Unk

I've got nothing to do with Downbeat or the content of the message; just passing it along.

Readers Poll Voting on DownBeat.com! Dear Jazz Fan: For the past 71 years, voters in the DownBeat Readers Poll have cast their ballots through the mail. This year, for our 72nd Annual Readers Poll, we have changed the voting process. For the first time ever, the poll has gone online! Voting is easy and fun, and when you cast your vote you will help to decide who wins categories such as Hall of Fame and Jazz Artist of the Year. The winners will be featured in the December issue of DownBeat. Remember, you can only vote once. Thank you for participating in the 72nd Annual DownBeat Readers Poll! Sincerely, Jason Koransky DownBeat Editor

IN the past, I've had vendors/sellers/publishers offer a special discount on already-listed wish list items (listed before the sale was announced). Just a dream... I suppose the sellers use it to gauge production/demand.

Agree. There are a few interesting interviews (Dorothy and ?? (ex-wives), Clark Terry, Gus Johnson (I think it was)). The material gets stretched waaaaay too far. The same soundie clips play many times. The only new-to-me film is with BG's band. And the same still photos are filmed over and over, mainly to fill time(?)

I'm surprised not to see mention of Eddie Harris. ...not that I'm advancing his Hall of Shame nomination here....But, as I recall, he had albums entitled "I Need Some Money" and "Why I'm Talkin' Sh*t" and "Plug Me In" I don't recall offhand which had the lowest musical integrity. All that said, I dug damn near everything Harris ever played, sung or synthesized through his various horns.

As many of you know, I've had a long, strong dislike for Yoshi's. I won't comment further here, other than to wish Yoshi's and the whole jazz community 'peace'. Edited to add: ...and I don't think Yoshi's management is racist.

Shamed, Yoshi's pulls CD, apologizes Club hit sour note with lack of black musicians on record Jesse Hamlin, Steven Winn, Chronicle Staff Writers Saturday, June 2, 2007 The managers of Yoshi's jazz club said Friday that issuing a 10th anniversary CD with no African American musicians was "a huge mistake" and "a major oversight." In the wake of complaints by some African American musicians and community leaders, the club issued an apology and withdrew the disc. With "Live at Yoshi's: Anniversary Compilation" off the market, the club plans to create a new recording that more accurately reflects the musicians who play the 340-seat venue at Oakland's Jack London Square, said Joan Rosenberg, marketing director for the club. Yoshi's had sold about 500 of the 1,000 CDs it began offering on its Web site last month. The disc, the first made by Yoshi's, was not distributed to stores. "We really messed up on the CD," said Yoshi's owner Kaz Kajimura. "We apologize to anyone who feels slighted by this omission, as that was never our intention." The musicians on the disc include pianist Marian McPartland, singer Madeleine Peyroux, the late guitarist Joe Pass and Latin percussionist Poncho Sanchez. Kajimura and Yoshi's artistic director Peter Williams attributed the botched CD to haste and expediency. "This was done on the spur of the moment, and we didn't have a lot of time and research to put into it," said Kajimura. Yoshi's began working on the project in late March to mark the club's 10 years in Oakland in May. Eight of the 10 tracks, from four different musicians, came from Concord records, one of the world's largest recording labels. The other two came from San Francisco radio station KFOG's archives. "That was the easiest, quickest thing to do," said Williams. "We assumed Concord would have the most music recorded live at Yoshi's." When the new CD is made, he added, it will include African American musicians recorded live at Yoshi's on such labels as Verve, MaxJazz and Blue Note. That will involve more elaborate negotiations for rights and licensing fees. "If Yoshi's is calling this an oversight, then maybe there needs to be a larger discussion about the dynamic of what jazz is all about," said Glen Pearson, an African American musician and College of Alameda instructor. "Diversity is a word that gets kicked around a lot these days. But how sincerely or honestly is that concept really being applied? Or is it just a politically convenient term to use?" Williams said race and ethnicity are "things that I just never think about when I'm booking the club. It always comes out that we have a great mix. I'm very comfortable with what we've done." Kajimura said that more than half of the musicians who play Yoshi's are African American. Orrin Keepnews, the famed Bay Area-based jazz record producer who put out classic albums by Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins and many others on his Riverside label, calls the Yoshi's CD affair "an embarrassingly small deal.'' "With all due respect to the venerable Marian McPartland, whom I love and have always loved, there's nobody on that record of major current importance," said Keepnews. "The club put out an anniversary record that was thoughtless and not very well put together. They limited themselves to material recorded live at the club. You have a half-dozen things here that don't have the making of a significant or representative record, regardless of what color anybody is.'' As for Yoshi's pulling the CD in reaction to the controversy, Keepnews said: "It's become very customary when you make a big public mistake to then withdraw as much as you can. It's been going on at all the networks recently. It's childish. If you're insulted, you haven't removed the insult by removing the product. I don't think Yoshi's necessarily insulted people, but it wasn't a very bright thing to do. But I don't really think it's any kind of fatal mistake.'' Black saxophonist Howard Wiley thinks Yoshi's had no choice but to pull the CD. "I think it's the right step, to turn a negative into a positive. Let's all come to the table now and play some beautiful music together." The racial mix of musicians in this summer's Downtown Berkeley Jazz Festival also came into question this week. Susan Muscarella, who is booking the festival through the sponsor, Berkeley's Jazzschool, was in a diversity committee meeting there Friday afternoon. "We're addressing the issue across the board, in all our education and performing programs," she said, calling charges of racial imbalance "unfair and ungrounded." Muscarella said the Aug. 22-26 festival is about halfway planned. "My problem now is how to book African American artists when they might think they're only being invited in response to the controversy." E-mail the writers at jhamlin@sfchronicle.com and swinn@sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c...NG6QQ69RE31.DTL This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle Sections DatebookCarsCommentarySportsNewsBay AreaHome&GardenBusiness © 2007 Hearst Communications Inc. | Privacy Policy | Feedback | RSS Feeds | FAQ | Site Index | Contact

