The legendary voices of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong once bounced off the walls of 431 Georgia Street in Vallejo.
Richard Abbot, Jeff Trager, and Kevin Frazier are doing their best to make the venue jump with live music once again.
Abbot, just three weeks into his new job as the President of Main Street in Vallejo, wants nothing more than to bridge the past and present in downtown. That will come closer to becoming a reality on Feb. 7 when Red Men’s Hall at 431 Georgia St. opens The Fourth Corner Speakeasy, a new music venue on the third floor of the building, a venue that for more than 100 years has hosted legendary musicians like Armstrong, Fitzgerald, “Dizzy” Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, and Erskine Hawkins.
The venue, located above Yesteryear’s Antiques, has been used occasionally for performances in recent years, including Chickenbone Slim and the Biscuits last year. Abbot has partnered with Trager/Frazier Presents to bring a weekly music performance at the venue, featuring a full bar and food from Earl’s BBQ.
“We’re beginning as a classy blues and jazz venue that is going to have an annual Saturday night ongoing series,” Abbot said. “We’re going to have a lot of top-quality acts. In the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s, this was a jumping venue in a jumping town. We’re trying to bring that back and make Vallejo better with top-quality entertainment and continue this for the next generation.”
The venue features a brick façade with relief sculptures and period interiors — signature touches of the era — credited to architect C.E. Perry. The building’s iconic neon sign remains a favorite subject for photographers and locals.
Both Trager and Abbot have been working on bringing music to the venue for the past few months. On Feb. 7, the doors will open with 2nd Planet as the opening band. Juan Escovedo plays a special Valentine’s Day Show on Feb. 14, while Alvon Johnson performs on Feb. 21. The month ends with Ron Burris Quartet playing on Feb. 28.
“It was nice to get Ron and 2nd Planet to play here right off the bat because they are local, but soon after, many other artists wanted to play here. The first two months are booked,” Trager said. “Maybe we can get some others like James Early (Early James) and Papa Joe Lucero. I’m not sure if the venue will bridge into other artists that aren’t blues and jazz, but we’ll see.”
Although much of downtown Vallejo has seen many of its buildings vacant in the past 20 years, both Trager and Abbot believe the area has been revitalized in the past few years with the openings of Bambino’s, Provisions, Fusion Pizza, Vallejo Brewing Company, and others. Abbot has also been involved before taking his new job, as he was behind the August Nights Festival in downtown Vallejo, which featured music, food trucks, kids’ chalk art, and a beer garden.
“A lot of the interest for the venue was ignited at the Artwalk after parties. We were experimenting and had enough success there that we then focused on having some regular shows here,” Abbot said. “We take a lot of pride in telling the story of Vallejo, not just the old stories but the new ones. We’re in the midst of telling that new story. There is a lot going on here in downtown Vallejo, and we’re proud to help tell that story.”
For more information on the venue, visit 4thcornerspeakeasy.com.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.timesheraldonline.com ’
