By the age of 10, Tony McKenna spent most nights perched atop a beer crate, pulling pints of Guinness for customers in his father's pub in Monaghan, Ireland. Throughout his 20s, 30s and beyond, he dreamed of owning a similar establishment someday. But in the soundtrack of McKenna's fantasies, Celtic music was replaced by the blues.
Now in his sixth decade, McKenna has realized his dream. Since taking ownership of Campbell's Grand Dell Saloon in 1999, McKenna has transformed the unassuming restaurant and bar in an industrial area into a mecca for blues purists--and their idols.
Patrons pack "the Dell" nightly. But it is the Thursday evening jam sessions that have become must-do events for South Bay residents looking to relax over quality blues and brews. Between 8 and 11 p.m. (and often later), some of the biggest stars in blues music can be found on the Dell's stage.
McKenna's heritage as a pub owner can be traced to 1930, when his dad opened McKenna's in a crumbling Monaghan hotel. At first the elder McKenna lived alone in a cramped, single room; later he married, and he and his wife welcomed young Tony. When just a toddler, their son routinely made a circuit of recently vacated rooms in the hotel, retrieved any bottles and glasses rolling about, and brought them back to his dad.
In subsequent years McKenna moved to California, eventually finding work in 1985 with Gordy Fischer, the Dell's former owner. Fischer advised the affable
Irishman that he'd try him out as a bartender for one month. Fourteen years later McKenna bought the place from his boss, who was able to see the Dell thrive during his last five years of life. "We gave each other a month, and lo and behold, 25 years later I'm still here, part of the furniture," McKenna notes.
During his first year of employment at the Dell, McKenna sensed that it would be a perfect blues venue. With its long bar and minimalist décor, McKenna saw a similarity to the best such spots in New Orleans. To test out the concept, McKenna instituted monthly "barbecue and blues" nights. He found an audience eager for good food and good tunes; soon the events were held twice monthly, and then weekly. Over time blues became the main attraction each evening.
Along with the music, the Dell now satisfies other tastes: Helming the kitchen is Terry Richardson, a former chef and sommelier at Saratoga's famed Plumed Horse and the former owner of Blue Rock Shoot. Richardson cooks up enticing treats weeknights from 5 to 9 p.m., as well as the $10 all-you-can-eat "BBQ and Blues" on Saturday evenings, and Sunday brunch.
Richardson acknowledges that the Dell's cuisine falls firmly in the pub-fare category, with sliders, burgers and fries among the most popular items. "But I like to bring in different dishes; in fact our biggest seller is usually what's on special," he says. "I encourage people to ask for what they want, even if it's not on the menu. We serve a lot of meat, but we can do vegetarian stuff, too. I'm always open to suggestions on our food."
What he particularly loves about his job at the Grand Dell, Richardson continues, is that ... well, it's at the Grand Dell. "The beauty of working in here in the kitchen is that we can still hear the music. Everyone loves being here, especially on Thursday nights. The music is phenomenal; it just blows your mind."
On any afternoon or evening, an eclectic clientele flows through the plain white door marked "No Minors." Construction workers rub elbows with attorneys; teachers, technicians, bankers and bakers number among the devoted fans. The one common denominator is their age: most are somewhere north of 50. While this fact likely excludes the lucrative under-30 set courted by most nightclubs, it suits McKenna just fine.
"I like the clientele that blues music brings in," he asserts. "It's a more mature crowd, and this tends to be the music they were brought up with, and they like. Of course we're happy to introduce younger people to the blues ... but mostly we get a middle-aged crowd."
A plaque dedicated to McKenna's former boss hangs over the space at the end of the bar where Gordy used to hold court nightly; from this spot McKenna keeps a careful watch over the action on the stage and in the audience. "Tony has zero tolerance for drugs, and he doesn't allow anyone to get drop-dead drunk," observes Bill Henderson, whose photo portraits of the blues greats who've performed at the Dell crowd its walls. Henderson, a Los Gatos resident, former MP, and the 71st postmaster general of the U.S., says he was first attracted to the bar by its cheerfully downscale appearance.
"It was off the beaten path, and I thought it was a biker bar," he laughs. "It reminded me of the places I used to hang out when I was in the Army. I thought, 'What the hell; this might be interesting.' " What Henderson found inside was instantly to his liking.
"Tony's a very genuine sort of guy. His bartender chops and lineage are unbelievable, and he always has several different kinds of clientele in there. It's not unusual to find a Maserati parked next to a pickup truck," Henderson says.
Though Henderson is not himself a blues fanatic, during his first visit he immediately surmised that the performers in the Dell--and their audience--were the real deal. By then retired and devoted to his lifelong passion of photography, Henderson began making regular forays to the pub. That led to his purchase of the space next door, which he transformed into the Hold The Eye Images, Inc. studio.
With McKenna's consent, Henderson has since installed a remote-controlled flash-system in the Dell's ceiling that enables him to capture shots of the performers in action. He provides these to the musicians, and constantly updates the photos displayed in the bar. Henderson says the Thursday night jam sessions provide nonstop inspiration for his work.
"The nurturing atmosphere that exists there is what has made the blues jams so successful. The musicians have a genuine appreciation for the music; they don't come for the fame, and they're sure not getting rich. They're there to play the blues, and to be around others who want to do the same," says Henderson.
