My Latest Trip Advisor Revier - Yoshi's Fillmore, San Francisco - December 1, 2012

Trip Advisor has always been one of my favorite resources for information on travel,
hotels, destination information, restaurants and the like.  I also write reviews myself,
and, recently, achieved the status of "Top Contributor" - you have to write fifty reviews.
You can check out what I had to say about Yoshi's Fillmore at the site:

Yoshi's Jazz House & Restaurant November 30, 2012

"Great food and Sony Holland as well - a real treat!"

I've often found the food at dinner theatres is not up to par but not so at Yoshi's...and the
drinks are superb.  I'd eaten there once before, again for a Sony Holland venue and both times,  I went to hear her sing, happily satiated with good food and wine.  Of course, it
wouldn't have mattered what I'd eaten, the sound of her voice makes life wonderful!

To get an idea of what I mean, check out Sony's website at:

http://www.sonyholland.com/ - you can hear some of her wonderful music ( and
husband, Jerry Holland's lyrics and guitar, as well )

Beautiful Sony at Yoshi's Fillmore, 11-18-2012

Jerry Holland, on the guitar, and the other guys in her terrific L.A. based band


http://yout6pA9EMYIpzsu.be/

If you haven't visited TripAdvisor, stop by there as well - http://www.tripadvisor.com/.

It's a great site.  Try writing some reviews and share your opinions with all of us!

Sony Holland & All That Jazz - Flash 55 Friday, August 13, 2010

Sony Holland & All That Jazz - Flash 55 Friday, August 13, 2010

Sony Holland sings a song,

Sending shivers down your spine,

Her sultry, sexy voice is one,

That leaves you feeling so divine!

Songs by husband, Jerry Holland,

Are exquisite as can be,

And American Songbook standards,

Shine with Sony artistry.

Sony has a way with jazz,

sometimes seductive,

sometimes pizazz!

Giving it all she has!

I am participating in Flash 55 where you must write a piece in just 55 words.

If you want to join in, go to Mr. G Man

Fans of Sony and Jerry Holland had a great time tonight when the L. A. residents were
back in town at one of their old venues, Cafe Divine, for a party for the release of their
new CD, Sanssouci.  The place was sold out a few weeks ago when it was announced
they would be performing tonight and tomorrow from 7PM to 9PM.  We've all been bereft
since they moved to Los Angeles in June last year though they did return once to play at
Cafe Divine and a San Francisco contingent went down for a couple of their L. A. gigs. 
They are not just performers, the Hollands have become friends over the six plus years
they lived in San Francisco and, many of us, have formed friendships with each other,
meeting repeatedly at Sony and Jerry's venues.  So, tonight, was not only fabulous music
as only this duo can perform, it was "old home" week.

The new CD is wonderful, with five of Jerry's original compositions among the 13
selections and Sony is superb.  Jerry's guitar is phenomenol!  I can't wait for another
performance tomorrow night!

Sony, tonight at Cafe Divine

Conferring with husband, Jerry

"Dos Hollands" making beautiful music together

My good friend, Joanne Olivieri, aka Poetic Shutterbug and ,
no, that bottle wasn't full of wine, only water

Kris Bleything, my nurse practitioner friend and former CASARC colleague

Sony and Jerry - dos Hollands at their last SF performance, June 2009, before L. A. move

My Romance

Embrace Me

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Jazz, Burgers and Beer - Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, CA

My friend, Margie Baker, the wonderful jazz singer, PhD, esteemed San Francisco retired teacher and educator, performs one Thursday a month at the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay, California.  I've always wanted to see her in that venue but the Ritz is a little out of my price range, especially since my retirement.  Nonetheless, my friend, Silvia and I decided to go for their "Jazz, Burgers and Beer" event this past Thursday.  The Ritz offers this package for $19, including validated parking so we figured that wasn't too bad.  We'd sip and eat slowly, enjoy
great music for three hours, and enjoy the incredible ambiance.

I must say, this Ritz Carlton is one of the most beautiful I've seen.  It is perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific coast of Half Moon Bay, about 25 miles south of San Francisco.  We went on a perfect day, just before sunset so, for our $19 each, we had magnificent views ( of course, the view could be had for no monetary outlay, compliments of the Creator - but the enhancement of a nice glass of wine and Margie Baker singing the blues made it truly beyond description! ).

