RainyDay Posted March 26, 2004 Report Posted March 26, 2004 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 WHEN Khalil Shaheed was growing up in Chicago, there were two things you could always find. "A fish fry and a rent party," he recalled. "A lot of times they were one in the same." Shaheed, a trumpet player who has spent the last 30-some years in the Bay Area, is launching an Oakland revival of the tradition tonight. The last Friday of every month, Historic Sweet's Ballroom in downtown Oakland will host The Friday Night Fish Fry, featuring live music, dancing and, of course, fish dinners. The Big Belly Blues Band is featured every month, joined by other local bands. Tonight, Mingus Amungus will play. Future bands include The West African Highlife Band and Machete Ensemble with John Santos. "I was looking for a place that could be a home base where people would know they could hear Big Belly someplace every month," Shaheed said. When a group of young musicians in his Oaktown Jazz Workshops played at Historic Sweet's Ballroom, Shaheed proposed the fish fries. "There is a 7,000-square-foot dance floor. Tables will be set up on one-third of the area, two-thirds will be space to boogey," he said. The Big Belly Blues Band was formed almost four years ago and recorded its first CD, "Big Belly Blues Band," on Chump Change Records two years ago. A review of the CD in the online publication JazzWest described it as "Tower of Power meets James Brown in this happy and hip mix of urban blues, big band and jazz tunes." It is dedicated to legendary jazz pianist Ed Kelly, who played a major role in the band coming together. "In fact, he finished recording the CD with us before he had his first stroke," Shaheed said. Kelly has been in poor health since suffering a series of strokes. "It was the last playing he did. I've learned so much from Kelly over the years. He was one of my main mentors in the Bay Area. He is an eternal member of the band. He comes to our gigs when he is able. I want to give him credit for all his help." Big Belly is made up of jazz players with backgrounds in R&B, funk and the blues. "It was a way to revisit our roots and have a good time. It's a labor of love because the musicians could make more money playing with other people. The band has a spirit of its own now. We're a good-time party band. Wherever we play, people dance." Hence the 7,000-square-foot dance floor. The band has played at many Bay Area music festivals. Shaheed points out Big Belly is also returning to the roots of jazz and the big bands of Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington. "Those bands were formed to play dance music. For too long jazz music has been ethereal and intellectual. People think, 'Oh, don't make any noise, they're playing jazz.' But that's not how it started. People were doing the Lindy Hop, throwing their partners over their shoulders and having a good time." The 13-piece band -- includ-ing four horns, two background vocalists, a lead vocalist, two guitar players, a keyboard player, percussionist, drummer and a base player -- plays a "really mixed-up mixture" of music, using Shaheed's words. "Big Belly plays all types of music, never losing sight of where the music came from, which is the blues." Oh, and the name? "My friend and collaborator, songwriter Paul Smith, has a tune called 'Big Belly Blues' that we play. I thought all of us have little guts and it sounds like a good name. It kind of rolls off the tongue." Smith has written a number of songs for the band. The Fish Fry is once a month for now, but Shaheed hopes the events will catch on and become weekly. "One of the pleas I'm making is that the artists and the community come together other than when someone passes, that we get together other than when Malonga Casquelourd or Edsel Matthews go. (Casquelourd, drummer and dancer, and Matthews, arts advocate, died last year.) I want us to have a place where we can go, have a good time, tell each other what we're doing, to build bonds in our community." The First Friday Night Fish Fry is tonight at Historic Sweet's Ballroom, 1933 Broadway, Oakland. Doors open at 7 p.m.; 8 p.m. show, $10. Fish dinners by Happy Homes Seafood. For more information, call the ballroom at 893-3500 or Oaktown Jazz Workshops at 526-4546. Quote
RainyDay Posted March 26, 2004 Author Report Posted March 26, 2004 (edited) 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. Edited March 28, 2004 by RainyDay Quote
BFrank Posted March 27, 2004 Report Posted March 27, 2004 Speaking of the SF Jazz Festival ... Anyone going to the Sam Rivers/Reggie Workman/Jason Moran show? Should be great! Quote
