LAVA’s 39th Sunday Salon
Join LAVA for our revived free monthly Sunday Salon series. We return to South Broadway, to the mezzanine of Les Noces du Figaro, which was recently opened by the family behind Figaro Bistro in Los Feliz. This handsome space was formerly Schaber’s Cafeteria (Charles F. Plummer, 1928), and the mezzanine features wonderful views of the Los Angeles Theatre.
On the last Sunday of each month, LAVA welcomes interested individuals to gather in downtown Los Angeles (noon-2pm), for a structured Salon featuring formal presentations and opportunities to meet and connect with one another. If you’re interested in joining LAVA as a creative contributor or an attendee, we recommend Salon attendance as an introduction to this growing community. We also recommend the eclairs.
Read about the original Sunday Salon at Clifton’s Cafeteria here.
A Note On Arriving Downtown on Sunday
The Made In America concert will close off the Civic Center (the area around City Hall) for the whole weekend. Please do not, if you are driving, take the 101 freeway to come downtown, as you will be plagued with festival detours. The Pershing Square Metro Station is the closest transit stop to Cafe Figaro. If you are driving, it is easy to access 7th & Broadway if arriving via the 10 freeway, the 60 or the 5. We recommend taking public transportation, or allowing yourself more time than usual if you are driving.
Presentation One: Charlie Parker’s Central Avenue Jazz
Alto saxophonist Charlie Parker arrived at Los Angeles’ Union Station in December of 1945 all but tied to his seat. Somewhere in the southwestern desert his heroin withdrawals had caught up with him and the rest of the band knew they were going to be in for a long trip. But none was going to be as long as Parker’s.
The two titans of bebop, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, had booked a winter gig in sunny LA. Six nights a week in a Hollywood nightclub was a nice way to get out of the City and introduce a new audience to their innovative bebop sounds — but Parker’s spiraling drug problem was a liability before the band had even packed their bags.
When the residency finally ended, relationships were in shambles, box office receipts were disappointing and the band was eager to just get home. But Parker didn’t show up for the flight. It took him over a year to finally get out of Los Angeles. During his extended stay, Parker had disastrous recording sessions, transcendent recording sessions, he signed over royalties to his drug dealer, lit his hotel room on fire and eventually served six months in a mental institution.
Author Sean J. O’Connell chronicles Los Angeles’s unique 20th century jazz scene in his newest book, Los Angeles’s Central Avenue Jazz. For his first LAVA presentation, he will chart the journey of jazz’ greatest destructive genius through the nightclubs and back alleys of 1940s Los Angeles.
Presentation Two: Living a Magickal Life
What is magick and how does one live it? From kitchen witchery and crafting to ceremonial magic, join us to examine the core principles underlying magick and discover ways to enrich your life by creating change in accord with Will.
Soror Lilya is an Initiate of Ordo Templi Orientis, a Thelemite and a Crafter who has been working with Magick for over 20 years.
The Salon will be followed by a free walking tour, The Flaneur & The City: Broadway on My Mind walking tour #12. Please visit the tour series Landing Page for videos and descriptions of past tours and the goals of the series.
