With his huge, buoyant sound and a supple sense of swing veteran Los Angeles bassist Henry “The Skipper” Franklin has been a dependable rhythm section sparkplug for five decades. In the late 1960s and 70s he gained international prominence with a series of high profile gigs, touring and recording with resurgent LA piano legend Hampton Hawes, gigging with trumpet firebrand Freddie Hubbard, and freelancing with tenor sax giants Pharoah Sanders, Harold Land, and Sonny Rollins. He collaborated with South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela on the chart-topping hit “Grazing In the Grass” and contributed to another pop landmark, “The Secret Life of Plants” by Stevie Wonder.
<p>These days The Skipper pilots a series of excellent ensembles around the Southland, while running a respected indie label (Skipper Productions, natch). He celebrates the release of a new CD at the Radisson on Friday with his resourceful quartet featuring pianist Theo Saunders, long-time Poncho Sanchez drummer Ramon Banda, and tenor saxophonist Chuck Manning, a highly skilled improviser with a rounded middleweight tone who’s always in demand in the region’s best jazz combos.
When: Friday, December 17 at 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm
Where: Culver’s Club at the Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Westside, 6161 West Centinela Avenue, Culver City CA 90230
Cost: No Cover, Validated Parking, $15 Food/beverage minimum per person
More Information: (310) 649-1776
Latest Recording: Henry Franklin’s latest release is called Shanghai. You can purchase individual tracks or the entire album by clicking on the link below.
____________
Jazz Pick of the Week is written by Andrew Gilbert. Andy is my brother and a prolific freelance writer whose primary focus is Jazz. You can find his articles in the Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, JazzTimes and many other publications. He will periodically contribute other articles to Curating Los Angeles and share his expertise and passion for the southland Jazz scene.
Follow Us!