Upcoming FESTIVALS, News, New CD Releases, Reviews, Live Music & Art, April 29, 2014

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The must-share “Line of the Week” (so far) comes from Danny Krieger, upon learning that musician friend MATT CARTSONIS and JOHN McEUEN’s band were headed for Arizona:

"Dude, come to Tucson. You can all sleep on our futon. You'll love it. It's small and smells of cat urine... You're welcome!"
 
 
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In this edition…


♪  FESTIVALS! SEVEN COMING THIS WEEKEND IN SOUTHERN CAL
.  √  How to get tix in time.

♪  NEWS FEATURES:
.  1)  FAR-WEST “OFFICIAL SHOWCASE” APPLICATION DEADLINE IS WED, APRIL 30
.  2)  SKIRBALL CENTER OFFERS MUSICAL COMEDY COURSE; STARTS TONIGHT

♪  NEW RELEASES:
.  √  BOB WILLS & HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS: “RIDING YOUR WAY – THE LOST TRANSCRIPTIONS FOR TIFFANY MUSIC, 1946-1947” (2-CD set), OUT TODAY
.  √  BRIGITTE DeMEYER RELEASES NEW ALBUM “SAVANNAH ROAD” TODAY
.  √  UNESCO COLLECTION OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC SERIES: RELEASE OF 125 ALBUMS OVER 63 WEEKS BEGINS TODAY
.  √  BEN WATT’s “HENDRA,” HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM IN 31 YEARS, OUT TODAY
.  √  THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT, “SONG IN MY HEAD,” HITS STORES APRIL 29

♪  THIS DAY IN HISTORY:
.  √  "Operation Frequent Wind:” the final moments of the Vietnam War.

♪  TICKET ALERTS:
.  √  The new “AMERICANA MUSIC SERIES” at the Grammy Museum in L.A; several fine shows, some performance-interviews.
.  √  ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS play Caltech, Sat, May 3, and in Long Beach on May 4.
.  √  ALISON BROWN QUARTET: THE BANJO SERIES is Sat, May 3, at the Museum of Making Music, in San Diego Co.
.  √  CHUCK PYLE, “THE ZEN COWBOY,” plays Sat, May 3 at Boulevard Music in Culver City.
.  √  HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN plays Sun, May 4, in San Diego.
.  √  “LE SALON DE MUSIQUES" celebrates SHOSTAKOVITCH, DVORAK, and BORODIN, Sun, May 4.

♪  TUESDAY’s MUSIC & ART EVENTS

♪  ONGOING MUSIC & ART EVENTS
 
 
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♪  FESTIVALS! SEVEN COMING
THIS WEEKEND IN SOUTHERN CAL
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All the details later. But the basics, and HOW TO GET TICKETS, are right here.

√  24th Annual “DYLANFEST,” Sun, May 4, noon-8 pm, in Torrance. Tix at www.andyandrenee.com or 310-346-9383.

√  Annual " RAMONA BLUEGRASS & OLD WEST FESTIVAL," Sat & Sun, May 3 & 4, in Riverside County (Ramona). Ticket info: folkmuseHC@mattfolkmuse.com

√  Annual “ECLECTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL” is nu-folk-friendly, Sat, May 3, 2-10 pm at several venues running simultaneously in South Pasadena. FREE.

√  52nd Annual “SIERRA MADRE ART FAIR,” with two music stages, Sat & Sun, May 3 & 4, in Sierra Madre. FREE.

√  3rd Annual "LOS LOBOS CINCO DE MAYO FESTIVAL" with LOS LOBOS, plus OZOMATLI, MARIACHI EL BRONX, and more, Sat, May 3, at 6:30 pm. Tix available at:
http://www.greektheatrela.com/events/event_details.asp?id=2754

√  Annual “OJAI STORYTELLING FESTIVAL,” Sat & Sun, May 3 & 4, in VC (Ojai). Tix at 805-646-2094.

√  “AMERICANA MUSIC JAM: FESTIVAL TICKET” is Sat, May 3, 5 pm, with Run Boy Run , The Haden Triplets, and Jackie Greene, at SOHo Restaurant & Music Club in Santa Barbara. Tix at 805-962-7776 or  HYPERLINK http://www.sohosb.com www.sohosb.com.
 
 
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♪  NEWS FEATURES
 
 
# 1 Feature:
 
√  FAR-WEST “OFFICIAL SHOWCASE” APPLICATION DEADLINE IS WED, APRIL 30

The Guide brought you all the details weeks ago, covering how artists can apply to take part in “Official Showcases” and other performance opportunities at the upcoming Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West) Conference this fall.

This is a reminder that the “Firm deadline” is tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 30, 2014, at 11:59 pm PDT. The basic details are at:

http://ow.ly/wdVFy

Full details are on the “Official Showcase Process 2014 - FAR-West” page, at:

http://www.far-west.org/official-showcases-2014.html
 
 
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# 2 Feature:
 
√  SKIRBALL CENTER OFFERS MUSICAL COMEDY COURSE; STARTS TONIGHT

Titled, “Singing Slings & Arrows,” it’s an adult education course that runs every Tuesday, 1:30-3 pm (6 sessions), from April 29-June 3, at the Skirball Center, atop Sepulveda Pass overlooking the San Fernando Valley just off the 405 Freeway.

The course description says, “learn more about the world of musical satire in a variety of genres, cultures, and eras, including ingenious examples such as the Gershwins, Randy Newman, Monty Python, and ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’

The course explores the world of musical satire in a variety of genres, cultures, and eras, especially in America during the last fifty to sixty years.