I agree. So much of there work together was in concerts; as much as they might have been thrilling live, our recordings offer poor sound quality and a performance that emphasizes crowd excitement, rather than contemplative creativity and lasting value (...or some such 'ideal'.) That said, Dex and Wardell did do some studio sides together which have come out many times (Swingtime, Fontana, Black Lion...) and are worth picking up.

Anyone in the area, wishing to visit Grooveyard, but without a car should know: just two or three blocks from Rockridge BART station. (There's a Dex BN box set on the shelves this morning amidst an expanded used CD section.)

LIstened to this earlier today. Right now, it's Vince Guaraldi with Frank Rosolino (Premier)

What, no Organissimo?

My first reaction was "the first disc of every (chronological) set is the best". Stepping back a bit, I do tend to favor the young (spirited? uninhibited? exploring?) artist over the more mature. I'd call it a strong tendency. But there are both countervailing forces (e.g., improvements in sound recording technology, emerging musical styles) and exceptions (I'm trying to think of one). Often, though, box sets cover relatively short periods of a performer's career. I'd agree with the mention of Sam Rivers' Mosaic as a 'great first disc'.

If that grounding wire is connected to proper grounding points on both turntable and amp, you should be cool, even with the washer. (It's not, like some plastic or rubber washer is it?) Just curious, does the amp's power cord have a separate ground (three-prong type)? Any idea if that third prong in your houseehold circuit is properly grounded. (I know I'm stretching here.) I'm guessing that, in your area, it could be either brand-new construction, older or just about anywhere in-between.

what diets did your children, if any, use? No kids, though I did have a vegetarian dog. (Long story...about the dog, that is.) hope to hear here of the vegetarian dog someday. thanks. Indeed. When my wife decided to cook for our dogs, everything she read and everything she was told by the Vet made it clear that dogs require animal protein. I seriously doubt that if that dog had blood work done it would have made the Vet do somersaults. Perhaps I should have had an autopsy done when he died...at age 18. (A damn good long life for a Black Lab.)

