A recent Thursday at 6:25 p.m.: A few
minutes before his band takes the stage at an after-work mixer on
the roof of the Mechanics Bank in the Financial District, Jack "Da
Hat" Luna finds a free moment for conversation and a cocktail.
"Music is pretty much full time," said Luna, who adopted the Jack
Da Hat persona after doing a guest appearance in North Beach with
Carol Doda, San Francisco's famed topless entertainer of
yesteryear. "When the goddess of San Francisco calls you 'Jack Da
Hat,' you need to keep the name," the singer said. It's been more
than 10 years since that fateful night, and it's a struggle - but
he loves what he does. If belting out big-band standards and
fronting an eight-piece band were the only requirements for this
vocation, Luna would be living the dream. But truth be told, most
of his hours are spent on everything else it takes to make his
business work. "It's sales. You're calling people all the time. If
you're not trying to get a gig in a club or a wedding, you're
trying to get your musicians ready," which can be "like putting
kittens in a box. It's work! But once the show gets going, it's
worthwhile," he said, insisting San Francisco is still the best
place to play.
http://vimeo.com/32678898
To see a multimedia
production of this piece, go to
sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/11/BAI11LTBHV.DTL#ixzz1ek734eLq
Mike Kepka, Staff Photographer at the San
Francisco Chronicle since 1999, produces The City Exposed, a
weekly feature about the people who make San Francisco what it is.
Jack Luna has been singing and
writing songs in the greater San Francisco Bay Area since
the early 80's. His New Orleans jazz style ranges from
sultry blues to swing’n boogie woogie.
Well
known around San Francisco’s North Beach clubs, his
collection of hats and stylish vintage attire has earned him
the name “Jack Da Hat” given to him by North Beach’s
own icon Carol Doda while performing at one of her
shows.
His
singing style is like no other. Some say a cross between
Louie Armstrong, Leon Redbone and Louis Jordan. Weather it
be a classical standard or original jazz tune, Jack makes it
his own with his distinctive sound.
Influence by Peter (Pop) Walsh and the Stompy
Jones band, Boz Scaggs, Louis Jordan and Fats Domino's
New Orleans style boogie woogie, Jack delivers an
unforgettable sound that will keep you wanting
more.
He has performed with The Stompy Jones
Band, Al Molina and the King Hutch Duo, David Austin's trio
de Swing , Carol Doda,. Elena De la Rosa, James Campbell,
Maddaline Edstrom, Gary Neuman, Steven Dukes, Jason
Martineau, Jeff Sanford, Gina Harris, Chuck Bennett, Waldo
Carter, Larry Kirkish and many other well known Bay Area
musicians.
Performing at some of the
most well known and prestige's clubs in
California , The Octavia Lounge, Shanghai
1930, The Donatello, Amante's, Capurro's
Fisherman's Wharf, Gino and Carlos North Beach, Swinging
Door, Jack Falstaff, The Bistro, Broadway Grill, The
Santa Maria Inn, Winters, Ricks, Cafe Triesta, Shebas,
Martunis, Roberto's, The Dresden Los Angeles , The San
Franciscan, The Hotel Utah and The famous Clint
Eastwood's Mission Ranch in Monterey.
His
performances are unforgettable!!!! |
EDDIE RICKENBACKERS
SOMA
SPECTACULAR
A real San Francisco
Treat
By Buckshot
Last week,
Reggie and I were in San Francisco for some surgery on our boy,
Scottie, an’ as always, we looked up our amigo, Jack “Da Hat” Luna.
Jack’s not only a member of the infamous Hamsters, but he’s also one
of the best New Orleans style Jazzmen in the business. (Check him
out at: http://www.jackdahat.com/ )
We were hoping to catch one of
his shows at The Bistro in Hayward , or one of the other dives
that’ll have him, but no luck. He was between “gigs”. “Meet me at Eddie Rickenbackers for dinner
and drinks,” he said. “You’ll love the place!”
When we arrived, Jack was waiting just down the street in rush hour
(12:01 am – 11:59 pm) traffic, so we ordered drinks, an’ settled in
among the most amazing interior decorating job I’ve ever seen. There
were beautifully restored antique motorcycles hanging from the
ceiling, the walls, and ensconced in every available nook and cranny
of the place! Harleys, Indians, Triumphs, Hendersons … Even an Ariel
Square Four! This is eye-candy that’s as good as it gets! This is
not a place for a “quick bite,” as time seems to stand still, at
least for me. I could, and would, spend all day
here.
“This is one
of the stops on our 3 Bridges Run,” he said. “We hit the Golden
Gate, the Oakland Bay Bridge , and the San Rafael Bridge , with a
few stops along the way. This place is a favorite of a lot of us
locals.”
It’s
also a great place to enjoy good music by pianist James Campbell,
some good food, and your favorite drink, and you never know… You may
be lucky enough to catch Jack “Da Hat”
Luna.
Jack is scheduled to rock this Joint in San
Fran, in the near future...
Eddie Rickenbacker’s is at 133
2nd Street in San Francisco.
see
complete article in the April issue of thunder
press
http://www.bikernet.com/news
BIKERNET ECONOMIC
STIMULUS NEWS--MORE EVENTS COMING, MORE TV SHOWS, MORE PRODUCTS AND
MORE RIDES--WHAT COULD BE BETTER?
Howdy! Grab a chair an’ a beer!
Well, looks like we made it through
another year somehow! I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’m
gonna miss good ol’ 2008. Between the political ads, the stock
market crashin’ like a drunk ape on a crotch rocket, an’ my
government bailout still lost in the mail, I thought I’d have to
look pretty hard to find somethin’ about it to like. I guess when
times are bad, we all tend ta get a little depressed, so, bein’ the
optimistic ol’ dog that I am, I just dug around in my memories pile
an’ pulled out a few things that made the year a bit better: 2008
also found my pal Jack “Jack Da Hat” Luna makin’ the big time with
Last Stop Records! This bundle’a talent, who sometimes claims ta be
Kid Rock’s daddy because of the “family” resemblance, an’ the free
drinks associated with it, has been wowin’ crowds in the Bay Area
for quite a while, with jazz, blues, swing, an’ his own brand of
magic.
Check him out here at
www.jackdahat.com.
Copyright 2010 - Jack Da Hat - All Rights
Reserved. |
