Flanfire

Club One 15 is the realized vision of Austin R&B star Ter'ell Shahid (solo career and Les and the Funk Mob, for example) and his partners Brent, Calvin, and RJ ... who will have a grand opening of their new music venue on May 27 that will feature Ter'ell and lots of funky sounds. On Monday nights, though, the music will be smoother, as Austin songbird Natalie Zoe is hosting a songwriter's showcase. Tuesdays, there will be jazz with Ephraim Owens, Wednesdays will be "intelligent hip-hop soul with DJ LL (hosted by Ter'ell), Thursdays for now will be salsa and raggatone sounds, Fridays and Saturdays will have dance, top 40, R&B, funk and soul, and Sundays will have a DJ spinning "ole school" sounds.

Club One 15 - at 115 San Jacinto, a block from the Convention Center and several huge hotels plus eateries like P.F. Chang's and the Mongolian Grille - is also a wireless internet friendly environment. Speaking with two of the partners last evening, I learned their vision is of a bar for intelligent conversation and music, a place where class is "in," and a place where the music can be heard through a superior sound system in a building designed for good sounds. And no wonder - this is a music venue designed for and by musicians. The 12 x 12 foot stage has muted back lights, several spots, four or five monitors, and high quality speakers, and the club has a built in sound booth up front. My first impression (the bar and clean bathrooms are on the left side) is that the club reminds me of the Continental Club with an Extreme Makeover.

Miss Zoe (a lively one indeed!) had the honor of becoming the first performer on the Club One 15 stage -- she'll be there every Monday at 10 with special guests -- and she performed songs from her hot album "Seven Chords and the Truth," some with sideman Brad Tretola and others with Seldon Cole (who played bass and provided harmonies on the CD); she even got Ter'ell up to shout out "Broke Down Daddy" with the crowd. The only song NOT from Seven Chords was "School of Heartbreak."

Nat's special guest tonight was the aforesaid Brad Tretola, who just got back to Austin a month ago after seven years at the Hotel California (how he escaped is quite a tale!?). On his last pass through town, he played guitar for Lisa Tingle - not baaaaad! Brad admits he gets inspiration for many of his songs from lady friends - so after opening with a Stevie Wonder song, he did a couple of his own ballads (Another Day and On My Way, the kind of songs that make girls cry) that revealed his tender side. He also did some instrumentals that were also reflective and soulful. Future plans for Brad include a band with Megan Tubb (of THAT Tubb family). Yes, the guy can play melodic leads pretty fast.

The only down side to the entire experience was the DARKNESS of the downtown Austin streets. Do our city moms and pops (remember to vote out all incumbents!) actually believe darker downtown is better for the tourist trade? Are they trying to create a paradise for muggers who might prefer the serenity of the construction areas to ply their trade?

That aside, the Club One 15 is a great experience - comfortable cushy chairs and couches, an open front window (when the weather is right), lots of tables with high barstools, a clean line of sight to the stage, and a great sound system - plus owners who actually LIKE their customers. Musicians, line up to be Natalie's guests - the crowd will be coming soon.

As it was a night of new beginnings, I had earlier responded to a call to join my pal Jackson as he played his acoustic guitar in front of the new Ben and Jerry's at Fifth and Lamar. Jackson hopes to have the new CD available by Thursday, June 9, when he is opening for the legendary Arlo Guthrie at Alice's Restaurant in Niederwald (www.alicesrestauranttx.com) . Songs include Living Proof, I Can't Imagine, Standing There Laughing, Blind, and many more that reveal this Wisconsin native as one of the best songwriters about to break out anywhere. Jackson is also known for playing guitar for Leeann Atherton (Fridays at Maria's) and as the amazing lead guitarist for Ann Marie Harrop's band, Cloud 8 - and as a founding member of the Slacker City Players (and much more). All good stuff - but if you have not seen Jackson acoustic with his songs and stories, make sure you correct that omission from your life's experience. Jackson's songs provide what Stephen Bruton calls, "Nothing But the Truth."