Downbeat at St. Mark’s, Drake’s; Sounds of Early Taylor, Neidlinger

Jazz clubs go, like the recently-departed Loa in Santa Monica, but, thankfully, jazz clubs come, too. In particular, the very high-tech St. Mark’s Hotel (23 Windward Ave., Venice), and the chatty, neighborhood-ish Drake’s (330 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale), both of which have recently added jazz-based formats.

St. Mark’s, which opened about a month ago, is offering bands--mostly jazz but sometimes blues/rock--Wednesdays through Saturdays at 10 p.m., with solo pianists and guitarists--some classical, some jazz, like singer Patrick Tuzzolino, who closed Tuesday--on tap Sundays through Tuesdays.

Saxophonist-harmonica player Stan Behrens, backed by such top L.A. journeymen as bassist Red Callender and pianist Art Hillery, works tonight through Saturday. Tonight Show Orchestra drummer Ed Shaughnessy brings in a combo Nov. 29. In December, guitarists Barney Kessel and Joe Pass, and saxophonist Lee Konitz are all on tap.

Drake’s, which has been around for some years but just went with a jazz policy, will be mostly a singer’s room, with the vocalists backed by a pianist and possibly a bassist. Cathy Segal-Garcia, a good contemporary jazz singer who writes a lot of her own material, will book the room, and occasionally work it as well. Segal-Garcia is in Friday and Saturday (and again Dec. 22-23), followed by Sunny Wilkinson, Nov. 24, and Julie Kelly, Nov. 25 and Dec. 1-2, backed on the latter engagement by pianist Terry Trotter, who is regularly heard with guitarist Larry Carlton. Shows are from 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Information: St. Mark’s Hotel at (213) 452-2222; Drake’s at (818) 246-6954.

**** “The Complete Candid Recording Sessions of Cecil Taylor and Buell Neidlinger” (Mosaic) documents not only the opening moments of pianist Taylor’s career, it represents some of the earliest recordings of the jazz avant-garde, which most people give Taylor credit for advancing. The 40-odd pieces in this six LP (or four CD) set--many of them previously unreleased--range from the galloping “Air,” where saxman Archie Shepp’s big sound and Taylor’s mirroring-modern-dance-movement approach hold the spotlight, to the bluesy raucousness of “Thing’s Ain’t What They Used to Be,” where Ellingtonian trumpeter Clark Terry and growling trombonist Roswell Rudd shout forth. Listeners familiar with Taylor’s current whiz-bang effusions will find these 1960-61 dates quite tame, while devout mainstreamers may be able to decipher the influences of Ellington and Monk that have long been at the heart of the Taylor’s work.

Los Angeles resident Neidlinger--who appears with Stringjazz at McCabe’s in Santa Monica at 8 p.m. Saturday, in a trio with saxman Marty Krystall at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood, and with pianist Sandra Tsing Loh at At My Place in Santa Monica at 8 p.m. Wednesday--was the leader on some of the tracks. He contributes solid bass underpinings, some fine solos and, in the detailed, photo-illustrated booklet that accompanies the set, an erudite musical annotation of the proceedings Taylor’s concepts.

The set is available by mail-order only from Mosaic Records, 35 Melrose Place, Stamford, Conn. 06904. LP set, $54, CDs, $60. Information: (203)-327-7111.