Good place to start. If you're cool with the grounding, you might want to next CAREFULLY check the wires that lead into the back of the cartridge. Make sure they're fastened securely at both ends. Also, the RCA plugs that go into the back of your pre-amp/phono step-up should be secure and the outside part of the cable end should be making good (clean) contact with the input jack. If not, we can talk 'cleaning'.

what diets did your children, if any, use? No kids, though I did have a vegetarian dog. (Long story...about the dog, that is.) I wouldn't think of raising a kid vegetarian or vegan until: (1) he/she was physically and psychologically developed and (2) he/she was informed and responsible about nutrition and (3) he/she independently wanted to adopt such a foolish life choice*. I see all these college kids adopting vegetarian diets that consist of candy bars, cheese pizza, white bread, donuts (assuming one can find vegetarian donuts), falafel, tofu** and other such TRASH. They're holier-than-thou for a while. * I'm being a bit facetious here. Ethically or nutritionally, veganism and vegetarianism CAN be fine, and they're a lot easier to live with than 30 years ago, but maintaining a sound diet under such restrictions can be challenging. ** Okay in moderation, I suppose.

30 years a vegan (and now-retired elite athlete), I'm evidence that it can be done. But it's not a diet to be undertaken lightly. Education and diligence is a key. I would NOT recommend this diet to anyone. It's like playing music as a living, IMO: do it only if you it's a spiritual/emotional necessity. By the way, I HATE militant vegans, or militant anything elses. I regularly dine with friends eating meat. Don't bother me one iota.

I'm pretty sure that the previous festivals, at which the named notables appeared, were all free. (Correct me if I'm mis-remembering here.)

Any in-line skaters? Yes, 1983. Pre-Rollerbalde. They were rolled out to people as part of a training program before international competition. Haven't been on them since. I tend to shy away from fads, a term I'd apply to in-lines in, what, the 90s? The fad has passed and, as far as I'm concerned, they're okay again. Just hasn't happened to me.

