by Tomm Carroll

Friday, April 13-Thursday, April 19--Happy Good Friday the 13th, a paradoxical date that augers only good luck for live music fans on the Westside. Plus, it’s the beginning of a three-day-weekend for many folks. And, at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Westwood, it’s the first of three nights of world class World Beat music.

A Brazilian superstar who has been performing for over three decades now, Djavan, the winner of this year’s Latin Grammy Award, returns to town Friday for another evening of samba, bossa nova, funk, R&B and pop with a powerful African influence. The singer-songwriter specializes mostly in love songs, rendered with honesty and humility in his smooth, soothing style. The superior acoustics of historic Royce Hall on the UCLA campus should serve his intoxicating voice very well.

Royce shifts gears a bit on Saturday night as noted classical guitarist Christopher Parkening takes to the stage to accompany the formally trained booming baritone voice of Jubilant Sykes in the music of Brazil and the Americas on a program entitled "Braziliana." Sunday night finds a "Global Music Festival" at Royce, an international star-studded benefit concert for the earthquake victims in India. Renowned "God of the Indian Violin," Dr. L. Subramaniam presents and headlines the affair, which also features Indian singer Kavita K, Pakistani vocalist Ghulam Ali, guitarist Jorge Strunz (of Strunz and Farrah) and, believe it or not, special guest actor/musician, Steve Seagal (yes, that Steven Seagal), as well as other singers, instrumentalists and dancers.

Blues is another genre well represented this week -- and not only at Harvelle’s, Santa Monica’s own "Home of the Blues," where The Blues Underground paints Easter Sunday an indigo shade and The Melvin Eddy Blues Band gets down on Wednesday. Over at Boulevard music in Culver City, local blues master Bernie Pearl and Freddie Brooks team up for a show on Saturday night, while Teresa James and her Rhythm Tramps belt out the rhythm and blues this and every Wednesday at Rusty’s Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier. The jazzy side of blues is displayed by The Peach Blue Band at Century City’s Lunaria on Friday night.

Perhaps taking a cue from McCabe’s (which is surprisingly dark this weekend), 14 Below in Santa Monica presents an "Acoustic Night" on Monday, with short sets from the likes of David Cullner, AJ and Whitney, Bliss, Danielle Biscutti and Cody Marks. On Saturday night, 14 Below welcomes the quadruple bill of Crooked Tom, David Brownlee, Logan’s Heroes and Liquid Foundation.

Performer Cynthia Catania looks to be one busy gal on Tuesday. She’s booked to perform at Temple Bar that evening with Al Keith and Ruby Blue. And she’s also part of the Rockwomen.com show at the West End that same evening, along with Wysh, Kellie Peters, Sideswipe and Cosmic Wheels. Good thing both clubs are not to far from each other in Santa Monica! Temple Bar presents Radio Bemba and Particle on Saturday night, while Rusty’s has The Rockinghams and The Moonlight Wranglers on Friday.

Kicking off a six-night stand Tuesday at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City is Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane alum and master pianist Tommy Flanagan, with support from bassist Peter Washington and drummer Tootie Heath. At Lunaria on Thursday night, Bruce Eskovitz hosts The Host of L.A. Sax.