Music: Bassist Extraordinaire Richard Bona plays at the Moss Theatre on Saturday. (Courtesy Photo)
TAKE IT SLOW, BUT GO
by CHARLES ANDREWS
January 16, 2025
NOTE: CHECK FIRST WITH ALL VENUES BEFORE GOING
NEW FEATURE
Why? Now, in these very trying times?
This NOTEWORTHY column is my most recent form of a mission I have embraced since college: to inform people of great music they might otherwise miss, and especially live performances.
I can’t stand to hear someone say,”What!? THEY played last week? I LOVE them! …Why didn’t you tell me!” Right. Keep track of the music passions of all my friends. But now I can simply say, didn’t you read my column?
I go through all my sources each week to list don’t-miss shows coming up in the next eight days. But too many times I have to tell readers it’s sold out and they will have to go that night and try to beg a ticket from someone in line. It happens often at a small venue like our own McCabe’s, which books many acts that have a rabid following, and even when I recently listed Billie Eilish at the Kia Forum for five nights (85,000 tickets), by the week of her performances there were only a handful of tickets.
So now I will list, after COMING ATTRACTIONS at the bottom of the column, those shows farther down the road that I think readers would want advance notice on.
BUT IS THIS THE TIME TO PARTY?
Hardly. But this column is not about that, it’s about great live music. I rarely go to a bar, unless they have a good band playing. And this is precisely the time when we could use some getting out to have music lift our spirits. As Brother Bob sang, “One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain” (“Trenchtown Rock”).
Additionally, most businesses are hurting right now, and music venues could use your patronage. Not to mention, the musicians. We’ve had enough loss and change from the fires; let’s keep our precious music.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES – You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday night, 9-11:30, for more than a decade now, and hear these hot players run through Django Reinhart-style ‘30s jazz. This amazing ensemble is a treasure. Mon 9 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, free.
Next Thurs: CELSO & DARYLL – Oh boy! It’s been too long since my favorite rockin’ blues duo in the universe has surfaced in Santa Monica. Brazilian guitar meets California blues harp, and they are each masters on their axes. I don’t know if they will have a drummer and bass player along, but I actually prefer the stripped down duo sound. They usually trade vocals, sometimes sing together, and it’s all great. They’ve been doing this nearly 30 years, and they’re just getting better. You can’t possibly have more fun for 10 bucks. Next Thurs 9:30 p.m., Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $9.99.
RECOMMENDED:
RICHARD BONA – the LA Times wrote, “Imagine an artist with Jaco Pastorious’s virtuosity, George Benson’s vocal fluidity, Joao Gilberto’s sense of song and harmony, all mixed up with African culture. Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you Richard Bona!” Well, you know those reviewers, they get a bit carried away sometimes. You’re starting off on shaky ground with me when you compare a bassist to Jaco. Bult Bona does sound like a unique mix of influences and pursuits, and well worth a Saturday night’s great concert right here in Santa Monica. Sat 8 p.m., Moss Theatre, Santa Monica, $45.
“KOOZA,” CIRQUE DU SOLEIL – Now you don’t have to drive to Vegas! This is a good bet as HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, and hopefully I will be able to report back on that, but a couple of friends gave it high marks. No one else really does what they do, on this scale. They invented it. I’ve only seen a few of their shows but they seem to have retained their high standards all these years, ever since I saw their first one also here on SM Beach, by the Pier, 37 years ago, that launched them to great international success. I think they know they have a rep to maintain with Santa Monicans. Sun 5:00 p.m., Wed 7 p.m., next Thurs 7:30 p.m., Santa Monica Pier, $55-75.
TOLEDO DIAMOND – His decades-long Sunday night residency at Santa Monica’s Harvelle’s, the oldest blues bar in LA (almost a century!), is a treasure that you shouldn’t assume will always be there. 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. Every Sunday 9:30 p.m., Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $12
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): “KOOZA,” CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, Santa Monica Pier, 1/19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31; TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s, 1/19, 26; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 1/20, 27; TONY GILKYSON, RICK HOLMSTROM BAND, Cinema Bar, 1/24; JOHN MCEUEN, McCabe’s, 2/1; MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS, LA PHIL, Yuja Wang, Disney Hall, 2/1; TOM MORELLO, Fonda Theatre, 2/7; SAMARA JOY, Disney Hall, 2/8.
DOWN THE ROAD: PAAVO JÄRVI, LA PHIL, RAVEL & BRAHMS/SCHOENBERG, Disney Hall, 2/13, 14, 15, 16; KURT ELLING, PETER ERSKINE, The Soraya, 2/15; MAHLER Grooves Listening Party, Paramour Estate (sold out) 2/19; CHUCHO CHUCHO VALDES, ARTURO SANDOVAL, The Soraya, 2/20; DUDAMEL Conducts MAHLER’s Journey, LA PHIL, Disney Hall, 2/20, 21, 22, 23; DUDAMEL, LA PHIL, MAHLER Sumphony No. 7, Disney Hall, 2/27, 28, 3/1; MAHLERTHON I, Youth Orchestra LA, Inner City Youth Orchestra of LA, Santa Monica High School Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Disney Hall, 3/2; MAHLERTHON II, UCLA Philharmonia, USC Thornton Symphony, Colburn Orchestra, LA Master Chorale, Disney Hall, 3/2; GUSTAV + ANNA with DUDAMEL, Disney Hall, 3/6, 7, 8, 9; PATRICE RUSHEN, Disney Hall, 5/2; BEETHOVEN with ESA-PEKKA, Disney Hall, 5/2, 3, 4; JACK WHITE, Hollywood Palladium, 5/12, 13; DIANA KRALL, The Soraya, 5/14; GERSHWIN, “Also Sprach Z,” LA PHIL, Disney Hall, 5/23, 24; ALISON KRAUS, UNION STATION, Greek Theatre, 7/13.
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 39 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or hate mail to: therealmrmusic@gmail.com
