Infrequent Seams Series @ Le Grand Dakar 8/7/08

I finally made it to Dakar. I've been wanting to check it out since it opened. I always thought it was in Williamsburg, but it's in Clinton Hill, a place I'd never known existed, let alone been there. I treated it like an adventure, kind of like finding a new place in NOLA. I mean, most of Brooklyn is quieter than Manhattan and can seem kind of desolate when you are used to lots of people around always.

It was a short walk from the G train to the place, but it was a pleasant walk. The houses on the south side of Lafayette reminded me of Philly. Le Grand Dakar had a nice vibe, a nice feeling there. I hear the food is very good, so another time I want to drag some Brooklynites out there with me.

I got there during the last song of the first band, Billy Fox's Uncle Wiggly Suite. It was good! Trumpet, sax, keyboard, contrabass, drums, and I think there was something else I'm forgetting. I twas very enjoyable new jazz. I kind of wished I had made it out earlier.

I was coaxed out there by Mike Pride and Dariuis Jones, who are in Mike's project From Bacteria to Boys. That was great. I liked the sound there as well.

I really wanted to stay for the bass duo, but it was about 10:15, and I needed sleep and I was concerned about travelling from somewhere in Brooklyn when it was late. It turned out to be fine, but when I got to the train, one had just arrived before me. Then, it was just me and one other person on the platform waiting for about 10 minutes. There was a station attendant in a booth upstairs, so I guess if it was just me, I could wait up there until the train came. The train had plenty of people and the rest of the journey was fine. When I got back to the East Village, there were tons of people everywhere and it felt quite different.

I loved the spot and will be back. I recommend it. This looks like a good music series. The guy who does it was the bass player in the 1st band. He said it's been at Le Grand Dakar more recently, but it sounds like it can move around at times.


http://dakarcafe.net/index.html
http://www.myspace.com/infrequentseams
August 7, 8PM $8:: Infrequent Seams Series @ Le Grand Dakar
1. Billy Fox's Uncle Wiggly Suite: Gary Pickard, Matt Parker, Miki Hirose, Evan Mazunik, James Ilgenfritz, and Arei Sekiguchi -- will perform selections from Billy Fox's Clean Feed album, "The Uncle Wiggly Suite"
2. Mike Pride's FROM BACTERIA TO BOYS: MP, drums, compositions / Darius Jones, alto sax / Peter Bitenc, bass
3. Reuben Radding & Michael Bisio Bass Duo
Le Grand Dakar Restaurant
285 Grand Avenue @ Clifton Place (near Lafayette), Clinton Hill, Bklyn.
G train to Classon Avenue - head north on Lafayette, turn right on Grand;
C to Clinton/Washington - head north on Washington, turn right on Lafayette, right again on Grand.