SINGERS' SINGER ED REED: Yoshi's Late Show

Jazz vocaliste par excellence Ed Reed held court at Yoshi's Oakland Monday night - that's the where and the when - and I was fortunate to be off work and able to attend his late show. The show kicked off at 10 PM and there was a decent sized crowd in attendance, despite the hour and the fact that it was a Monday night. The occasion was a celebration of the release of Reed's sophomore effort, "The Song Is You" (I love that song, too bad he didn't sing it) and if anyone embodies song, it is Mr. Reed. He brought along a crack band composed of Brian Cooke (piano), Anton Schwartz (reeds), Robb Fisher (bass), Akira Tana (drums, and they had the audience sitting slack-jawed at their tremendous creativity and drive.

But it was Ed Reed who was the glue that held the show together, with amazing reimaginings of classic and obscure American standards like "Daydream," the incredible "This Shouldn't Happen to a Dream" and a powerful "Ask Me Now." He took the Broadway classic, "Where or When," and transformed it into a powerful meditation on memory, loss, age and time.

The power of love weaves its way in and out of Reed's repertoire, and his sometimes silky, sometimes booming voice handles the myriad chord changes and melody shifts with ease and aplomb. It was a pleasure to sit there wrapped up in the moody spell Reed cast with his superb vocal style and on point commitment to the lyric.

I haven't mentioned Ed Reed's age or his oft-related history. While both inform his song selections and his interpretations of them, they are just part of the whole artistry that makes up this world class singer.

Ed Reed - a name to remember. Don't miss him next time he comes around.

Oakland Chinatown Street Festival 2008

I love Oakland. I wake up on a warm Sunday morning, run down to Fruitvale Peets for my AM coffee, pick up my nephew at his sleepover and bring him home to my sister's home where they were recuperating from a slumber party bridal shower for my next sister-in-law. Breakfast was laid out and I had a chance to catch up with my sister, her husband and my nephew about their recent trip to Paris and Provence. Of course they want to go back immediately, or at least next year! Can't say I blame them. I've been three times in the past ten years.

Then I have a three-plus mile walk around Lake Merritt, a man-made, salt water jewel of a body of water in the middle of Oakland's downtown, replete with micro-climates around every corner, sailboats, gondolas, joggers, Children's Fairyland, bocce ball courts, fountains, flower gardens and more eye candy than the mind can retain without a camera at the ready.

From there I drive a few blocks away to Oakland's rapidly enlarging Chinatown district for their annual street fair, where vendors sell all kinds of plants, clothes, jewelry and snacks of every stripe including, of course, Chinese, although the neighborhood is rife with Chinese restaurants and bakeries. Even Safeway was handing out free snack and drink samples, and the live bands were kickin'. The crowd-pleasing dragon dancers had all of us, especially the youngest, captivated.

Yes, there is much more to Oakland than takeover robberies and some rough neighborhoods.

Loose Ends: "Transsiberian" Late Show

I'm at loose ends these days, especially on my weekends, particularly on Fridays. My partner of nearly seven years moved in six months ago and within two weeks our relationship basically dissolved. It was a shock to discover I no longer had my companion by my side. Yes, we still cohabitate, but weekends I'm on my own while he's out having a ball. I have friends, but I've been so wrapped up in this relationship for so long, all my time off work involved my erstwhile partner. I need to make some new friends to socialize with, and I find the prospect daunting. Fridays after I've run errands and taken care of business all day, I end up at home, listening to music, playing online, and feeling overwhelmed and a bit anxious about leaving the house.

Last night I decided that I'd had enough of staying in the house from Friday afternoon until Saturday morning stewing in my own juices. I drove into Berkeley for a late show of "Transsiberian," a train thriller with Woody Harrelson, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer and Kate Mara, excellent and diverting. It got me thinking about how two people can be married for years and still be unknown to each other in many ways. I guess that can be a good thing sometimes.

It was showing at the Shattuck Theater, and I had time to notice the detail in the theater, which is fixed up like an Egyptian temple, similar to the Grand Lake in Oakland. I wonder if they are connected. In any case, it's beautiful.

On my way back to my car, I noticed the sculpture above near the Berkeley Public Library. Perhaps it is part of the library. I don't know. I thought it was beautiful, too.

I'm still at loose ends, but taking baby steps. Step one, if you will.