From today's San Jose Mercury News. As concerned as the writer sounds, I temper my concern by the fact that I've sure seen worse jazz festivals. Yes, the trend is bothersome. Concord, Newport and many others are hardly shadows of their former selves. The writer berates Fathead Newman for doing a tribute to Ray Charles (with whom he was obviously closely linked) because the tributes are getting "long in then tooth", but then expresses his wish that Turtle Island String Quartet (jazz?) isn't coming to do their version of the resurgent "A Love Supreme" reincarnation. Ultimately I concede that our tastes simply differ when he calls out for "more singers", and converge when he bemoans the growth of the 'smooth' portion. San Jose Jazz Festival: Where is the jazz? SAN JOSE FESTIVAL STRAYS TOO FAR FROM ITS ROOTS By Richard Scheinin Mercury News San Jose Mercury News Article Launched:05/20/2007 01:39:46 AM PDT We live in a time when what seems to be, often isn't. An all-beef hot dog is filled with water and sugar and assorted binding agents, and may even come in a pork casing. Why are you reading this in the Sunday arts section? Because I'm wondering when a jazz festival by name is no longer a jazz festival in reality. The question arises because San Jose Jazz has announced the headliners of this summer's 18th Annual Comcast San Jose Jazz Festival Presented by Southwest Airlines. The festival, spanning Aug. 8-12, with most acts performing over the last three days, has many ingredients, though the jazz part seems to be getting lost among the musical equivalents of water, sugar and those binding agents. This time around, the festival's Main Stage, in the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose, will feature rhythm and blues, smooth jazz and cranked-up fusion jazz out of L.A.'s commercial studio scene as well as a couple of good-looking all-star groups, one straight-ahead jazz, the other Latin jazz. It's a mixed bag, and I'm not sure what message San Jose Jazz is sending. What's the big deal? Well, a lot of people, including this writer, actually think jazz is the most significant musical form to emerge anywhere in the world in the past century. It is entertaining, mind-expanding and soul-enriching. It is expansive, an ocean of music, miles deep. And like any great music, it can offer you a great time while momentarily transporting you and maybe even changing your life. It also is being pushed to the cultural margins in this era of global corporate media, when "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars" seem to have the whole world hypnotized. And yet, in recent years, San Jose Jazz has done something remarkable: It has presented a practically free festival (it now costs $5 for the whole weekend) attended by tens of thousands who have practically worshiped at the altar of jazz. But last year, something tipped toward pop. Geoff Roach, the new executive director of San Jose Jazz, booked the Neville Brothers and Dr. John on the Main Stage. I'm a fan of both. Still, why were they centerpieces of what had been a successful jazz festival? Roach, a New Orleans native, explained that he wanted to present a post-Katrina celebration of New Orleans music. He argued that jazz and New Orleans rhythm and blues are first cousins anyway, and that if the festival had in any way slipped away from its pure jazz mission (he didn't quite cop to the slippage), it was because of the happenstance of economics and artist availability. I spoke to Roach this week and again he pledged allegiance to jazz roots while citing economics and artist availability as influencing the lineup. The festival (which kicks off Aug. 8 with a fundraising gala) has an operating budget of about $1 million; admissions, concessions and corporate sponsorships are major funding sources. I don't doubt that, with each year, those dollars are stretched thinner. Still, choices are being made - which Roach admitted. The Main Stage is for "acts that are more widely accepted by the public," he said. "It's basically giving the audience what they want." Did they previously not want jazz? In recent years, I've never noticed anything but large crowds pressing up to the Main Stage and expressing pure pleasure while listening to Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Terence Blanchard, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Steve Turre, Geri Allen and many others, including Dr. Lonnie Smith, who, to Roach's credit, appeared last year. Now, let's look at the 2007 festival's Main Stage headliners for Saturday, Aug. 11, the first full day of music. Three of four have been announced. Leading off is the Airmen of Note, the big band of the U.S. Air Force. Hmmm. Let's reserve judgment, but Basie, or his second coming, this is not. Second is saxophonist Gerald Albright, the smooth jazz star whose treacly murmurings bear as much relationship to actual jazz as John Williams soundtracks do to Mahler symphonies. Albright