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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Happy Holidays From George Kahn

Happy Holidays!  Please enjoy this video of my conducting debut with the Santa Monica High School Symphony, playing "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson

Monday, November 21, 2011

Join me at the Holiday Party of the Season December 14


Once a year I put on this special Jazz Holiday Party to raise money for the homeless in Los Angeles. We have so much compared to others, and it is time to share a little with those less fortunate.
PATH Ventures is building housing for the previously homeless in Los Angeles. We get together and play great jazz and blues. No long speeches. Just a night of great music at the Premiere Jazz Club in Hollywood, CA, The Catalina Jazz Club (see below for more details!)
This year I could really use your help.
- come out for the show! Tickets start at $25. (see details below)
- spread the word by forwarding this announcement to others that might enjoy the evening!
- think about having your corporation sponsor a table at the event by calling Elisabeth Walker at 323-644-2209
- post a flyer at your office (I have real pretty ones I can mail to you, if you want – just let me know)

- if you can’t make the show, please consider making a donation to PATH Ventures by calling Elisabeth Walker at 323-644-2209

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

George Kahn To Be Featured Guest Artist At The Catalina Jazz Club 25th Anniversary Concert Monday Evening, October 17

On Monday evening, October 17, the Catalina Jazz Club will host their 25th Anniversary Bash, benefiting the California Jazz Foundation. The evening will be under the musical direction of Grammy-nominated jazz artist John Beasley, and will feature Jazz pianist, George Kahn and his group.

The event will be an all-star evening of Jazz,
featuring a long list of renowned players
that have performed at the
Catalina Jazz Club over the years.
Doors open at 7 PM and music begins at 8 PM.

George Kahn has a long history of performing at Catalina, beginning in 1998. Catalina Bar & Grill has certainly lived up to its slogan "Nothing But The Best In Jazz" by presenting a veritable ‘Who's Who’ of Jazz legends. The tentative list of performers for the 25th Anniversary bash include (in alphabetical order) John Beasley, David Benoit, Brian Bromberg, Stanley Clarke, Ndugo Chancler, Peter Erskine, George Kahn, Lainie Kazan, Mike Lange, Hubert Laws, Barbara Morrison, Lee Ritenour, Tierney Sutton, and members of The Yellow Jackets.

The California Jazz Foundation will be the beneficiary of all proceeds from the door at this event as well as a silent auction filled with wonderful items. The Foundation is a charitable, nonprofit organization created to aid and assist California Jazz musicians with financial or medical crisis. Established in 2006, The Foundation was formed to fulfill an unmet critical need to help these talented artists who have given us so much pleasure over the years –
Suggested minimum donation for this event is $25, and the proceeds go to The California Jazz Foundation .

Catalina Jazz Club is located at 6725 West Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood California 90028
Phone: (323) 466-2210 for reservations
(One block EAST of Highland Ave.)


info@californiajazzfoundation.org

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Japan Relief Concert - Walt Disney Concert Hall Father’s Day, June 19th, 2011 at 7:00pm

There is a wonderful concert taking place this Sunday (Father’s Day) June 19th:
Guido Lamell, a member of the LA Phil, has organized a benefit concert for Japan Relief at Disney Hall with a performance of Beethoven’s 9th. The orchestra and choir will consist of many of the best musicians in Los Angeles. As a special treat, my wife Diana Zaslove Kahn will be in the choir, and my son, Evan Kahn will be playing cello in the orchestra!
When you are done with your Father’s Day BBQ, please come join us downtown at Disney Hall. Tickets are available from TicketMaster, or at the Disney Hall Box Office (and yes, you will be able to buy tickets the night of the performance at the door)

Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall Father’s Day, June 19th, 2011 at 7:00pm
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Chorale Finale Sing-Along
Performed by the
L.A. Musicians Symphony and Chorus
Music Director and Conductor
Guido Lamell

featuring musicians from Los Angeles’ finest orchestras and choirs including: L.A. Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, LA Master Chorale, Los Robles Master Chorale, Pasadena Symphony, New West Symphony, USC, UCLA, Colburn School, Santa Monica High School and more.
Event and ticket information
www.Beethoven9forJapan.org