Lesley Gore at the Bleecker Street Theatre: It's My Party...Yeah, Right!

Lesley Gore has added another hyphenate to her resume: playwright. Yes, she had written plays or parts of plays before with Carol Hall or, on her own, about a baseball team (!), but for the past six weeks she has been workshopping the first act of a new autobiographical piece entitled "It's My Party...Yeah, Right" at the inaugural Pillowfight Festival at the Bleecker Street Theatre in Greenwich Village as part of the Hot Chicks of Substance series. I had the distinct pleasure of attending two of the workshop performances on July 25 and 26 and all I can say is that I was blown away. Although it has elements of nostalgia and a classic showbiz fairy tale arc (think Lana Turner sitting on a stool at Schwabs), her story is remarkable because it is true and, very possibly, close to unique in the record business of yesterday or, for that matter, today.

But "It's My Party...Yeah, Right" is more than a recap of a legendary early rock and roll survivor. It is truly revelatory and generous and, in the same way Gore has retained contemporary relevance while her girl group contemporaries have continued on the Yesterday Treadmill, her story is powerful and emotional and packed with surprises. One in particular which coincides with her genuinely meteoric rise to fame blew the enthusiastic audience's collective mind and, while she told it, it seemed a pin could drop and no one still would take a breath. This took enormous honesty and courage, hallmarks of Gore's career path and unceasing artistic growth. She closes this portion of the show with an incredible version of "Out Here On My Own" which took on a whole new signficance in this context.

And, no, I won't reveal it here. It's Lesley Gore's story to tell, and you can hear it when her one woman show is completed and begins making the rounds.

I will tell you that Lesley shares marvelous memories of being a little girl in Brooklyn and later in Jersey and tells terrifically engaging tales of the steps which led inexorably to her becoming a singer. These stories are delightful and she tells them with panache and verve. She does more than talk, of course. She sings songs by Charles Aznavour and Nat King Cole that were significant in her musical development and does snatches of early rock and pop by Rosemary Clooney, Teresa Brewer and others as well as snippets of others like Charlie Chaplin's"Smile."

There is a wonderful passage detailing how she found her voice coach, Myron "Pappy" Earnheart and recording demos with Pappy and his wife, Hilda. These demos are played and she joyfully sings along with them. Learning who wrote the amazing "Travel On" would have been worth the price of admission alone, and her recounting of her first "Ed Sullivan Show" is colorful and riveting like a passage from a particularly well written short story or novel.

Act One closed with "It's My Party" becoming a huge record and door after door opening for Lesley Gore. We will have to wait for Act Two or the finished play to be performed to hear and see the rest of the story. She does close the show with a couple of her classics and the audience is on its feet cheering for both.

Following the show, a few of us got a chance to chat with Lesley, always warm, friendly and forthcoming. She told us that she will be unveiling a new act at upcoming shows at the Mohegan Sun and the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art later this year with a great deal of new material. I also overheard her telling a reporter that there has been significant interest by some producers in her show, and that's exciting news for sure.

Rahsaan Patterson at Yoshi's San Francisco: Spirited as Fine Wine

July 20, 2008. Friday night. Following an earthy lamb shanks and sweet corn ravioli supper at an excellent Italian trattoria in Potrero Hill, Tracy Barrantes-Allio and I made our way to the Fillmore district for our inaugural visit to the new San Francisco branch of the esteemed Yoshi's jazz nightclub, also famous for their sushi and other Japanese savories. We were immediately struck by the sophistication and glamour of the club, all recessed, ultra-flattering lighting, deep browns and reds, warm lemon glow and not a bad seat in the house.

R&B/jazz/neosoul genius Rahsaan Patterson was the headliner, and he owned the crowd from the moment he took the stage with his finely tuned crack band and superb male-female backing duo, despite ongoing sound problems. Patterson may not have been able to hear correctly through his monitors, but the audience didn't share his difficulty. We were amazed and astonished as he rocked the house with a tour-de-force vocal performance that took us on a sonic and emotional journey during his cruelly brief set. Tracy's only conscious exposure to the songwriter and vocalist extraordinaire had been the day after I invited her to attend by sampling some songs on iTunes, and she was as blown away as I was, grinning ear to ear. With his fluid and loose manner, it is very easy to picture Rahsaan Patterson as he must have been as a child singer. He maintains much of a child's freedom and unconscious grace.

