Wednesday continues: I ran into
Shock Cinema at the Piano’s
Kanine Records Showcase. They were on after
Chairlift. I’d met them very briefly before at Vassar College where they played support for a
White Rabbits show. Had yet to see them actually play.And I would have liked to stay for their show, but I saw them being interviewed on TV (wowee!) andI figured they were already getting their fair share of support and attention.
Russ, a friend who’d come along to see
Chairlift with me, said he had a place for me to check out. He liked Chairlift, but I think watching bands play in a green-lit, smoke-machined room with only ten or so people was a little too soul-crushing.
It was time to conduct a little comparative study on music-listening experiences and head over to
Zinc Bar, a spot for jazz and Latin live music.
As far as CMJ goes,
Zinc Bar is way off the beaten-track. It’s never been affiliated with the festival - officially, unofficially or otherwise. I deliberated: was going to Zinc erring from my assignment to cover CMJ? I imagined some sort of secret CMJ police finding me and revoking my pass, citing betrayal of festival as my crime. (Ok, that part I made up). In the end, I went with Russ’s suggestion. He's CEO of
Manhattan Center Studios so I’m inclined to value his opinion, or at the very least, be intrigued by it. I was ready to do some investigative work outside the CMJ City limits.
HOST / EMCEE, THE WONDERFUL J.C.
SILVANA MALTA AND HER ESTEEMED BAND
No one at
Zinc Bar, not even the managers, had even heard of CMJ – “GMC?” No one except the irresistibly charismatic host-slash-emcee, JC. At once elegant and magnetic, JC is full of glamour and grace. He dances with patrons, ensures drinks arrived promptly to your table, and interacts with an overall aura of olden-day celebrity; JC bedazzles.
Zinc Bar maintains such an air of cool sophistication and old world charm, I was convinced I was in a vintage era of entertainment. Decked out in a full tux, JC introduced the set and demanded that the utmost respect and attention be given to the performers. When the music starts, there’s a certain buzz in this downstairs venue; a certain hushed electricity found in any place that’s clearly serious about music. Only the most respected musicians and virtuoso’s come to play
Zinc Bar. You wont see such world-renowned artists perform in such an intimate setting nearly anywhere else in the world. I caught Brazilian singer and Grammy-award nominee,
Silvana Malta, perform the night I went to
Zinc. Known for working only with musicians and producers of high international acclaim, Malta is a world-class performer. At one point, and without any airs, Malta demurely appealled to the audience: “Please. It would be nice for me to be able to hear myself.” There were clearly some newbies in the crowd of regulars, who needed to be reminded of the art of listening and the magic of live performance.
And that is how
Zinc thrives. It’s built a strong reputation among distinguished musicians and serious music-listeners as having very high standards and an uncompromising commitment to quality. One of the managers, (who was generally very aloof and reticent to talk about Zinc), explained to me: it’s a place where musicians come to play with other musicians of the same caliber. This has helped
Zinc to establish its obscure, yet privileged place in the NYC music scene. She (the manager) very politely made it clear that
Zinc is happy doing its understated thing and is not at all concerned with CMJ or interested in being involved with the festival. Meanwhile, this is somewhat against the efforts of host/emcee JC who would like to see the venue more fully integrated within the New York music scene.
From Zinc Bar it was on to
Arthur’s Tavern in the Village at the corner of Grove and 7th, another dive-type place with live funk, jazz, blues, and R n’ b music seven days a week. I almost don’t want to write about the place, as it truly is a hidden gem. I’d hate to see it lose the charm of its seeming anonymity, as has happened to Chumley’s around the corner now that it’s hardly a secret anymore.
Arthur’s is a wacky ol’ ramshackle joint that’s been run by a hard-talking, music-lovin chick since she was eighteen. Christmas, Halloween, and Birthday decorations stay up year ‘round amidst the eclectic array of archival signs, knick-knacks, and other paraphernalia. The musicians who play at Arthur’s are veterans of the scene, and include a real bunch of talented characters. You can always expect loony-tune antics between the band and the audience. Above all, you can always expect a laid-back, welcoming atmosphere from
Arthur’s. By the time I arrived things had definitely died down a bit. I stayed for a couple songs by a band featuring a blind bassist, and then it was time for bed. Way back in Bushwick. Three more fun-filled days lay ahead.
