Night at the Rendon Stories: Photo Essay

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Lit up and glowing, film project transformed the shell of the Rendon Hotel into a living, breathing entity, teaming with life. Listen to the opera unfold from a balcony, step inside the 22 activated rooms for a look at drag queens, psychics, a wanna-be boxer, practicing violinist, chatty mother, strung out couple, man and his parrot, and so much more. An exciting mix of life, an urban dream, a low-rent, long-term hotel space spilling stories from it’s seams. Enjoy our Night at the Rendon.

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Step inside the speakeasy and hoist a few.

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Creators director Ralph Ziman and creative director Maria Greenshields-Ziman with the ultimate production coordinator, Cindy Schwartzstein from Cartwheel Art.

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An operatic opening hit the high notes.

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Artists, writers, dancers, singers, performers of all kinds find a temporary home.

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Fighters, lovers, family, friends…

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Psychic predicts; a murderer is investigated.

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Next door, things are tranquil among friends…

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…as voyeur/attendees wait their turn to see inside.

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  • Genie Davis; PHOTOS by Jack Burke

Carolee Rainey Tells Listeners to Feel Fearless.

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With powerful melody and strong, anthemic voice, Carolee Rainey’s Feel Fearless EP offers a positive and life-affirming message. Exuberant and joyful, Rainey gives folk rock a jubilant spin.

 

Evoking comparisons with Stevie Nicks and Ricki Lee Jones, Rainey is nothing if not uplifting. The songs on her potent debut mini-album reflect inspirational and empowering messages lyrically, while the music is solid, strongly singable, and will delightfully lodge in listeners internal musical repertoire for a long time.

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Philosophically, Rainey says she views life as a journey – “get on the train and ride with me…got a lot of room for my new audience…you on board?” She asks that listeners tune in to her songs because “they’ve got life, wisdom and lightness even if they can get rather lonely and dark. What can you do? We all live in our private villages.”

All the same, Rainey, who has worked as a visual artist as well as a singer-songwriter and exhilarating performer, knows how to connect her audience and with it. Take in the gypsy-like joy in “Mystic Rose,” or the spiritual bliss in “Listen to the River,” and any personal inclination toward isolation will dissolve in the infectious pleasure that Rainey clearly takes in her work. The latter tune, inspired by a location in Big Sur, Calif. that has captivated the artist, has a definite LA-vibe. The now East Coast-based musician says “My heart may be in winter, but my soul is in the sun,” a sentiment that comes through vibrantly in this cut. Her song “Feel” is equally emotional, cutting to the quick of both loss and joy.
The mini-album’s first single, “Deal with the Devil” is the most rock-like tune; but the over-riding theme of the record is simply to create work that is both positive and thoughtful while being musically fun.
Tight backing musicians create compulsively listenable support to Rainey, including Doug Yowell, Richard Hammond, Thad DeBrock, and Clifford Carter on acoustic piano and keys.
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Rainey says she was inspired to cut her record while attending a Rickie Lee Jones concert. Working as a painter, she found that “virtually one day, I just didn’t have the calling to wake up and create from a blank canvas…it was a transformation that was filled with angst about what my next creative endeavor would be…” until she attended the concert. She found Jones’ performance galvanizing, and immediately began to write her own songs. “It was the next stop on the train for me,” she says.
Get on board with Rainey’s “tracks” and see where her journey takes you. The EP drops the end of April. Follow Rainey on Facebook for the latest release news. Check out her sound and look on YouTube.
– Genie Davis; photos via Carolee Rainey music

‘Tis the Season – for Winter Sounds in West Hollywood

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The season has arrived – for holidays, the winter solstice, gift-buying frenzies, but best of all, for Winter Sounds, the city of West Hollywood’s free indoor concert series.

This year, three Saturday evening concerts are on tap, beginning this weekend, on December 2nd, with the smooth sounds of Jennifer Leitham and her holiday jazz show.  A world-renowned jazz bassist, composer, and vocalist, Leitham has played on upwards of 140 albums, including ten of her own. She’s performed with Mel Torme, Doc Severinsen, Peggy Lee, and k.d. lang, among others, and is the subject of  the award-winning film I Stand Corrected, a documentary about her public gender transition from John to Jennifer. At Winter Sounds, she’ll perform both warm holiday classics and standards.

Come January, when the holiday rush has settled down, listeners will have something to “hear” forward to – Paris Chansons French and Russian classics, on January 20th.  Los Angeles’ premiere French and international band, Paris Chansons offers original renditions of favorites from Aznavour, Brel, Dassin, Piaf and Montand, as well as songs by contemporary artists including Zax.  Their exhilarating performances feature four multilingual singers and keyboard, violin, bass, guitar, and drums . Along with international classics, traditional jazz standards will be on tap as Paris Chansons leads listeners on a global journey that may make you want to get up and dance. 

And February 17th, enjoy the American jazz standards of the Peter Kavanaugh Quartet.  A guitarist, bandleader and composer, Kavanaugh interprets jazz standards and popular American songs with a smoothly sophisticated take that’s infused with West Coast jazz. His upbeat sound features electric guitar and vibraphone as he transports listeners to the leisurely swing of post-war, mid-century-modern Southern California, and adds in unexpected thrills like Bossa Nova, blues, bop, and gypsy jazz.

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The concerts each begin at 5 p.m., offering an hour and fifteen minutes of scintillating sounds. All concerts are held at the West Hollywood Park Public Meeting Room/City Council Chambers at the West Hollywood Library; seating is first come, first served. 

The Library is located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Free validated parking is available for the multi-story parking structure adjacent to the library.

Winter Sounds is sponsored by the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts program.  Click here for an online listing of the 2017-2018 Winter Sounds concerts.

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Zoo Lights: Dazzling Displays and Nocturnal Creatures

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The Los Angeles Zoo’s now-traditional, always dazzling holiday offering, Zoo Lights, is back through January 7th. With live reindeer, a beautifully decorated Santa stop on select dates, and GLAZA’s opulent carousel to ride, this is a family fest that shouldn’t be missed.

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Above, a new LED-lit tree at the Zoo Lights entrance.

This year, tots in tow really got into the act, dancing to the holiday music, saying “Wow” to the lustrous display.

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Favorite sections of the show return this year, such as the purple lights and disco balls, the pink flamingos, the almost other-worldly green and orange ornaments with sparkling green lights dancing over the ramp that visitors can use instead of steps to enter the zoo.

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Awarded USA Today’s “10 Best Zoo Lights” honors in 2015 and 2016 and nominated again this year,  new features include a musical holiday tree, a re-designed water show, and a beautiful Northern Lights series of animal constellations.

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The finale – after passing through a more-dazzling-than-ever glittering tunnel, replaces the tribute to Hollywood visuals with a new Wild Wonderland that highlights endangered and vulnerable animal species. Faux snow also falls in a fun dance area which every small child we saw was absolutely thrilled by. 

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The ceiling of the reptile house, open for visitors to explore the exhibits, is more decorated than ever, too.

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As to the living creatures at the zoo, along with amphibians basking in the warm light of the reptile exhibit, there’s a lovely aquarium display.  Outside, swans sail and meerkats pop up for nocturnal views.

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A docent passed a set of shed-antlers from the reindeer, offering kids and adults alike a chance to touch these as well as watching Santa’s friends in their enclosure.

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For more information and tickets, click here. 

The L.A. Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Dr. in Los Angeles.

  • Genie Davis; photos Jack Burke