I have all four of his CDs and love them all - they reveal more complexity and layers as time goes on, and "The Best," his collaboration with Van Hunt, suspended time in a jawdropping revelation of the song that night. The Sade cover was a genuine crowd pleaser, as was his youthful hit, "Wanna Be Where You Are," which closed the show with a dazzling splash of vocal pyrotechnics. Rahsaan Patterson definitely left us wanting more.

The Roots Ferocious Paramount Set

The Roots threw down with another dynamic show at The Paramount Theatre in Oakland tonight, June 8, 2008 opening for Erykah Badu. Their truncated set began right on time (7:30 PM) and was over 55 very fast minutes later. They ran through many of their signature tunes from "Things Fall Apart" and their seemingly endless roster of classic records, many of them combined into lengthy medleys. A virtuoso performance of "You Got Me" anchored the too brief set, and a medley of seminal hip hop jams was fun for an ecstatic audience. A few songs from their excellent new "Rising Down" CD were slipped seamlessly into the relentless hip hop band jam session. I missed the battle of the drummers that is a highlight of their shows, but Black Thought and ?uest Love led the band ferociously. I like that word. Ferocious. It perfectly describes The Roots live shows.

Wholehearted Endorsement for Tucker's Catering

I'm the lucky man who used Tucker's Catering For All Occasions to cater a recent surprise birthday party I had at my condo. I met with one of the two co-proprietors, effervescent no-nonsense Eunice Tucker, to go over the menu and make sure we were on the same page. I wanted a soul food buffet to be served and Tucker's Catering met and exceeded all expectations and then some. Not only did they prepare all the food from scratch, but they set up the dining room for a buffet, had a team help bring the food, dishes and everything else in, and stayed around to replenish the most popular items as needed. Co-owner, irrepressible and joy-filled Gwen Tucker, prepared much of the food, especially the incredible roast beef brisket in a nonpareil au jus. The fresh fruit and veggies appetizers were the bomb, and the main menu - roast beef, turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, green salad, rolls, greens, green beans, dressing - were served up with aplomb and guests were calling to talk about the food the following day. I had to hurry and put aside some of my favorites before they were either eaten up or snatched up by partygoers! The peach cobbler for dessert had tongues smacking and wagging simultaneously and multiple trips to the cobbler pan were witnessed.

Tucker's Catering is already in demand in the Oakland area and with good reason. They returned the following day to help with cleanup and remove their equipment, and the Tucker Sisters proved not only to be superb cooks and caterers, but delightful party planners as well. Their reputation is well earned and my freezer is testimony to delicious leftovers to be served in the future.

But don't take my word for it. Check them out for yourself. You can reach Eunice Tucker at 510-632-1621 or 510-866-4571 and Gwen Tucker at 510-299-1149.

Don't sleep on this! You deserve food this scrumptious to be served at your function. They are well worth their extremely affordable rates for homecooked goodness and party panache.

Dining Out in Puerto Vallarta: Epoca and VallarTako

Spent a week in Puerto Vallarta, tropical, humid and gorgeous, my first time to Mexico, surprising considering how close it is to California. We stayed at the Hacienda Spa and Hotel, a wonderful resort about a five dollar taxi ride from el centro and zona romantica where all the action is. I felt like I was staying at the Ponderosa! The included meals were surprisingly good, and the staff was gracious, accomodating and helpful, especially Arturo, who actually wrote down movie theatres, addresses and such for me when I asked about them.

Even though our meals were included, we had to venture out and try some of the restaurants raved about in the guidebooks and a couple we happened upon. In the former category, Daiquiri Dicks did not disappoint, with terrific shrimp appetizers, fish tacos and a fabulous fish sandwich.

In the latter category, Epoca was a real standout. Just over the Vallarta bridge to zona romantica, we sat at a table right on the beach on the edge of the world with waves crashing inches away yet never getting us wet. Torches blazing, balladeer singing "Guantamera" to us, the atmosphere could not have been more perfect and then the food came. It was beyond delicious all the way into one of the best restaurant meals I have ever eaten. I had the sea bass on a potato cake bed, perfection on a plate, and my friend's chicken made me wish I'd ordered a second main course. It was that good. The crab cake appetizers were scrumptious as well and the service above reproach.

