By Patte Purcell
One question that I’m asked all the time is ‘where can I find some good live jazz?’ Although there are several places, one of the best and growing venues are the Fisherman’s Market & Grills. There are now 3 of them in the desert.
The original in Palm Springs is a cool outdoor place to sit and watch your favorites. The restaurant has delicious food and reasonably priced drinks. Shanghai Reds Bar and Grill is located at 235 South Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, Ca. It is a full-Service restaurant with pastas, lamb, and beef dishes and an array of signature high quality seafood. They have a great stage with jazz and blues weekly. On Thursdays the Smooth Brothers’ John Carey and Theo Coakely perform beginning at 8. (They are nominees for the Coachella Valley Music Awards for Best Instrumental Jazz artists.) On Fridays the Barry Baughn Band plays the blues beginning at 8 pm.
The Palm Desert location at 44250 Town Center Way, C-2 Palm Desert (2 doors from Trader Joes) has expanded their self-serve dining to include a bar with menu and an outdoor patio where they have live entertainment. We went to see Blusion star Deanna Bogart there on Saturday with her band. Deanna tours the world performing her unique ‘bluesion’ music and performs once a month or whenever she is in the desert. (Deanna is a nominee for Best Blues Artist for the Coachella Valley Music Awards).
They have live music Tuesday through Saturday. On Tuesdays Chuck Alvarez performs a blues solo. He plays a mean guitar and sings with a gritty authentic style.
Wednesday through Friday from 6-9 the beautiful Gina Carey sings (she’s also nominated for the Best Adult Contemporary Artist for the Coachella Valley Music Awards). On Friday blues artist Barry Baughn and Bob Gross (bass) perform.
The new La Quinta location at 78575 Highway 111, #100, La Quinta, hosts Barry Minniefield on Thursdays from 7 pm and the Smooth Brothers on Friday and Saturdays from 7 pm.
I’ve been a fan of the Palm Springs location since last year when I first reviewed it. Owner Louis Pagano and his staff have created great places to dine on great seafood, including their legendary fish tacos while enjoying great live music and dancing, in a fun relaxed atmosphere.
We applaud Fisherman’s Market and Grill for helping to keep jazz, blues, and live music alive in the desert! For more info visit their website at www.fishermans.com
Side Note: Don’t miss our Celebrity Jazz Jam next Monday from 5-8 at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert. This event is sponsored by Coachella Valley Weekly and features 15 national artists and local favorites. Jeff Goldblum actor and piano virtuoso will be performing with 14 other national artists from LA and Las Vegas. It features all kinds of jazz, from originals to standards and Latin Jazz. Wine tasting, tequila tasting from Alien Tequila and a special Chef Francois Buffet are additional. For tickets contact 1-800-316-8559 or pick your seats at www.purplepass.com/celebrityjazzjam4
