The Mississippi Blues

John Hammond and Alvin Youngblood Hart, two of the premiere modern blues players, will perform at an unlikely venue tonight, the Church of Religious Science in Ventura.

Hart, who last played locally at the Further Fest at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in 1996, has made a career of resurrecting obscure country blues songs, plus he has a number of originals. A music scholar and a multi-instrumentalist who restores old guitars, Hart has influences that range from Leadbelly to Frank Zappa.

Hart has traveled widely, but his most lasting impressions came from frequent trips to visit his grandmother in northern Mississippi. His most recent album is “Territory.”

During a brief interview from his Bellingham, Wash., hotel room, Hart discussed his latest work.

So how did “Territory” do? Are you a rich rock star?

Um, no. I’m still waiting.

After years at Epic, you switched labels to Ryko. How has that worked out?

Much better. Even though Ryko is in the middle of a big corporate takeover and they moved to [New York City], so far it’s been pretty good. They seem to be more music-oriented rather than being concerned with how much it cost to make the last Michael Jackson video.

How did you end up a blues guy?

I guess it’s because I grew up with that kind of music. My parents, their parents and their parents--three generations--were all from Mississippi.

During your career, you’ve expanded far beyond the blues circuit, touring with various rock bands. How did that come about?

I dunno. I don’t believe in all those labels. I just play music. It’s either good or bad, and I hope mine’s good.

When did you decide you wanted to be a musician?

It goes way back to when I was a kid in the ‘60s. The Beatles cartoons were on TV and everybody wanted a guitar.

What kind of guitar do you play?

There’s the whole Zen thing about the guitar. . . . You know how a mechanic always has all kinds of car parts lying all over the yard? Well, I have guitar parts all over the house, and over the years, I learned to repair them. I have a lot of mail-order guitars from the ‘20s and ‘30s that you could get from Sears for five bucks.

What’s the most misunderstood thing about your job?

Everybody’s always trying to label everything. It’s a big adventure to play music, and I just like to see how, when and where it comes out and experience it like that. I’m like Gatemouth Brown, I play what I want to play.

DETAILS

Alvin Youngblood Hart and John Hammond at the Church of Religious Science, 101 S. Laurel St., Ventura, 7:30 tonight; $15; 641-1372.

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Charlie’s on the beach in Ventura was the greatest rock ‘n’ roll club in the history of the Poinsettia City before closing in October 1992. Now it’s back.

Well, except for the fact that it’s bigger and cleaner, kinder and gentler. Oh, and it has a different name--the Banana Belt Cantina. So perhaps Charlie’s is still gone, but the Banana Belt is getting better.

While not exactly a dive, Charlie’s had lots of soul, if not much area, maybe a third the size of the current venue. Charlie’s did have lots of music (nearly every night), opening in 1976 as a quiet jazz club until being transformed to the rock ‘n’ roll center of the universe in the late ‘80s by Chuck Manley.

Local legends such as Raging Arb & the Redheads, Durango 95, Lion I’s, Spencer the Gardener, Something For Nothing, and famous tourists such as Michael On Fire used to regale the locals with original music night after night. But troubles with their neighbor, the Holiday Inn, ended with Charlie’s closing.

The site then sat vacant for a year or two before it returned as Pineapples, which survived only a little longer than it took to read this paragraph.

Perhaps the third time is the charm for the site in the guise of the Banana Belt Cantina. It’s been open for a while, but not much has been happening musically, which is not surprising for a place that had been closing at 8 on Friday nights.

Enter Todd Winokur, former owner of Cafe Voltaire, another popular club that recently entered the past tense. Winokur is set to reinvent Cafe Voltaire in a few months when he takes over the Ban-Dar, but until then, he will be managing the Banana Belt, now more or less Cafe Voltaire by the Sea.

Unlike Charlie’s, the Banana Belt is huge and airy, with high ceilings, a million tables and panoramic views of the blue Pacific, fog permitting. There’s even free validated parking next door. But it’s not Charlie’s or even Voltaire, according to Winokur.

“This place is nice, too nice,” he said. “This place is state of the art, not rinky-dink like it was at Cafe Voltaire. They have a stainless steel full bar, great Caribbean food and a great view. This place is way nicer than Charlie’s.”

Winokur is offering music at the venue five nights a week, beginning tonight with folk singer Wendy Bucklew. There’s more good singing from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday with Suzanne Paris, hard at work on a new CD. That night, Stuart Orlinksy, formerly one of the guitar players for Southern Cross, will take the floor (there’s no stage yet). These are all free shows.

There will be a three-buck cover on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but free food. Tuesday night, it’s country rock from Jimmy Adams & Friends, with the new location adding fresh meaning to his signature tune, “I Think I’ll Go Down to the Ocean.” On Wednesday, it’s classic rock and blues from Hippie Mark. Winokur obviously didn’t misplace his phone book as this lineup sounds like a typical week at Voltaire.

DETAILS

Music at the Banana Belt Cantina, 362 California St., Ventura, 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; free or $3; 643-5333.

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Music fans know that nothing happens, then suddenly, for no apparent reason, everything does. Completing the Charlie’s scenario are two more good shows, also scheduled for tonight.

At Nicholby’s, it’s a CD release party for Papa-Nata, fronted by Guy Jeans, who used to play keyboards for Lion I’s, a reggae-flavored dance band. Their new album is everyone’s dream gig, “Permanent Vacation.” Eight bucks will get you in as well as a copy of the CD.

Not far away, at Wine Lovers, it’s the return of JuJu Eyeball, pop rock smartly done by Frank Barajas and his pals. Named for a line in a Beatles song, JuJu Eyeball will return to the Wine Lovers again Saturday night.

DETAILS

Papa-Nata at Nicholby’s, 404 E. Main St., Ventura, at 9:30 tonight; $8; 653-2320. JuJu Eyeball at Wine Lovers, 1067 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 8 tonight and Saturday; free; 652-1810.

Bill Locey can be reached by e-mail at blocey@pacbell.net.

QUOTE TO RUN WITH DC HART, no caption

’ It’s a big adventure to play music, and I just like to see how, when and where it comes out and experience it like that.’

Alvin Youngblood

Hart

FOTO CREDIT