Jazz Comparison
Jazz music can sound the same to people no matter where they go,
but I beg to differ. I’ve compared El Junco Jazz Club in Madrid, Spain to
Carmen’s de la Calle Café in San Antonio, Texas and I found substantial
differences.
El Junco is an underground jazz club that looks like something you’d
see in a movie. As you walk inside, you first spot a dark, mid-sized room
glowing stage off to the right. The bar has dim lights so that the stage will
stand out more. The doors open at 11:30 p.m. but the club starts swarming
around midnight with people in their 20s and 30s. That’s when the fun
begins. The fun does not stop until six in the morning when the club closes.
If you go in early, you’ll see that the club has places for people to sit,
but once the music plays, no one is sitting down. Everyone is standing up
as if they were at a concert. They’re dancing and enjoying the music;
everyone is having a great time. My only criticism is that the majority of
people smoke. Because the club is underground, there is no ventilation, so
the smoke is at a still stand. I am not a big fan of smoke, but I promise you
if I return to Madrid, you will most likely find me at El Junco. It is a place
where you can interact with others and listen to some great jazz.
“It’s fun working, if you love jazz,” said Alicia Rodriguez, 30, of
Madrid, a waitress/bartender/manager.
So many people play at El Junco, both beginners and professionals.
Norman Fredrick Hogoe, 42, of Queens, New York, slide trombone/baritone
sax/trumpet, has played with Latin legends, such as Hector Levo, Celia
Cruz, and other known Latin artists. I had an interesting conversation with
David Munoz, 28, of Gijon, Spain, a singer/harmonica player who loves
jazz. As he was drinking a wine cooler with limon, Munoz said, “I have been
traveling and playing music all over Spain, but I am waiting for an offer
from the States.”
Carmen’s de la Calle Café has been open for six in a half years.
Carmen’s is located on Mistletoe Street in a residential neighborhood that
is not too far from downtown. The café has white Christmas lights with
tables inside and out. As you walk into the gates, it’s a $5 cover charge,
and if you choose to smoke, you need to smoke outside. You’ll see people
smoking out on the patio. Walking indoors, the jazz band is on the right
side and you will find the bar to the left. The lights inside are semi-dim, and
it has the vibe of going to relax and enjoy some coffee. You’ll see small
round tables with candles gleaming in the middle around the stage.
Carmen’s is a good size place; the audience is mainly an older crowd
in their 40s and above. It is laid back; people are sitting down while the
band plays old school jazz. I asked one of the band members for his
recommendations. Rene Saenz, 50, of Chicago, Illinois, sax/flute player
said, “Listen to the greats from the ‘30s to now. Go as far back as possible:
Miles Davis, Art Tatum, Etc.”
You will also find Carmen’s serving food that is similar to food
in Spain. I had the queso con chorizo with chips on the side.
“It’s an awesome place to come to. I am new to the city, and I have
not seen anything else like it,” said Priscila Castillo, 23, of Huntington
Beach, California, a waitress/bartender.
The doors open at six in the evening but the band starts playing at 8
p.m. Depending on what day of the week it is, they might close either at 10
p.m. or midnight.
At both places, you will find good customer service, good music and a
bar. What else do you need? In my eyes, I loved El Junco Jazz Club because
they played more up beat jazz, and I felt like I fit in perfectly because it was
a young crowd and you don’t really see that in the States. I wish I could
find a place in San Antonio that has really good jazz music and a young
crowd.