is jazz light, and maybe not jazz at all. (Guitarist Lee Ritenour, appearing Sunday with an "all-star" band out of L.A., represents another step toward glossed-up commercial jazz.) Third is David "Fathead" Newman, a truly great jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist, leading a tribute to his old boss, Ray Charles. Some people will hate me for saying this but, sorry, as much as I love the music of Brother Ray, all these tributes are getting a little long in the tooth. I have to wonder why San Jose Jazz, which trumpets jazz education as one of its prime missions, isn't more imaginative. Why isn't it doing more to keep the jazz front and center, to present a deep roster of indisputably excellent and exciting jazz musicians and to keep the festival forward-directed by highlighting some of the many amazing up-and-coming players who dedicate their lives to the art form? Tribute to Holloway Because at some point - and the point already may be here - a jazz festival like this one starts to feel like a roll-out. We get a handful of aging players from the music's golden era alongside familiar faces (some of the same ones each year) and lots of tangential musicians, some better than others, whose relationship to jazz isn't always clear. To be fair, there will be some dynamite players this year. A Main Stage tribute to saxophonist Red Holloway, who's turning 80, will feature Holloway and three other saxophone luminaries: Frank Morgan, Charles McPherson and Greg Osby. An all-star Latin band will include pianist Arturo O'Farrill, trumpeter Ray Vega and percussionists Steve Berrios and Pete Escovedo. Other stages will feature bassist David Friesen, trumpeters Eddie Gale and John Worley, trombonist Wayne Wallace and singer Jackie Ryan. But compared to past years, the lineups look spotty, almost randomly assembled. What's the vision here? Roach says he wants to "create this really fun community event, a musical event that people can come to and have fun." But isn't that what the festival has been for years? It's a huge block party. Great food. Good vibes. With lots of music on multiple stages - blues, salsa, Latin, R&B - but with jazz as the star of the show. Roach said he wants to put an emphasis on "up-and-comers" in jazz. Great idea. I asked him to name some. He offered two: singers Denise Donatelli and Sasha Dobson. Fine. Can I suggest a few others? There are many important young players who come from the Bay Area and, even if they've migrated to New York and elsewhere, often spend weeks here each summer. They include saxophonists Donny McCaslin (among the elite on his instrument, internationally) and Dayna Stevens (a protege of Wayne Shorter, he has an excellent new, all star-studded debut album) and trumpeters Ambrose Akinmusire and Jonathan Finlayson (both graduates of Berkeley High). These are hot, innovative players - and fresh faces. Showcasing them with their own bands on the Main Stage would be a great idea. Or what if, with some planning, a couple of them were to form the front line of an all-star quintet with a Bay Area-bred rhythm section of bassist Larry Grenadier, pianist Taylor Eigsti and drummer Jeff Ballard? The Bay Area is loaded with exceptional players who span jazz from straight-ahead to laptop-assisted and the acoustic avant-garde: drummers Scott Amendola, E.W. Wainwright, Steve Smith, Sameer Gupta and Zakir Hussain; pianist Myra Melford; clarinetist Ben Goldberg; guitarists Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser; saxophonists Howard Wiley and David Boyce; bassists Ray Drummond, Marcus Shelby and Cory Combs. Where are they on this lineup? And where is the Turtle Island String Quartet, which has a new recording of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme?" Synergy with Stanford What about vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and saxophonist John Handy? They're iconic jazz figures - and they live here. How about creating some synergy with the Stanford Jazz Workshop? Its summer faculty includes Kenny Barron, Lee Konitz, Eddie Gomez, Jimmy Cobb, Matt Wilson, Wycliffe Gordon, Eigsti, Stevens and Akinmusire. Would it have been impossible to bring a few of them to the festival? Why not work at some cooperation in coming years? Roach points out - as he did this time last year - that the festival lineup isn't yet complete. Maybe some heavies still will sign on. Maybe the Airmen of Note will turn out to be a killing band. And maybe Gerald Albright will decide that it's time to show off his jazz chops by blazing through "Giant Steps." I hope so. But right now, this festival lacks vision. 18th Annual Comcast San Jose Jazz Festival Presented by Southwest Airline Mercury News Where: 10 stages in downtown San Jose; the Main Stage is in Plaza de Cesar Chavez When: Aug. 10-12 with a gala fundraiser Aug. 8 Tickets: $5 (ticket prices for the fundraiser will be announced) More information: (408)288-7557, www.sanjosejazz.org

