RainyDay

Party at my boss' house, a blues/jazz/fish fry event (see What's Happening in the SF Bay Area thread), brunch with a friend. House cleaning, do some power walking, try to squeeze in some photo taking.

By the way, is everyone aware that Yoshi's is contemplating a move to the Fillmore District in SF? I've been encouraging folks who oppose the move to write to Kaz Kajimura to protest the move. It may not happen until 2007 or it may happen sooner. Yoshi's is afraid that Blue Note may still come to SF and they figure if someone is going to run a jazz club in SF, it should be them. They probably won't keep the Oakland club open. Even my SF friends say the move will kill Yoshi's because SF won't support the club. I know I won't be going as much. It's not accessible to regional transit, there's no parking and what parking you will find will be very expensive. And there's no way they can operating at current ticket prices. Finally, Yoshi's would be competing head to head with the SF Jazz Festival, which operates darn near all year round.

There may be zero interest in this topic but I will give it a try anyway. First up, new music offering in Oakland starting tonight. ******************************************* Oakland blues band fills your belly, makes your body jiggle By Brenda Payton, STAFF WRITER

It seems there are an infinite number of ways to ask why jazz musicians are so cool. Stewart's question about how many people are in a quartet was amusing.

This reminds me of the scene in Bull Durham when the kid pitcher makes the show and gives his final interview while in the minors: "Baseball is a game where you throw the ball and you catch the ball. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Think about that." Yeah, think about that. This is so deep, so profound, I nearly weep just repeating it. (Sob) Sorry RainyDay, but you butchered one of the highlights of the film. The interview is given after Nuke LaLoosh has reached the Show. You can tell because the backdrop is a major league ballpark. And in fact the line is: "A friend of mine used to say, this is a simple game. You throw the ball, you hit the ball and you catch the ball. Sometimes, you win, sometimes, you lose, and sometimes, it rains. Think about that." I'd sentence you to listening to Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon pontificate about politics, but unfortunately that would be right up your alley anyway. You are of course, correct. I am now in the throes of uncontrolled sobbing.

This reminds me of the scene in Bull Durham when the kid pitcher makes the show and gives his final interview while in the minors: "Baseball is a game where you throw the ball and you catch the ball. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Think about that." Yeah, think about that. This is so deep, so profound, I nearly weep just repeating it. (Sob)

True. I usually meet interesting people and have some great talks about jazz. I even run into long lost friends. They also have really good food.

I caught Ahmad Jamal last week. Idris Muhammad was on drums and I ddn't catch the name of the bass player, sadly, because he was wonderful. I saw Jamal 1.5 years ago at the SF Jazz Festival and was just knocked out by him. He delivered the goods again at Yoshi's last week. Terrific set. One of my first jazz records was a Jamal LP that I played to death. Can't even recall the name of it. I have a very soft spot for Jamal. Incredible musician. Yoshi's is a great place to people watch. When I purchased my ticket for Jamal the night before the gig, I saw Mayor Jerry Brown's number one henchman talking to a muckty-muck from the Port, who is angling to be the new executive director. Very animated conversation. Pretty sure the muckty-muck isn't getting the job.

maren and I both win cigars.

This sounds like the one-man show done about Huey Newton. I can't remember the actor's name. He was in Do the Right Thing and peddled pix of MLK and Malcolm in the film. He talked very fast because that is how Huey talked, like he was on speed. That was BEFORE Huey found cocaine. Roger Guenveur Smith, that's the actor's name. That's what it sounds like you might have seen.

FYI the show is rerun the following day at 7 PM. I can't even imagine how this will turn out.

I agree with the comments about Bescemi. A terrific actor. This has to be unquirkiest I've ever seen him.

I gotta admint, last night was gooood. Tony really made me soooo angry when he went off on his sister about Uncle Junior. And I don't even like his sister. Tony needs to quit his attempts to score with his shrink and get back into therapy. Anybody want to bet that Chris's girlfriend ends up killing herself? She is so trapped and finding out it could last for years may push her over the edge. I think Buscemi's character is the snitch just because he is so obviously the choice and you'd be inclined to think it's someone else. If he is so concerned about going straight, why is he still hanging out with these wiseguys? The garderner in the cast was scream, pathetically carrying his little bag of weeds with one hand. Last night was a great episode.

While out looking for a copy of Dennis Gonzalez's Desert Wind, I bought a used copy of Mayfield's Half Past Autumn Suite and I like it very much. Wasn't sure what to expect since I've only heard him play with Los Hombres Calientes but I've have read a little about his playing away from that band. Anyway, a good choice and a good price. What a great story about the interview! Wish I could have heard that. This story reminds of a review I read recently about the Alvin Ailey dancers that took Judith Jameson to task in a SERIOUS way for not incorporating hip hop into the music and dances they do. The reviewer said it made the entire production feel museum-like. It was downright patronizing and insulting.

Is that what's-his-bucket who used to sing with Van Halen? Sammy Hagar?

I'm with BFrank. Yesterday was the first day we didn't have record breaking heat in SF or Oakland and it was just lovely. I hate hot weather. Today was a little warmer but still mild. I spent the afternoon in Berkeley wandering down Telegraph Avenue buying incense and looking for a Dennis Gonzalez record at Rasputin's and Amoeba record stores. This is why we put up with the earthquakes (she said hoping not to jinx the gods of 6.0+ earthquakes), the mild weather.

