Comeback Inn Has a Jazzed-Up Agenda

Under the spreading rubber tree

A Brazilian jazz band stands,

With funky rhythms in their hearts

And guitars in their hands.

The patrons munch on veggies

To keep their health intact

And meanwhile sipping foreign beers,

Await the second act.

--Ballad of the Comeback Inn Known for its bohemian atmosphere and teeming boardwalk, its artists and celebrity residents, Venice Beach attracts thousands of local and out-of-state visitors year-round. But there is another side to Venice, a small-town quality that belies its reputation for muscle-bound, bronzed Adonises, bunny-clones and artists.

There are some excellent music clubs, among them the distinctive jazz showcase called the Comeback Inn, just a few blocks west of Lincoln Boulevard, well away from the hubbub of the boardwalk. This informal, intimate little place specializes in exercise for the ear and natural foods for the arteries.

When the weather is warm enough, patrons sit outdoors beneath a spreading rubber tree on a spacious fenced-in patio. There they hear the newest in jazz and jazz fusion.

Right now, so certain music pundits say, Brazilian jazz is hot--for the first time since the bossa nova. And that’s just one of the kinds of music featured at the Inn. Closed only on Mondays, the Comeback Inn features some of the finest music around on the other six days of the week, including an open mike on Tuesdays for original material; on Wednesday nights, “Piano Mastery,” a jazz piano showcase featuring various performers, and a variety night on Thursdays, when you can hear everything from performance art to folk and country.

Dedicated to the Arts

Owner Will Raabe is serious about his role in the Venice arts community. A German immigrant who came to the United States in 1965--starting in Chicago and eventually moving to Southern California--Raabe is a former classical violinist who is dedicated to music and the arts in general.

“When I took over the Comeback Inn in 1973,” Raabe said, “I decided to run it as sort of a cultural community center. We work with the musicians, showcasing and videotaping them. And we have exhibits too for local artists. We try to present as many kinds of music as possible--a great deal of ethnic music, for instance. But most of it comes under the jazz umbrella.”

And Raabe has had considerable success with his musical agenda--so much so that he is about to open his own production and recording company.

The Inn attracts talents such as Billy Childs and Charlie Haden regularly--not to mention Chinese harpist Zhi-Ming Han. Pop singer Rickie Lee Jones, in fact, got her start at the Comeback Inn.

Vegetarian Rule

An avowed vegetarian of the so-called New Age “Vegan” school, Raabe sees to it that no animal products whatsoever--not even milk for your coffee--are served. Happily, though, once you’ve scoured your system with some of the tastiest, vitamin-rich roughage around, you are still free to poison your person with cigarettes and beer in the traditional jazz club fashion.

The giant Galapogos tortoises on a TV program I was looking forward to seeing later that evening might well have been extinct by the time we received our menus, and the entire archipelago could have been ground away under the Pacific waves by the time our order was taken.

Nevertheless, listening to good jazz in an out-of-doors setting was refreshing and relaxing, and the sesame seed crackers and soup were delicious. Even when the weather is bad and the show moves indoors, you’ll still want to return to the Comeback Inn.

Comeback Inn, 1633 W. Washington Blvd., Venice. Performance schedule: (213) 396-7255.