Abrakadabra to put a spell on The Standing Room
Abrakadabra will play a rare, intimate show at The Standing Room in Hermosa Beach July 23. Photo by Tom Lujan
by Whitney Youngs
Abrakadabra, a band known for its infectious grooves and indelible melodies, has been a fixture in the South Bay music scene since its formation in 1981.
Like all groups, Abrakadabra’s expansive sound, borrowing from the genres of jazz and salsa to reggae and island sounds, mirror the complementary musical influences of its members.
The only time one of its founding members lived outside the South Bay was when Hermosa Beach native Jon Coleman attended Cal Poly Pomona. He has worked as a local real estate broker for the past 35 years.
“Our music is very melodic, whether instrumental or vocal, and for me if a song doesn’t have a strong melody, it just doesn’t hold my attention,” Coleman says. “Our music is very percussive, music that gets you up on your feet.”
The eight-member ensemble — Coleman (guitar, marimba, vibraphone), Rick Velasco (conga, percussion), Tony Dellomes (keyboards, lead vocals, flute), Vince Brooks (drums, percussion), Carter Aristei (drums), Tom Bray (trumpet), Humberto Moreno (bass), Tom Lujan (percussion) — took a hiatus, but reunited in 2006. In that time, Coleman started a side project, a smooth jazz trio, Gold Coast, and recorded an album entitled, “Latitudes.” The album earned him best jazz guitarist at the 2000 Los Angeles Music Awards.
Coleman played classical guitar for 15 years, beginning at the age of 12, before immersing himself in jazz. His childhood is marked with memories of listening to standards, show tunes and classical music, played at home by his father, who was a songwriter for the original Broadway musical “Harlem Cavalcade.”
“The repertoire for classical guitar, gives you a good basis for left and right-hand mechanics,” Coleman explains.
Founded by Coleman, Dellomes and the late John Pickell (congas), Abrakadabra boasts an eclectic collection of original songs, written by all three members. Aside from Coleman’s contributions, Pickell collaborated with Dellomes in the 1980s to write many of the group’s original songs. (Pickell died in October 2013.)
“They way we write songs, it’s almost intuitive,” Coleman explains. “Tony will come up with an idea and I’ll contribute or vice versa. We are really collaborative in writing the songs and coming up with arrangements.”
Dellomes, who began playing the keys at 15, grew up in the South Bay and eventually relocated to Hawaii. He brings the music of the islands to the band’s distinctive sound.
Velasco, who grew up on the music of James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix and Elvis, among others, met Pickell in high school in the early 1970s and the two then-teenagers began experimenting with the Latin rhythms of Santana. Brooks studied music in college and performed with jazz ensembles at Cal State University Long Beach, while Aristei, embarked on a music career in the early 1980s and joined local bands that played at venues in Redondo, Hermosa and Venice beaches. He’s the bandleader of the smooth jazz group, The Jazz Vibe. Bray recorded his first song, “Midnight Confessions” with the group, The Evergreen Blues in 1969. He then joined Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield and Buddy Miles and recorded with Neil Young’s Crazy Horse in 1986, which marked a 26-year on and off collaboration with Young. Moreno, a Los Angeles transplant from Texas, picked up the bass at 14 and by the age of 20 he was playing with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra and Latin musician Arturo Sandoval, among others. A Los Angeles native, Lujan is heavily influenced by Santana, War, Poncho Sanchez and Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters.
During the 1980s. Abrakadabra became a resident band of sorts at the Lighthouse Cafe, playing the club two nights a week. Over the years, the group has fine-tuned its percussive beats that compel audiences to get up and dance.
“It’s hard not to move when you have great percussion behind you,” Coleman adds.
South Bay residents will have a chance to see the band perform in an intimate venue, The Standing Room, a rare booking, Coleman adds, as the band mostly plays festivals and fairs.
Abrakadabra plays at 9 p.m., July 23, at The Standing Room, 1320 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach, (310) 318-1272. Thestandingroomrestaurant.com.