Summer Tomatoes

Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love & homegrown tomatoes

--Guy Clark

Thanks to modern agribusiness, you can get a decent tomato year-round. Campari, on-the-vine and others from hothouses or faraway southern climes will get you through the dreary months better than those old cello-wrapped hard pink things with the flavor of styrofoam. And I do mean decent. A good off-season tomato can help a salad and nicely top off a hamburger or a sandwich. As good as they may be, though, they don't hold a candle to the real thing: a fresh juicy summer tomato, fresh off the vine, home-grown or from a farm stand.

Now that it's August, I've been getting mine from Shepherd's Farm, around the corner in my hometown. It's as close to homegrown as I'll get this year. They're homegrown, just not at my home! Heirlooms of all sizes and colors, including yellow and gold cherry tomatoes, sweet and meaty and juicy. Until two weeks ago, cherry tomatoes were an anathema to me. You know--those little round flavorless things that show up in salad bars, whose sole purpose in life seems to be to squirt flavorless tomato juice all over when you take a bite. These fresh heirlooms aren't even from the same planet. Tiny round perfection with names like Lollipop and Sun Gold.

All a good tomato really needs is good olive oil, but for real summer heaven, slice 'em up with slivers of onion, chucks of cucumber, a crumble of feta cheese and some salt, pepper and oregano. Add some green pepper if you like. Drench the whole mess in lots of the best olive oil you can find--fresh, fruity, cold pressed extra-virgin. At the bottom of the bowl you'll find tomato juices mixed with olive oil, bits of onion and feta and some tomato seeds. Be sure to have crusty bread to sop it up.

Big Bad Johns 8/13/2010

Cafe Nine was packed for the Friday the 13th Big Bad Johns reunion show. Usually when it's that crowded I can find a space to stand near the back but that didn't look possible. Instead we wounf towards the front of the house and got a spot--standing/sharing a table-- while the band was setting up. People crowded the stage when they started to play, so it got claustrophobic tight and hot, with some pushing (which is rare there). By the end it had thinned a bit so it was more comfortable.

The band sounded great. You never would have guessed that they hadn't played together in years. Paul was chewing gum and smiling all night. He looked a little stressed before going on--happy stressed because of the big crowd but also because his bass cabinet blew out so he had to go home to get another. He looked like his stage name Nervous Chet Purvis. After the show Paul said he was smiling because he kept making mistakes. The beautiful thing about rock 'n' roll, though, is that flubs don't get noticed.

Detroit Dick sang strong lead vocals with charismatic banter and crowd rapport between songs. The two guitars traded off rhythm and lead, the drums were snappy and Paul's bass was simply solid. He played mostly walking bass lines with a rock solid steady beat. That's what you want/need the bass to do. I love to hear guys jam out on 5 or 6 string bass but the prime function is to keep the beat and provide a big bottom, especially in a roots rock band, and Paul does that as well as anyone. Rostropovich used to say the orchestra is built from the ground up, referring to the bass section; the same is true for rock. Paul's big steady beat was the anchor, the pulse, the engine.

Sunday Night Blues Jam

One of the best things to do on a Sunday night in New Haven: go to the blues jam at Cafe Nine. This week The Cobalt Rhythm Kings will be hosting and playing, with Mark Zaretsky on both harmonica and clipboard. He keeps track of the folks sign up for a turn onstage.

The Kings will play a short set and then call people up to play. It's a mix-and-match jam session as you see combinations of the musicians in the room. Guitar, bass, drums, horns, keyboards, voice, all with talent. On any given Sunday you might hear anything from the flute to heavy blues guitar shredding. One night the shredding was done by a young woman with long blonde hair who also happens to be a talented cello student.

The mood is mellow with more musicians than civilians. The rest of us sit back and watch guys walk in with axes in hand, sign up then hang out and relax until their names are called. And they can all play. I always hear impressive chops. The host band provides a drum kit, keyboards and guitar amps for plugging into, so the changes are quick. The house provides its excellent P.A.

The format is very conducive to a quick visit. Go for an hour, have a beer and listen seemingly random musicianship. Short and sweet. But warning--the effect can be addictive as the changing lineup unfolds before you. You hear a few songs and think, that was a nice treat and get up to leave while the next player plugs in or adjusts the mike. But then they start playing and it's interesting and you stay for a little more. And then it happens again with the next person called to the stage. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

At some point the realization sets in that this weekly session, with different bands hosting each week (a rotating list of regulars), is one of New Haven's hidden gems. The sign over the door says the musician's living room. Indeed.

Chatham County Line and Phil Rosenthal @ Cafe Nine 7/17/2010

Phil Rosenthal opening for Chatham County Line
1.
2. Hurricane
3. Darling Nellie Gray (banjo)
4. Down the Road
5. Muddy Water
6. Pretty Polly
7. Carrie
8. Three Mandolins
9. I'm in a Lonely Situation
10. Who Will Tend my Garden
11. Our New England Home

Phil Rosenthal is the real thing, in strong voice and with confident picking, playing mosty guitar, some banjo and one blistering fast instrumental on mandolin. He lives in Guilford, two towns east of New Haven and plays in town occasionally.

Chatham County Line said they were a little chagrined to have one of their idols open for them, but it made sense as Phil was solo and they rock harder. I loved their set-up. No amps. One mike stand with a mike on top for vocals and fiddle and two mikes waist-high arrayed in a V to pick up the guitar, banjo and mandolin. The bass had a microphone planted under the bridge and everything went through the P.A. so they pretty much mixed it themselves the old-timey way by stepping up and back. They sounded fantastic, mixing with their feet.

Kathy Sledge on the Green 7/17

Kathy Sledge mined the Sister Sledge songbook, covered Michael (Jackson--Never Can Say Goodbye), Stevie (Wonder), Billie (Holiday) and mixed in some new songs. Singing strong and backed by a crack band including an ace horn section, she had people dancing in the aisles. "You've Got the Best of My Love". "(These are the) Good Times". "We are Family". "Le Freak" It was the greatest hits of 80's R+B.

I wish all the naysayers had seen the beautiful scene on the New Haven Green tonight.