PART II: 2022
We got a slow start in 2022 due to a resurgence of Covid in a form called the Omicron-2 variant. All January programs were canceled, but we put the time to good use installing a new sound system. Our lead tech at the time, George Van Wagner, donated some of his personal equipment, including better microphones than we had previously had available. The old portable system that we had been using was put under the stairs in case it was ever needed again.
The first show at which the new system was used was a concert by Zander Schloss, Eleni Mandell, and Milo Jones on February 12th, and the improvement was noticeable. Schloss, a former punk rock bassist for the band the Circle Jerks, surprised the crowd with gentle, thoughtful songs accompanied by a Greek bouzouki – there’s a recording of him playing on our YouTube channel. Headliners Eleni Mandell and Milo Jones traded off lead vocals on some songs, and in this tune called “Empty Locket” they sang sweet, simple harmonies that highlighted the lyrics.
Turnout for that excellent show was low due to concerns about a return of the pandemic, and we didn’t really get going until March, when we ran nine events. Some of these were captured with three cameras controlled from the upstairs area we call the Tech Deck – you can see an image of that view here. At the time the performance area was still against the west wall.
March shows included Brazilian music with Caro Pierotto and Wagner Trindade, in conjunction with our first art show of paintings by Brazilian-American artist Drica Lobo. We also had concerts exploring Americana with The Sidemen and Michael Ubaldini, a Stephen Sondheim retrospective featuring the talents of four Jewish cantors, a songwriting workshop, and a storytelling session with Afro-American perspectives by Michael McCarty and original pieces in the Celtic tradition by Wolf Foss. We reflected the local community with a show by Mariachi Quinto Sol. Their material went far beyond Mexican tradition, including this version of “Tennessee Whiskey
Things accelerated in April, when we hosted twelve shows beginning with an appearance by renowned political cartoonist Keith Knight called ”Saving the World, One Comic At A Time.” That was followed by jazz-funk improvisations by Gruppo Subconscious, Shanghai-style jazz by Jessica Fichot, and two shows featuring Ukrainian music to coincide with a show of Ukrainian art and traditional costumes. We also had our first art class, at which participants made Ukrainian-style Easter eggs – the pictures here show the process and the result.
In July we had an art show with Indian-themed work by artist and singer Mala Ganguly, who presented two shows: one of Indian classical music, the other of jazz on a mix of Indian and Western instruments. Here’s a clip from that show in which Mala plays sings the 1948 song “Nature Boy” is a style that mixed Indian raga and jazz. That’s entirely appropriate, as the composer eden ahbez was a proto-hippie who had a strong interest in Indian traditions. Saxophonist Chuck Manning contributes tasteful licks that accent the ethereal sounds of Mala’s harmonium. Tabla player Rishi Thaklar sat out most of the song because he felt no other accompaniment was needed, though he added a few subtle beats at the end.
That same weekend we tried something different – an afternoon with “stand-up philosopher” Martin Young. Professor Young had originally scheduled the session at which he lectured on philosophy and took questions for two hours, but the audience stayed for four. The rest of May included a return show by Windy Barnes, a showcase by a cello academy, and a two-band show of American tradition by Lafayette Ben Charlatan & the Charlatones and the Good Notes Jass Band. For the finale of the show, the two groups played together on a rollicking version of the New Orleans classic “St. James Infirmary Blues.”
We finished the month with a great show by bluesman Bernie Pearl and started May with a show by folk-blues legend Jim Kweskin. Kweskin’s jug band released their first album in 1963 when he was only 23, and played a significant role in the folk and blues revival of the next decade. At eighty years old Jim was still a lively presence on stage, playing solo and with backup by opening band Hobo Jazz. Here Kweskin plays a lovely old American song called “Old Coat” that was probably written in the early 1800’s and is the only song we know of in which someone apologizes to their clothing.
One of the more unusual music pairings in our history was that month – Irish band The Praties with melodic rocker Tom Hofer of the seminal LA band Trotsky Icepick. It makes sense when you know that Steve O’Laughlin of the Praties and Tom both were collage artists who had their work on show that month. As part of the Praties show they did this memorable mash-up of The Who’s Pinball Wizard and Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues, entitled “Pinball Prison Blues.”
