Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Rainbow Gardens Ballroom
Following performance at the Richie Valens Memorial Concert held in Long Beach, Dec 31, 1961 , in the beginning of the new year 1962, an up and coming group called the Beach Boys played the Rainbow Gardens in Pomona, CA
Feb 16, Feb 17, March 9, March 23, March 30, 1962
(Reconstructed dates courtesy of a dedicated fan)
But you could also go hear recognized jazz great Cal Tjader Quintet with Vince Guardi on piano at the Rainbow Gardens. The Quintet shared the bill with "Treni Menor and his Latin American music" April 7, 1957. My sister was really starting to get deeper into jazz at this time. She didn't go to THAT show as we hadn't moved to Claremont yet. But she may have succeeded in seeing the Quintet on Nov 1, 1958 at the Rainbow, with the bill including the Luis Arcaraz Orchestra.
(Vince Guaraldi's Timeline)
My sister dug Cal Tjader, so did Frank. We'd spend time looking at the different cartoon figures of the bullfight ring on his big yellow album and talk about jazz. (This is a bright red disc inside, and on the album cover art hidden amongst the massive crowd was to be found the Lone Ranger, a naked lady, a man giving the finger, with a balloon coming out from the crowd shouting "Nixon Go Home!")
Say, do you kids remember how to do the Pachuco Hop? (If you do, you know this is too fast a beat.)
The Premiers were one of the "East Side Bands". This link is to a genuine labor of love site.
For scholars in what is now called Ethnic Studies, here's a monograph on some of the Hispanic music scene as it revolved around Latin Holidays in the Los Angeles area in the old days (which mentions the Rainbow Gardens and which takes a very long time to load in, kind of like the big bands of the era).
Here is how the East Side Sound developed per Gaversa.
(People listening to Los Angeles radio of the time most definitely would recognize the music of Rosie and the Originals, but might not have known this was an East Side Sound.
Rosie's other huge local hit was "Angel Baby"
(of course Frank listened to these, as I was in charge of the record player sometimes and these were some current favorites of mine).
And what discussion even a casual mention of the East Side Sound would be complete without an interactive map from EMP?
Which helps prove you needed a car or at least a ride to and from places involving music both then and now.
And novelty records were de riguer, as Burrito Joe by the Armenta Brothers Orchestra shows. A 15-piece band, they mostly were famous at El Monte Legion Stadium, but they did perform at the Rainbow Gardens Ballroom. Just to give you some idea of the flavor of the club.
Frank would make fun of the Castillian accent or "lithp" when some spoke Spanish, as we generally enjoyed making fun of everything, you see.
¶ 11/13/2013 04:46:00 PM
Feb 16, Feb 17, March 9, March 23, March 30, 1962
(Reconstructed dates courtesy of a dedicated fan)
But you could also go hear recognized jazz great Cal Tjader Quintet with Vince Guardi on piano at the Rainbow Gardens. The Quintet shared the bill with "Treni Menor and his Latin American music" April 7, 1957. My sister was really starting to get deeper into jazz at this time. She didn't go to THAT show as we hadn't moved to Claremont yet. But she may have succeeded in seeing the Quintet on Nov 1, 1958 at the Rainbow, with the bill including the Luis Arcaraz Orchestra.
(Vince Guaraldi's Timeline)
My sister dug Cal Tjader, so did Frank. We'd spend time looking at the different cartoon figures of the bullfight ring on his big yellow album and talk about jazz. (This is a bright red disc inside, and on the album cover art hidden amongst the massive crowd was to be found the Lone Ranger, a naked lady, a man giving the finger, with a balloon coming out from the crowd shouting "Nixon Go Home!")
Say, do you kids remember how to do the Pachuco Hop? (If you do, you know this is too fast a beat.)
The Premiers were one of the "East Side Bands". This link is to a genuine labor of love site.
For scholars in what is now called Ethnic Studies, here's a monograph on some of the Hispanic music scene as it revolved around Latin Holidays in the Los Angeles area in the old days (which mentions the Rainbow Gardens and which takes a very long time to load in, kind of like the big bands of the era).
Here is how the East Side Sound developed per Gaversa.
(People listening to Los Angeles radio of the time most definitely would recognize the music of Rosie and the Originals, but might not have known this was an East Side Sound.
Rosie's other huge local hit was "Angel Baby"
(of course Frank listened to these, as I was in charge of the record player sometimes and these were some current favorites of mine).
And what discussion even a casual mention of the East Side Sound would be complete without an interactive map from EMP?
Which helps prove you needed a car or at least a ride to and from places involving music both then and now.
And novelty records were de riguer, as Burrito Joe by the Armenta Brothers Orchestra shows. A 15-piece band, they mostly were famous at El Monte Legion Stadium, but they did perform at the Rainbow Gardens Ballroom. Just to give you some idea of the flavor of the club.
Frank would make fun of the Castillian accent or "lithp" when some spoke Spanish, as we generally enjoyed making fun of everything, you see.
¶ 11/13/2013 04:46:00 PM
