“A Journey Through Jazz” featuring Bunny Brunel and guest performer Gwyn Foxx 2.0. Live & hosted by TV Writer & Comedian Kevin Foster happened at Catalina Jazz Club on August 11th, 2023. I am utterly blown away by the response of this show. I curated it with the intention of honoring the long-standing genre of jazz in all its forms, including a spin on James Brown’s legacy done in the “spirit” of jazz. Then Bunny Brunel played his upright bass on some straight-ahead tunes that included jazz staples like “Dolphin Dance” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” to a very appreciative audience that evening. He was backed by the all-star trio that included Land Richards on drums, Mahesh Balasooriya on the grand piano, Joe Calderon on guitar. Their set was amazing. These musicians are top LA players, and it showed with their intense round of improvisational solos. Bunny wielded his upright with the ease of his fretless and played intricately and melodically otherworldly soundscapes. The audience response is always the same … mouth open, eyes wide, shocked at his musical abilities, the same reaction by audiences around the world. Yes, Bunny Brunel is a marvel.
Bunny Brunel plays a set of straight ahead jazz standards on the upright bass at the Catalina Jazz Club for Kaylene Peoples: “A Journey Through Jazz” (Photo: Karim Saafir)
But let’s talk about Gwyn Foxx 2.0 Live’s show. Do you know that she had only 2 weeks to put her show together? Here’s the backstory:
I was approached by Catalina’s to perform in August, which at the time was less than three weeks notice. I hadn’t been doing my own show(s) as Kaylene Peoples and particularly my show “Romantic Bossa-Nova” which had been growing in popularity. I have been mostly a sideman (woman) playing flute and singing a couple of tunes in Bunny Brunel’s band CAB. But as Kaylene Peoples . . . not much this year at all. So I took this opportunity to get back on stage. Now mind you, I was planning to make my presence known next year, but I was still really just working out the details. Basically, I was on a break. Last year, I saw an amazing show with Gwyn Foxx. She was dynamic, doing a set of r&b hits, including a James Brown tune. The audience at that show was extremely attentive. You could tell they loved her performance, it was literally the first time I’d had the privilege, but there was something about that James Brown tune, and the response we all had in that room that night. I approached Gwyn about putting together a show and being my guest at Catalina Jazz Club. Well, she not only pulled it off, but was a smashing hit with the audience who really appreciated her “ode to old school” with the hits “Get Up Off of That Thing,” “Gonna Have a Funky Good Time,” and “Please, Please, Please.” Foxx’s singing was off the chain with the audience dancing in their seats to “I Feel Good”, “Papa Got a Brand New Bad,” “It’s A Man’s World,” and others, segueing into Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” and performing her single “Never Gonna Leave Me.” What a powerful performance with background singers on-point and a five-piece horn section!
Gwyn Foxx performs her tribute to James Brown and Al Green at Catalina Jazz Club (Photo: Karim Saafir)
After Gwyn’s show and Kevin Foster’s riffing with the audience, I finally approached the stage, carrying a vodka martini, which I had never done before. I tend to have a martini before I go up on stage, meant only to cut the edge. There had been a slight hiccup in my show. I had advertised Dave Brubeck and had intended to play my arrangement of “Blue Rondo a la Turk” with the band. Unfortunately, my flute mic had other ideas; it wouldn’t stay on. Could have been the battery, but who had time to figure that out? I was up next.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – AUGUST 11: A Journey Through Jazz Starring Kaylene Peoples featuring Bunny Brunel and Gwyn Foxx hosted by Kevin Foster at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, CA (Photo by Karim Saafir)
“Following Gwyn Foxx’s highly energetic performance and Bunny Brunel’s acoustic set with his exquisite musicianship, my show, “A Journey Through Jazz,” took a slight detour to a journey through my soul that evening. This year, I had taken a hiatus, rather a soul-searching sabbatical as an artist, pondering the meaning of it all as not only a musician but as an entertainer. Coming back fresh to Catalina’s stage, I found my sweet spot. And that evening I let loose, and enjoyed myself and the audience! I was able to engage, and it felt wonderful. It was a true celebration of the spontaneity of jazz!” –Kaylene Peoples