We happened upon VallarTako on a day of back street shopping and vowed to return the next day for lunch. Turns out it was only their second day of business according to the delightful manager, Andrea, but if our visit is any indication, they will be open forever. The lachambres, tacos and quesadillas we wolfed down like we had no bottom were savory, tasty and pretty darn addictive. I'm sure there will be a whole chain of VallarTakos in Andrea and company's future. They are that good.

DIANA ROSS & BRITNEY SPEARS: They've Still Got It!

I saw Diana Ross in Santa Rosa last night and she looks amazing and sounds like she is in her twenties. I don't know what she's doing healthwise, but she needs to keep on doing it, because she put on a seamless, near perfect show comprised of classic hits from her Supremes and Diana Ross songbooks, and did a superb jazz set that would have gone on longer if an electronic glitch hadn't stopped the show cold at the end of a jawdropping "Don't Explain." The smokin' band pumped and percolated on megaversions of Motown classics like "My World Is Empty Without You" and "Love Child," and the ecstatic audience was reduced enmasse to tears during "Touch Me in the Morning." She changed costumes four times and mugged and grinned like a little girl throughout. Diana Ross assured us that, yes, she still loves us and yes, she has still got it!

For those expecting the Britney Spears record to be a dreadful debacle, "Blackout" is out and, surprise! It is simply the best, most consistent dance-pop record in ages, even better than Madonna's brillliant "Confessions on the Dance Floor" because it is all pop perfection, no pedantic preaching. One of the tunes, "Piece of Me," takes on fame, the papparazzi and her reputation with a chorus that goes, "I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, I"m Mrs. Ohmygod that Britney shamus; I'm Mrs. extra dextra this just in, I'm Mrs. she's too big, now she's too thin" and makes it addictive. Right now, I have to listen to this CD and particularly that song on a daily basis, and that is real rare for me. Excellent excellent excellent and, yes, Britney has still got it!

MORE GORE: Lesley Gore on Hullabaloo, 1965, Part Two

It was quite a show, with Trini Lopez hosting and Dionne Warwick appearing as well, and evidently Lesley, Trini and Dionne did some kind of medley together. I wish I'd seen the entire episode. A clip from it can be found on the A&E Biography, "Lesley Gore: It's Her Party" showing her singing "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows," and the other number she did, "All of My Life," is floating around on Lesley Gore bootlegs and with good reason. It is a stunning performance.

MORE GORE: Lesley Gore on Hullabaloo, 1965, Candid Photos, Part One

Lesley Gore: Princess of Song, Then and Now

I've been a Lesley Gore fan since the mid-1960s when she was all over radio, tv, film and stage as America's Princess of Song. Lesley Gore not only informed and inspired, my musical dreams, she encouraged me to pursue them. I've met her many times and I have incredible stories and memories to share. They will, however, wait for other entries. In the meantime, I would be remiss if I didn't share these photos I found today of Lesley Gore then and now. The two photos from early 1965 were taken at a taping of "Hullabaloo," the NBC pop music program, and show her performing shortly after winning the Cash Box, Record World and Music Business awards as the Number One Female Vocalist of the Year. In the photo with the dancers, she is doing her classic "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" and in the other, she is delving deep into her brilliant and criminally overlooked ballad, "All of My Life." The other photo was taken three days ago at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, New York City, where she headlined the opening concert season of Joes Pub in the Park and sang all of her classic hits as well as the jazz and alterna-pop she is celebrated for today.

Britney Spears 2007: A Dissenting Opinion

I liked Britney Spears' performance on the MTV awards the other night. I thought she looked great, very sexy and cute and funny, and her dancing, while more tentative than in the past, was still on point. The song, "Gimme More," is relentlessly addictive and looks like it will be a hit. I've also heard the ten or so songs that have been leaked online recently. Some are said to be outtakes from 2006 recording sessions, some may be b-sides for the new project, due in November, but I like them, too. Britney Spears still has it. Opening the VMAs, she provoked so much comment and discussion that it quickly became obvious. She still has our attention.

