Joe Williams Joins Drew Benefit

One name has been added to the already impressive lineup for this year’s Jazz at Drew Legacy Music Series, to be held Oct. 3-4 at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science in Los Angeles--that of singer Joe Williams. Williams is scheduled to sing with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra during Sunday’s daylong event.

Williams, 79, who bowed out of a July 26 performance at John Anson Ford Theatre because of respiratory problems, was on his way out for a round of golf when he was reached at his home in Las Vegas. “Oh, yes, I’m much better,” he reports. “I’ve been sticking close to doctors’ orders and doing just what they say. I’m thrilled to be associated with Drew University and excited to hear the Gerald Wilson Orchestra. I’ve been a fan of Gerald’s since we first met years ago.”

The Drew festival opens Saturday with Angela Bofill, Norman Connors and his Starship Orchestra, Charles Brown and international ensembles. In addition to Williams and the Wilson Orchestra, Sunday’s lineup features the “Trumpet Masters” with Harry “Sweets” Edison, Art Farmer, Jon Faddis and Oscar Brashear, pianist Cedar Walton and drummer Billy Higgins, the Teddy Edwards Brass String Ensemble, James Moody, Phyllis Battle and others. Proceeds benefit Drew’s various education programs. Info: (213) 563-9395.

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New Talent: When pianist Elijah James is awarded this year’s Shelly Manne Memorial New Talent Award at the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s 16th annual Tribute and Awards Concert on Oct. 25 at Los Angeles’ Biltmore Hotel, he’ll be joining a distinguished fraternity.

Previous winners in the last dozen years include the Wynton Marsalis-Lincoln Jazz Center pianist and Impulse! recording artist Eric Reed; Scott Colley, the bassist who’s worked with Joe Henderson, John Scofield, Joe Lovano and others since winning the award; and Resurgent Records artist and recent New York transplant, pianist Cecilia Coleman.

The 21-year-old James attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles and recently graduated with a degree in English from UC Berkeley. This summer, he was a member of the Henry Mancini Institute’s various jazz ensembles. He’ll use the $1,500 prize to pursue a master’s degree in jazz performance and composition at USC.

Other awards to be given at this year’s event include lifetime achievement, to James Moody; composing-arranging, to John Clayton; jazz educator, to Bobby Rodriguez (his Los Angeles School of the Arts jazz band recently appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival); and jazz vocalist, to Barbara Morrison. Composer-pianist Horace Silver is this year’s Tribute Honoree. Moody, Clayton, Morrison, Rodriguez, Teddy Edwards, Billy Higgins, Terri Lyne Carrington and others will perform. Info: (323) 469-6800.

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Indie Label: It may come as a surprise that Mythology, the boutique CD label that records some of New York’s most progressive musicians, is based in Carpinteria. The reason? It’s a family affair.

The label’s brainchild and principal artist, saxophonist David Binney, lived in Ventura before moving to New York in 1980. Since then, Binney has been an integral member of new-thing band Lost Tribe, recorded with Medeski Martin & Wood and made an acclaimed album, “The Luxury of Guessing,” under his own name for AudioQuest Music. But when he started his own label, he left the business end of it to his mother, Dolores Binney, who lives in Carpinteria.

“It’s important to us that we have control on all levels, musically, artistically and with the business,” Binney said from San Francisco recently.

In its first year, Mythology has put out three recordings: “Free to Dream” with Binney’s 11-piece ensemble, “La Bikina” from New York pianist Edward Simon and “Lan Xang,” an eponymous collaboration among Binney, saxophonist Donny McCaslin and bassist and former L.A. resident Scott Colley.

Lan Xang plays 66 California in Ventura on Saturday, (805) 648-2266; Soho in Santa Barbara on Sunday, (805) 962-7776; and the Jazz Bakery on Monday, (310) 271-9039. Information on Mythology recordings: (888) 684-2968, or https://www.mythologyrecords.com.