By CHARLES ANDREWS
GREAT NEWS!
Legendary jazz bassist STANLEY CLARKE is putting together the Santa Monica International Jazz Festival for May of this year, promising big names, master musicians, and he can deliver it. He has been a Santa Monica fixture for a few years now, at SMC and the BroadStage. No details yet, but this is exciting. Who says Santa Monica is not a City of the Arts?
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
LIBRARY GIRL, “Somebody’s Sins… But Not Mine,” a Tribute to PATTI SMITH – Library Girl is back! With what promises to be an outstanding re-opening show at the sparkling new Ruskin Group Theatre, just a couple doors down from the old one. Which was funky, small, and aging, but it will be missed. So much history there, so many memorable words, emotions, and ideas, and music that have entertained and inspired thousands. But much more is possible in this new space, with two stages. Reading will be Jane Cantillon, Steve Hochman, Briana Munoz, Chris Morris, and Paul Body, music by Marvin Etzioni and Willie Aron, Sandy Rogers and Dan Janisch, and Ted Russell Kamp. Launched more than 16 years ago by Sunset Park’s own poet/author/music diva Susan Hayden, and curated by her. Who says Santa Monica is not a City of the Arts? Sun 7 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, SM Airport, $20.
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES – Not to worry, the earth is back on its axis, HCOLA is back at their decades-long Monday night gig at The Cinema Bar, absent a few weeks because the venerable tiny neighborhood bar (1947, name and live music from ‘54) seemed to be closed. Their website calendar now shows them booked through at least 2027. This is the place where you can literally get very close to the music. Who says Santa Monica(-adjacent) is not a City of the Arts? Sundays 9 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, always no cover.
RECOMMENDED:
Tonight! – SHEILA E. & THE E-TRAIN – If you’ve never seen this high-energy percussionist representative of the ridiculously talented Escovedo clan, prepare to exit drum beaten, funked out, and totally entertained. Wed, Thurs 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Blue Note LA, Hollywood, $66-77.
SCRIABIN “PROMETHEUS,” SIBELIUS, ESA-PEKKA SALONEN, LA PHIL – When you see credits for Multimedia Artist, Artistic Director, and Associate AD, not to mention a soprano and a mezzo- and the magnificent Master Chorale, a composition named “Prometheus, Poem of Fire” and also one of my fave composers, Jean Sibelius, all held together by our venerable former conductor-music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, you know it’s going to be special. Fri, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, $51-224.
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. Who says Santa Monica is not a City of the Arts? Sun 9 p.m., Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $13.
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s Santa Monica, 1/4, 11, 18, 25; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 1/5, 12, 19, 26, 2/2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 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; “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;
DOWN THE ROAD (also recommended): 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/+, 2/15; WARREN HAYNES Solo, Blue Note LA, 2/17, 18; DAMN WELL PLEASE ORGAN TRIO, Harvelle’s, 2/17; 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; LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO, BroadStage, 2/27; 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; SANTA MONICA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, BroadStage, 5/1-9; 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 40 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or hate mail to: therealmrmusic@gmail.com