Mike Hyman, who serves as chairman of the Jazz on the Plazz concert series held in Los Gatos each summer, has not missed a Thursday night jam since he first learned of the sessions more than four months ago. Along with feeding his own passion for the blues, Hyman says it's an ideal opportunity to scope out talent for future concerts.
"We've actually had John Nemeth, who plays blues harp and is an outstanding vocalist, as well as guitarist Chris Cain; both of these guys drop into the Dell regularly," Hyman confirms. "On any given night you might see Terry Hanck, who used to play guitar and sax in the Elvin Bishop Band, or Kid Andersen, who plays vocals and keyboards; he's huge in Europe. And (vocalist, composer and guitarist) Pat Wilder, who's well known internationally, comes in all the time.
"This area is so full of amazing musicians," Hyman continues. "I'm a firm believer that we need more places to have good music."
So, what would draw world-class artists to a relatively unknown pub in Campbell, Calif.? Query any of the musicians, audience regulars or McKenna himself, and two words spring from every set of lips: Aki Kumar.
Though the name may not be in the "household" category just yet, it's already well known among touring blues journeymen (and women). All agree that the 31-year-old software engineer--who happens to blow one of the meanest harps in these parts--is perfectly suited to mix, match and manage the Thursday night jams.
Says Henderson, "Aki has the personal charisma to befriend these people. He's very smart, and is truly devoted to the blues. If you watch him work, he's a big personality, without having a big ego. He creates a very 'family' atmosphere; it's almost like he's everyone's big brother up there."
"Aki's great about rotating people in and out throughout the evening," adds Hyman. "In a single night he might have 30 people sign up to play. He's the perfect person to run the jams; he makes sure everyone gets to interact with everyone else."
During the day, Kumar crafts code at Adobe Systems in San Jose, where he's been employed for the past decade. But by night Kumar (a native of Mumbai, India) performs with his own band, Tip of the Top. He credits his stint at Adobe with his own launch into music.
"When I joined Adobe, a bunch of colleagues wanted to get together and play classic rock," Kumar says. "For whatever reason, I picked up a harmonica and started playing Beatles' songs. Then my friends told me there was a fantastic tradition with the harmonica in Chicago blues, and I thought I should find out more."
Kumar began taking classes at San Jose-based School of the Blues, owned by harmonica virtuoso David Barrett. A Grammy nominee for his work with blues legend John Lee Hooker, Barrett has performed with many of the genre's most venerable stars. "Once I found David he changed my life, and I began to take the blues very seriously," says Kumar.
For the past three years, Kumar has deftly blended the professional and amateur blues musicians who drop into the Grand Dell on Thursday nights. Around 7:30 p.m. they begin to file in, many toting cases holding guitars, saxophones, trombones and other instruments. From the top of the food chain (Andersen, Hanck, Wilder) to nervous first-timers, all must add their names to the sign-in sheet Kumar maintains. Each performer is then allowed to do a two- to three-song set before his or her successor takes the stage.
Kumar continuously shifts the lineup around to create new combinations, rotating this guitarist in, and that vocalist out. It's a delicate dance, always, with the potential for ruffled feathers. But Kumar has mastered the balance.
"I try to make sure that if someone's new, we put them on stage with some of the stronger players. This gives them a good sense of who the other players are and doesn't make them feel like they're part of a train wreck. The trick to running a smooth ship is to make sure the quality never sags; to always have a mix of good players," Kumar explains.
A recent Thursday jam drew Wilder, accompanied by Grammy-nominated violinist Carole Mayedo, and backed by bassist Alvin London. Their blistering set also included guitarist Johnny "Cat" Soubrand, one of Hanck's favorite players. Later in the evening, Andersen demonstrated prowess on piano and sitar equal to his skill as an axe-man, Chicago blues guitarist Nick Moss backed fellow Windy City singer Mike Ledbetter, and Nemeth capped the proceedings with his soulful vocals.
As usual, the jam lasted well after midnight, to the delight of the SRO house. "Every time I go, I promise myself I'll leave by 10:30. That never happens," Hyman says ruefully.
At a table to the right of the stage, Kumar's parents--mom Kamita and dad Vasantha--beamed with pride. "They aren't musicians, but they do appreciate good music," Kumar says. "I have them to thank for any bit of musical skill I have in me."
With Kumar practicing his special brand of alchemy each Thursday, the jam sessions are attracting a steadily expanding network of blues royalty. If Clapton were to stop by during his next swing through the Bay Area, he'd be right at home on the Dell's stage.
For precisely that reason, several audience members admit that they're reluctant to draw too much attention to their favorite hangout. "I hate to be selfish, as much as I would like the Grand Dell to be 'my place,' " Hyman says, grinning. "But I know Tony needs to be successful, so people need to come. The Dell's just too good to keep to myself."
"It's a gem of an entertainment evening, for everyone," adds former Los Gatos Morning Rotary president Ginger McDonald, another Thursday devotee. "And the price is definitely right."
Asked what he thinks sets the Dell apart from other blues bars, Henderson grows thoughtful. "When people get up there to perform you can see they have talent, and you know there's been a long trip involved; we all get to where we are by virtue of many stops. There are a lot of stories in that bar. A lot of really interesting stories in that bar."
The best one, of course, begins with a 10-year-old Irish lad clambering up on a wooden crate, and serving a foamy brew.
The Grand Dell Saloon is located at 1040 Dell Ave., Campbell. More information is available at http://www.thegranddell.com, or by calling 408.378.3970.
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