[78-L] Sun Ra & Steve the Greek (what 78s are SR on?)

[buster]

Nope, Steve's had an unfortunate fire in the 80s, which took out the whole building and the other businesses in it - as well as the mural on Steve's wall that featured a tribute to Pat and Tricky Dick.  Fire was later found to be intentional...and I remember that Steve was fingered as having done it for the insurance.  As you passed by on the sidewalk outside he would always yell out in his thick accent: "Free today! de best, number one!" and shove a piece of lamb in your mouth through the window if you were within arm's reach.  He'd give you some free baklava if you got a souvlaki.

But imagine Sonny Blount in full cosmic uniform walking down Telegraph and into that joint, sitting and eating under the painted smiles of Mr and Mrs Dick Nixon while pining for his home planet, Saturn.  Makes me smile.

78 validation, according to a quick look at wikipedia:  He made his recording debut on two 1946 Wynonie Harris singles, "Dig This Boogie/Lightning Struck the Poorhouse" and "My Baby's Barrelhouse"/"Drinking By Myself;" "Dig This Boogie" was also Blount's first recorded piano solo, and you can hear it online here:  http://www.7digital.com/artists/wynonie-harris/dig-this-boogie/ by clicking on the preview button next to the entry for that song.

On Dec 26, 2009, at 7:18 AM, Cary Ginell wrote:

> 
> Steve the Greek! That was not only my favorite haunt in Berkeley during the 1970s but my introduction to souvlaki and baklava, which I had never tasted before (this was 1973). It was a little hole-in-the-wall on Telegraph Ave. I used to go there while record hunting in downtown Berkeley, which has always been a Mecca for used LPs. I don't know if Steve's is still there, but I'd love to revisit it some day.
> 
> Cary Ginell
> 
>> From: busterdog at mac.com
>> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
>> Date: Fri, 25 Dec 2009 23:06:03 -0800
>> Subject: Re: [78-L] fwd: Marsalis makes the world safe for pure jazz^
>> 
>> Years ago I left work early to get home in time to prepare to see Sun  
>> Ra perform in Berkeley CA. I exited the freeway in Berkeley to see a  
>> couple of guys walking down the street, one in full Egyptian/Saturnian  
>> fusion regalia, at 4 in the afternoon.
>> 
>> I pulled over, and jumped out to ask "Sun Ra!  What are you doing?".  
>> He replied that they sought a place where lamb was prepared "properly"  
>> and so I directed them to Steve the Greek's Souvlaki. The show later  
>> that evening was wonderful.
>> 
>> Sonny was the real deal.
>> 
>> 
>> O
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