Los Angeles-based vocalist Judy Wexler has been garnering rave reviews and fans across the country and around the world. A touring and recording artist, she has headlined at jazz festivals, performing arts centers and major jazz clubs both nationally and internationally. She has a pliably warm, lustrous sound and displays an unerring ear for underexposed gems. She began studying music at a very young age and spent her early years training in theater and performing in plays, musicals and television — skills which have helped make her a consummate interpreter of lyrics.  All About Jazz says, “Judy Wexler is more than a mere singer of songs, she is an actress, mood painter, song archaeologist and vocalist par excellence.”

Her 6th and latest CD, Back to the Garden (Jewel City Jazz, June 2021), has been receiving wide national jazz radio airplay, charting on JazzWeek‘s Top 50, and critical praise in DownBeat, JazzTimes, Jazziz, and Music Connection Magazines, as well as JazzWax, the #1 jazz blog in the USA. Back To The Garden recasts classic songs of the 1960s as jazz/pop anthems that are as relevant today as they were over 50 years ago. All About Jazz says, “Back to the Garden is quite a recording. Judy Wexler—petite in stature, but tremendously talented and agile in artistry—delivers her finest performance and certainly most ambitious album to date. Wexler’s awesome vocal talent, dexterity, and expressive flair lavishly wash across the session.” Her prior CD, a collaboration with piano great Alan Pasqua called Crowded Heart (June 2019, Jewel City Jazz), presents “jazz standards for the 21st century,” an anthology of ten modern jazz compositions by contemporary songwriters. Ted Gioia, author of The Jazz Standards and The History of Jazz says, “What a joy to listen to this album, both for the exquisite music-making of Judy Wexler and Alan Pasqua, but also for their astuteness in finding and featuring outstanding songs by current-day jazz composers. Highly recommended!” Judy’s other CDs include What I See (2013), Under a Painted Sky (2011), Dreams & Shadows (2008), and her debut, Easy on the Heart (2005). All of Judy’s CDs have topped the national JazzWeek radio charts and received enthusiastic reviews, including two profiles on NPR Weekend Edition with Susan Stamberg, who said, “From the evidence on her new second album, Dreams & Shadows, Judy Wexler can sing almost anything.”

Past performances include the Montreal Jazz Festival, Tel Aviv Jazz Festival, Dubai Jazz Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival, Birdland, The Blue Note and Jazz at Kitano (New York City), Scullers (Boston), Jazz Alley (Seattle), Yoshi’s (San Francisco), Blues Alley (Washington, D.C.), Nardis Jazz Club (Istanbul), and Upstairs Jazz Club (Montreal), among many others.

Born into a musical family, Larry has been playing the guitar since he was seven years old. In his early years he studied with legendary guitar master Jimmy Wyble, and at the age of fifteen he recorded an album with his father, guitarist Dave Koonse, entitled Dave and Larry Koonse; father and son jazz guitars. In 1984, Larry was the first recipient of a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California.

Immediately after graduating from USC Larry toured extensively for six years as a member of the John Dankworth quartet, traveling all across the globe and backing up Cleo Laine. He is a member of Billy Child’s landmark chamber sextet whose most recent CD release is titled Autumn: In Moving Pictures. He has received multiple Grammy nominations for the aforementioned CD (jazz album of the year and instrumental performance); for the sextet’s first release Lyric (ensemble performance); and for two Luciana Souza releases (best vocal album for Tide and Book of Chet). Larry also received Grammy nominations for his work with Bob Mintzer (All L.A. Band) and Peter Erskine (Dr. Um). He has also toured with Mel Torme, Bob Brookmeyer, Billy Childs, John Patitucci, David Friesen, Karrin Allyson, Luciana Souza, Natalie Cole, Bob Mintzer, Tierney Sutton, Peter Erskine, Hubert Laws, Warne Marsh and was a featured performer with the Percy Faith Orchestra on a tour of Japan.

At the invitation of Nelson Mandela and UNICEF, Larry traveled to South Africa to perform for the first annual SAMIX festival with the Steve Houghton quintet. He also performed with Gary Willis in Sao Paulo for a government sponsored concert at SESC Ipiranga. In his travels, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Academy of Music, Disney Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and has been a featured soloist with the L.A. Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and many other orchestras throughout the world.

Having been featured on over 400 albums, Larry has recorded with Cleo Laine, Al Hirt, Jimmy Rowles, Bob Brookmeyer, Luciana Souza, Lee Konitz, Larry Goldings, Mel Torme, Alan Broadbent, Ray Brown, Bill Perkins, Toots Thielemanns, Rod Stewart, Seth MacFarlane, Linda Ronstadt, David Friesen, Bob Sheppard, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Warne Marsh, Charlie Haden, Natalie Cole and many other jazz artists. His solo guitar work was featured throughout “Crazy”, a feature film chronicling the life of the great guitarist Hank Garland.

