Selba – more jazz than anywhere else in Richmond

Bogart’s moved, Cous Cous no longer has music and The Camel is hosting fewer jazz events than in the past. Opened in July, Selba is quickly turning into the most consistent jazz venue in Richmond.

October 21, 2011; 6:00 AM • by Aaron Williams

Bogart’s moved, Cous Cous no longer has music and The Camel is hosting fewer jazz events than in the past. Opened in July, Selba is quickly turning into the most consistent jazz venue in Richmond. With jazz five nights a week and a sunday piano brunch, it’s tough to miss out on the music.

The live music schedule as of now is as follows and usually the musicians/groups playing are listed on selba’s facebook page:
Tuesday-Thursday 6-9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday 7-10 p.m.
Sunday Piano Brunch 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Wednesday Night Jazz Jam 9p.m. – 12 a.m.

The man behind the bookings and even sometimes the piano is Brian Mahne. A student in the VCU jazz program, Mahne’s professional career as a pianist started years before he began classes. In his short time at Selba, he has created an impressive schedule of music that includes pianists Larri Branch, David Tenenholtz, Bryce McCormick and countless other musicians.

Wednesday nights, Mahne teams up with bassist Andrew Randazzo and drummer CJ Wolfe to host a jazz jam session. Vocalists, saxophonists, trumpeters, trombonists and guitarists get an opportunity to sit in and perform jazz standards. Crucial for the development of jazz musicians, this is the jam session Richmond has lacked and needed for the past few years.

Just a few steps inside the front door is a baby grand piano. In Richmond, very few venues that aren’t the Jefferson hotel have pianos. To make things better, the band is amplified through ceiling speakers in every corner of the restaurant. Jazz can be heard everywhere from the smoking room to the garden room and even in the bathrooms. Yes, Selba has a plush smoking room and even a large climate controlled indoor garden room. I’m fairly certain there is no other place in the world with jazz, a smoking room and a garden room all under one roof.

With really great parking for a restaurant in the fan, high quality food, classiness and live music, hopefully Selba will become a popular downtown spot for suburbanites and the jazz schedule will continue to grow.

Selba is good for Richmond and it is definitely good for jazz. When asked about the future, Mahne enthusiastically replied, “We are planning to start having late night trio’s/quartets on Fridays and Saturdays as soon as business picks up enough to support it. I’m excited to start booking groups in such a new amazing venue for the Richmond jazz scene.”

Click here for Nathan Cushing’s preview of Selba.

Booking Contact:
Brian Mahne
selbabooking@gmail.com

October 21, 2011 6:00 AM 21