One of many orchid displays

Part of the golf course, on the Pacific

Pacific sunset at the Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, CA

Day is almost done

The gazebo, in the glow of the setting sun

The Ritz, as viewed from the Pacific Ocean side -

lounge is one the second floor with the wide windows

Silvia had fish and chips

I opted for fritto misto - a combination of calamari and shrimp

Our beloved, Margie Baker

Margie did three songs that really made me happy - "Georgia" ( of course, this GA girl always

likes to hear that and can she ever do this song justice! ) - "Basin Street Blues" ( Margie knows I went to nursing school in New Orleans - my friend, Shota Osaba, a fabulous jazz pianist who plays for Margie occasionally and is the one who introduced me to her, always plays this for me

but this is the first time I've heard her sing it - WOW! ) and my all time favorite, "At Last" ( in her wonderful voice that can reach out to the Pacific, Margie sang this so beautifully, it almost brought tears to my eyes!  Really, every song she sang was great but I love to hear her do blues.  It always makes me think of those nursing school days back in New Orleans. 

I just kept thinking that this woman, who taught the children of San Francisco for almost half a century, and traveled the world singing jazz, probably did more for world peace than half the U.N. negotiations and political struttings over the years.  I think music is a universal language that helps people communicate and understand each other and Margie Baker sure knows how to speak it!

Dos Hollands Delight San Francisco Fans!

What a great evening we had last night.  It was just like old times at Cafe Divine in San Francisco's North Beach.  Our beloved jazz diva, Sony Holland, and her songwriter, guitarist husband, Jerry Holland, performed for two hours to a totally packed house of her long time fans and friends.  The mood was boisterous as Sony sang old favorites and some new songs Jerry has written since the couple's move to Los Angeles.  Not only do we miss having the Hollands
in San Francisco where they performed almost weekly, we miss seeing each other on a regular basis!

Here are a few pictures of our evening which, in addition to great music, involved good food and wine!

Beautiful Sony

My friend and former co-worker, Kris Bleything and me

Cafe Divine, showing good music, good food and good wine

Jerry Holland, who writes incredible music and lyrics and plays a mean guitar

Jo ( Poetic Shutterbug ) and her cousin, Elise - a bit blurry, for some reason - still pretty

Donna Watkins

Nancy and Jim

Wade of Cafe Divine

Some serious singing!

Carmen and Jennifer

Cafe Divine's famous lamb shank

Carmen, eating cave man style!

Here's what you missed by not being at Cafe Divine with us on Friday night!

Margie Baker

I am constantly reminded about how lucky I am to live in the San Francisco area.  Margie Baker is one of those reasons.  She is one of the incredible entertainers I've met through my friendship with Shota Osabe, one of the best jazz pianists around.  

Since his arrival in San Francisco in 1968, Shota has played with greats such as Liza Minnelli, Bob Hope and Dizzy Gillespi and many of our Bay area stars.  I first met him when he played for my favorite jazz diva, Sony Holland.  He accompanied her to Tokyo for her three month gig at the New York Bar at the Park Hyatt ( a real plus since he is Japanese and a native speaker! ).  Shota has two CDs of his own:  Happy Coat and Happy Count.

At any rate, Shota plays and does arrangements for a number of artists.  Margie Baker is one of them.  I first went to see her when Shota played keyboards for her at a San Francisco restaurant and jazz club called Shanghai 1930.  I fell in love with Margie, a delightful African American woman, over seventy, retired from the San Francisco school district with a doctorate in education!  Margie, originally from a small town in Texas, was born in poverty.  She moved here when her mother came to be a riveter during World War II building Navy ships.  Margie finished high school at fifteen, then went to UC Berkeley on a scholarship.  She finished up at San Francisco State and went to school nights for her masters and PhD.  

Margie always sang but she didn't begin singing professionally until 1973.  When a guitarist friend coaxed her out of the audience to sing at  Henri's Room at the San Francisco Hilton, she was immediately hired by Baron and Conrad Hilton who were in the audience.  She sang at Hiltons for the next twenty years.

Currently she sings at several San Francisco area locales, including Burlingame's Hyatt Regency where she performs at Sunday brunch.  That's where I saw her today.  I join the "family" table off to the side where the musicians gather during their breaks and delight in being able to chat with Margie and Shota.  Also, it is wonderful to be so close when this amazing lady belts out a sultry blues number, or sings a sexy samba, or gets the joint jumping with, "When the Saints 
Go Marching In."  

I usually forego the $38.00 brunch and just get a latte and have a couple of hours of wonderful
music to begin my Sunday.  One song I especially like that Margie sings is "I Want a Pig Foot
and a Bottle of Beer."  That one appears on her CD, "Margie Baker and Friends Live at Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society." 

All I know is that I leave the Hyatt on Sunday with a smile on my face, my toes tapping, ready to tackle just about anything, my aches and pains forgotten for a little while.  Thank you so much, Margie!  You are one hot tamale.

The delightful Margie Baker

Making music

Enjoying their work