By Norton Wright

It was such a class act, it reminded me of those sophisticated nights long ago at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City where the ballroom shows were graced by the

likes of Lena Horne and Peggy Lee.

So it was no surprise that jazz songstress Bonnie Bowden’s date on Sunday afternoon at Vitello’s was sold out a week in advance and the waiting list went on forever.  Elegant, sexy, and engaging, Bowden dished up a clinic on how to present a musically delicious

show. Here were some of the ingredients:

How to achieve a compelling start?  Enlist a great quartet like Llew Matthews (piano and arranger), Ricky Woodard (tenor sax), Luther Hughes (acoustic bass), and Ralph Penland (drums) and then turn them loose all by themselves to hot up the audience with an opening seven-minute, up-tempo take on the standard “Day By Day.”  And have Ricky Woodard do some great and serious blowing so all in the jam-packed room know it’s time to stop lunching and talking and do some serious listening. This opener was so good, we thought we could have just listened to the band for the rest of the afternoon. I mean, could things get any better? YOU BET!

The star’s entrance:  Quickly and from the very back of the house so everyone in an instant caught the flash of her dramatic crimson blouse, black slacks, and blonde hair pulled back into a diamond clip, Bowden made her way through the audience, up onto the stage, and into her first number. The lyrics told the audience exactly what the ebullient Ms. Bowden wanted them to know, “I Love Being Here With You!”

What’s the show about? Bowden’s easygoing intros to her songs are brief and tell her listeners something about the composers and lyricists and why the songs are special to her. We’re amazed that she’s self-taught in a broad range of music from coloratura opera to country to Broadway, but she loves jazz best, and we’re going to be treated this afternoon to The Great American – and sometimes Great Brazilian — Songbook  by composer/lyricist icons like Jimmy McHugh, Frank Loesser, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gus Kahn, Hal David/Burt Bachrach, Edu Lobo, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, and the list was to go beautifully on and on as the afternoon progressed.

Variety: Bowden has the rare capacity to convincingly turn her song renditions on an emotional dime, and so she paces the running order of her tunes so the moods do change quickly and with lots of surprises. “You Are So Beautiful” by Billy Preston & Bruce Fisher was given a soulful jazz treatment, and the audience figured Bowden was talking directly to them. Her take on “Ain’t We Got Fun” was humorous and satiric, the lyric, ‘The rich get rich and the poor get children’ as biting today as it was when penned by Gus Kahn back in 1922. And in a hot, hip-swivelin’, honkey-tonkin’ surprise, the lissome Ms. Bowden laid a jazz take on Willie Nelson’s country tune, “Crazy,” and risked prompting all the males in the audience to immediately lust after her — and this on a Sunday afternoon!

What can a singer do during the instrumental breaks in the songs she’s singing? Sometimes singers today seem to forget they’re still on stage, and during their band’s instrumental breaks they often search for something to do — like reaching down for a water bottle, publicly gurgling the H20, and then awkwardly regarding their surroundings until it’s time to resume singing… Bonnie Bowden answers the problem by turning to listen intently to each member of her band, genuinely enjoying them and in doing so, becoming at one with her audience. There’s something outright communal in a group of listeners sharing their appreciation of a band’s grooving, and Bowden doesn’t hide the fact that she digs listening to her guys.

Spontaneity: Finally, if the opportunity is there, go for it! Bowden’s affection for Brazilian jazz springs from her singing with Sergio Mendes’ Brazil ’77, and at Vitello’s by mid-set she got into an Ipanema groove singing Edu Lobo’s haunting ballad “Adeus” (“To Say Goodbye”) in perfect Portuguese and then in English. Maybe it was time then to return to the American Songbook, but spotting in the audience the legendary percussionists Paulinho Da Costa from Brazil and Mexican-American Pete Escovedo, she invited them to join with her on stage for composer Jorge Ben’s high-energy, bossa nova song, “Mais Que Nada.” The result was a gas! These two gents can play at least 200 different percussive instruments but with only shakers in Escovedo’s hands and a tambourine in those of Da Costa, they tagged Bowden’s song with such a feast of polyrhythmic accents that she and the audience just loved the fun and surprise of it. Good guys, Bowden gave them kisses, and her band and the audience gave them a great big hand.

