December 3rd, 2007
Odds & Ends: 12/03/07
Two pieces in the New York Times caught my eye over the weekend, reminding me that I really need to spend more time reading the newspaper…
Feelin’ the Spirit
Samuel G. Freedman has written a nice profile of San Francisco’s St. John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, which for those who don’t know is a real honest to goodness place for worshipping God, not a gimmick or a bunch of cranks. The idea, as I understand it, is simply that God literally speaks through music, especially music as intense, passionate and devout as Coltrane’s later work, making the saxophonist a bona-fide prophet and saint. Anyway, the article quickly summarizes the church’s history, good works and theology. I must admit that in all the time I’ve lived out here I’ve never paid these guys a visit—it must be my aversion to churches in general. But every time I read an article like this or see film of the place, it makes me want to go.
- “Sunday Religion, Inspired by Saturday Nights” (NYT, Dec 1, 2007)
Bootstrap Economics
Malawi, a rather obscure nation in Southern Africa, is the sort of place that only makes the news in America when there’s a famine or when a celebrity wants to adopt an orphan. But now there’s some good news for a change. The Times’ Celia W. Dugger reports that after a devastating food crisis in 2005, the country has turned itself around and is even feeding its neighbors. They did it by ignoring the “expert” advice of the World Bank, Britain and the United States, who told Malawi to abandon fertlizer subsidies (and with them any chance of self-sufficient farming). Instead, Malawi was pressured to follow a free-trade approach that would have left it perpetually on the knife’s edge. This is a fascinating and inspiring story of a nation rejecting the old, failed models of aid and lifting itself up by deciding “to follow what the West practiced, not what it preached.”
- “Ending Famine, Simply by Ignoring the Experts” (NYT, Dec 2, 2007)
Happy reading!
November 29th, 2007
Yoshi’s Opens with a Bang
I (and about 800 others) attended the public opening of the new Yoshi’s in San Francisco’s Fillmore district last night, and I must say the place completely lives up to the hype. I’m actually covering the club’s opening for an upcoming issue of Down Beat magazine, so I can’t go into too much, but here are some personal impressions:
First and foremost, the building is spectacular. Although not quite complete as of opening night, with the restaurant opening on December 1 and much of the lobby area still a work in progress, the space is vast and elegant. It reflects the sense of the Jack London Square location but expands on it exponentially: bigger, brighter, better, more modern. The only thing I can really compare it to is Jazz at Lincoln Center, in terms of elegance and modernism.
I had parked in the building’s on-site garage, a public facility that, in typical San Francisco fashion, was tight and tricky to navigate. Taxi or public transit might be a better bet, especially given the $12 flat rate for evening parking and lack of spaces on the nearby streets.
There are several lounge/bar areas off the lobby, each with its own spin on the atmosphere. One lounge in the mezzanine looks out over the restaurant and features a video monitor of the stage. Another is light and airy with raised tables and tall chairs. I took a peek at the restaurant, which is spacious and full of clean lines. The kitchen (actually three separate kitchens!) is open to the dining area—it’s so huge and well-apportioned, I can see why they’d want to show it off. There were a lot of staff around, most of whom seemed genuinely friendly and happy to help.
Which brings me to the music venue itself, which was also a knockout despite some opening-night growing pains. Getting in was a problem. In addition to a very late start (the second set, scheduled for 10:00, actually kicked off at about 10:45), the lines were a confused jumble at first, with will call, restrooms and the club entrance all directly adjacent to each other. Inside, the floor was jam-packed with people, tables and chairs. The seats are larger and much more comfortable than in Oakland, but also crammed into each other in a way that makes seating (and serving) a real challenge. I saw several near-collisions between wait staff, and it took an awfully long time to get a drink order in, but I imagine they’ll get it all down to a science pretty soon.
From my banquette seat, halfway back on the main floor, the room somehow seemed both cavernous and cozy—the ceiling is dazzlingly high, but no seat is more than a stone’s throw from the stage (no, I did not test this). I doubt if there’s a bad sightline in the house—I could see the artists just fine despite sitting behind someone taller than myself.
Roy Haynes led an all-star band through a fun, freewheeling set that went well past midnight. The band—which included Ravi Coltrane, Gary Burton, Kenny Garrett, Nicholas Payton, David Kikoski and John Patitucci—took its time with each tune, playing with swing and polish. The sound system was remarkably transparent. Mid-set, Haynes stopped the proceedings for about 20 minutes while he and his bandmates each took time to speak about the club and the joy of working together. Haynes also took the opportunity to rib the club for the previous night’s performance, an invitation-only gala for the local swells. “I had to put up with mayors and all that political shit,” he said. “But now I get to play for you [jazz fans].” And the fans got to hear a worthy performance on a grand evening.
November 27th, 2007
J.C. Penney’s 1975: Fur, Guns and Scary Underwear
Continuing our recent obsession with that wasteland of bad taste that was the 1970s, Decca just tipped me off to this great stroll through the J.C. Penney’s catalog, circa 1975, courtesy of Jancee Dunn. Hold on to your hats!
Man, I gotta get me some of that stuff. Especially the “Superfly” clothes…
November 22nd, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’ve never been a big fan of Thanksgiving. Sure, there’s a feast and happy thoughts and all that stuff, but in the end you spend all day sitting around waiting for one huge meal, trying to make small talk with boring relatives, pretending the Detroit Lions make for entertaining football and gritting your teeth through that gawdawful musical extravaganza/network promo that is the Macy’s parade.
And what about that feast? OK, I can’t complain about a nice roast turkey or hot stuffing, but anything beyond that can be pretty hit-or-miss depending on the household. Because that’s when some people start to cut corners and get wacky. Canned cranberry sauce instead of fresh (berries should never look like sliced beets). Marshmallows in the yams (shudder). Overcooked, limp vegetables. And oddball side dishes like corn casserole in sour cream, “canteloupe surprise” and “Aunt Marge’s Special Pie”—you know the one.
I hope you don’t have that kind of Thanksgiving. But in honor of those brave people who must face awful meals tonight (and we… er… you know who you are), let us take a moment to peruse Candyboots‘ collection of Weight Watchers Recipe Cards from 1974.
Have a good one, and don’t forget to help feed the hungry this season.
November 17th, 2007
“Patato” Valdes hospitalized
Best wishes to legendary percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdés, who is currently recovering at a Cleveland-area hospital following the onset of a serious respiratory ailment. Patato was on his way back to New York from San Francisco, where he had just played the SF Jazz Festival as part of a special “Conga Kings” concert, when the respiratory attack forced a diversion of his flight home.
Arturo Gomez, music director at KUVO-FM in Denver, reports that the 81-year-old conguero is doing well ("alert and already ‘fooling around’ with the nurses,” he says) and is receiving regular visits from members of the local jazz and latin music communities. Patato, a lifelong smoker, is expected to recover but will likely require further medical treatment once he returns home, according to Gomez.
Get well soon, Patato!
[UPDATE, 11/21: Here’s some more information from New York Post blogger Javier L. Orellana, including a response to some ugly rumors about Patato’s condition.]
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