Pink-Section Praise=Sold-Out Show?

Well, we sold out our Sunday afternoon show at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society in Half Moon Bay, probably with help from the gorgeous weather (I took a walk on the beach before the show), the KPFA radio interview and this nice writeup in the San Francisco Chronicle's pink section:

"With a voice sweet, pure and strong, Alexa Weber Morales is poised to ride the Bay Area Latin jazz scene to national recognition. On her new CD, "Vagabundeo/Wanderings," she spans a wide spectrum of the music, getting help from ace producer, arranger and trombonist Wayne Wallace."

Pete Douglas, the proprietor of BDDS, is quite a character. He claims his job is "listening to jazz, drinking gin and smoking marijuana." His non-profit venue has been operating for over 40 years, bringing the best in jazz and classical performances to enthusiastic audiences. In the green room, which is also a living quarters on his beach-side compound, there are photos of all the great performers who have graced his hall, from Billy Drummond to Dizzy Gillespie.

Douglas is a bebopper through and through, so at intermission he told me I was wonderful, but would I please let the rhythm section "stretch out and take more solos." Now, some gigs I do have a few instrumentals planned, but this was not one of them. I asked the band if they wanted to do a tune without me but they said it was my gig and I should stick to my set list. In the second set, however, we opened with a tune that Jeff Chambers always likes to solo on, and he took a long one. A few more tunes went by with extended improvs by Jeff, Wayne, Edgardo and Murray. Pleased with myself, I said on mic to Pete (who was running sound), "Pete, are you happy now that everyone has soloed more?" To which he replied, "No, why don't you get off the stage and let them play?" The audience groaned at this suggestion and I said to great laughs, "Lesson: Never ask the owner of the venue if he's happy with the gig while we're on stage. When will I learn?"

For our last song, we played the Clare Fischer cha cha Morning, always an audience favorite and another opportunity for extended solos. Introducing it, I said, "For our last song, I will comply with Pete's wish and get off stage--but in my own way." Then we started off the tune as usual, with me singing lead. When I finished, I danced off the stage and began to boogie through the audience. Everyone was having a great time, dancing and clapping. Wayne was taking a solo so I tried not to be too distracting (though I was). When the song was winding down I got back on stage and sang through to the end.

We got a video of the whole performance. I really hope something useable comes out of it!