Kurt Ribak - bassist

December 2003 Calendar

Calendar - Upcoming Gigs

NOTE: Gigs are often added, canceled, or rescheduled at the last minute. You are welcome to call or e-mail me to confirm performance dates and times. The gigs listed below are an incomplete list and do not include private engagements.
 

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Lorna K and the Lorna K Kombeau - vocal jazz
House of Shields
the first and third Tuesdays of each month
39 New Montgomery (South of Market, between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
San Francisco, CA

House of Shields has re-re-opened, and Lorna K is back. This is a lovely old bar and grill, founded 1908. It's good to see it back in business. This is a steady gig once again, and I will be there every other week, with either Robin Lewis or Tony Marcus on guitar. Robin also plays regularly in my band. He's the guy with the seven-string guitar with the wacky Novax fretboard. The frets are not parallel, but instead are optimized for each note, like on a grand piano, where the string length varies for the note. The other suspect, Tony Marcus, plays swing rhythm guitar like a demon. You may have seen him with his wife Patrice in their group "Leftover Dreams", with R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders (yes, *that* R. Crumb) and with the group Cats and Jammers.
 

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Kurt Ribak - original jazz
House of Shields
Wednesday, Dec. 3
39 New Montgomery (South of Market, between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
San Francisco, CA

My band is back at House of Shields! We had a steady gig here for a while in 2002. We are playing the first three Wednesdays of December. It's really important that people come to this gig so that we will be booked back here. Robin Lewis is on guitar, Hal Richards is on woodwinds. Come on down!
 

Thursday, Dec. 4, 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Lorna K (jazz vocals and French songs)
Cafe de la Presse
352 Bush near Grant Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415-398-2680
All ages
no cover
http://www.themenupage.com/cafedelapresse.html
http://www.cafedelapresse.com

Lorna has played regularly at cafe de la Presse over the years. It's the best place in town to get a copy of Paris-Match or other foreign magazines and have anything from a drink at the bar to a full meal in the restaurant part. There is also a cafe at the site. The joint is across the street from the French Consulate General.

The Thursday night gig is convenient for those working in downtown SF, as the restaurant is close to the Financial District. Michael Groh, formerly of the Hot Club of San Francisco, will be on guitar. This is actually Lorna's group Degage«, with me subbing on bass. We'll be doing American and French standards.
 

Friday, Dec. 5, 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - Original jazz
Prima Ristorante
http://www.primaristorante.com/
1522 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA
Every Friday, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
All ages

This is a great gig. The band is really developing - on this gig we regularly get into "the zone," where we feel like something really special is happening with the music. The response of the staff and the clientele has been great.

Prima is one of the best restaurants in Walnut Creek, which has developed a pretty lively downtown in recent years and supports a number of excellent restaurants. The Bonanza Book Store, an excellent independent bookstore, is also nearby. Prima is stylish, has excellent food, and is known for their wine list. In fact, they also operate a wine store, which is next door. Come on by, but keep in mind this is a pricier and more elegant restaurant than Rock Soup or Cato's. Dress is casual, however.

Prima has a Yamaha baby grand piano - the C3 model. We will be taking advantage of this by using the fine pianist Greg Sankovich. Greg and I were in the UC Jazz Ensembles many years ago, when he was already a fine pianist and I was new to playing bass. Greg is a great guy to boot. Gerry Grosz also plays piano on some of the dates. Kevin Mummey is the regular drummer, with Randy Odell and Tim Solook both subbing. All are fine drummers - it's a treat to play with them.

I want to give special thanks here to Naso Eleftheriadis, owner of Nefeli Cafe (Euclid by the UC Berkeley campus) and a waiter at Prima, for helping me get this gig. Naso used to own Odyssia in Berkeley, where I used to play with 3 Go T. Naso recommended us to Prima, and was invaluable in our landing this gig. Thanks, Naso! We wouldn't have the gig without you!
 

Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 PM to midnight
note time change
Kurt Ribak - Original jazz
Jupiter
2181 Shattuck Avenue (at Center Street), Berkeley,
across from the Berkeley main BART station
510-THE-TAPS for directions
510-THE-ROCK for information on music and specials
http://www.jupiterbeer.com
No cover
21 and over

This is always a fun gig. Jupiter is a very popular place - they've got an excellent beer selection, food, a patio area, and lots of attractive twentysomethings. It's near the UC campus and is easily accessible by BART. This will be a trio date with Greg Sankovich on keyboards and Tim Solook on drums. We'll be playing indoors as it's winter. on the ground floor of the Shattuck side of the building. Please note we'll be playing from 9 PM to midnight rather than 8 PM to 11 PM as originally scheduled. Have some beer and food, people watch or hang out with friends, and listen to us play.
 

