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Last Friday night David and I, with our friend Kate, paid my last visit for the season to the Lake Shore Cafe and JJ and the Jazz Masters. This group is a sensational mix of virtuosic Jazz performers.
JJ, at age 85, is the percussionist and has still got it! Gina Gibson is the excellent vocalist who can ad lib with the best of them.
Kobi Knight is the extraordinary vibes player, a true genius at the instrument. Bernard Scavello is the sax player who can riff with the best.
Dave Drazin the pianist and Dan McNaughton, bass player are equally good.
I got my first taste of Dixieland Jazz or 'Two-Beat' at Nick's in the Village in the 1950's. An odd taste, you may say, for a classical musician, but the improvisation that is the essence of 'Two-Beat' is right up there with ornamentation in Bach.
A week or so earlier we were at the Lake Shore to celebrate my birthday and Gina serenaded me with 'Happy Birthday'. The last time I had a Dixieland 'Happy Birthday' was at Nick's when I was 21! Long time ago
Yesterday I flew back to Rood Hill Farm from Chicago. It's been a busy winter there with some time in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado.
As I approached the barrier where you get zapped for bombs, etc., the man said 'Shoes!', pointing to my feet. I said 'I'm 87 years old'. He generously said 'You look 57', but let me through.
Thank was a nice farwell to Chicago until next fall!
Tonight David and I had dinner at one of our favorite places in Hyde Park, The Lake Shore Cafe, just off Lake Shore Drive.
In addition to a great open buffet, complete with a large salad bar and lots of desserts, they offer Dixieland Jazz.
We've been there several times. The band is JJ and the Jazz Masters. JJ is 84 years old and plays the drums. It's great to watch him smiling as he drums away. There is also a Sax player, a bass, a pianist and a terrific Vibraphone player. Tonight we also had Gina Gibson, a very good jazz singer.
My friend from years ago, Rita Avram, used to call this kind of jazz 'two-beat', which it really is. These guys know how to improvise around any tune and Gina can match them with her vocal ad libs.
In 1950, when John and I were first in New York City, we used to go down to Nick's in Sheridan Square to hear Phil Napoleon and his band. One time, on my 21st birthday, one of our friends got them to play Happy Birthday to me in two-beat. It was a great night.
So was tonight. We'll go again, I'm sure.
