No. As in Lizzy No, who rocked the joint at McCabe’s last weekend. I told you in last week’s Noteworthy that I had taken unusual measures to check her out and recommend her, and it paid off. An exceptional, memorable show. Her band was off the charts, especially her shredding guitar man. (This is folk music?) She did play a small, strapped-on harp on several numbers. I have learned, over decades, that instinct (based on more than 3,000 live shows) should be acknowledged when I feel the nudge. McCabe’s booker Wayne Griffith also took a chance because she is not a household name, yet. But he has great instincts in spades. He told the nearly-full house he would bring her back. Until then, listen to any of her three albums.
Highly Recommended:
Jacaranda — If you have been following this column a long time, you might have thought our groundbreaking local series by Jacaranda had disappeared somewhere. Au contraire, they are celebrating 20 years. I always used to Highly Recommend nearly all their concerts, because after attending dozens I knew the consistency of the quality, and the adventurousness. No one else got so strange, but always so good. No, their absence from Noteworthy was my error(s). I get most of my info from a few places and they weren’t listed there. But no excuses. I proffer a full mea culpa here, to readers who may have missed something wondrous. But enough apology: they have two outstanding programs this Sunday, right here in SM. Their “resident” string quartet, The Lyris Quartet, will be playing, and they are worth the whole price of admission. It’s called Fierce Beauty, Parts I and II, the first at 4 p.m., and Part II at 7. How about Schoenberg, Boulez, Ornstein, and Coltrane’s A Love Supreme at 4? That evening, Strauss, Rosenman, a Schoenberg chamber symphony, Bach, a little more Schoenberg, and ending with a Mahler adagio. Artistic/Executive Director Patrick Scott has still got it. Sun 4 p.m., 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Santa Monica, $20 student/fixed income, $45 general, each performance.
Last performance! — An Extraordinary Ordinary Man – Extraordinary, indeed. It refers to John Colella’s father, a baker, but more importantly to theatre lovers, also this first effort of writing and performing by John II (“my mother was not going to have a grown son being called ‘Junior’”). But even “extraordinary” may not be sufficient. This is a tour de force, of writing and acting, that knocks it out of the park. Sure, there were things about his father that were remarkable, but this is really John II’s story, and he tells it so rivetingly, with such rapid fire delivery for just over an hour, that you wouldn’t want to cough for fear of missing a word. This is the real craft and art of acting. Sat 8 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, SMO, $20-30.
Hot Club of Los Angeles — You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday, 9 - 11:30, for more than a decade now, and hear these hot players run through Django Reinhart-style ‘30s jazz. They should have copies of their new album Nova there for sale. Mon 9 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, no cover.
Recommended:
Tonight! — Prickly Pair, Jeff Plankenhorn — I didn’t do a deep dive on Austinite Plankenhorn like I did on No (see above, also McCabe’s), but I had a favorable impression. And c’mon, he’s a slide guitar master. For local music fans, though, the big draw is opening act The Prickly Pair, Mason Summit and Irene Greene. Anyone who attended the great monthly spoken word performances at Ruskin Group Theatre here, called Library Girl, literally saw Mason grow up, from age 12, and grow as an artist, as he started performing musical interludes at the series his mother Susan Hayden founded. His maturing songwriting chops have been especially noteworthy. He and Greene met at USC’s Thornton School of Music, and their similar outlooks toward music led to a performing duo. Now living in Nashville, it will be a treat to see them take the stage on their own, and get more than one or two songs. Fri 9 p.m McCabe’s, Santa Monica, $24.
Tonight! — Malkki Conducts Brahms — Love Brahms. Not too familiar with the Academic Festival Overture, but the Piano Concerto #2 is a known killer. Even more so, under the gifted digits of Grammy-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov, whom The Times lauded as “without question the most astounding pianist of our age.” Never experienced Susanna Mälkki conducting, but have read good things. And, Gustavo does not loan the baton to just anyone. Also, the U.S. premiere of the LA Phil-commissioned Fett, by Enno Poppe. Fri, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, $54-229.
Shawn phillips — Continuing this week’s seat-of-the-pants (but surely spot on) recommendations, this is a show I have been anticipating for months. I haven’t followed him nor heard him for years but… I just know this is going to be special. Bill Graham called him “The best kept secret in the music business.” He taught Joni Mitchell her first guitar techniques, taught George Harrison his first lessons on sitar, he wrote the music to Donovan’s Season of The Witch, and has played with the best, at their best, including Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood. If you haven’t heard of him, well, judge him by the company he keeps. Sat 8 p.m., McCabe’s, Santa Monica, $35.
It’s Only A Show – I’ll have to catch this other one-person show at The Ruskin, because it has been extended longer than Extraordinary (see above), which is a don’t-miss tour de force. Could we be so fortunate as to have two outstanding productions at the same place, not far away? Only one way to find out. Sat 5 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, SMO, $20-30.
Toledo Diamond – Unique, riveting, first class act. There’s nothing like it, it is high performance art and great decadent fun. Degeneracy is rarely so well disciplined. And the band is smokon’! Don’t. Miss. Toledo Diamond. Sun 9:30 p.m., Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $12.
Coming Attractions: Judy Collins, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, 3/2; Toledo Diamond, Harvelle’s, 3/3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Highway 1, USA/The Dwarf, LA Opera, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 3/3, 6, 9, 14, 17; Robert Fripp, David Singleton, An Evening of Conversation, Questions, Insights, Mccabe’s, 3/3; Dianne Reeves, Disney Hall, 3/3; Hot Club of Los Angeles, Cinema Bar, 3/4, 11, 18, 25; Terry Reid, McCabe’s, 3/8; It’s Only A Show, Ruskin Theatre, 3/9, 16, 23; Christone Kingfish Ingram, Fonda Theatre, 3/9; Southside Slim, Harvelle’s, 3/15; Philip Glass, Complete Etudes, Disney Hall, 3/20; Esa-pekka Salonen, San Francisco Symphony, 3/22; Los Straightjackets, McCabe’s, 3/24; Sleater-kinney, Wiltern, 3/28, Belasco, 3/29; Yo Yo Ma, Kathryn Scott, Disney Hall, 4/3; Ethan Iverson Trio With Peter Erskine, Darek Oles, Sam First, 4/5; Kraftwerk, Disney Hall, 5/21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30; Chris Stapleton, Hollywood Bowl, 6/26, 27.
Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 3,000 live shows.