LIKE A DREAM: Chrisette Michele Has It Her Way at Virgin San Francisco

23 year old Long Island girl, Chrisette Michele, walked past me to the elevator to the fourth floor in the San Francisco Virgin Megastore where she had been scheduled to perform a free set at 3 PM on Wednesday, September 12, 2007. I was browsing Pop Collections as she, her companion and a Virgin representative entered the elevator talking about a long flight from Chicago. I thought to myself, "I think that's Chrisette Michelle" and looked at my watch. 4:40 PM, and it would be another thirty minutes until the performance began. By then, the patient crowd of five had swelled to twenty-five, most of whom were familiar with Michele's Def Jam debut, "I Am," and were loudly enthusiastic and appreciative. By the end of the first song of her mercilessly brief three song set, "Like A`Dream," all present recognized we were in the presence of musical greatness. The next pop/jazz/r&b superstar has arrived, and a year from now Virgin won't be able to hold all her fans.

Chrisette Michele has it all: songwriting talent par excellence (every cut on her CD is flat-out superb), incredibly fluid and athletic voice with great range, looks, personality and ability to connect musically with an audience. "Let's Rock" was greeted with shouts and handclaps, and it was clear that what Antonio Reid and Babyface saw, and Nas et al were eager to have on their records, is ready for primetime.

She won't have long to wait.

KEYSHIA COLE AT MEZZANINE: We Got Our Heart Back!

Mezzanine was packed to the rafters and beyond on Friday, September 7, 2007 when Keyshia Cole took the stage roundabout 11:30 PM. We had waited through 4 (!!!) opening acts, including superb diva-in-training Diesel and three excellent young male r&b acts who had uniformly strong tracks and songs (brilliant J. Holiday; hey bebe smoker Ray Lavender; livewire J. Valentine) and who each veered awfully close to male stripper territory. The crowd was pumped and ready when hometown (Oakland!) homegirl Keyshia Cole and her explosive band, two hard workin' backup singers and two crazy creative dancers finally arrived and set Mezzanine on fire.

Last time we saw Cole, at The Grand in San Francisco more than a year ago, she was still riding the wave of her debut CD, "The Way It Is," the best soul record of the past several years, and she came across as the ghetto girl next door with the powerhouse voice and female-friendly point of view. In 2007, she has morphed into an arena-ready big time performer, armed with the voice, moves and adorable personality that will no doubt charm and disarm hordes of new fans once her new record, "Just Like You," drops September 25. She did one of her new songs, "Got My Heart Back," and it proved as sturdy and unforgettable as all the songs on her first record are. She did a medley of covers which included "I'm Goin' Down" (is that now mandatory for up and coming soul sisgters to perform?), but otherwise she stuck to her first album songbook and astonished and amazed her audience with a thrilling performance. Yes, she can sing her ass off, yes, she has strong stories to tell about young romance, and yes, she has become even prettier than when she first emerged. But now she is thoroughly professional, totally ready to take over the throne of hip hop queen. We got our heart back when Keyshia Cole returned to the scene.

ART'N SOUL IN DOWNTOWN OAKLAND WITH KIM SULLIVAN, JEFFREY OSBORNE AND REGINA BELLE!!

It was a hot summer day in downtown Oakland, perfect Labor Day weather for the annual Art and Soul Festival. City Center was shut down and blocked off for blocks in several directions, and a mere $10 admission fee granted access to excellent clothes and crafts and art booths; delicious and varied food; and superb live entertainment ranging from a blues stage to a world stage to a latino stage to a hip hop dj spinning hot hits while kids danced on the stage in front of him. My longtime New York City friend, Kim Sullivan, had a layover in the Bay Area, so we met at 12th Street BART and did the festival together. We had a ball walking around, catching up, shopping and enjoying the mellow, friendly crowd. Early in the afternoon we caught a few songs by Pieces of a Dream, the jazz supertrio, featuring soul-jazz vocaliste par excellence, Regina Belle, and they played and sang their hearts out.

Later we had a terrific cement picnic in the sun with lunches from Ribs N Things, a Hayward eatery. Kim had hot links, honey yams and red beans and rice, and I opted for tri tip, potato salad and macaroni and cheese. Scrumptious! And the fruit punch was the best we'd ever tasted. We think it may have been the grenadine at the bottom of the glass. We laughed, noshed and relaxed, then made our way to the Main Stage for several numbers by soul-pop balladeer, Jeffrey Osborne, who did elongated versions of his hits like "Back In Love Again," "Love Ballad" and an incendiary take on "The Woo Woo Song" with enthusiastic and occasionally over the top audience participation. Osborne is a real crowd pleaser of a 70s old skool performer and had the audience eating out of his hands.

