Post #583631 by congawa on Wed, Apr 6, 2011 9:57 AM

John-O, thank you...some stellar personal research by you, TikiVato, David and Bora Boris!

On the subject of old clubs in that area, Dominic Priore and Brian Chidester did some similar research a couple of years ago visiting various original south LA bars and nighclubs that had a 40s/50s/60s music pedigree (such as saxman Earl Bostic's Flying Fox, which still exists, and the well-preserved psycheledic soul shack Maverick's Flat on Crenshaw). Unfortunately, the photos in their blog page seem to have disappeared: http://dumbangelmag.blogspot.com/2007/07/south-central-los-angeles-r-venues-of.html

However, one of the clubs they mention is the Oasis Club on 3801 S. Western Avenue at 38th Street (northeast of the Zamboanga), which wasn't polynesian, but had a desert oasis theme to it. Besides jazz (Louis Armstrong played there) and R&B, it was a place where Latin groups like Xavier Cugat and Perez Prado performed: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11412072@N06/2791406528/

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics05/00002067.jpg

However, the building is still there: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=3801+S.+Western+Avenue+at+38th+Street&cp=37&qe=MzgwMSBTLiBXZXN0ZXJuIEF2ZW51ZSBhdCAzOHRoIFN0cmVldA&qesig=LmX4Ipy-cVlOHWDyMfbEWg&pkc=AFgZ2tloklP39ngguyy-UJ8C4JiKejLBIhe8TkCjdrgC8POA5ztvBPUyQJDT1yFtu-vTQNabbMHtpbOPoMbq2u9UgPBlznAKRQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

I think the palm tree theme was a popular one, taken from the Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador, because the Club Alabam (most famous of the LA Central Avenue clubs) had a fake palm tree as well: http://www.westadams-normandie.com/lapl/Nightlife-restaurants.php

Anyway, I know these aren't "Tiki" or "pre-Tiki" but their "desert oasis" exotica cousin so I thought I'd mention them.

It's great that you are tracking the trail of Frank Bowers, John-O, even when the murals are no longer.

Caltiki