The Skirball notes, “Satire is one of the oldest forms of humor, and using music only seems to make it more powerful. In early Germanic and Celtic societies, people would break out in boils and even commit suicide if attacked in song. This class examines some of the most masterly examples of musical satire, including the early Roman poets Horace and Juvenal, ‘Yankee Doodle,’ Gilbert & Sullivan, the Gershwins, the Beatles, Randy Newman, Monty Python, This Is Spinal Tap, Saturday Night Live, and South Park. Also learn more about the king of caustic cultural commentary, Tom Lehrer, who once said, ‘If, after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worthwhile.’”

Instructor David Misch has been writing and producing comedy for more than thirty-five years. Among his credits are “Mork and Mindy,” the Emmy-nominated adult animated series “Duckman,” and “Saturday Night Live.” He’s the author of “Funny: The Book/Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Comedy,” and has taught and lectured about comedy at USC, UCLA, Columbia University, and Oxford University.

Course fee is $150 general, $120 for Skirball members.

Register at:
www.skirball.org/programs/courses/singing-slings-arrows
 
 
 
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♪  NEW RELEASES:
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√  BOB WILLS & HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS: “RIDING YOUR WAY – THE LOST TRANSCRIPTIONS FOR TIFFANY MUSIC, 1946-1947” (2-CD set), OUT TODAY

by Jesse P. Cutler

This is very big deal, even if it’s all in a day’s work for the folks at the Real Gone Records label. This new release brings FIFTY (50) lost “Tiffany Transcriptions” sides from Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Recorded during 1946 and 1947 on 16-inch transcriptions and distributed only to radio stations, the Tiffany Transcriptions have long been the crown jewel of the King of Western String's discography, and this 2-CD release includes recently unearthed sides – fifty of ’em – that either have not been released since the original transcription discs or were NEVER been released at all.

There is even a special edition for “Record Store Day,” observed nationwide on April 19 (it was in the Guide), and that special release is a limited edition on red vinyl and features ten previously unreleased Tiffany recordings. Real Gone Music says, “With all modesty, we think this is the biggest American music find in recent memory. Wills and his band covered songs from every walk of American music.”

Real Gone Music is offering folks a chance to own some of the most revered – and rare – recordings in the history of American music. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys cut nearly 400 full songs for Tiffany Music, Inc., in 1946 and 1947, recordings that came to be known as the Tiffany Transcriptions. As noted, these recordings were distributed only to radio stations, and were intended for airplay as part of a syndicated radio show featuring Wills and the Playboys. However, the transcriptions proved to be a financial failure, and Tiffany Music, Inc. folded by the end of the '40s, seemingly relegating the Tiffany Transcriptions to obscurity (and leaving over 200 songs in the can).

But that was not the end of the story. The Tiffany Transcriptions were unlike anything else in the King of Western Swing's discography. Typically recorded on a Monday in between tours, they usually consisted of on-the-spot arrangements of everything from Wills hits to western swing standards to sentimental ballads to blues and hot swing instrumentals, and the 16", 33 1/3 rpm recording format allowed some of the songs to be longer than the normal, three-minute limitation of the 10-inch, 78 rpm commercial records of the day. This meant that Wills and his incredible band -- with the great Tommy Duncan on vocals – had a chance to stretch out and have fun with the material. The result: the Tiffany Transcriptions are generally regarded as the best recordings Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys ever made.

For decades, the Tiffany Transcriptions were more legend than fact. Collectors passed copies of them around on poorly recorded reel-to-reel tapes and, later, cassettes. Finally, in the early '80s, Kaleidoscope Records began releasing a series of vinyl volumes of the Tiffany Transcriptions, followed by a CD release on Kaleidoscope and Rhino Records in the '90s. To date, however, less than half of the songs recorded by Wills and the Playboys have seen the light of day since the original transcription pressings of the '40s.

Flash forward 60 years. One day, Warner/Rhino tape vault honcho Mike Johnson spies the master tape reels for the Kaleidoscope Records releases on the shelf – but what's on those 49 other tape reels right next to them?! That's right -- only the biggest discovery in American popular music this millennium, all the missing recordings Wills and his band made for Tiffany, both released and unreleased.

Now, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys: "Riding Your Way -- The Lost Transcriptions for Tiffany Music", 1946-1947 presents 50 of those long-lost transcription sides – 20 of them never released even on transcription disc – inside a package worthy of the material, a 6-panel DVD-style digipak featuring photos and memorabilia from the collection of Kaleidoscope Records co-founder Tom Diamant.

The 20-page, DVD-sized booklet includes notes featuring quotes from the original Playboys by Western Swing expert Cary Ginell, plus a foreword from Johnson (who co-produced the set) and a complete discography of the Tiffany recordings. The recordings are mastered by Bob Fisher from recently discovered tapes to preserve their vintage sonic vibrancy while eliminating excess background surface noise.

For Record Store Day, April 19, Real Gone released a limited-edition (of 1500) pressing of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys: "Transcriptions." The set presents ten of those long-lost, never-before-released transcription sides inside a package designed to mimic the mailers in which they were sent to radio stations back in the '40s, with "pre-distressed," trompe l'oeil wrinkles and wear on the record jacket and a cutaway hole in front showing the vintage Tiffany logo on the vinyl label, which continues the Tiffany numbering system of assigning a record number to each side. The back cover also shows vintage graphics from the period, and the records are pressed on red vinyl (150-gram), as that's how some Tiffany Transcriptions were originally manufactured. Four of the songs are unique to this release and will not appear on the 2-CD release. You’ll have to scramble to find one; they were a Record Store Day exclusive.

