Tuesday, September 15, 2009

40 Cedar Alley, San Francisco, CA


40 Cedar Alley was a coffeeshop located in the lobby to Cedar Alley Cinema. It opened August 14, 1965 (the day after the launch of the Berkeley Barb and the opening of Marty Balin's Matrix on Fillmore Street). Little detail and few memories seem to exist but they did seem to book an eclectic mix of performers ranging from the flamenco of Solomon Feldthouse (later of Kaleidoscope), through the easter influenced folk of Pat Kilroy & The New Age and The Sound of Om, to the bluegrass of the Smokey Grass Boys and the experimental music unleashed by the Electric Chamber Orkustra.


I have yet to really concentrate on figuring out more about 40 Cedar Alley but have a short list of shows that took place there.
14 August 1965 Opening Night
16 September 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
17 September 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
18 September 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
19 September 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
20 September 1965 Poetry Readings
23 September 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
24 September 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
25 September 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
26 September 1965 Poetry Readings
30 September 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
01 October 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
02 October 1965 The San Francisco Reperatory Company perform Susan Griffin's "The Everlasting Reich"
03 October 1965 Poetry Readings
10 December 1965 The Explainers (portraying on stage the cartoons of Jules Feiffer of the Village Voice)
11 December 1965 The Explainers (portraying on stage the cartoons of Jules Feiffer of the Village Voice)
17 December 1965 Pantomime; The Explainers (portraying on stage the cartoons of Jules Feiffer of the Village Voice)
18 December 1965 Pantomime; The Explainers (portraying on stage the cartoons of Jules Feiffer of the Village Voice)
01 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
02 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
07 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
08 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
09 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
14 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
15 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
16 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
21 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
22 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
23 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
28 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
29 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
30 January 1966 Lee Underwood, Juan Molina, The Step Sisters
31 January 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
01 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
02 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
03 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
04 February 1966 Bill Forshay, Ivan Ulz
05 February 1966 Bill Forshay, Ivan Ulz
06 February 1966 Hoot with Lee Underwood
07 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
08 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
09 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
10 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
11 February 1966 Congress of Wonders
12 February 1966 Congress of Wonders
13 February 1966 Hoot with Lee Underwood
14 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
15 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
16 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
17 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
18 February 1966 Jefferey Cain, Alan Higgins
19 February 1966 Jefferey Cain, Alan Higgins
20 February 1966 Hoot with Lee Underwood
21 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
22 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
23 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
24 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
25 February 1966 The Flemenco Quadro
26 February 1966 The Flemenco Quadro
27 February 1966 Hoot with Lee Underwood
28 February 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
01 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
02 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
03 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
04 March 1966 Michael Hunt Satyricon
05 March 1966 Michael Hunt Satyricon
06 March 1966 Hoot with Lee Underwood
07 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
08 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
09 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
10 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
11 March 1966 The Wry Catchers
12 March 1966 The Wry Catchers
13 March 1966 Hoot with Lee Underwood
14 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
15 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
16 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
17 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
18 March 1966 Lee Underwood
19 March 1966 Lee Underwood
20 March 1966 Hoot with Lee Underwood
21 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
22 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
23 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
24 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
25 March 1966 Ivan Ulz, Robert Trotter
26 March 1966 Ivan Ulz, Robert Trotter
27 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
28 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
29 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
30 March 1966 Spontaneous Sound (gongs, timpani, bells, cymbals, chimes and flute)
01 April 1966 Ed Ellison, Mike Gilligan
02 April 1966 Ed Ellison, Mike Gilligan
07 April 1966 Bridge
08 April 1966 Bridge, Mary Goodwin, John & Greg
09 April 1966 Mary Goodwin, John & Greg
14 April 1966 Bridge
15 April 1966 Bridge, Los Flamencos de la Bahia
16 April 1966 Los Flamencos de la Bahia
20 April 1966 The Wry Catchers, Ale Ekstrom, Linda Uyehara, Ed Ellison, Peg Carter [The Art Focus Club]
21 April 1966 Bridge
22 April 1966 Bridge, Los Flamencos de la Bahia
23 April 1966 Los Flamencos de la Bahia
28 April 1966 Bridge
29 April 1966 Bridge, Los Flamencos de la Bahia
30 April 1966 Los Flamencos de la Bahia
05 May 1966 Bridge
06 May 1966 Bridge, Los Flamencos de la Bahia
07 May 1966 Los Flamencos de la Bahia
12 May 1966 Bridge
13 May 1966 Bridge, Los Flamencos de la Bahia
14 May 1966 Los Flamencos de la Bahia
19 May 1966 Bridge
20 May 1966 Bridge, Los Flamencos de la Bahia
21 May 1966 Los Flamencos de la Bahia
26 May 1966 Bridge
27 May 1966 Bridge, Los Flamencos de la Bahia
28 May 1966 Los Flamencos de la Bahia
22 June 1966 Malachi
29 June 1966 Solomon
01 July 1966 Bill Halpern
02 July 1966 Bill Halpern
04 July 1966 Michael Hunt (Parody, Satire and Comedy)
06 July 1966 Solomon
08 July 1966 Tienne and The Red Mountain Boys
09 July 1966 Tienne and The Red Mountain Boys
13 July 1966 Solomon
15 July 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band
16 July 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band
20 July 1966 Solomon
22 July 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band
23 July 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band
24 July 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band
27 July 1966 Solomon
29 July 1966 Solomon
30 July 1966 Solomon
03 August 1966 Solomon
18 August 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band
19 August 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band
20 August 1966 PH Phactor Jug Band
01 September 1966 Jack Andrews
08 September 1966 Jack Andrews
15 September 1966 Jack Andrews
16 September 1966 Entropy
17 September 1966 Entropy
22 September 1966 Jack Andrews
29 September 1966 Jack Andrews
30 September 1966 Tienne and The Red Mountain Boys
01 October 1966 Tienne and The Red Mountain Boys
16 October 1966 Hoot with Michael Hunt
31 October 1966 Jazz
04 November 1966 Jim Smith
06 November 1966 Michael Hunt
07 November 1966 Jazz
11 November 1966 Steve Mann, Ruthann Freidman
12 November 1966 Steve Mann, Ruthann Freidman
14 November 1966 Jazz
21 November 1966 Jazz
28 November 1966 Jazz
05 December 1966 Jazz
09 December 1966 Malachi
10 December 1966 Malachi
12 December 1966 Jazz
19 December 1966 Jazz
01 January 1967 Hoot
02 January 1967 New Folk 5
20 January 1967 Wrycatchers
21 January 1967 Wrycatchers
23 January 1967 Hoot with Michael Hunt
25 January 1967 Smokey Grass Boys
03 February 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra
04 February 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra
05 February 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra
10 February 1967 Robbie Basho
11 February 1967 Robbie Basho
15 February 1967 Smokey Grass Boys
17 February 1967 Pat Kilroy and The New Age
18 February 1967 Pat Kilroy and The New Age
19 February 1967 [2pm] Pat Kilroy and The New Age, [9pm] Hoot with Michael Hunt
24 February 1967 Om - The Sound of Om Music of India (played on veena and daduki)
25 February 1967 Om - The Sound of Om Music of India (played on veena and daduki)
26 February 1967 Hoot with Michael Hunt
28 February 1967 Theatre Lab: Sturgis' Shaa, Songs and Empiricalism
10 March 1967 Robbie Basho
11 March 1967 Robbie Basho
12 March 1967 Hoot with Michael Hunt
17 March 1967 Paul Arnoldi
18 March 1967 Paul Arnoldi
19 March 1967 Hoot with Michael Hunt
24 March 1967 Jim Smith, Dave Barnes
25 March 1967 Jim Smith, Dave Barnes
26 March 1967 Vince Olson Quartet, Hoot with Michael Hunt
27 March 1967 Pitschell Players' "Lyndon's Banes"
08 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
09 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
10 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
15 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
16 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
17 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
22 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
23 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
24 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
29 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
30 June 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
01 July 1967 Shaw's Don Juan In Hell
04 April 1969 Long Island Sound, Orion
11 August 1971 Stephen Fiske, Onion

