anthologysd.com

By Jamie Freedman | SF Music Examiner

Saturday night I was down in San Diego for work and wanted to take my 16-year-old cousin out for a nice evening. Going to the movies didn’t seem special and she’s not the kind of kid I would take to an all-ages punk show. And lets face it, I didn’t want to go to a punk show either. I saw that Anthology is all-ages and that the Count Basie Orchestra was rocking the house for two nights. This legendary Kansas City big band is swinging towards San Francisco and will be performing on May 30th at Davies Hall with Kurt Elling as part of the SFJAZZ spring season.

Celebrating their 75th anniversary, the Basie Band has never sounded better. It’s obvious from the smiles, the goofiness, mutual encouragement and choreography (the trumpet section has it down) that these guys thoroughly enjoy themselves on stage. And with songs titles like “Fun Time,” “Way Out Basie,” Right On Right On” and “Cute” a good time is guaranteed.

Some members of the Basie Band are new, yet the majority of the sound still swings from musicians handpicked by Count Basie himself. I would guess that at least 75 percent of the band is over 50 years old. Bill Hughes is the current director and has been in the band since 1953. That’s pretty incredible if you ask me. Basie hired singer Carmen Bradford in 1982 by when she was 22.

“It was like traveling with your grandpa and great-grandpa,” she said from stage, “but they swing just as hard.”

Anthology is a “classy” (my 16-year-old cousin’s description) establishment unlike any other club I’ve ever been to. The way it’s designed with its stacked four level seating reminds me of theaters and opera houses of past centuries. Everyone in the club has a good seat. And if you’re not quite close enough to see details and the faces of performers, there is a gigantic screen above the stage.

On the tables was a flier (also on their website) congratulating a wide range of 2010 Grammy Nominated artists that have performed on Anthology’s stage including pop acts Death Cab for Cutie and Jason Mraz, jazz acts like Kurt Elling and Jake Shimabukuro and gospel/R&B singer Mavis Staples. With variety like that and the opportunity to come by on Tuesday nights for $5 and check out the Anthology House Band where everything on the menu is $20 or less, this is the perfect all-ages venue for an nice evening out.

–

Via SF Music Examiner

Mavis Staples may be seventy years old but this soul and gospel icon, who also happens to be an inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, still has it all going on. This is her fifty ninth year in the business and the fact she blew into San Diego for two nights at Anthology on dates that coincided with the birthday of Martin Luther King made this, for her, a very personal performance. After opening the set with Stephen Still’s ‘For What Its Worth’ (which was a hit for the Staples Singers as far back as 1967) she asked the audience to respect the victims of Haiti with a few seconds silence before sharing with them some of her memories of being on the road with the Staple Singers and of meeting Dr King along the way.

Mavis came to Anthology with a message of hope and the music of inspiration that, given the power of its delivery, was almost tangible. Of course there appeared to be few ‘born again’ Christians in the crowd and the way expensive wine flowed like rivers made it unlikely that many were there to be converted. However, this not withstanding, her potently soulful music found huge favor throughout.

Mixing her gospel passion with soul from the heart, and during a set that lasted around seventy five minutes, she was grandly supported by vocals from Donny Gerrard, Chavonne Morris and Yvonne Staples. Not only that, with the tight instrumental backing of Stephen Hodges on drums, Jeff Turmes on bass and, most notably, Rick Holstrom on guitar the quality of the music remained, for the whole time, consistently high. In fact, for a fifteen minute break during which Mavis took an off stage rest, Holstrom, Turmes and Hodge provided an instrumental interlude that proved to be as delightful as it was varied. However the show was all about the legend that is Mavis Staples and she did a particularly good job with her hearty rendition of the classic ‘Wade In The Water’. Equally pleasing was her take on another Staples Singers blockbuster, The Bands ‘The Weight’, and talking of Staples Singers hits she reserved the best to the very last. Although her turbocharged rendering of ‘Respect Yourself’ seemed unbeatable she topped it and then some by the magnificent play out tune ‘I’ll Take You There’ that brought the audience to its feet.

As time goes on the opportunities to observe the very best of what, for R & B, was a golden age become ever more limited. As such Mavis Staples at Anthology was a show to be remembered and, more than that, cherished.

–

Via Smooth Jazz Therapy

By Katie Browning | San Diego News Room

Thursday, 08 October 2009
In her first of three performances at the Anthology Jazz Club, singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin proved she’s still got it.

Taking the stage with only her acoustic guitar and that distinctly tranquil voice, Colvin captured the crowd with hits like “Fill Me Up,” and “Polaroids.”