To quote from Ginell's notes to the 2-CD release: "As the years go by, it has become more than appropriate to compare Bob Wills' Tiffany Transcriptions with Tiffany & Co., the elegant New York-based jeweler that markets itself as an arbiter of taste and style. These newly released performances only brighten the luster of the Tiffany catalog, which is now acknowledged as being one of the most important single collections in the history of twentieth century music."

“Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys: Riding Your Way -- The Lost Transcriptions for Tiffany Music, 1946-1947” is available as a 2-CD set, and as LPs on vinyl.

Ordering info and more details are at:
www.realgonemusic.com
 
 
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√  BRIGITTE DeMEYER RELEASES NEW ALBUM “SAVANNAH ROAD” TODAY
 
by Angela Villanueva and Lyndie Wenner

The acclaimed acoustic soul singer-songwriter announces new tour dates including a show supporting GREGG ALLMAN on May 18 in San Diego.

BRIGITTE DeMEYER’s sixth full-length album “SAVANNAH ROAD” is out today, April 29. The acclaimed acoustic soul singer-songwriter is receiving critical praise for this collection, as she has with her previous releases. Brigitte has also announced new tour dates, including a very special show as support for one of her main influences, Gregg Allman, on Sunday, May 18 at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay in San Diego. Tickets are now on sale.

The album’s title track, “Savannah Road,” was inspired by Gregg Allman’s book “My Cross to Bear.” The celebrated musician’s biography was Brigitte’s companion, and she says it took her in all these different, musical and emotional directions. The book helped her feel connected to Allman and his music, to Georgia, the South, and in the process, connected Brigitte to herself.

“I’m very honored and excited to share the stage with Gregg Allman, someone who has been such an inspiration to my new music,” she says, adding, “I’m also so happy to share ‘Savannah Road’ with the world. It’s a very personal album, and I’m delighted that it’s being so well-received.”

The Nashville-based musician is also celebrating the new release by announcing new tour dates. In addition to the May 18 show with Gregg Allman, Brigitte has confirmed a Los Angeles date, May 10 at Hotel Café in Hollywood, and a New York City date on August 6 at Rockwood Music Hall. Between the two is a special album release party in Nashville on May 15 at The Station Inn with Will Kimbrough, Brady Blade, Jimmy Wallace, Chris Donohue and special guests.

Numerous tour dates are confirmed and more will be added soon. Additionally, Brigitte unveiled a new website today to coincide with the release of “SAVANNAH ROAD.” Check out the new www.brigittedemeyer.com, featuring a stream of the new album for a limited time.

There is no shortage of critical praise for “SAVANNAH ROAD.” NoDepression.com recently reviewed the album and wrote, “As soon as I heard [collaborator Will] Kimbrough’s opening National Steel chords on first track ‘Savannah Road,’ my ears pricked up and when Brigitte’s sultry voice purred something about ‘rows and rows of peaches and weeds of purple,’ work came to a standstill, and I was transported to the ramshackle veranda somewhere in the Deep South as the sun sets over the horizon. Every single song tells a story that will captivate the listener…Whereas Brigitte DeMeyer’s previous offerings are Country tinged singer-songwriter fayre; Savannah Road is dipped in molasses, rolled around in cotton, then left to dry next to a still in the backyard of a smoky roadside diner and could be a contender for my album of the year.” (4/23/14.)

Paul Freeman of the San Jose Mercury News raved, “Brigitte DeMeyer continues to impress with every new release. Savannah Road is her sixth album a collection of stunning Americana songs…DeMeyer and her frequent songwriting collaborator Will Kimbrough deliver striking, sensitive, soulful tunes…DeMeyer, who self-produced, serves up beautiful, uncluttered, intimate arrangements that let her marvelously expressive voice and all the authentic emotion shine through.” (4/16/14.)

Americana Music Show’s Calvin Powers noted, “From the opening track of Brigitte DeMeyer’s Savannah Road you are struck by the spiritual nature of her vocals. She’s singing like she means it, like she’s getting in touch with something very ancient and deep in the south. Despite having grown up on the west coast, she managed to connect to roots music through soul music and Gregg Allman and other musical icons. The result is a collection of southern, soulful blues tracks that fit right in at your next back porch hangout or late night drive through the land of Spanish moss.” (4/21/14.)

Brigitte’s album is also captivating media across the pond. UK magazine Country Music People gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and said, “Savannah Road is a delightfully balanced record that demonstrates the diversity of DeMeyer’s vocal style and songwriting and is performed with an accomplished band of like-minded musicians…The album is full of soulful, blues-infused roots music with a touch of gospel...collaborator Will Kimbrough who also contributes his superb musicianship on acoustic guitar, steel guitar, banjo, harmonica and harmony vocals. DeMeyer writes beautifully descriptive lyrics and delivers them with a powerful, soulful voice...” (May 2014.)

BRIGITTE DeMEYER’s confirmed tour dates include: a solo acoustic set on Saturday, May 10, in Hollywood at the Hotel Café, and opening for Gregg Allman on Sunday, May 18 in San Diego, at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, with Will Kimbrough.

Back on Friday, March 7, DeMeyer performed a special show opening for THE WOOD BROTHERS at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley, giving the sold-out crowd a preview of her new full-length album. It was clear, then and there, that is a good one.

