For those of you over 40 and/or not raised in Compton or Long Beach, OG stands for Original Gangsta. Jack has been writing his Laughing Matters column for the Daily Press since its beginning in 2001.
He has given us all decades of laughs and smiles, sarcasm and snark, insights and history of Santa Monica, a city he loves dearly. So much would have gone unnoticed if Jack had not written about it.
Now Jack is having some health issues, and it seems like a good time to give back, by sending him an avalanche of cards and notes (he can’t get emails right now) telling him how much you appreciate him. So get five or 10 envelopes and drop a short note inside, or five or 10 postcards, or go to the store and get five or 10 cheery cards. Send them to –
Jack Neworth, room 5266
UCLA Hospital
1250 16th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
No visitors, please!
Highly Recommended
Esa-pekka Salonen, San Francisco Symphony, Sibelius, Adams – I so love Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, and this violin concerto is one of his gems, and it is also a favorite of much-lauded virtuoso Lisa Batiashvili, that I might be so completely delighted that I’d be tempted to leave at intermission. Of course that would be a big mistake. We have been so blessed in LA to have a decades-long parade of some of the greatest conductors and music directors wave the baton in front of our LA Philharmonic, and Esa-Pekka is in that storied list of alumni. The San Francisco Symphony is certainly world class, and doesn’t make the short trip south all that often. But most compelling is the John Adams composition "Naïve and Sentimental Music," originally dedicated to and premiered by Salonen, a work that combines the scale and scope of a Bruckner symphony with Adams’ free-flowing and expressive minimalist language. This will be a superb double header. Fri 8pm, Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, $65-190.
Southside Slim – Southside Slim – Oh boy, oh boy, Southside is sliding back into town, coming north to us only so often and it is always an event not to be missed. His career history is intertwined with my other favorite local bluesman, Ray Bailey, who years ago mentored young Hank (Side) and directed him towards the rockier side of the blues. Good move Ray, because today Southside is no gentle blues crooner and picker – he rocks it hard on both guitar and vocals. On tour he has brought festival crowds to their feet cheering. When he ran into hard times he prevailed upon his father to let him live in his South LA trucking company yard and he woodshedded at least six hours a day perfecting his understanding and playing of the blues by listening carefully to the masters. Then he would trot off at night to the original Babe’s & Ricky’s on Central Avenue, and the Safari Club and various backyard juke joints in the neighborhood. He knew he was in the right place at the right time and that education has resulted in the hard-rockin’ bluesman you can cheer for yourself, right here in Santa Monica. Sat 9:30pm, Harvelle’s. Santa Monica, $10.
Los Straightjackets – Sometimes, in life, you come up with a brilliant idea that can take you through to the end. Nashville, 1988, and a really good rock and roll band is languishing in the very competitive live music landscape there. As I recall the story, one of them had a girlfriend with family in Mexico and when he decided to go with her to visit, the whole band came along, made an outing to see the famous masked Lucha Libre wrestlers, bought some masks, decided to switch to all instrumental music (no risk there), and the rest is a history of 16 albums, world tours, and film and TV appearances. Did any of them at the time say, you know, if anyone leaves the band we can replace them with someone just as good and no one will know the difference? Like any good gimmick you have to have the goods or you won’t last long. The first time I saw them, 20-some years ago, all I could think was, this is by far the best surf music band ever. From Nashville! And of course now they are playing… everything. Sun 8pm, McCabe’s, Santa Monica, $42.
Hot Club of Los Angeles – You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday, 9pm–11:30pm, 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. This amazing ensemble is a treasure, just over the border from SM. Mon 9pm, Cinema Bar, Culver City, no cover.
Recommended
Bob Marley: One Love – I can recommend this based on the story it tells and the trailers I’ve seen, and the fact that none of my hardcore reggae friends has trashed it. But none have raved, either. It does cover only a small period in his short life, when Jamaica was going through an election noted for guns and violence. Attackers broke into Marley’s compound and tried to assassinate him and his family, and… well, you’ll have to see for yourself. Marley was one of the most popular performers the world has ever seen, and was considered also a political and religious leader, even a prophet by many. AMC Santa Monica 7, 1310 Third Street Promenade, check theaters for showtimes, prices.
It’s Only A Show – Last chance! Famous character and comedic actor Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Linke were decades-long friends and collaborators. Linke crafted Reilly’s acclaimed solo play, Save It for the Stage, a production later immortalized on film as The Life of Reilly! Show is a tribute to Reilly, created and performed by Paul Linke. Together they took Reilly’s life stories around the country, and now it lands at our airport. Linke, known for his roles in CHiPs, Judging Amy, and the solo show Time Flies When You’re Alive, calls this "an evening of heart, humor and the enduring spirit of a true mentor." The other recent one-man show I saw at Ruskin was simply great, and since this one has been held over several times, I think we’d all better get on over this Saturday. Only one more performance after that. Sat 5pm, Ruskin Group Theatre, SM airport, $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 smokin’! Don’t. Miss. Toledo Diamond. Sun 9:30pm, Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $12.
Coming Attractions (all Recommended): Toledo Diamond, Harvelle’s, 3/31, 4/7, 14, 21, 28; Hot Club of Los Angeles, Cinema Bar, 4/1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Yo Yo Ma, Kathryn Scott, Disney Hall, 4/3; Springsteen, Kia Forum, 4/4, 7; Ethan Iverson Trio With Peter Erskine, Darek Oles, Sam First, 4/5; La Traviata, LA Opera, 4/6, 14, 18, 21, 24, 27; Donald Harrison, Jazz Bakery, 4/7; Saint-Saens, Organ Symphony, LA Phil, Disney Hall, 4/12, 13, 14; Library Girl, Ruskin Theatre, 4/14; Mavis Staples 85th Bd, Youtube Theater, 4/18; Albert Lee, Mccabe’s, 4/19; Herbie Hancock, Disney Hall, 4/20; Academy of St. Martin in The Fields, The Soraya, 4/21; Rhiannon Giddens, Theatre at Ace Hotel, 4/25; Jacky Terrasson Trio, Jazz Bakery, 5/5; Kraftwerk, Disney Hall, 5/21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30; John Mceuen, Mccabe’s, 5/24; Chris Stapleton, Hollywood Bowl, 6/26, 27; Rolling Stones, Sofi Stadium, 7/10, 13.
Charles Andrews has lived in Santa Monica for 38 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else.
