Summer Programs at Museums a Success

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art have used free outdoor jazz programs to draw the public to their facilities, but representatives of the museums say that this summer sparked a banner year in terms of attendance.

“It was incredible,” said Dorrance Stalvey, director of music programs at LACMA. “We had upward of 2,000 people at some shows.” The museum--in its fourth year of offering jazz on a weekly basis--presented such artists as Horace Tapscott, Dr. Art Davis and Cecilia Coleman at its Friday evening shows, and big bands led by Bill Berry, Gerald Wilson and Bill Holman on Sunday afternoon programs.

“This program was by far the most successful we’ve had,” said Dawn Setzer, spokesperson for MOCA. “We averaged about 1,500 people a show,” a figure up considerably from previous years’ events.

Setzer said the primary reason for the increased turnout was the high-profile strictly-jazz lineup, presented on 11 consecutive Thursdays, that included Charles McPherson, Billy Higgins and Teddy Edwards.

LACMA continues its Friday evening shows throughout the year, currently spotlighting a retrospective of bands that have played there, plus new acts.

Tonight, it’s pianist Alan Broadbent’s quartet with reed ace Gary Foster, followed by the quartets of Frank Strazzeri on Sept. 29 and James Carney on Oct. 6. Shows run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Information: (213) 857-6000.

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Quintet Smorgasbord: The new all-star group Unity, which performs Wednesday through Saturday at the Jazz Bakery, is almost like a mini-jazz festival.

Comprised of Dori Caymmi (guitar, vocals), Kevyn Lettau (vocals), Billy Childs (keyboards), Alphonso Johnson (bass) and Michael Shapiro (drums), the recently formed band offers something for almost everyone.

There are quintet tunes by Caymmi, trio numbers spotlighting Childs, Lettau-led duets alternately with Caymmi, Johnson and Childs, and more.

“We do a lot of numbers by Dori,” says Lettau, who has recorded with Caymmi and has placed six of his songs on her own JVC albums. She’s also written tunes with Childs. “We all have a lot of history,” she says.

The group, which has just performed on the East Coast and in Northern California, was put together to attract fans with a variety of music, and for the musicians themselves.

Information: (310) 271-9039.

Club Time for Toots: The great Belgian harmonica player Toots Thielemans makes a rare nightclub date Tuesday through Oct. 1, when he plays the intimate confines of Catalina Bar & Grill.

The artist, known for his warm yet rigorous expositions, will be accompanied by a fine trio: Kenny Werner on keyboards, Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums.

“Kenny has a string synthesizer,” Thielemans says, “but it’s not run of the mill. The strings sound like a symphony, and if you know me, I’m a sucker for a ballad with strings.”

Thielemans says he’ll offer some brazen jazz pieces, such as John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” and some Brazilian pieces. “The Brazilians, like Jobim, put ‘mellow’ into be-bop harmony,” says Thielemans.

Mellow is a word that describes his playing as well. “In the last five, six years, I’m getting more emotional,” he says. “But I’ve long said my playing is between a smile and a tear.”

Information: (213) 466-2210.

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Sticking to the Songs: Brooklyn-born Toronto resident Trudy Desmond has led a varied life, from being a high-end interior designer to working in TV, films and musicals in Canada. Now she’s realized that singing jazz means more to her than anything, so that’s where she’s decided to place her focus.

“There’s nothing better, but I had to go away from it to know,” says the powerful-voiced Desmond, who appears Thursday through Sept. 30 at the Cinegrill in the Radisson Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Desmond works with Ted Rosenthal on piano, Neil Swainson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

Information: (213) 466-7000.

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‘Trane Time: The annual John Coltrane Festival takes place tonight at 8 at the World Stage, 4344 Degnan Blvd. in Leimert Park. On tap will be Ravi Coltrane, Dr. Art Davis’ estimable quintet with Doug Webb and Phil Vieux, and others. Information: (213) 293-2451.

Davis will also appear at a benefit for Better Advantages for Students and Society (BASS), which awards a scholarship in his name. The event takes place on Sunday, 4 to 7 p.m., at Diva, 600 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa.

Information: (714) 754-0600.