8pm Pop Music

8pm Pop Music

Reclusive singer-guitarist J.J. Cale is identified with the Tulsa, Okla., music scene that produced him and such early ‘60s cohorts as Leon Russell, but Cale’s show at the Roxy is a homecoming of sorts. During a mid-’60s L.A. sojourn, the musician was a regular at the Roxy’s sister club, the Whisky a Go-Go. So, who knows, maybe among his songs, including the Eric Clapton hits “After Midnight” and “Cocaine,” he’ll work in a tune from his 1966 album “Take a Trip Down Sunset Strip.”

J.J. Cale, with David Lindley & Wally Ingram, the Roxy, 9009 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 8 p.m. $19.50. (310) 278-9457.

*

7pm Music

The Skirball Cultural Center kicks off World Mosaic 2002 with a performance by Afghan musical artist Aziz Herawi. Herawi represents the roots of Afghan culture and heritage, performing on the Afghan dutar and rubab (lutes) in a style called Herat, a blend of Persian and Hindustani influences.

Aziz Herawi: Visions of a New Afghanistan, Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A., 7 p.m. $15 to $21. (323) 655-8587.

*

8pm Theater

Who says you need to plan a benefit? The organizers of “The 24 Hour Plays,” will have six new plays written, cast, rehearsed and performed in a single day as a benefit for the New York State WTC Relief Fund. Among the more than two dozen stage and screen actors participating are Christine Lahti, Donovan Leitch and Mary Steenburgen. Writers include Bruce Vilanch and John Belluso; directors are Morgan J. Freeman, Neil Pepe and Mike Uppendahl.

“The 24 Hour Plays,” Henry Fonda Theatre, 1707 N. Vine St., Hollywood, 8 p.m. $50 to $100. (213) 365-3500, (714) 740-7878.

*

1:30pm Music

When John Williams writes a theme, it’s big. Think of Darth Vader’s anthem, the menacing bass of “Jaws,” the wrenching strains from “Schindler’s List.” His own 70th birthday is getting similarly dramatic treatment, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and cellist Yo-Yo Ma providing the muscle. The program opens with a musical tribute to the prolific composer, and includes seven entries from Williams’ extensive catalog, including excerpts from “Rosewood” and “Angela’s Ashes.”

Los Angeles Philharmonic, John Williams and Yo-Yo Ma, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A., 1:30 p.m. $20 to $105. (323) 850-2000.