There’s more on the new album and the artist at:
www.brigittedemeyer.com.
www.facebook.com/brigittedemeyer
www.youtube.com/brigittedemeyermusic

You can purchase “Savannah Road” at iTunes, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
 
 
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√  UNESCO COLLECTION OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC SERIES: RELEASE OF 125 ALBUMS OVER 63 WEEKS BEGINS TODAY

Smithsonian Folkways is celebrating not just the release today, April 29, of one of their albums of often ancient recordings of music that ranges from immediately-important to too-obscure-to-be-appreciated-until-it-finds-a-new-audience. They’re jumping-in with both feet with this project, as they begin the release of 125 albums, two releases each week, from the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music.

Today, “Week 1,” marks the release of “Musical Sources” and “Dance and Festivity.” You can listen to previews of both albums and find info for ordering at:
www.folkways.si.edu/radio/unesco/index.html

Learn about “Week 2” and beyond, and the complete upcoming series at:
www.folkways.si.edu

You’ll need to check their site each week to find out what’s next.
 
 
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√  BEN WATT RELEASES “HENDRA,” HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM IN 31 YEARS, OUT TODAY

by Joe Sivick

“Experimental Folk” artist BEN WATT hasn’t been idle. Far from it. Yet today, the on Unmade Road label sees the release of his first solo LP in more than 31 years. He has some esteemed companions on the new record: BERNARD BUTLER, EWAN PEARSON, and PINK FLOYD'S DAVID GILMOUR all joined-in.

After twenty years in EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL, and ten years as a respected DJ and record label boss of Buzzin' Fly, Ben Watt announced last year he was parking everything to complete two long-planned creative solo projects.

The first, published by Bloomsbury on February 13 in the UK and in June in North America, is his long-awaited second book, “Romany and Tom,” a dazzling portrait of his parents. The second is “Hendra,” his first solo album in three decades, released on his own new imprint, Unmade Road, through Caroline International. It is, in Ben's words, "simply a folk-rock record in an electronic age."

"I had come to a plateau with the labels and clubland," he says. "I had a need to go back to words and music, not just beats and other people's work. Once I made some space, a lot of ideas just tumbled out."

It was in 1981 that Ben first appeared on London indie label Cherry Red as a young nineteen-year-old experimental folk artist. His first single was produced by the maverick Kevin Coyne. With his second – 1982's “Summer into Winter” EP – he coaxed alt-folk icon Robert Wyatt into collaborating on two tracks, and soon his work was drawing comparisons in the press to Tim Buckley and John Martyn. It culminated in his debut album, 1983's “North Marine Drive.”

"I put it all away when I teamed up with Tracey as EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL in 1983," he says. "But as time has gone on – even in spite of the last ten years in the electronic world – something has made me want to go back to see what I left behind. And I realized I'd left things unfinished."

"In the end I wrote the songs for ‘Hendra’ unexpectedly. My sister died suddenly as I was finishing the book. I think it all came to a head. My mind was full of a lot of stuff. I just went down into the basement at home every night and retuned all my guitars into unfamiliar tunings as a way of beginning again and just started singing."

The upshot is ten songs. Unsentimental. Impressionistic. Songs about close family and strangers, resilience and hope. All set in vivid landscapes where the outside comes inside and clings to the stories.

Recorded in London and Berlin, the music is a meeting of worlds: languid folk, distorted rock and buzzing electronics; in part a result of the album's two central collaborators, ex-SUEDE guitarist BERNARD BUTLER, and Berlin-based producer EWAN PEARSON.

"I turned instinctively to Bernard very early on," says Ben. "I knew his overdriven, string-bent intensity would be the perfect foil to my own warm open-tuned style. It adds tension to the songs. Ewan has a foot in both my recent worlds. He can do thrumming Berlin techno, but also things of great delicacy and grace. I also wanted his vintage ’70s poly-synths as a contrasting color, and a burnished 3-D sound, which of course both play to his strengths."

The album also includes one other unexpected stellar cameo – Pink Floyd's DAVID GILMOUR, who adds plangent slide guitar and backing vocals on "The Levels."

"We met by chance in London just before the album," says Ben. 'We didn't know each other. He invited me to hear his demos. I thought he was joking, but two days later he texted me and invited me down to his studio and we got on well. During my album, ‘The Levels’ seemed like a perfect track for him. I rang him up and he loved the song and he did it the same weekend. Wish everything was that simple sometimes!”

How does it feel, following-up a debut album thirty-one years later?

"Sometimes I laugh and think it could be the definition of the difficult second album; it has certainly been a long time coming," he says. "Some might see it as a strange fork in the road after Buzzin' Fly, but everything for me has always been about finding a truthful and vivid point of connection with an audience - whether on dance floors or in folk clubs. Words, beats and notes -it's all we have. It's just a question of playing them in what feels like the right order at the right time, and at the moment, ‘Hendra’ just feels right."

“Hendra” is released today, April 29th, on Unmade Road through Caroline International on standard CD, 180 gm vinyl and digital. The standard CD and digital releases carry the original ten-track album. The 180 gm vinyl version has the original ten-tracks on vinyl, gatefold artwork, and the full album, PLUS four bonus tracks on an MP3 voucher.

DJ-ing aside, touring “Hendra” has brought Watt's first ever-solo dates in the US. He played the Echo on April 4.

CD Track List:
1) Hendra, 2) Forget, 3) Spring, 4) Golden Ratio, 5) Matthew Arnold’s Field, 6) The Gun, 7) Nathaniel, 8) The Levels, 9) Young Man’s Game, 10) The Heart is a Mirror.

