Tuesday was a busy day. Billy rehearsed the West Coast Two Bass Band at the musicians’ union in LA. It was my first time at the LA union. Unlike the NY local, the pianos are all in very good condition. Billy composed and arranged a piece for piano plus Two Bass Band. So I rehearsed with them, and then went to get a coffee after taking some pictures of Billy conducting the other pieces.
After the rehearsal, Billy, Ratzo and I drove down to San Diego, where we played at Dizzy’s. Dizzy’s is a performance space in downtown San Diego primarily featuring jazz. It’s owned by singer/songwriter Chuck Perrin.
(When I first played there, about four or five years ago wth Virginia Mayhew’s group, it was a very desolate part of town, a few blocks from the gaslamp district. Now the area has been built up. I pulled up to discover that the new Padres stadium, Petco Park (yucky name – maybe they should change “Dizzy’s” to “Dizzy’s Coca Cola – ” oops, never mind.) has been built right across the street from the venue. Owner Chuck Perrin, who has done an amazing job of creating a space where the music is foremost, says he does not hold concerts on nights when there are events at the stadium. In fact, the traffic is so bad he avoids the area all together. Looking at this behemoth, I can’t imagine how disastrous something like that will be if it gets built in downtown Brooklyn, as Bruce Ratner is now trying to do. Of course let’s not forget all those great jobs selling hot dogs that will be created.)
I love playing Dizzy’s because the audience is so appreciative, they have a very nice Baldwin grand, and a good PA. Because it not a bar or club, there are no clanging cash registers or phones ringing while you are performing.
After the gig we went to the City Deli with some friends of Billy’s that he hadn’t seen in years, singer Coral MacFarland Thuet and her husband Max Thuet. Billy ordered a vanilla malted and it was fantastic.
