The Vinyl Groove
Man, what luck. I drive home after a long day with inner city kids, stroll into my favorite local bar, Peri's, and Vinyl's talented trumpeter, Danny Cao, is just beginning to warm the house. I'd intended to have one drink and go home, exhausted after a long week. But his trumpet wooed me. I nabbed one of the few bar stools the bartender had not put in the back garden. "It's going to get crowded later." He warned me. Indeed, as my drink went down, the bass kicked in. The guitarist and drummer got their rhythm going, and people began filtering in to the Vinyl's unbeatable funk and groove sounds. It just got better. The keyboards and guitar started ripping. Guest vocalists stepped up to the mic and stirred up the mix. A saxaphone played off the trumpet, the groove got tighter, and people crowded in. Hands in the air, asses moving, grins all around. I'd heard of the band, but never heard the band, until this night. And now I've got all their future Bay Area dates on my calendar. Note, if anyone's headed to Jazzfest in New Orlean's - Vinly's got a 4am gig at Bayou Rendezvous. If there are three top reasons to wake with the early birds, the sounds of Vinyl are right up there with sex and strong coffee.