The founder of the Player’s School, the renown bassist Jeff Berlin, contacted Larry in 1995 to write a guitar curriculum which is currently used for their program. He was co-leader of the L.A. Jazz Quartet which released their fourth CD, Conversation Piece (NAXOS Records) in September, 2000. The quartet’s first three CD’s, Astarte (GOWI), Look To The East (NAXOS), and Family Song (NTR), have received critical acclaim for their originality and musical depth. Larry’s most recent recording, Conversations, a CD featuring the great pianist David Roitstein in a set of originals and standards, is now available through the Jazz Compass label. He has four other releases from Jazz Compass: Americana (a recording featuring Scott Colley on the bass), Dialogues of the Heart (featuring his father Dave Koonse in a guitar duo setting), Storybook (featuring the bassist Darek Oles), and What’s in the Box, featuring the music of the great guitarist/composer Jimmy Wyble in various settings. Larry has been a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts since 1990.

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Jeff Colella is an endlessly inventive, post-bop pianist, and one of Los Angeles’ busiest jazz musicians. Besides performing as a solo artist and with his trio, he maintains a very active schedule as an accompanist, recording artist, composer, arranger, producer, clinician, educator, and now author. His new book, “Love Music” is available online at mymusicMasterclass.com.

Jeff’s most recent recording is a critically acclaimed duo recording with legendary bassist Putter Smith entitled “Lotus Blossom” for the American Jazz Institute. He has two other releases as leader, “Alone Together” and “Letting Go,” both trio recordings and both on Sea Breeze Records.

His music has been recorded by several artists, most recently by the noted saxophonist Bob Sheppard, who recorded two of Jeff’s compositions on his latest CD “Close Your Eyes”, released on BFM Records. Jeff’s work as arranger/pianist can be heard on Judy Wexler’s “Back To The Garden” and on the Summit Records CD “Lost In The Stars” by vocalist Deborah Shulman and trombonist Larry Zalkind.

Jeff toured with the late, legendary Lou Rawls as his pianist and conductor for nearly sixteen years until his untimely passing in 2006. He appeared with Rawls at jazz festivals, clubs, and with orchestras throughout the U.S. and abroad. In addition to his work with Lou Rawls, the list of artists that Jeff has performed and recorded with over the years is extensive. Jeff toured worldwide for seven years with the Jazz Tap Ensemble, and also served as Musical Director for another of our legendary singers, Jack Jones. He has worked with Diane Schuur, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Morgana King, Sheila Jordan, Kenny Washington, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Peter Gallagher, the Bill Holman Big Band, Stacey Rowles, Larry Koonse, Bobby Shew, Bob Sheppard, Judy Wexler, Denise Donatelli, Julie Kelly, Catte Adams, the Mike Barrone Big Band, Janice Mann, Anita O’Day, Frank Potenza, Greg Poree, John Pagano, Paulette McWilliams and Miki Howard to name just a few.

In addition to his professional schedule, Jeff is currently on the faculty at the World Mission University in Los Angeles.

The American dream came true for Catalina Popescu in October of 1986 when she and her husband Bob created a supper club devoted to serving an experience of superb eats and the shared magic of live performance. That grand experience began at the door where every night her mother Maria would greet each guest as family and share in their love of music. Housed in Hollywood and decked out in a timeless charm, the club offers a cozy ambience under sparkling stage lights garnished with its signature concoction — Jazz. The first artist to grace the stage was the masterful flutist and saxophonist Buddy Collette, and ever since then, over the past 36 years, the Catalina Jazz Club has hosted the most illustrious legends of all time — from the powerful puffers of Dizzy Gillespie to the electrified fingers of McCoy Tyner, the bubbly belt of Dee Dee Bridgewater and Lynda Carter, the flirtatious saxophone of Joshua Redman, the slick strumming of Kenny Burrell, the insane drum clinic of Steve Gadd, the romance of Steve Tyrell, and the masterclass of Mike Stern.

For Catalina, Jazz is our way of life. It breathes pain. It knows love. It dreams hope. It bleeds courage. Whether we’re showcasing Broadway, Soul, R&B, or stand-up comedy, the lesson learned from all the greats who have serenaded our spirits is how to connect to one another. And that’s why the Catalina Jazz Club will always have a table ready for you.

The Catalina Jazz Club has been honored by A.S.M.A.C., California Jazz Foundation, Los Angeles Jazz Society, and a City of Los Angeles Certificate of Appreciation on their 25th Anniversary, which was awarded by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the LA City Council which included then City Council member and current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.