R.I.P. DAVID LINDLEY, WAYNE SHORTER

There is bop that honked convention, and then there was Wayne Shorter, whose alto and tenor saxes always oozed groundbreaking, beautiful melody. His genius was early on recognized by the master musicians as he moved from Art Blakey to Miles Davis to Weather Report (co-founder). His influential career spanned eight decades. He will be sorely missed.

David Lindley was never really part of a band (OK, Kaleidoscope) until he formed El Rayo-X, but everyone wanted him to sit in with theirs, especially in the studio, because the man could play virtually anything with strings like he had devoted his whole life to that instrument. He rose to prominence with Jackson Browne, but played with so many: Dylan, Dolly, Ry, Zevon, Rickie Lee, Bruce, Curtis Mayfield, Bonnie Raitt, Terry Reid, Leonard Cohen, Crosby-Nash, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Sugarcane Harris, Rod Stewart, Henry Kaiser, Hani Naser. I saw him a few times, most memorably at McCabe’s. One in a million. His slide guitar was a voice. Listen to “Mercury Blues” and try to sit still. That great band in the sky just got the missing piece.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS with mandolinist AVI AVITAL – When I checked this Wednesday there was only one lone seat left, way in the back. Why? Because this is one of the most magnificent orchestras anywhere in the world, chamber or otherwise, I’ve seen them a few times, even going back to founder Sir Neville Mariner, and they were always thrilling. A perfect machine, of creative expression. Maybe some tickets will be turned in. Sat 7:30 p.m., Broad Stage, Santa Monica, $100.

THE HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES – Hot Club’s brand of virtuoso, sometimes breakneck Django-style 1930s gypsy swing jazz is found nowhere else and even if it was, it couldn’t possibly be this good. It’s a show worth 50 bucks cover, and worth waiting a year for. These guys are masters, individually and collectively. You will find it hard to stop smiling all night. Mon 9 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, no cover.

EM – is back! Well, she was gone only last Tuesday because the Damn Well Please Organ Trio very musically and energetically took over the joint with its annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras show. So come see what you’ve been missing, one of the most talented and versatile artists in this town. Tues 9:30 p.m., Harvelle’s, $10.

RECOMMENDED:

TODAY! – BOB MARLEY ONE LOVE EXPERIENCE – Here’s why I recommend this exhibit that I have not yet seen. A lot of Americans still don’t get this, but Bob Marley was one of the greatest performers and musicians (no, not his guitar, his compelling, hypnotic, otherworldly vocal instrument)… ever. And his Wailers were musically phenomenal, and his songwriting ranks with the very best. He was also, not incidentally, a powerful spiritual and political leader worldwide Silverlake’s Roger Steffens, the world’s foremost authority on Marley, if not reggae itself, is leading tours every weekend at 1 and 3, and he would not do that if it wasn’t up to snuff. He does caution that this covers only “the Island (record label) years,” but that’s what most people are familiar with. Thurs-Sun-Wed 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m. -10 p.m., Mon-Tues 11 a.m. -5:30 p.m., Ovation Hollywood, $20-70.

TONIGHT! – RICK SHEA & The Losin’ End – Always worth catching this SoCal country troubadour and his talented sidemen, plus tonight a guest set by Jeff Turmes. Thurs 8 – 10:30 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, no cover.

TONIGHT! – JANE’S ADDICTION – My, my, of the several times I have seen JA I don’t think I paid even as much as $12.50 (see ticket prices below). But that tells you it has been a few years and goshknows what they are up to now, those rascals. It’s always hard to know if they are even still together. (“1985–1991, 1997, 2001–2004, 2008–present.”) Interesting tour: Reno and Vegas before LA, then five dates in Argentina, Chile and Brazil, including three Lollapaloozas (JA/frontman Perry Ferrell invented Lollapalooza), then off to Down Under. The original lineup is finally back together and they are a rock and roll force. When they are not addicted. Ferrell is 63! But the other players are still kids in their mid-50s. Worth catching. You may not get another chance,Thurs 7 p.m Hollywood Palladium, $91-1,250.

LA PHIL, MEHTA CONDUCTS “SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE” – We still have Mehta here, 16 years the conductor of the LA Phil, and while this ain’t Mahler (which he conducted, the 3rd, magnificently last week), a “Symphonie Fantastique” ain’t too shabby. Fri, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., Walt Disney Concert Hall, $40-216.

“PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE” – I always knew there was magic at the Ruskin stage, but this time they launched a show with two hours’ notice, on a night last week that was pouring rain, and already shows are selling out. On the other hand their reputation for excellence certainly precedes them, and they have had few shows in the last few COVID years. It also doesn’t hurt that this is an absurdist comedy about Einstein hanging with Picasso in a Paris cafe when they were both “relatively” unknown, and it was written by Steve Martin. Fri, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, Santa Monica Airport, $20-35.

LIBRARY GIRL – Do you realize how difficult it is to put together a themed spoken word performance, featuring many talents both wordy and musicy, every month for going on 13 years? And we don’t even have to leave Santa Monica to dig it. Thank you Susan Hayden. This month: book launch of “Pandemic Soul Music” by S.A. Griffin. Sun 7 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, Santa Monica Airport, $20, includes taco truck at 6, and dessert.

TOLEDO DIAMOND – Unique, riveting, first class act. There’s nothing like it, it is high performance art and great fun. Degeneracy is rarely so well disciplined. Sun 9:30 p.m., Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $12.

BONNIE RAITT – It was thrilling to see this perennial multi-faceted music luminary recognized at the recent Grammys for “Song of the Year,” and what an amazing, heartbreaking, hopeful song it is, “Just Like That.” I cried the first t5ime I listened to the story. Despite having such a superlative catalog of songs she’s written, I have never seen anyone more genuinely stunned at having won. Probably because of the ethereal nature of the song. Go see her as a nuanced, knockout singer and outstanding guitar player, especially slide. Tues 8 p.m., Terrace Theater, Long Beach, $92-200.

COMING ATTRACTIONS: RUSKIN GROUP THEATRE, “PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE,”3/17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31, 4/1, 2; TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s, 3/19, 26, 4/2, 9, 16, 23, 30; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 3/20, 27, 4/3, 10, 17, 24; EM, Harvelle’s, 3/21, 28, 4/4, 11, 18, 25; LA PHIL, SIBELIUS, TCHAIKOVSKY, Disney Hall, 3/30, 31; DEAD CAN DANCE, Greek Theatre, 4/1; HERBIE HANCOCK, Disney Hall, 4/2; MUSE, Crypto.com Arena, 4/6; LA PHIL, SIBELIUS, BRAHMS, 4/7, 8; LIBRARY GIRL, Ruskin Theatre, 4/9; RICK SHEA, Cinema Bar, 4/13; BLONDIE, Greek Theatre, 4/19; IGGY POP, Regent, 4/20, Palladium 4/27; WILLIE NELSON 90, Hollywood Bowl, 4/29, 30.

Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 3,000 live shows. He has lived in Santa Monica for 37 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or rebuke to him at therealmrmusic@gmail.com