Clubs Shaken Up, but the Shows Go On

Piles of broken drinking glasses, liquor and wine bottles strewn helter-skelter at the foot of the bar, heaps of smashed dinnerware in the kitchen.

Scenes like this were typical of the damage suffered by Los Angeles-area jazz clubs as a result of Monday’s earthquake. Almost all of the clubs closed Monday through Wednesday, then reopened Thursday. “People want to get away from it all and go out,” said Betty Borian hostess of Chadney’s in Burbank. Here’s a rundown of the situations at some of the area’s jazz nightspots and their lineups for tonight and Saturday.

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Catalina Bar & Grill: “We had a little damage, a broken pipe--which has been fixed--and some glasses and bottles,” said Bob Popescu, owner of the Hollywood club, who estimated the damage at a few thousand dollars. Tonight through Sunday: Pharoah Sanders. (213) 466-2210.

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Jazz Bakery: “A lot of bottles of Perrier broke, some speakers fell and a heavily framed photograph fell down between the sound mixer and piano. That could have been a disaster but wasn’t,” said Ruth Price, who runs the Culver City venue. On tap tonight: guitarist Tommy Tedesco; Saturday, it’s pianist Pete Jolly’s trio. (310) 271-9039.

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Chadney’s: “It was quite a mess on Monday, but we’re all right,” said Dennis Duke, who books the Burbank eatery-nightspot. “Lots of plates broken in the kitchen, and lots of wine glasses, too, but we’re open.” Jack Sheldon performs tonight, John Bolivar on Saturday. (818) 843-5333.

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The Room Upstairs at Le Cafe: “The kitchen and the bar area were disasters,” said owner Dale Jaffe of the Sherman Oaks nightspot. “We lost 90% of our glassware, dinnerware and wine and liquor. In the Room Upstairs, we had some damage to the mixing console, but we’re operating, at least in some capacity.” Jaffe estimated his damages at between $25,000 and $30,000. Appearing tonight and Saturday is guitarist-composer Dori Caymmi; on Sunday, it’s bassist Jeff Berlin. (818) 986-2662.

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Club Brasserie, in the Bel Age Hotel, West Hollywood: “Nothing happened here,” says guitarist Sid Jacobs, who books the room. “We were open as of Tuesday. We had to accommodate the people in the hotel, and the curfew violators.” Tonight and Saturday: New York-based drummer Gerry Gibbs’ quartet. (310) 854-1111.

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Vine Street Bar & Grill, Hollywood: “We’ve survived amazingly well,” said owner Ron Berenstein. “A few drinking glasses were broken and one bottle of liquor. The biggest problem to me is the current events: everybody else’s problems.” Performing tonight and Saturday will be Hadda Brooks. (213) 463-4375.

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Baked Potato, North Hollywood: “We’re all right,” says Potato owner-pianist Don Randi. “We had a lot of broken glasses, and some of the ceiling came down, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed.” Randi estimated the damage at $3,000. On tap tonight: Burning Water, with Randi performing Saturday. “Well, at least we can still play the blues,” Randi quips. (818) 980-1615.

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Legends of Hollywood: “We had two broken windows, and some ceiling panels fell down,” said Bob Marks, the drummer-singer who owns the jazz joint-delicatessen. Legends spotlights the blues band Fever tonight and recent New York arrival, tenorist Dave Jensen, Saturday. (213) 464-7780.

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La Ve Lee: “We’re fine,” said Eddie Arbi, owner of the Studio City nightspot. Arbi, who estimated his damages at $5,000, said he lost liquor, wine and glassware. Appearing tonight, Abraham Laboreil; on Saturday, it’s Poncho Sanchez. (818) 980-8158.

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Monteleone’s West in Tarzana, (818) 996-0662; J.P.’s Money Tree in Toluca Lake, (818) 769-8800, and J.P.’s Lounge in North Hollywood, (818) 845-1800, all sustained moderate damage but were able to open by Thursday.

A few other clubs that suffered little or no damage: Lunaria, Baked Potato Pasadena, Nucleus Nuance, Jax, St. Mark’s, Atlas Bar & Grill and the Strand.

Singer Mel Torme postponed his performance Wednesday at Ambassador Auditorium. A new date has not yet been announced.

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Critic’s Choices: Fiery New York-based drummer Gerry Gibbs is ensconced at the Club Brasserie with a pair of dashing quartets. Tonight and Saturday, he’s surrounded by an equally incendiary threesome: saxman Ravi Coltrane, keyboardist Billy Childs and bassist Andy Simpkins. On Jan. 27-29, Patrice Rushen replaces Childs. . . . Another New Yorker, tenorist Walt Weiskopf, makes his L.A. club debut at the Brasserie, leading a bracing sextet Tuesday and Wednesday. Weiskopf, whose latest album is “Simplicity” (Criss Cross), states seemingly familiar themes and ideas in striking, sometimes singular ways.