorer.] Noun 1. (from Cantos de Espana); and a Medieval Suite arranged by Williams himself. 8 tonight, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or . Tickets ($10 to $45) available at all Ticketmaster outlets, (213) 365-3000, or on the Internet (www.laphil.org). - Marla Matzer television Drenched in Dench: Dame Judi Dench, having already won an Oscar this year for ``Shakespeare in Love,'' lands another honor - her own weekend on BBC America. ``The Judi Dench Season'' features some of the actress's work on British television, and it's reliably tasteful and sometimes riveting stuff. Highlights include ``Ghosts,'' Henrik Ibsen's drama about the dire consequences of keeping dark family secrets and behaving hypocritically hyp·o·crit·i·cal adj. 1. Characterized by hypocrisy: hypocritical praise. 2. Being a hypocrite: a hypocritical rogue. , also stars Michael Gambon, Kenneth Branagh and Natasha Richardson, which airs at 7 p.m. and midnight Saturday. In Anton Chekov's ``The Cherry Orchard,'' airing at 4:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Dench plays a landowner returning to Russia to see if she can rescue an estate from destruction. And Dench also appears in the British sitcom ``As Time Goes By,'' about a former couple reunited decades after their relationship and having a second go at it. Three episodes will air beginning at 5 and 10 p.m. Sunday. - David Kronke art Golden dreams: When the first prospectors struck gold at Sutter's Mill on Jan. 24, 1848, they uncovered something nearly as valuable as the precious rocks themselves: promotional value. That's because the gold rush marked the true beginnings of California's identity as a modern El Dorado, a land of limitless opportunity and abundance. That gilded gild 1 tr.v. gild·ed or gilt , gild·ing, gilds 1. To cover with or as if with a thin layer of gold. 2. To give an often deceptively attractive or improved appearance to. 3. theme colors the Huntington Library's recently opened year-long exhibition ``Land of Golden Dreams: California in the Gold Rush Decade, 1848-1858.'' An eye-witness mosaic of diaries, letters, travel logs, newspaper stories, sermons and sketchbooks drawn from the Huntington's extensive holdings, ``Land of Golden Dreams'' investigates both the creation of a distinctly California myth, and the lives of many little-known men and women whose labor, ambition and imagination brought that myth into being. For information about admission prices and hours, call (626) 405-2141. - Reed Johnson stage Me, Caveman: Him, Rob Becker. You, audience. Him have one-man show, ``Defending the Caveman Defending the Caveman, written by Rob Becker, is a comedic play about the misunderstandings between men and women. Defending the Caveman has been seen in theaters around the world by more than seven million people in more than thirty countries. .'' Him dress like guy in sports bar. Him throw underwear around stage. You laugh. Him make jokes about men and women. Many, many jokes. Him funny. You laugh more. Him say, ``Men are hunters, women are gatherers.'' Him roll eyes, shrug shoulders, go all weird in face. You laugh more. Him talk about wife, show home movies, make more jokes. Him want truce in war between sexes. Him say, ``Men and women different. Why not get along?'' Him keep this up for 90 minutes. You think, ``Maybe show too long.'' But you laugh more. Show over. You leave Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. You go home. Have big talk with cave-mate. Have big laugh. Feel better about stuff. You go? Call (213) 365-3500. - Reed Johnson film Quiet masterpiece: Not a week goes by without somebody telling me how they're tired of movies filled with profanity Irreverence towards sacred things; particularly, an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God. Vulgar, irreverent, or coarse language. The use of certain profane or obscene language on the radio or television is a federal offense, but in other situations, profanity , sex and violence. OK. Fair enough. So go see ``The Straight Story.'' This quiet masterpiece, rated G and released by Walt Disney Pictures, is about a stubborn old man who takes a 320-mile trip on his lawnmower to make peace with his brother. Director David Lynch (yup yup adv. Slang Yes. [Alteration of yep.] , ``The Blue Velvet'' guy) keeps the subject from becoming an exercise in cornball corn·ball Slang n. One who behaves in a mawkish or unsophisticated manner. adj. Mawkish or unsophisticated; corny: a kid's cornball humor. sentimentality, and veteran actor Richard Farnsworth gives the performance of the year as a plainspoken plain·spo·ken adj. Frank; straightforward; blunt. plain  spo old-timer. A haunting, beautiful film, ``The Straight Story'' will win your heart - even if you like your movies full of profanity, sex and violence. - Glenn Whipp CAPTION(S): 5 Photos Photo: (1) In honor of the West Coast ``cool school'' of jazz, bassist Hersh Hamel has penned a suite in two movements called ``WestCoasting.'' (2--3) The Huntington Library's recently opened ``Land of Golden Dreams: California in the Gold Rush Decade, 1848-1858'' features diaries, letters, travel logs, newspaper stories, sermons and sketchbooks drawn from its extensive holdings. (4) Rob Becker's, one-man show, ``Defending the Caveman,'' at the Pantages Theatre is about how cavemen are from Mars, cavewomen are from ... you guessed it. (5) Richard Farnsworth stars in ``The Straight Story,'' a lyrical portrait of one man's real-life journey across America's heartland. |
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