Soul Sauce: l-r shown – Pablo Calagero, Ross Schodek,Peter Burke, Bryan Valasco, Rafael Feliciano, Don Littleton, Andrew Acosta
It’s not everyday you can jump in your car and drive to a spot, then wind up in the middle of the 1960s jazz scene Los Angeles. Back then you could still catch great latin jazz bands coming through like Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria or Tito Puente. Well.. maybe I didn’t wind up in the middle of the 1960s, BUT, I had the next best thing..I drove to Roscoe’s Seabird Lounge in Long Beach where I was able to experience the Cal Tjader legacy band, Soul Sauce.Right now this group of heady musicians are keeping the Latin Jazz legacy alive with a “no-nonsense” or frilly over-produced electronic sound presentation..Working directly with the Cal Tjader songbook, Soul Sauce is conjuring up the hey-days of the Hollywood Palladium or the Lighthouse jazz cafe in the early to late 1960s. Toss in a large group of fun people who love old school latin dancing of Cha-Cha-Cha, Mambos and Boleros. It’s a great recipe for a fun-filled evening, complete with all the appropriate cocktails.(try the Golden Cadillac Margaritas)
I first saw the group at the LA County Art Museum with special guest saxophonist, Justo Almario. Group spokesman, Don Littleton told me, the group had not played the club for a couple of years or so, “I thought it would be a great spot to come in on Sunday afternoons from 5-9pm, a perfect time for “Angelenos” looking for a place that’s fun, has live music and, you can dance to it.”
Members in the Band are Peter Burke Vibes, Bass Ross Schodek, Rafael Feliciano on Timbales/Conga, Bryan Valasco Piano/Keyboards, Don Littleton on Trap Drums, Conga, Bongos & Timbales. Special Guest players, Pablo Calogero Sax/Flute and Andrew Acosta – Conga, assorted Percussion.
Band spokesman, Don Littleton Congo solo out front with Andrew Acosta in background
Currently the Soul Sauce Band is playing on Sundays afternoons at 5pm until 9pm at Roscoe’s Seabird Lounge 730 E Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 522-8488 Call for the performance schedules or go to website~ http://www.seabirdloungelbc.com
file photo by Robert Carmack Patrice Rushen & Carmen Lundy shown at Ford Theater Hollywood
Once in a lunar eclipse weekend you might get some pretty good entertainment in selected spots around Los Angeles, but to get great jazz, that requires planning ahead and research. for the last 39 years , in an unlikely area of south central Los Angeles wedged between a Junior high school , railroad tracks, some proud residents, and a Los Angeles landmark , built by an immigrant, Simon Rhodia of concrete, steel and broken glass.
The Watts Towers Jazz Festival took its familiar bow September 26 & 27th . The festival features a “Day of the Drum“, with supporting activities of all cultures and ethnicities celebration of drums, throw in Jazz from around the world by local, regional and international musicians performing on a live stage that looked like a revival tent. This writer had planned in advance to get there in time to catch Carmen Lundy & Patrice Rushen performing as single acts , but also together as well.
carmen Lundy
Carmen took the stage with her own group featuring her iconic bassist and brother, Curtis Lundy. After a couple of hot jazz numbers , Carmen called up Patrice to sit in with her group on selections from her 14th new CD as a leader. Rushen was simply stellar in her improvisations on cuts like “Life is a Song in Me” and title track, “Soul to Soul”. In my humble opinion , this is Grammy material. grab a copy at your usual source for purchasing music online.
Patrice Rushen and Ndugu are both products of the Watts community ,while being alumni of Locke High school under the mentorship of musician /Educator Reggie Andrews. Patrice and Ndugu fronted an all-star band of Nedra Wheeler on Bass and Justo Almario on saxophone, Munyungo Jackson on percussion. In their set they chose to celebrate the genius of several iconic jazz masters, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Horace Silver, and a couple of others to the audience’s delight.
photo by Chuck Koton
Weekend’s events were beautifully MC’d by Jazz program host James Janisse, and Poet Laureate and Griot ,Kamau Daood.
