South Montezuma, as advertised

Yesterday I promised you a night on the town -- or at least a night on South Montezuma Street. Not Whiskey Row, by the way. We started several blocks south of the main drag. It all came about because I saw a notice in the Courier about a jazz concert at the new location of the Prescott Music Center. All of which suggested that bro and I try out Maya, the small Mexican restaurant up thataway.

Especially seeing as how rumor had it that Maya serves mole! As in yum. As in why don't other Mexican restaurants in Arizona serve mole? Don't know the answer to that question. However, Maya does serve a special mole, Michoacan style. As in yum!

The decor even included this Mexican restaurant meme -- the Aztec warrior saving the maiden. I've seen some version of this scene since the early 50s in Chicago!

Turned out that the Music Center was next door to Maya, so we popped in & the bro admired all the brass, happy that the store wasn't dominated by guitars. However, no concert.

One more door down the street.

Plenty of music making machinery evident in a studio setting with folding chairs in one corner.

And an excellent pick-up combo, as two of the originally scheduled musicians didn't show.

Organizer of the event, Rich Oxley, owner of the Music Center, who doubled in brass -- a mean trumpet and flugelhorn.

Dave Russell is a member of the Rich's combo that plays once a week at the Prescott Pines. His playing belies the professorial appearance!

On guitar, Cal McCarthy. Another bloody good jazz musician.
Ed Carter was called in at the last minute to play the electronic bass borrowed from the store next door. (Sorry, Ed -- you were hidden behind the other musicians!) Need I say that bro and I stayed until the last note. BTW, Rich is planning jam sessions every Wednesday PM.

After the music -- time to meander downhill for a brew or two & a phone to call a taxi, we being walkers. In passing, there was this smashing catalpa tree.

Out front of a pizzeria, a sign that obviously has a back story...
...a football player with chutzpah...

...yet another important member of the local music community -- The Fiddle Doctor...

...guns in a pawn shop and, finally,

...the first saloon we came to on a chilly night. Shelter! Coyote Joe's. Good Oregon brew, loo, reasonably cool music, and curious decor that is based upon bicycle parts.

Here's the night's music maker. Not often that Granny has a night on the town. The bro made a fine gentleman companion. It was fun.