Interesting Night!!!
Hello all. First off let me say that musically this weekend was truly unbelievable. Michael Blake is a true gentleman and an absolutely wonderfully melodic and creative voice on the tenor saxophone. He plays very unique lines and really gets involved in the tunes he plays. A gorgeous version so Speak Low, Bayou (a Monk Tune) and a gorgeous orginal were all highlights of last night. Ross Taggart took a piano solo on this up tune that was remarkable. Its was burning as I like to say. The crowd loved it and the place was packed which was great!!!!
On to the interesting part of the evening. A singer came to the club who shall remain nameless. An african american woman. Her race at this point is not important but it will be in a few minutes so bare with me. This is a woman that has pestered me for a gig 4 years. Despite my polite attempts to tell her that I have received a package and if something comes up I would call. I also have explained that The Cellar is primarily an instrumental room, no because I don't like singers but because there are many more vocal rooms than there are instrumental rooms. Im prould that The Cellar lets musicians play what they want and how loud they want to play it. This woman seems to think that because she recorded with Duke Ellington (HORRIBLY OUT OF FREAKING TUNE) that she come in and drop names and just be handed gigs. She barged her way in without a reservation last night, accosted my sister and proceeded to tell other customers how bad the service at The Cellar is. This natually got me quite upset. I let her have two freebies (jabs) and then the third one I was going to come over. She luckily quieted down and we managed to get all the people that she had butted in front of in so all was good. During the last set in between one of the tunes she yelled out "let a soul sister get up and sing." Highly inappropriate of course but the crowd just kind of laughed and that was that. Then Michael Blake very eloquently stated that "us saxophone players often don't need vocalist because our instruments our vocalists." The crowd cheered and that was the end of that. At the end of the night the vibe was great. Everyone had a great night and were all very happy. I just happened to be in my office writing cheques for the guys and in walks this woman. I said "excuse me! What are you doing in here?" to which she replied "Im using your phone." Cory - "Well first of all you ask me to use my phone, secondly you don't ever barge into my office unannounced or univited, this is a place of business and for employess. To my knowledge you have never worked at The Cellar." This woman then proceed to call me and I quote "an arrogant, white, racist, bastard!" I said that I agreed that at times I can come across as arrogant, I'm definitely white and I can be a bastard sometimes but the racist part confused me and got me quite fired up. Its an interesting position to be with and one that needs to be handled somewhat carefully. I mean I'm a white, heterosexual male. My sister has made me realized that Im the most priveliged person around. I haven't had to deal with much of anything and I certainly haven't had to deal with the things that this woman has had to deal with in her lifetime. She accused me of never hiring black musicians and that "her people" were the ones that started this music. At this point I was tired and very angry. I slammed down the Charles McPherson CD, The Tilde Webb CD with FATHEAD, The Dr. Lonnie Smith CD, told her to look at my bartender (she is african american) and then listed off the names of Benny Golson, Gary Bartz, Denzal Sinclaire, Quincy Davie, Herlin Riley, Red Holloway, Mulgrew Miller etc. You get the picture. Her response was "they have all played here?" This shows you how much she has supported the club. She then proceeded to push me and walk out of office. I followed her so I could assure that she would leave. She then swore at me in front of the customers and I simply opened the door and told her she was never welcome at The Cellar ever again. A first in five years. Someone has been officially banned from The Cellar.
Im much calmer now and as I type this Jay Clayton is singing beautifully with Miles Black at the club!!!
On to the interesting part of the evening. A singer came to the club who shall remain nameless. An african american woman. Her race at this point is not important but it will be in a few minutes so bare with me. This is a woman that has pestered me for a gig 4 years. Despite my polite attempts to tell her that I have received a package and if something comes up I would call. I also have explained that The Cellar is primarily an instrumental room, no because I don't like singers but because there are many more vocal rooms than there are instrumental rooms. Im prould that The Cellar lets musicians play what they want and how loud they want to play it. This woman seems to think that because she recorded with Duke Ellington (HORRIBLY OUT OF FREAKING TUNE) that she come in and drop names and just be handed gigs. She barged her way in without a reservation last night, accosted my sister and proceeded to tell other customers how bad the service at The Cellar is. This natually got me quite upset. I let her have two freebies (jabs) and then the third one I was going to come over. She luckily quieted down and we managed to get all the people that she had butted in front of in so all was good. During the last set in between one of the tunes she yelled out "let a soul sister get up and sing." Highly inappropriate of course but the crowd just kind of laughed and that was that. Then Michael Blake very eloquently stated that "us saxophone players often don't need vocalist because our instruments our vocalists." The crowd cheered and that was the end of that. At the end of the night the vibe was great. Everyone had a great night and were all very happy. I just happened to be in my office writing cheques for the guys and in walks this woman. I said "excuse me! What are you doing in here?" to which she replied "Im using your phone." Cory - "Well first of all you ask me to use my phone, secondly you don't ever barge into my office unannounced or univited, this is a place of business and for employess. To my knowledge you have never worked at The Cellar." This woman then proceed to call me and I quote "an arrogant, white, racist, bastard!" I said that I agreed that at times I can come across as arrogant, I'm definitely white and I can be a bastard sometimes but the racist part confused me and got me quite fired up. Its an interesting position to be with and one that needs to be handled somewhat carefully. I mean I'm a white, heterosexual male. My sister has made me realized that Im the most priveliged person around. I haven't had to deal with much of anything and I certainly haven't had to deal with the things that this woman has had to deal with in her lifetime. She accused me of never hiring black musicians and that "her people" were the ones that started this music. At this point I was tired and very angry. I slammed down the Charles McPherson CD, The Tilde Webb CD with FATHEAD, The Dr. Lonnie Smith CD, told her to look at my bartender (she is african american) and then listed off the names of Benny Golson, Gary Bartz, Denzal Sinclaire, Quincy Davie, Herlin Riley, Red Holloway, Mulgrew Miller etc. You get the picture. Her response was "they have all played here?" This shows you how much she has supported the club. She then proceeded to push me and walk out of office. I followed her so I could assure that she would leave. She then swore at me in front of the customers and I simply opened the door and told her she was never welcome at The Cellar ever again. A first in five years. Someone has been officially banned from The Cellar.
Im much calmer now and as I type this Jay Clayton is singing beautifully with Miles Black at the club!!!