Cuban Sandwich Show, Part XI: Tampa Song, Live Music @ Gram's Place

Maggie Council performing in the patio at Gram's Place

Gram's Place is a hostel just north of downtown Tampa, named after Gram Parsons [Link], an influential musician with a brief but stellar career in the 60's. [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link]. Parsons has quite a following in Europe, and the hostel is frequented by devotees of his music from the other side of the pond. Saturday it hosted The Cuban Sandwich Show's Tampa Songs, featuring some of our best and brightest musicians: Franc Robert [Link], Maggie Council, Blue Island Beer Club plus Jayne Kelli, Parson Brown, Ray Villadonga, Big Picture, Charlie Souza Dean Johanesen, Judy Tampa & Bunko Squad, and Ronny Elliot.

Unidentified Duo Singing during Open Mike Session

Franc Robert onstage singing the blues.

Franc Robert

Franc Robert [Link] singing onstage. He belted out  first-rate Delta style Floridian blues, number after number in his unique voice. Franc has been playing for decades.  Franc rocked the house.

Maggie Council

Maggie Council (below) has been a Tampa favorite for decades and with good reason. Her beautiful, incisive, and mercurial voice
is spellbinding. [Link], [Link] She not only sings beautifully, but also writes all those beautiful moving songs, too.

Listening to Maggie Council.

Blue Island Beer Club plus Jayne Kelli

Blue Island Beer Club plus Jayne Kelli

Karen Zack modeling Cuban Sandwich Dress

Ms. Zack, front view

Below, top Cuban Sandwich model, Cuban Sandwich Poster Girl and songstress Karen Zack on the Gram's Place runway modeling her husband's creation "Le Sandwiche Cubain", perfectly accessorized with a real Cuban Sandwich. The detail on this item of faux couture was fabulous. The designer has graced us with a masterpiece (complete with velcro) and Ms Zack with her inimitable style and smile.

Ms. Zack and band onstage at Gram's Place

Sadly, I had to leave after just one song from Ms. Zack to cover the show at Cafe Hey...

Concertgoers

Congratulations to David Audet, the Cuban Sandwich Crew, Gram's Place and most of all, the many talented musicians who made this  a magical afternoon.


--- Luis