The Blue Note space has kind of stalled - I don’t know if they’re running out of money/construction permits/liquor permits whatever. I hope they can push through and open.
The Blue Note space in Hollywood was really nostalgic for me. You park in the old Arclight parking lot and walk through their space! Unsurprisingly, for a new performance space in a former large restaurant space, I felt it had little warmth or funk. Passable sound quality. The tables were way, way, way too tight. The night I was there the room was only 60% occupied so there was no reason to be as penned in as we were. Real Coconut Grove feeling.
Vibrato Grill way up on Beverly Glen, operated by Herb Alpert and family was a delight. Good sound mix, professional servers who didn’t interrupt the music too badly during the set. I had a really passable, decent steak. If I go back to Vibrato, I’d get the steak again.
I also ate at the Beverly Glen Deli in the Vibrato complex and was underwhelmed. Good people watching though.
Had a few close calls from discogs. One dude sent me my record in one of those flimsy mailers with no outer sleeve for a OG Lee Morgan.
Kinda nervous with international orders. Is my record going to be sitting on the bottom on the flight. Are they going to package this properly. It’s Milton’s Clube Da Esquina not an original but still.
I have a 1st German pressing (the best one IMO) of Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures and the seller sent it perfectly, including reinforced plastic corners in the mailing. I think the only way to buy on discogs from non-US sellers is to enter a dialogue with them to ensure they know how to pack properly, and to get a feel for them so I know they want to pack properly because they understand the major variables! This additional inconvenience is why I also don’t buy big audio components from out of LA. It can certainly be done (I shipped a preamp to Seattle and did it properly for $50 extra in shipping supplies) but I prefer to avoid the whole rigamarole.
I have in my possession a copy of the The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Astronomy (1977 Edition), which contains the source graphic from which that iconic Peter Saville design came to be…
We like our very under the radar, Club 1881 in Pasadena bordering on Altadena. It’s an unsuspecting dive sharing a parking lot with Stater Bros. Tiny; open the front door and you might hit the guitarist in the elbow. Solid bartender. $10 cover, two drink minimum.
Altadena is very musician heavy. So not a surprised at all. Many spent their younger years doing the NELA musician thing than moving out to Altadena. Jazz musicians include legends Bennie Maupin and Stanley Clarke. Hip hop legend Madlib also calls Altadena home. Jeff Parker also lives in Altadena
I bought a vintage tascam mixer and a tape machine from the curator of Ark gallery in Altadena and she had Joe come and be her negotiator and make sure if I found any issues I was being totally honest. I also almost bought a jazzmaster off him but the neck radius really wasn’t my style, I did get to see his space though! Great dude.
In the 90s, there was a super fun jazz crawl, put together by the jazz radio station 88.1 (then called KLON, I think). The shuttle stopped at 10 or 12 jazz clubs from like 6pm to about 1am. We would start at the closest club and then just shuttle from club to club.
I remember starting at Bob Burns in Santa Monica, heading to a club in Century City, then to Micelli’s, the Baked Potato (we’d eat at one or two along the way, not just drink), a couple clubs were in Burbank and a couple in Crenshaw. There were two or three circuits to choose from, with Micelli’s being the center to offshoot anywhere.
So many jazz clubs back then and boy, do I miss Bob Burns. The best Caesar Salad, the best steak and potatoes and a perfect martini - super old school with blind Smitty at the piano bar, with his all-star (famous in their own right) trio.
I did a few of those. Went to The Mint. Also Lunaria to see friends play. Got annoyed at Jazz Bakery but saw Mose Allison and McCoy Tyner there as well as many others. (on different nights.)
