The L.A.6

In keeping with the oncoming holiday, Halloween, SB Jazz Society members and friends were awarded plenty of musical treats on a fine late October afternoon. The L.A.6, a great band composed of some of the finest musicians LA has to offer, played their collective hearts out. A great opener, the Eternal Triangle, written by a Sonny Stitt, an upbeat bebop composition with plenty of room for improvisation, set the tone for the afternoon. Rich Eames, the imaginative pianist, arranged the beautiful ballad, If I Should Lose You. Besides the full sound of the band, Rich uses some really unusual altered chords while comping adding to the richness of the sound with some fabulous solos. On that piece, tenor saxophonist, Tom Peterson, also blew an unusual and beautiful solo as did trombonist, Ira Nepus. Acting as MC for the band, Peterson said that all the members write arrangements for the group. (No wonder that the music fresh and exciting!) They also travel to Wenatchee, Washington each year to partake in the jazz festival there and hold clinics for school age students…a commendable project indeed. Bassist, Jeff Di Angelo, arranged and soloed on Three And One, a Thad Jones composition, showing us what a master he is with that instrument. On Shuffle City, an original blues progression tune by Tom, all the guys had a chance to shine and Steve Huffsteter, filling in for trumpeter, Clay Jenkins, had a fine solo as well as on other tunes all afternoon. One of my favorites, was the lovely ballad, Round Midnight, by Thelonious Monk in which most all the guys took gorgeous solos. Drummer, Dick Weller, and had a great solo on his somewhat mysterious composition, Denizens. Paying tribute to those famous jazz musicians who have passed, we were treated to the lovely, haunting tune by Horace Silver, Peace. It’s obvious that the guys love to play jazz and also appreciate our courteous, listening audience and like to play here because of it. We are so fortunate to be able to host such terrific professional musicians. Kudos to the SB Jazz Society for making it possible!

-Natalie Wilson

Photos by Mark McDonald

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