So my wife and I traveled to LA over the weekend for the Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser featuring Jeff Goldblum, Alan Arkin, Hussain Jiffry, Mike Shapiro...and Sergio Mendes and Gracinha Leporace.
First of all, Vibrato is very comfortable and the food is great. It's situated in the corner of an upscale strip mall in Bel-Air, near a dress shop and deli. The place accommodates about 125. There is a high ceiling with drop-down red and orange lighting and Herb's artwork on either side of the stage. There's not a bad seat in the place.
We brought along friends and the four of us were ushered to table #19, front row, stage right. The event began at 4:00 and we were seated about 4:15. There was a guy sitting on a stool by the piano wearing a tax, hat, white socks and black and white shoes...holding the mic and kibitzing. As soon as we sat down, we realized it was Jeff Goldblum. He started talking to us about movies, music, his past...he was delightful and very approachable. Because we were so close, we were engaged in a lot of the conversation.
At one point he invited anyone who wanted a photo to come up to the stage. We shared our cucumber appetizers with him and he retailed us with stories and sang the lyrics to Jurassic Park, which conclude with "being eaten."
Then he introduced Mike Shapiro, Hussain Jiffry, a percussionist and guitar player who were quite good. They played a half dozen songs, and then Mike took the stage explaining how important the cause is to him and how grateful he was that his friends participated. Then he called out Alan Arkin, who was a riot. He sang three songs including one written for his kids ("I have five and none of them are in jail") and one for an old girlfriend whom he damned in the song with faint praise.
The Sergio and Gracinha came out and did three songs — Waters of March, a Chico Buarque song, and Mas Que Nada — with the audience singing along. It was nothing short of stunning to be sitting that close — as if we were in their living room. My eyes welled up, it was so special.
Two other notes: during all the picture taking, my wife offered to take photos for an attractive woman who was snapping away. She responded, "oh thank you, but that's OK. I own the place." It was Eden Alpert. And I got to shake Pat Senatore's hand. He was very gracious and told the story about how Herb, from the outset, tried to prevent anyone from the TJB getting a big ego. "The albums had either our names or our pictures, but never both." (Actually the Christmas album...)
Eden says Herb and Lani will be playing there in early October and that we should call ahead if we want tickets because a number of seats "will be set aside for the industry." She also said they'd been trying to get Sergio in to check out Vibrato for a long time, and maybe now he'll perform there.
Several items now off my bucket list...
First of all, Vibrato is very comfortable and the food is great. It's situated in the corner of an upscale strip mall in Bel-Air, near a dress shop and deli. The place accommodates about 125. There is a high ceiling with drop-down red and orange lighting and Herb's artwork on either side of the stage. There's not a bad seat in the place.
We brought along friends and the four of us were ushered to table #19, front row, stage right. The event began at 4:00 and we were seated about 4:15. There was a guy sitting on a stool by the piano wearing a tax, hat, white socks and black and white shoes...holding the mic and kibitzing. As soon as we sat down, we realized it was Jeff Goldblum. He started talking to us about movies, music, his past...he was delightful and very approachable. Because we were so close, we were engaged in a lot of the conversation.
At one point he invited anyone who wanted a photo to come up to the stage. We shared our cucumber appetizers with him and he retailed us with stories and sang the lyrics to Jurassic Park, which conclude with "being eaten."
Then he introduced Mike Shapiro, Hussain Jiffry, a percussionist and guitar player who were quite good. They played a half dozen songs, and then Mike took the stage explaining how important the cause is to him and how grateful he was that his friends participated. Then he called out Alan Arkin, who was a riot. He sang three songs including one written for his kids ("I have five and none of them are in jail") and one for an old girlfriend whom he damned in the song with faint praise.
The Sergio and Gracinha came out and did three songs — Waters of March, a Chico Buarque song, and Mas Que Nada — with the audience singing along. It was nothing short of stunning to be sitting that close — as if we were in their living room. My eyes welled up, it was so special.
Two other notes: during all the picture taking, my wife offered to take photos for an attractive woman who was snapping away. She responded, "oh thank you, but that's OK. I own the place." It was Eden Alpert. And I got to shake Pat Senatore's hand. He was very gracious and told the story about how Herb, from the outset, tried to prevent anyone from the TJB getting a big ego. "The albums had either our names or our pictures, but never both." (Actually the Christmas album...)
Eden says Herb and Lani will be playing there in early October and that we should call ahead if we want tickets because a number of seats "will be set aside for the industry." She also said they'd been trying to get Sergio in to check out Vibrato for a long time, and maybe now he'll perform there.
Several items now off my bucket list...
