Friday, August 01, 2003, 12:00 a.m. Pacific
'Bake' is cooking with new place for jazz
By Paul de Barros
Seattle Times jazz critic
When Bake's Place closed at the end of last year, a sigh of despair heaved through the local jazz community.
For 4-1/2 years, Craig Baker had been presenting top-notch players — mostly from the Northwest, often singers — in the intimate, suburban atmosphere of his woodsy Redmond home. Folks got used to the comfortable seating, grand piano and tasty catered buffets, with artists such as Tierney Sutton, Freddy Cole, Greta Matassa and Don Lanphere playing what amounted to private concerts.
As a stop-gap this year, Baker presented shows at Beck's Steak House, in Redmond, and also kept himself busy by producing a live DVD by Matassa and guitarist Mimi Fox, shot on the expansive terrace of the old place. But those in the loop knew he'd been eyeing other locations.
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A chorus of singers — Matassa, Karin Plato, Kelley Johnson, Andy Shaw, Trish Hatley, Marilyn Keller and Janis Mann — plus pianist Bill Anschell and vibes player Susan Pascal christen the club. The dinner buffet starts at 5 p.m. and the show's at 6 tonight and Saturday ($30.50, $18 show only; 425-391-3335, http://www.bakesplace.org/).
Showing off his new digs last week, Baker was animated. "This is a unique environment you can't get anywhere else," he said, gesturing to a west bank of windows with red velvet curtains that gives onto a deck. "We're offering great music and a quality meal at a reasonable price. (For rentals), we're going to do high-end dinners, but I also want this to be affordable for the average Joe. This is a $30 package."
Perched on a woodsy hill, in a tall, two-story building called Town Hall, with peek-a-boo winter views of Lake Sammamish, the new room promises much of the intimacy of the original spot, and fewer of its headaches — such as the neighbors who eventually closed him down, and having to truck in caterers.
A Northwest-modern affair with wooden siding, four gables, a glass turret and a gazebo with flower boxes out front, Town Hall also houses the Providence Point sales office. Inside, there's a small bar and a fireplace that opens to both sides of the room. Colors are subdued — beige, brown and brick-red. The room seats 64 for jazz buffets, which will be presented on Friday and Saturday only. Outdoor decks accommodate additional guests for sit-down breakfast (seven days a week), and lunch (Monday through Friday). Chef Steve Baldwin is half of the brother-and-sister team A Friend in the Kitchen, which catered meals at the old club. Baldwin and his sister, Laura Gonzalez, are full partners in the new venture.
This is Baker's first full-fledged restaurant, a business with a high failure rate.
"Hey, that's what it's all about," he says, with a can-do smile. "I'm 56. I figured, 'Take the dive!' We've been very successful running the buffet. Once we get our feet on the ground, we'll start sit-down dinners."
Providence Point, which is not an assisted-living facility, opened in 1984 and is home to nearly 2,000 retirees, 55 and older. Baker hopes to attract residents to a 4 p.m. dinner buffet, Friday and Saturday. As with Bake's in Redmond, he plans to sell memberships, though anyone can attend. For $25, members get their sixth show free, plus a 50 percent discount on renting the facility. He also plans to maintain the discreet drink service of the old place.
"This isn't about a bunch of clanging and yakety-yak," he says. "This is a concert in an intimate space. That's what we do here. It's as if you sat down with earphones and let the music wash your soul." Baker takes music seriously but also knows how to make entry-level fans feel welcome. Growing up in Washougal, Wash., he played in Top 40 bands for eight years, then worked in sales and as a corporate events planner.
Will fans be put off by the exclusiveness of it all? He thinks not.
"My focus has always been to run a place like a country club," says Baker. "A place where people respect what you do and want to be a part of what you're doing. When you come to the gate, you just say, 'I'm going to Bake's Place.' Or flash your membership card, and they'll wave you right in."
After this weekend's opener, Bake's Place presents several top Northwest acts: Pearl Django, Aug. 8-9; Fox and Matassa, Aug. 15-16; Don Lanphere and Bill Ramsay, Aug. 22-23; and Trish, Hans & Phil, Aug. 30.
