I just read another post below and it reminded me of a place we musicians all used to go years ago, when I was a working musician in Los Angeles areas.
Most of us worked 9 till 2 in those days, (early 50's), and after work we all traveled over to Azusa to a place called Affie's Neopolitan. We were mosly all dark on Monday nights so we also went there for an all night jam session on Monday nights.
This place had the best meatballs in town. The sauce was supurb.
Affie was a great big heavy guy and I came to the conclusion he was a frustrated musician. He set up a stage in this place and had just about every musical instrument there for us to play. Bring your own mouthpiece. It was a jam session every night and you had your supper while you waited for your time to sit in. You could sit in for half an hour at a time.
This impromptu jam was some of the best music I ever heard. This was because all the road musicians from all over th US that were currently doing a show in LA came to this place. This is where a lot of us learned our chops. We also learned from these road musicians. We honed our chops here until we got to emulate everyone else pretty well.
I used to play until 2 in the piano bar and then trip out to Affies, supper there and sit in once or twice, then to my room for a couple of hours sleep, then off to college for another exciting day and a place to nap I moved out of LA to start my business career in 1957 but I never quit missing this place and all those great musicians I met there. Everyone of you would know many of the names that used to come there that weren't names in those days. Just another one of us trying to hustle the rent
Anybody in this forum around LA those days that used to go out to AFFIE's after work? it would be good to hear from you, or others that had similiar places on your turf.
Best to all. I support all working musicians
Bebop

There were two places here in Lexington in the 70's and early 80's. One was the Sportsman. I was the paid musician...a B-3 and a Rhodes. I went to work when the bars closed at 1:00 AM until 4 AM. We got all the club owners, musicians and staff and any traveling groups in the area. Had Ike Cole (Nat's brother-a "monster" player and singer), Roland Kirk, Amahd Jamal (he has family in Lexington), Michael McDonald and many others stop by and sit in.

On week-ends, I did the dining room from 5 to 9, upstairs with a band 9-1 and 1-4 after that.

I went to work at 7:30 AM, so I didn't get a lot of sleep. GREAT TIMES!

Russ

HI Russ,
In the early 60's I was dating a chick that was from Lexington but lived in Covington, worked for the Shilling Bros that through the (syndicate) virtually owned Beverly Hills there in Covington. I was covering 8 Countries at that time so I managed to get there about once every 3 or 4 months. We did get to lexington a few times and made all the clubs and nightlife there.
That fine lady ended up putting 128 stitches in my head as we were closing the yacht club one fine night at 4 AM. I made her bail, had them hold her and escort me to the plane, and never looked back.
It then is a real coincidence that I ended up marrying a real Lady from Kentucky although when I first found out where she was from, I took off at a dead run
We have now been married 30 years and no new stitches I told her if she cut me up I would go home to her mother as I liked Kentucky Her mom and brother still live in Benton, KY.
Bebop

Hey Bebop..

In the early 60's I was at a place called Brocks on Richmond Road. After I retuned from California, I worked at a place called the Fireplace in Chevy Chase.

You were probably in one of those clubs when I was. Went to Covington many times before that great old place burned down in the late 70's.

Small world!


Russ