Bacon And Bebop

A classy black and white frontage, the colours of jazz—purple, blues and greens—predominant in the interiors, a guitar-shaped bar, imported music equipment and impressive portrait prints of the greats, a CD and LD collection as well-stocked as the bar, coloured wood furniture, an ice-box for every table, detailed salt-and-peppers, coasters, matchbox covers and stirrers which tell the tale of the place or of the performers, memorabilia in the form of T-shirts, watches, piano letter-holders.... So when Jazz by the Bay opened on January 19, it was greeted by a full house. And it's been thus ever since.

Bookings for the weekend begin as early as Tuesday. Often, guests without a reservation, however well-turned out they may be, are...well, turned out. The guest list boasts of Sanjay Dutt, Rhea Pillai, Shweta Shetty, Lisa Ray, Vinod Khanna, Adi Godrej, Gary Lawyer, Indus Creed to name a few. Topping them all is Herbie Hancock, who sampled the place and found it appetising for those who appreciate jazz.

The menu (which Hancock didn't partake of because of a strict diet) is as impressive: Spirits, cocktails, mocktails—as you like it. Continental cuisine comprising favourites like Ranch House Special (grilled chicken steak poured over with black peppercorn, cream sauce), pasta arabiata (flavoured with basil, tomatoes and mild chilly flakes), sea delico (baby clams, prawns and pasta in basil cream sauce), and spaghetti carbonara (spaghetti tossed with smoked bacon). And desserts to die for: ebony and ivory (walnut brownie with vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream) and mandarin chocolate mousse laced with orange and brandy). All courtesy chef Justice Philips.

It is the musical fare and the cover charge of Rs 250 per person that makes you want to eat your heart out. The first two days of the week are devoted to the DJ playing your requests, affordable at the Rs 150 cover charge. The price gets steep from Wednesday to Sunday when the live performance varies between Merlyn D'Souza with Sound Advice, the Blue Note Jazz Quartet with Ursula, Bodh-isatva, Toni Pinto Jazz Quartet with Ella and Louis Banks Jazz Quartet with Pam Crain.

"There are die-hards who believe that jazz in India is nothing but Louis Banks, Louis Banks and more Louis Banks. Weekends are a virtual stampede," adds restaurant manager Satyen Dasondi. The 68-seater restaurant hits bigtime on weekends with wanna-watch buffs standing by the bar, nursing a drink and tired feet.

What is it that they want to hear? "Most of the requests are the standards," says Neil Murray, managing director of the Fountainhead who, along with Brian Tellis, runs the music part of the show. "There are few who ask for John Coltrane, fusion jazz and Latin jazz."?

The artistes, all hardened performers, occasionally play to the gallery with When the Saints Go Marching In, Take Five, Mack the Knife, Fever, What a Wonderful Life and Girl from Ipanema. "But this is also a place where we give vent to our feelings. We've never had a place like this, where performers get a free rein and I think it will be a boon for budding talent," says Pinto. The creaky notes are played by the incessant chatter of the customer, with the glass touch to the interior jarring the acoustics. These, however, bypass the buff. One believer is overheard commenting: "Long ago I wanted to be a truck driver, then a bookstore helper. Now I want to be a waiter in a jazz bar."?

Prophetic words that echo the sentiments of Jazz by the Bay's valet parking card: Big or small, we park 'em all.?