Nice night for it...
I've been meaning to catch one of Gaucho's gigs for a while now, and a series of fortunate events finally led me to a stool at the bar inside dimly chandelier lit, rouge schemed, romantic yet rough speakeasy-esque hideaway hole in the wall Amnesia on a balmy clear night, nursing a pint of dark and deliciously bitter Oatmeal stout (my head and liver parts were still recuperating from the previous evening's sake induced gaiety) amidst the tatooed/skateboard-toting/artists/writers/bohemian/non-conformist set. It's nice to know $3 local microbrew or Belgian beers are still to be had in this town of $12 cocktails. There's no cover to catch Gaucho, but they will take tips in a little tin pan that gets passed around after each set.
Gaucho is a gypsy jazz quartet, two dudes on guitar, one on accordion (who looks like a combination of (a younger) Woody Allen and Elvis Costello, with the intense glare of Rasputin in musical ecstasy), one on stand-up base, and for last night, special guest guy on drums (though he is more like a 3 man band himself, playing all manner of percussive instruments, including cowbells, washboard, his cheeks, and every so often his own feet to dampen and deepen the sound of the drums). I think I had one of the best seats in the house, I situated myself right near the drummer/face specialist, who was a show unto himself. During the second set, they were joined for a couple of songs by a bespectacled cap-wearing beatnik lookin' gent on trombone. Tunes they played ranged from classic toe tappin' hip swayin' swing standards, to the haunting and simply sublime Nuages, to their own rendition of The Tornadoes' "Bustin' Surfboards" (imagine if you can, instead of an electric guitar solo, you have the accordion. most excellent!)
I walked the 10 blocks home, unable to stick around for the Mitch Marcus Session following (maybe next week), the sound of my footsteps my sole companion (if you will), the moon against a clear deep blue night lighting my way. The breeze was gentle and warm. The city was quiet. The sweet song of those crazy guitars and past conversations reverberated in my head.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing"
It was a nice night for a stroll.
If you like the music of Django Reinhardt, if you like guitars and accordions and washboards, you would definitely enjoy Gaucho.
Quotes of the evening:
I ran into PT, whom I have not seen in a year, as he was walking his girls Zoe and Xena on their way to the drycleaners, and he said to me -
"We choose the flavors we want to savor and fill our lives with..."
Bathroom stall wisdom -
"The quality of our life depends on the focus of our attention"
*****
Moonlit Valencia Street Jam of the Day:
"For Sephora" - Gaucho
Gaucho is a gypsy jazz quartet, two dudes on guitar, one on accordion (who looks like a combination of (a younger) Woody Allen and Elvis Costello, with the intense glare of Rasputin in musical ecstasy), one on stand-up base, and for last night, special guest guy on drums (though he is more like a 3 man band himself, playing all manner of percussive instruments, including cowbells, washboard, his cheeks, and every so often his own feet to dampen and deepen the sound of the drums). I think I had one of the best seats in the house, I situated myself right near the drummer/face specialist, who was a show unto himself. During the second set, they were joined for a couple of songs by a bespectacled cap-wearing beatnik lookin' gent on trombone. Tunes they played ranged from classic toe tappin' hip swayin' swing standards, to the haunting and simply sublime Nuages, to their own rendition of The Tornadoes' "Bustin' Surfboards" (imagine if you can, instead of an electric guitar solo, you have the accordion. most excellent!)
I walked the 10 blocks home, unable to stick around for the Mitch Marcus Session following (maybe next week), the sound of my footsteps my sole companion (if you will), the moon against a clear deep blue night lighting my way. The breeze was gentle and warm. The city was quiet. The sweet song of those crazy guitars and past conversations reverberated in my head.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing"
It was a nice night for a stroll.
If you like the music of Django Reinhardt, if you like guitars and accordions and washboards, you would definitely enjoy Gaucho.
Quotes of the evening:
I ran into PT, whom I have not seen in a year, as he was walking his girls Zoe and Xena on their way to the drycleaners, and he said to me -
"We choose the flavors we want to savor and fill our lives with..."
Bathroom stall wisdom -
"The quality of our life depends on the focus of our attention"
*****
Moonlit Valencia Street Jam of the Day:
"For Sephora" - Gaucho
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