Pete Douglas

Half Moon Bay, California -- 2004

This is my friend, Pete, and this picture says it all. His eccentricity evolved out of the 50's Beat Hipster Generation with their Bohemian attitude and love of the arts. The round beanie, sunglasses, pipe and craggy features give him the appearance of a mythic character that fits well with his tireless telling of musical tales.

I love Pete not only for his uniqueness, but because of his endless support for live music, especially jazz. He offered his own home as a performance venue, beginning literally as a small beer joint on the beach, then expanding and redesigning it over the past 40 years to create the ultimate, intimate concert space seating nearly 200. His non-profit musical organization called The Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society was founded in 1964 to present jazz, classical and world music concerts by the sea.

After Warner Music Discovery released my "Tigress" CD in 1993, Pete invited my band to come up from LA to perform at the Bach. He took a chance with me as a relatively unknown contemporary jazz artist because he could hear passion and intensity in my performance. That's what inspires him the most.

Five years later I relocated to the Coastside, just 4 miles north of Pete's place. We became friends -- listening to live music, trading musical stories over lunch, even roller skating -- and I became determined to help Pete create a living legacy of the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society which would endure beyond his lifetime. For several months I worked as Pete's Director, helping to raise awareness and funding for his non-profit.

Now that my musical career has blossomed in the San Francisco Bay Area, I don't have as much time to devote to supporting Pete's performance venue. But it is still my favorite place in the world to hear jazz.

For more about Pete Douglas and the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, go to www.bachddsoc.org.