Our shows in June went in a new direction – literally. We moved the performance area to the south side of the building, improving the sound quality measurably in the process. The month began with a First Thursday show by Popoki House, the Hawaiian-Americana duo of Katie Blanchard and Taeri Schiffman who also lead our tech crew. That was followed by the first ukulele session, an event that continues to this day – those used to be hosted by Mitchell Chang, but Taeri took over in 2023 and continues to run them. That same month Lee Boek of Improvisational Theater Works brought a variety show that included ragtime piano, storytelling, comedy, and music.
We had sixteen other concerts that month, a record for us. Veteran singer/songwriters Maurice Tani and Ed Tree made their first appearances, as did Feter Martin and Mitch Rhodes. The Salty Suites and Hobo Jazz both came back with new material, and tech crew head George Van Wagner took the stage with his blues band for a show called “Work, Play, Food, Love.” The reason for the name is that he estimates that eighty percent of classic blues songs are about those topics, and he demonstrated that over the course of this show. One of the tunes, “Old Kidney Stew,” is a celebration of simple and enduring love as expressed by appreciation for simple home cooking.
Cooking featured prominently at another event that month, a dinner at Addi’s Darbar in Redondo Beach as part of the Thoughtful Feast series. These events have been organized by Richard Foss for over twenty years, and participants learn about food culture while enjoying the dining experience. Host Addi deCosta explained the unique Portuguese-Indian fusion of his home city of Goa over the course of a two hour dinner that featured off-menu items.
We had few shows in August, but there was still considerable variety. Astronomical artist Chris Butler had a show of his work on display, and he presented a lively program about astronomy and art that we really wish we had recorded. The Merry Wives of Windsor, a group that is popular on the historical festival circuit, presented a show, as did the Balkan band Orkestar Pecherka. We closed out the month with the first “Poetry in Pedro” session.
The highlight of September was a literary event called “Culture and Characters: The Authors’ View” at which three award-winning authors who write about different ethnic communities in Los Angeles. Richard Foss moderated a panel with Maria Amparo Escandron, Naomi Hirahara, and William Wu in a program sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. This was livestreamed and recorded, and brought Collage attention from far beyond the Harbor area.
Other events in September were a return of funk/jazz/rock fusion group Gruppo Subconscious and an art-related show at which model ship builder Tom Leppold showed his work alongside nautical paintings by Chris Butler.
We started November with a First Thursday show by Sean Lane, who presented his trademark mix of erudite scholarship about the music and brilliant guitar playing and singing. A highlight of his show was an unplanned guest appearance by a Dixieland jazz band that was walking back to their cars from another gig and stopped in to see what Collage was. We invited them in and they guested on a few tunes with Sean, as shown here.
Other highlights of the month included the return of the Grace Notes show, sets by East Coast folk pioneer Mitch Greenhill and jazz chanteuse Alyssa Barron, a set by the Keith Jones Collective in which the former Santana bassist brought high profile musicians, and a show by John Papadakis. The former restaurateur was known as “The Singing Linebacker:” when he was at USC, and he often had to change from his team uniform to formal wear for his gigs at local nightclubs.
December is always a light month for us due to the holidays, but we managed six shows, including the first visit by Bobby “Hurricane” Spencer. Spencer was a mainstay on the Oakland jazz and blues scene in the 1960’s, and kept his career going until he had a severe stroke in 2019. He had been told that he would never play his saxophone again, but with the help of musician friends who came to practice by his bedside, he eventually picked up his horn and taught his body to do what his mind already knew. He arrived and left in a wheelchair, but when he played it was with all the vigor of a much younger man.
We also had another appearance by pianist Bryan Pezzone, a culinary history program by Richard Foss about Christmas celebrations in Spanish California and New England, and a holiday themed magic show by Joe Derry to close out the year. We had hosted 120 public programs over the course of 2022, and had big plans to take that number higher in the new year.
In October we had nine events, including Argentine tango guitarist Juan Pablo Esmok Lew, cabaret jazz by Maria Schafer, horror poetry by the Casketeria group, and a lively singer/songwriter show with Eric Ramsay and Cej. The big news, though, was the inauguration of our musical instrument donation program. The first recipient was a San Pedro High alumnus by the name of Bryce Jeter, who received his saxophone at our first jazz jam. Bryce still has that horn and shows up to our jam sessions now that he’s a music major in college.
