Mission Mission

Tamar Korn from NY is singing with Gaucho tonight at Amnesia, 8-10pm. She rules. It’s like someone with a time machine (perhaps this guy) plucked her right out of the 1930s. Here’s a clip:

Get there early to avoid the shit-show it usually becomes by around 9pm.

Traditional jazz outfit Gaucho has been holding down the Wednesday 8-10pm slot at Amnesia for over 7 years. That has got to be one of the longest-running gigs in the Mission, right? Their new album “Pearl” was released today by the Mission’s own Porto Franco Records.

The record was recorded in Amnesia early this year while the bar was closed during the day. I was fortunate enough to sit in on those sessions while munching on my first ever Rhea’s sandwiches and it was a real treat. “Pearl” is almost entirely original compositions by guitarist and band leader Dave Ricketts that feel right at home with classic trad jazz standards.

A few songs feature vocalist Tamar Korn who they met last year on tour in NYC. Her amazing falsetto voice makes me feel like I’ve travelled back to a time where “dudes” where “fellas” and “fixies” were “penny-farthings“. Here she is singing a song about Dave’s cat:

You buy the record (CD or download) and check out some free tracks at Gaucho’s web site.

[photo by Brenda Ernst]

You all love the French, right? After all, this is San Francisco and I’d like to think we are Paris’ equally smug North American sister city. The best way for you to celebrate Bastille Day is to head over to Amnesia to see the always swingin’ gypsy jazz band Gaucho from 8-10pm.

There will be drinks, Charleston dancing, an accordion, authentic 30′s French jazz, and a REAL beheading. I’m not even joking. I was put in charge of constructing the guillotine.

Update:

Shameless tells us of more Bastille Day awesomeness:

There is also a Mods v Rockers Bastille day celebration at the Make Out Room. Supposed to be French guest DJ’s and dancing. It starts around 10 so fun neighborhood times to be had.

And Heather says this is going on at the Rickshaw Stop:

Don’t forget Bardot A Go Go! http://www.myspace.com/bardotagogo

Norma Miller speaking at Savannah Jazz Club 2/10/10

This is pretty rad. 90-year-old Norma Miller (aka “the Queen of Swing”) is a pioneer and creator of the Lindy Hop, by far the most popular form of swing dance today. She was featured in movies such as 1941′s “Hellzapoppin” (proving that “hella” was used, in a more primitive form, 70 years ago), and also worked with a lot of the big names back in the day. You know, like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson… no big deal.

She used to hang at the Savoy in Harlem during it’s prime, the site of some of the first integrated music/dance events in American history.

Last night local dance promoter Chris Lee showed her around the mission, starting at Amnesia, where traditional jazz outfit Gaucho plays every week, then to Savannah Jazz Club on Mission and 25th, where she did a guest lecture.

My buddy Nathan A. had the scoop:

When they introduced her, she bounced up on the stage with more spring in her step than a woman less than half her age. I couldn’t get over how sharp she was – how animated. She had mind like a steel trap! She had us all on the edge of our seats while recalling the “good old days”. She told us how moved she was to see all these young people carrying on the the original American dance form – and a tradition she helped establish. She was hilarious, crude, and sentimental. She worked with Red Fox, Richard Pryor, and Bill Cosby doing a bit of comedy after her legs started to give out eventually.

Check out this clip of her with Frankie Manning (RIP) tearing it up… WILD!

Mission swing dance promoter Christopher Lee posted this great video of the local Gypsy Jazz group Gaucho playing at Tartine Bakery last night. Bet you didn’t know they have live music, right? Gaucho has been playing there 1st and 3rd Thursdays from 6-8pm for years. In the evening, the line isn’t so bad when people aren’t fighting over that morning bun.

In this video they are joined by a visiting NYC singer, Tamar Korn. She does that awesome 30s “operatic jazz singer” thing that is so rare these days. The tune is Honeysuckle Rose by Fats Waller. Have you listened to the lyrics to this song? It’s filthy.

Gaucho bandleader, Tom Cruise impersonator, and my upstairs neighbor Dave Ricketts (hey have you seen his guitar?) will be teaching an 8-week Gypsy Jazz guitar course at the new mission music school Zambaleta in January. You’ve probably seen Gaucho rockin’ those Django Reinhardt hits every Wednesday 8-10pm for the past 6 years (!) at Amnesia.

This class begins January 5, 2010 and meets every Wednesday at 1pm for 8 weeks for $150. Join this gypsy jazz guitar class to learn this distinct style. Learn the ‘la pompe’ strumming style and percussive playing techniques for rhythm guitar. Then switch gears to develop lead guitar skills. For this function, you will work on soloing using chromaticism, arpeggios, and glissandos. A guitar is required for this class.

After this class, you will play circles around that weird rocker dude in the mission. I occasionally play this stuff and I can confirm that it gets the ladies attention. Granted they are mostly senior citizens who want to feel how firm my arms are.

Django did all this with two fingers, by the way:

If that’s not your style, there are a ton of other classes being offered at Zambaleta, including Arab Oud. Not as cool as the Ultra Oud-Harptar, but halfway there!

Conrad sends in a link to a post on Djangology.net.  It seems Gaucho guitarist Dave Ricketts’ axe was stolen from Amnesia the night of September 30th.

Gumshoe that I am, I took to the case immediately by contacting my awesome friend Vic (LADIES: HE’S SINGLE!), who often sits in with the gypsy jazz band.  He sent in the above image, and the following:

It’s a dell arte “minor swing” model guitar. Note the pick wear right below the strings by the bridge and the Gaucho sticker on the cutaway. These sorts of guitars are pretty distinctive so it should be easy to spot if it pops up somewhere.

 

More details: it was stolen out of the back room at amnesia sometime after Gaucho finished their set at 10pm at Sep 30. It was in a blue Alpine brand gig bag.

Thanks Kat… some might call you a hero…

Oh, whoops, totally didn’t mean to include that last sentence.

Send any clues this way!  Rumor has it Dave Ricketts has found a suitable replacement, but I’m sure he’d appreciate getting his old guit-box back.

Related: if you ever have  a chance to make it to Amnesia Wednesday for gyspy jazz night, prepare to shit your pants over its novelty.  A scene like no other.  Whew.  I recommend it.