Just Slide Off Your Stool, Pal

Question: What's the best time to do a post-mortem of Folk Fest weekend?
Answer: At a Monday night jazz show at The Camel.

Tonight's Scott Clark 4-Tet show (with the Marcus Tenney Trio opening) offered up a house full of musicians, all of whom were eager to share whom they'd seen and how they'd liked them. I was happy to hear everyone's opinions and compare notes.

Consensus: Parking was a bitch but the music absolutely ruled. Need I add that the Persians came up yet again?

When I'd arrived, the door guy had teased me about being back so soon (48 hours after my last visit) and how I'm there so often because The Camel has the best music in town. While that isn't always true, they are the most reliable spot for great music on off nights and tonight was another perfect example of that.

Five bucks bought some of the best local jazz talent playing right now as well as some of the most original composing coming out of RVA. I'm a huge fan of Scott Clark's drumming (see bands Ilad and/or Glows in the Dark) and low-key persona; but when he lets loose on the drums, he becomes anything but.

But not quite like the completely drunk guy at the bar whom I mistakenly sat down next to. He's the same one who often attends shows there and does the fist pumping and off-beat dancing inches away from the band.

Looking at me bleary-eyed, he asked, "Do you need a drink?" to which I answered, "No, I don't need a drink."

He gave me the hairy eyeball and to punish me, I guess, said, "Good, then you're not getting one," and turned his back on me, shortly before beginning his slow slide out of the stool. "Better pay," he mumbled to the bartender. "You already did, Ace," Dave informed him. "Twice."

Trumpet, sax, upright bass and drums. If it's Monday, it must be jazz.