Ajuana Black at Soft Notes Take 2

Soft Notes, the Official Review of Ajuana Black and her Blackout Band


I found the club’s atmosphere pleasant the evening I arrived at about 10:00 p.m. after a show in San Francisco. I was there to hear Ajuana Black and her band. The first set was almost over and when I arrived and greeted by the hostess. She answered my questions about parking and what to expect that evening, and I was not disappointed as I ate greens and red beans and rice, sipping a club soda. I was kind of lonely, but Ajuana gave me a hug when she danced her way to the back of the venue and greeted her fans.

The patrons spoke to me, and during the second set I was even invited to dance and this made my evening when I looked up and it was 12:30 and time to leave. The second set was my favorite because Ajuana sang a few tunes—maybe more from her outstanding CD: "Ajuana Black: A Soulful Journey." I was like a kid at a rock concert—Ajuana, the star as I sang along to the tunes I knew so well like “Keep Walking,” “Day by Day,” "Finally," which became a meditation for me, and “Real Love.”

Ajuana Black and her band, Blackout, were outstanding performers and both her original tunes from her latest CD and the stroll down memory lane, a stroll which had me singing along was delightful.

I don't know what it’s like at Soft Notes when Ajuana's not there, but for a place situated on an otherwise quiet downtown Oakland street--I mean really quiet, this is a nice venue to remember when the night is young and one isn't ready to retire. There were two big screen TVs over the bar and no one pressured me to buy anything, unlike clubs I've visited where waiters hover like vultures and then tell me repeatedly about their 2-drink minimum. I wanted to spend money there because my patronage means perhaps they will be around that much longer.

Again, I'd certainly recommend the spot, especially when Ajuana Black is there on a Friday night. Get on her mailing list: www.ajuanablack.com