John Heard Quintet, L.to R.: Rickey Woodard, Lanny Hartley, Roy McCurdy, John Heard and James Smith©Glenn A. Mitchell

Longtime bassist John Heard was given a magnificent birthday party, Friday, July 3rd at Charlie O’s.  He has remained the house bassist at Charlie O’s for several years and always provides strong bass playing in their many diversified jazz shows.    

Heard took up the bass at age 14.  Some of many early career credits include Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins, Benny Carter, Hampton Hawes, Cal Tjader and Dexter Gordon.  He has recorded over 150 albums and appeared in most major jazz festivals, Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, the Vienna Opera House and Royal Festival Hall in London.  For years, Heard has also created drawings, paintings and sculptures, often portraying fellow musicians.  Many of his art works are part of the décor at Charlie O’s. 

John Pizzarelli © Andrea Canter

On Thursday, July 29th through Sunday, August 2nd, multi-talented guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli will be sharing the Catalina Bar and Grill  stage in Hollywood with his wife, theatrically gifted vocalist and Arbors Records recording artist, Jessica Molaskey. In the words of Stephen Holden of the New York Times, “The Pizzarelli-Molaskey duo are as good as it gets in any entertainment medium.” In reference to their extended engagement at New York’s Cafe Carlyle last year, Holden says, “John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey, the wittiest, most musically savvy husband-and-wife team in pop-jazz, transformed Café Carlyle into a silk-covered magic carpet that floated up and away to screwball heaven.”