RIP BIG JAY MCNEELY
Passed away Monday at 91, a legendary LA horn honker who helped turn R&B into R&R, had his first hit in the ‘40s, they say he helped blow down the Berlin Wall in ‘89 outside Club Quasimodo, I saw him around the same time when he was just a kid in his 60s at Club Lingerie in Hollywood, stomping and honking across the top of the bar, glasses flying and patrons screaming him on, throwing himself on his back with feet in the air, it was unforgettable, what a showman, considered the most flamboyant of the sax honkers, wore bright banana- and lime-colored suits, played with white gloves on under black lights that made his dayglo -painted horn glow in the dark, used strobe lights as early as 1952 to create an old-movie effect and sometimes walked off the stage and out the door, usually with the club patrons following, one time in San Diego police arrested him on the sidewalk and took him to jail while his band kept playing on the bandstand, waiting for him to return. Inspired Little Richard, Jerry Lee, all the way to the E Street Band. Godspeed, Big Jay. Heaven’s Band just got some Watts soul.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
MAVIS STAPLES, the James Harman Band. Alex Nester (look, so much going on this week I can’t write a paragraph about even Mavis, just look her up if you don’t know, she’s not only living civil rights history but she still has a voice that can bring down the walls of Jericho with dynamics and emotion alone, stays contemporary by working with young producers and musicians, still touring like crazy at almost 80, Harman Band is a great complement to her, what are you waiting for, her Now I’m 90 Tour?), Sat 7 p.m., John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Hollywood, $52-$93.
PLACIDO DOMINGO, LA OPERA - “DON CARLO” (talk about musical treasures, the fabled Spaniard buddy of Pau Gasol lives here, has directed and elevated our opera company to world-class, doesn’t often perform a star singing role on stage so jump on this, Verdi’s epic), Sat. 6 p.m., Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, downtown LA, $27-$324.
NORAH JONES (you’re either a fan or, you’re just plain dumb… uh, I mean, not a fan, but I’ve never seen her fail), Wed 8 p.m., the Theatre at Ace Hotel, downtown LA, $50-$104.
RECOMMENDED:
TONIGHT! -- The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra featuring WYNTON MARSALIS presenting Stories of a Groove featuring THE CLAYTON-HAMILTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA, THE GERALD CLAYTON TRIO, Spaces - “an animal ballet” featuring Lil Buck & Jared Grimes (quite a lineup, I’d go just to hear Marsalis), 8 p.m., Hollywood Bowl, $19-$89.
TONIGHT! -- ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK, 7:30 p.m., Fred Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, $46-$101… just kidding.
Barelesque: Frisky Friday with THE DOLLFACE DAMES (burlesque comes to Main Street courtesy of the adventurous folks at Bareburger, LA has experienced a revival of old school burlesque with several performing troupes operating all over town, this is one of the best, not for kids, sexy but fully clothed, intentionally kitschy but very professional and polished, this is a full-on show with comedy, circus acts, fire eating, singing, feathered fans, frivolity and more), Fri 9:30 p.m., Bareburger, Santa Monica, $25-$200.
Under the Oaks concerts - “BLACKLISTED” (Aaron Copland, Hanns Eisler and other composers accused in the 1950s of having communist ties, are saluted in the idyllic Topanga Canyon hillside setting - pick up tickets while there to their memorable, moving production of “Haiti” which I earlier reviewed, only two more performances, 9/22 and 9/29), Fri 8 p.m., Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, Topanga Canyon, $25.
PETER ASHER & ALBERT LEE (should be a very entertaining evening, besides being the red-headed half of Peter & Gordon -- McCartney gave them his “World Without Love” and other unrecorded Lennon-McC songs because he was dating Gordon’s sister Jane -- he went on to a sterling career as manager-producer-record exec, heading Apple’s A&R department where he signed James Taylor, quit to manage him and produce his albums, then managed-produced Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Bonnie Raitt and others, was a founding partner of the legendary Roxy Theater on Sunset Strip, VP at Sony Records, and maybe best of all, was for a short time Millie Small’s boyfriend, the point being he has plenty of great inside stories to tell and he no doubt will, and Albert Lee is simply flat out one of the best string pickers you will ever find and has been on… let me check, yes, it’s true… EVERYONE’s album), Fri & Sat, 8 p.m., McCabe's, Santa Monica, $33.
BEYONCE, JAY-Z (I will of course be going to see the ever-fabulously-evolving Beyonce but I’ve heard her husband’s pretty good too), Fri-Sat 7:30 p.m., Rose Bowl, Pasadena, $20-$350.
ETHIOPIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL (ordinarily I try to only recommend those events I think offer the highest levels of artistic achievement, not things that are just fun and good for you, but I’m making an exception here and who knows? if I can get by, and I plan to try, I might find some performers who blow me away but even if not, the coffee, food and cultural enlightenment should be worth it - “the City of SM and Virginia Ave Park Parents join the Ethiopian community in celebrating a sampling of the wide diversity of music, dance and fashions of the different regions of Ethiopia, culture and New Year with music, performances, a fashion show, food and traditional coffee ceremony”), 5-10 p.m., Virginia Avenue Park, Santa Monica, free.
JIMMY WEBB, ASHLEY CAMPBELL (why wouldn’t you want to see the guy who wrote "Up, Up and Away," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," "The Worst That Could Happen," "All I Know" and "MacArthur Park” perform his own songs, if you could, well you can, drive out Malibu way and you can also hear the daughter of his frequent collaborator Glen Campbell, who is a very talented singer in her own right), Sat 8 p.m., Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, Malibu, $22-$50.
KAMASI WASHINGTON, FLORENCE & THE MACHINE (one of the very best, groundbreaking horn players of this generation, he may wind up written in the books with the very best, and a “pop singer” who has evolved into someone to pay serious attention to), Tues 7 p.m., Hollywood Bowl, $37-$199.
Twilight on the Pier featuring BRAZILIAN GIRLS, SUDAN ARCHIVES, Yoya, Capyac (this holds promise, NYC stalwarts Brazilian Girls have one girl, no Brazilians but their new album “Let’s Make Love,” their first in 10 years, sounds pretty good, as does multi-genre, mostly violinist Sudan Archives, see you on the Pier). Wed, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Santa Monica Pier, free.
BAND NAMES OF THE WEEK: Built to Spill, Secret Stare, Slap, Warm Drag, Lobster Rock, Toe, Negative Gemini (well!! - I beg your pardon), Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds, Johnnyswim, Needtobreathe, Yung Pinch, Keith Ape, Nosaj Thing, Deaf Wish, Death Hags, Save Ferris, Petty or Not, Yachtley Crew, Party Nails, ANML, Gaz Coombes, Dakha Brakha, Extended Organ, the Boxer Rebellion, the Meow Twins, Okilly Dokilly.
Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 2,000 live shows. He has lived in Santa Monica for 32 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or rebuke to him at therealmrmusic@gmail.com
