July 10, 2007 San Antonio, Texas

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.