By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
Award-winning R&B singer H.E.R., Los Angeles Philharmonic Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock, dancer and choreographer Lucinda Childs, and LA Phil Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel have been announced as celebrants for the 20th anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Their annual gala concert, to be held Oct. 5, will honor Frank Gehry, the architect of the iconic downtown venue and the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen Youth Orchestra Los Angeles Center at Inglewood.
Through a variety of works inspired by the sea and fish forms that have informed Gehry’s seven-decade career, performers will keep in theme with selections to include Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” with the orchestra; H.E.R., making her hall debut to perform two songs set to orchestral arrangements, and “FOG” by conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen, which he composed in 2019 for Gehry on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
The gala program, benefitting the LA Phil’s learning and community programs, will fittingly close with Debussy’s “La mer.” For tickets to the evening, including a cocktail reception, concert, dinner and afterparty at The Grand LA, visit laphil.org.
TASTY QUIP: “If it wasn’t for the people that fought for me to have residuals, I’d have been living on ramen for the rest of my life. I’m so grateful for what we have but a lot of the industry has changed and those contracts need to be updated as well.” – ROSARIO DAWSON on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike to Deadline
CLIPPETTES: Jidenna returns to the stage July 21 at The Observatory; while Eloise Laws & Tom Browne play Catalina Bar & Grill. Also, Jason Mraz is at Santa Barbara Bowl, Tori Amos performs at The Greek, Joe Henry sings at Largo and Domani is at The Roxy …
Jazz Re-Evolution, a fusion of stories, songs and memoirs of the genre’s legendary performers is being staged July 22 at The Ford with an all-star cast including Antonique Smith, Gary Dourdan, Glynn Turman, Jason George, Joseph Marcell, Keith David,Leslie Grace, Maria Bello, Miguel Sandoval, Tracie Thoms and more. Meanwhile, rap group The Pharcyde holds court at The Venice West …
Dizzy Gillespie vocal discovery Mary Stallings teams with famed saxophonist Houston Person for an afternoon session at LA Athletic Club on July 23. Later that evening Reggae Night XXI with Beres Hammond, Steel Pulse and Third World is held once again at the Hollywood Bowl; and Nephew Tommy & Friends are billed at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center …
Zebulon Café hosts Sun Ra Arkestra for two nights. “An Adventure Into Outer Space” is the theme on July 24 to be followed July 25 by “Swinging With Sunny,” which finds the ensemble swinging the tunes of Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson and beyond …
July 25, the Grammy Museum presents an intimate conversation with blues legend Taj Mahal to discuss his latest album, “Savoy,” described as a “loving throwback to the sounds of the swing jazz big band era.” Also that evening, comic Jay Pharoah brings his hilarious impressions to the Hollywood Improv …
Colson Whitehead discusses his new book “Crook Manifesto” at the Moss Theatre on July 26. Visit livetalksla.org for info on the event with tickets including signed copies …
“Macy Gray’s 1970” has the vocalist performing some of the most funkalicious songs of the 70s (feel free to dress appropriately) on July 27 at Vibrato Grill & Jazz on July 27 …
The Peacock streaming service is raising prices for the first time since inception by one to two dollars beginning Aug. 17.
TASTY QUIP: “These studios would have you guys believing that we’re being greedy and unrealistic. What’s greedy and unrealistic is six people earning $700 million between them having created nothing and everybody else in the industry struggling to pay their rent. –GINA YASHERE (“Bob Hearts Abishola”) on IG regarding the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
TC ON TV: July 21 – “They Cloned Tyrone” (Netflix): An eerie series of events leads an unlikely trio (John Boyega, Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx) down a rabbit hole into a sinister neighborhood conspiracy in this sci-fi comedy also featuring David Alan Grier and Kiefer Sutherland. “Stephen Curry: Underrated” (Apple TV+): This feature documentary, produced by Ryan Coogler with an original song by Tobe Nwigwe, blends intimate cinema veìrite, archival footage and on camera interviews to document the shooter’s rise from an undersized college player at a tiny backwater Division I college to a four-time NBA champion, building one of the most dominant sports dynasties in the world. “Big RV Remix” (Hulu): Antwan “Big Boi” Patton from Outkast and his business partner Janice Faison make their clients’ over-the-top custom vehicle renovation dreams come true through their Celebrity Trailers company. “All The Queen’s Men” (BET+): A second season of the drama based in the Atlanta nightclub industry with Eva Marcille, Christian Keys, Jeremy “Masterpiece” Williams, and Michael “Bolo” Bolwaire. “CMT Summer Sessions” (CMT): Breland
July 22 – “Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper” (NatGeoWild): The man who went viral due to a “Karen” objecting to his observations in NYC’s Central Park closes his first season of bird watching in Alabama.
July 23 – “Special Ops: Lioness” (Paramount+): From prolific writer/producer Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone”) comes this espionage series with lead and executive producer Zoe Saldaña, Emmy Award nominee Michael Kelly (“Jack Ryan”), Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman and Academy Award winner and executive producer Nicole Kidman. “Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC): Tiffany Haddish vs. her “The Haunted Mansion” director Justin Simien. “A Mother’s Intuition” (TV1): Denise Boutté portrays a young, pregnant woman who doesn’t believe her baby was stillborn. Was there a switched-at-birth cover-up with her doctors? Tune in. “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” (NGC): “Cynthia Erivo in the Brecon Beacons Mountains”
July 24 – “The Golden Boy” (HBO): Mario Lopez and Mark Wahlberg are executive producers of this series detailing the life and career of Oscar De La Hoya, the 19-year-old who became an Olympic boxing gold medalist, multi-world title-winning professional boxer, hometown hero and role model to his Mexican-American community in East Los Angeles. “Claim To Fame” (ABC): After ousting Eddie Murphy’s daughter in a shocking elimination, one competitor has a target on their back.
July 25 – “Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories” (PBS): “Stone Mountain”
July 26 – “Secret Invasion” (Disney+): The Marvel series starring Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle comes to an end. “TMZ No BS” (Tubi): Chris Brown “Big Brother 25th Anniversary Celebration” (CBS/Paramount+): Hosted by Nischelle Turner of “Entertainment Tonight,” the special features archival footage and interviews with “Big Brother” host Julie Chen Moonves, former winners, and other houseguests. To be followed by a sneak peek at the new season which begins Aug. 2.
July 27 – “Twisted Metal” (Netflix): A half-hour live-action TV series based on the classic PlayStation game series starring Anthony Mackie as a motor-mouthed outsider making a living driving packages across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. “The Michael Blackson Show” (BET+): The comic becomes a teacher to teach kids world history while trying to straighten out his own life in this sitcom.
END QUOTE: “If you do 10 minutes, I can guarantee that it will change your day-to-day tremendously. I don’t really do guided meditations as much, but verbal affirmations and breathing are really important. Taking deep breaths to reset, sometimes a simple three or even seven breaths, can help. If you take time to close your eyes and take deep breaths, you can reset your entire mood and energy in a really, really big way.” – MICHAEL B. JORDAN on meditation to the Hollywood Reporter
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly one million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.
