The Baked Potato
Encyclopedia
The Baked Potato is a noted night club located in Studio City, Los Angeles, often regarded as the world's oldest music venue specializing in jazz fusion
music. The club's name is derived from its unusual menu which features more than 20 types of baked potatoes.
The club was opened in 1970 by composer and musician Don Randi
, and often featured his band Quest for many years after opening. It has served in years past as a launchpad for notable musicians including Al Jarreau
, Lee Ritenour
, Larry Carlton
, Tom Scott
and many others. The club has also served as a site for numerous live recordings and music videos, and has also been a magnet for Hollywood celebrities such as actor and jazz aficionado Clint Eastwood
, special appearances by Tool
drummer Danny Carey
, and Chad Smith
(Red Hot Chili Peppers
).
In recent years the club has moved even more towards featuring jazz fusion
, and draws visitors from around the world to see artists such as VOLTO!
, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats
, Kevin Eubanks
, Michael Landau
, Scott Henderson
, Planet X
, Andy Summers
, Mitchel Forman
, John Daversa Big Band, Scott Kinsey
, Jimmy Earl
, Allan Holdsworth
, OHM
and dozens of others. John Ziegler
hosts the Monday Night Jams; a nightly session in which audience members get to sit in with some of the greats. In 2010 the club was named "Best Jazz Club" in Los Angeles Magazine.
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
music. The club's name is derived from its unusual menu which features more than 20 types of baked potatoes.
The club was opened in 1970 by composer and musician Don Randi
Don Randi
Don Randi is an American keyboard player, bandleader and songwriter. He has performed on innumerable recordings, including many as a session musician and member of "The Wrecking Crew", as well as releasing his own jazz records...
, and often featured his band Quest for many years after opening. It has served in years past as a launchpad for notable musicians including Al Jarreau
Al Jarreau
Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...
, Lee Ritenour
Lee Ritenour
Lee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...
, Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
, Tom Scott
Tom Scott (musician)
Tom Scott is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader of the west coast jazz/jazz fusion ensemble The L.A. Express.-Biography:Scott was born in Los Angeles, California...
and many others. The club has also served as a site for numerous live recordings and music videos, and has also been a magnet for Hollywood celebrities such as actor and jazz aficionado Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, special appearances by Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
drummer Danny Carey
Danny Carey
Daniel Edwin "Danny" Carey is an American drummer best known for his work in American Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool...
, and Chad Smith
Chad Smith
Chad Smith is an American musician, best known as the longtime and current drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot which includes Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony, former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes' backing band and...
(Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
).
In recent years the club has moved even more towards featuring jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, and draws visitors from around the world to see artists such as VOLTO!
VOLTO!
Volto! are an American jazz rock fusion jam band group from Los Angeles, California. They are a quartet, featuring Kirk Covington, Lance Morrison, John Ziegler, and Danny Carey, who live and work in the Los Angeles area....
, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats
Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats
Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats is an American instrumental funk rock band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith, guitarist Jeff Kollman , bassist Kevin Chown , and keyboardist Ed Roth.The group formed accidentally with Jeff, Ed, and Chad being the...
, Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks is an American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of the Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.- Personal background :Eubanks was born into a musical family...
, Michael Landau
Michael Landau
Michael Landau is a prolific session musician and guitarist who has played on a large number of albums since the early 1980s with artists as varied as Seal, James Taylor, Helen Watson, Richard Marx, Steve Perry, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis...
, Scott Henderson
Scott Henderson
Scott Henderson is a fusion and blues guitarist best known for his work with the band Tribal Tech.-Early days:Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Henderson began playing guitar at an early age...
, Planet X
Planet X (band)
Planet X is an instrumental rock/progressive metal supergroup, founded by keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati. Throughout a decade of activity, they have released three studio albums and one live album, each with a variety of guest musicians and oft-changing...
, Andy Summers
Andy Summers
Andy Summers is an English guitarist born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. Best known as the guitarist for rock band The Police, he has also recorded twelve solo albums, collaborated with many other artists, toured extensively under his own name, published several books, and composed...
, Mitchel Forman
Mitchel Forman
Mitchel Forman is a jazz and fusion keyboard player currently residing in Southern California.-Biography & Music Career:...
, John Daversa Big Band, Scott Kinsey
Scott Kinsey
Scott Kinsey is a keyboardist best known for his work with the jazz fusion group Tribal Tech and for his contributions to soundtracks for major motion pictures, notably Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve...
, Jimmy Earl
Jimmy Earl
Jimmy Earl is an American jazz musician and composer. He has released two studio albums and recorded extensively. He has toured the world with major artists. He is ranked #22 on the DigitalDreamDoor list of greatest fusion bassists...
, Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
, OHM
Ohm (band)
Ohm: is a project formed by Chris Poland and Robertino Pagliari. The band was formed in 2002 and has released 3 LPs and a live album up to date.-Members:* Chris Poland - Guitar* Robertino Pagliari - Bass...
and dozens of others. John Ziegler
John Ziegler (guitarist)
John Ziegler is a guitarist, and host of the frequent Monday Night Jams at The Baked Potato night club in Studio City, Los Angeles. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and moved to Houston, Texas at age 17. He started playing guitar during college. In 1996, John moved to Los Angeles and...
hosts the Monday Night Jams; a nightly session in which audience members get to sit in with some of the greats. In 2010 the club was named "Best Jazz Club" in Los Angeles Magazine.