No Brooklyn apartment for G on Thursday; looked at one in Crown Heights and did a drive-by in the Red Hook section, but no luck. So G and I decided to drop by the 55 Bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village before heading home to CT. The bar is a small, below-street-level joint that features two jazz shows nightly. We finally found it and, subsequently, a place to park about three blocks away, and settled in around 7 o'clock, the slated time for Katie Bull and her supporting trio (keyboards, bass, drums) to start their set.While we wait for Kate (snicker), we order up a Brooklyn Lager 'n a Sam and look around - G notices a print of A Great Day In Harlem that I gave to CB (along with accompanying CD)for her graduation in June; photos and album covers of jazz greats adorn the walls while, curiously, punk blares from the club's sound system; instruments are set up down in the front corner. No food.
A diverse crowd is filling in the dozen or so cocktail tables that take up the area from back to front opposite the bar; we slide from our barstool perches to grab one for the show. Kate beckons to a woman seated along the wall who we guess is Mom. Suddenly, at about 7:15, everything goes silent and it's show time. Kate starts off singing her band introductions, then launches into a scat-laced mix of standards and her own compositions. She has an interesting delivery, a great voice and she seems to enjoy work. According to her website, Katie will be appearing every six weeks on Thursdays exclusively at 55BAR.With the completion of the first of Kate's two sets, we hit the head and then the pavement - it's a long ride back to CT. Neat place, good music. Try it.
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