Hitting all the right notes
We know Hollywood has a reputation for prioritizing image above anything down-to-earth or “real.” But that pretense won’t fly at Bluewhale, the music club headed up by Joon Lee, a jazz-singing college dropout from South Korea. He was busing tables in New York City and studying to be an architect, when he was struck still by the sounds of Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin. That’s all it took to inspire him to quit school, move to California, and find a voice teacher.
Some say jazz is dead, especially in Los Angeles, where the majority of jazz bands seem to be trying to recapture the past. Bluewhale rejects such staid choices. Lee carefully curates the acts he books with up-and-comers and cutting-edgers, from local to international artists. The space is minimalist; the vibe is earnest. There is no stage, so musicians can set up anywhere, creating an atmosphere of intimacy. Club-goers sit on moveable chairs or leather cubes, allowing listeners to design their own space. Giant canvas slabs hanging from the ceiling are inscribed with thought-provoking quotes from Hafiz, Rumi, and Leon Shenandoah. The demographic is eclectic: 20- to 60-somethings. All these elements brilliantly combine to forcibly quit any possible inclination towards shallow self-consciousness, uniting people for the only thing that matters here: the music.
Info
Address 123 Astronaut E S Onizuka Street, Suite 301, Los Angeles, CA 90012, +1 213.620.0908, www.bluewhalemusic.com, info@bluewhalemusic.com | Public Transport Metro Gold Line to Little Tokyo/Arts District station, then a .4-mile walk | Getting there Paid lots and metered street parking | Hours Daily, doors open at 8pm, music starts at 9pm; closed first Sun of the month| Tip Go early and check out the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (152 N Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012). Renovated by Frank Gehry, the museum often hosts challenging and cutting-edge exhibits.
If providence prevails, you’ll visit on a night when the performance is as electric as it was when Brandon Coleman’s band played (Coleman is the keyboardist for Alicia Keyes). Coleman’s music shattered the room into an explosion of notes and exuberance and play. It was as if the band had sex with the audience, slowly leading the crowd to a booming, raucous crescendo (possibly multiple times if you count the solos), inspiring people to jump to their feet, dancing and whooping. All that for a 15-buck cover. Chances are, when you go, you’ll get lucky too.
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