An e-mail from Mosaic Records (not my hype): JAZZ IMPROV LIVE! CONVENTION & FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK CITY This is an event for the jazz fan and fanatic in one of the world's greatest cities for jazz. An immersion in the music we love for 4 days; jazz performaces by some well-known great musicians as well as those who deserve the exposure, panel discussions, workshops and a 12,000 square foot shopping mall of jazz. Eric Nemeyer and the folks at Jazz Improv are putting a lot of work into making this a success. But the ultimate success for this event rests with the jazz fan who keeps this music alive. So fly, drive, take a train to join us at this premiere event (and if your partner isn't as much the jazz fan, the city will keep them occupied). The event takes place October 25-28, 2007 at The New Yorker Hotel and Manhattan Center, in midtown Manhattan. Get your tickets early and save as well as insure that you have a ticket in case of a sellout. THE EVENT Jazz Performances: The preliminary lineup includes McCoy Tyner Trio + Special Guest, Pat Martino Quartet, Stanley Clarke, Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Heath Big Band, Sonny Fortune, Wallace Roney, Geri Allen and many additional headliners to be announced shortly. There will also be array of musicians and ensembles that will represent all musical styles from swing to avant-garde. Panels and Workshops: These will be led by artists, experts and authorities along with fresh faces — all of whom will be sharing their wealth of knowledge, ideas, and perspectives. There are three fascinating tracks of events and you're free to choose from among them no matter what your affiliation or interest. 1. Fan-Listener-oriented panels featuring interviews, personalities, recordings and history of the music. 2. Business panels for students, educators and musicians … ideas about getting gigs, making recordings, marketing and more. 3. "How-To" educational workshops for musicians, educators and students: on improvisation, composing, arranging, and more. Attendance Fee: For as little as $145 (Early-Bird attendance fee - good until June 15),you'll be able to experience scores of fabulous performances and events over four days, by leading and emerging artists on multiple stages and panels and workshops - all day and night. If you've been to New York, you can spend that same amount of money for only one act at a club with drinks and/or food for two. REGISTER BY JUNE 15 - SAVE $80 & GET A FREE COPY OF JAZZ IMPROV Register by June 15 for the Early-bird discount and get a Full-conference pass for only $145 and a FREE copy of Jazz Improv Magazine, a $27.95 value (250-300 page magazine, including companion CD featuring leading and emerging artists - Choose either George Benson issue, Buddy Rich, Chick Corea, Louis Armstrong). Premium Full-Conference Passes (only 100 remain) are $325 each, and include upfront seating at evening performances. For a full listing of prices and information go to the registration page at http://www.jazzimprov.com/live or call 888-472-0670 or 215-885-0670 or 212-889-0853. Customer questions may be sent by e-mail to: jazz@jazzimprov.com. Jazz Improv accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express (Fax: 215-887-8803) Or, if you prefer to send a check or money order, download the Attendee Registration Form and send them to Jazz Improv LIVE!, Murray Hill Station, P.O. Box 1813, New York, NY 10156. Discounted hotel information is also available at 212-971-0101, 8:30 AM through 7:00 PM, seven days a week, or online at http://www.jazzimprov.com/live/hotels.html We look forward to seeing you in New York at Jazz Improv® LIVE! (Please note do not reply to this email as it cannot be delivered. You may e-mail us at info@mosaicrecords.com) Sincerely, All of us at Mosaic Records www.mosaicrecords.com www.truebluemusic.com Email: info@mosaicrecords.com 35 Melrose Place Stamford, CT 06902 203-327-7111

