The Jazzcat

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Well it’s summertime. I don’t know if the livin’ is easy

but, it sure is hot. When the music starts at the Westin, it gets even hotter!

This week Larry Nash and his sextet torched the place. He

had an incredible sextet with a powerful front line and a kick-ass rhythm

section that certainly made the Westin the place to be. The magic and dynamic

sounds of the Cross-Hart Connection (Ryan Cross on bass and Lorca Hart on Drums)

joined by Tony Poingsett playing Bongos and Congas was surged with soul and

kept the capacity crowd on the edge of their seats. Ricky Woodard and Leslie

Drayton, playing Tenor and Trumpet respectively, although masters of their own

sound, at times took me back to the days of Lee and Wayne( If you don’t know,

you better ask somebody ). If the crowd was on the edge of their seats before,

these cats knocked them off!

Yes, there were some on the floor, dancing to the blues and

groovin’ straight ahead to the energetic sounds of this outstanding creative

source for the music. Larry Nash is a monster on piano! From percussive fire to

the sweetest of ballads, Larry scans the spectrum of sound and always manages

to keep the intensity on high. Larry played with so many greats like

Cannonball, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Harris and many, many others that it is no

wonder that we are blessed with such great music.

This is music that affects your life, folks. We need it just

as much as we need water, food, shelter and love. Yes, a basic necessity and

people came out in droves this week to quench their thirst! 

There are so many of our local talent that I have not yet

had the chance to experience. When I worked at the jazz station overnight, I

usually had to sleep while all this great music was being played around town! I

may have experienced it through osmosis but, there is no reason for me, or you

for that matter, to be a sleeper any longer.

Please, I urge you and invite you to come on out to the

Westin LAX, every Wednesday from 6pm – 10pm, and hang out with me. The music

will be on and we will be guaranteed a wonderful night of jazz music!

LeRoy Downs

(The Jazzcat)