Just for You: Dive into your meal in this Dogpatch cafe. Just for You offers beignets for breakfast, plus eggs with Louisiana hot sausage or a Creole crab cake. Don’t forget to secure a side of grits. For lunch, get a yummy po-boy (with roast beef, shrimp, oyster, hot link or crab cake) and wash it down with an Abita root beer.
732 22nd St.; 415-647-3033

Cajun Pacific: You know it’s real New Orleans cooking when the chef has cooked in New Orleans. At Cajun Pacific, chef/owner Charles “Chuck” Maddox brings delight to your taste buds with traditional Creole and Cajun menu items that include andouille sausage, gumbo, po-boys, crawfish and barbecued shrimp. The menu changes weekly, so each time you go, it’s a pleasant surprise.
4542 Irving St.; 415-504-6652

Cafe Van Kleef: We may not have bands playing on every street corner or at every bar, as they do in New Orleans, but Cafe Van Kleef is the next best thing. Stop by for a stiff cocktail and performances that include soul, jazz, blues and R&B. Get in the Mardi Gras mood on the first Saturday of the month with Crescent City-style brass music by the Blue Bone Express.
1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; 510-763-7711

Queen’s Louisiana Po-Boy Cafe: When you’re really hungry, a po-boy from Queen’s Louisiana Po-Boy Cafe will hit the spot. But don’t stop there — the menu also offers red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, fried chicken and beignets. Add some Zapp’s chips and an Abita beer, and you’re ready for Fat Tuesday.
3030 San Bruno Ave.; 415-656-0711

If Carmen Miranda and Busby Berkeley had ever collaborated on a burlesque show, they would have come up with Hot Pink Feathers. Led by Kellita Maloof, an award-winning choreographer and dancer (and holder of the Little Miss Aftershock title from the Miss Exotic World competition, among other risqué accolades), this Bay Area girlie group shares the “glitter gospel” everywhere from Tease-O-Rama to America’s Got Talent. (They even have corporate clients … a benefit that probably doesn’t come up much in job interviews.) Clad in kittenish heels, tiny two-pieces, and alluring accessories, they shimmy through an exuberant original revue that mixes Brazilian samba, showgirl moves, cancan kicks, and lots of cheeky moves. On Saturday, Oct. 3, see them shake their tail feathers at Cafe Van Kleef (1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland) during their monthly First Saturday showcase, accompanied by the New Orleans/barrelhouse-brothel party jazz of Oakland-based Blue Bone Express. 9:30 p.m., $10. CafeVanKleef.com

– By Claudia Bauer

Blue Bone Express, formed in 2004, is a five-piece band consisting of leader Queeto on trumpet and piano, Jesse Randell on drums, Jason Freidenfelds on trombone, Brandon Stasch on sousaphone and Kevin Brunetti on baroton saxophone. In addition, Brunetti and Queeto are both capable vocalists. The group’s instrumentation is unique in that since Jara Queeto is often playing piano, the group uses a trombone lead- unusual for this type of music, but very satisfying. Coupled with Brunetti’s baritone sax, Blue Bone Express’ sound is quite different from most brass bands of this type.

The group plays several standards such as Bourbon Street Parade, Second Line (also known asMidnight in Moscow, but mixes in other genres, such as the classic House of the Rising Sun and Queeto has written a number of original compositions as well. Backed by Stasch’s throbbing tuba work and the energetic second line beats emanating from Randell’s drumming, the band maintains a high energy and frequently concludes their sets by coming down from the stage to perform amidst the audience.

Stodgy in any way, shape or form these guys are not. Blue Bone Express is a group of guys who clearly enjoy what they do and they play their brand of jazz with great fluency. They are not copying the work done by the greats who preceded them but rather are creating a style all their own, though their influences are clear. Blue Bone Express is a very enjoyable and thoroughly danceable group that puts on a good show. Highly recommended.

Blue Bone Express plays at Oakland’s Cafe Van Kleef on the first Saturday of each month from approximately 9 PM to midnight together with the dance troupe Hot Pink Feathers. The club is usually packed, so come early and secure a space wher you can see the band and the dancers.

Smooshed into a block of nondescript office buildings, Café Van Kleef crouches in the belly of downtown Oakland, keeping it’s head down. Other than a few café umbrellas and the usual throng of smokers on the sidewalk out front, it would be easy to drive right by without ever realizing that you had just missed this little gem. Once you gain entry, you will never forget it.