jack Posted March 27, 2004 Report Posted March 27, 2004 Next Thursday and Friday (04/01,02) in SF @ the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre will be the SF Jazz Collective. They consist of Bobby Hutcherson, Joushua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Miguel Zenon, Josh Roseman, Renee Rosnes, Robert Hurst, and Brian Blade. I saw this group last night in Sacramento at the Crest Theater and they were great. There was a great vibe between the artists and the audience and many times Bobby Hutcherson and Brian Blade were playing off each other which set off an excitement with the audience and the musicians alike. So if you have a chance, catch this collective in SF. Quote
RainyDay Posted March 27, 2004 Author Report Posted March 27, 2004 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. Quote
RainyDay Posted March 27, 2004 Author Report Posted March 27, 2004 Next Thursday and Friday (04/01,02) in SF @ the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre will be the SF Jazz Collective. They consist of Bobby Hutcherson, Joushua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Miguel Zenon, Josh Roseman, Renee Rosnes, Robert Hurst, and Brian Blade. I saw this group last night in Sacramento at the Crest Theater and they were great. There was a great vibe between the artists and the audience and many times Bobby Hutcherson and Brian Blade were playing off each other which set off an excitement with the audience and the musicians alike. So if you have a chance, catch this collective in SF. 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. Quote
RainyDay Posted March 27, 2004 Author Report Posted March 27, 2004 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. Quote
jack Posted March 28, 2004 Report Posted March 28, 2004 RainyDay, Thanks for the Yoshi's info. I will write a letter and hopefully get others on the bandwagon. You are right, it is a hassle to get into SF and then find parking, etc... It is sooo much easier to get into Yoshi's where it is now. Quote
RainyDay Posted March 28, 2004 Author Report Posted March 28, 2004 (edited) Address the letter to: Mr. Kaz Kajimura Yoshi’s 510 Embarcadero West Oakland, CA 94607 Edited March 28, 2004 by RainyDay Quote
jack Posted March 29, 2004 Report Posted March 29, 2004 I have been hearing of new clubs in the Fillmore District. Has anyone heard of or been to 'Rasselas Jazz Club?' They serve Ethiopian Cuisine. Quote
BFrank Posted March 29, 2004 Report Posted March 29, 2004 Haven't been there, but it's a branch of the place on Divisadero & California. FWIW, that Divis/Calif location was the "original" Old Waldorf in the 70's, which then moved downtown to a location in an office complex. I saw some great punk/new wave shows there in the late 70's. First tours by U2, REM, Joe Jackson, etc ... Quote
RainyDay Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Posted March 29, 2004 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. Quote
BFrank Posted March 29, 2004 Report Posted March 29, 2004 Bruno's is still going. Haven't heard about that place on 4th Street. Quote
RainyDay Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Posted March 29, 2004 Bruno's is still going. Haven't heard about that place on 4th Street. 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. Quote
jack Posted March 29, 2004 Report Posted March 29, 2004 Bacar. I have heard of that club. Is it still there, I wonder. Hmmm.... I'll have to give Bacar and Rasselas a try. B) Quote
RainyDay Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Posted March 29, 2004 Bacar. I have heard of that club. Is it still there, I wonder. Hmmm.... I'll have to give Bacar and Rasselas a try. B) Good question. Life has not been kind to South of Market businesses. Better call first. It's been a while since I was there. Quote
BFrank Posted March 29, 2004 Report Posted March 29, 2004 Oh........Bacar. Yeah, it's still there. I think it's on Brannan. It's a restaurant, really. I ate there a couple of weeks ago. Really expensive. Quote
BeBop Posted April 8, 2004 Report Posted April 8, 2004 Saturday 4/10. Sam Rivers at the Jazz House (Berkeley). http://www.thejazzhouse.org. Quote
RainyDay Posted April 9, 2004 Author Report Posted April 9, 2004 I still haven't made it the Jazz House. How is it? Good sound? Good crowd? Quote
BFrank Posted April 9, 2004 Report Posted April 9, 2004 Friday is the Sam Rivers/Jason Moran/Reggie Workman show at the SF Jazz Festival. Quote
jack Posted April 9, 2004 Report Posted April 9, 2004 Did anyone catch Regina Carter at Yoshi's last weekend? I was out of town and could not make it. Also, how is the Jazz House? I see from the calendar I missed the Josh Roseman Unit this past Wednesday. Quote
RainyDay Posted April 9, 2004 Author Report Posted April 9, 2004 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. Quote
RainyDay Posted April 9, 2004 Author Report Posted April 9, 2004 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. Quote
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