Diego’s Loft May Cut Its Losses and Drop Jazz

Saturday night’s shows by vibraphonist Gary Burton at Diego’s Loft in Pacific Beach could mark the end of jazz at the intimate, 78-seat club.

The owners lost more than $400 last weekend, when jazz guitarist Mundell Lowe played Friday and Saturday nights, co-owner Ernest Casco said. The club collected $264 at the door for both nights--not nearly enough to pay the musicians and operating expenses, said Casco, one of three owners.

So, for the next few weeks, Diego’s Loft will be closed while the owners consider options.

Casco didn’t rule out jazz in the future, but he said he is also considering lighter jazz or non-jazz acts. He said the room is too small for many electric jazz bands.

On Monday morning, the owners told San Diego jazz musician Holly Hofmann, who books Diego’s jazz acts, that the club could afford to continue jazz only if the musicians would play for the door proceeds instead of a guaranteed fee, Hofmann said.

“I contacted the musicians on my November and December schedule, and they said forget it,” Hofmann said. “Nobody of that caliber is going to do that.”

Peter Sprague, Algo Caliente, Joe Marillo, Mike Wofford, Harry Pickens and Jimmy and Jeannie Cheatham, all San Diegans, were among the acts Hofmann had tentatively lined up.

Since opening in July 1988 as an addition to the popular Diego’s Mexican restaurant and Club Diego’s disco, the jazz room has struggled to draw consistent crowds, despite presenting such top players as Slide Hampton, Bill Watrous, Buddy Collette, Spike Robinson, James Zollar, Richie Cole, Don Menza and Sam Most.

“I have been supportive, but I lost thousands and thousands of dollars,” Casco said, adding that the owners spent about $200,000 to create the room, with a fireplace and excellent acoustics.

At first the club charged no cover and had a two-drink minimum. A $5 cover was added last summer, and for a time that seemed to reduce attendance, but Hofmann said she thought the club had turned a corner in recent weeks.

Ironically, it was not the nationally known jazz acts that drew the best crowds. According to Casco, the biggest-grossing performances were by the Cheathams and guitarist Sprague with vocalist Kevyn Lettau.

Casco said he was bothered that the jazz players wanted to keep the room purely mainstream jazz, instead of mixing in lighter contemporary jazz or other music.

Rob Hagey, director of the San Diego Jazz Festival, which co-presented Burton with Diego’s, said he doubts that jazz players will work for the door but the jazz festival might present shows at its own risk there. Diego’s guaranteed Burton’s fee for Saturday.

Saturday’s shows are at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.

Without Diego’s Loft, Elario’s in La Jolla is the only local jazz club consistently booking national performers.