Too soon it was time to leave and get Kim back to BART so she could relax a bit before the flight home. Although she'd lived here for many years, this afternoon she got to see the fun and happy side of Oakland, courtesy of Art And Soul. We'll be back!

Hip Hop Night Out: Fabolous Chamillionaire and Mya at Mezzanine

It was a wild night at Mezzanine, the premier South of Market San Francisco nightspot when New York city rap star Fabolous, r&b diva extraordinaire Mya and surprise guest Chamillionaire threw down at a rowdy, raucous hip hop party. The club was packed out with hip hop heads, and impresario/radio personality Big Von kept things moving with a couple of DJs playing crowd-pleasing hit after hit. The crowd most definitely came to party and party they did, shouting out the lyrics to the rap and hiphop standards at volumes that rivalled the rafter shaking bass lines. Mya took the stage about 90 minutes after the doors opened, and she is finer than ever, dancing, singing and seducing the crowd with her latest "Lock You Down" and "Ridin'," which whet our appetites for her forthcoming "Liberation" set, and working the crowd with some of her signature tunes like "Case of the Ex," "Fallin'," "If I Was Your Girl" and "It's All About You." The dancers and backup singers did their duty above and beyond the call, and left us begging for more.

Shortly after Mya exited, super surprise guest star, Chamillionaire, bounded onto the good-sized Mezzanine stage, unexpected and unannounced and thrilled the crowd with his hits, "Ridin'" and a preview of his upcoming "Ultimate Victory" CD, which drops September 18. Chamillionaire convinced the amazed audience that he has real star power with his brief and roof raising set.

At 12:10 AM, headliner Fabolous came on and did a blistering 25 minute set of truncated versions of several of his many pop hits, including his interpolation of Lesley Gore's "It's My Party," "This Is My Party" and a number of key cuts from his superb "From Nothin' to Somethin'" certified gold outing. Fabolous is one of the most underrated rap stars. He comes out with hit after hit and still is not typically listed among the rap giants, perhaps because he does so well on radio, or maybe because his flow elevates him past P Diddy, who wishes he could touch Fab's trouser cuffs. The set was brief, but exciting, and the price for a hot night of hiphop in one of San Francisco's best clubs, Mezzanine, was oh so right: $10. Top that!

Summertime Catch-Up: Lake Tahoe Getaway featuring Fergie and Angie Stone at the San Jose Jazz Festival

Lamarr and I broke in the new Honda Fit by taking a road trip to Lake Tahoe. It is so beautiful there. We had a ball visiting with my brother, Joe, his wife Kathy, and my nieces, Catie, Karri, Annie and Amy on the day we arrived after checking in at our Tahoe standby, Motel Six. It's such a nice Motel Six and the price is right! When we arrived at the condo near the Heavenly gondola, Kathy was baking homemade cookies and prepping homemade ice cream which of course we got to sample. We had a wonderful visit followed by a bonus two days later when Joe and Kathy met us at Harrah's buffet for brunch. I don't think we shut up for three hours!

We saw Fergie at Harvey's Outdoor Arena and the crowd was fun and having a ball. Fergie was marvelous. Her years with Wild Orchid, Black Eyed Peas et al have seasoned her and she is a terrific performer, plus...she has the material! "Glamorous," "Fergalicious," the unavoidable "Big Girl Don't Cry" and all the excellent songs from her "Duchess" solo debut were performed. The only glitches were the power outages in the middle of two songs that slowed the momentum. But we came to party and party on we did! We ran into a number of randy and well-tanked ladies at the concert and afterwards and had mucho laughs.

Tahoe is so beautiful and in addition to playing on their little casino strip and shopping, we rode the Heavenly Valley gondola over the top of the mountain. I love that ride. It's expensive but so worth it for the view alone.

