Drummer Tony Johnson brings in a quartet on the fourth Friday of each month. But, heck, we’re celebrating 20 years of Friday night shows! It’s a sextet tonight–the 230 Jones Street, Local 6 Literary Jazz Sextet — with Charlie McCarthy, tenor saxophone & flute; Noel Jewkes, saxophones & flute; Si Perkoff, piano; Glen Deardorff, guitar; Chuck Bennett, bass; and Tony Johnson, drums.

BYOB and a twenty for the band!
Throw in an extra twenty if you can afford it!
Call 415-586-3733 for a reservation.

If you can’t make it into the shop, you can catch the live stream on our
Facebook page or YouTube channel.
Your donations to help pay the musicians and support the stream are much appreciated!

This is the legacy band of tenor player Chuck Peterson, who started it all back in October of 2002! In the photo below, that’s Chuck in the center, giving soloing room to the late great Howie Dudune, with vocalist Dorothy Lefkovits listening beatifically. Dean Reilly, who passed last year, is the bassist… and, of course, Tony Johnson is on drums and Glen Deardorff is on guitar. That’s the band that Chuck dubbed the 230 Jones Street Literary Jazz Band back when it included tenor player Bill Perkins providing arrangements and Jimmy Ryan on drums. Ray Loeckle and Jerry Logas were also key members of the band over the years. Trombonist Rick Elmore had his day with the band for a good long stretch as well… Frank Phipps made the scene frequently… Pianist Kent Glenn, a close friend of Jimmy’s passed through… so did bassist Putter Smith.  Eddie Figueroa, a trumpet legend, dropped in often to listen–he was the one that dubbed the weekly conclave “jazz in the bookshop.”

Chuck first came to us at the behest of a mutual friend, Mary Goode, letting us know that he needed to either hang up his horn or work a regular engagement, saying he’d make sure we had good musicians if we’d give him a weekly booking. And so we did!

That was October 2002. Chuck’s band coalesced into a quartet with Don Prell on bass, Jimmy Ryan on drums and Scott Foster on guitar with many guest musicians and subs. Eventually, the 230 Jones Street unit — named for the address of Local 6, the musicians union, was born.

Week in and week out, neighborhood folks gathered at 5:30 to hear wonderful musicians ply their trade. We paid the musicians as well as we could, respecting the fact that they were professionals, deserving of a guaranteed wage for their work. It’s something we understood from the start, and in the past few years — primarily due to the generosity of our donor base — we’ve been able to maintain a decent level of pay for them. Watch for the permanent return of 5:30 shows, welcoming to kids and pensioners, in mid-January, when your contribution will be voluntary and based only on your pocketbook and conscience!

As it goes, it continues thus! with you listening and helping pay the musicians!

Thanks ever so much! Dig it!