BEST OF SUMMER: JAZZ

One of the blessings of living in a major destination for entertainment acts of every imaginable genre is that our summers are usually overflowing with jazz and world music choices.

And that’s great. What’s not so great is that the choices aren’t always what they seem. After all, one person’s smooth jazz is another’s instrumental pop and another’s musical wallpaper.

The Hollywood Bowl, for example, features eight jazz-titled programs, including a trio of excellent events: a Count Basie centennial tribute, with Jon Hendricks, Ernestine Anderson and others, July 28; the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Aug. 4; and the grouping of the Zawinul Syndicate, the Dave Holland Big Band and the Michael Brecker Quindectet, Aug. 25. A few first-rate jazz artists -- Cassandra Wilson, Terence Blanchard and Stefon Harris among them -- turn up on other concerts.

So far, so good. But a closer look at some programs provides a very different picture. Those other five jazz-titled concerts in the Bowl’s jazz series, for example, drift well away from the center via such marginal jazz participants as Boz Scaggs, the Neville Brothers, Van Morrison and others.

Then there’s the Bowl’s World Festival music series -- once a cornucopia of opportunities to experience rarely heard international artists -- now little more than a fast-food feast of exotic pop. The program titles tell the story: “World Electronica,” “World Hip Hop,” “Global Divas V,” “Reggae Night III,” “American Roots.” (That would be what? World music for someone living in Peru?) The sole redeeming exception is the opening world music concert June 27 -- a fine Brazilian night featuring Jorge Ben Jor, Margareth Menezes and Daude.

At the Greek Theatre, also a former jazz and world music destination, both genres are virtually nonexistent, except for performances by Diana Krall, July 16-17, and the Gipsy Kings, July 9-10.

That’s not to say that the programs at the Bowl, the Greek and beyond won’t be entertaining, whatever the genre definition. The Playboy Jazz Festival, which opens the Bowl season June 19 and 20, presents a typically balanced musical banquet with a little something for every preference: Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Etta James and Roy Hargrove among the headliners, and Hugh Masekela, Michael Lington and Brian Culbertson among the pop/jazz/crossover acts.

But what to do if you want to hear something more credible, less packaged, more creatively offbeat? There’s actually quite a bit; it just takes a little detective work. So, having done a little sleuthing, here are a few spotlight choices from my list of the summer’s don’t-miss jazz and world music events:

Start with the revival of a jazz landmark. Central Avenue, in the years before and after World War II, was the heartbeat of jazz in Los Angeles. On any given night, artists ranging from Jelly Roll Morton and Art Tatum to Teddy Edwards and Charles Mingus were in action at the avenue’s numerous clubs and jam sessions. Memories of that magical era are revived every summer by the Central Avenue Jazz Festival, appropriately situated at a location adjacent to the legendary Dunbar Hotel. This year’s event, July 31 to Aug. 1, is the ninth annual and emphasizes Latin jazz with performances that dip into the Southland’s rich talent pool, including Justo Almario, Dwight Trible, Susie Hansen, Francisco Torres and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.

Next, the jazz singers. Thank Krall’s success for the plethora of intriguing choices in this diverse category, with such fine talents as newcomer Jamie Cullum (the Roxy, next Wednesday), veteran Nancy Marano (Westin Hotel, June 9; Clancy’s, June 11) and saxophonist-singer Curtis Stigers (Vibrato, June 28-30) on tap.

But the most gripping vocal music may well be provided by Patricia Barber, at Catalina Bar & Grill, June 10-13. An important, too little recognized talent, Barber raised the bar with her last album, “Verse,” via a set of poetically lyrical, emotionally insightful original songs. The most convincing jazz singer-songwriter since Peggy Lee, her dark imagery, gripping interpretations and propulsive piano playing are among the great wonders of contemporary music.

Amid a bountiful array of world music choices -- fascinating, engaging sounds reaching from South America to Africa, the Middle East and Asia -- the incomparable Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour (Henry Fonda Theatre, July 14) is a standout. His mbalax music -- a simmering stew of Senegalese praise singing and talking drums, Afro-Cuban rhythms and propulsive groove energies, topped with his soaring tenor voice -- has been leaping across cultural genres for more than two decades.

Finally, let’s not forget the many other smaller places to hear world music in its myriad forms. There are a lot, but three outdoor locations are almost always guaranteed to provide fascinating experiences: the Grand Performances at downtown L.A.’s California Plaza, the Ford Amphitheatre and the Skirball Cultural Center. I’ll be spending pleasant evenings at all of them.

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The hot list

Central Avenue Jazz Festival, Central Avenue at 42nd Place, L.A. July 31-Aug. 1. Free. (323) 234-4452.

Patricia Barber, Catalina Bar & Grill, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. June 10-13. $18-$30. (323) 466-2210.

Youssou N’Dour, Henry Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. July 14, 8 p.m. $30. (213) 480-3232.