Ticket proceeds are tax deductible in part and will be distributed for the benefit of Japan Earthquake Relief and Rebuilding efforts through the
U.S. Japan Council Earthquake Relief Fund
Tickets: $30 - $140 available through Disney Hall Box Office (in person) and Ticketmaster (online and phone)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Many Musical Events

Please join me for some or all of these wonderful musical events:

1. The George Kahn Quintet, featuring George Kahn on piano, returns to the Culver Club in Culver City for an exciting night of West Coast Jazz on Friday, May 20th, 2011. The evening will feature music from George’s most recent highly regarded album, Secrets From The Jazz Ghetto, as well as a very special tribute to the great Horace Silver. Accompanying George Kahn will be: Larry Klimas on sax, John Fumo on trumpet, Karl Vincent on bass and M. B. Gordy on drums. The Culver Club is located in the Doubletree Hotel (FKA the Radisson Hotel)
Friday, May 20, 2011
1st show @ 7:30 PM / 2nd show @ 9:30 PM
6161 West Centinela Ave., Culver City, CA 90239
Reservation a must! call: 310-649-1776
For more info: http://www.in-housemusic.com/radisson_calendar.htm
$10 Cover Charge for the show
(The Culver Club charges a $15.00 min per person for drink or food)
(A 15% food and beverage discount is offered to Members of the LA Jazz Society and CA Jazz Foundation.)
Free validated parking with the show and all ages are welcome!

2. A special afternoon “Jazz Brunch” for lovers of both Big Band and Small Group Jazz will be presented at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood on Sunday, June 12 from Noon – 3:00 PM. George Kahn and his trio open the show, followed by the award-winning SaMoHi Jazz Band under the direction of Tom Whaley. Earlier this year, the Santa Monica High School Jazz big band and combo competed in the 43rd Annual Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival, the largest high school jazz festival in the world, at Hynes Auditorium in Boston. With 300 band competing, Samohi ended the 13-hour day triumphantly, sweeping the top awards at the festival: first place in the highest division: Division 1- Big Band and Division 1- Jazz Combo. Here are the details:
Sunday, June 12th 2011
Doors open at 11:30 AM – Music starts at 12:00 Noon
At the Catalina Jazz Club
6725 W. Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA
(one block East of Highland, park on No. McCadden Place)
Reservations a MUST! Call: (323) 466-2210
For more info: http://www.catalinajazzclub.com/
$15 COVER ($10 FOR STUDENTS), plus minimum food/drink - ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE SANTA MONICA HIGH JAZZ PROGRAM

3. Courtney Lemmon, George Kahn and Eric Sittner continue to “work it out” at WEST Restaurant at the Hotel Angeleno. This residency, which started in February, has now moved to Fridays, as well as a special Mother’s Day Brunch on May 8. The upcoming dates are: Friday May 13 and 27 from 8 – 11 PM. No cover, no minimum except for Mother’s Day Brunch, where you should call the hotel for details.
Hotel Angeleno is that “round hotel” at the corner of Sunset Blvd and the 405 freeway. Yes, it used to be a Holiday Inn. Now it is a very hip space with a great view of the city. No cover, no minimum-
Take a break from the traffic and stop in for a drink or a bite to eat.
West at the Hotel Angeleno

170 N. Church Lane, Penthouse Level, 17th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90049
P: 310.598.7859
http://urlwww--westatangeleno--com.rtrk.com

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Jazz Shmammys: The Results Are In (Part 1)

The Jazz Shmammys: the results are in.

Jazz and the Grammy Awards:
It is a strange love-hate relationship. As jazz music represents a mere 2.5% of all record sales, it is kind of irrelevant what album wins “Best Jazz Album” in any given year. That is, unless it is a wacky year like 2007 when Herbie Hancock won the Best Album of the Year (not best Jazz Album – best Album, period, for his ‘River: The Joni Letters”), or this year, where in a strange alignment of the heavens (and the Grammy voters) Esperanza Spaulding, a jazz bassist and singer that has been releasing albums since Justin Bieber was 12 years old, won the Best New Artist category. Best artist? Most definitely. But New Artist? Ms. Spaulding’s first album came out 5 years ago. Does this mean that Heads Up, the label that released the last two albums by Ms. Spaulding, thought the first one was a throw-away and not worthy of consideration? Whatever, it was a welcome surprise that someone of such talent, and not high record sales, would win this award.

