Go See Hear in L.A.: Aug.31-Sept.5

August is closing up shop and September is putting up the “Now Open” sign. And there are a number of shows to see was Summer transitions to Autumn.

Before we hit the clubs, the Grammy Museum has a trio of excellent events this week. The sensational soul singer Mavis Staples, who has been returning to prominence in recent years, will be at the Museum on Monday night. On Tuesday night, Ray Benson, long a leader of the modern Western Swing movement, comes to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his band, Asleep At The Wheel. Then on Wednesday night, Oscar-winning Texas troubadour Ryan Bingham will be there to showcase his new album Junky Star (which I am reviewing for Country Standard Time). Get to as many of this wonderful events as you can.

Now onto the clubs:

On Tuesday night there are two notable shows on the East Side. The Submarines (Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti) surface at the Bootleg, along with Sea of Bees and Obi Best, to play some of their lovely, bittersweet indie pop in advance of their next disc slated for a fall release (www.myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic).
Over at the the Echo, Bobby Bare Jr (www.myspace.com/bobbybarejr) does has a new release, A Storm-A Tree-My Mother’s Head, another in his fine line of endearingly ramshackled country rock efforts. Blue Giant will open as well as serve as his backing band.

On Wednesday Sept. 1, Colin Gilmore (www.myspace.com/colingilmore) comes to town for a show at Molly Malones. Besides being the son of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Colin is a talented musician in his own right with Goodnight Lane being the most recent example of his work.

The right place to be on Thursday night is at the Santa Monica Pier for the incomparable Dr. John. The New Orleans music legend is still going strong. Earlier this year, he released the terrific Tribal album and did a colorful performance at the Grammy Museum.

Friday night finds JBM (Jesse Marchant) performing at the Hotel Café. JBM’s (www.myspace.com/jessemarchant) new album Not Even In July has more of an autumnal flavor with its handcrafted melancholic tunes that subtly warm your soul.
If you are looking for a lively (and inexpensive) way to usher in the weekend, you can enjoy a free show from Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at the Farmer’s Market.

Sara Randle (www.myspace.com/sararadle) begins a Saturday night residency at Casey’s Irish Pub on the 4th. The former Rental’s vocalist has a new album, Four, of shimmering indie pop to share.
Meanwhile, the Detroit-based Deadstring Brothers (www.myspace.com/deadstringbrothers) will be bring things to live at the Hotel Café with their rough ‘n’ tumble roots rock that I have drawn comparisons to the twangier side of the Rolling Stones.

Dropping In At The Drop

I dropped in to the The Drop last night. The Drop is a new, and quite interesting, program at the Grammy Museum. It’s sorta like a musician’s version of Inside the Actors’ Studio or Spectacle minus Costello. Each session has a museum official talking to a musician who has a new album coming out. In the previous week, Nanci Griffith, Rhett Miller and Mandy Moore all dropped in for an evening of talk and music.
Tonight it was Marshall Crenshaw, with the host being the museum’s executive director Robert Santelli, who also happened to have gotten to know Crenshaw “back in the day” when he was a journalist and Crenshaw was the talk of the New York rock scene. Tonight’s conversation, however, focused on his new disc, Jaggedland (429 Records).
A sly conversationalist, Crenshaw did drop fascinating tidbits about his creative process. Like how hearing Rosemary Clooney’s rendition of “Mood Indigo” served as an inspiration for the song “Sunday Blues.” Or how, when collaborating with songwriter Kelly Ryan on “Passing Through,” he eliminated her references to urban life and told her to write about what she saw outside her window in Ireland. He had some cool anecdotes about growing up outside of Detroit, watching Buddy Holly on Ed Sullivan and praising the mostly forgotten ‘50s rock n roller Jack Scott.
Besides the tunes mentioned above, Crenshaw also played other songs from his new disc, which served to whet my appetite for hearing the real thing. After an audience Q&A session, Santelli requested Crenshaw close with the evening with an oldie – “Someday, Someway.” Crenshaw earlier had alluded to early career snafus and how there are some songs that he doesn’t play anymore because hold bitter memories. Happily, the sublime “Someday, Someway” isn’t one of them.