The Burlingame Voice

B'game Jazz Mecca

The full moon bracketed by Saturn and Jupiter was not the only awesome sight in B'game last night.  One of the coolest dudes in B'game did it again last night.  Andrew Speight had his House of Bop swinging in a tribute concert to Cannonball Adderley and Nancy Wilson who recorded a seminal LP together back in 1961.  Andrew is "chief cook and bottle washer" at his events--he's promoting them, setting up the sound and video for streaming on his Facebook page, delivering in-depth backgrounds on the songs and artists and.....and playing the alto sax like a pro.  He let everyone know that the LP being featured was the first female vocalist fronting a small combo that made it to vinyl.  Just awesome to see and there were a couple of B'game restaurant owners in the small audience last night which might lead to some public gigs.  One can only hope.

As Andrew noted last night, a great way to build a great jazz combo is to start with the drummer.  It's the loudest instrument and if the drummer doesn't like you he can drown you out!  We were graced with a true legend on drums last night.  As Roy McCurdy's web page notes

McCurdy worked with the Mangione Brothers group (Chuck and Gap Mangione) in the early 60’s and later joined the Art Farmer Jazztet and then went with Sonny Rollins. Following Sonny Rollins he became a full time member of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet from the mid-60’s, traveling internationally with the group, including a particularly successful tour of South America in 1972.

Who better to set the beat for two hours of Cannonball's music?  With David Wong as the other half of the rhythm section and  Terrell Stafford blowing hard on trumpet, and Matthew Clark on the piano all that was needed was the vocalist who could deliver the Nancy Wilson feel.  Tiffany Austin was on it and added the fine feel and tone that was needed.  Here's McCurdy and Stafford.

  

Living the Jazz Dream in B'game

I recently met one of the coolest cats in town.  He's an accomplished alto sax player, the artistic director of the Manly Jazz Festival in Australia and a live/streaming promoter.  And he's doing it all from B'game!  Andrew Speight is a whirlwind of energy and what people like to call resilience these days.  Persistence fits his passion for jazz. He's turned his living room into a little jazz club complete with a grand piano, lighting, amps, and everything one needs to stream shows on his Facebook page which he has done every Sunday afternoon for more than a year.

A few people get to see the shows live and I was lucky enough to fall into an invitation.  Andrew has the connections to bring in name artists (Vince Lateano, Smith Dobson, Sylvia Cuenca were all there playing) and they are chomping at the bit to play just like many of us are chomping at the bit to listen--since April as shown here.  We lost the Savannah Jazz club in San Carlos to the lockdown, but Andrew has created a private version that feels about the same.  Check out his Facebook page for the streams every Sunday at 5pm and a special Saturday night gig on July 24th at 8pm.

Now that the Covid restrictions are off we have the opportunity to start seeing more live music in town.  That has been a challenge for B'game well before the pandemic, but it feels like the appetite is there now and the city entertainment permits can start being issued again, so I'm thrilled to know we have a professional in town with similar hopes and dreams.  I wish my living room looked like this sometime.

Music in the Park: Get Your Reservations

The city e-newsletter has music to my ears with the announcement of this year's new Music in the Park series.  The big change is a move to Friday nights from 6-8pm (5pm check-ins) and  

Registration is $5 per person.  Registration must be made in advance. Only one registration is required per group. Registration provides a dedicated space for you and your group.

I envision chalk line circles for each pod and people making more of a night out effort with more food and drink.  I'm not sure what the rules will be about alcohol in the park.  It has traditionally been OK in San Mateo's Central Park series, but B'game can be more strict sometimes.  Here is the line-up

June 18 - The Sun Kings (Beatles Tribute)

July 9 - The Houserockers (Rock & Soul)

July 23 - New American Villains (Modern & Classic Rock)

August 13 - Pride & Joy (R & B & Soul)

I've seen all of these bands at least once, but I'm still excited.  Keep an eye on www.burlingame.org/rec for more info.  Here is a past Sun Kings show.

