Camarillo man keeps music alive
Bistro opens on the third Friday of alternate months
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

CLASS ACT-Jack Zigray helps provide local musicians with a place to play at his Camarillo Café.

How many venues have thrived for 17 years in Southern California, boasting an eclectic menu of music genres, including folk music and offering unknown songwriters a public outlet to play their music?

Likely there are few, if any, in the state let alone in Ventura County. Undoubtedly, that's whamakes the Camarillo Café uniqueOn Sept. 15, the café will celebrate its 17th anniversary with performances by Andrew Lorand and Kathrin King Segal.

Jack Zigray is the force behind the success of the café. For yearshe made his living as a fulltime singer and musician, playing the guitar, mandolin, fiddle and other instruments at venues up and down the state.

In 1989, he and a friend approached the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Parks District for a place to open up a coffee house that featured musicians playing folk and original music.

The park district had available the Officer's or O Club-now called Freedom Center-at Camarillo Airport.

Zigray said although it was considered at the time to be out in the boonies, the great acoustic sound of the place sold them.

For two years, there wasn't an admission charge and artists performed for free. The café opened twice a month, and they had no shortage of musicians willing to perform gratis.

"We had so many entertainers you couldn't believe it," Zigray said.

Meanwhile, the friend quit donating his time to the café, leaving Zigray to produce the shows alone. Admission went to $2. The local newspaper at the time-the Camarillo Daily News-helped the café survive by running free advertisements. Despite the end of the newspaper and the free ads in 1993, the café has continued to flourish.

For the last 11 years, admission has settled at $5. Through all the changes over the years, booking entertainers from throughout Southern California and across the country and drawing an audience of 50 to 75 has never been a problem, Zigray said.

Like Zigray, many audience regulars are members of Songmakers, a loosely organized group of Southern California musicians who hold weekly hootenannies, they call Hoots. Some of them come from as far away as Palmdale.

Music featured at the café is at its most natural level-without synthesizers or other electronic enhancements. Amplified instruments are not allowed, although Zigray has made exceptions such as when rock 'n' roll bands play, or when they are needed to boost but not alter the sound.

The majority of café performers are guitarists and singers. But from time to time keyboardists and mandolin, harmonica and fiddle players perform. About 60 percent of the music heard at the café is folk music, 25 percent original compositions and the rest composed of ballads, blues, bluegrass and rock.

Since January 2005, Zigray opens the café the third Friday of every other month.

"I've been doing it all along for 17 years and I'm tired," he said.

The one-man production requires Zigray to do all of the entertainment booking, and, on performance day, buy the table snacks and nonalcoholic beverages for the café. The food and drinks are kept simple because the music is the main attraction. Zigray doesn't charge for them but will accept donations to help offset costs.

"Usually it supports itself ... but I don't make any money at it," he said of the café. Zigray occasionally has had to dip into his own pocket to pay for overhead expenses such as rent.

"This is something I do for the love of music," he said.

Zigray changed careers nine years ago. Although he now makes a living as a Camarillo real estate agent, his passion for music hasn't dimmed. A flexible work schedule allows him time to run the café and pursue his musical interests.

He operates an entertainment booking company and has produced the music for the Camarillo Fiesta, the city's July 4 celebration and more than 1,000 shows in Ventura County and surrounding areas.

Evenings at the Camarillo Café start with an invitation for audience members to perform. In addition to the ever-present musician and singer, jugglers, poets, dancers and magicians have been presented during the open stage portion.

"I'll have anything if it's worthwhile, if it's entertaining," Zigray said. "I'll use any kind of entertainment."

The scheduled entertainers then perform, and around 10:45 p.m., the show is officially over. But because many in the audience are musicians who bring along their instruments and the night is young, an impromptu jam session always breaks out, often lasting into the wee hours of the morning.

"This gives other musicians an opportunity to perform without the big to-do of nightclub owners," Zigray said of the café's format. "I just gain a lost of satisfaction in helping other musicians."

Professional pianist Rob Rio has been a scheduled performer several times at the café over the last few years.

Rio has worked with blues greats Muddy Waters and Joe Cocker and recorded with the likes of Mick Jagger, Coco Montoya and Canned Heat at venues across the country and around the world.

He said because there are many songwriters in the audience at the cafe, performing there offers something not easily found around Los Angeles.

"You know you're going to get an attentive, appreciative audience, which generally is not the case here in L.A., where they tend to be blasé," he said.

Zigray has no plans to change the café. Things have been working well so far, so why change it now, he said.

"Oh gosh. I just think I'll keep doing it until I die," Zigray said. "As long as the parks and (recreation district) allows it, I'll keep doing it."

For more information on the Camarillo Cafe, or to sign up for a performance notice, visit www.jackzigray.com or call (805) 482-0978.