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While in Los Angeles I got eat at Beacon, an experience which definitely warrants a post here on the blog. I found Beacon just by chance. It is across the street from the Jazz Bakery where I was to hear Matt Wilson perform later in the evening. The Jazz Bakery folks recommended Beacon and another restaurant nearby. I am glad we chose Beacon.

Beacon serves Asian food with a creative twist. Their two executive chefs have been written up in some publications and I found out that LA Magazine rated Beacon as one of the top 25 restaurants in LA. It certainly deserves it as far as I’m concerned.

First of all, we got to sit outside on their lovely patio in the cool LA evening weather, under space heaters. Just about the perfect environment. Then came the food. I was there with my sister and we decided to split everything so we could make a two course meal into four courses.

We started with the chef’s soup of the day. An amazing combination of carrots and ginger and probably a lot of other stuff all pureed down into an amazing experience. Then there was the sauteed mushroom salad, also fantastic. Then, there was pad thai. I got the pad thai because I pretty much always get it any time I’m anywhere that serves it. It’s one of my favorite dishes and I just have to see what it’s like. It was great. Maybe not the best I’ve ever had, but definitely unique and right up there on my list.

But the first three courses were nothing compared to the grand finale, the hanger steak. This dish was highly recommended by the waiter and he was right on. An amazingly tender steak marinated and served in a sauce that I can’t even begin to describe other than to just say “wow,” and topped off with a lovely tab of wasabi relish. Unbelievable.

As you can tell, I am 100% in favor of Beacon. The service, the food and the environment are all well worth the trip. So, if you’re ever in LA and in the mood for a great dinner and some jazz, it just doesn’t get much better than Beacon and the Jazz Bakery.

While in Los Angeles, I got to hear some live jazz at the Jazz Bakery. The bakery is a neat little venue. It’s a non-profit organization supporting live jazz and they appear to bring in some pretty great players. That was definitely true the night that I got to go.

I had not heard of Matt Wilson before, but after getting to know him a bit through a little research, he appears to be a pretty well known and accomplished player. What I can say from my personal experience is that he’s a fantastic drummer and his band, Arts and Crafts, consists of three additional musicians who are each fabulous as well. Altogether, hearing this group ranks pretty highly up there on my live jazz experiences. Granted, I don’t get to have a lot of live jazz listening experiences living in OKC, but I try to take advantage any time I’m in a major city. The trip to hear Matt Wilson was definitely worth it.

His group includes Matt Wilson, of course, on drums. He’s a versatile drummer with a great ability to explore unusual and unique sounds through his instrument. Plus, he has a great ability to play in a wide dynamic range. Actually, all of the musicians in his group excel at making dynamics an integral part of their musicianship.

Next is Terell Stafford on trumpet, a phenomenally versatile player with a beautiful tone and a whole lot of licks under his fingers. Gary Versace played acoustic piano, accordion, and a special treat for me, an actual Hammond organ. With all three instruments at his disposal, he brought a unique sound to each new tune. And with some obvious classical training and experience behind him, he offered interpretations I found to be extremely interesting and challenging. Finally, Dennis Irwin played bass. He also plays clarinet, evidently, as there was a clarinet laying next to him, but he never used it during the set I attended.

Together, Arts and Crafts creates a sound that is rooted in standards-driven acoustic jazz but when you hear them, you realize there is nothing ordinary or simple about anything they bring. They push the limits of their instruments, of dynamics, of form and of tone in ways that are challenging while still offering enough foundation to keep the ground under their feet.

I’m in an airport working my way back to Oklahoma City after a quick trip to Los Angeles spending time with my sister. Here’s a little summary of the trip highlights, though I may write more about specifics in future posts.

Got to eat at Chipotle. Got to eat at a local Thai place in Pasadena. Got to eat at the Hat, which is a local sandwich shop famous for their enormous pastrami dip sandwiches. And when I say enormous, I mean so big that two people can split one and it’s still too big. Got to eat at a neat little fish taco place. Got to eat at Beacon, an upscale asian restaurant in Culver City that will definitely warrant a future post. Got to eat at Sandwiches by Connol, which is a little local Pasadena sandwich shop that also has breakfast burritos. And, finally, got to eat at In-and-Out burger, a must for me on any trip to the west.

In addition to eating a lot, I also got to hear some jazz at the Jazz Bakery (future post forthcoming), and drive about taking a quick whirlwind tour of Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica including setting my feet in the Pacific Ocean.

All in all, a pretty full trip for just a few days. More detail on some of the high points to come.