Music to my Ears... in San Mateo

I got out to hear some live music this past week.  Local guitarist Sam Marshall was playing at the Coyote Point golf course Par 3 restaurant outside under a tent.   It was only the second show I have seen in more than a year, but it portends good things to come.  We had one new Covid case in B'game this week.  Yep, one.  We've had 56 in the last 30 days, so the rate is tailing off.  Lots of people are saying "just got my second shot".  I would say it's time for some carefully organized, outside entertainment to start here in B'game.  Let's not let San Mateans have all the fun!

Here's Sam playing the blues and some classic rock accompanied by backing tracks on his phone.  His tip jar was filling up nicely too.

Purple Tears

As we teeter on the brink of going to the dreaded "purple tier" I was struck by how the Vinyl Room - which has been closed for 9+ months -- keeps the lights on in a rotating color scheme.  It was just getting into the groove of having regular live music when the virus struck.  This is the closest bar to my house and thus holds a special position in my thinking.  When I was a grad student in Center City Philly, the closest bar was an ancient Irish bar that was just on the other side of the back wall of my apartment.  I think "pony" Rolling Rocks were a quarter.

So the owner of the Vinyl Room, Juan, is to be thanked for keeping the lights on.  I hope his landlord and he are figuring it out.  BPD is not enamored with the idea of music venues holding events--even outdoors, but as the Chron noted recently

“You need to do a little extra when winter comes,” said Blaine Merker of the San Francisco office of Gehl, an urban design firm with Scandinavian roots. “It’s about extending an invitation, going from functional to celebratory.”  Add music — members of the San Francisco Ballet’s orchestra played on Hayes Street several evenings last month — and makeshift starts to become a scene.

Bay Area cities responded smartly to the onslaught of the pandemic by making it easier for residents and businesses to make use of our streets via regulatory initiatives that took into account the need for social distancing. Another welcome step? Many are now extending the right for parklets to be in place well into 2021, which will help give beleaguered businesses the confidence to invest in their outdoor spaces.

At the same time, cities are tweaking their parklet standards to take winter conditions into account, such as the need for sidewalk gutters to be able to flow freely during rainstorms. Some, including San Francisco, have small grants available for businesses that need a financial boost to build a safe space outdoors.

What’s still needed — and time is running out — is taking the initiative to energize our shared landscape. A plaza or publicly owned parking lot could hold a communal market — perhaps shielded by an eye-catching waterproof tarp above the space. Public art commissions could line up (and pay) performers who would be available for gigs in neighborhood retail areas on days when blocks are closed.

Elsewhere downtown, I have been in contact with the city about the parklets that are shall-we-say "underutilized".  One in particular is getting a look since it takes up a couple spaces and I never see anyone using it.  It was also gratifying to see the support for a performance space in the new "Town Square".  More to follow, but here is my own Purple Tear.

As promised in the comment, Jennifer has provided this really cool photo from our past.  You can see the Senator Coctail Lounge on the left where the Vinyl Room is now.  It was the "Cosiest Spot in Town" and its phone number was DI 4-1466.

Not "Boringame" Over the Weekend

Dear old Burlingame was not so boring this past weekend, especially Friday night on Broadway.  I was having cognitive dissonance while having dinner at Il Piccolo and enjoying a really nice jazz trio plus singer.  The trumpet player in particular was really fun and played some credible Miles Davis songs.  The cognitive dissonance continued as I walked past Behan's and heard a fun duo playing rock standards and it peaked at Broadway Grill where the band-in-the-balcony was fronted by four singers on the main floor.  That split presentation was a little odd, but it worked.  Maybe there is hope for Boringame after dark, after all.  Here is the Il Piccolo trio.

Fall Fest brought four more bands to Howard Ave. over the weekend, and the Vinyl Room continues to host bands on Friday nights.

