Out & About with Susan Hornik - July



By Susan Hornik

Movers and Shakers


If you were a fan of Will Farrell's Anchorman you might remember a hilarious scene with the comedian playing a flute. The man who, behind the scenes, so deftly played that instrument was really Katisse Buckingham, an incredibly talented musician who has played with numerous musicians like Prince, Kamasi Washington, Billy Childs, Dr. Dre, Herbie Hancock, Roy Ayers and Pete Yorn. He was also a featured soloist in the Universal Pictures animated film, Minions.

When he is not at a gig or on tour with Zawinul Legacy Band, Buckingham has been working on his upcoming album. "It will include some of the stylistic direction of my last records -- a blend of jazz and hop-hop with conscious lyrics. I will also have more acoustic straight ahead jazz, some very intimate duo and trip pieces, as well as a string quartet plus a woodwind and percussion piece I wrote."

The veteran musician writes about music that "moves" him. "I'm not interested in trying to make it fit and one or two genres. I just don't care to do that anymore. I'm not one (or two) dimensional and so my record will reflect that."

Buckingham is inspired by life's nuances.

"I love silence as i feel connected and open to ideas and possibilities and nature. Also, being outdoors...I love plants. And mountain biking with my dogs for hours. All these things allow me to re-fuel and come back to music fresh and excited.

"As far as music, I love so many styles and genres it's impossible to name them all. And many defy description. I definitely don't just listen to jazz."

Having grown in Los Angeles, Buckingham has met many great musicians. "I'm fortunate to be able to have so many opportunities. That being said -- I do what I want. I've structured my life so I don't just play gigs and sessions for money. That's what keeps me excited about playing everyday. I continue to consider it 'playing' and not 'working.'"

Spirituality


Hollywood-based Franceasca Seiden is a consummate filmmaker, writer, director and photographer. Her love of magick brought her to tarot and implementing sound baths for people and groups.

Seiden is a huge fan of what sound baths can do for people. "Healing vibration through sound is specifically designed to open up each chakra adjunct to organs and planetary alignments. Working with an individual, I can feel where they need to open up and release and will focus on on those areas. It's meditation without the individual having to anything."

Being up close and personal with her clients without judgement is a strength Seiden is proud of. "Empathetic and careful, I do not practice anything that I don't feel is right for them. I listen and assess and take my time. Hence why I like the term energy alchemist to describe what I do; I read their energy (past traumas, fears and desires) especially when it comes to sexual trauma or phases of difficulty."

About tarot, Seiden said: "It is the most beautiful healing technique in the world. The cards can open and release the unknown. During a reading, layers that haven't been penetrated or that they didn't know existed."

Seiden noted that tarot gives insight to the energy surrounding the present, near future and the past that can dictate our karma. "It sheds light on the querent and their obstacles, hopes and fears and outcome. It helps us navigate our path in that moment but again energy changes."

Seiden also conducts private Ashtanga yoga sessions at her Hollywood home and often interviews Hollywood artists for her magazine,LAiCreatives, for independent creatives. In addition, she consults and curates multimedia artists.

For The Foodies


Hollywood's Delicious Pizza is celebrating summer with a series of free events featuring music and film screenings in their new outdoor garden, "The Yard." Last month, they hosted the Nike 45th anniversary of the iconic Cortez running shoe, which included LA's finest lowriders, an outdoor custom bodega and music provided by DJ Mustard and Soulection DJs.

The event featured a Cortez gallery inside the Delicious Pizza Infinity Room with historic versions of the classic sneaker. Guests received a limited edition Delicious Cortez pizza box, t-shirt and DJ slipmat.

Their flagship BoomYard dancehall reggae party takes place every second Sunday of the month and helps supports Dreamhaus LA, a nonprofit arts foundation for kids. The monthly "Music Video Night" showcases established and upcoming directors and features a mix of new videos. Monday Jazz and Saturday night outdoor cinema will be occurring weekly throughout the summer.

Later this summer, Delicious Pizza will be hosting a community based block party with local and international musicians on West Adams - Labor Day Weekend, Sunday, September 3rd. They are also expanding their Hollywood location, including an additional room for private events with beer and wine bar coming soon.

Established in 2015, is a family business started by father and son duo Fred Sutherland (Fred 62) and Travis Sutherland and brothers Michael and Rick Ross, owners of the iconic LA hip-hop record label Delicious Vinyl, the name behind superstar hip hop acts The Pharcyde (Passin Me By), Tone Loc ("Wild Thing" "Funky Cold Medina"), Young MC ("Bust a Move") and many more. Delicious Pizza's high-quality pies and golden-era hip-hop memorabilia and music have made it a destination for local residents and music fans alike.

Delicious Pizza uses an all-organic grain mix fermented with a home-grown natural yeast starter for its dough and offers unconventional toppings (like soppressata, ricotta and fontina cheeses with house-made sausage) for its hip-hop-themed pies (think: Cheeba Cheeba and The Slaughtahouse). Memorabilia from Delicious Vinyl and the golden era of hip-hop lines the walls and the music is a mix of old school jams and classics.

More for the Foodies

Hollywood chef Eric Greenspan has been thrilled with the response to his latest restaurant, Fleishik's. "The kosher community is under-served in this part of town. While Pico/ Robertson is where all the action is these days, we wanted to be closer to Hollywood and Hancock Park and adjacent Jewish community. In this way, we could be as close as possible to the historically Jewish district of Fairfax, and also be in a thriving secular neighborhood as well. Fleishik's seeks to bring kosher, modern Jewish food to everyone."

Greenspan feels that history, culture and deliciousness inspire him. "The ability to be creative with a cuisine steeped in tradition, which brings new perspective on the food I was raised on," he said.

Greenspan has many recommendations on the menu. "To me, the fun part of Fleishik's is to try the things you've had but never in the way we do it here. The soup, for example, is unique and amazing. I love the tzimmis slaw. And you can't go wrong with the Zayde -- salami sandwiches always remind me of childhood!" he quipped.


Health & Community


Honest Tea, the maker of organic bottled teas and organic kids' juice drinks, is encouraging Hollywood to take their first step to living a little more honestly by sharing their #RefreshinglyHonest moments on social media or at pop-up locations.

Participants visiting Honest the pop-ups will have a chance to submit a #RefreshinglyHonest moment in exchange for a free bottle of Honest Tea. The company will donate $1 to VisionSpring, an organization which provides vision screenings and eye glasses to under-served communities worldwide. Information will be collected at each location, including what Americans divulge when offered the chance to be honest.

Posted By Discover Hollywood on July 31, 2017 11:16 am | Permalink