So for those interested, let’s take a musical journey down the jazz road and see what albums and songs won Grammys for 2010.

BEST CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM


We have to start our journey with a little analysis of this category. In this case, contemporary does not mean “living”, though it helps to be alive to get into this category. This used to be the “Smooth Jazz” category, consisting of easy listening, semi-improvisational instrumental music. Since the term “Smooth Jazz” has now been buried with the term “Disco”, the last few remaining “Smooth Jazz” albums now fall into the “Best Pop Instrumental Album” category.

Now the defining element of “Contemporary” jazz seems to be the use of electric instruments instead of acoustic ones. I guess Trombone Shorty and his album “Backatown” didn’t get the memo on that. But then he did not get the memo that he was doing a jazz album at all – this is a funky, rockin’ album that owes more to Kool and the Gang and The Meters then it does to Wayne Henderson and the Jazz Crusaders. If he had won, it would have kicked this category into the 21st century.

The other kinky album in this category is Joey DeFrancesco and his tribute to Michael Jackson, “Never Can Say Goodbye”. I love Joey, and have always been blown away by his incredible ability to swing at any speed, and kick the bass at the same time he is wailing on the B-3. But I was disappointed by this project. It is a lovely idea to take the Michael Jackson catalog and jazz it up, but in this case the arrangements just stay too close to the originals. You just don’t want to compete with Quincy Jones on these tunes – if you are going to do “Thriller” you really got to do a whole 180 degree turn on it and take it somewhere else, or it just comes off like a bad lounge band.

DeFrancesco is too talented to sound bad for long, and on the tunes that he moves away from the originals (like on “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Billie Jean”) he creates some great music with his band. But as a whole, the album does not hold up.

The other three nominees in this category fit squarely into the “Jazz Fusion” camp (another discredited area of jazz). Sirius/XM had a jazz station called “Beyond Jazz” for quite a few years, which featured this kind of music, but they dropped it from their playlist a while ago, so honestly I don’t know quite where this music gets played anymore, outside of college dorm rooms. I am not saying its bad: I really enjoy John McLaughlin’s fusion-take on John Coltrane’s music from his “To The One” album, and wish it could have won. But the prize went instead to Stanley Clarke Band. It’s a good record, with another great star turn by the talented pianist, Hiromi. Personally, I get tired of guitar solos played on the bass, but that’s just me. Stanley, don’t lose Hiromi, she is the best thing to happen to you since George Duke…

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A Shmammy-kind of Day, Part 1

As a recording artist
I get to be a member of NARAS
and have the option of buying over-priced tickets
to the strange musical conflagration called
"The Grammys".
As the musical business continues to splinter
a few desires hold steady:
a desire for recognition
a desire for fame
a desire to share one's music with the largest population possible
(not specifically for financial gain,
but that would be nice if it happens...)
a desire to look different enough that when people see you they know you are "somebody", even if they don't know who you are.

The attractiveness of the Grammy telecast
and its worldwide audience
brings out a few unusual stars each year
Even Neil Young showed up looking like a grandfatherly curmudgeon
(he won an award in the pre-telecast).
Bob Dylan actually "sang" on key, a little.
Barbara Streisand sang without asking for all cameras to be confiscated
and Mick Jagger made a great pitch for health food and exercise.

The dress code for the women in the audience was
short, SHORT party dresses and
funny high-heeled shoes.
It was fun watching the women
try to walk in their booty-hugging outfits
on and off the escalators
up and down the steep stadium seating of the Staples Center
It made me want to buy stock in J-Lo's clothing company
and train to be a physical therapist
because all these women will need help if they keep walking around in shoes like that.

Monday, January 3, 2011

One of the TOP 10 DOWNLOADS of 2010!

Most every day of the year, AllAboutJazz.com offers a song as a free jazz download. I am thrilled to announce that my song, “Sombras De Noite (Night Shadows” is one of the Top 10 downloads for 2010. If you don’t have the song yet, please give a listen:

SOMBRAS DE NOITE (NIGHT SHADOWS) FREE DOWNLOAD

Enjoy, and Happy New Year!