Thursday, January 28, 2010

Just Thursday. Just Hangin.

Just Dave.



Dave Bernal.
A harmonica.
A Heineken.
A cigarette.
A snort of whisky.
A D-tuned Taylor.
A Vibra-slap™ dangling from a mic stand.
Johnny Stachela on lead guitar.
A haiku (or two).
Hangin'.
That's the scene tonight down here on 4th St.

Also hangin' - Guy, Josef, Candise, Pete Antunes, Melinda, Dave and Cevin.


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Location:4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Ryan Cross : Cat In The Hat

Ryan Cross knows soul. And he knows funk. He knows jazz. And he knows a lot of people - many of which play their musical instruments with such finesse and grace that they have made their way in the world as troubadors.

Tonight the stage is blessed with several of them. Kenny Crouch on keys. The dude simply dazzles his way across, up and down the black and whites, coaxing notes out of that thing that it may not have known it was capable of playing.

Ryan Cross

Kenny Crouch

R.C. and violinist Lea.

Also in the house: Jacob Lutrell, Zane Musa, Urie Norris, Colin Gordon and drummer Cedric Anderson.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:1432 4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Monday, January 25, 2010

Down to it. Monday. It ain't so bad.

Yeah yeah yeah.
I don't like Mondays. No one does. But here we are. Another one.
I have one close friend that I simply never contact on a Monday. She just isn't down. It's a civil enough request.

So unless a major celebrity dies or someone we both know is on TV, we're mute for the day. Tonight, she unexpectedly invited me to the movies.
It was fun.
But I'm here now.
And damn happy.
The bar is crowded.
I hear female laughter.
There is dancing.

Kirk Fletcher's band is onstage.

Travis Carlton on bass. Paulie Cera on sax and singing the blues. Josh Smith on guitar and legendary skinsman James Gadson keeping watch over the funk. Sir Harry Bowen is here and singing sweet soul (the way he does).

It's not complicated.
No need to overthink it. It's only Monday.


J-dizzle in the hizzle.




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Friday, January 15, 2010

HOV : Lock Sh•t Down

This Is Chali 2na:

It's Thursday.
Actually Friday.
Aka "The funkiest day of the week".

Above - HOV Mastermind Brew

But for now it's a Thursday night
And the second of a two night stint featuring the House Of Vibe with the great Chali 2na (and brother/hype man Laid Law).

Above -that's Laid Law

DJ X-man is spinning old skool and club cuts and the packed joint is waiting for Chali to hit the stage.


T-Smidi is here, plus the regular collection of HOV celebrity fans, singer CJ Emmons, superstar bassist/producer Colin Wolfe, bassist Walter Allmon of Audible Mainframe, singer Raphael aka Tweet, saw Sirus from The Real World & drummer Fish from Fishbone.

Funky Friday.

Pete Antoooons (Antunes) on drums!!!


-------------------------
Tomorrow night blues legend Terry Evans will be ushering in the weekend proper.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:1432 4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Ain't We Funkin' Now

Ryan Cross' Soul Funk.
Soul, acid jazz, secular blues, hard bop and fusion. All live, all musicians unrehersed jamming into another fabulous Tuesday night heading into Wednesday morning.

All that and DJ Vicious Lee on the 1s and 2s.




Very excited to see Kamasi Washington sitting in on sax,
Cedric Anderson on drums and the return of guitarist Matt Roberts.

SoulFunk. Every Tuesday night.










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Location:4th Ave,Santa Monica,United States

Monday, January 4, 2010

Where's Captain Kirk?


Indeed, even as the marquee says Kirk Fletcher, the band was without their leader. The rest of the dudes are here; Luke Miller on keys, Bobby Tsukomoto on bass, Paulie Cerra on sax and vocals and of course, legendary drummer James Gadson (google him).




The house is packed tonight with Harvelle's royalty. Sir Harry Bowen is owning the dancefloor, while Miss Willie Brown's Amanda and Kasey, along
with guitar hero Sam Meek and bassist Brian Allen are here to support their bandmate Luke.Toledo Diamond is at the bar chillin, and on his way out, as I was coming in, was Toledo Show bassist Spoonie.


Josh Smith is standing in for Kirk tonight and he's rocking it.



Also sitting in is the incredible bassist Travis Carlton (again, google).

Toledo (above)

Amanda (above)

Closing the first set with the theme from Sanford and Son, they helped this poor scribe to have a less unpleasant "first Monday" of the new decade.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4th St,Santa Monica,United States

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Toledo Show for life!!




Here it is !!!
The first Toledo Show of the new year/decade. And in fine form they are.


The Dames are gyrating and spinnning, the band is in full force, Shamari is dressed to kill and the evenings just begun.


You can still make it down to Harvelle's. What else are you gonna do? Go to bed so you can wake up early?

Come get a handstamp and a cocktail.