Milpitas’ The Note Lounge serves up sweet tunes

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If you’re looking for the finest Japanese-born bluesman ever to arrive out of the clubs of Chicago to engage in in Milpitas, you’ll find Yoshi Senzaki participating in guitar at The Note Lounge, a lower-critical bar with a one of a kind character and fantastic dwell songs.

“When The Notice reopened following the COVID limitations had been lifted, our band often outnumbered the clients,” Senzaki told San José Spotlight. “But now, this is the place authentic blues enthusiasts are commencing to obtain mainly because this bar is known for becoming so pleasant and accepting.”

The Yoshi Senzaki Blues Band is a typical act at The Notice Lounge, which also attributes karaoke evenings, a properly-curated jukebox and significant-display TVs for sporting activities events. It’s an all-intent, all-preferences bar that prides by itself on welcoming newcomers and pouring consumers an honest consume.

“We may possibly not have the atmosphere of a Santana Row bar,” stated supervisor Michele Jackson. “But we have the coldest beer in Silicon Valley and our drinks are far much better and a lot more affordable. We really do not overflow our beverages with juice or no matter what the secondary components are, and we pour an ounce and a half—not just an ounce like most bars. We are committed to mixing drinks proper and our consumers take pleasure in it.”

Michele has been doing the job for her father, bar proprietor Steve Jackson, for 31 many years. Steve opened The Observe Lounge in 2003 after running a further bar, The Three Plus One Club, for 18 decades. According to Michele, The Note’s place was fewer than promising.

“This place employed to be a biker bar,” she claimed. “Dad known as me down a single working day to see it and I said, ‘No way,’ since this put was so tiny and I could not visualize it as being everything unique. But it was a superior rate in a good location and he understood what he wanted to do with it.”

As one of two Black-owned bars in the spot, The Take note Lounge speedily cultivated a subsequent among the locals and in March 2020, Steve acquired the Enterprise & Entrepreneur Award from the Silicon Valley Black Legends Corridor of Fame.

“We had a significant occasion for him,” Michele stated. “Then the pandemic strike the week after. We have been shut down for practically two yrs and we had been not confident we were being likely to make it.”

After the bar opened up yet again, Michele said The Be aware Lounge stored rigorous health and basic safety protocols. Masks ended up required and on “Vaccinated Sundays,” buyers had to show their COVID-19 vaccination playing cards to get in.

“At periods, we do have an more mature crowd, which is element of my dad’s next,” she explained to San José Highlight. “We preferred people today to know that they would be protected coming here.”

Even with the precautions, many of the old shoppers had been reluctant to return to these types of a community placing.

“Business was gradual when we 1st reopened,” Michele claimed. “So we commenced scheduling more bands and executing a ton of social media, trying to get to a more substantial team of customers. Considering that then, we have experienced a lot more varieties of individuals attempting us out. So we now have a actually diverse group, and the place is a great deal much better due to the fact of it.”

Purchaser Rita Ramirez has been coming to the bar for 11 decades. A musician herself, she enjoys the reside bands and the environment.

“The initial time I arrived, my impression was that this is a relatives-oriented location with great consumer assistance,” she claimed. “I am so assured in how they acquire care of you that I will have events at this spot and invite everywhere from five to 30 folks to arrive with me. And my good friends normally close up telling me they will be coming back.”

The prosperous transformation from a biker bar to a jazz lounge is underlined by the decor—walls coated with images of Black musicians and sports heroes, as nicely as cultural and political figures—and the calm, welcoming vibe that greets you as you enter the position.

“I have been coming in this article because Thanksgiving—it was the only put open up,” consumer AJ Torres informed San José Spotlight. “We came in this article and every person was cool. I was heading via a tough patch, but every person here taken care of me like spouse and children. I have been coming right here at any time because. They know my name, they know what I drink, and when I occur below, all people reaches out to me. This is not like any other bar I have been to right before. It is far more like being with family.”

Contact Robert Eliason at [email protected]