MTV was fun back when it was brand spanking new and the only videos they played were mostly from Britain. I had no idea Jackson was already middle-aged when he was a vee jay but then I never really thought about his age at all. I feel old too. Heck, I am old.

My co-worker lives in SF and he and his wife take BART over and back 'cos they don't own a car. They make the hike between the club and 12th St. BART. I supose you could grab cab up to BART after the set, it's only a mile away. Something to consider.

My favorite columnist writing about my favorite jazz club. ******************************************************************** JON CARROLL Jon Carroll Friday, March 19, 2004 ©2004 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback | FAQ URL: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/03/19/DDG3F5MKEP1.DTL So last week someone showed up at Yoshi's and said he was me. I'm almost certain it wasn't me because I would have remembered going to see Mose Allison. I would have shouted out, "Do 'Seventh Son'!," which would have embarrassed everyone. The guy from Yoshi's e-mailed me the next day. Apparently he had felt forced to give the guy a seat when the guy complained there'd been a mix-up about his free tickets. It's nice to know that I can get free tickets by claiming a mix-up. It just never occurred to me. I really should get more out of this being me thing than I have. The guy could have just asked. If I weren't being me that evening, he could have been me; one of us might as well have a good time. But being me without permission: That's really a breach of etiquette. Suppose he'd walked into a liquor store and said, "I'm Jon Carroll; give me all your money." They would have had to do it, of course -- such is the power of the press. But they would have complained later. "Dear Reader's Representative: Are columnists really allowed to hold up liquor stores by brandishing their names? My wife and I were outraged. What if my young daughter had been forced to watch that? Signed, Burned by the Liberal Media." Part of the problem is that I look like half the people in the East Bay. It's a wonder that concert halls aren't filled with me every night. (Actually, I went to Alvin Ailey last week at Zellerbach, and it was pretty much filled with me. Some of me were African American. It's my commitment to diversity.) If I were Spokane's oddest columnist, this kind of thing would not have happened. The only people who look like me in Spokane are squatters, survivalists and meth lab owners -- none of whom are in the Mose Allison demographic. But here, I'm a damn archetype. I should hire myself out to appear in police lineups. But then someone would pick me out, and the next thing I knew I'd be accused of shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die. I'd be stuck in Folsom Prison. I'd walk the line. I seem to have entered a prose cul de sac here -- bear with me as I back slowly away from the verb. There. I grappled with the problem of what to do about all the maxi-me's showing up at venues. On the one hand, I could get a reputation for being a man-about-town. On the other hand, I might be victimized by frivolous paternity suits. So I gave the people at Yoshi's a special sekrit password so that they would know if I were I the next time I came there. So I say "beware" to the impostor of me. No more will you lay waste the countryside with your "mix-ups. " So I was talking to my garbage man last week. This is the real me now. He had a small broom and a dustpan, and he was sweeping the street. I bet you didn't know garbage men do that. There's a lot you don't know, little missy. "It's those Styrofoam peanuts," he said. "People just pour them into their trash cans, and when we empty them, the damn peanuts just fly all over the place. And we have to sweep them up." "You do?" "Can you imagine the complaints if we didn't? Whole street awash in these peanuts, and of course it would be our fault. It's always our fault. And I'm not getting overtime for this" -- he held out the broom -- "and it's not exactly fun." He suggested that I put my Styrofoam peanuts in a bag from now on, just as I would my other kinds of garbage. How he found out they were my peanuts I don't know. I said there'd been a mix-up, but apparently he'd heard that story before. He soothed me, though. "It's not just you," he said. "It's all you guys." I knew whom he meant: the legion of me, sneaking into concerts and spreading peanuts everywhere. I'm going to get a TRO preventing me from coming within a hundred yards of me. That'll show me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you take one lesson away from this column, it should be this: Secure your Styrofoam peanuts inside tightly locked bags. Thank you. You think I make this stuff up? It's all true. It's a day in the life of jcarroll@sfchronicle.com.

Okay, I grant you it's a little corny. The SF Chronicle column I am posting below made me think Yoshi's should have it's own thread. Maybe you can share your Yoshi's experience. Maybe it will be a running homage with me talking to myself. I'm not proud, I can do that.

I met Shoehorn. What a guy. He can play sax, too. Last time I saw him was at Ron's jam.

My cousin and her family just moved back to E. Lansing from SF. I'm sure she will be thrilled to hear about his. Glad they caught the bastards. Trophy killing is obscene.

Jazz De Opus closed, that's really sad. Spent many good times there. Last time I was in Portland, a place on Martin Luther King near Knott in NE Portland was about to open. Can't remember the name. Ron Steen used to have a great jam session on Monday nights at Produce Row. All the locals turned out for it. Don't know if he still has it. I saw Mel Brown at Jimmy Mak's and he rocked the house out. My cousin who doesn't even like jazz stayed for the last note. That was one bad band. People associate Tom Grant with smooth mostly but he plays straight ahead beautifully. I recommend you check out his website. One of my favorite pianists.

Drummer Ron Steen is always playing somewhere just about every night up there. He usually has assembled a great group of local musicians for his gigs. Haven't been there in a couple of years but the jazz scene up there is usually pretty active. Mel Brown, another fantastic drummer, is usually playing somewhere also. Check out the Oregonian online or the Willamette something or other for events. You might check Tom Grant's website because he and Ron play together occasionally.

This morning on the local rock shock jock show, they played "Bowel Move," and I believe he was in the studio when they did it. Funny as heck song and he was surprisingly good humored about it. I think they were broadcasting from back east.