It is tiny. Not Manhattan pizzeria tiny, but small enough that if you spend an hour inside you will have knocked elbows with everyone else in the place at least once. And the layout is impractical, a long hallway of the room with the stage almost five feet off the floor and tucked into a corner making it hazardous for any hapless performers suffering from vertigo. Every inch of wall space is crusted with a thick, barnacle-like layer of bizarre artifacts of American life. A photo of Marilyn Monroe hangs by a statue of Jesus covered in artificial flowers, a plastic (I hope it’s plastic) rhinoceros head juts out of the wall, a life-sized statue of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” writhes in agony beneath a silly hat. Add to this a boisterous and diverse clientele and a reliably attractive team of bartenders and you have an irresistible atmosphere capable of inducing a sense of timelessness that can easily make you forget that you were going to make it an early night.

On the first Saturday of each month, this barcrawler’s paradise is further enhanced by the sights and sounds of The Blue Bone Express and The Hot Pink Feathers. Like red wine and chocolate, these two groups work so well together one begins to believe in divine providence.

Blue Bone Express is a New Orleans style jazz band directed by trumpet player Jara Qeeto. Their style harkens back to the early days of jazz, when it was a key part of a risky, explosive, sweaty subculture. Their eclectic mix of original tunes and old favorites (I was grooving to Axel F and the funky music from the Star Wars bar scene) guaranteed that even the creakiest knees were flexing and bouncing on the narrow dance floor. Plus they have a tuba. Tubas make me giddy as a schoolgirl.

The Hot Pink Feathers, winner of the SF Guardian’s Best Dance Troupe, is directed by the vibrant Kellita, the reigning Queen of SF Carnival. She is a 1000 kilowatt bulb on stage, emanating so much light from the slim filament of her muscular body that she illuminates the entire club. She is always joined by a host of smiling Feathers, all showgirl legs clad in feathers, polka dotted tutus, or not much of anything at all. They strut and shimmy through the crowd, close enough to count the sequins on their eyelashes, close enough to catch a fever.

And feverish it is. A riotously entertaining evening where the proximity and radiant humanity of the performers makes you feel like part of the show. I love Oakland.

Blue Bone Express is a band made up of youngish players from the San Francisco area who play an amalgamation of Traditional Jazz and Brass Band music. They sound like no other band mining this territory. First of all, they actually sound like a band. There’s a gamboling cohesiveness to their sound that you almost never hear on Traditional Jazz recordings (at least not on most revival sides). It’s a loud and loose sound entirely lacking in the sense of stagnation that comes wafting from most Trad Jazz releases. There’s genuine excitement here. Especially when Kevin Brunetti is leading on sax. At times he has an unhinged quality to his playing that goes so well with this kind of music. He reminds me of both Fred Anderson and Pee Wee Russell.Brunetti sounds like neither of them (well, maybe a little bit like Anderson), but he has that same willingness to take the music absolutely anywhere.

However, this isn’t the kind of record your going to listen to for inspired solo playing. This isn’t that kind of band. They don’t make that kind of music. These guys can definitely play their instruments, but if your idea of small-band jazz is a collection of virtuosos taking solo turns, go somewhere else. This is jazz of a more elemental nature. It’s music to move to. It’s body music. I like that. I’m so sick of the quasi-intellectual trappings of jazz. What a dull burden. This band blows that tired pretense out of the water and makes you want to move.

The more I’ve been listening to this disc the more I’m tending to hear this band as a world unto themselves. They just don’t fit with anything that’s out there. I can’t imagine them being embraced by the Trad jazz festival scene (where the last thing anybody seems to want is the unexpected). And they definitely don’t have the corny slickness that appears to be a prerequisite for making it with the Lindy hoppers. These guys are like the Captain Beefheart of Trad Jazz.

There’s just one aspect of this record I can’t totally get with. It’s the trotting out of warhorses like That’s A Plenty and Just a Closer Walk With Thee. There isn’t too much of that shtick on this disc, but when you hear those songs along side the bands originals (all by piano and trumpet player Jara Queeto) you can’t help but notice how much more fresh Queeto’s tunes sound. Those old songs probably come across well in their live set, but I don’t see any need for them on this disc. I would have been happy to see a full set of the bands own music. However, I have to say their version of Midnight in Moscow is the best I’ve ever heard.

This isn’t Be-bop or Swing or the New Thing. This is the Real Thing. This is living, breathing, spitting Jazz music. It’s not revival music. It’s not museum music. It’s music inspired by a tradition and informed by it’s own time. It’s rough and inviting and convivial. It’s the best new jazz record I’ve heard in a long time.

They are (dare I say) as entertaining as any rock show I’ve seen in the Bay Area. Blue Bone Express is a local jazz band with heavy Dixieland influences, right down to the fast two-beat rhythm that makes it so easy to dance to. With multi-talented Jara Queeto (trumpet, piano, and vocals) at the wheel, the band had a packed bar of diverse patrons swing dancing until the bartender kicked us out.

