By Donald True Van Deusen
Zanzibar Blue, Broad & Walnut Streets, Philadelphia, (215-732-4500) turned
itself into a recording studio January 18 and 19th with the appearance of
noted bassist-composer Charles Fambrough and his Afro-Cuban-Funk Jazz
treatments for the club's first CD under its own label. Tickets are $20,
sets at 9 and 11 p.m. and patrons become part of Zanzibar's new venture as a
CD record producer being added to its role as the city's most sophisticated
jazz club and restaurant. Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer gave the restaurant
a very good review.
At the other end of the jazz spectrum, big band jazz is being kept
excitingly alive in Philadelphia with The Phil Giordano Jazz Orchestra at
Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street (215-568-3131) every Monday night and
The Brian Pastor Big Band (215-969-1958) at Casino Deli, 2425 Welsh Road in
Northeast Philadelphia two Tuesdays a month (next date-January 29) for just a
$5 admission. The Giordano sets go from 8 to 11:30 p.m. and Pastor sessions
from 8 to 11 p.m.
Giordano's 16-piece group can blow you out the door at Chris' with the
joy of jazz. He has worked with Mel Lewis, a friend and mentor, and played
drums for the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Sammy Kay Orchestra and Pat Martino.
The Giordano Orchestra features some of the best local jazz performers such
as Dale DeVoe, trombone; Tony DeSantis, trumpet; Craig Thomas, bass and Bob
Howell, tenor sax.
Pastor, a fine trombonist and not bad jazz vocalist, has worked with some
of the best big bands and backed up such performers as Tony Bennett and
Cleo Laine. His 17-piece dynamite group has been giving off sparks for nearly
a decade. He was presented with an award at Penn's Landing in 2000 by City
Councilman Thatcher Longstreth. His distinctive band brings new life to old
jazz standards such as "Thing's Aint What They Used to Be" and classics such
as Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man."
