Jazz

Downtown Burbank will turn into an open-air dance hall as thousands of enthusiastic dancers swing and jive under the stars to the best in live music every Thursday in July and August. This outdoor concert series lasts for nine weeks and happens on the AMC Walkway at Palm Avenue and San Fernando Road. Festivities kick-off at 6 p.m. with free swing and salsa classes led by Francisco & Stacey. Once the band starts at 7 p.m., participants will dance the night away on the outdoor plaza. Concerts are free, and are presented by the Downtown Burbank Partnership.

Gary Moskowitz Wearing a sundress, sandals and a large-brimmed straw hat, Pamela Mims came to the Montrose Arts & Crafts Festival on Saturday ready to browse for knick-knacks. The 21st annual event was on Saturday and Sunday in the 2200 to 2400 blocks of Honolulu Avenue in Montrose. The Montrose Shopping Park Assn. sponsored the weekend festival. About 50,000 people attended the two-day event, officials said. "I love these types of things," said Mims, 50, of Altadena.

Judy Seckler PTA President Elaine McCoy held a retirement party at her home for Mark Keppel primary grade teacher Melba Cunningham. Cunningham is retiring after 34 years with the Glendale Unified School District. A crowd of 75 well-wishers including teachers from Eugene Field Elementary and Keppel enjoyed a light buffet and a special decorated cake. Live music was supplied by a Craig Kupka's Hoover High jazz combo at the Thursday celebration.

The Colburn Orchestra, from the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, is tuning up for its debut at the Alex Theatre on Sunday. This performance is just the beginning of sharing students' talent with surrounding communities, said Deborah Berman, dean and chief academic officer. "We are really looking to bring the Colburn Orchestra to new audiences in the L.A. area," she said. For more than 55 years, the Colburn School of Performing Arts has offered performing arts education to young people, she said.

Junior ballet company gives first performance The Media City Ballet will introduce members of its new Junior Ballet Company during a performance at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Media Dance Centre, 237 E. Palm Ave., Burbank. This youth company consists of dancers between 13 and 17 and will be directed by Natasha and Askar Kettebekov. Dancers were chosen to join the apprentice program, and may eventually become members of the senior company, which annually performs "The Nutcracker" at The Alex Theatre in Glendale.

Judy Seckler HOOVER HIGH -- No one may ever know why Hoover High School student Benjamin Valentine allowed his life to slip away in an instant. The 17-year-old was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head the morning of June 23 at his Glendale home, Glendale Police said. Valentine lived with his father, who was the owner of the gun. Valentine was a saxophone player and part of the Hoover jazz ensemble. He was always talking about jazz, friend Andrew Bruns, 17, said.

Whether you like the smooth sounds of Frank Sinatra, the wacky stylings of Sha Na Na or just want to rock out to Beatles tunes, the Summer Concert Season at the Starlight Bowl in Burbank aims to have the music to fit your tastes. Beatles fans will be screaming, "yeah, yeah, yeah," on Sunday when cover band the Fab Four opens the season. This is the first time the band will play the entire evening without an opening act, said program organizer Kristen Smith, recreation services manager for the city of Burbank.

The creative aspect of being a live performer and composer for TV shows and film is what La Crescenta musician David Siebels loves most about his profession. He will be recognized for that creativity by his alma mater, Cal State University Fullerton, when he receives the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award on April 30 during a ceremony hosted by Visions & Visionaries at the Anaheim Marriott. After graduating from Cal State Fullerton in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in music and emphasis in music education, Siebels went on to arrange and produce 27 albums, score 35 films and nine television series, conduct 65 musical variety television shows and compose and arrange two musical variety television specials.

For those weary of the hussle and bussle of the holidays, Ann Louise Christensen suggests listening to her new CD, “Spirit of Christmas.” While other holiday-themed recordings are more on the sacred side, hers is more of a reflective album, the Glendale resident said. “It’s very peaceful, serene, calm and quiet,” she said. “It’s nice to listen to when you are writing Christmas cards, wrapping or unwrapping gifts or looking for a way to release the stress that comes along with the holidays.