Jazz drummer Fritz Wise, Poet/Jazz griot Kamau Daood with Music journalist Robert J. Carmack @ Watts Towers Jazz Festival photo by Joyce Wilsonhand made Quilt made by artist, Ramesses
DALE FIELDER with PAT SENATORE TRIO at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz
2930 N Beverly Glen Cir, Los Angeles, California 90077
The Players:Dale Fielder saxes, Tom Ranier, piano
Pat Senatore bass, Ramon Banda, drums
Check out some vintage Dale Fielder music
1993 Free Flow – Clarion Jazz
1994 Know Thyself – Clarion Jazz
1995 Dear Sir: Tribute to Wayne Shorter – Clarion Jazz
1996 Ocean of Love and Mercy: A Passion Suite-Cadence Jazz
2000 Romance Serenade – Blueport
2002 The Hipster -Clarion Jazz
2003 Howling Monk – Clarion Jazz
2004 Suite: Clarity – Clarion Jazz
2005 Baritone Sunride – Clarion Jazz
2007 Dale Fielder Quartet Plays the Music of Pepper Adams
Dream Dancing: Live A Divine Union-Clarion
Stellar Moments – Clarion
(click on the link above to access the radio program)
Radio programming produced and hosted by James Graves
McCoy Tyner with Robert J. Carmack
Robert J. Carmack Editor in Chief,Hipster Sanctuary.Com.
Robert grew up in Los Angeles (Watts & Compton) and has spent almost five decades in entertainment as musician, actor,producer ,writer and photo/journalist across many genres including Jazz, Soul/R&B and Blues. Co-founded The Paul Robeson Players, The Atlanta International Jazz Society, The SFBAAAM (San Francisco Bay-Area African American Musicians)works as publicist,promoter and producer for live concerts and awards shows.
An expert in Jazz & blues history, Robert studied Music, Communications and Theater Arts in college. He holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree from California State University Dominguez Hills. A passionate patron of Youth in the Fine Arts & Education.
This collects the photographs of legendary musician Les McCann; he documented the jazz scene and its players—Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Count Basie, and many others—from the inside, across several decades.
LES MCCANN PHOTOGRAPHY OF A LONG AND ECLECTIC CAREER IN MUSIC
Les McCann Documented Jazz History- “HE WAS THERE”
“His perfect marriage of church and swing captured the spirit of the times in the same way that Ray Charles’ mixture of gospel and blues heralded the arrival of soul.” Joel Dorn
Les McCann during his Les McCann LTD. days at Pacific Jazz Records
Dale Fielder Quartet and Robert J. Carmack set for Jazz Appreciation Month Celebration
“The stories DFQ tell through their instruments are like classic volumes in your personal library.” Robert J. Carmack Publisher/Editor Hipster Sanctuary
THE DALE FIELDER QUARTET & SPECIAL GUEST POET ROBERT J. CARMACK@ KINGSTON CAFE
333 FAIR OAKS Ave. Off DEL MAR Ave. PASADENA, CALIFSATURDAY APRIL 18 2015 7pm to 9pm $15 admission (at door only) Limited Seating
2015 is proving to be a very special year for both talents as The Dale Fielder Quartet is celebrating 20 years as a group together, virtually unheard of in today’s music business. Robert J. Carmack and Glenn Davis co-founded a jazz newsletter 17 years ago (The Hipster) as part of the Atlanta International Jazz Society,that’s now grown into a full blown music E-Zine dedicated to classic Jazz, Blues and Soul music. www.hipstersanctuary.com.
