By CHARLES ANDREWS
BIG CONGRATULATIONS!
Especially to Artistic Directors Mike Myers and John Ruskin (Founder), though many were lending a hand. What a slog! Three years? Countless speed bumps from the City. And a cool million and a half raised (they’re still raising – buy a seat, have it engraved). Just a couple doors down from the old theater, a beautifully redone old armory building, that used to house the Museum of Flying, it will open with two stages, each with more seats than the old one. The always thought-provoking Library Girl spoken word and music series, in its 17th year, will return Jan. 11 with a “prompt” of Patti Smith, who recently appeared at Disney Hall. The following Sunday will see the relaunch of the entertaining tightrope act LA CAFE PLAYS, and Feb. 14 will see their first new stage production, “Honour.” So glad to have them back!– bigger and no doubt better than ever. They have been, for 20 years, a vital shining light in our arts community. Santa Monica is a city of the arts.
– even if at least four of our City Council members don’t see it, and voted against a very credible plan to restore our venerable Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to active status. You should remember their names – DAN HALL, NATALYA ZERNITSKAYA, CAROLINE TOROSIS, JESSE ZWICK – because that vote was a logical step for politicians espousing housing at any cost, over what the residents want and need. They need to go.
I DON’T DO REVIEWS ANYMORE
And glad of it. But sometimes a performance is so good I just have to say something. Prior to the show 12/15 at the beautiful new Blue Note LA jazz club in Hollywood, I was unrestrained in telling everyone how great the CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET would be. But you never know for sure. Sometimes LA gets a tornado, and the Lakers lose to the Clippers. It had been 40 years since I saw the virtuoso jazz sax and flute player, and by now, he seems to have reached a level of inspiration and spirituality perfectly expressed in his playing that few do. I have always listened for “notes,” for moments in a song that I think could have been better, and I found not a note out of place that night. Even his machine gun runs on the saxes seemed spontaneous AND rehearsed to flawless execution. It’s like the elite athletes – after you have worked for years to make yourself consummately skilled, IF you also have the innate, rare talent, it just flows. It was such a joy, a gift, to be able to take that in. An unforgettable performance, and yes, as I went out on a limb to predict, the best concert of the entire year (that I saw).
And it was like two perfect concerts for me, because the pianist in this quartet was GERALD CLAYTON, and when Lloyd took a break after a long lead spot, it became a sumptuous Gerald Clayton trio show. (Bassist, sometimes bowed, Larry Grenadier, and percussionist Kweku Sumbry are magnificent musicians.) If Clayton lives long enough, I believe he will reach the Himalayan heights of Charles Lloyd. He’s pretty close now.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES – I apologize that I unintentionally misinformed you for maybe six weeks. A friend connected with the band told me a couple days ago that they had not performed at their decades-long Monday night gig at The Cinema Bar for weeks, and that the place seemed to be closed. Their December calendar online had the message “The Cinema Bar is temporarily closed today” from Dec.1-22, but… then shows listed for 12/23-24, nothing 12/25, then messages each day for the rest of the month and into January: “The Cinema Bar has reopened! Come join us.” Most importantly, The HCOLA is scheduled for Jan. 5, and every Sunday evening through at least summer. The Cinema Bar presents lots of exceptional performers, mostly country and Americana, often acoustic, in a uniquely intimate and friendly setting. This is the place where you can literally get very close to the music. Cinema Bar, Culver City, always free.
“HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU” – another miss by me. By the time it dawned on me that I hadn’t seen it being recorded for a while, I saw announcements of their new season starting Jan. 24, still on CNN, Sat 9 p.m.
RECOMMENDED:
MARX BROS., “DUCK SOUP,” “ANIMAL CRACKERS” – I can’t think of a better way to start the year and laugh away your hangover than plunking yourself down in our beautiful classic Aero Theatre for a double bill of the zany Marx Brothers. And the Aero has done just that every New Year’s Day for 21 years. Groucho’s grandson Andy will give the introduction. You don’t get that in Freedonia, do ya? Thurs 4 p.m., Aero Theatre, Santa Monica, $17, members $12.
TOLEDO DIAMOND – His decades-long Sunday night residency at Santa Monica’s Harvelle’s, the oldest blues bar in LA (almost a century!), is the stuff of myth. Toledo choreographs (literally) a truly unique show, a blend of ‘50s hipster jazz and his dancing dames and a most modern smokin’ hot band that gets better all the time. Sun 9 p.m., Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $13.
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): MARX BROS. “DUCK SOUP,” “ANIMAL CRACKERS,” Aero Theatre, 1/1; TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s Santa Monica, 1/4, 11, 18, 25, 2/1, 6, 15, 22; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 1/5, 12, 19, 26, 2/2, 9, 16, 23; SHEILA E. & THE E-TRAIN, Blue Note LA, 1/7, 8; SCRIABIN “PROMETHEUS,” SIBELIUS, ESA-PEKKA SALONEN, LA PHIL, Disney Hall, 1/9, 10, 11; LIBRARY GIRL, Ruskin Theatre, 1/11, 2/8, 3/8, 4/12, 5/10, 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, 10/11, 11/8, 12/13.
DOWN THE ROAD (also recommended): “BLADE RUNNER” film LIVE music, Dolby Theatre, 1/21; STANLEY CLARKE, Blue Note LA, 1/22-25; IVES, ADAMS, HARRIS, COPLAND, LA PHIL, Disney Hall, 1/23-25; “HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU,” CNN Sat 9 p.m., 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 14, 21, 28; MAHLER, BARTÓK, RAVEL, LA PHIL, Disney Hall, 1/29-2/1; JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT, Orpheum Theatre, 1/31; JIM KWESKIN & FRIENDS, McCabe’s, 2/7; DUDAMEL, BEETHOVEN, LORENZ, SCHUMANN, Disney Hall, 2/12-15; ALBERT LEE, McCabe’s, 2/13; HILLERMAN’S “DARK WINDS,” Season 4, AMC; WARREN HAYNES Solo, Blue Note LA, 2/17, 18; KAUKONEN The Final Tour, McCabe’s, 2/20, 21, 22; GUSTAVO, BEETHOVEN “MISSA SOLEMNIS,” Disney Hall, 2/20-22; BEETHOVEN, ORTIZ, DUDAMEL, Disney Hall, 2/26-3/1; BRANDI CARLILE, Kia Forum, 2/27; GLASS “AKHNATEN,” LA OPERA, 2/28, 3/8, 11, 14, 19, 22; BILL FRISELL TRIO, Blue Note LA, 3/4, 5; DUDAMEL, “Dante,” BEETHOVEN 6, Disney Hall, 3/5, 6, 8; CHARLIE HUNTER TRIO, Blue Note LA, 3/9; THE BAD PLUS POTTER TABORN, Blue Note LA, 3/10, 11; MADELEINE PEYROUX, Blue Note LA, 3/17, 18; “VERTIGO” in concert, Disney Hall, 3/21; SAMARA JOY, Blue Note LA, 4/15, 16; VERDI “FALSTAFF,” LA OPERA, 4/18, 26, 30, 5/2, 6, 10; TAKE 6, Blue Note LA, 4/30-5/3; MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO, Blue Note LA, 5/4, 5; LA SANTA CECILIA, Fonda Theatre, 5/7; MOZART “THE MAGIC FLUTE,” LA OPERA, 5/30, 6/6, 11, 14, 17, 21.
Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 3,500 live shows. He has lived in Santa Monica for 39 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or hate mail to: therealmrmusic@gmail.com