Bonus Tracks: (by MP3 voucher, with vinyl record purchase only):
11) Hendra (Demo), 12) Spring (Demo), 13) Young Man's Game (Demo), 14) Forget (Live).

The album is available, subject to the above, in several formats: standard CD, 180 gm vinyl record, on iTunes, and digital.

There’s more at:
www.benwatt.com
www.soundcloud.com/ben_watt
www.facebook.com/benwattmusic
 
 
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√  THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT CELEBRATES THEIR 20th ANNIVERSARY WITH “SONG IN MY HEAD,” FIRST NEW STUDIO ALBUM IN NINE YEARS; HITS STORES APRIL 29 VIA SCI FIDELITY RECORDS/LOUD & PROUD RECORDS

The Guide brought you the story of today’s release, and noted that the band will play this year’s Huck Finn Jubilee. It’s in the April 25 edition. It’s available at a separate click. See the sidebar at left, or use your mobile “back” key and you’ll see that edition.
 
 
 
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♪  THIS DAY IN HISTORY:
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√  On this day in 1975, "Operation Frequent Wind" commenced with mass evacuations of Americans and South Vietnamese from various locations in Saigon, including the Defense Attaché Office compound and U.S. Embassy, by helicopter to U.S. warships off the coast of South Vietnam.
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Those chaotic FINAL MOMENTS OF THE VIETNAM WAR are examined in the upcoming film, "Last Days in Vietnam," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It will soon be shown as an edition of "American Experience" on PBS. There's more on the film's website, at:
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http://www.lastdaysinvietnam.com/
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It just can’t feel like dusty history when thousands of veterans from that war, and thousands more from Iraq and Afghanistan, brought home deep problems that have affected or prevented their re-assimilation into civilian society.
 
 
 
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♪  TICKET ALERTS
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√  ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS (from “A Prairie Home Companion”) play Sat, May 3, 8 pm, at the Pasadena Folk Music Society series at Caltech. Likely to sell-out. Get advance tix now at the Caltech Ticket Office by calling 626-395-4652.


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√  ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS & THEIR FINE GROUP play Sun, May 4, 8 pm, at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach. Tix at 562-985-7000.


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√  ALISON BROWN QUARTET: THE BANJO SERIES is Sat, May 3, 7 pm, at the Museum of Making Music, in San Diego Co. (Carlsbad). Tix at 760-438-5996.


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√  CHUCK PYLE, “THE ZEN COWBOY,” plays Sat, May 3, 8 pm, at Boulevard Music, 4316 Sepulveda Bl, Culver City 90230. Tix at 310-398-2583.


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√  HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN, that great trio from Austin, plays Sun, May 4, 7:30 pm, at the AMSD Concert Series in San Diego. Tix at 619-303-8176


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√   “LE SALON DE MUSIQUES" celebrates SHOSTAKOVITCH, DVORAK, and BORODIN, Sun, May 4, 4 pm, in L.A.; includes gourmet buffet and French Champagne. Tix at www.LeSalondeMusiques.com or 310-498-0257.


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GRAMMY MUSEUM’s “AMERICANA MUSIC SERIES”…

√  “AN EVENING WITH KEB’ MO',” happens Wed, May 14 at 8 pm in the Grammy Museum in L.A. General tix sales begin Tue, April 29, at noon. (L.A. American Express card-only presale ended Apr 28.)
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Three-time GRAMMY Award-winner, Keb' Mo' – hailed by NPR as the "modern ambassador for the blues" - embarks on a new chapter in his career with the April 22 release of his first new album in three years, BLUESAmericana, and his most extensive tour in nearly as long. Over the past two decades, Keb' has cultivated a reputation as a modern master of American roots music through the understated excellence of his live and studio performances. His songs have been recorded by B.B. King, Buddy Guy, the Dixie Chicks, Joe Cocker and Robert Palmer. He's also collaborated with a host of other artists including Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Cassandra Wilson, Buddy Guy, Amy Grant, Solomon Burke and Little Milton. Recorded in Nashville and produced by Keb' Mo' and Casey Wasner, BLUESAmericana features some of the visionary roots-music storyteller's most poignant and joyful songs. BLUESAmericana is comprised of nine original songs and a cover of "That's Alright," and at its core, the album is about love and understanding. Many of the songs, including "Do It Right," co-written with Jim Weatherly ("Midnight Train to Georgia"), and the reflective "For Better Or Worse," explore devotion and marriage. The thorny, comic "The Worst is Yet To Come," is about hope, despite the hilarious laundry list of pitfalls its protagonist endures as he searches for a silver lining. "Somebody Hurt You" is, in Keb's words, "where the blues meets the church," and features guest vocals by Rip Patton, a longtime friend and Civil Rights era Freedom Rider. Join us in the Clive Davis Theater as we welcome Keb' Mo' to celebrate and honor his inspiring musical and life journey with an intimate discussion, moderated by Vice President of The GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Scott Goldman, and performance. All proceeds benefit The GRAMMY Museum. Doors open at 7:30 pm.
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Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in person at the Museum Box Office, by phone at 213-765-6803, or online or www.grammymuseum.org.


