Saturday, March 21, 2009

Where and with who


Spots Where Cervantes Has Worked As a trumpeter in wither his settee or jazz quartette, as well as a cocktail (happy-Hour) pianist, Federico has worked in such places as:The Blue Note in Chicago; Dave Quarim's Jazz Cellar in Vancouver, Canada; Studio and The Sheraton Hotel, and the Broadway Inn in Portland, Oregon; The Claremont Hotel and The Stew Den in Berkeley, California; The Broadway Club in Sacramento, California; The Ramada Inn and the Tidelands Hotel in Tucson, Arizona; Club Digger, The Coral Room in Los Angeles; Georgia Lee's Caprice Club in El Monte; Shapiro's Renaissance Club in Hollywood;The New Orleans Restaurant, Mister Majour's Club, Shirley's in Oakland; Bop City, The Mark-Hopkins Hotel, Station "J", The Black Hawk, The Washington Square Bar and Grill, Club Roland's Homer's Afrika Room, The Golden Grommet, Leola Kings' Blue Mirror, the Both And, Haight Levels, Yvonne's Dotty's, The Jazz Work-Shop, Ann's Four-Forty in San Francisco; Trois Colours in Oakland; The Serenader, The Fifth Amendment in Oakland; The Latin Quarters, Cesar's in San Francisco; The Air-Port Plaza in Cupertino; Café Jazz in Cupertino; Garden City in San Jose, California; Cote D'Azur in Atherton, California; Sonny Buckston's Milestones Club in San Francisco; Sherry's Lounge in Hollywood; Charlie Puzzo's Penthouse Club in Seattle, Washington; The whiskey River, Cicero's Club, Hacienda inn, Club Seven Fifteen in Reno, Nevada; The Sticky Wicket in Santa Cruz, California; The Alaska Lounge in San Francisco; California Colleges and Universities during a fourteen day circuit (San Diego, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Fresno, San Jose, Sacramento and San Francisco)


Has Worked With Such People As:
Ernestine Anderson, Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday, Al Hibbler, Blue Mitchell, Erik Dolphy, Teddy Edwards, Art Pepper, Erroll Grant, Roland Rosan Kirk, Herb Ellis, Terry Gibbs, Vernell Fournier, and Cat Anderson Double-Billings With Such As:The Oscar Peterson Trio, Errol Bostic, Andre Previn, and The Four Freshman, and Joe Henderson.

1 comment:

  1. I met Freddie at the Stew Den in Berkeley California in 1960 or early '61. I was in the Navy at the time, stationed at what was then the Oakland Naval Air Station. I was so transfixed and amazed by his piano playing that I returned every night that I could get off the base for as long as he played there. We became friends and after I my active duty hitch was over I returned home to Seattle, but stayed in touch with Freddie. At that time he had not yet changed his name to Federico Cervantes.

    In Seattle I knew Charlie Puzzo who at that time (about 1961 or "62) owned Charlie Puzzo's Penthouse Club, a jazz club in Pioneer Square. I got Freddy a gig at Charlie's club and he came up from San Francisco. I don't remember how he traveled, but probably by commercial airliner. I Drove Freddie around in my old jeep several times and took him to an after hours jazz club to play his trumpet one night after the Penthouse closed. It was disappointing because he didn't get to play. When he returned to the Bay Area I lost track of him. I later learned that he had changed his name.

    Many years later, I called the musician's union in San Francisco to try and locate him and was told that he had died. I was truly saddened to learn of his death and was sorry that I had waited too long to re-establish our friendship. He was one of the most amazing musicians I have ever heard and played the piano with a style very similar to Oscar Peterson's, but perhaps with even greater virtuosity. Freddie was equally dexterous with both hands.

    I used to have his LPs, but they are long gone, but am glad to see that some of his music has been re-mastered and put on CDs. I'm also happy to see that his youngest daughter, Anna, has brought his life story and career chronology to the internet in a really nice way. Thanks Anna.

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