By CHARLES ANDREWS
Seven things to choose amongst Friday, country-blues-rock-folk-classical-jazz -- well, six, then you can still make the Easy Rider midnight movie -- what exquisite torture. More, please.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
JACARANDA: Premonition I & II - LYRIS QUARTET, Inna Faliks & Daniel Schlosberg, piano, Eddie Meneses, percussion (of course I’ve never heard any of these pieces, dummy, but I can highly recommend this because I’ve heard the exquisite Lyris Quartet lots of times, and taken in enough Jacaranda performances to know their mining of little-heard, adventuresome classical music, played superbly, has always been somewhere between fascinating and enthralling, these are two performances separated by a dinner break, with PI covering string quartets by two different Haases and a Widmann and PII devoted to Alexander Zemlinsky’s piano 4-hand adaptation of Mahler’s Sixth, can’t wait, oh, and don’t forget the pre-concert talk at 6:45), Sun 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, DTSM, $45 + $45 or $75 for both.
RECOMMENDED:
JAZZ BAKERY (is celebrating Black History month with an avalanche of concerts at acoustically wonderful Moss Theater, right here in SM, three this weekend: Friday is vibes man STEFON HARRIS & his Blackout Quintet, Saturday pianist ERIC REED’s Quartet, and Sunday afternoon the legendary BENNIE MAUPIN Ensemble, he of the groundbreaking bands of Miles and Herbie, so expect some adventure, his sextet includes exceptional bassist Darek Oles who I just caught holding it down and ripping it up beautifully with the Peter Erskine Trio at the Sam First room by LAX, this Maupin show just missed the HIGHLY RECOMMENDED endorsement by a snare, I mean a hair, this is a rare opportunity to experience an entire weekend of top-notch jazz, and without leaving the city limits), Fri, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 4 p.m., Moss Theater, Santa Monica, $25-$35.
LA PHILHARMONIC - Britten, Strauss (so you don’t think classical music is cool, huh? well I dare you to suppress the smile that will creep up your face when you hear the opening notes of Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra and are transported in your mind’s eye to about 2000 iconic images of space travel, Brit Britten can take you away too, but go Friday evening for the most fun: drinks in The Garden at 6:30 with music and complimentary drinks in the lush, leafy ambience of Walt’s Blue Ribbon Garden, then move inside for Upbeat Live insights about the evening’s program with Christopher Russell and LA Phil players at 7, and finish off with the post-concert Coda, mix and mingle with other music hipsters, more complimentary drinks, an exclusive after-party, all for free), Fri 8 p.m., Sat, Sun 2 p.m., Walt Disney Concert Hall, DTLA, $20-$199.
BONNIE MURRAY TAMBLYN (longtime SM), SEVERIN BROWNE (brother of longtime SM Jackson, folk yes, rock it you two, don’t make me blue), Fri 8 p.m., Kulak's Woodshed, N Hollywood, $10.
ELTON JOHN (Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame occupant Sir Elton, after half a century on the road with more than 4,000 performances in more than 80 countries, one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, only Sir Paul, sorta-Sir Bono and Jimmy Buffet are richer, is hanging up the platforms with his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, more than 300 shows across five continents not ending until 2021, promoters warn: “the show will begin promptly at 8 p.m., with no opening act,” so get there early) Fri, Sat 8 p.m., The Forum, DTLA, $60-$250.
THE REVEREND SHAWN AMOS presents A Night in Harlem (I first caught TRSA at an outdoor music fest at The Broad and he knocked me out, with his voice, moves, song curation and knowledgeable and pithy commentary, then I followed him to the beautiful Vibrato club where he performed and was music director, and now he’s back at Broad reviving his decade-old album, this son of Wally “Famous Amos” has a fascinating creative resume but all you need to know is that he’s a great entertainer and yeah, he can sing the blues), Fri 8 p.m., The Broad Stage, Santa Monica, $30.
I SEE HAWKS IN L.A., Gwendolyn (from TV’S Weeds, OITNB, Chuck & Buck), Rich D (not going to tell you again to catch this band, OK, I probably will, I know, it’s tough to put down the remote and get off that couch once the sun goes down, they call them alt country but they’re just a great band), Fri 8 p.m., Highland Park Bowl, free.
EASY RIDER (50th anniversary, great cultural touchstone film, great soundtrack -- Jimi, Steppenwolf, Electric Prunes oh my, Smith kills The Weight and of course The Byrds -- crank it up, Nuart!), Friday ‘Round Midnight, Nuart Theater, W LA, $12.
ROSANNE CASH, John Leventhal (she has grown to be a pure diamond in a family of jewels, such a good songwriter and emotive voice), Sat 7:30 p.m., Chapman University, $35-$65.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Chart-topping rap royalty TRAVIS SCOTT (his stage show should be epic but I wish he had turned down the socially comatose NFL for their Super Bowl, like Common, like Rihanna, and Jay-Z last year, but, 100M viewers, I understand), The Forum, Fri Feb. 8; ENGLISH BEAT (always a great show), The Rose, Fri Feb. 8; SLEEPLESS: The Music Center After Hours: Quinceanera Reimagined, twirl and party till 3 a.m.!, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Sat Feb. 9; The SMITHEREENS with Marshall Crenshaw, The Rose, Sat Feb. 9; LIBRARY GIRL presents I Love You A Thousand Ways, Ruskin Group Theatre, Sun Feb. 10; ACCADEMIA BIZANTINA (you like Vivaldi? all Vivaldi, from this oversized “quartet”), Walt Disney Concert Hall, Sun Feb. 10; this one should be great! -- Artists Talk featuring Pussy Riot founding member Nadya Tolokonnikova, Shepard Fairey, Catherine Opie, Tavares Strachan, with performance by PUSSY RIOT, The Broad, Mon Feb. 11; KACEY MUSGRAVES, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Thurs Feb. 14.
BAND NAME OF THE WEEK: Bite Me Bambi.
BODACIOUS BIRTHDAYS: PHILIP GLASS -- may he live to 100 and keep composing, rather than decomposing (1937), JOHN LYDON aka JOHNNY ROTTEN, Sex Pistols, PiL -- how can he still be alive with the life he lived? (1956).
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 33 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or rebuke to him at therealmrmusic@gmail.com
