As the end of summer draws near, now is the time to take stock of what we did or didn’t do over the last several months. Did we do all the things we wanted to? Did we take enough time off from work to enjoy the long summer days and balmy nights? Did we take in enough music and culture in the outdoors? How about just taking the time to enjoy the sounds and smells of summer and enjoy times with friends, family and loved ones?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” there is still a couple of weeks left before summer is over to have that last barbecue, take in a long bike ride and take in a few more shows.
The 17th annual Culver City Music Festival still has a couple of concerts to go, with jazz impresario Ruth Price lending her booking expertise and exceptional ear for the last two concerts. Tonight, The Jazz Bakery’s Movable Feast will feature jazz quartet Woodford, Ehling, Ratner & Wallace with featured vocalist Dwight Trible, who currently provides vocals for the Pharoah Sanders Quartet.
Next Thursday, the concert series closes out on Aug. 25, with southern California Latin jazz legend Poncho Sanchez and his big band. This Grammy-Award winner got his break playing with his idol, vibraphonist Cal Tjader, then went on to form his own band and has been delighting audiences ever since.
Last Thursday, Manny, Moe, Jack and Curly, otherwise known as the 4 Lads From Liverpool, tried their best to duplicate the magic and artistry of the Beatles on the Culver City Concert stage. For the second half of the show, the Lads put on their Sgt. Pepper era regalia, with “Ringo,” taking a turn on vocals for a credible version of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
This particular tribute band is a well-oiled machine, from their Liverpool accents and scripted jokes, to the left-handed, bass-playing Paul McCartney impersonator. The real Paul sounds better at age 69 than this particular mop top, though. But I’m sure it’s not easy finding a lefty who can play the Hofner bass and hit the high notes on “Can’t Buy Me Love.”
If you have more of a need for a serene, rather than spicy musical offering under the stars, perhaps the final concert of the Marina del Rey Summer Symphony, might be for you. Under the capable direction of conductor and music director Frank Fetta, the orchestra will have 20-year-old pianist Clair Haungci returning to perform works from Ravel and Gershwin, with music by Honegger and Tchaikovsky rounding out the Aug. 18 program. The free series takes place at 7 p.m. at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey.
More eclectic musical offerings are on tap on Saturday, Aug. 27 for a show featuring Joellen Lapidus and the Ballona Gypsy Boys. Lapidus is well-known on the Westside for her Extreme Klezmer Makeover group, while this combo mixes mountain dulcimer, eastern European Klezmer and Broadway styles. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. at The Rumours Café, 11739 Washington Blvd., Mar Vista.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art continues its popular “Latin Sounds” concert series this weekend, with the group Lucky 7 taking the stage on Saturday, Aug. 20. Then, on Aug. 27, Colombian-born alto sax master Justo Almario takes the stage with his Afro-Colombian Ensemble. All concerts are free and start at 5 p.m.
Glam-metal fans will be heading en masse to the Sunset Strip Music Festival this weekend to hear the likes of Motley Crue, Bush, Public Enemy and up-and-coming acts like The Limousines, Voxhaul Broadcast and She Wants Revenge, among others. This ticketed music fest takes place at various venues on the strip, like the Viper Room, The Roxy, The Whiskey A-Go-Go and the Key Club.
In addition, concerts will be taking place right on the street, as Sunset Boulevard, between Doheny Drive and San Vicente Boulevard will be shut down on Saturday, with two stages going continuously from 1:30 p.m., until Motley Crue takes the stage at 9:30 p.m.
With the recent passing of former Warrant front man Jani Lane, who was found dead in a Woodland Hills hotel last Thursday, Motley Crue is one of the last bands of the 1980’s heavy metal era still playing actively, so it may be time to check them out before vocalist Vince Neil decides to hang up his microphone and blow dryer. Ticket information and set times can be checked out at sunsetstripmusicfestival.com/.
Jonathan Weiss is a Los Angeles-based music supervisor for film, TV and advertising. Email him at jonjaz@aol.com.
