In this space and in the print version of Chronogram I often find myself plugging the events that are part of the vital Monday night jazz series at Quinn’s, a cozy luncheonette-turned-Asian fusion bistro/live music venue in Beacon. And no wonder: Carefully curated by the intrepid duo of Quinn’s co-owner Steve Ventura and musician/Chronogram contributor James Keepnews, the series has been bringing some of the masters of out music to our area for five years now. But I’m not the only one who’s been writing about these magical, musical evenings. Beacon author Mike Faloon has been chronicling the sessions live as they’ve happened from his seat at the bar, ears, eyes, pen, and notebook at the ready as he takes it all in between sips of his pint. And now Faloon’s compiled his Beat-inspired dispatches from the front stool, as it were, into a sharp little book called The Other Night at Quinn’s.

Roughly 300 pages, the pocket-sized tome weaves Faloon’s impressionistic, gut-level chroniclings of the music and performances—which are of course impressionistic and gut-level themselves—with photos of the musicians, related biographical/autobiographical tidbits, and scenes of the vibe and atmosphere as the dinner crowd meets the din crowd. So on another level, The Other Night at Quinn’s plays as a parable for the for the reinvention of Beacon itself. Beyond Quinn’s Z-Bricked walls, while the musicians Faloon profiles—Joe McPhee, Karl Berger, Man Forever, Mary Halvorson, Iva Bittova—improvise on the club’s small stage and the writer mirrors and discusses their music with his stream-of-consciousness reportage, the town is improvising its own story as transplanted downstaters reshape its culture and streetscape.

Here, saxophonist Daniel Carter jams with duo the Moon (guitarist Adam Caine and drummer Federico Ughi) at one of the Monday sessions:

The Other Night at Quinn’s is published by and available at Razorcake/Gorsky Press.