Blue Bone Express performs with The Hot Pink Feathers, a slightly-above mediocre yet entertaining, dance troupe. They are more adorable than outstandingly talented, but their very revealing costumes and constant hip shakes, kept the party going. The two groups are a wise pairing. When pressed about any sexual involvement between band members and their dancing girls, the band gave me nothing more than a laugh and a quick ‘no comment.’ I’m assuming that meant nothing has ever happened, but there is one single guy in the group, Kevin Brunetti (alto sax, baritone sax, and vocals). And it’s always fun for a group of attached men to give the one bachelor in the group a hard time.

The band’s repertoire is about half covers of classic New Orleans-style jazz, and half original pieces. Two songs seemed to impress the crowd – though the dance floor was never even close to empty – were Shake That Thing and When the Saints Go Marching In. Both songs are covers, but we all love the old standards. During the latter song Brunetti, Queeto, and trombone player, Jason Freidenfelds, left the stage and played on the crowded dance floor. A brass battle between Queeto’s trumpet and Freidenfelds’ trombone was a highlight of the night. Queeto’s trumpet is more reminiscent of King Oliver (named the #7 jazz trumpeter of all time by one source) than any of the influences the band listed.

Freidenfelds has had some bad instrument-related luck as of late. He had been playing on the same trombone since the fifth grade, and not so long ago he left it on a San Francisco city bus (by the way, if by any chance you found a trombone on a bus…he’d really like it back). He purchased a new one for $200 from a 77 year-old man on a houseboat, down in the Marina district, “but it’s just not the same.” In addition, during the Mardi Gras party I was attending, a drunken patron stepped on his trombone case and created a hole exactly, and ironically, one foot wide. The guys actually gave me the broken-off piece, despite the warning that I would put it up for online auction if they ever made it big. Freidenfelds has also been known to show up for a gig without his horn, he is the self-confessed airhead of the group.

The second line of the band consists of Jesse Randell on drums and Brandon Stasch on Sousaphone. For those who don’t know (I didn’t) a sousaphone is the official name for the giant wrap-around horn most of us call a tuba. He hesitated to correct me, but then Brunetti pointed out later, “he’s just bitter because the tuba,” yes, he said tuba, not sousaphone, “is really the anus of the band.” Randell is a professional music teacher, and as talented a drummer as anyone could ask for. The second line provides the strong backbone that is needed to support the amazing talent up front. Queeto’s vocals are as close to Louis Armstrong as a lanky white guy in dirty green New Balances can really get, and the lyrics to the original songs are soulful as they are fun.

Not many people know this, but your friendly neighborhood rock critic, is actually a southern girl. The energy created at Café Van Kleef, in downtown Oakland, the first Saturday of every month is very authentic New Orleanian. Blue Bone Express and The Hot Pink Feathers bring the party with them, all anyone else needs to do is show up. A great time is guaranteed. The venue is small but quaint, with a full bar but a very limited beer selection. However they are known for their greyhounds, made with fresh grapefruit juice squeezed right at the bar. Anytime that these groups show up it will be packed, so get there early (9 pm seems to be the time to arrive) and plan to stay late. Unfortunately there is not one cocktail waitress in the place, so the fight from the dance floor to the bar can get a bit annoying. As a side note, there is a great all-night burger place just up Telegraph Ave., just what everyone needs after a night of jumping and jazz. Overall, this show is a must see…even if you aren’t a big jazz fan.

Regular Lineup: Jara Queeto, pianist, trumpeter, singer, composer, leader; Kevin Brunetti, saxophonist (alto and baritone); Jason Freidenfelds, trombonist; Brandon Stasch, sousaphonist; Jesse Randell, drummer.

1. BBX’s music should be filed between:

James Booker, Louis Armstrong, the Cantina Band from Star Wars (they were called the “Figrin D’an and the Modal Nods”).

2. The soundtrack to what movie would your music best match?

A lesser known film (check it out if you can): “The Legend of 1900.” A more well-known film: “Moulin Rouge.”

3. If you could collaborate on a song with any person, living or dead, who would that be?

Too many greats to choose from … Astor Piazzolla, Jellyroll Morton, Leonard Cohen, Led Zeppelin, Tom Waits …

4. If a junior high school asked you to play a cover song at the next talent show, what song and school would you choose?

I actually wrote, arranged, rehearsed and performed an original piece of music at my school, Chipman Middle School in Alameda. But all the prize winners were dancing/lip synching acts. So maybe we’d just do a dancing/lip synching act to whoever the current “American Idol” winner is.

5. What is the meaning of life?

That there is no opposite to life, except in our limited perceptions. Lifelessness is an illusion. Just ask Francois, the ghost who inhabits Cafe Van Kleef in Oakland.

