Musical Locavore
The local jazz scene sometimes struggles. Not too many places have been booking straight-ahead and guitar jazz (not that that’s a new thing), but there are still some strongholds. Libation, the wine bar on the Arcata Plaza, has jazz of one sort or another pretty much every Friday and Saturday. It’s not really the ideal place to hear jazz — it’s a wine shop not a music venue, and the stools lined up at the bar face the plaza, not the music — but they consistently book good players, there’s usually no cover, and, face it, sometimes you have to take what you get. (Plus they have great wine and imported beers you won’t find elsewhere.) This weekend they have Blue Lotus Trio on Friday with the first-rate guitarist Dave Wilson and his wife Nalini Cogswell plus bassist Shao Way Wu. Saturday it’s the Ali Chaudhary Jazz Duo with another fine guitarist, and one local bassist or another.
The Morris Graves Museum, a space more conducive to contemplative listening, has something they call the Third Sunday Jazz Jam in the rotunda once a month. The shows typically start off with an hour or so with the host musicians on their own, then following a break, there’s an open jam with a wide range of players including a few skilled regulars. I’ll be there this Sunday when a couple of old friends are the hosts: Pianist Darius Brotman loves the baby grand at the Graves and his playing is extremely high level (I’ll freely admit that I’m prejudiced). He’s been playing with guitarist Duncan Burgess for decades and when they’re on, they’re truly simpatico. Great music, and it’s local as can be.
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