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√  “AN EVENING WITH JOHN WAITE” happens Tue, May 27, at 8 pm at the Grammy Museum in L.A. General tix sales begin Tue, April 29, at noon. (L.A. American Express card-only presale ended Apr 28.)
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With a career spanning nearly four decades, legendary singer-songwriter John Waite will be releasing his new greatest hits record, BEST, on May 13, 2014. The album features 18 songs spanning his illustrious career including 11 studio hits - three of which were recently re-recorded -five live songs and two unplugged tracks. Waite has been successfully writing, recording and performing some of the most listenable, enduring and appreciated popular music for more than 35 years. He rose to fame as bassist and lead vocalist for The Babys, who rocketed to Top 20 chart positions with a pair of infectious hits - "Isn't it Time" from the band's 1977 sophomore LP, Broken Heart and the monster ballad, "Every Time I Think of You" off 1978's Head First. After the breakup of The Babys, Waite began an abundant and prodigious solo career, ignited by the well-received release, Ignition, which featured the single, "Change," and his next solo effort, 1984's No Brakes, which featured top chart singles, "Missing You" and "Tears." Then, in 1988, Waite fronted supergroup, Bad English. Since returning to the recording studio as a solo artist in 1995, John has produced a string of solid, existentially eccentric, courageously eclectic and blisteringly electric rock n' roll records. It's especially timely that John Waite's BEST is coming out now as New York Times Best Selling author Harlan Coben's new thriller Missing You is named after Waite's signature 1984 chart-topper. Help us honor and recognize the musical journey and career of the incredibly bold and talented John Waite at the Clive Davis Theater, just days after the release of his newest greatest hits record, BEST. The event will be hosted by Vice President of The GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares, Scott Goldman, and will feature a performance.
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Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in person at the Museum Box Office, by phone at 213-765-6803, or online or www.grammymuseum.org.


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√  “SPOTLIGHT: JAMESTOWN REVIVAL” happens Wed, May 28, at 8 pm at the Grammy Museum in L.A. Presented in conjunction with the Americana Music Association, and 88.5FM KCSN. Tix went on sale Thu, Apr 24, at 10:30 am.
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At the heart of Jamestown Revival is a friendship that spans over a decade. Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance grew up together in the small Texas town of Magnolia. From a young age, they shared a love for music as well as the outdoors. About an hour north of Magnolia TX, there was some old family land with a dilapidated ranch house where they spent the better part of their adolescence. At one point or another, music from Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Everly Brothers, to fellow Texans Willie Nelson, Guy Clark and Stevie Ray Vaughan found its way through an old pair of speakers that sat on the back porch. At the age of 22, they moved to Austin and began to craft a sound of their own. Deeply rooted in harmony, they merged the sounds of the South with classic American and Western rock. Looking for adventure, as well as a change of pace, they eventually made the decision to head west and made the move to Los Angeles. Throughout the course of the next 12 months, they wrote their debut album, "UTAH." It's heavily autobiographical, telling the stories of their adventures, their discomforts and their observations. In order to capture the spirit of the music, the two found a log cabin high within the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. The pair, along with their band and engineer, set out to convert it into a temporary recording studio. With wild moose right outside the window, and aspen leaves spinning in the wind, they tracked the songs for "UTAH" live-to-tape and without headphones. Jamestown Revival is gearing up for life back out on the road with a national tour in May and June.
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This marks the fourth offering with othe Grammy Museum’s “Americana Music Association series.” It’s a performance-interview, moderated by Vice President of The GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares.
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Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in person at the Museum Box Office, by phone at 213-765-6803, or online or www.grammymuseum.org.


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√  “CALIFORNIA DREAMIN': THE SOUNDS OF LAUREL CANYON 1965 – 1977,” featuring music’s str photographer HENRY DILTZ and special guests, happens Fri, May 9, at 7:30 pm at the Grammy Museum in L.A. Tix on sale now.
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The exhibition by the same name is set to open on May 9, 2014. This exhibition will explore the story of the Los Angeles rock scene from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, a golden age of music, creativity and culture. This is a special launch event, and you’ll learn about touring of the new exhibition and enjoy an intimate conversation with photographer Henry Diltz, whose iconic photographs are featured prominently in the exhibit. Additional panelists to be announced soon.
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$10 tix go on sale Tue, Apr 29 at the Museum Box Office, by phone at 213-765-6803 and online at www.grammymuseum.org.
 
 
 
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Tuesday, April 29, 2014
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Tue, Apr 29,
FILM EVENT,
in OC (Newport Beach):
5 pm  THE NEWPORT FILM FESTIVAL screens “FIVE SUMMER STORIES,” followed by a panel discussion including Laird Hamilton, Herbie Fletcher, Gerry Lopez, Greg MacGillivray, Stacy Peralta, Steve Pezman, Peter Townend, and Steve Wood; at the South Coast Village III in Newport Beach.
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Info and tix, http://newportbeach.festivalgenius.com/2013/films/fivesummerstorie s_gregmacgillivray_newportbeach2014

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Tue, Apr 29, in Signal Hill:
6 pm  Weekly “BLUEGRASS SOUP JAM” at Convert-A-Tape, 2420 Gundry Av, Signal Hill 90755.

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Tue, Apr 29, in WeHo:
7 pm  MICHAEL NESMITH plays the Roxy, 9009 Sunset Bl, West Hollywood; www.theroxyonsunset.com; 310-276-2222.
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Tix, $49.50. Doors at 7 pm.

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Tue, Apr 29, in L.A.:
7 pm  “ARTISTS AND FAITHS: A PANEL DISCUSSION” happens at the Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, L.A. 90049; 310-440-7300; parking is $15 before 6 pm.
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Artists from a range of media and styles reflect on how their artistic practices represent their understanding of diverse religious traditions in this panel. As the role of religion in society has evolved, so too have artistic practices that represent faith. Call for reservations.

