Eric Lindell, a musical master of Americana, R&B and bluesy rock brought an excellent group of supporting players to his show at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach on September 20, 2012. The Northern California native who calls New Orleans home has built a strong following with excellent song writing, vocals and guitar slinging. The Saint Rocke crowd enjoyed an evening of fine tunes from Lindell’s catalog as well as a few covers and some great guitar solos from special guest Anson Funderburgh.

The Wednesday Jazz series at the Hollywood Bowl features an eclectic array of artists that stretch the definition of Jazz. That is a big part of what makes the shows special. On August 1, 2012 a large crowd came out to say farewell to The Neville Brothers who are legends of the New Orleans music scene and influenced many artists across musical genres, not just jazz. Playing a supporting role, but definitely not a subordinate one was Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave. The young bandleader and his supporting players are the embodiment of everything wonderful about the sounds of New Orleans. They were a fitting choice as The Neville Brothers pass the torch to a new generation of musicians.

South Redondo Beach is the place to go for a very special summer school program. Ortega 120 is offering monthly classes called Tequila University Summer School. Each class offers an amazing in-depth guided tasting of tequila and other Latin inspired spirits led by owner Demi Stevens, accompanied by a custom paired menu by co-owner Tommy Ortega. The restaurant held a pre-launch party on June 27, 2012 featuring Pura Vida tequila. A small group of lucky folks sipped the tequila straight, tasted some fresh cocktails and sampled authentic food while learning about the tequila.