Ed Ward has written an excellent piece on the closing of Village Music in Mill Valley, California that makes me nostalgic for a place (and era) I've never been.
It wasn't at all unusual to be shopping with Mike Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites, Marty Balin, Jerry Garcia, David Crosby, or Maria Muldaur. I'm still pissed off at Bloomfield, whom I met when we both reached for the same Barbara Lynn album at the same time. "I need this," he said. But I saw it first! "Well, I'm Mike Bloomfield and you're not and I need this." We eventually became friendly, but that was also the only copy of that album I ever had a chance to own. I still haven't heard it. And, just as with the live music, these people passed on the knowledge they got: one day I walked in on a warm spring day and the most beautiful acoustic guitar music was playing. I asked what it was and he said "Slack key. Ry Cooder found a bunch of it in Hawaii and brought some back for me. I don't have any for sale, but I've got some ordered. Want me to save you some when it comes in? It's expensive..." It was, but it was worth it.
[...]
There was a bar at the other end of town called the Sweetwater where a lot of the local musicians hung out and sometimes performed, and John started renting it twice a year for private invitation-only parties. [...] Christmas parties always featured Charles Brown, who, before Michael Jackson appeared on the scene, had the best-selling single by a black artist ever, "Merry Christmas, Baby," recorded in 1947, and selling seasonally every year thereafter. Mr. Brown hadn't been such a good businessman, and when he made his first Sweetwater appearance, he was eking out a living in Oakland teaching piano lessons. He, too, was amazed that this crowd knew him, and played one after another of his hits. Finally, he said "A very long time ago, we recorded a song that's been very good to us ever since. It's called 'Merry Christmas, Baby.' Would you like to hear it?" The crowd roared. Mr. Brown faked a double take. "Really? You do?"
[...]
There was always something good to drink there, but I swear I wasn't hallucinating when I saw Elvis Costello backed by Commander Cody, James Burton, Jerry Garcia, Sammy Hagar, Austin de Lone, "Teenage" Steve Douglas, and one or two others...
Damn!
I visited Village Music only once in the '70s -- in the company of Greg Shaw, who was driving me to a rock critics schmooze fest at Ed Ward's apartment. (Greg spotted Sam Cutler hitchhiking along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard on the way, and we picked him up.)
As you might guess, Ed turned out to be extremely likeable and full of Lester Bangs anecdotes. Ed introduced me to Dave Marsh, present by telephone from Detroit, and Dave signed me up as a freelance reviewer for Creem Magazine
The Sweetwater is still around, and pretty much as it's always been. I missed the Elvis Costello/Jerry Garcia night, but I've been to a number of other impromptu jam sessions there. My friend, David Gans, was given a tape of the Costello jam and he occasionally plays excerpts from it on his Wednesday night KPFA radio show. I probably have it all on tape, if you're interested. David is still at it, organizing/instigating impromptu shows at the Sweetwater and other BArea clubs.
Scraps
Sure I'm interested! Thanks.
I know David, as you have probably have guessed, and have seen him play in New York, though it's been a while.