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Tue, Apr 29, in Arcadia:
7 pm  Weekly "SONGWRITERS SERENADE" tonight brings a lineup of recording artists and performing host JC HYKE, all playing fully acoustic, at Matt Denny's Ale House Restaurant, 145 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia 91006.
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No cover. Venue has full menu and full bar. All ages. Show is on a covered patio with plenty of heaters. Free parking in back or on the street.

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Tue, Apr 29, in SFV (Toluca Lake):
7 pm  Weekly “TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION” is a structured jam at Timmy Nolan's Tavern & Grill, 10111 Riverside Dr, Toluca Lake 91602; 818-985-3359.

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Tue, Apr 29, in San Diego:
7:30-11 pm  BAYOU BROTHERS & SISTA play the weekly Lou’siana music session at Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St, San Diego 92110.

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Tue, Apr 29, in Echo Park (L.A.):
7:30 pm  Book release party for JULIET ESCORIA’s "BLACK CLOUD" with special guests Ben Loory, Karolina Waclawiak, Mira Gonzalez, at Stories Books & Café, 1716 Sunset Bl, Echo Park 90026; www.storiesla.com; 213-413-3733.
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No cover.

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Tue, Apr 29, in L.A.:
8 pm  “SPOTLIGHT: DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS” featuring PATTERSON HOOD and MIKE COOLEY, presented in conjunction with the Americana Music Association & 88.5FM KCSN,  at the Grammy Museum’s Clive Davis Theatre, 800 W Olympic Bl, L.A. 90015; 213-765-6803; www.grammymuseum.org.
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Co-founded by Patterson Hood and his longtime friend, former roommate, and musical partner Mike Cooley in Athens, Georgia, Drive-By Truckers have created quite an impressive catalog over the years. Starting out in 1985, the two had played in various other bands including Adam's House Cat which was once chosen as a top ten Best Unsigned Band in the late 1980s. Shortly after, with a revolving group of musicians, Drive-By Truckers put out their first two albums, Gangstabilly (1998) and Pizza Deliverance (1999). Following their second release, the band embarked on a nationwide tour. Constant touring helped them develop a large and dedicated fan base and, after three years on the road, a tight-knit group of musicians emerged. Their breakthrough album, Southern Rock Opera was first released in 2001 and then reissued on Lost Highway in 2002. Several years, eight albums and many successful side projects later, the Drive-By Truckers have released the acclaimed English Oceans, an elegantly balanced and deeply engaged new effort that finds the group refreshed and firing on all cylinders. All but one of the collection's 13 new songs, written by Hood and Cooley, were recorded during 13 days of sessions in August 2013 with longtime producer David Barbe.
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Part of the Grammy Museum’s special Americana Music series, it’s an inside-look into the creative process of both Hood and Cooley. Moderated by Vice President of The GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Scott Goldman, the duo will also take audience questions and will perform a stripped-down set.
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Additionally, you can catch The Drive-By Truckers performing at The Fonda, on Sat, April 26.
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Tix, $20 online or by phone (see above). The Guide brought you a Ticket Alert for this...

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Tue, Apr 29, in WeHo:
Time tba  THE ICY HOT CLUB plays “Jazz Tuesdays” at the Moonrise Club in West Hollywood.
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The Icy Hot Club is a Los Angeles-based group that plays modernized Gypsy Jazz music in the style of Django Reinhardt. They often include reworked versions of contemporary pop and rock songs alongside traditional Gypsy Swing, with 3 part vocal harmonies. Generally bringing two guitars, in the hands of Ethan Emerson and Ray Bergstrom, and an upright bass, Icy Hot Club might add violin, clarinet, and / or drums.

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Tue, Apr 29, in OC (Anaheim):
8 pm  GAVIN DeGRAW plays the City National Grove of Anaheim, 2200 East Katella Av, Anaheim; 714-712-2700; www.thegroveofanaheim.com.
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An Irish contemporary rocker with a folksy vibe, DeGraw shot to fame in 2004 with "I Don't Want To Be," a millennial anthem that became the theme song for CW teen drama "One Tree Hill."
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With 2013's "Make A Move," his fifth studio album in just 10 years, Gavin DeGraw celebrated his fourth Top 20 appearance on the Billboard 200. DeGraw has earned a reputation as a consummate live performer, winning-over ticket buyers with his charismatic presence and soulful voice.
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His relationship with television continued unabated throughout the 2000's, with tracks being featured on shows including "House," "The Bachelor," and "So You Think You Can Dance." DeGraw's early work offered an authentic soul sound that contrasted with much of its radio brethren at the time -- his 2003 debut album "Chariot" spawned the hit single of the same name, firmly establishing him as a modern torchbearer of blue-eyed soul. On the road in 2013, DeGraw has drawn praise for his heartfelt live concerts, building anticipation for his headlining tour in 2014.
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The Guide brought you a ticket alert some time ago for this show.
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Tix at:
http://m.ticketmaster.com/event/09004B67D9EABA7D?artistid=859779&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60&brand=nederlanderla&camefrom=cfc_ndrcon_ned_Mar26

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Tue, Apr 29, in Burbank:
8 pm  “JOHN PISANO’S GUITAR NIGHT” welcomes talented pre-booked guests to a series that always brings quite a lineup of virtuosic players, every time they do this, at Viva Cantina, 900 Riverside Dr (next to L.A. Equestrian Center), Burbank; 818-845-2425 or 818-515-4444; www.vivacantina.com.
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Tonight brings JOHN CHIODINI on guitar, JOHN PISANO on guitar, and JIM HUGHART on bass.
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No cover. Venue is known for its Mexican food and full bar. Okay to park free across the street at Pickwick Bowl (free, nearly unlimited parking for Viva patrons).