Check them out: www.blueboneexpress.com; myspace.com/blueboneexpress

Next gig: 9 p.m. Saturday. Part of monthly Burlesque n’ Brass show with Hot Pink Feathers. This being the Saturday before Mardi Gras, there will be bead throwing and Louisiana king cake. $10, 21 +. Cafe Van Kleef, 1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 763-7711. www.cafevankleef.com; Bonus Fat gig: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Norm’s Place, 356 Hartz Ave., Danville. Free, all ages.

And Don’t Forget>

Oakland-based, New Orleans-style jazz and parade brass band Blue Bone Express and SF dance troupe Hot Pink Feathers will somehow cram themselves into Oakland’s Cafe Van Kleef Saturday, May 5. $8. CafeVanKleef.com

Blue Bone Express is an Oakland based jazz sextet that specializes in New Orleans jazz. Three horns, percussion and a tuba, and even though it’s a bunch of white guys from California, they know what they’re doing, from the shuffling pace of their dirges to the joyous bang the tuba starts when he just can’t hold back any longer. Oh, those horns took me places, and good ones. My memory isn’t as fallible as I claim, I just need the right stimulus to bring things flooding back.

The venue was perfect, the slightly french, oddly familiar Cafe Van Kleef. There are years of odd tchotchkes on every surface, a santoria shrine, skulls and musical instruments, Jesus and a couple of dancers or lovers looking down from above the stage, and an antelope antler and a bronze statue of liberty as bar pulls. Every surface of the bar and behind the stage is eclectic and busy. The cafe serves French food during the day, and though I wasn’t impressed with the free red beans and rice they were handing out, I’m tempted to go back. And dude- free red beans and rice and king cake, delivered with a smile, and great music on Mardi Gras!

I had a conversation with a guy who plays blues with two of the members of the band, and he gave me the names of a half dozen venues in Oakland and SF to see all kinds of jazz and blues. Of the list, I only remember the names Red Devil, the Independent, and the Boom Boom Room, but that’s a start.

iridium was there at the front of the room, looking stunning in a blue silk top and dancing up a storm with some friends. I stayed near the back, at the bar, sipping whisky, drinking in the atmosphere and contemplating an excursion to Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop.vyrin came by and had a chat, ravenslost said hello, and I met a couple of recent Boston transplants, Dee and Justin, and swapped many stories, offers to do stuff, and a completely random comparison of Blue Thunder and Airwolf with a passerby. I stayed for 2 1/2 of the 3 sets, until j called looking for dinner after putting the newspaper to bed. It took a few short minutes to hop across to the Marina IHOP for swedish pancakes. Seriously, San Francisco, you’ve gotta be able to do better than IHOP after midnight. Not that I don’t appreciate your tart little lingonberries. Sadly, I was the only late-night diner in festive regalia.

So… Consider that day siezed. Still no idea if I want to give up anything symbolic, for new years or lent. Asceticism may just not be my thing.

The thing about Free Jazz that most appealed to me was the feeling of total release I could glean from the music when it was really hitting me. Players like David S. Ware and Roswell Rudd got to me because they sounded absolutely intent on expressing themselves at any cost and unconcerned with the adoration of technique that characterizes so much modern jazz. I don’t like fussy music.

What always bothered me about Free Jazz, though, is that too often the music is simply aimless and so overtly self-indulgent that the pleasure of that initial burst of excitement rarely leads to anything more involving. Firecrackers are fun, but after a while those explosions start sounding like nothing but noise.

I’ve had little use for Free Jazz since I found my way to all that great New Orleans music. Here I get all the unruly sounds I crave without the tedium of the endlessly bleating soloist. And ever since I realized how much I love a good melody my Charles Gayle records have been gathering dust.

The point of all this blather is that yesterday I came across a great band that sounds like they might be coming at this music from approximately the same direction as myself. Their name is The Blue Bone Express. They’re from Oakland and they play driving, energetic Traditional Jazz free of the mothball reek that typically accompanies modern bands playing this music. This shit sounds alive!

After listening to the four songs available on their website I felt a weird shock of recognition. I’m used to hearing musicians under the spell of Louis Armstrong or even Lu Watters, but this is the first time I’ve heard a band of Traditional Jazz musicians who sound like they’ve taken a dose of their inspiration from the same wooly Free Jazz records that used to set me on fire. At times they sound something like a Don Ewell group with Ken Vandermark sitting in on baritone sax. And instead of a string bass there’s a tuba player who puts down a thick bottom of Brass Band funk.

If there’s any hope for the future of this music it’s going to come from musicians like these. Players who are willing to do something more with the music than simply ape past masters. There’s nothing hackneyed or contrived in what these guys play. They sound utterly natural doing what they do. One of the four songs on their web site is even an original. How many Traditional Jazz bands do you see dare that? It’s a quasi-rag titled Sweltering Solar Rag and it may be the best tune of the bunch.

If you have any interest in the future of this music, check this band out. Here’s their website. I just hope there’s a whole lot more where this came from.