For the same reason, to an even more extreme degree, I'm headphones by necessity.

Buried in my VC daily newsletter... Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Palo Alto, Calif.-based drug development and commercialization company focused on neurology and psychiatry, has set its proposed IPO terms to six million common shares being offered at between $24 and $26 per share. It plans to trade on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol JAZZ, with Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers serving as co-lead underwriters. The company has raised around $265 million in VC funding since its 2003 inception, from firms like KKR (46.24% pre-IPO stake), Thoma Cressey Equity Partners (10.72%), Beecken Petty O'Keefe & Co. (7.15%), Prospect Venture Partners (6.65%), Versant Ventures (6.65%), Golden Gate Capital (5.36%), Lehman Brothers (5.13%), Adams Street Partners, EGS Healthcare Capital Partners and Oak Hill Capital. www.orphan.com

30% off a book until May 20 http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/coupon_book0517.htm All CDs and DVDs are buy three, get a fourth free

Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...&type=music A dozen years ago, when Yoshi's was, in the words of its co-owner and namesake Yoshie Akiba, "a hideaway jazz club" nestled among private homes in Oakland's leafy Rockridge neighborhood, few would have expected that the place would come to bear the weight of the jazz world on its shoulders. Back then, jazz fans could find internationally known acts in San Francisco at Kimball's and in the East Bay at Kimball's East and Koncepts Cultural Gallery, in addition to Yoshi's. Now, only Yoshi's is left standing. And far from buckling under the responsibility, it's thriving. And it has a big birthday to celebrate: 10 years at its current location in Jack London Square, a part of Oakland's waterfront that used to be seedy and empty after dark, but now has some nightlife -- thanks in large measure to Yoshi's. "Yoshi's is one of the best jazz clubs in the world," says Kenny Burrell, the guitar master who celebrated his 75th birthday with a special concert at the club last summer. "They have the best sound system, the best equipment, and they take extra effort to present the music to the public in the best possible way." Practically every major jazz artist has played Yoshi's. That was true at the former location, but there you couldn't honestly claim -- as fun and intimate as the club was -- that the sound quality was up to the caliber of the music being performed. That situation was rectified 10 years ago when Akiba and co-owner Kaz Kajimura brought in sound designer Tom Schindler with Charles Salter Associates and architect Hiroshi Morimoto to create an acoustically pure room with state-of-the-art engineering and not a bad seat in the 310-capacity house. It cost millions of dollars, but no one's complaining. "Our sound always sounds good at Yoshi's," says saxophonist Branford Marsalis, a frequent performer at the club. "I don't have any people complaining they couldn't hear an instrument. ... I dig the place. I have a great time every time I play there." Among the other jazz stars who have availed themselves of the exquisite sound and ambience are Diana Krall, Oscar Peterson, Bill Frisell, Chucho Valdés, John Zorn, Poncho Sanchez, Marian McPartland, Bud Shank, Woody Allen, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Pat Metheny, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Elvin Jones, John Scofield, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Cecil Taylor ... the list goes on. Some of those artists are capable of filling 3,000-seat halls, yet they still come to Yoshi's. "This was one of the first clubs Diana Krall played in the U.S.," says Peter Williams, who, as artistic director, has booked acts into Yoshi's since 1999. Pianist-singer Krall, one of the top-selling acts in jazz, has been back to Yoshi's three times and she's returning again June 8-9. "She likes it here," Williams says. "We had the Gary Burton Quartet with Pat Metheny here last summer. Pat's a superstar. He could easily have played Zellerbach. But they wanted to do it here. "Oscar Peterson's been here three times since I've been here. ... Yoshi's carries a lot of magic." Writing on his Web site after playing at Yoshi's in 2001, Peterson -- arguably the greatest living jazz pianist -- said, "There are jazz clubs and then there are JAZZ CLUBS! Having played most of the major such places in the world, in my view, Yoshi's, in Oakland, California, epitomizes what a serious jazz club should be." When Yoshi's and Oakland were flirting with each other over consummating a redevelopment deal for Jack London Square, not everyone thought this civic-private partnership was a good idea. At stake was $3 million in public funds. "The vote went 5-4 to give Yoshi's the money," says Ignacio De La Fuente, the Oakland City Council president who at the time of the vote was a councilmember. "I had five votes, and (then-Mayor) Elihu (Harris) was against it." De La Fuente says it made sense to work with Yoshi's. "They had been an Oakland institution for a long time, and they needed to find a new home," he says. "We were trying to revitalize the waterfront and trying to attract restaurants and businesses. Yoshi's was a venue that I thought would attract people by providing entertainment. "Now, not only is Yoshi's paying the money back to the city, but the people they've brought to the area are spending money." They're spending even more since last year, when Yoshi's took another major step. It hired chef Shotaro "Sho" Kamio, the culinary master who had earned worshipful reviews for his San Francisco restaurant Ozuma. His inspired raw and cooked seafood creations go far beyond even the most creative sushi rolls being served around the bay. Now it can be said that the restaurant is operating at the same lofty level as the jazz club. "I love the new restaurant," says Marsalis. "I had the night off once when we were playing there, and I went there just to eat. I'll