Stevland Hardaway Morris

I went with my family to see this Motown great (better known as Stevie Wonder) play to a packed Shoreline on Saturday night. My sister, Sydney, and I were asked to be in a promo pic for some radio station, most likely because we were the only women under 35 they could find.  But, lest I give you the wrong impression: that 40+ crowd still knows how to rock an amphitheatre and so does Stevie.  And even if you find fault with the 58 year old artist’s aging pipes, you have got to love an icon who will break off a song mid-verse with, “that’s enough of that one.”  No apology needed, Stevie.  You’re way past that.

Realistic Orchestra at Bruno’s

I’ve never had much of a reason to go to Bruno’s.  On weekends, it’s more crowded than worth it, and on weeknights, the emptiness of the large space can be downright depressing and not in that good ol’ divey “who cares if there are only three of us in here drinking well-whiskey on a Sunday night, ‘let’s shoot some pool’” kind of way. 

But, as it turns out, Bruno’s does offer some pretty sweet mid-week cut-loose. Tuesday nights at Bruno’s belong to Jazz Mafia, a collection of bay area jazz bands with a “Rat-Pack” like mission. 

Realistic Orchestra kicks off the Jazz Mafia rotation the first Tuesday of each month.  This month they pulled an impressive turnout, even more so considering the $10 cover (pretty big-ticket for the mission on an off-night). But with 20+ musicians in their big-band jazz ensemble, their performance is probably more public service than profit.  The inflated horn section is lively and the rotation of talented vocalists (there seemed to be an endless supply of them) kept the energy high. 

Realistic Orchestra’s website is outdated, but information about the band and upcoming gigs can be found on Jazz Mafia’s website or on their MySpace page. 

On a related note, don’t miss the Fillmore Jazz Festival this weekend, July 5th and 6th.