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Tue, Apr 29, in SFV (Chatsworth):
8:30 pm-midnight  SOUTHERN CALIBER plays the Cowboy Palace, 21635 Devonshire St, Chatsworth; 818-341-0166.
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This is L.A.’s last real honky tonk. No cover, full bar, lots of fun. Go early for the nightly free dance lesson.
 
 
 
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♪  ONGOING MUSIC & ART EVENTS
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ONGOING, through Jun 1, in downtown L.A:
8 pm  “THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS” is presented by Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre at the L.A. Music Center, 135 N Grand Av, Los Angeles 90012; www.musiccenter.org
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Winner of the 2012 Tony Award® for “Best Musical Revival,” The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess arrives at the Ahmanson Theatre with award-winning members of the Broadway cast in this stunning and stirring new staging. This re-envisioned Broadway production includes such legendary songs as “Summertime” and “I Got Plenty of Nothing.”

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ONGOING, through May 10, in San Pedro:
“WOULDN'T IT BE LOVELY?” performed by the San Pedro Rep, runs Wed-Sat at 7:30 at the San Pedro Rep, 311 W 7th St, San Pedro. The port city’s newest repertory theater group offers a twist on a twist, with their new version of “MY FAIR LADY,” based on George Bernard Shaw's “Pygmalion.”

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ONGOING, through May 25, in L.A.:
“THE TALLEST TREE IN THE FOREST,” presented by Center Theatre Group, runs Apr 12-May 25 at the Mark Taper Forum at the L.A. Music Center, 135 N Grand Av, Los Angeles 90012; www.musiccenter.org
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Obie Award-winner DANIEL BEATY chronicles PAUL ROBESON’s remarkable life in an extraordinary theatrical biography. Beaty fills the theatre with the dreams, words and songs – American classics like “Ol’ Man River” – of a man who sacrificed everything in the name of liberty. This play, with live music, is directed by Moisés Kaufman.

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ONGOING, through May 4, in L.A.:
8 pm  “ALMOST WHITE” a new solo series by Rick Najera, alternating with “SCARRED FOR LIFE” by David Valdez, are comedic stage play productions at Casa 0101 Theatre, 2102 E 1st St, Los Angeles 90033.
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There is a full feature write-up in the Apr 11 edition’s “events” listing.
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On opening night, both plays are presented; after that, the two shows alternate. Limited engagement runs Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 5 pm, through May 4.
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Najera, one of Hollywood’s most prolific playwright-performers, sets the stage for his new play based on his latest memoir, “Almost White: Forced Confessions of a Latino in Hollywood.” Runs April 11, 12, 13, 25, 26 and 27.
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Alternating with it is:
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“Scarred for Life: Tale of A Mexican-American Trying to Get Out of East L.A.,” by David Valdez, runs April 11, 18, 19, 20 and May 2, 3 and 4.
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Tix, $15-$30, at www.casa0101.org. More info at www.ricknajera.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlmostWhite.

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ONGOING at the Getty Villa, through Aug 25, in Malibu:
“Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections” at the Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu; 310-440-7300; parking, $15.
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Marked by glittering mosaics, luminous icons, and opulent churches, the Byzantine Empire (A.D. 330–1453) flourished for more than one thousand years. Over 170 national treasures from Greece illustrate the development of a mighty empire, from its pagan origins to a deeply spiritual Christian society. This exhibition is presented in conjunction with “Heaven and Earth: Byzantine Illumination at the Cultural Crossroads” at the Getty Center.
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The exhibition was organized by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Athens, with the collaboration of the Benaki Museum, Athens, in association with the J. Paul Getty Museum and the National Gallery of Art, Washington. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

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ONGOING at the Getty, through Jun 1, in L.A.:
“JACKSON POLLOCK’S MURAL,” and “HATCHED! CREATING FORM WITH LINE,” are two concurrent temporary exhibitions at the Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, L.A. 90049; 310-440-7300; parking is $15.

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ONGOING at the Getty, through Jun 8, in L.A.:
“A ROYAL PASSION: QUEEN VICTORIA & PHOTOGRAPHY” and “HIROSHI SUGIMOTO: PAST TENSE” are two concurrent temporary exhibitions at the Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, L.A. 90049; 310-440-7300; parking is $15.

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ONGOING at the Getty, through Jun 22, in L.A.:
“HEAVEN AND EARTH: BYZANTINE ILLUMINATION AT THE CULTURAL CROSSROADS” is a new temporary exhibition at the Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, L.A. 90049; 310-440-7300; parking is $15.
 
 
 
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More, soon, as always.
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♪  The Guide has made some CH-CH-CHANGES – turn, embrace the change – with more to come as spring becomes summer of 2014. A new editor will soon take over the reins. There are already, and will be more, points of departure to make room (and time) for the new. As always, the Guide will cover all that we can, because we operate with the editor’s motto, “One does what one can.”
 
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CONTACT US / Questions / Comments / SUBSCRIBE to our notices, etc., all at
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Contents copyright © 2014,
Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks.
All rights reserved.
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The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
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The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. We’re on it.
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