RainyDay

Apparently there was an item in the SF Weekly that Yoshi's will be breaking ground for a SF club this summer. They plan to keep both clubs operating for the short run. I wish them well. I won't be spending that kind of time or cash in SF. Part of why I go as often as I do is that it is so convenient.

Missed Ms. Carter. I've only been Yoshi's three times this year. Just been busy doing other stuff. I really wanted to see Billy Cobham but was under the weather.

The boss is taking us out for drinks tonight. We are unbelievably busy and working in a totally chaotic environment. Going to spend Sunday with family. They go to church, I show up for dinner. It's an all day family get together and I'm really looking forward to it. May squeeze in a massage on Sunday morning if my masseuse is free. Clean house on Saturday. I have a full scale dust bunny riot in my house.

I still haven't made it the Jazz House. How is it? Good sound? Good crowd?

Welcome back.

I haven't heard anything off the Clapton record but it's been getting better reviews than the Aerosmith record.

I exchange e-mails with a local columnist here and on one occasion I let him know I posted one of his columns at Jazz Corner, of course identifying the author and the paper. He said I was free to post any of his work as I saw fit. If it was a problem, I'm sure he would have said. so. Unless he doesn't care if it's a problem and that's also a distinct possibility with this guy. B)

I heard a selection from this record over the weekend and it's now on the buy list. Don't buy many records anymore and buy very little rock but this sounds pretty good. Good old raunchy rock 'n blues.

I have an early book of his photographs somewhere around here. Wasn't that a terrific photography exhibit? There's also a documentary that's been floating around on cable about his life., can't recall the title now.

I went to Yoshi's last month to a sold out show. Yoshi's e-mail machine is going full tilt either because business is really good or slacking off, don't know. Haven't been to any SF Jazz stuff in a year so I don't know how it's doing but I haven't heard that it's doing poorly from friends who go. I'm going to assume (yes I know) that jazz is doing at least okay in the East Bay because more little clubs are popping up and more restaurants are featuring jazz on weekends and for Sunday jams. Reminds me of how things were in the 1970's and 1980's. SF Jazz concerts tend to be pretty staid affairs. The only concert I can recall where the SF audience went a little nuts was Ahmad Jamal a couple years ago. Yoshi's usually has a pretty responsive crowd. Usually quiet when they are supposed to be but some nights there's way more chatter than necessary. At Yoshi's, someone in the audience will ask you to be quiet if you keep talking. One night, a guy actually brought in his laptop in the middle of a set, turned the thing on and the YELLOW light from the screen was just a little distracting and annoying. Before you could say "what's your problem" a staffer had scurried over to tell him to turn the damn thing off. I don't love concerts because of the distance, literally and figuratively, between the artists and the audience. I prefer clubs as long as they aren't a place where people go to socialize and not listen. Audiences don't have to be quiet, shouting, clapping, calling out is cool, non stop talking is not cool, which includes explaining every note to your girlfriend--not cool. Maybe this is a guy thing. The exception is outdoor concerts. Something about being outside that loosens everybody up. More distractions and more talking but somehow it isn't as annoying as an indoor show. It's hard to be bothered by someone talking, at say, Monterey when it looks like that United jet is going to land on the stage.

You referred to the cover as a frat boy fantasy and I don't get what you are referring to. The CD jacket cover with he and Gordon Parks?

I think I mentioned this on another thread somewhere a couple weeks ago, but has anyone heard this? Any opinions? I was out looking for Dennis Gonzalez's Desert Wind and found Half Past Autumn Suite instead. Some very good stuff on this record. I've heard Mayfield perform live with Los Hombres Calientes and was very impressed with his chops. Later, I read about his solo projects and this one was mentioned as one of his better efforts. It's an interesting recording. Yesterday, I played it three times straight through and liked it more each time. It has a very different energy level and unique voice from what I typially hear. A little out, mostly in. Mostly high energy, up tempo. Anybody have any opinions of his playing in general?

I read a review of and heard a couple of clips from this record. It sounds pretty good but I'm a big Aerosmith fan. Anybody heard any of it yet? Opinions?

I think Rolling Stone gave it a big thumbs down. She's going to be on Good Morning America tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.

I am so sorry for your loss. My mother passed away in 1998 and it just changed way the way the world looked to me. You and your family are in my thoughts.

I'm amused by all this check drama. When I go out with a bunch of female friends, we just split the bill evenly. If someone drank more or whatever and insists, they may kick in some extra and pass a couple bills back to the rest of the group. What I hate is when people want to only pay for what they ate.

People who are glib and without compassion about someone else's suffering. People who only care about themselves and wouldn't stoop to help another human being. People who can't see the big picture. People who are completely uninformed on an issue and have their mouths open the widest and the loudest. People who make right turns from left lanes.

Good question. Life has not been kind to South of Market businesses. Better call first. It's been a while since I was there.

Bacar!

Yeah, you have. I just can't remember the name. It's between 3rd and 4th near Caltrain. Scott Amendola used to (may still) play there a lot.

I've only heard about it. A friend said it was okay. Whatever happened to Bruno's? I thought it was reopening. And what about the at place off 4th St. near the Caltrain Station? I went there once and it was very nice. More bar/restaurant than club but nice.

Address the letter to: Mr. Kaz Kajimura Yoshi’s 510 Embarcadero West Oakland, CA 94607

While I'm running off with the mouth, I missed the Fish Fry last night with Khalil Shaheed. I wanted to stop by and get on the mailing list. For anyone interested, Shaheed hosts a jam session on Sunday afternoons on the Embarcadero (about three blocks down from Yoshi's). Check the East Bay Express online for details. He used to host a jam at Bluesville on Sundays before it closed down and sometimes those jams were pretty cool.

Thanks for the reminder on this. I don't think I can make it on Thursday but I think they will be playing again in SF sometime in the future. Have to check my SF Jazz schedule 'cos I seem to recall they are doing a couple a concerts.

There was talk that Blue Note was going to open a club in SF but it fell through. The SF Redevelopment Agency is trying to revive the Fillmore District into an entertainment center and wants a jazz club. They have made overtures about a club to the guy (I forget his name--I forget everything!) who is the founder and CEO of the SF Jazz Festival and he declined. What I heard from my reliable sources (not Yoshi's staff, by the way) is that Kaz is concerned a new club will end up in SF, possibly Blue Note, and give them competition. So, the thinking is, if there's going to be a club in SF, it should be Yoshi's. The thing is, the Redevelopment Agency is willing to throw $5M at someone to open a club in the Fillmore. Everyone I talk to thinks it's a really bad idea, including people who live in SF. SF hasn't supported a serious jazz club in over 15 years. The jazz "clubs" they have now are more bistro/bars where people go to meet and greet. Yoshi's has built a substantial reputation over the years in Oakland. While it's true that people come from all over the Bay Area (and Monterey and Sacramento), putting the club in SF will make it a witch to access. There's no freeway access (because there are virtually no freeways in SF). There is parking in the Japan Center but it's not cheap and it isn't clear how long a hike it would be from the Center to where the club would be located. Fillmore is served by bus lines but it's no where near BART, Caltrain or the Ferry Building. Who wants to drive to SF or hassle with Muni during rush hour? Operating a club in SF will just cost more for the owners and the patrons. I haven't checked in a while to see what they are saying these days but www.jazzwest.com has posted info about this and should have more details. Write Kaz a letter and tell him how you feel. When I mention this move to Yoshi's patrons, they are very surprised and very concerned. Spread the word.