I had the harebrained idea to toss my setlist and use my martini as a prop! I led with “Girl from Ipanema” in a more mellow performance than the way I usually had sang the tune. But before doing that, I introduced my martini as part of the act, placed it on the stool next to me and did the song. After Ipanema, I called out Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” and the band fell perfectly in step. that song was sublime. At least it felt like it was. By the sheer overview of the audience, they were with me on every lyric. At the end of the song, I drank my martini and bowed my head. Wow! That felt great. From there I was just randomly calling out tunes from my setlist and the band stayed in step with me on every song from “One Note Samba” to “Berimbau.” I completed my set with “Spain,” so I thought when during the round of solos, I had forgotten to do the Brubeck tune I promised. After ending “Spain,” I explained that I had promoted “Take Five” and wanted to keep my promise, so that became my encore, and the audience loved it. I was so glad. Joe Calderon and I share a complex unison guitar/vocal scat after his solo, and we nailed it. So that was the show. Here are some quotes from the evening:
“Many people don’t realize that I actually started playing the bass on the upright. This show made me bring out the old friend that started it all. One thing I have learned through my musical career is it doesn’t matter what kind of bass you play, what’s important is that you PLAY the bass. My set “Bunny Brunel Unplugged” gave me a chance to step away from fusion and my fretless, reminding me how it all started in the first place!” –Bunny Brunel, Founding Member of CAB & Grammy-Nominated Bassist
“I never thought in a million years that my singing one James Brown tune from my setlist would inspire talented Kaylene Peoples to approach me with the idea of performing an entire set of 90-percent James Brown songs. But it did… and so did I. I have to say, it was a funky and fun experience! I noticed that the audience really was into it as well as my 5-piece horn section, background singers, and myself! One of the audience members came over to me and said, ‘Thank you for taking me down memory lane.’ It was awesome. What a great experience for us all! The sound was incredible, the venue is well known, the band was amazing, and the feeling was fantastic!”–Gwyn Foxx 2.0 Live
HOLLYWOOD, CA – AUGUST 11: A Journey Through Jazz Starring Kaylene Peoples featuring Bunny Brunel and Gwyn Foxx hosted by Kevin Foster at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, CA (Photo by Karim Saafir)
And here’s what Kevin Foster, our host had to say about me …
“Kaylene performs with such passion and energy (an audience consensus). The scat sequence on “Take Five” with guitarist Joe Calderon was very technical and precise. Nice new wrinkle. Kaylene has a powerful command of the stage, and ironically people are [still] surprised when she plays the flute like they still don’t expect women to do that!”–Kevin Foster, TV Writer & Comedian
Host for the Evening Kevin Foster at the Catalina Jazz Club for Kaylene Peoples: “A Journey Through Jazz” on August 11, 2023 (Photo: Karim Saafir)
Yeah… about that! So people, there are tons of women musicians, I’m just one of many. Interestingly, I play my flute in my shows as a soloing choice. Don’t let me break loose! lol! Anyway the show, in my humble opinion, was a moment in time that I feel will be a musical night to remember. I am extremely proud to have had the honor of curating this show, having the incredible musicians who were involved all with the backdrop of the premier jazz venue in Hollywood, the Catalina Jazz Club. Thank you Manny and Catalina for the opportunity to stretch my wings! Until the next time…
Check out the great press from this event: Daily music Roll; Agenda; Schmooze Jazz;Music Industry News
“Another great concert writeup! Congrats to the Journey Through Jazz team: Curator Kaylene Peoples Music, Bunny Brunel II, Gwyn Foxx 2.0 Live, and the all-star trio (Mahesh Balasooriya, Joe Calderon, and Land Richards) who performed at the Catalina Bar & Grill! Other notable mentions come from Associated Press, United Kingdom News (Incl. 3 more news sources in Great Britain), and 5 additional news sources in Canada, including Quebec News), Fox News in three states; Also a big mention in Google News (Digital Journal & Benzinga)!“ First Take PR
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