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Kurt Ribak - original jazz
House of Shields
Wednesday, Dec. 10
39 New Montgomery (South of Market, between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
San Francisco, CA

Robin Lewis is on guitar, Hal Richards is on woodwinds. Come on down!
 

Friday, Dec. 12, 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - Original jazz
Prima Ristorante
http://www.primaristorante.com/
1522 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA
Every Friday, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
All ages
 

Saturday, Dec. 13, 8:00 to 11:00 PM
Kurt Ribak Band - Original jazz
George Kaye's
4044 Broadway - Broadway at 41st
Oakland, CA
510-547-9374
Saturday, Dec. 13
8 PM to 11 PM
21 and over - no cover

This is a really cool dive bar in Oakland. Owner/bartender/scholar/pilot/bon vivant David Biddle will be presiding. The clientele is pretty diverse racially, agewise, and classwise. The regulars include doctors, nurses, lawyers, musicians, graduate students, dancers, artists, cab drivers, and mechanics. You may also see dogs wandering about. Some of the artists are very good indeed, by the way, although the quality of art on display varies. It's the kind of bar where you go for more than just drinks - I've bought Christmas trees there, borrowed books, bought pieces of art, and art books from the creators and made new friends, as well as purchased a steady supply of scotch. Heck, it's such a good bar that non-smokers and even non-drinkers hang out there because it's a real neighborhood bar with a lot of intersting regulars.

Please note - this is an owner-operated bar that allows smoking. It is the only place I play that allows smoking. If you want a drink and a smoke, this is your place. If you really don't want to be around that, then please come to one of my other gigs instead.

If you want to be at a good old-fashioned lively bar, this is the place. I was there one night and the bar was on fire and a young woman did a dance on the bar and an unsolicited lapdance for a patron. She then protested that she was in fact a "good" girl - not that anybody had claimed otherwise. So it's that kind of place. At least, it can be. Other nights I have seen other similarly stimulating things. This will be a holiday season party for the bar, and there should be holiday grub on hand.

The band will be Hal Richards on woodwinds, me (Kurt Ribak, the guy in the picture at the top of this page), Saul Kaye on guitar, and Randy Odell on drums.
 

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Lorna K and the Lorna K Kombeau - vocal jazz
House of Shields
the first and third Tuesdays of each month
39 New Montgomery (South of Market, between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
San Francisco, CA
 

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Kurt Ribak - original jazz
House of Shields
Wednesday, Dec. 17
39 New Montgomery (South of Market, between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
San Francisco, CA

This week Tom Griesser will be with us on woodwinds.  Tom and I used to play together in Section 8 Project and in 3 Go T.  Tom still leads 3 Go T and also plays in the Marcus Shelby Orchestra.  Robin Lewis is on guitar.

Thursday, Dec. 18, 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Lorna K (jazz vocals)
Cafe de la Presse
352 Bush near Grant Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415-398-2680
All ages
no cover
http://www.themenupage.com/cafedelapresse.html
http://www.cafedelapresse.com
 

Friday, Dec. 19, 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - Original jazz
Prima Ristorante
http://www.primaristorante.com/
1522 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA
Every Friday, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
All ages
 

Wednesday, Dec. 24, 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Christmas Eve Service
First United Methodist Church

201 Martina, Pt. Richmond, CA
(510) 236-0527
 

This is a Christmas Eve service led by jazz pianist and pastor Dan Damon. Kevin Mummey will be playing drums on the gig. I play with Kevin regularly in my own group. If you're looking for a church service to attend Christmas Eve, I would suggeest checking out First United Methodist Church.
 

Friday, Dec. 26, 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - Original jazz
Prima Ristorante
http://www.primaristorante.com/
1522 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA
Every Friday, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
All ages
 

Tuesday, Dec. 30, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Lorna K and the Lorna K Kombeau - vocal jazz
House of Shields
the first and third (and sometimes the fifth) Tuesdays of each month
39 New Montgomery (South of Market, between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
San Francisco, CA
 

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM
Kurt Ribak Trio - Original jazz
Prima Ristorante
http://www.primaristorante.com/
1522 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA
All ages

We'll be playing New Year's Eve at Prima.
 
 
 

Thanks, and please feel free to say hi if you come to a gig!

You can check out mp3s of my music at http://www.ribak.com/mp3s.html
 

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