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Long live love and music
In my early 20's, the owner of this place gave me my first break in bartending. Little does anyone know, that I actually cut my teeth in one of the most historic jazz filled areas of San Francisco. I didn't know it then, but I worked in what once was the epicenter for city night life. Unfortunately, its long since been left behind.
As reported by NPR news in, "Harlem of the West" in 2006 some of the worlds most loved characters have come through the neighborhood such as; Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Lionel Hampton, and Dexter Gordon to name a few. I can personally recall meeting John Lee Hooker in this area when he was still the owner of the "Boom-Boom Room" on Geary and Fillmore. Needles to say, the area in specific holds a special place in my heart.
Today of course there's a new move struggling to survive in that area. We have the cultural misfortune of not having experienced Jazz and Blues in a mainstream sort of way that would build excitement. We are left with the artifacts and pictures of once radiant smiles and nothing more. Put simply, we are just not that into Jazz.
There is still a place however, (among a few) that tries to maintain this connection. "Rasselas on Fillmore" is alive, well, and kicking after all this time. I recently had the pleasure of running into, Agonafer Shiferaw, the owner of this great place and managed an impromptu conversation about the business and other light hearted topics. I was happy to hear of his successes and troubled to learn the ongoing challenges of keeping the music alive.
Salsa of course is now a major staple added to this places' repertoir, and on any given Friday night you might very well stumble into one of the hottest sounding parties in the Bay Area. As for the traditional Jazz I eluded too, therein lay the difficulty. It seems that the old cliche, Casa Blanca type romances with music of old is not so sexy to new lovers. Or is it that the courting men and women simply don't have it in their social lexicon to pull off? Whatever the case may be, people are missing out. There is a world of raw ambitious sound coming from within the city streets of the fillmore district. There are cozy spaces and fireplaces from which to gift romantic kisses while being serenaded by soft eclectic hums of subtle greatness.
I'll stop here in fear of working myself into a frenzy. The next time you're in the neighborhood, stop by, or maybe plan something accordingly to take advantage of such rich a place as this. The dance floor is spectacular, the staff all too ready to help you have a great time, and the ownership is always humbly incline to sit and chat.
The club is located on Fillmore and Geary, at 1541 Fillmore Street San Francisco 94115 and is open M-S 5:00 -1:00 A.M.
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