Since our reservation for Wednesday evening was at a long-standing jazz institution in the West Village, Steve couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out the Guitar Center on W 14th Street. Cabs were at a premium at rush hour, but the Hilton’s bellman found us a limo (town car) that would take the fare, and he deposited us at the Guitar Center’s door, where the front window was filled with The Ramones road boxes and Marky Ramone’s drum kit. So we wandered in the land of new and used guitars, amps, pedals, and other various and sundry musical paraphernalia that makes LOTS OF NOISE. Steve looks the part, but I always feel like somebody’s mum in these places. My rock chick days are long gone… But I fit right in at a jazz club!
As we walked the 11 blocks down 5th Avenue I showed Steve my old NYU dorm from my summer at Parson’s in 1974, and we happened upon the Washington Square Association’s tree lighting and carol singing. And thanks to Barbra Streisand I know all the words to every verse of Jingle Bells. Upsot?? Listen to her version; it’s hysterical.
We made our way to The Blue Note, where we had reservations for the 8PM show and planned to have dinner there beforehand. The Blue Note is a tiny club, and they pack the crowd in like sardines. A table for 8 will have four couples who don’t know each other but are about to be very well acquainted. We had a little elbow room until just before the show, so having dinner wasn’t a challenge. Jazz clubs are usually not known for the food, so we didn’t have really high aspirations. We were pleasantly surprised. We split a Caesar salad, and as a Caesar salad snob I’d say this one was OK but not outstanding. I did need a little roughage, though. For dinner I had a shrimp and avocado salad on a grilled croissant served with watercress and tomato, fries on the side. It was actually excellent. Nicely spiced and not overly dressed, the avocado was ripe enough to add some smoothness to the chopped shrimp. It made for a very tasty sandwich. Steve ordered a burger, and I’m tellin’ you I have not often seen such a handsome slab of chopped beef laid on a bun. It had to be an inch and a half thick, and medium rare was actually medium rare. The inside looked perfect. Nicely done Blue Note!! We shared a bottle of Jordan Chardonnay which lasted us into the band’s first set.
The act, a 4 piece band called Fourplay, has been around forever, and I bought their CD “Between the Sheets” about 20 years ago. A woman sat next to Steve and her young male friend next to me. She was a good friend of the bass player and had flown in from LA to take her best friend’s nephew, a jazz student at NYU, to see the band. She owns an Italian restaurant in LA. Easy to make friends when you’re cheek by jowl in a tiny venue. We were right in front of the stage and had a great view of the pianist, bassist, guitarist and drummer. They put on an awesome show; it was a really great way to wrap up our last night.
Steve found us another town car on Broadway who was willing to negotiate a fare for uptown, and we ended the very chilly night at the Hilton’s hoppin’ bar for dessert and Prosecco. Chocolate bread pudding with vanilla sauce and whipped cream. Yum.
D.