Born in Vermillion, South Dakota, Colvin began performing when she was 15. Since releasing her debut album Steady On in 1989, Colvin has had impressive record sales and continues to perform live over 50 times per year, proving she’s an enduring presence in American music.

With talent extending far beyond her 1997 Grammy-winning hit “Sunny Came Home”, no one seemed to mind that Colvin didn’t include the song in last night’s performance. The acoustic performances of songs like “Wichita Skyline” gave Colvin a James Taylor-esque quality.

Colvin closed the set with “Round of Blues” from her 1992 album Fat City before returning to the stage for an encore performance including her popular version of the Gnarls Barkley hit “Crazy.”

Most of the songs Colvin performed are on her newest release, Shawn Colvin: Live, recorded last year during a three-night performance at Yoshi’s jazz club in San Francisco.

Colvin applauded the beautiful atmosphere at Anthology, and with the flawless acoustics of the venue, the night felt more like a cozy living room concert than just the average club experience.

Opened in 2007 by Howard and Marsha Berkson, Anthology is both restaurant and concert venue. Some say hybrids of this kind are often lacking, but Anthology does it all well. Combining seamless service, a delicious menu inspired by local and seasonal flavors and a warm, intimate atmosphere, the venue is sure to please music enthusiasts and gourmets alike.

This week’s dinner menu includes a plate of herb gnocchi and sautéed baby summer squash, served with petite heirloom tomatoes and topped with the finest parmesan. For dessert, try the trio of profiteroles, delicious cream puffs layered with espresso and vanilla ice creams, mascarpone and brandied cherries.

While any concert at Anthology would be a treat, Shawn Colvin and a plate of gnocchi made for a wonderful night of timeless music and cuisine.

–

Click here for the original article in sandiegonewsroom.com.

Via Dossier

–

I thought I was going to see Vincent Gallo and Sean Lennon make weird psycho-ambient music together. Instead what I got was a similar ensemble to Gallo’s former band RRIICCEE, followed by Sean Lennon crooning away with his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl as The Ghost Of A Saber Toothed Tiger. All the same, totally worth 7 bones.

Gallo’s stage presence, in his white motorcycle jacket, back turned to the audience, a mess of dark curls covering his face (thankfully making illustrating the show a lot easier) provided sparse enough elements to compliment his musical minimalism – a vintage keyboard, his voice just above a lover’s whisper. The songs ranged from road tripping through space to post-apocalyptic love songs. Soft lyrics like “love me forever” and “The future’s not returning, bridges built for burning… Are we the chosen ones?” wafted through the room.

Then came Sean Lennon and the ridiculously pretty Charlotte Kemp Muhl. They were very convivial with the audience, and acoustic – a good contrast to Gallo’s electronic set. When switching to an electric guitar, Lennon laughed as he was repeatedly electrocuted by his instrument, and then began singing about unicorns down the yellow brick road. Charlotte Kemp Muhl’s strong vocals were wistful, sparkling.

–

Click here for the original post on Dossier.

Please click here if you can’t watch the video below.

Arturo Sandoval performs again tonight as Anthology. Don’t miss this show!

BUY TICKETS

On a recent night out at Anthology, which has officially passed the new-restaurant-survives-downtown test, I watched spring turn to summer in San Diego. Perhaps it was the fresh-tasting, locally grown fava beans and cherry tomatoes served with my salmon. Perhaps it was the smooth saxophone of the house jazz band that serenaded the other diners. Perhaps it was the young, vibrant crowd.

Whatever it was, Anthology’s getting it right.

…

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the San Diego News Room article by Gina Giacopuzzi.

It started with a spark of an idea from a twenty-something named Philip Gilpin, who quit his corporate job and banked it all on changing the world.

Please click here if you have trouble watching the video below.

I voted for Anthology in the 944 May Issue and just wanted to let you know! I love you guys, you are fabulous. I cannot afford to come to your location all the time especially now that I’ve been hit by the economic downturn but I did have a friend visit from Germany two months ago and I decided to take him and another friend to your gorgeous setup and he had nothing but wonderful things to say: the food was delicious, the ambience was great, the music was dynamic and the overall vibe was just perfect to impress! Keep up the good work~I don’t know when I can be back but I would really like to visit again soon. Take care, C.

The Dave Mason concert was awesome! Those guys can still ROCK! The venue was fabulous with great acoustics. Even though we were sitting on the upper level, the video monitors brought the concert right to us. We got there early enough to grab two comfy chairs…we did rearrange the furniture a little so we could sit next to each other instead of having a table between us.

We enjoyed reminiscing while Dave played the timeless oldies. The crowd really got into the performance, dancing in the aisle. I am still singing “We Just Disagree”!! Thanks so much! - Donna and Dan

CLICK HERE to view the full photo gallery.

