Case Files: 0699-2

Case File: The After-Hours Club That Never Closed

Question

Mr. Vic,

Please help me—I beg of you. There was a famous jazz club in San Francisco; I'm pretty certain it was an after-hours or late hours club that is now defunct. Do you know its name?

—Evan Bennett

Answer

Evanesque,

Your folks named you after Bill Evans' son, Evan. Isn't that right? Thought so. I guess that makes this "A Letter To Evan."

I love Frisco. (Hey, relax, I only call it Frisco to vex the natives.) I love the Church of John Coltrane and the Tenderloin District in particular. I dig that grimy urban decadence, that low-living, pitching quarters with the hypes and cons. Most of these cats are smart enough to con Joe Six Pack (and Sally Punch Clock), but when they try ol' Vic out for size they lose their hot wheels and jacks—if ya know what I'm sayin.' Anyway, I had an office at Bush and Geary. Festive little place. Always had working girls leaning against the street post at 4:00 AM. Hired one... as a secretary (shhh... don't tell Lulu).

Jazz Clubs, Huh? There were plenty of them. But the one you might be thinkin' of is either The Blackhawk, where I caught Miles between his two great quintets, and the Keystone Corner, where I caught Art Pepper for the last time. Matter of fact, Art and I deshirted backstage and compared tatoos. He had this intricate dragon burned into his shoulder —I impressed him with my "Mommy" tatoo. Well, to make a long story short, these were groovin' places that roared. A ton of great music recorded at each place. Check out Dexter Gordon's Keystone sets.

Today, my dime is on Yoshi's, across the Bay in Oakland. Shirley Horn and Gene Harris tore up the joint the last time I was in town.

Cool Vic Tip

When at Yoshi's, be sure to tantalize your taste buds with Yoshi's "Tora, Tora" roll and the Unagi. They're dynamite! Lulu loves them with an ice-cold 18oz Sapporo.

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Case File: Chasing the Deep Blue Sea

Question

Hi Cool Vic,

I've been trying to locate this album for a long time... David Blamires, and the song's title goes something like this... "Deep Blue Sea...or ocean..."

Really appreciate it if you can direct me to where I can buy this...I guess it's been out of print, according to CDNow. I think this album came out in the early nineties...

-Rick, just a plain old dick

Answer

Plain old dick,

David Blamires is a vocalist who has recorded under his own name, but much more with other musicians. Dave and I go way back. Actually, I used to play little league ball with his old man. His Dad had this giant glove, played first base, and sucked balls outta the dust like a Hoover. Being a rangy shortstop with a "live arm," I must say, he bailed my butt out on more than one occasion. We both made it to the midget league all-star game and shared MVP honors leading our team (Upper Wilbury West) to a 6-4 victory. Okay, enough about midgets... back to the music... The only disc Lulu was able to find that remotely met your clues was keyboardist Paul Halley's Angel on a Stone Wall released on Living Music (CD 20, 1991), which is still in print. The song I think you are thinking of is "Sea Song." Anyway, that is as close as we could get.

If I'm not mistaken, it's just about time for my grilled cheese sandwich. Lulu is such a doll—every Friday she slips in a Jersey tomato just to keep things interesting.

Got a case that won't stay buried? Send it me.