Mon. March 5

Playing town this weekend is someone whose latest work if featured on the top R&B/hip-hop album in the country, Robin Thicke's "The Evolution of Robin Thicke." (Actually, after three weeks at the top of the chart, it dropped to No. 2.) Thicke isn't playing town, but his co-songwriter and guitarist is: Bobby Keyes. He and his trio are at Top of the Hub Monday March 5th. No cover for any of the gigs. "I met Robin when he was writing and producing a cut for Jordan Knight with New Kids on the Block, about 12 years ago. I was there to do the guitar session. Over the years we wrote for other other people. Five years ago, he began to concentrate on own career and we did "Cherry Blue Skies. Keyes, at 53, does not tour with Thicke. Reason: "Too long in the tooth for touring. I sit in a chair now. I play music for music's sake" Keyes has lived and done session work in L.A., but he grew up in Saugus - and it is to Saugus he has returned to live. "I'm an East Coast guy," he says. Keyes's upcoming gigs will be with some combination of Jim Gwin (who also drums with the Boston Pops) Marty Richards (who has played drums with Gary Burton), Marty Ballou (who plays bass with John Hammond) and Brian Ruzzutto (who plays bass with some ex-Roomful of Blues people.) "I have one foot in the pop world and one foot in the old school, like Ben E. King and Sleepy LaBeef. (Keyes played on the next to last Jerry Lee Lewis disc.)
What Keyes plays on his own, he says, is 80 percent originals and all-instrumental. "It's a mix of American roots music - with Latin, country, blues, jazz, pop. It's a blend. It's not endless riffing. I honor the melody a lot." The Murphy's set starts at 11 p.m. At the Hub's lounge, Keyes and his trio begin at 8 p.m.

Murphy's, 14 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-232-0188 mattmurphyspub.com,  Top of the Hub, 800 Boylston St., 617-536-1775 topofthehub.net