One of the outstanding musical numbers of the evening was an
impromptu "How Can I Miss Stella By Starlight When She Won't
Go Away?".

Perhaps some of the other Hixters who were in attendance can
flesh out this very sketchy report?

Ken & Kathy

Date sent: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 20:07:47 -0500
From: MZim
Subject: Re: [hix] Bayside Jazz

i'll add some meat to the brew. It was a golden show. A small venue,
supper club venue. (The building was moved from San Francisco across the
bay about 1906.) Unfortunately, the cutlery percussion and patron chitchat
decibel levels were high. This, coupled with a murky sound system, made me
miss too many of Dan's words. (Especially galling on "By the time I get
to Mill Valley (not Phoenix), and Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, a
Beat-inspired poetry reading with cool jazz background.) Dan played drums
on one song while the drummer crooned serviceably. (sorry to forget his
name. Learned that he played at the Columbus Hot Licks show over 30 years
ago, my first Hicks viewing.) Paul Robinson demonstrated effective Wes
Montgomery licks, and the new sax/clarinetist did well.

Enjoyed this show more than the November Palace of Fine Arts show in
November, with over 1000 in attendance.

Was good to finally meet you k&k, and to hookup with fellow Hixters Anita,
Skip, and David Apelt. (don't forget my 8x10 glossies!) Mike z

To: hix@yahoogroups.com
From: Paul Lewis
Date sent: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 21:13:50 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: [hix] Bayside Jazz

Okay, here's my two cents worth on Dan's Baltic Bayside Jass show..

Dan called Pt. Richmond the Gateway to Marin (being almost at the base of
the Richmond-San Rafael bridge). He did many of the same songs as at the
Palace of Fine Arts last fall (see my attempt at a set list then), and
some others. The sound quality was much better at the Palace, and the
audience more respectful of the music. But the Baltic was intimate, if
raucous.

The Baltic is a old-fashioned woody dive in the shape of a backward,
lower-case h, with the band situated at the intersection of the long leg
and the opening to the bar. Patrons at the other end of the bar could not
see the muscians and made a loud rumble. But I could not believe the
folks seated an arms-length away, talking loudly with their backs turned
during the music. I certainly hope that wasn't anyone connected to the
Hixlist. Perhaps a formal announcement to start the sets would have
signalled that the audience should quiet down. Dan scowled a few times,
but refrained from chastising the customers.

My daughter Rachel and I had convinced a harried hostess to stick a table
right in front of the band about ten feet from Mr. Hicks mike stand. That
made up for the muddy sound! Actually, it was heaven, with Dan singing
right at us. He did a fair amount of scat singing, some in a high-pitched
almost falsetto. Good stuff, his voice is better than ever in my humble
opinion. And the old jazz tunes were fun. No guitar at all for our hero,
but he did engage in a percussion duet with the drummer, playing a
woodblock with drumsticks. Dressed in baggy pleated cocoa brown tweed
pants, black shirt with white abstract lines, and his black&white shoes.
It was 1934, Sam Spade would have been right at home, except he would have
had to go out front for a smoke.

I talked to Dan after the second set for a few moments, a first for me. I
asked him about the songbook, and he said he was working on it, ...,
slowly. I got the feeling he was glad to hear that someone was
interested, so if anyone else is, speak up. He said that he did do Song
For My Father with this group. I wanted badly to stay for the promised
short third set, but Rach had school the next morning, and I had an early
workday. Someone please tell me truthfully that I didn't miss Song For My
Father in that third set. I got the feeling that it was going to be the
best of all. But the songs and the singing were superb, and the other
musicians were quite good.

Now for Maryann and Naomi in Berkeley in two weeks.

To: Hix Group <hix@yahoogroups.com>
From: skip moore
Date sent: Tue, 16 Mar 2004
Subject: Re: [hix] Bayside Jazz

Nice additional reports to what was a great evening at The Baltic, Mike
and Paul. There's not much I can add. I agree about the crowd noise
trying to compete with an inferior sound quality. And Mike, you're
right-on about his Beat recitation from a water stained sheet of Healthy
Mind Healthy Body. I just wish I could remember half of those lines! (I
think it was that one where Kathy applauded by snapping her fingers.) And
I've never heard him do "It Should'a Been Me" (...with that real fine
chick). What fun! It was also nice to finally meet Ken, Kathy, David,
Rose and Anita.

I will only ask: Why has Bayside Jazz not recorded. As many of you
commented when we mentioned the gig, it's difficult for you to get to a
show like this. There was certainly enough material in the 3 sets to
commit to a disc, and then some. And the band had magic moments found in
jazz, where they were really grooving together. Maybe after this next new
release...

See you guys at the Freight & Salvage in a couple of weeks!

Skip