Closing out the show were the love songs: “Why Did I Choose You” during which Bowden found a warm and beautifully textured timbre almost indistinguishable from that of Doris Day.  Then a quick change of pace to Jimmy McHugh & Harold Adamson’s  “I Just Found Out About Love”  which Bowden ended on a stratospheric note toward the top of her amazing four-octave range.  And for a finale, Jerome Kern &  Otto Harbach’s  “Yesterdays” in an unconventional and swinging tempo that gave the audience something happy to end on and propelled them to their feet. To see a crowd of 120 people of all ages spontaneously erupt into a standing and joyous ovation was enough to make you believe that Dionysus lives!

Given that competing with Bowden’s show for afternoon attention were the NBA playoffs, various Cinco de Mayo weekend celebrations, a host of tentpole movies, and a Dodger home game, Vitello’s jazz entrepreneur April Williams deserves plaudits for courageously expanding her jazz programs into daytime hours.  And on this particular Sunday afternoon, the sunshine outside Vitello’s was niftily matched inside by the bright glow of Bonnie Bowden, a jazz artist and consummate entertainer whom we’ll be seeing a lot more of.

Congratulations to both Bowden and Williams for trying something new and succeeding. Encore, encore!

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Article Website

Photos by Bob Barry

At VoicePlaces.com

Clarinetist Eddie Daniels’ masterful performance at Vitello’s Friday was – as his appearances often are – a gripping reminder of his instrument’s adventurous jazz past, present and future.

For the first half of the jazz century, the clarinet was one of the music’s key voices.  Vital to the New Orleans style, a virtual celebrity instrument in the hands of Swing bandleaders such as Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Woody Herman, its presence remained high, until it ran into hard times – and diminished interest — with the arrival of bebop in the ‘40s and beyond.

A few hardy souls labored on through the forests of bop, with Buddy DeFranco one of the principal pathfinders.  Others arrived over the next few decades, with the numbers of adroit clarinetists increasing in recent years.

Daniels, who was celebrating his 70^th birthday two days earlier, has been producing memorable work – on tenor saxophone, as well as clarinet – since he arrived on the scene with the Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Orchestra in the mid-‘60s.  An authentic classical artist as well as a superb improvising musician, the only thing missing from his Vitello’s performance would have been his own unique take on something such as the Larghetto from the Mozart Clarinet Quintet.

Tom Ranier, Eddie Daniels, Darek Oles

But no matter.  What renaissance man Daniels did play was largely astounding, sometimes even more than that.

Joe LaBarbera

Start with his utter mastery of an instrument whose technical demands more often produce mediocre results than the sort of articulate clarity that Daniels tossed off with almost casual ease.  Backed by the confident, interactive support of pianist Tom Ranier, bassist Darek Oles and drummer Joe LaBarbera, he concentrated upon clarinet – except for a pair of jovial jaunts on his tenor saxophone through “They Say That Falling In Love Is Wonderful” and an original Daniels piece that somehow managed to convincingly blend tango with bossa nova.

Tom Ranier

Among the clarinet highlights: Ranier’s delightfully re-invented version of the old Benny Goodman classic, “Stealin’ Apples”; and a wildly audacious flight through an equally new-view version of Charlie Parker’s “Bye-Bye Blues.”

And ultimately it was Daniels’ clarinet soloing that dominated the spotlight – as it should.  One fleet solo after another, rendered with an irresistible flow of swing, affirmed his consummate blend of dexterous technical skills and vivid improvisational inventiveness.

No wonder that, with Daniels in the forefront, the clarinet once again seems to be finding its rightful place in the jazz hierarchy.