40 Cedar Alley is certainly a venue that we would love to know more about. Given it's locale in the lobby of a the Cedar Alley Cinema it is unclear as to whether it had regulars of its own or relied on those folk visiting the cinema to keep the business turning over.

5 comments:

  1. Although there are the usual spectrum of 60s folk idioms (bluegrass, jug band, etc) there is very much of a "World Music" feel to Cedar Alley's bookings. Spontaneous Sound was a solo performance by Christopher Tree on various exotic percussion and wind instruments, almost none of them Western. Combined with The New Age, Solomon (Feldthouse), Flamenco and Indian music, Cedar Alley presents a different menu than The Jabberwock.

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  2. The "eclectic folk" coffeeshop changed its name back in 1971 and kept going for a short while after that. I took a drive down Cedar Alley a few months ago hoping to catch a photo of what remains around numbers 38 and 40. The original buildings were torn down in the 80s soon after the cinema finally closed. The buildings were replaced with bland white painted buildings that look like warehousing or small manufacturing units - these remain to this day.

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  3. The missing dates:

    06 January 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra
    07 January 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra
    08 January 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra
    27 January 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra
    28 January 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra
    29 January 1967 Electric Chamber Orkustra

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  4. I wonder if Cedar Alley Cafe was anywhere near the Orion, which also had a Cedar Alley address. I saw Richie Havens and other there multiple times in the late mid to late 60's...

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  5. I actually think it was the same venue.

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