Jam Session at Sunny's Spot

Saturday, October 13 was one of dem kind of days I stroll on Degnan Blvd. in Leimert Park's "Black Township" where the locals do their own thing from shopping on artifacts and clothings related to African cultural heritage to pub-crawling and eating out. The traffic around this neigborhood is getting busier and busier, sometimes with curious tourist poking around and getting a feel of the drum beats that vibrates from the park.

I had poked around and walked into Sunny's Spot and the settings was the beginning of a jam session featuring locals and aspiring artists who play from gig to gig. The line-up on this day included New York born rock/alternative performer, Angela Leo who had breezed in to share the Saturday gig with Jacnicque, Rizi Timane, Ali Baba, Jackie Rae, Raaki Solomon and the Season of Us.

Leimert Park and its envorons is now selling the idea of tourism as a way to attract more visitors to a neigborhood once known as a haven for hoodlums on Crenshaw Boulevard thoroughfare. Safe and cool, business is thriving in this neigborhood, and one can always tell by the mood of the area's merchants.

At Sunny's Spot, it was business as usual when Angela Leo and her colleagues began to entertain the audience. I had always been asked if I played any instrument. I wish I did, but being a music analyst, I think that's enough to go by and enjoy good vibes from locals, as I really did watching Leo do her thing and showcasing her talent "acoustically."