Thursday, April 6, 2006

Open Mic

Sambuca is not a musician's favorite -- to say the least

By Blair Lovern

Sambuca Uptown

Sambuca bills itself as a dining destination where “guests are greeted by live music seven nights a week.” For folks looking for a good night on the town, it’s a perfect combo. For some musicians it’s a nightmare.

Bitter stories have circulated among musicians for years about the club misleading players about their gigs, about pay and the general treatment of bands. Numerous musicians told TexasGigs about their experiences with the club. Most asked to remain anonymous. Two spoke on the record for us, and we’ve included their videos on this page.

"If it wasn’t a gig I would’ve told them to fuck off myself a long time ago,” one musician said about the club.

(On a side note, TexasGig's Alan Cohen is also a musician, click here to read his account of playing at Sambuca.)

Jazz legend Bernard Wright talks about his experiences at Sambuca.

Sambuca eventually grabbed the ire of the American Federation of Musicians Local 72-147, based in Arlington. Union attorneys sued Sambuca in 2003, claiming Mike Drake and his band were not paid $2,550.00 for confirmed gigs that would have been played that summer.

From the April, May, June 2003 issue of The Dallas / Fort Worth Musician newsletter:

“According to Drake, Sambucas’ management employees Jayme Spurgeon, Scott Callan, and Rick Wells cancelled his jazz trio engagement at the Addison club at 5:15 PM on June 19, just three hours before the show.

“Drake had refused to agree to Sambuca’s last minute demand that his jazz trio play country/ western and dance tunes to a sold-out black-tie private party without additional compensation.

“Drake and his trio had previously agreed to perform publicly at Sambucas Addison on June 19 at the usual nightclub rate of pay – almost 50% less than the prevailing area standard for musicians performing private parties.

“Ten days later, as Drake and legendary jazz keyboardist Dave Zoller were setting up to play a scheduled date at Sambucas Deep Ellum, they were met by Spurgeon who refused to allow them to perform that evening as previously agreed. She informed Drake that all of his future Sambucas dates were cancelled.”

That case was settled out of court before going to trial. According to the Dallas / Fort Worth Musician Association, union members had unsuccessfully tried to meet with Sambuca owner Kim Forsythe to talk about a range of concerns.

Now, however, it’s a moot point.

“Union musicians no longer play there at all,” one musician told TexasGigs. “I can’t tell you how many times we showed up for a gig only to learn we were now playing for a private party that was obviously bringing in tons of cash.

“They just chew through local talent knowing they can dupe the next group that comes along - for a while. It will be interesting to see how they reply (to musicians’ complaints.)”

It would be interesting, except calls to the restaurant’s corporate offices in Carrollton last week and this week from TexasGigs were not returned. If there has been an outreach to musicians who say they've been spurned in recent years, it hasn't been reported to anyone we talked to for this story.

Jazz vocalist Victor Cager talks about Sambuca's reputation and the general jazz climate in Dallas.

Sambuca has been to court because of a breach of contract or debt collection or damages case at least six times since 2000. Sambuca has also been to court because of unpaid state taxes, penalties, interest or other charges in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Musicians say they have been poorly treated by the staff at the Uptown location. Multiple musicians have complained that manager Jamye Spurgeon has come up to the stage in front of the crowd during the middle of a show and made a throat-cutting gesture to stop.

Another said, “All I can say is that the experience of working there was one of the worst. Very pompous staff, constantly monitoring how we play and what we play.”

Complaints of having to keep the sound down were common, which (along with the other criticisms) wouldn’t be a problem if, musicians say, they were told what they were getting into beforehand.

Some tables are placed too close to the speakers and the stage, one musician said, which would make for a not-so-pleasant meal no matter the venue. One night, the same musician said, his band had started playing and noticed everyone in the group couldn’t hear themselves play. They eventually realized that the speaker system had been taken down before they went on but hadn’t been told.

Sambuca Jazz Café made its debut in Deep Ellum in 1991, founded by the brother/sister team Kim and Holly Forsythe. From 1993-98 the Dallas Observer named it the best jazz restaurant in town. The Uptown spot earned a keen review in the Dallas Morning News, and so has the Addison location. Sambuca Uptown has also been called the Best Place To Smoke by the Dallas Observer. One person on no-holds-barred tripadvisor.com called it ’Nearly Perfect for Dinner and Drinks’.

The consensus of musicians who talked to TexasGigs was that in the early years, the Deep Ellum location was good to musicians. Only later did things turn sour. Since 2004, the business moved out of Deep Ellum and into Uptown. Sambuca can also be found in Addison, Houston, Denver, Atlanta and the newest location in Nashville.

“They are obviously free to run the business how they like,” one musician told TexasGigs. “But (the complaints) are strange coming from a venue that so heavily markets the ‘live music seven nights a week’ vibe and has such great potential.”

Until the potential is realized, though, serious jazzers are staying clear.

Alan Cohen and Mike Orren also reported for this story.

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• Pegasus News Exclusive

Comments

clay Anonymous

Bernard Wright is the man! "unusually uncomfortable" indeed...

2 years, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )