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In an unlikely venue, a jazz legend is still swinging. Butch Ballard and his band can be found at Mozaic, a BYOB in Frankford. Butch is indeed a legend. The jazz greats he has played with include Duke Ellington, Count Bassie and Ella Fitzgerald.

Come for the free live jazz on Saturday nights. Butch plays on the first Saturday of every month. He was on when I got there at 7pm and was still jamming when I left at 11pm. Not bad for an 88 year old. Not bad at all.

Come for the great cooking. Mozaic’s menu is a mosaic of foods from around the world. The Quesadilla with Sliced Turkey, Brie, and Cranberry Chutney and the Fried Chicken are my favorites so far. Bring your own beer, wine or liquor if you wish; they have all the glassware and set-ups you’ll need. If you can’t make it on a Saturday night for jazz, Moziac is also open for lunch and dinner. Please check their Website for their hours.

Moziac is very committed to the neighborhood of Frankford. Besides being very involved with numerous neighborhood organizations, just about all the employees are neighborhood residents. Mozaic is located between the Church and Margaret El stops. Taxis with GPS seem to be able to find it fine. If you are driving, there is usually plenty of street parking right in front.

Frankford is a neighborhood that is only 6 miles, but several worlds away from Center City. Butch, a lifelong Frankford resident only traveled a few blocks to get to the gig. The night I was there, a couple from Paris (France, not Texas) was there too. They were in town for an academic conference. After reading about jazz at Mozaic on the Web, they made their way to Frankford. You may not have to travel as far to get there, but like the folks from France, you’ll be glad you did.

Mozaic Restaurant
4524 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19124
215-535-5040
http://www.mozaicrestaurant.com/home1.html

Live jazz every Saturday night, no cover.