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Community Corner

Heck Yeah, Brazilian Jazz Fusion!

Awesome free jazz in Redondo!

I was assaulted by jazz on Sunday. And I loved it.

I was sitting at Coffee Cartel minding my own business in my “.” Recently, I’ve been rocking enormous earphones, because nothing says, “I’m really focused on what’s on my computer” better than enormous earphones.

So there I was, happily typing away while begrudgingly enjoying  Kanye West’s new CD*. And a band began setting up in the coffee shop.

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This is a difficult situation for regulars who work out of coffee shops in order to maintain their sanity: While I simultaneously love live music and not moving too much, these two things come into a deadly combination when I’m trying to get my write-on or bust some word bombs. It would be akin to a string quartet entering the operating room during surgery and playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D Minor.

The other thing that is difficult for coffee shop musicians is that they are so rarely appreciated the way they should be by regular patrons for the reasons I mentioned above. Between songs the applause typically sounds like the mournful call of Jiffy Pop cooked by Bic lighter. I always try to venture a couple of furtive claps, but I’m typically cut down by glares from other regulars.

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However, as soon as the band started playing, I was dumbstruck by how damn good they were. I’d heard Fu Jazz ensemble play before, as they play the last Saturday of every month. They’re always pretty spectacular—you should totally check them out.

This time they were joined by a Brazilian musician from Sao Paulo who sang while accompanying herself on the piano and guitar**. The typical jazz fare had a Brazilian edge (I have no idea what constitutes a “Brazilian edge” exactly, but they had maracas and a rain stick). They even brought special guest singers up for a couple of songs.  

As the show continued they played Brazilian jazz standards and took time to tell the stories behind each of the songs. The audience was packed with friends and fans alike, and when they took a break they were happy to mingle.

Fu Jazz is one of the best free tickets in town—be sure to check them out on the last Saturday of the month.

* I really wanted to hate it, but it’s pretty darn good. I would also like to point out the subtle irony that Kanye West’s CD was interrupted by Brazilian Dreams, and they never “let him finish.”

** Not at the same time.

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