Both are Leos, Dale Fielder & Robert Carmack are longtime friends and artists in constant creative mode. Fielder is set to produce his 16th CD later in 2015. A release date has not been set yet. Carmack has written and is currently producing a unique musical revue set in the 1950s/60s Los Angeles, weaving a story around the music scene in Los Angeles, while paying homage to the music of Nellie Lutcher, T-Bone Walker,Ray Charles, Etta James, Bobby Blue Bland and Sarah Vaughn , including some Doo-Wop.
writer ,actor, musician and journalist Robert J. Carmack
“CHITLIN’ CIRCUIT” is debuting a Sneak Preview Summer 2015, as part of a Black Music Series produced by RJC Mediatainment & Hipster Sanctuary.Com. “I met Dale while hanging out at a very popular coffeehouse of the time, 5th Street Dick’s in Leimert Park. It was in early 1993 as the area was trying to get back on track after the riot in 1992 and an entire community of artist all came together inside a small area called Leimert Park (Village) a group of small business people, often marketing Afro-centric wares, and crafts. One was a former homeless person living on the streets of downtown Los Angeles, who parlayed his 12 step-recovery and saved enough money to open a Jazz coffee house, which he gave a willing Dale Fielder a spot hosting the jam sessions at midnight every weekend, while jazz flowed downstairs and out into the 43rd & Degnan’s sidewalks, the people came and came and, came including, the media cameras, movie celebrities and all the best young cats in jazz.” This all coincided with what was happening nationally with the Wynton Marsalis crowd and an upsurge in Jazz spots in L.A. once again because of three spots, Marla’s Memory lane, 5th Street Dick’s and Billy Higgins, master jazz drummer & Poet Kamau Daaood developing a performance gallery, the World Stage. Dale Fielder was at the forefront of all that. He went on to win the Jazz Discovery artist at TV network BET in 1995/96. By then, he had already produced two very solid CDs, including “Dear Sir” a moving tribute to Wayne Shorter’s music and was getting wide rotation and coverage on radio across the country. Fielder even had the blessings of Wayne Shorter himself as Dale performed songs from the newly released CD with the maestro himself in the house staying late and digging on the young saxophonist peppering the solos. Dale Fielder has been all around the world practically with either the Quartet, or Quintet. After 20 years, the passion has only gotten stronger with Dale, and his historic band of Pianist Jane Getz, Drummer Thomas White and Bassist, Bill “The Count” Markus. This band just knows how to squeeze every drop of soul power, passion and sometimes romance out of the notes. The stories they tell through their instruments are like classic volumes in your personal library.
Don’t miss out on celebrating 20 years of fun-filled excitement and adventure with the leader of the DFQ. Save the date April 18th 7pm to 9pm @ The Kingston Café Pasadena, California More Info: 951-840-7120
The Hipster Sanctuary E-Zine/Blog is focused primarily on UNSUNG artists of Jazz, Blues and Soul Genres. We’ll profile, explore, interview and publicize information to, commemorate, or uplift the legacy of these artists who gave it their all during their time in the public’s eye. “By Any Medium Necessary” From time to time, we may have special events recognizing these artists as groups, or individually honoring them. We will also include individuals who contributed to the innovations and quality of the music through Press,Radio and Film. Artists emerging or still performing on a high level will be acknowledged as well. We welcome ideas, suggestions,photos, and guest writers to participate as well. Contact Us: Email blues2jazz2003@yahoo.com
Robert J. Carmack , Editor/Photographer/Actor /Musician/Producer/Playwright/Promoter
Oh Yeah… Just One More Thing ! Robert grew up in Los Angeles (Watts & Compton) and has spent five decades in entertainment as musician, actor,producer,writer and photojournalist across many genres including Jazz, Soul/R&B and Blues. Co-founded,The Paul Robeson Players, The Atlanta International Jazz Society, The SFBAAAM (San Francisco Bay-Area African-American Musicians)worked as 1publicist ,promoter and producer for live concerts and awards shows.
An expert in Jazz & blues history, Robert studied Music, Communications and Theater Arts in college. He holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree from California State University Dominguez Hills and a Masters in Fine Arts from Columbia University. A passionate patron for youth in the Fine Arts & Education.
