POETRY MAN ROGER STEFFENS @CIOP SAT-courtesy photo
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
ROGER STEFFENS, “Poetry for People Who Hate Poetry” – A bit of a misnomer, but you get the idea. Name anyone – musician, actor, politician – and I would bet Steffens has led the most interesting life, from war-torn Viet Nam to Trenchtown JA to Marakesh: radio, TV, stage, film, actor, photographer, writer, lecturer, producer, poet, editor, publicist, musicologist, activist, archivist, ist ist ist and THE top authority on Bob Marley (if not reggae itself) and owner of the world’s largest (mind blowing) Marley/Wailers memorabilia collection. Steffens first performed this one man poetry show 59 years ago, but updates it. He describes it as “poems old and new by e.e. cummings, Gregory Corso, locals like Long Beach laureate Gerry Locklin, and several newly discovered pieces – a wide-ranging, often very funny, repertoire.” You will be very entertained, never forget his sonorous acting voice, and probably learn a few things too. Sat 7:30 p.m., Church In Ocean Park, Santa Monica, $20.
KURT ELLING, PETER ERSKINE, YELLOWJACKETS, music of WEATHER REPORT – What?! Sacrilege! Weather Report was a groundbreaking, music changing group in the ‘70s, and… they were instrumental. How dare vocalist Elling write words to those iconic songs? Um - with permission, of WR saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter, his friend for many years, before he died two years ago. Elling (I’m a huge fan) said the saxophone sounds very much like a human voice, and he took the greatest care to write appropriate lyrics. The music of Weather Report was apparently confounding to even very respected drummers and percussionists because they ran through 14 of them, all lasting less than two years, before Erskine came along in 1978 and stayed four years, returning for ‘86-’87. Erskine would not be part of this project if he had any doubts about the legitimacy and value. Sat 8 p.m., The Soraya, Nothridge, $59-84.
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 - DUDAMEL Conducts MAHLER’s Journey, LA PHIL – Fasten your emotional seatbelts, we’re off on a month of Mahler, from perhaps his most passionate and skilled fundi today, our own Gustavo. You may as well camp out at Disney until March because he is leaving us with a curated cornucopia of bits and pieces, lieder and symphonies, that all flow together into a remarkable tribute to both Gs. Tonight he bookends Mahler’s career with selections from his first and his final symphonies, then comes back with lieder from important German poets. Next Thurs 8 p.m., Walt Disney ConcertHall, LA, $20-200.
Next Thurs - CHUCHO VALDES, ARTURO SANDOVAL, IRAKERE 50 – Cuba has a long and rich musical history, but much like the innovation of Weather Report (above), Irakere changed the landscape in 1973 for all Afro-Cuban jazz to follow. Half a century later, two of the original members are reuniting the band for a landmark performance at The Soraya. Valdes can be an electrifying pianist, and Sandoval recently received the Kennedy Center Honors (the last year for a while it will be worth anything, since maven of the arts DJ Trumpf recently fired the board and appointed himself in charge. Next honorees: Kid Rock, The Rock, Kanye, Ted Nugent, WWF…) Sandoval can also blow your mind on trumpet, so this show should rock the rafters. Next Thurs 8 p.m, The Soraya, Northridge, $43-74.
RECOMMENDED:.
PAAVO JÄRVI, LA PHIL, RAVEL, BRAHMS/SCHOENBERG – I’ve caught Järvi a couple of times and I like his style, and I like this program. The Wall Street Journal says South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho is poised to join the ranks of the great ones, and he delivers Ravel’s piano concerto with technique and emotion. Then Jarvi leads the LA Phil in Schoenberg’s adaptation of a Brahms string quartet into orchestral mode, and that should be spellbinding and especially poignant now that so many of the former Brentwood resident Schoenberg’s papers were destroyed in the fire. Next Thurs 8 p.m., Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, $68-219. 2/13, 14, 15, 16
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
MAHLER Grooves Listening Party – Gustav Mahler has long been my numero uno, and although ignored for years after his death, he has long been very popular among Angelenos, who back in the ‘60s-‘70s used to organize listening parties of recordings, in private homes – before Gustavo Dudamel brought his love of Mahler here, with so many performances over his tenure. That tenure is ending as we send him off to rescue poor culturally deprived New York (don’t forget to thank us, please). This is a recreation of those days, at the gorgeous Paramour Estate, with commentary from film mavens who have mined his treasures. It’s sold out, so why do I even mention it? So you might grab tickets to such rare events sooner, and not be disappointed. (Hint: watch this column.) Wed 7:30 p.m., Paramour Estate. Sold out.
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): PAAVO JÄRVI, LA PHIL, RAVEL, BRAHMS/SCHOENBERG, Disney Hall, 2/13, 14, 15, 16; “Poetry for People Who Hate Poetry,” ROGER STEFFENS, Church in Ocean Park, 2/15; KURT ELLING, PETER ERSKINE, The Soraya, 2/15; TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s, 2/16, 23; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 2/17, 24; MAHLER Grooves Listening Party, Paramour Estate (sold out) 2/19; DUDAMEL Conducts MAHLER’s Journey, LA PHIL, Disney Hall, 2/20, 21, 22, 23; CHUCHO VALDES, ARTURO SANDOVAL, The Soraya, 2/20; DUDAMEL, LA PHIL, MAHLER Symphony No. 7, Disney Hall, 2/27, 28, 3/1.
DOWN THE ROAD (also recommended): MAHLERTHON I, Santa Monica High School Chamber Orchestra+ Symphony Orchestra, Youth Orchestra LA, Inner City Youth Orchestra of LA, Disney Hall, 3/2; TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s, 3/2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 4/6, 13, 20, 27; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 3/3, 10, 17, 24, 31; MAHLERTHON II, UCLA Philharmonia, USC Thornton Symphony, Colburn Orchestra, LA Master Chorale, Disney Hall, 3/2; DAMN WELL PLEASE ORGAN TRIO, Harvelle’s, 3.4; GUSTAV + ANNA with DUDAMEL, Disney Hall, 3/6, 7, 8, 9; MOZART’S “COSI FAN TUTTI,” LA OPERA, Dorothy Chandler, 3/8, 16, 19, 22, 27, 30; LIBRARY GIRL, Ruskin Theatre, 3/9, 4/13, 5/11, 6/8, 7/13, 8/10, 9/14, 10/12, 11/9, 12/14;; LA FOLK FESTIVAL/EMMYLOU HARRIS, Bellwether, 3/22; REVEREND SHAWN AMOS, Broad Plaza, 3/22; FRANZ FERDINAND, Wiltern, 3/29; TONY GILKYSON & RICK SHEA, CINDY LEE BERRYHILL, McCabe’s, 4/6; POPAGANZA, Pacific Opera Project, Ebell Theatre, 4/7; PUSSY RIOT, Lodge Room, 4/20; LUCKY STARS, Broadstage, 4/26; 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; JOHN BATISTE, Disney Hall, 5/19; GERSHWIN, “Also Sprach Z,” LA PHIL, Disney Hall, 5/23, 24; ALISON KRAUS, UNION STATION, Greek Theatre, 7/13; TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND, Greek, 8/13; NINE INCH NAILS, Kia Forum, 9/18, 19.
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. Not even Kauai. Send love and/or hate mail to: therealmrmusic@gmail.com