Feeling Jealous of "Menlo Dark"

I had never heard Menlo Park referred to as "Menlo Dark" until an article in today's Chronicle quoted someone calling it that.  But I have heard our own little burg called "Boringame" since 1983.  So the Chron piece about three investors buying the Guild movie theater, doing a "substantial renovation" and reopening it as a live music venue operated by a non-profit just made me green with envy.  Here are a couple of bits of the article

When the theater opens, it will still be called the Guild and will have either the same or similar marquee to announce rock, jazz, country and comedy acts three to five nights a week in an open-floor configuration Drew Dunlevie said.  “It’s a Silicon Valley impetus. We need more culture here,” said Dunlevie. “We are doing this because we are all tired of having to go to the city to see shows.”

The sleepy downtown, which Mueller said has earned the nickname “Menlo Dark,” has never had a stand-alone music venue. The closest it came was in the 1960s when there was live music at Magoo’s Pizza on Santa Cruz Avenue. This is where an Atherton kid named Bobby Weir joined together with a Palo Alto guitar teacher named Jerry Garcia and a recruited bassist named Phil Lesh to first perform as the Warlocks on May 5, 1965, before later becoming the Grateful Dead.

Where else does that sound like?  Yep, Boringame.  And a little historical factoid is that Phil Lesh was living in Burlingame around that time while attending college nearby.  There are a few buildings in B'game that might work for this sort of thing and there are plenty of B'gamers who are also tired of going to the ever-dirtier city to see shows.  We just need the benefactors--and some city leaders with vision and willingness to encourage such a venue to come to be.  With all of the development going on one can hope that 10 or 15 thousand square feet could go for such a spot.

Update, Sunday 9/29:  At least Broadway was alive last night with a solo guitar player at Il Piccolo and council woman Emily Beach playing with some guest performers for her annual BCE charity show.  Sure felt nice to be able to hear music in two places on B'way.  Il Piccolo is planning for Friday and Saturday music to be a regular event!  Here is Rebbesoul playing last night.

B'game on the Ave. Success

I want to take a moment to acknowledge that the long-running, name-changing "Burlingame on the Avenue" festival continues to show out of towners how great B'game really is.  Sunday was packed and you could feel the energy.  Band stands on both ends of the Avenew and the main one in the middle.  The Kidzone seemed larger than in the past.  Even with the Burlingame Breeze up at mid-day people and their dogs were enjoying themselves immensely.

Kudos to the Chamber of Commerce for a job well done.  My only question/suggestion is why stop at 5pm on Saturday.  I walked over for dinner around 6 pm and it was still light out and there were plenty of people around.  The Ave. is still closed down with the booths, but wouldn't running one more band until 6:30 or so bring some end-of-day focus and energy and a few more dinner bills?

Here's the SF Banjo Band doing that old-timey thang.

Music in the Park Blossoming

Our own Music in the Park series appears to have jumped in popularity probably because the bands are a notch better than in the past.  The new raised stage funded by Facebook as part of its move into B'game doesn't hurt and neither has the spectacular weather.  I missed the show two Sundays ago, but I hear Pride and Joy drew an amazing crowd.  I did make it to the Fog City Swampers this past Sunday and the crowd was sizable.  There is one more show this coming Sunday with All-star Jukebox - I've seen them before and they are really fun.  Here's last Sunday's gig.

Entertainment Wishlist: 2019

Let's face it B'gamers.  After about 9:30 pm both B'way and the Avenue pretty much roll-up the sidewalks.  There are a couple of bars that have business, but no entertainment to speak of.  Broadway Grill is one exception usually one night a week and Behan's has the occasional band as does the Vinyl Room.  But if you are looking for that cool, late-night, take-your-girl-out-and-talk to her, jazz vibe, it ain't here.  That is my entertainment wish for 2019.  One model is Savanna Jazz on the south end of Laurel Ave. in San Carlos.  Great spot for jazz several nights a week and weekend afternoons.  That may not be sustainable with rents the way they are in B'game-- even if the struggles retail is having cause plenty of empty space.  Several locals express wonder over how any landlord could prefer 6, 9 or 12 months of empty space to a lower rent coming is regularly.  But they apparently do.  So the next option is to tag onto a restaurant's night with jazz after the last plate has been served.  That is the hope for 2019.  In the meantime, feast your eyes on Savanna Jazz' scene in San Carlos.