Then a couple of Friday nights ago, we drove down to San Jose for the opening of their annual San Jose Jazz Festival, three days when they shut down their downtown, put up 10 stages and countless food booths, and showcase some international and local jazz talents. It's a fabolous street party and San Jose does it so well. My brother, Don, and his fiancee, Jane, live a couple of blocks from the party zone, so we met them and traipsed over to the main stage to catch the opening night headliner, neosoul diva, Angie Stone. Lamarr and I have seen her several times and she is always good. She has really opened up her show to her fans, having several of them on stage for extended production numbers, and she did a number of her signature songs, including "I Wish I Didn't Miss You," her irrestible O-Jays interpolation with the classic line,"All you wanna do is smoke chronic" and "No More Tears." Lamarr got to say hi to Miss Stone when she left the stage through the chainlink fence. We're eager to hear her new stuff on Stax later this year.

After the show, we walked over to one of Don and Jane's favorite haunts, a New Orleans style restaurant/jazz club where the musicians played while we scarfed our shrimp po-boys and blackened chicken wings. A great visit and a wonderful summer night!

The Reed-Hampton Nuptials

3:45 PM, Oakland City Hall Wedding Chapel, June 29, 2007.

I had the honor and privilege to attend the Timothy Reed and Alexander Hampton marriage ceremony, along with at least thirty other celebrants. Not only that, I had the thrill of being their official witness of record and got to sign the legal documents as such. That was humbling.

The bride, author Timothy Reed (the superb "Showing Out") was absolutely stunning and her new spouse, actor Alexander Hampton, was very dashing and debonair. It was so evident that these two young lovebirds were fated to tie the knot that their love literally filled the air. By the time Timothy tossed her bouquet and garter belt, there was nary a dry eye in the house.

Kudos to the presiding justice of the peace for a beautiful and sensitive job on this overwhelmingly joyous occasion.

And best congratulations to the happy couple, Timothy Reed-Hampton and Alexander Hampton! You are truly inspirational and the sky is the limit for you two!!

THE LOST ONE: Lauryn Hill at The Paramount

I was among the many disgruntled, disappointed Lauryn Hill fans who witnessed her disastrous concert at The Paramount in Oakland last night. The crowd was up and excited, and the opening act, Jupiter Rising, was game and enthusiastic. We particularly enjoyed the beat box stylings of the male leader, and the female vocalist did well. I remember thinking, she's good, but she's no Lauryn - yet. Little did I know...

At least I already knew based on Hill's history that this show was going to be a crap shoot. I surmised that she might be off the wall as she's been for years, or maybe, just maybe, since she was booked into such an illustrious and prime venue as The Paramount, she was tipping her toes into the waters of a full-fledged comeback. Hoping against hope, I fantasized that she would mix rousing new material with crowd pleasing renditions of the songs people still venerate her for.

I was half right. She did mix new material with old, both of which were only very occasionally recognizable. We waited two and a half hours for her to appear, staggering onto the stage in an outfit that looked like a Santeria/Pentecostal mash up, a big and untidy red afro, and a black kerchief to wipe off the buckets of sweat.

And then there was her most alluring accoutrement, her voice - except that her voice was barely even there. She shouted, she yelled, she chanted in an admittedly raspy shadow of the voice Lauryn Hill fans have cherished for a long long time now. At one point, she calmed down long enough to do a tender "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and she did a competent job with it, although half the time we were holding our breath praying she would hit the notes accurately. Her voice has changed. It's no longer the supple, mesmerizing instrument it once was. That's sad, but that's the nature of pop - ephemeral, fleeting. And we all age and our voices change.

Life changes us and it shows in our faces, our spirits and, yes, our voices. Lauryn Hill gave a coherent explanation of why she has changed and what she has been through and it was hands down the high point of her show. She had me with her all the way right then. She had me riveted with her honesty, and, in a way, her show was brutally honest about where she is at. She says she is sober, but then she falls flat on her back in the middle of a song. Sobriety does change you, and the transformation is often messy and unruly, and Lauryn Hill at The Paramount may well be cogent testimony to that very fact.

The crowd booed her and two-thirds of them exited the theatre in hordes before her show was half over. Much as I am in agreement with their dissatisfaction, I was put off by the loud boos nearly drowning out the ridiculously high volumed band. I guess there cannot be much confusion over how they felt, or whether Oakland will accept a show of this (lack of) caliber.

I still love Lauryn Hill and I still miss her. I saw her last night, and I'm still missing her today. I wish her nothing but good on her journey and I hope she makes it back to us. She is needed right here on earth, where her point of view is one which gets short shrift in the current cultural mix. We're still waiting on you, Lauryn!