“There’s a lot of history in this place. It was
formerly a carriage house and then a garage. Later it became a comedy club and still later Circle Rep, a
theater company, was here.” It’s David Coss talking, an ebullient bartender, singer and booking manager for The Garage, a restaurant-cum-music spot on Seventh Avenue South and Sheridan Square, in the heart of a bustling, multi-cultural part of the West Village. Slightly more than a decade ago it was opened by its owners, Mary Jo and Bob Rinalo, who soon thereafter added music to their menu.
“I’ve worked here for nine plus years,” reports Coss. “We started booking a couple of people early on for brunch mostly. One day [singer/pianist] Dena DeRose and [saxophonist] Virginia Mayhew were playing. They knew I wanted to sing and they invited me up to do a tune.” The manager was impressed, raved to the owners and, in classic discovery fashion, suggested to them that Coss sing on Sunday nights, which he’s been doing ever since. Coss seemed a
natural to take over the music bookings, which were formerly a part of the general manager’s duties. It’s a complex music schedule and to keep it under control, Coss says, “It needs babysitting everyday.”
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“There’s a lot of history in this place. It was
formerly a carriage house and then a garage. Later it became a comedy club and still later Circle Rep, a
theater company, was here.” It’s David Coss talking, an ebullient bartender, singer and booking manager for The Garage, a restaurant-cum-music spot on Seventh Avenue South and Sheridan Square, in the heart of a bustling, multi-cultural part of the West Village. Slightly more than a decade ago it was opened by its owners, Mary Jo and Bob Rinalo, who soon thereafter added music to their menu.
“I’ve worked here for nine plus years,” reports Coss. “We started booking a couple of people early on for brunch mostly. One day [singer/pianist] Dena DeRose and [saxophonist] Virginia Mayhew were playing. They knew I wanted to sing and they invited me up to do a tune.” The manager was impressed, raved to the owners and, in classic discovery fashion, suggested to them that Coss sing on Sunday nights, which he’s been doing ever since. Coss seemed a
natural to take over the music bookings, which were formerly a part of the general manager’s duties. It’s a complex music schedule and to keep it under control, Coss says, “It needs babysitting everyday.”
Patrons sometimes compare Coss’ singing to Mel Torme or Chet Baker. Currently joining him on most Sundays from 8 to midnight are legendary pianist Harry Whitaker, Rob Garcia on drums and Roy Sebastian on bass. “...They’re great musicians and wonderful people. We do all your favorite standards and we try to keep things fresh.”
Keeping things fresh seems to be the guiding principle in his booking choices, even though he acknowledges having a “special place in my heart” for jazz veterans like Whitaker as well. Overall the emphasis is on newer faces he feels are suitable for the particular qualities of the room, which seats 120 and another 40 at a bar which serves mouthwatering seafood. “This is a restaurant with music, not a music venue. There’s a lot of difference between the two. You’re getting a lot of foot traffic off of the street where people come in and they don’t even know we have music. It kind of just happens when they walk through the door.” Patrons are likely to hear
everything from original compositions to swing, bebop, blues and in between. As Coss says, he likes to “vary the texture, but pretty much keep it tolerable for people who come in here just to eat.”
He’s always aiming to bring in a lot of different sounds. Currently he’s on a search for a good jazz
violinist. He calls Clay Jenkins, a trumpet player from upstate who will be there in a couple of weeks,
“amazing”. Of his friend Chris Bergson, who plays and sings blues sounding like a seasoned old guy he laughs and says, “People can’t believe that it’s coming out of his skinny white body.”
Garage veteran Mayhew raves, “...[This place] is one of the beautiful things about New York. I do about two nights a month with my band and every Monday night with the Howard Williams Big Band.” About to release her latest CD in January (Sandan Shuffle), she considers The Garage to be “my home away from home.” A newer favorite who’s building a following is composer/pianist John Chin with his trio. Chin
happily reports their original, modern progressive music often draws an “extraordinary response”.
Observing that “most musicians are very
competent,” Coss says he’s looking for more -
“something that draws me in” and he finds that
happens especially with younger musicians. That’s reflected in the special relationship that’s evolved between The Garage and New York University’s Jazz Program. Dave Schroeder, who heads NYU’s Jazz Studies Department comments, “The Garage has been very supportive of our jazz performers.”
“During the school year we have performances there twice a month. We also have our student duos and trios performing every Monday and Friday for the brunch crowd from 1 to 3. It’s a great opportunity for them to gain experience on a weekly basis and to get a chance to play in front of a New York audience. We want to promote our students and a faculty who are second-to-none as compared to other jazz schools.”
A multiple instrumentalist himself (woodwinds, saxophone, flute, harmonica, pennywhistle), Schroeder’s own band, Combo Nuvo, is made up of members of the NYU Jazz Studies faculty and plays The Garage every other Tuesday from 8 to 11. He adds, “It’s a great location for us - across the street from Sweet Rhythm and down the street from the Vanguard and the Blue Note. It’s a great alternative. There’s no cover or minimum. And the food is good, so people keep coming back!”
On second and fourth Tuesdays the New York University’s Big Band plays the room, as do a Latin big band and a graduate big band. Coss cheers, “Dave Schroeder’s so talented. ...He’s played with Miles ...Combo Nuvo does really interesting, creative music.”
Another rising star at the Garage is John Batiste, a pianist from Julliard. Coss says he’s never heard
anybody play like him before. “He’s going to be the biggest deal! He had just turned 19 when he started here and he was already phenomenal. He’s got more energy. When the gig is over, he’ll just sit at the piano continuing to play!” When looking for a vibes player, a musician told him to check out Christos Rafalides, who with his trio has become a regular on The Garage
roster. “He’s great! And he always brings great
musicians in with him.”
Asked about what’s the hardest part of his job, Coss replies with the particular empathy that being a performer himself brings to his work. “...It’s deciding who to use. Because I wish I could schedule everyone who wants to play here. I could fill five clubs every night of the week and two bands each night over the weekend! ...The best part is being able to share with people the music we have here seven nights a week. If you show up, by nine o’clock any night you’ll get music. ...There’s something here for everyone.”
This venue has a live music seven nights a week with two bands per night performing on the main stage area in the middle of this large room.
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