Friends, I need your help. I’m excited to share that I'm returning to LA Phil’s UPBEAT LIVE! on Thursday, June 4, before Gustavo Dudamel: Celebrating the Musicians of the LA Phil.
This is a beautiful program because it places the spotlight directly on the musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic: clarinet, horn, flute, trombone, harp, bassoon, cello, bass, trumpet, timpani, piano, oboe, violin, and more. It is a rare program, and I’d love your help as I prepare.
If you had the chance to ask these performers something about their work, their instruments, the composition, their practice, their preparation, or the inner life of performing at this level, what would you ask? What does a harpist think about that a non-harpist would never imagine? What does a trombonist, cellist, oboist, bassist, or trumpeter know from inside the music that we might miss from the hall?
I’m especially curious about questions that a non-cellist, non-trombonist, non-harpist, non-bassoonist, non-timpanist, etc. might not know to ask. What do you wonder about when you watch or hear musicians like this perform?
Drop your questions below. I may carry some of them with me as I shape the talk. And yes, I’ll cite you!
Be well.
Marc
I am pleased to host this event with UCLA African American Studies / AF AM 108: Jazz and the Political Imagination, with support from the UCLA Department of History and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
Please join us for a screening and discussion of The Cry of Jazz, the landmark 1959 film that brings together jazz, race, urban history, fandom, and the political imagination.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with my good friend Dr. Masayoshi Yamada, @masayoshi1028 , UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Santa Cruz.
Thursday, May 7, 2026
3:00–4:30 PM
Kaplan Hall 193
It's FREE!!
#JazzStudies #AfricanAmericanStudies #UCLA #TheCryOfJazz #JazzHistory #BlackStudies #UrbanHistory #PoliticalImagination
New Orleans for Ragtime Days, founded by Patrick Mackey, where I’ll join Walter Nelson for an April 9 talk-demo at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
Today. 2pm.
Spring is filling up with meaningful work, and I’m grateful to be part of it. In April, I’ll be in New Orleans for Ragtime Days, founded by Patrick Mackey, where I’ll join Walter Nelson for an April 9 talk-demo at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Our presentation explores ragtime as Black social music rooted in rhythm, movement, and shared practice, and the festival continues through the weekend with performances, dancing, and community events.
In May, I’ll be performing bass trombone with Kirk Franklin for the Mother’s Day Weekend Symphony in Los Angeles, presented by Leon Lacey’s Black Tie Cinematic Symphony, on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
Then on June 4, I’ll be speaking at Walt Disney Concert Hall for Upbeat Live before Gustavo Dudamel: Celebrating the Musicians of the LA Phil.
I’m thankful for the chance to contribute to each of these in different ways.
More things to come. For more information, follow the link in my bio.
Join us on March 25, 2026 at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill & Jazz in Bel Air for Great Songs of American Cinema with the Robin Simone Hollywood Orchestra. We’d love to see you there for an evening of timeless music, style, and live performance.
Reserve your seats here: https://share.google/gskqw60b4Rv3JMl2n
Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, TONIGHT, Feb. 17.
The Obscure Distillery’s Fat Tuesday Celebration takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., bringing big NOLA energy to the Arts District. Typically reserved for members, The Obscure is opening its doors to the public for the evening. Expect beads, live music from Beaucoup Brass Band, and an exclusive one-night-only food and cocktail menu inspired by Louisiana flavors.
Sip bold cocktails like the King Cake Highball, Bananas Foster Coconut Milk Punch, and classic rum and gin daiquiris, and bite into house-made beignets and Creole-inspired dishes like braised beef, blackened catfish, dirty rice, hush puppies with honey butter, and creamy grits.
Tickets are $10, available online via SevenRooms, and purple, green, and gold attire is encouraged.