go in early and meet some friends there and order a bunch of good wine and food and put it all on the credit card." To celebrate the club's 10th birthday as an institution in Jack London Square, a number of promotions are planned (see accompanying story), including Monday's release of a 10-song CD compilation of songs performed live at Yoshi's. The club's staffers had better take the time to enjoy themselves, because starting very soon they're going to get busy. Extremely busy. That's because Yoshi's, with financial help from the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, will be opening a second jazz club and restaurant in the Fillmore neighborhood in the fall. (See accompanying story.) It's going to be a $10 million gamble. "I'll keep my fingers crossed for them," says Orrin Keepnews, the 84-year-old godfather of jazz record production. He's seen more than enough jazz clubs come and go, and in recent years, most of them go. "Over the years it takes a sort of pessimistic view of what you can depend on the jazz audience for." Yet, he's surprised that San Francisco has gone so long without a major-league club -- it's been 12 years since Kimball's closed. "Considering how much success Randall Kline has had with the San Francisco Jazz Festival, it's quite remarkable that there hasn't been an honest-to-God jazz room in San Francisco," Keepnews says. But if anyone can pull it off, Keepnews thinks Yoshi's can. "This club has consistently been in a class by itself," he says. Yoshi's will get its chance, but it won't likely be a walk. Yoshi's' Williams knows how tough the business is. "There are so many sources for people to be entertained these days," he says. "Netflix, pay-per-view ... People have many, many reasons not to come here. Jazz CD sales are suffering, too. Most major labels have jettisoned their jazz rosters. And we're losing, quote, the giants of jazz." But Yoshi's has shown that presenting jazz in quality surroundings can be profitable. Having Kamio in the kitchen won't hurt, either. Says Akiba, "I think we've been very lucky." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOSHI'S: looking back 1972 Yoshi's Japanese Restaurant opens at Euclid and Hearst streets in Berkeley, founded by Yoshie Akiba, a dance graduate from Mills College; her husband Kaz Kajimura, an aspiring reporter, and chef Hiroyuki Hori. 1977 Yoshi's moves to a former laundry on Claremont Avenue in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood. The partners convert the space into a 100-seat Japanese restaurant. 1980 The restaurant is a success, and the partners purchase the building and its 1-acre lot. They add on an upstairs sushi bar and lounge, where local jazz bands start performing during the week and Latin bands come in for dancing on weekends. Akiba occasionally dances between acts. 1985 Further success leads owners to construct a 200-seat add-on space that will become a nightclub. Yoshi's, dubbed Yoshi's Night Spot, now consists of a club with a bar, dance floor, stage and mezzanine -- seating around 200 -- and an upstairs bar and restaurant. 1985 Jazz club operator from Milwaukee named Chuck LaPaglia visits Yoshi's, falls in love with place and offers to book the club. With acts like Jimmy Smith, Milt Jackson and Stan Getz coming in, the club starts drawing crowds. 1987 Neighbors get restless over noise and loss of parking spaces. One resident discovers that Yoshi's failed to update its liquor license for a live-entertainment venue, so state Alcohol Beverage Control forbids club from serving alcohol downstairs. Customers must go upstairs to drink. 1987 Akiba and Kajimura divorce. Akiba marries a Zen priest in a big wedding at Yoshi's, Kajimura presiding. 1989 Club gets liquor license, but newly opened jazz club Kimball's East in Emeryville steals away LaPaglia. Steve Getz, son of saxophonist Stan Getz, takes over, but booking war with Kimball's East leads to financial losses. 1992 LaPaglia returns to Yoshi's and brings a partner, Todd Barkan, who used to run storied San Francisco club the Keystone Korner, which closed in 1983. Yoshi's is renamed Yoshi's Keystone Korner. Barkan brings in big-name acts, busting the club's budget on fees and hotel bills. He leaves after a year. Name reverts to Yoshi's Night Spot. 1995 LaPaglia leaves. Publicist Jason Olaine takes over booking. Yoshi's debts lead owners to sell the property to next-door Dreyer's Ice Cream, which wants to expand into the club's space. Owners prepare to shut down, but Oakland Redevelopment Agency makes Jack London Square proposal. While pondering, club continues to operate, leasing space from Dreyer's. 1997 Club opens in new space. 2003 Club begins discussions with San Francisco over building a new Yoshi's in the Fillmore District. 2004 Club secures loan from San Francisco Redevelopment Agency for new club. 2006 Chef Shotaro "Sho" Kamio takes over kitchen, revitalizing menu. 2007 Construction gets under way for S.F. club, but stalls over building permit process. Estimate for when club will open: fall 2007. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anniversary events A number of events are planned for the month: "Live at Yoshi's" anniversary compilation CD comes out Monday, featuring 10 songs recorded live at the club, including two tracks from KFOG broadcasts previously unreleased: "This Is Heaven to Me," by Madeleine Peyroux, and "Help the Poor," by Robben Ford. The other tracks are by Marian McPartland, Joe Pass, Joey DeFrancesco and Poncho Sanchez. The CDs, along with other items, such as Yoshi's T-shirts and tickets to future shows, will be given away to winners of trivia questions asked by Yoshi's crew before shows. In the anniversary vein of 10, admission is $10 to 10 p.m. shows Monday (Concord High School Jazz Band) and Tuesday (guitarists Chico Pinheiro and Anthony Wilson), and to singer Kate McGarry's 10 p.m. show on May 29. E-mail David Rubien at drubien@sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c...KGHVPL6GF32.DTL This article appeared on page PK - 16 of the San Francisco Chronicle