KELSEYVILLE >> The joint was jumpin” Saturday night at Pop”s Place for jazz when “The World Jazz Project” broke out the classics of mighty bluesmen Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and a whole lot more for 25 enthusiastic jazz fans who clapped and danced for three snazzy hours.
The intimate club is nestled inside The Live Oak Grill Restaurant and is the brainchild of the restaurant”s owner, Dennis “Pop” Booth, and best friend, Dennis “Doc” Bilardi along with Pop”s wife, Feather Booth.
By day, the caf? is popular with the “in crowd” for its fresh country breakfasts and hungry man lunches, but one glorious night a month, the 13-by-20-foot, black-walled, hideaway in the back of the restaurant is thrown open for its ticket holding music lovers who crowd the cocktail tables and order up wine and beer, chat and smile at the lava lamp and tiny strobe lights d?cor.
Pop opened the evening with his own applause for the audience, “Thank you, thank you all, for coming. This has always been my dream. To have a music club that people felt like they were coming to a party.”
This night showcased Jim Leonardis on saxophone and clarinet, Paul Kemp on keyboards, David Ferrero on bass guitar, Lyn Clark on drums and delightful jazz singer Machiko Shamada, who brought the audience to cheers with her sassy deliverance of, “Is You Is or Is You Ain”t My Baby?”
Another standout performance was “Angel Eyes” the wrenching song of love lost, composed by Matt Dennis in 1946 with lyrics by Earl Brent. Leonardis” sad, sweet rendering brought it to life and Kemp”s mastery of the keyboards invoked the suffering of the words.
Clark”s joyful, authoritative delivery of “Route 66,” seasoned with a good dose of hip from Ferrero”s bass, brought many to the tiny dance floor, one couple tripped but were quickly helped up, as we all sang along with Clark … Flagstaff, Arizona, … Winona, Kingman, Barstow and San Bernardino.”
It was an amazing night.
The restaurant is located at 5570 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.
