Jazz Reviews : Musicians, Fans in a ‘Tribute to Donte’s’

Monday is normally a slow night at Donte’s; sometimes the musicians outnumber the customers. This Monday, however, the North Hollywood club was packed as early as 9 p.m. and was still busy well after midnight.

The reason: this was a “Tribute to Donte’s,” organized by some of the musicians who have worked there over the years. In particular it was a salute to Carey Leverette, who was one of the three partners when Donte’s became a jazz haven in June 1966. The other founders were the late Bill McKay and his wife, Sunny, who was on hand for this occasion. The McKays sold their interest in 1976.

Donte’s is not closing--not, that is, until at least April 15, when the new owner, Koichi Akemoto, takes over and temporarily suspends operations for about a month while the place is redecorated.

Trumpeter Chuck Findley, who helped organize this special evening, launched the proceedings with a set in the language that has always been common parlance at Donte’s--basic bebop. With Frank De La Rosa on bass, Frank Strazzeri at the piano and drummer John Guerin, Findley cruised through a series of typical bop standards.

Old friends were greeted at the door by a large placard on which they inscribed their messages to Leverette and to Bob Powell, the bartender who has been part of the scenery ever since the club’s second year.

After a second group sustained the groove with Stacy Rowles on fluegelhorn, Ross Tompkins on piano and Sherman Ferguson on drums, Leverette seized the typically malfunctioning microphone to reminisce and tell a few jokes.

Joe Bushkin was next up, at 71 still looking like a schoolboy and shifting the mood back to the 1940s with his swirling swing era piano.

And so it went. In the audience now were Neal Hefti, Chuck Niles, and Ira Sabin (owner of Jazz Times, in town to set plans for the magazine’s first Los Angeles-based annual convention in October). All expressed relief that the new owner will maintain and possibly expand the jazz policy, along with regret that Leverette, who has fought a difficult one-man battle to keep the room afloat, will soon have to yield the steering wheel.