music

Friday, August 24-Thursday, August 30—Wow! Is summer winding down already? It must be, because this Thursday marks the final concert of the 17^th annual Twilight Dance Series of free shows on the Santa Monica Pier. And this year, it’s going out with a BANG – thanks to the hyperactive -- and hyper-popular – Ozomatli, the cross-cultural pride of East L.A.

Ozo was an opening act on the pier a few years back, but this year the polyglot Black-Chicano-Cuban-Japanese-Jewish-Filipino crew is the biggest name on the series’ concert line-up.

Salsa, hip-hop, ska and jazz-funk are only a few of the musical genres the band mixes up,

and it channels the resultant infectious music through a socially aware and politically active outlook.

Ozo’s latest album, Embrace the Chaos (Interscope), which was inspired by the band members’ experiences attempting to perform at last summer’s Democratic National Convention in downtown L.A., is due for release next month. But you can catch a live preview of it this Thursday.

Got Hot?: Another essential, if completely different show Thursday is The Hot Club of Cowtown, performing as part of the free Summer Sunset Concert Series of shows at the Culver City Hall courtyard.

Accurately described as the missing link between the western swing of Bob Willis and his Texas Playboys and the hot jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli, the trio of Whit Smith (guitar and vocals), Elana Fremerman (violin and vocals) and Jake Irwin (stand-up bass) is a blast from the past – the rural swing of the 1930s, basically.

The band has released three fine CDs on the Hightone label, the most recent of which is Dev’lish Mary from 2000. Whether performing retro-sounding originals, traditional fiddle tunes, or Tin Pan Alley classics ("Stardust," "Exactly Like You"), this Hot Club will undoubtedly pack the courtyard with dancers.

L.A.’s ska-funkmeisters Fishbone, with Mason and Most Chill Slack Mob at Santa Monica’s Temple Bar.

Alt-rockers Spoiled team with funk outfit Birthday Suit for a double bill at Rusty’s Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier.

A ton of music, courtesy of 2,000 Lbs. of Blues at Harvelle’s in Santa Monica.

A flashback to the 1980s with The M-80’s at Santa Monica’s The West End.

As a benefit for the Free Pacifica lawsuits and the Pacifica Campaign, musicians including Dar Williams, Joanna Cazden, David Crittendon, James Lee Stanley, Wozzani and former Foremen Roy Zimmerman perform at 939 San Vicente Blvd. in Santa Monica at 2 p.m.

Acoustic Night at 14 Below in Santa Monica features Nancy Bryan, A.J. Whitney, Mara, Bella Blue and Watertown.

Guitarist Jimmy Bruno and this trio open a three-night stand at Culver City’s Jazz Bakery.

Hot salsa is served up at Century City’s Lunaria by David Urquidi’s Latin Jazz Quartet.

Santa Monica’s Temple Bar club scores another name-act coup when it welcomes legendary British blues guitarist Mick Taylor for a pair of shows tonight.

Best known as Brian Jones’ replacement in the Rolling Stones in 1969 -- and the first musician to walk away from that mega-band in 1974 -- Taylor originally gained popularity in the 1960s when he replaced Peter Green (who himself replaced Eric Clapton) in John Mayall’s Blues Breakers. He’s been playing (and singing, somewhat) the blues as a solo artist and as a guest on others’ albums ever since.