View Finder: Jazzing It Up At Laguna Coffee Company

The store front of the is not more than 20 feet wide, but the music coming from inside is big, big, BIG.

Every Saturday morning, from about 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., local musicians and vocalists take turns performing jazz and blues standards to an appreciative crowd.

On a recent Saturday, bassist Dave Ross performed with Mike Sagar on flugelhorn, Bob Wahler on saxophone, Gil Orr on guitar and Shelley Gordon on drums. They were joined first by vocalist Connie Rae, and later, vocalist Ginger Hatfield.

Just outside, Tom Cuccia reads his morning paper as his Golden Retriever, Cole, basks in the sun.

“I like the coffee here, and the sense of supporting neighborhood and community. I come here rather than a large chain. The music is an added bonus,” says Cuccia.

Inside, Mary Ried and Jenny Parker finds a cozy corner from which to listen. Ried and Parker are both “snowbirds,” or folks who come to Laguna Beach to escape the cold found in their other homes in Chicago and Colorado.

“I escaped the blizzard in Chicago," says Ried. "I’m visiting a friend, too. Let me just say that, last week, I attended quite a big celebrity event in Hollywood, but I am having more fun here, right now, than I did that evening.”

Parker grew up in Corona del Mar, but then moved to Colorado. She gets back to Laguna Beach three months out of the year.

As she listens to Ginger Hatfield vivaciously sing “The Lady is a Tramp,” Parker declares the Coffee Company "the most fun place in town.”

Vocalist Hatfield used to sing in the car when she was young. She was singing with local bands while in her 30s and quit to take a corporate job, but with the sluggish economy, she was laid off. This has brought her an unexpected pleasure, she says.

“It gave me a chance to focus on my music again and I appreciate that. The audience at Laguna Coffee Company is so supportive and receptive,” says Hatfield.

Also singing at the Laguna Coffee Company this day was vocalist Connie Rae. She performed a very soulful version of “Summertime,” and a peppy rendition of “All of Me.” 

She found out about Laguna Coffee Company from a friend that she met at the Marine Room Tavern downtown. He invited Rae to sing at the coffee house. Rae grew up in a musical family and sang in high school. But she gave up singing to raise her family. Then, her sister passed away from breast cancer.

“Her death inspired me to live my life more fully,” said Rae. “Singing helps so much to let out my feelings. It’s such good therapy.”

Rae included a song about her sister on her CD, Sister Garden. She also sang at a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society.

Pam Wicks and Claire Carter dance and take pictures as the music plays. Wicks, a resident of Laguna Beach who plays piano, says, “It’s just home here, it’s great! I enjoy the music and it’s just a loving environment.”

Carter, a photographer, says “I like the quality of the musicianship. It’s just amazing and I can always count on it. It’s so unexpected to find this little gem.”

The owner of the Laguna Coffee Company, Paul Ackley, bought the shop four years ago. He was glad to hear bands come and play at parties. Soon, the playing became a tradition, but moved to Saturday mornings. 

Ackley says, “They’ve been coming every Saturday for three years now. I love the music. Very talented people show up.”

The band finishes off the morning by playing a few more tunes for folks on the patios and in the shop.

"We feed off the love from this audience,” bass player David Ross says. Nobody is disagreeing with him.

You can hear open mic jazz and blues every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Laguna Coffee Company, 1050 S. Coast Highway, 949-494-6901.