Photos by Bob Barry.  To view more of his jazzography, click HERE.

From the LA Weekly website.

The CD features 11 songs that are recorded in English and Portuguese.  Ascher wrote most of the songs with co-writer Marco Pontes.  She adds to the long list of artists from Brazil.  Of course, Brazil has long been known as a country that produced some great musical talent.  Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Astrid Gilberto are just a few of the outstanding artists that have made Brazilian music popular all over thw world.  You can check out Patty Ascher’s website at http://www.pattyascher.com.  Vitello’s Restaurant website is http://www.vitellosrestaurant.com.

From the Examiner website.

These were great clubs of the sixties and seventies. The Thursday night Red Carpet Jazz Series launches on February 19 with a pre-Oscar kickoff party; after a complimentary cocktail reception, there will be an evening of music by Gary Foster (s), Tom Ranier (p), Mike Valerio (b), and Steve Shaeffer (dr).

The February 26th lineup is Christian Jacob (p), Ray Brinker (dr), and Trey Henry (b. March and April line ups will include rare appearances by Bob Bain (gtr) and Larry Goldings (organ/piano).

Join Bill Cunliffe’s Blues and the Abstract Truth Take Two CD Release Party on March 5th.

Bob Sheppard’s Quartet will perform on March 19th.

You can order appetizers, drinks or dinner; the cover charge for most nights is $10.00. A portion of the proceeds each week will go to music lessons for underprivileged children.

To make reservations call Upstairs at Vitello’s at 818-769-0905 for reservations.

Danny Janklow

Danny Janklow, 22, plays the sax with the best of them.

From the Studio City Patch

October 13, 2011

Danny Janklow, a 22-year-old saxophone player and winner of the 2010 North American Saxophone Competition, will be a key player in bringing young talent and old established jazz talent together on Thursday nights at the “Late Night at Vitello’s” in Studio City.

From 10 p.m. to midnight, the restaurant hopes to promote a unique jam session that melds the generations of jazz lovers.

Janklow is a native of Agoura Hills, and graduated last May from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia.

Danny’s mentors describe him as “an old soul” who is determined to bring the aspect of “celebration” back to jazz music. Studying on the East Coast enabled him to play with some of the best bands and musicians of our time including Benny Golson, Savion Glover, Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Danny’s experience with these musicians seasoned his perspective where he envisions taking the next generation of this incredible music.

“Jazz is viewed by the public as an old art form. So often I hear the expression ‘I don’t know anything about jazz,’ ” he said. “However as a jazz artist, I know this music is timeless and no less relevant today than when the movement started. I don’t want people to have to think about what they’re listening to. My goal as a performer is to have them feel the music on an instinctual level and let them celebrate the beauty of the moment. The amazing thing about jazz is that it reflects every aspect of our lives. So, when, someone tells me they don’t know anything about jazz, I reply ‘If you have ears and a heart, you’ll understand.’ ”

This Thursday night and every Thursday through the year, Danny will be presenting “Late Night at Vitello’s” located at Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City.

Brad Roen vice president and general manager of Vitello’s, said,”Having been in the business for over 20 years, I can’t remember the last time I was so excited about a new venue. After meeting (and hearing) Danny for the first time, just a few months ago, I knew this cat had something special going on. Danny is not just another young man with a saxophone, Danny is an entertainer, and starting in October, he will have a new place to call home…and I for one can’t wait.”

Janklow emphasized tha this platform will provide a showcase for young artists to interpret this beloved genre. Moreover, it is to create a place where people of any age can come appreciate live jazz and have an informal place to hang out, dine, drink and intermingle into the wee hours of the morning.

Danny will be featuring some of L.A.’s best musicians and has a goal to bridge the gap between generations and incorporating his fresh energy and sound into an already successful jazz venue.

“We want this to be a place suitable for anyone to go and have a great night of current, lively entertainment for a very affordable price,” he said.

For more information visit www.vitellosrestaurant.com.