The photographer, Paul Parks, writes:

With its roots in gospel, doo wop, and the sophisticated jazz-influenced singing groups of mid-century America like the Hi-Los, the a cappella vocal group Take 6 is both a throwback to an earlier, more genteel era of American music and a precursor for a number of black male pop groups of the ’90s, such as Boyz II Men. Take 6 laid down their smooth romantic rhythms at Anthology

Visit the Anthology YouTube Channel for other videos, including performances by Stanley Clarke, Carrie Rodriguez, Al Di Meola and Dave Mason.

Jane Monheit’s second set on March 13 should’ve been called “date night.”

Love was definitely in the air as there were many couples (and some wannabe couples in attendance).

Jane certainly helped with the love vibe. She is an engaging performer who not only sings like an angel, but she tells stories that help the audience relate to the songs and to her.

For instance, she recorded her latest album, “The Lovers, The Dreamers And Me” when she was five months pregnant (the lucky man who won this beautiful singer’s heart also happens to be her drummer) and her baby not only influenced the album but also the size of his tummy (which he pointed out on the big screen).

Some of the highlights included her opening number, a revisionist version of the Michael Buble pop hit, “Everything,” and her stunning take on “Tea For Two.” However, she really touched my heart with her song, “Love Dance,” and I must admit I felt melancholy because I wanted my wife there to hear this beautiful song.

One thing I really like about Jane: She has a great voice, but she doesn’t oversing. She actually trusts the melodies of the tunes she’s singing. When she does engage in some vocal pyrotechnics, they serve that song and don’t seem self-indulgent at all.

I must say her band was excellent, especially the drummer. I tried to stand over him on the second floor so I could see his brushwork, but was asked to go back to my seat.

Although I enjoyed Jane’s show, I am glad I showed up before the set because the big screen showed extensive footage of Steve Tyrell from his last Anthology show.

Man, he had a hot band and they were jamming over some excellent Burt Bacharach and Hal David songs (which Tyrell had a hand in producing when he was in his 20s). I couldn’t help but sing them and a guy from Milwaukee was impressed.

“You know these songs?”

“Well, yeah, they’re Dionne Warwicke songs.”

“Dionne Warwicke? Didn’t she have a Psychic Friends Network or something?”

“Yeah, but she had to do something to get famous enough to do that.”

“I’ll be darned.”

I saw him later and I think he enjoyed the show even more than I did.

- David

Click here for more photos of Jane Monheit live at Anthology

The March 6 performance by Gene Perry’s 10-piece orchestra was exactly the type of show I was looking forward to when I first learned about Anthology.

Yes, it’s great to see big national acts in an intimate setting, but there is something just as satisfying seeing an up-and-coming salsa band cooking on all cylinders.

Even better for me was running into a lot of old friends I hadn’t seen for a while, such as the lead singer, Quino, who is more familiar to reggae fans for his work in Big Mountain.

In fact, my friend ran into pals he hadn’t seen since high school and it seemed like everyone knew everyone.

What a blast! I’m kicking it with some members of the Voz Alta Project, a local artist collective, on the third floor lounge while enjoying some great music and a very tasty glass of Pinot Noir (mmmmm, velvety. Just the way I like it).

Amazingly, the music sounded good every place. An old friend of mine taught me a trick: If you want to know if a band is good, listen to how they sound when you’re in the restroom.

Trust me, Gene Perry’s Orchestra sounds great there (however, I think they’d prefer to remain on the stage).

It was a chilly night out on the outside lounge, but the heat of the dancers two floors below managed to rise up and toast my tootsies.

Looking forward to more shows, especially when my wife and I can get a babysitter. Anthology is a lot more fun for date nights than going to see a chick flick at the mall.

- David

Matt Wertz of Nashville, Tennessee via Liberty, Missouri performs Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at Anthology, accompanied by tour mates ‘The Alternate Routes’ of Connecticut. Both bands have traveled cross -country by car, performing shows, often nightly. Wertz got the crowd going with his recently released LP ‘Under the Summer Sun’ (currently available in stores, on amazon.com, or on iTunes) The 26 year old musician also took a few moments out of his set to discuss his recent trip to Africa and his consequential involvement of the Mocha Club, a philanthropic effort urging everyone to put aside $7 a month and allocating the money to different relief efforts throughout the continent. Wertz is one of many recent younger acts to take the Anthology stage in the venue’s effort to support up and coming musicians. For more information on Matt Wertz, The Alternate Routes or the Mocha Club, see below links:

mattwertz.com

thealternateroutes.com

mochaclub.org