This Saturday, the heroes are coming to UCLA. Well, at least the man who created them. On Dec. 2, director Kevin Smith will host “Marvel: Then & Now ““ a Night with Stan Lee and Joe Quesada.” The event will benefit the Hero Initiative, a non-profit organization which raises money for comic book veterans in need of financial assistance. Read more...

He’s been called the grand master of jazz guitar by Dizzy Gillespie and the greatest guitarist in the world by B.B. King. He was Duke Ellington’s favorite. Read more...

leiti hsu She’s seen it all. Restaurateur and chef Suzanne Goin encountered the refrigerator that “stank like bloody hell” in a restaurant kitchen in southwest France. Read more...

KENNY BURRELL’S 75TH Saturday, 8 p.m. Royce Hall, $15 Those who think that jazz music died out alongside Ellington, Coltrane, Davis and Gillespie ought to take another look closer to home. Read more...

“Light in the Piazza” Ahmanson Theatre Oct. 31 through Dec. 10 They say that theater is the willful suspension of disbelief. Rarely does a show come along that does not require the will. Read more...

So Jay-Z’s back. Surprise, surprise. When he announced his “retirement” in 2003, it wasn’t long before most of us realized he’d be back. “The Black Album” hinted at his return more than a couple times, and his variety of collaborations and cameos since showed he had no intention of slowing down. Read more...

In the midst of a leafy residential area of Leimert Park sits an amalgam of business and ideas. The Lucy Florence Coffeehouse opened its doors in 1996 but has since become much more than just a place to eat. Read more...