(6/29/00) Los Angeles, CA - On
July 14th, and each Friday thereafter, the Atlas Supper Club
(3760 Wilshire Boulevard @ Wiltern) will pulse, swing, and
sizzle with the eclectic, critically-acclaimed jazz ensemble
Lesa Carlson Off Blue. Lesa Carlson Off Blue is a daring foray
into the fusion of turntablism and multimedia with Old School
Jazz, and features the hypnotic stylings of the incomparable
DJ Jun. Tickets are $10 at the door. The public can call
323-860-6515 for more information. Dinner is served until
10:00pm on Fridays. For reservations call 213-380-8400.
Lesa Carlson herself is a stunning ingenue. The award-winning
vocalist, choreographer, and former Miss Idaho is
progressively seductive, smoky, voluptuous, and sassy. Her
captivating sensuality is enhanced by the elegant couture of
Richard Bowman, whose evocative designs have graced Britney
Spears, Ricky Martin, and the January 2000 cover of Playboy.
The other members of Lesa Carlson Off Blue - Harold Bennett
(Flute/Sax), Miles Mosely (Bass), Soko Richardson (Drums), Dan
Weinstein (Trombone/Violin), James Smith (Trumpet) - are
industry heavyweights who have worked with such notables as
Ike and Tina Turner, Ray Charles, the Jacksons, Quincy Jones,
and Jimmie Edwards. In keeping with the legacy of Old School
Jazz, the ensemble thrives on improvisation, and whether
playing original pieces or standards from Cole Porter, Miles
Davis, Thelonius Monk, or Rodgers and Hart, nothing is ever
interpreted the same way twice.
Joining Lesa Carlson Off Blue is DJ Jun. A master of multiple
genres, Jun's artistry has had a tremendous impact on both
other turntablists and the LA club scene. Among his fans and
supporters are Jason Bentley (KCRW, Bossa Nova), Raymond Roker
(URB Magazine) and Tomas (UMOJA Soundsystem, XLR8R). Weaving
turntables with sizzling jazz vocals and grooves may seem a
strange way to foster the spirit of jazz, but Lesa Carlson has
found a common thread running through seemingly disparate
forms. "Jazz, true jazz, is the sound of surprise and of raw
desire," Carlson says. "So long as these qualities are not
compromised, new elements can revitalize the form and bring
jazz to a whole new audience." In fact, past Lesa Carlson Off
Blue performances have included painters, illusionists,
reel-to-reel movies and voodoo masks, and some of these
elements may be incorporated into future Atlas shows.
Recently, Lesa Carlson Off Blue had an eight-week run of
"Torch, A Tribute To Desire" at the Greenway Court Theatre.
Lesa Carlson Off Blue is brought to you by Lesa Carlson, Green
Galactic and Kjell. Kjell is one of the creators of the
inimitable Chocolate Bar, a weekly cross-cultural rapture that
has, almost completely through word-of-mouth, reached mythic
proportions in Los Angeles art/music/dance circles. His latest
project, Inshallah Gallery, masterfully harmonizes Near
Eastern, Far Eastern, and European influences into the
framework of a Casablanca piano bar. "From our first meeting
it was obvious that Lesa and I were going to work extremely
well together," says Kjell. "Of course we would never have met
if not for Lynn." "Lynn" is Green Galactic's networking guru
Lynn Hasty. Familiar with both artists, she knew that their
pairing would be electric. Hasty explains that "Kjell's work
mirrors Lesa's in that it mixes traditional and unexpected
elements to create visual and sonic environments that are at
once exotic and familiar, welcoming and provocative."
In addition to an eye for the eclectic, Hasty adds that "Lesa
and Kjell share a relentless, uncompromising obsession with
quality. They believe that for an audience to lose itself in
the moment, there must be something real for it to
experience." Carlson agrees. "At some level people can always
tell if it's empty flash or something true and innovative."
Both Carlson and Kjell promise that Lesa Carlson Off Blue will
entice the visitor into the steamy, sultry back-alley of
musical and artistic truth.
With décor straight out of Hollywood's Golden Age, the Atlas
Supper Club (www.clubatlas.com) is an artistic statement in
itself. The club was opened in 1990 by Mario Tamayo, an
eclectic visionary, who introduced Los Angeles to Caribbean
food with ChaChaCha and Mambo. The Atlas Supper Club, located
in the beautifully restored Wiltern Theater Complex, features
an extensive wine list and a consistently superb "global
cuisine" that mixes and matches the very finest of Thai,
Mexican, Cuban, Italian and American traditions.
# #
#
For more information please contact
Lynn Hasty at Green Galactic, 323-466-5141 or
lynn@greengalactic.com.
|
|