Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Boiler room gets jazzy with Café Americain

Acoustic band plays jazz, blues and rock

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By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Café Americain will play the Sun Valley’s Boiler Room with special guests Kim Nalley and Paul Tillotson on Friday and Saturday. Photo by

Spring fever has no cure but can be fun, especially when a band such as Café Americain is in town. The acoustic string group draws its musical tastes from the bohemian sounds of European café music, romantic gypsy jazz, elegant Brazilian choros, bossa novas and the American songbook.

"We do jazz, but we play music for everyone," said Café Americain mandolin player Michael Zisman. "We do everything in a slightly different way."

Café Americain is the brainchild of internationally respected guitarist Ned Boynton. He is joined by renowned musicians Jason Vanderford on guitar, Joe Kyle Jr. on bass and Zisman. In addition, Café Americain will feature singing siren Kim Nalley. Nalley has an international reputation as a jazz and blues vocalist. In addition, Sun Valley's own Paul Tillotson will join Café Americain on organ and piano.

"We call our music la dolce vita—that's our paraphrase," Zisman said. "We play songs and melodies people like to hear. It's lots of different music, not just one style."

Zisman said people who grew up listening to the radio were exposed to lots of different tunes and the band loves to emulate that experience.

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"We also like to improvise," Zisman said. "We play anything from Louis Armstrong to Nirvana."

San Francisco natives and visitors may know Café Americain from their weekly Wednesday night shows at Café Trieste in North Beach, an Italian coffee shop where Zisman said the band holds court.

Café Americain will play Friday, March 26, and Saturday, March 27, at 9 p.m. at the Boiler Room in Sun Valley. Cover is $10 and the first 10 people at the door are free.

Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com