Special Sections

Young at Heart Hot Club Pacific: local jazz band has weekly shows at Gayle's and many fans By Tara Fatemi Walker Young at Heart In Santa Cruz County Special Advertising Supplement to the Santa Cruz Sentinel Continued on page 2 August 2023 edition LIC.# 440708773 Dominican Oaks offers a robust calendar full of activities for active retirees. Join us as we explore Santa Cruz County and more! Bus driver Michelle joins in on the fun at the Martinelli apple cider tasting Residents Estelle and Bear at Seacliff Beach Admiring a unique display at Succulent Gardens in Watsonville Residents look up at the towering redwoods at Henry Cowell State Park We'll take you there! Apartments Available Now! Call us at (831) 462-6257 or visit DominicanOaks.com to schedule a tour Every Thursday night, all year 'round, rich sounds of music fill the enclosed patio at Gayle's Bakery— thanks to the talented instrumentalists who make up jazz band Hot Club Pacific. Hot Club Pacific (HCP) has been performing at Gayle's for about 15 years. With no cover charge, a high caliber of musicians, and fun and catchy songs that will have your toes tapping in no time, these shows are definitely a steal! They play Thursdays at 5 p.m. They stop at around 7:15 p.m., 15 minutes before Gayle's closes. The band plays jazz and Gypsy jazz standards. Ev- ery show is different; they don't use setlists. "And we take requests," says Marc Schwartz, a 65-year- old Santa Cruz County resident who serves as manager and lead gui- tarist. At a recent show, songs included "The Girl from Ipanema," "If I Had You," and "Blue Monk." Schwartz founded HCP about 18 years ago with guitarist Jack Fields. Depending on the show, you will find different musicians playing; some of them are former Santa Cruz County residents who return to play. Others are locals with busy free- lance schedules. "At this point I am rotating some of the best pro jazz play- ers from this area along with a few Bay Area pros to make each gig happen," says Schwartz. Schwartz had careers in two other fields, food/ beverage and law, before pursuing music full- time about 20 years ago. "Music is my passion." He has played guitar since 1968, and his influences include John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, and Joe Pass. He appreciates playing weekly at Gayle's. "We always get a great listening audience," Schwartz says. "In addi- tion, the food is great, and they feed us." The band also plays at The Crow's Nest regularly (and has for 15 years); it's the fourth Wednesday of each month from 7-10 p.m.—these shows have a cover charge and a dance floor. "We enjoy it; we love playing for dancers," says Schwartz. "We're one of the few jazz bands that plays 'danceable' jazz. Our music always has a groove." Jack Fields had retired from an accounting career when he got a phone call from Schwartz, who he'd never met. "He heard from a mutual acquain- tance that I played swing guitar," says Fields. "He informed me he had a gig the next night and the guitar player he was working with couldn't make it, and asked if I was available. I hadn't played professionally for several years. My wife urged me to take the gig." And the rest is history. For the first 10 years, he played all of HCP's gigs, sometimes three per week. "We played all over: here in Santa Cruz, of course, but also festival gigs in Los Angeles and Seattle. We were very busy." Then he went back to work as an accountant, so he had less time. "We talked about it and started work- ing other musicians into the lineup so that I could have flexibility." Speaking of flexibility, Fields greatly appreciates HCP's musical flexibility. "Everyone associated with the project are top-notch players and can play any- thing. While ostensibly a swing band, we have also played country, pop, rock, Latin, blues…for instance, on one live radio show we played songs by The Cure, The Rolling Stones, and Leonard Cohen." Drummer Olaf Schiap- pacasse, a 73-year-old Santa Cruz resident, has been a professional drummer for 55 years. He plays with the band about three or four times a month, at Gayle's and/ or The Crow's Nest. "I enjoy playing with HCP because we play a nice selection of jazz and swing standards from what is known as 'The Great American Song- book.' These are songs that are very interesting Band members Bill Bosch, Marc Schwartz, Jack Fields, Olaf Schiappacasse, and Dale Mills - Submitted photo

• Cover