Town Crier Correspondent
Cool jazz and the hottest spring and summer fashions will tempt shoppers Saturday at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop on Main Street.
“It’s local and the cause is so great,” said bassist Bill Hockett of “The Trio,” which also includes Dale Nesbitt on piano and Paul Bergevin on drums. The three musicians all live in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills and they all have day jobs, but are in love with the sounds of the golden era of swing jazz and blues, from 1930 through the 1970s. The group plays once a month for the Friday Happy Hour at the Fremont Hills Country Club and practices in Bergevin’s garage.
“We play for the sheer joy of playing jazz and performing in local venues to benefit others,” Nesbitt said.
The Discovery Shop Spring Fashion Show is free and will feature informal modeling from 3-5 p.m., accompanied by “The Trio’s” jazz and light refreshments for all. It’s an only-in-Los Altos event: where else would the local thrift shop offer such an inviting combination of musical talent and upscale merchandise?
“It’s so nice when people come into the store and say, ‘Oh, you mean this is a resale shop – I just thought it was a nice boutique,'” said Ardie Bazarian, Discovery Shop manager, who works with a staff of 75 local volunteers.
“Our donations are booming because we have the support of so many people in this community,” Bazarian said. “People tell me, ‘We always save our best things to bring to you’ and they shop here, too.”
Fresh racks of designer suits, skirts, dresses and slacks with labels like Kenzo, Talbot, Nordstom Classique, Neiman Marcus, Gustavo, Jaeger and Nippon will be rolled out into the shop on Saturday. For the last few months, volunteers have been saving the very best of the clothing donations for Saturday’s event.
“We’ve put together the special spring and summer outfits and been saving them for the fashion show; a lot of them are exactly the same things which are in the latest spring catalogs from Nordstrom’s and Neiman Marcus,” Bazarian said. “We will also have selected jewelry and accessories for the spring season.
Last week, Bazarian was planning to put the band in the front of the store, but a series of recent furniture donations made space a problem.
“I’m either going to sell all of this by the 14th or have to move it into my own garage,” said the super-saleswoman, known for her ability to sell just about anything that comes into the shop, from pianos to baby cribs. “We have to have the band in front, because when people outside hear the music, they’ll come in.”
Bassist Hockett, who describes himself as a “local dog-walker,” credits former Discovery Shop volunteer Lindsay Rand with getting “The Trio” signed up for the spring fashion show.
“We are enthusiastic about being part of this special event because benefits are our favorite gigs,” he said. “Let’s all help stamp out cancer.”
The Discovery Shop is located at 243 Main St. The telephone number is 949-0505. “The Trio” may be contacted by E-mail at [email protected].
